Reciting and Studying the Writings

Reciting the Verses of God:
Recite ye the verses of God every morn and eventide. Whoso faileth to recite them hath not been faithful to the Covenant of God and His Testament, and whoso turneth away from these holy verses in this Day is of those who throughout eternity have turned away from God.
    (Baha'u'llah: The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 73)

Intone, O My servant, the verses of God that have been received by thee, as intoned by them who have drawn nigh unto Him, that the sweetness of thy melody may kindle thine own soul, and attract the hearts of all men. Whoso reciteth, in the privacy of his chamber, the verses revealed by God, the scattering angels of the Almighty shall scatter abroad the fragrance of the words uttered by his mouth, and shall cause the heart of every righteous man to throb. Though he may, at first, remain unaware of its effect, yet the virtue of the grace vouchsafed unto him must needs sooner or later exercise its influence upon his soul.
    (Baha'u'llah: Gleanings, p. 295)

They who recite the verses of the All-Merciful in the most melodious of tones will perceive in them that with which the sovereignty of earth and heaven can never be compared. From them they will inhale the divine fragrance of My worlds - worlds which today none can discern save those who have been endowed with vision through this sublime, this beauteous Revelation. Say: These verses draw hearts that are pure unto those spiritual worlds that can neither be expressed in words nor intimated by allusion. Blessed be those who hearken.
    (Baha'u'llah: The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 61)

QUESTION: Concerning the sacred verse: "Recite ye the verses of God every morn and eventide."
ANSWER: The intention is all that hath been sent down from the Heaven of Divine Utterance. The prime requisite is the eagerness and love of sanctified souls to read the Word of God. To read one verse, or even one word, in a spirit of joy and radiance, is preferable to the perusal of many Books.
    (Baha'u'llah: Aqdas: Questions and Answers, pp. 126-127)

Gather ye together with the utmost joy and fellowship and recite the verses revealed by the merciful Lord. By so doing the doors to true knowledge will be opened to your inner beings, and ye will then feel your souls endowed with steadfastness and your hearts filled with radiant joy.
    (Baha'u'llah: The Importance of Deepening, p. 188)

Whatever meeting is held to celebrate the memory of the Abha Beauty and to listen to the recital of the divine utterances is indeed a rose-garden of the Kingdom; that gathering is strengthened by the reviving breaths of holiness that waft from the unseen world, inasmuch as the outpourings of divine grace are the light of that gathering and in it the effulgent splendours of His mercy are made manifest.
    (`Abdu'l-Baha: The Importance of Deepening, p. 195)

It behoveth us one and all to recite day and night both the Persian and Arabic Hidden Words, to pray fervently and supplicate tearfully that we may be enabled to conduct ourselves in accordance with these divine counsels. These holy Words have not been revealed to be heard but to be practiced.
    (`Abdu'l-Baha: The Importance of Deepening, p. 196)

With regard to the definition of "verses of God", Baha'u'llah states that it refers to "all that hath been sent down from the Heaven of Divine Utterance". Shoghi Effendi, in a letter written to one of the believers in the East, has clarified that the term "verses of God" does not include the writings of Abdu'l-Baha; he has likewise indicated that this term does not apply to his own writings.
    (The Universal House of Justice: Aqdas: Notes, p. 236)

Studying the Baha'i Writings:
Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words, that ye may unravel its secrets, and discover all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths.
    (Baha'u'llah: The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 85)

...the reading of the scriptures and holy books is for no other purpose except to enable the reader to apprehend their meaning and unravel their innermost mysteries. Otherwise reading, without understanding, is of no abiding profit unto man.
    (Baha'u'llah: The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 172)

Pride not yourselves on much reading of the verses or on a multitude of pious acts by night and day; for were a man to read a single verse with joy and radiance it would be better for him than to read with lassitude all the Holy Books of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Read ye the sacred verses in such measure that ye be not overcome by languor and despondency. Lay not upon your souls that which will weary them and weigh them down, but rather what will lighten and uplift them, so that they may soar on the wings of the Divine verses towards the Dawning-place of His manifest signs; this will draw you nearer to God, did ye but comprehend.
    (Baha'u'llah: The Kitab-i-Aqdas, pp. 73-74)

The principles of the Teachings of Baha'u'llah should be carefully studied, one by one, until they are realized and understood by mind and heart...
    (`Abdu'l-Baha: Paris Talks, p. 22)

It is easy to read the Holy Scriptures, but it is only with a clean heart and a pure mind that one may understand their true meaning. Let us ask God's help to enable us to understand the Holy Books.
    (`Abdu'l-Baha: Paris Talks, pp. 56-57)

Direct thine attention to the holy Tablets; read thou the Ishraqat, Tajalliyyat, the Words of Paradise, the Glad Tidings, the Tarazat, the Most Holy Book. Then wilt thou see that today these heavenly Teachings are the remedy for a sick and suffering world, and a healing balm for the sores on the body of mankind. They are the spirit of life, the ark of salvation, the magnet to draw down eternal glory, the dynamic power to motivate the inner self of man.
    (`Abdu'l-Baha: Selections ... `Abdu'l-Baha, p. 61)

If you read the utterances of Baha'u'llah and Abdu'l-Baha with selflessness and care and concentrate upon them, you will discover truths unknown to you before and will obtain an insight into the problems that have baffled the great thinkers of the world.
    (Shoghi Effendi: The Importance of Deepening, p. 205)

Indeed if an avowed follower of Baha'u'llah were to immerse himself in, and fathom the depths of, the ocean of these heavenly teachings, and with utmost care and attention deduce from each of them the subtle mysteries and consummate wisdom that lie enshrined therein, such a person's life, materially, intellectually and spiritually, will be safe from toil and trouble, and unaffected by setbacks and perils, or any sadness or despondency.
    (Shoghi Effendi: The Importance of Deepening, p. 204)

There is no limit to the study of the Cause. The more we read the writings the more truths we can find in them and the more we will see that our previous notions were erroneous.
    (Shoghi Effendi: The Importance of Deepening, p. 212)

To deepen in the Cause means to read the writings of Baha'u'llah and the Master so thoroughly as to be able to give it to others in its pure form.
    (Shoghi Effendi: The Importance of Deepening, p. 212)

To strive to obtain a more adequate understanding of the significance of Baha'u'llah's stupendous Revelation must, it is my unalterable conviction, remain the first obligation and the object of the constant endeavor of each one of its loyal adherents.
    (Shoghi Effendi: World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 100)