How can abolishing the extremes of poverty and wealth — one of the principles of the Faith — be achieved?
The Baha’i Faith sees the present condition of society, in which a small number of individuals accumulate excessive fortunes while the masses live in dire need, as a grave imbalance and injustice. On the other hand, a state of complete economic equality is neither achievable nor desirable. The Baha’i writings anticipate that extremes of poverty and wealth will be reduced gradually as the character of individuals—rich and poor—is reformed, and as the essential connection between the spiritual and material aspects of life is recognized. At the personal level, the key is to recognize that every human being, regardless of social or economic status, has the innate capacity, as well as the right and obligation, to contribute to the continuous advancement of civilization. Idleness and begging are forbidden to Baha’is, while work performed in the spirit of service is elevated to the station of worship. The right to work, the right to contribute to society, takes on a spiritual dimension, and t
