Work as Worship: Interview with Meena Datwani

Every individual, no matter how handicapped and limited he may be, is under the obligation of engaging in some work or profession, for work, especially when performed in the spirit of service, is according to Bahá’u’lláh a form of worship. It has not only a utilitarian purpose, but has a value in itself, because it draws us nearer to God, and enables us to better grasp His purpose for us in this world. It is obvious, therefore, that the inheritance of wealth cannot make anyone immune from daily work. – Baha’u’llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 192

For Baha’is, work done in the spirit of service to others is, as Abdu’l-Baha puts it, “the highest form of worship.” In this new series of video essays, journalist Temily Tianmay explores the professions, occupations and crafts of various Baha’is, to see how they express the powerful injunction of Baha’u’llah that work equals worship.