Ukraine’s survival and the Lesser Peace: the two go together. The Lesser Peace is not the dream of disarmament, but the duty of justice.
The war in Ukraine is a geopolitical crisis and a threshold moment for humanity. When aggression threatens the vulnerable, silence risks becoming complicity. The Baha’i teachings explain that peace cannot be achieved through disarmament alone, nor through passive resistance to violence. True peace requires collective security: nations standing together to protect the innocent, to restrain the wolves, and to safeguard the sheep.
This principle of collective security begins with the responsibility of rulers themselves.
The General Duty of Rulers
Baha’u’llah spoke of the Lesser Peace as a political settlement among nations that precedes the Greater Peace, the spiritual unity of humankind. The Lesser Peace is not pacifism; it is the recognition that security is a prerequisite for peace.
This political settlement rests on a binding principle: “Should anyone among you take up arms against another, rise ye all against him” (Gleanings, CXIX). Baha’u’llah emphasized that nations must act in concert, so that when a king attacks another, the rest should “unitedly arise and prevent him” (Tablet of Maqsud).
He makes clear that nations are obligated to actively counter aggression, not merely appeal to the aggressor’s reason, because justice demands such action. To oppose aggression is manifest justice. It shields the innocent from tyranny and grants them lasting rest and tranquillity. (Gleanings, CXIX)
Ultimately, the purpose behind collective security is global unity. Baha’u’llah sets down the fundamental spiritual principle as follows: “The purpose of justice is the appearance of unity among men.” (Sixth leaf of the Words of Paradise) This shows that collective security is not optional but essential, for justice is the foundation upon which unity rises, and unity is the pillar upon which peace rests. Without the foundation, the pillar cannot stand; without the pillar, the roof of peace collapses.
Having set down the universal duty of rulers, Baha’u’llah then turned to America with a charge of particular weight.
America’s Sacred Responsibility
In addition to setting out the general principles of collective security, Baha’u’llah made a targeted move that casts an instructive light on the present political situation: he addressed America directly in the Kitab‑i‑Aqdas. By placing this responsibility in the Kitab‑i‑Aqdas rather than in his general letters to the rulers, he gave it particular weight.
He commanded the rulers of America to “bind the broken with justice” and to “crush the oppressor.” (Kitab‑i‑Aqdas, para. 88)
This is not an exhortation—it is sacred law. The general duty of rulers to uphold justice is here applied in a specific context. America is given a sacred responsibility: to protect the oppressed and restrain the aggressor.
Yet even America’s sacred responsibility rests on deeper foundations, for peace cannot endure without principles that bind humanity together.
Peace on Firm Foundations
‘Abdu’l‑Baha explains that peace cannot stand on mere agreement or wishful thinking. It must be upheld by legal and moral systems.
He wrote that “these manifold principles, which constitute the greatest basis for the felicity of mankind… must be added to the matter of universal peace and combined with it, so that results may accrue. ” (Tablet to The Hague)
The principles he refers to include justice, equality, and the rule of law. Peace is not sustainable if it rests only on passivism, treaties, or disarmament. It must be joined with justice, unity, and moral foundations. Otherwise, peace collapses into illusion. The Lesser Peace therefore requires more than the absence of war. It requires the presence of principles that bind humanity together.
These principles are not abstract. They come alive in real moments of crisis, as the war in Ukraine now makes clear. They require everyone to act, even if that makes us feel uncomfortable.
Ukraine and the Lesser Peace
The war raging in Ukraine is a pivotal moment for humanity. It challenges the global order—and its governments—to come to terms with the principles Baha’u’llah laid down. The Lesser Peace is not about passive harmony but active justice, requiring nations to stand together against aggression.
Yet Baha’u’llah was not speaking only to nations. The principle of collective security is not limited to governments alone. He commanded that when one ruler takes up arms against another, “rise ye all against him” (Gleanings, CXIX). This charge addresses both nations and the conscience of individuals. Each person, each community, each nation has a role to play in restraining tyranny and protecting the vulnerable.
Supporting Ukraine is therefore a moral duty. Everyone is asked to respond in whatever way they can—through advocacy, aid, solidarity, or prayer.
The Greater Peace remains the horizon: the day when war itself is no more, and unity is spiritual as well as political. Reaching that horizon requires courage, collective resolve, and the protection of the vulnerable along the way.