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"The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens."
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"The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens."
3054 stories for this age.
After Siyyid Kázim's death, Mullá Ḥusayn prayed and fasted for forty days and set out to find the Promised One. At the gate of Shíráz the Báb welcomed him, and that night He declared His mission.
When a Bahá’í spoke up for a young Persian, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explained that He would overlook any wrong done to Himself, but could never countenance or aid a deed that would injure the Faith.
While Bahá'u'lláh lived in solitude in the mountains, His family in Baghdad heard of a dervish who had comforted a weeping schoolboy and written him a beautiful copy. Bahíyyih Khánum recalled how they became convinced it was their father.
On the voyage to Mecca a jealous shaykh abused the passengers, and the Báb most of all. When the captain ordered him thrown overboard, the Báb held on to him and begged the captain to forgive him.
Laura Dreyfus-Barney recalled a day in ‘Akká when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, looking out over the Mediterranean, spoke of how wonderful it will be to be liberated from the body and fly throughout the universe.
Riding to a hotel in Chicago, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explained that He bore the hardships of His travels in America because He feared that, after Him, self-seeking persons might disturb the love and unity of the friends.
On the voyage into exile at ‘Akká, Jinab-i-Munib fell gravely ill. The Master and Mirza Musa carried him to a hospital at Smyrna, but when the Master returned with fruit for him, he had died.
Letitia, a Catholic girl who taught French in the Master's home, was embarrassed after interpreting for a pilgrim. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá assured her that no one would try to make a Bahá’í of her.
When the landlord in New York complained about His many visitors, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá did not argue but moved out, showering the staff with such love that they felt ashamed and begged Him to stay.
Given fur so that He could have a warm coat, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had it made into twenty caps for the elderly men of the town.
Given fur so that He could have a warm coat, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had it made into twenty caps for the elderly men of the town.
In a tale from Sa‘dí’s Garden of Roses, translated by Marzieh Gail, a wise man calms a terrified slave by having him thrown into the sea, because only one who has known calamity values safety.
Nettie Tobin, who was not well off, brought a builder's rejected stone to the Wilmette Temple site by baby carriage, streetcar and a borrowed wagon, and the Master used it at the dedication of the land.
When a man ill with tuberculosis was shunned even by his family, the Master visited him every day, brought him delicacies, read to him, and was alone with him when he died.
An unhappy visitor from New York asks why ‘Abdu’l-Bahá always greets her in ‘Akká with “Be happy!” and what the spiritual life is. His answer stays with her, and she learns to know the spiritual life.
Urged to cross to America on the new Titanic, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sailed instead on the slower Cedric. Asked why, He said His heart had not prompted Him to take the Titanic.
In the years after ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s passing, Shoghi Effendi often withdrew to Switzerland to recover his health and strength, walking for many hours and climbing in the Bernese Alps.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells of a rich man who gladly left his fortune to go on pilgrimage and a poor man who could not leave his donkey, to show that fortune is not necessarily an impediment to detachment.
In Washington in April 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, though weary, was so moved by the love between Black and white friends at the Dyers’ home that He spoke, likening their union to a string of pearls and rubies.
Bahíyyih Khánum recalls how, when Bahá’u’lláh was banished from Adrianople, a false report that He would be parted from His family and followers led one of them to try to take his own life, until ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s protest kept them together.
Haji Mirza Haydar-'Ali tells of a man so afraid of being found with the Kitáb-i-Íqán that he hid it in a stable manger, until he reflected on the fearlessness of its Author and became a believer.
British guns were trained on Jerusalem, then held by the Turks. Reluctant to fire on the holy city, the British command asked headquarters what to do and was told to pray. Not a gun was fired.
An American mother reached ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s house in Paris two days before He left. Her little daughter had pointed to His photograph on a magazine in a shop and cried that it was the Lord Jesus.
A woman visiting the Master in Haifa in May 1910 told Him she had had many sorrows. He told her to forget them, then shared Persian tea with her and gave her a package to take away.
In New York on 13 April 1912 a young single-taxer asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá what message to take to his friends. The Master laughed and told him that in the Kingdom of God there is plenty of land and no taxes.
In London ‘Abdu’l-Bahá heard laughter from the kitchen and went to share the joke between a Persian servant and an English housekeeper. He laughed heartily and gave each of them a small gold coin for being happy.
After a sleepless night on the train, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá reached Denver on 23 September 1912. Within hours He was meeting reporters, and that evening He spoke to a crowded gathering at the home of Mrs. Roberts.
Feny Paulson travelled from Montana to see ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Salt Lake City and spent a dismal night at the YWCA. His first words to her were about luxury and comfort, and He told her He was her father.
Before the First World War ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had villagers grow and store corn, which fed the poor of Haifa and ‘Akká through the famine years. After the British occupation He was knighted, in April 1920.
On 13 May 1912, ill with a high fever, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá still went to speak at the New York Peace Society’s meeting at the Hotel Astor, telling Juliet Thompson that He worked by the confirmations of the Holy Spirit.
In ‘Akká, where there was no hospital, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá quietly paid a doctor to treat the poor. When a crippled woman named Na'um caught measles and was shunned, He gave her a room, His own bedding and every care.
As His party waited to leave London by train, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá went on calmly writing. Then a man arrived with a garland and, in the name of the disciples of Zoroaster, hailed Him as the promised Sháh Bahrám.
In a Tablet to the Bahá’ís of Canada, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá recalls how He was warned not to go to Montreal, and how, trusting in God, He went and found every door open and the hearts receptive.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave freely of love, time, food, money and more while gladly accepting deprivation for Himself. In America He left fine rooms for a simple apartment, yet tipped generously and spoke without pay.
Recalling a gathering of children years later, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told how He had jokingly asked a little girl to marry one of the boys, and she answered that she wanted an Eastern husband.
Comforting a woman who still grieved for a baby lost more than twenty-one years before, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told her that when His own four-year-old son died, He did not grieve, for He had given him to God as a trust.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá would begin a conversation with something simple, such as the weather, a stone or a bird, and weave it into a parable of spiritual truth, speaking easily and clearly in brief phrases.
When war came in 1914, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá moved the Bahá’ís of Haifa to the Druze village of Abú-Sinán, where vegetables He had taught them to grow and corn from ‘Adasíyyih kept many from hunger.
In a 1974 talk in Wilmette, Hand of the Cause Abu’l-Qásim Faizí recalled ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s explanation that the earth is faithful, generous and patient while fire is greedy, and urged Bahá’í youth to be like the earth.
While living in the house of Bahá’u’lláh’s brother in ‘Akká before her marriage, Munírih Khánum could watch ‘Abdu’l-Bahá swimming in the sea from her window. She remembered Him as a strong and graceful swimmer.
In October 1912 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá visited Charles Tinsley, a Black believer in San Francisco confined to bed with a broken leg, and told him a parable of a ruler who trained through hardship the subject he loved.
A recollection of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s majestic presence, of the love that flowed from Him to everyone near Him, and of His constant adjuration: “Do as I do. Be as I am.”
Throughout His travels ‘Abdu’l-Bahá paid His own costs and declined offers of money; in Washington He asked Mrs Parsons to give her gift to the poor instead.
As the New York friends met to form their first Local Spiritual Assembly, a cablegram from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent them to Matthew 19:30, and they learned a lesson in humility.
Before speaking at New York’s Bowery Mission in April 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had two thousand-franc notes changed into quarters, and He pressed a gift of silver into the hand of each man there.
In Montreal ‘Abdu’l-Bahá took the streetcar to save a dollar, then gave each of the Maxwells’ servants a pound; at Phoebe Hearst’s estate each servant received ten dollars.
At the dedication of the Wilmette Temple site on 1 May 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá set aside the golden trowel He was given and broke the ground with an ordinary axe and shovel.
Though He wept over the sufferings of Bahá’u’lláh and His companions, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá lived His own teaching that the soul who lives in the spiritual Kingdom knows perpetual joy.
Worn out by the train journey from Denver in September 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stopped at Glenwood Springs, bathed in the hot springs with His companions and said He was relieved of fatigue.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá loved laughter. Once He laughed so heartily that His turban became disarranged; He told Juliet Thompson and May Maxwell that they rested Him, and He could not tell one joke for laughing.
Weakened in health on His third visit to Paris in 1913, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá some evenings took only milk and bread, and on the 27th He moved to a hotel in Rue Lauriston for a few days' rest.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá prayed with His hands held out and slightly bent, palms turned toward His breast, as though already gathering in the blessings He prayed for.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s family dressed simply, as an example to the rich and an encouragement to the poor. When one of His daughters married in a clean dress, He explained that what she did not need He would give to the poor.
On His first morning in Washington, amid many interviews, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spent half an hour with Agnes Parsons’ young son Jeffrey, looking at his toys, books and pictures before they went up to the roof to see the view.
As a child, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá visited His Father’s flocks in the mountains. Told He must leave the shepherds a present, He gave them all the sheep, and Bahá’u’lláh laughed that one day He would give Himself away.
When a child asked why all the rivers of the earth flow into the ocean, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá answered that the ocean sets itself lower than them all and so draws them to itself.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá visited the sick, sent daily to ask after them, and quietly paid a doctor to care for the poor of ‘Akká. When a poor, crippled woman with measles was shunned, He arranged her care and, at the last, her funeral.
Chains, locusts, the bombardments of Haifa and the threat of death could not shake ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s calm. Lua Getsinger wrote of the calm majesty with which He went about among the people, whose only hope and help He was.
Prayer sustained ‘Abdu’l-Bahá through deep sorrow and grave danger. At times He prayed through an entire night, and He often prayed that His conditions might become more severe so that His strength to meet them might increase.
With a smile, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told a group in America of a wife who had her husband wipe the dust from her shoes but did not do the same for him, and urged the ladies sometimes to stand up for the rights of men.
New York newspapers could not agree on how many people met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, with reports ranging from about forty to fully a thousand, and some of them added strange remarks of their own.
Unwell with a cold on His chest during His second visit to Stuttgart, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was told by physicians to stay indoors, yet He went to the waiting audience, spoke on world peace, and stopped to comfort a weeping woman.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá recalled a believer imprisoned with Bahá’u’lláh in ‘Akká who, with only a rug, a samovar, a cup and a teapot, made his tea each afternoon with such gratitude and joy that every cup seemed better than the last.
Before leaving for Minneapolis, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá asked Corinne True to speak about the Faith in public; when she protested that she had no training, He told her to turn her heart wholly toward Him.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá never sought publicity and disliked being photographed, saying a picture of oneself emphasizes the personality; in London He at first refused, then consented to make the reporters and the friends happy.
At eight ‘Abdu’l-Bahá grieved over His Father’s sufferings; in Baghdad He prayed without ceasing while Bahá’u’lláh was away in Sulaymaniyyih, rejoiced at His return, and drank in the teaching at the gatherings by the Tigris.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá told of a Persian believer who, travelling in the wilderness, could not sleep for fear his new shirt would be stolen, until he decided to get rid of it so he could rest.
To show the need for one common language, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told of four hungry travellers who quarrelled over what to buy for supper until a donkey laden with grapes showed that all four wanted the same thing.
At a luncheon in Dublin, New Hampshire, in 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá set leaders of society laughing, and told them how in prison the believers had sought out funny things at the end of each day and laughed together.
Rúḥíyyih Khánum recalled how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá carried flower-pots two miles in the heat to the tomb of Bahá’u’lláh, and pumped water there until He was too stiff to walk away.
In Montreal in 1912 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá bought gifts at Henry Birks' jewelry shop to give to people as He traveled. At the Maxwells' home He gave one pound to each of the servants.
At a hotel in Glenwood Springs in 1912, a waiter set no place for Saichiro Fujita because he was a servant; ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had a chair brought and seated him among them.
In 1906, on the anniversary of the Báb's Declaration, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá helped prepare a feast for over two hundred guests and, serving them, asked each to forgive anyone who had wounded him during the past year.
During the 1912 American election year, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said in California that a president should be free of ambition for name and fame and should seek the public good, not his own.
Howard Colby Ives recalled how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá listened patiently to a clergyman's long questions, then spoke to him with such love that the visitor was transformed, and sent him off with an armful of roses.
In Dublin, New Hampshire, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá called back a ragged old man passing the inn, stepped into a shadow, and gave him His own trousers with a blessing.
After His release in 1908, American believers begged ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to visit. In 1911 He told Juliet Thompson that His invitation to America would be the unity of the believers.
Lady Blomfield told of seeing broad rays of golden light pour from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá over a London congregation as He spoke, flooding some people and avoiding others completely.
Leaving Buffalo in 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá left a dollar for the absent chambermaid, yet refused a driver's overcharge, saying one should never yield to a wrongful demand.
When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was very tired, Agnes Parsons suggested He rest and not worry about the constant stream of visitors. He thanked her and rested until nearly four o'clock.
On a walk in Vienna in 1913, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave money to charity collectors and to children in the park until He and His attendants had nothing left.
At a Christmas party for the poor in London in 1912, some children took ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for Father Christmas. At East Sheen three little children sat quietly on His knee while He spoke of the purity of children’s hearts.
At the Pumpellys’ home in Dublin, New Hampshire, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told a tale with a moral and then a lively Arabian story that filled the room with laughter. On the way home He asked, with a child’s simplicity, whether they were pleased.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá would not accept money for Himself. He returned a cheque meant to buy Him a motor-car so that it could go to the poor, and asked an American lady to educate two motherless girls instead of giving to Him.
In The Advent of Divine Justice, Shoghi Effendi called racial prejudice the most vital and challenging issue before the American Bahá'ís, asked both races for a supreme effort, and gave minorities priority when votes or qualifications were equal.
In Port Said in 1910, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explained to Siyyid Asadu’lláh why He had left Haifa without telling anyone: He must always move according to the requirements of the Cause.
Told he could come on pilgrimage once his debts were paid, an Egyptian merchant spent five years clearing them. Arriving unrecognized in Haifa, he was found by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who spent the night praying beside him.
At the Unity Feast in West Englewood in June 1912, a sudden storm broke just as the meal was announced. Juliet Thompson watched ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sit at a distant crossroad, His face upturned to the sky, until the clouds raced away.
As the Cedric reached New York on 11 April 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had telegrams sent to the believers in East and West and remarked how easily the ocean had been crossed, while messages of welcome poured in.
When a merchant in ‘Akká seized the exiles’ charcoal, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sat quietly in his shop for three hours. Their talk about Christ won the merchant’s respect; he paid back the money and became a lifelong friend.
Worn out after seeing a hundred and forty people and speaking at the Mortens’ home in New York, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá went up to rest, but crowds followed. When Juliet Thompson asked to shut the door, He gently said to let them come.
At the dedication of the Temple site in Wilmette on 1 May 1912, the golden trowel could not break the ground, so ‘Abdu’l-Bahá swung an axe. Women and people of many races then dug, and He declared the Temple already built.
After the First World War the Mattoon family sailed from the United States with their two small daughters to visit ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He told them never to forget Christ, so they also visited the Holy Places of Christianity.
Howard Colby Ives followed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to His room in New York. In the stillness the Master simply asked whether he was interested in renunciation, and Ives, without words, left His presence with his soul treading the heights.
On her second pilgrimage in 1920, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told Agnes Parsons, a speaker for the Faith who often hosted traveling teachers, to organize a convention for racial unity, a tradition-breaking task for a woman of her social standing.
On pilgrimage in ‘Akká in 1909, Juliet Thompson stayed up late instead of resting as the Master had asked, and argued about whether the New York Assembly was united. The next morning ‘Abdu’l-Bahá looked deep into her eyes and took her hand in a clasp of love.
Alice Buckton asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá about psychic forces. He told her not to tamper with them in this world. As a child in the womb has eyes and ears it does not use until it is born, He said, these forces belong to the next world.
When Ḥájí Amín brought the believers' offerings to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Master said something was missing. Praying in his room, Ḥájí Amín found a poor woman's coin in the lining of his coat, and the Master said it was worth more than all the rest.
Dorothy Baker almost always opened her talks with a prayer, and before approaching the platform she often said a prayer of Bahá'u'lláh asking that her speech bear a trace of God's exalted Word.
“One year before ‘Abdu’l-Ḥamíd was dethroned, he sent an extremely overbearing, treacherous and insulting committee of investigation. The chairman was one of the governor’s staff, Árif Bey, and with him were three army commanders…
During 'Abdu'l-Bahá's visit to London in 1911, a painter asked Him whether art was a worthy vocation, and an actor raised the subject of the drama. His answers are recorded in 'Abdu'l-Bahá in London.
“After two years of the strictest confinement permission was granted me to find a house so that we could live outside the prison walls but still within the fortifications. Many believers came from Persia to join us but they were not…
Some referred to the teaching of Buddha. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: The real teaching of Buddha is the same as the teaching of Jesus Christ.
On 13 September 1911, nine days after arriving in London, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke at the home of Mrs. Thornburgh-Cropper and described the meeting as a reflection of the heavenly concourse.
God has created the world as one—the boundaries are marked out by man.
Question.—What is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s teaching concerning the different Divine manifestations?
How can one increase in faith? You must strive. A child does not know, in learning he obtains knowledge. search for Truth.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: Disease is of two kinds: material and spiritual.
The magnet of your love brought me to this country.
To man, the Essence of God is incomprehensible, so also are the worlds beyond this, and their condition.
During the last six thousand years nations have hated one another, it is now time to stop.
Someone asked if the Humanitarian Society was good.—Yes all societies, all organizations, working for the betterment of the human race are good, very good.
The Universal Races Congress was good, for it was intended for the furtherance and progress of unity among all nations and a better international understanding.
To most men who have not heard the message of this teaching, religion seems an outward form, a pretence, merely a seal of respectability.
In an apartment in Cadogan Gardens sits a spiritually illumined Oriental, whose recent advent in London marks the latest junction of the East and West.
We have met together to bid farewell to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and to thank God for his example and teaching, and for the power of his prayers to bring Light into confused thought, Hope into the place of dread, Faith where doubt was …
“We had no communication whatever with the out-side world. Each loaf of bread was cut open by the guard to see that it contained no message. All who believed in the Bahá’í manifestation, children, men and women, were imprisoned with us.”
“With the advent of the Young Turks’ supremacy, realized through the Society of Union and Progress, all the political prisoners of the Ottoman Empire were set free. Events took the chains from my neck and placed them about Hamíd’s;…
When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was asked if he recognized the good which the Theosophical Society has done.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá encouraged the Save the Children Fund and twice gave fifty Egyptian pounds to the Haifa Relief Fund. The Military Governor wrote to thank Him for His well-known generosity and care of the poor.
As a student at Oxford, Shoghi Effendi loved tennis and excelled at it. His partner J. C. Hill remembered him switching his racket from hand to hand with lightning speed, laughing most of the time.
As Bahá’u’lláh was led through a jeering crowd, an old woman begged the guard for a chance to throw her stone at His face, and He told them not to deny her.
On Christmas night 1912 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke to a thousand homeless men at a Salvation Army shelter in London; at New York’s Bowery Mission He spoke to the men and gave each the price of a bed.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá remembers Fátimih Begum, widow of the King of Martyrs, who bore persecution, poverty and the death of her son with thankfulness, but could not survive her grief at Bahá’u’lláh’s passing.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá remembers Hájí Mírzá Muhammad-Taqí, the Afnán, who believed after one reading of the Kitáb-i-Íqán, gave nearly all he owned to build the first Bahá’í House of Worship in ‘Ishqábád, and died near the Shrine of the Báb.
An American family asked if they might visit ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He replied that they could come when they could travel in comfort, and in 1919, after the war, it was arranged for the Randalls to start for Haifa.
At ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s table in ‘Akká an American pilgrim sat among people of many races who had come to love one another, and heard the Master speak of meeting again in the worlds of God.
After three fruitless years teaching the Faith in Jamestown, New York, Doris and Willard McKay were urged by Dorothy Baker to say the invocation “Yá Alláh El-Mustagáth”; Doris later saw in those prayers the beginnings of the Jamestown Assembly.
Bahá’u’lláh recounts how Muhammad, who had prayed toward Jerusalem, was commanded in the midst of the noontide prayer to turn toward the Ka‘bih, and how this change tested His companions.
Leroy Ioas recalls that until Shoghi Effendi passed away in England he was sending cables about work to finish before his return, which suggests he did not expect to die.
Howard Colby Ives recalls how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá met every questioner first with silence, listening so completely that He seemed to listen with the speaker’s own ears.
A homeless man who had resolved to end his life saw ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s picture in a newspaper and walked thirty miles to find Him; the Master welcomed and comforted him, and he left with a new purpose.
An early pilgrim saw that in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s house, followers of religions who would ordinarily not even eat together lived in perfect love and harmony.
A governor of 'Akká who had kept the Bahá'ís from visiting their Master was dismissed. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Himself still a prisoner, sent him good wishes and a precious ring and offered to help him.
A pilgrim brought an exquisite silk carpet from Persia for 'Abdu'l-Bahá. The Master said so beautiful a gift belonged in the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, and after a joyful journey to Bahjí He spread it there Himself.
Leroy Ioas recalls the Guardian's humility: Shoghi Effendi never spoke of "the days of the Guardian", and he stopped Ioas from ever mentioning his name in the same breath as the Master's.
Troubled by cables from America, Shoghi Effendi asked Leroy Ioas about a National Assembly meeting, then described the meeting and the spirit behind it himself, explaining that God gave him a feeling in his heart.
In 1919 thirteen-year-old Bahíyyih (Margaret) Randall visited 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Haifa. When she asked how she could serve the Faith, the Master paced the room and answered, "Study. Study. Study."
When Mírzá Mihdí, the Purest Branch, died in 'Akká in 1870, Shaykh Maḥmúd asked for the honour of washing his body while the grieving Most Great Branch kept watch outside the tent. He was buried beyond the city walls.
Howard Colby Ives asked 'Abdu'l-Bahá three times what detachment meant. The Master said nothing until they reached His room, then turned and gently asked whether he was interested in detachment.
Leroy Ioas recalls how Shoghi Effendi praised even the gardeners, looked at people's good deeds rather than their shortcomings, and bore with great forgiveness the suffering caused by relatives who had turned away from the Cause.
During 'Abdu'l-Bahá's visit to segregated Washington, D.C., He shocked white socialites by insisting that Louis Gregory, an African-American Bahá'í and lawyer, be seated next to Him at a society luncheon, and He asked the Bahá'ís to hold integrated meetings.
On a drive near Thonon in 1911, peasant children selling violets crowded around 'Abdu'l-Bahá. He bought all their flowers and gave to each child bountifully, and when they held out their hands for more, He gently said, "Tell them that they have taken."
At a crowded meeting in the Hotel Rittenhouse in Philadelphia, some guests had to sit on the floor. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was delighted: the Occident was sitting on the floor like the Orient, and He called it a cause of unity.
Driving up Broadway with Juliet Thompson in April 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá smiled at the electric signs and told His companions that Bahá’u’lláh had loved light and had taught that it should be used freely.
In a time of danger in ‘Akká, the Spanish Consul offered ‘Abdu’l-Bahá an Italian ship on which to escape by night. He refused, sending word that the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh had not run away, and neither would He.
Grieving over a family rift, Juliet Thompson’s mother went through a thunderstorm to visit ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. His words of comfort took away her bitterness, and she regarded it as a miracle.
Asked in New York about the long lives recorded of people in ancient times, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explained that a family was once called by the name of one person, so later ages mistook the family’s span for one founder’s life.
At Gallipoli, foreign consuls offered to secure refuge in Western Europe for Bahá’u’lláh and His family, but He would not abandon His followers. Bahíyyih Khánum recalls the hungry, frightened voyage that followed.
Four months after the death of the Purest Branch, the exiles were moved out of the barracks of ‘Akká. Bahá’u’lláh and His family went to the house of Malik; most companions lodged in the Khán-i-‘Avámid, later the first pilgrim house.
Near the end of a long address at Stanford University in 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá asked why anyone would fight and kill over the earth, which is in the end only our grave.
In London, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá asked a suffragist why women should have the vote. When she said humanity cannot soar with only one wing, He playfully offered to prove that woman is the stronger wing.
At a meeting in New York in 1912, Ella Goodall Cooper was taken with a woman. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá asked what the woman had been saying and told her to be very careful. Ella heeded Him, though she did not then understand.
A high official of the United States government asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá how best to serve his country. He was told to work, as a citizen of the world, to apply the principle of federalism to the relations between nations.
Urged on by the Master's enemies, the governor of Haifa visited ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wearing Bahá’u’lláh’s cloak and spectacles. The Master said nothing and treated him with courtesy, and later hastened to free him from prison.
When Juliet Thompson asked about His daughter Rúḥá Khánum, who had been very ill, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said He had put her in the hands of the Blessed Perfection and no longer worried.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave a fine wool cloak to a poor man who asked for a garment. The man complained that it was cotton and not good; the Master reproved him, then had him given a coin as well.
The Washington Bahá’ís were divided by the racial customs of the day. When a Unity Feast was booked at a hotel that refused Black guests, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá insisted that all attend, and they sat side by side.
A woman asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for a special work. He entrusted to her the orphaned son of her worst enemy, and she wept that she now knew what the Bahá’í Cause means.
On Christmas night 1912 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke to about a thousand homeless men at a Salvation Army shelter in Westminster. He left money for another dinner on New Year’s night, and the men rose to cheer Him.
In May 1940 the Guardian, Rúḥíyyih Khánum and her father tried to reach England from Italy. A British Consul who remembered ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stamped their passport, and after anxious days at St Malo they sailed for Southampton.
In the summer of 1848 eighty-one followers of the Báb gathered at Badasht as Bahá’u’lláh’s guests. Táhirih appeared unveiled and called for a break with the past, and Bahá’u’lláh eased the tension that followed.
When Yúnis Khán handed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá a poem full of exalted titles, the Master was deeply grieved and said He considered Himself lower than every believer. Seeing Yúnis Khán's distress, He then comforted him.
The owner of the land for the Báb's Shrine on Mount Carmel, influenced by Covenant-breakers, was unwilling to sell. After a night in which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá repeated a prayer of the Báb, the owner came and begged Him to buy it.
Stripped of His outer garments and in chains, Bahá’u’lláh was driven barefoot to the dungeon of Tihrán. When an old woman begged for a chance to throw her stone in His face, He told the guards not to deny her.
The Vazír dreamed that his son Bahá’u’lláh swam in a limitless ocean, with a multitude of fishes clinging to His hair. A soothsayer explained the dream, and after meeting the boy praised Him greatly.
In Haifa, thirteen-year-old Bahíyyih Randall saw ‘Abdu’l-Bahá tenderly feed the aged Ḥaydar-‘Alí. When she asked him what he had done to serve the Faith, he said he had not done as much as an ant could do in the path of God.
O ye beloved of God!
Arise with every power to assist the Covenant of God and serve in His vineyard.
From the death of that beloved youth due to his separation from you the utmost sorrow and grief has been occasioned, for he flew away in the flower of his age and the bloom of his youth, to the heavenly nest.
If thou seekest to be intoxicated with the cup of the Most Mighty Gift, cut thyself from the world and be quit of self and desire.
It behoveth thee to sever thyself from all desires save thy Lord, the Supreme, expecting no help or aid from anyone in the universe, not even from thy father or children.
All the people of the world are, as thou dost observe, in the sleep of negligence.
Regarding the “two wings” of the soul: These signify wings of ascent.
In man five outer powers exist, which are the agents of perception, that is to say, through these five powers man perceives material beings.
A fire from the Kingdom hath been kindled in the heart of the world, in the Blessed Tree, whose flame shall ere long set aglow the pillars of the earth and its rays illumine the horizons of the nations.
...By materialists, whose belief with regard to Divinity hath been explained, is not meant philosophers in general, but rather that group of materialists of narrow vision that worship that which is sensed, that depend upon the five…
O ye friends of God! Today is the day of union and this age is the age of harmony in the world of existence. “Verily, God loveth those who are working in His path in groups, for they are a solid foundation.”
O phoenix of that immortal flame kindled in the sacred Tree!
I have come from distant lands to visit the meetings and assemblies of this country.
O thou son of the Kingdom! If one possesses the love of God, everything that he undertakes is useful, but if the undertaking is without the love of God, then it is hurtful and the cause of veiling one’s self from the Lord of the Kingdom.
You have questioned me about strikes. This question is and will be for a long time the subject of great difficulties.
With regard to the innate character, although the divine creation is purely good, yet the varieties of natural qualities in man come from the difference of degree; all are excellent, but they are more or less so, according to the degree.
The Spiritual Meeting of men and the Spiritual Meeting of women in Chicago are indeed endeavoring to serve.
Then, O ye friends of God! Ye must not only have kind and merciful feelings for mankind, but ye should also exercise the utmost kindness towards every living creature.
Although a person of good deeds is acceptable at the Threshold of the Almighty, yet it is first “to know,” and then “to do.”
Certain European philosophers agree that the species grows and develops, and that even change and alteration are also possible.
From the time of the creation of Adam to this day there have been two pathways in the world of humanity; one the natural or materialistic, the other the religious or spiritual.
The beginning of the existence of man on the terrestrial globe resembles his formation in the womb of the mother.
Know that there are two kinds of knowledge: the knowledge of the essence of a thing, and the knowledge of its qualities.
The connection between God and the creatures is that of the creator to the creation; it is like the connection between the sun and the dark bodies of contingent beings, and is the connection between the maker and the things that he has made.
O people of the world! The dawn of the Sun of Reality is assuredly for the illumination of the world and for the manifestation of mercy.
Thou hast asked regarding the means of livelihood. Trust in God and engage in your work and practice economy; the confirmations of God shall descend and you will be enabled to pay off your debts.
The foundation of the Kingdom of God is laid upon justice, fairness, mercy, sympathy and kindness to every soul.
We have now come to the question of the modification of species and of organic development: that is to say, to the point of inquiring whether man’s descent is from the animal.
This wonderful age has rent asunder the veils of superstition and has condemned the prejudice of the people of the East.
In this day, the gathering of a board for consultation is of great importance and a great necessity.
Thou hast written of a verse in the Gospels, asking if at the time of Christ all souls did hear His call.
Know that the conditions of existence are limited to the conditions of servitude, of prophethood, and of Deity, but the divine and the contingent perfections are unlimited.
When we consider beings with the seeing eye, we observe that they are limited to three sorts: that is to say, as a whole, they are either mineral, vegetable, or animal; each of these three classes containing species.
The necessity and the particularity of the assured and believing ones is to be firm in the Cause of God and withstand the hidden and evident tests.
As to the seven qualifications (of the divinely enlightened soul) of which thou hast asked an explanation, it is as follows: KNOWLEDGE.
Today I am most happy, for I see here a gathering of the servants of God.
You have written that there were several meetings of joy and happiness, one for white and another for colored people.
In these times thanksgiving for the bounty of the Merciful One consists in the illumination of the heart and the feeling of the soul.
As to what thou hast written concerning “Reincarnation”: Believing in reincarnation is one of the old tenets held by most nations and creeds, as well as by the Greek and Roman philosophers and wise men, the old Egyptians and the chief Assyrians.
The greatest bestowal of God in the world of humanity is religion; for assuredly the divine teachings of religion are above all other sources of instruction and development to man.
Religion is the outer expression of the divine reality. Therefore it must be living, vitalized, moving and progressive.
If we look with a perceiving eye upon the world of creation, we find that all existing things may be classified as follows: First—Mineral—that is to say matter or substance appearing in various forms of composition.
Thy letter was received. Praise be to God it imparted the good news of thy health and safety and indicated that thou art ready to enter into an agricultural school.
When the darkness of ignorance and heedlessness concerning the realm of eternity and bereavement from the True One had encircled the universe, then the resplendent Luminary dawned and the brilliant Light illumined the horizon of the East.
It has been before explained that spirit is universally divided into five categories: the vegetable spirit, the animal spirit, the human spirit, the spirit of faith, and the Holy Spirit.
Those souls who have the capacity and ability to receive the outpourings of the Kingdom and the confirmation of the Holy Spirit, they become attracted through one word.
According to divine philosophy, there are two important and universal conditions in the world of material phenomena; one which concerns life, the other concerning death; one relative to existence, the other non-existence; one manifest in composition, the other in decomposition.
If thou wishest the divine knowledge and recognition, purify thy heart from all beside God, be wholly attracted to the ideal, beloved One; search for and choose Him and apply thyself to rational and authoritative arguments.
We have many times demonstrated and established that man is the noblest of beings, the sum of all perfections, and that all beings and all existences are the centers from which the glory of God is reflected, that is to say …
Do ye know in what cycle ye are created and in what age ye exist?
In sooth, there will be found in those regions certain persons like the Pharisees of the time of Christ, who, night and day, will exert themselves with all heart and soul to cast forth doubts, in order that they may deprive the souls of the glad-tidings of the Holy Spirit.
Cleanliness and sanctity in all conditions are characteristics of pure beings and necessities of free souls.
Organize ye Spiritual Assemblies; lay ye the foundation of union and concord in this world; destroy ye the fabric of strife and war from the face of the earth; construct ye the temple of harmony and agreement …
The spiritual love of God maketh man pure and holy and clotheth him with the garment of virtue and purity.
If any differences of opinion may arise in those regions you must keep yourself entirely aloof and show forth love and kindness to all, saying it is better to refer to the ordained Center all the affairs.
The light hath a center and if one desire to seek it otherwise but from the center, he can never attain to it.
TO THE ASSEMBLIES AND MEETINGS OF THE BELIEVERS OF GOD AND THE MAID-SERVANTS OF THE MERCIFUL IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA: Upon them be Bahá’u’lláh El-Abhá!
O ye beloved of God, know that steadfastness and firmness in this new and wonderful Covenant is indeed the spirit that quickeneth the hearts which are overflowing with the love of the Glorious Lord; verily …
Every flock of the sheep of God which is protected under the shadow of the Divine Shepherd will not be scattered, but when the sheep are dispersed from the flock, they will necessarily be caught and torn by the wolf.
During my visit to London and Paris last year I had many talks with the materialistic philosophers of Europe.
According to the statement of philosophers the difference in degree of humankind from lowest to highest is due to education.
Know that nothing which exists remains in a state of repose, that is to say, all things are in motion.
O friend! Be set aglow with the fire of the love of God, so that the hearts of the people will become enlightened by the light of thy love.
O thou party who art assisted by the hosts of the Kingdom of El-Abhá!
Unless the Holy Spirit become intermediary, one cannot attain directly to the bounties of God.
Know that people belong to two categories, that is to say, they constitute two parties.
Note that thy Lord hath manifested the Magnet of the souls and hearts in the Pole of the existing world, to which all the sacred hearts are attracted from the far distant lands and countries.
Ye have written regarding the erection of the Temple and the purchase of the ground, or the finding of a place to be as a home for the gathering of the believers.
O ye friends of God! ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is day and night thinking of you and mentioning you, for the friends of God are dear to Him.
Today there is no greater glory for man than that of service in the cause of the “Most Great Peace.”
O ye beloved of God! O ye children of His Kingdom! Verily, verily the new heaven and the new earth are come.
Know that it is one of the most abstruse spiritual truths that the world of existence, that is to say this endless universe, has no beginning.
The greatest power in the realm and range of human existence is spirit,—the divine breath which animates and pervades all things.
In the day of Christ all nations were expecting that His Holiness Christ should come from heaven, and He came from heaven, though outwardly He came from the womb of Mary.
The advent of the prophets and the revelation of the Holy Books is intended to create love between souls and friendship between the inhabitants of the earth.
What is real unity? When we observe the human world we find various collective expressions of unity therein. For instance, man is distinguished from the animal by his degree or kingdom.
The wisdom of the appearance of the spirit in the body is this: the human spirit is a Divine Trust, and it must traverse all conditions; for its passage and movement through the conditions of existence will be the means of its acquiring perfections.
The body is composed, in truth, of corporeal elements and every composition is necessarily subject to decomposition; but the spirit is an essence, simple, pure, spiritual, eternal, perpetual and divine.
Thy letter was received. Thou hast written of the organization of an assembly in that city. Look not at the small number; nay, rather seek the pure hearts.
Thou hast questioned how thou canst accept this divine Cause, for thou art a member of the church.
Thank God for guiding thee unto the Straight Path, manifesting unto thee the Evident Light.
In our solar system, the center of illumination is the sun itself.
The Supper of the Lord which His Highness the Spirit ate with the apostles was a heavenly supper and not one of material bread and water, for material objects have no connection with spiritual objects.
All the people have formed a god in the world of thought, and that form of their own imagination they worship; when the fact is that the imagined form is finite and the human mind is infinite.
O maid-servant of God! This prison is indeed more precious and sweet than a garden to me, this fetter is greater than any liberty and the confinement is broader than the most spacious wilderness.
Praise be to God! that ye are gathered in one assembly like unto the stars of the Pleiades, are illumined with the light of the knowledge of God and through the outpouring of the cloud of the love of God …
In the estimation of historians this radiant century is equivalent to one hundred centuries of the past.
Know thou, that letter sent to thee by me, was only because of my perfect love for thee and my pity upon thee, for I had the desire that the fragrance of the Holy Spirit …
Shouldst thou come with the whole of thy being to God and be attracted to the lights of the Kingdom of God and be enkindled by the fire of the love of God, then wilt thou see that which thou canst not see today …
This recent war has proved to the world and the people that war is destruction while Universal Peace is construction; war is death while peace is life; war is rapacity and bloodthirstiness while peace is beneficence and humaneness …
Verily, I, from this brilliant and Blessed Spot, speak to you face to face, while ye are in that far distant country,…
A biography of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, from His childhood in Tehran and long years of exile and imprisonment to His ministry as Center of the Covenant, His journeys to the West, His writings and His passing in Haifa in 1921.
In the Mazandaran village of Máhfurúzak, Mullá ‘Alí Ján and his wife ‘Alavíyyih Khánum organized village life around prayer, schools and a cooperative; after his execution in Tehran in 1883 she devoted her life to the Faith.
Mary Maxwell of Montreal married Shoghi Effendi on 25 March 1937 in a simple, private wedding; as Rúḥíyyih Khánum she later served as a Hand of the Cause and travelled to 185 countries and territories.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá remembers Áqá ‘Alí of Qazvín, a host and teacher of the early believers who was beaten for his faith, followed Bahá’u’lláh to the prison of ‘Akká, and remained content through poverty and illness.
After his father’s death, Áqá Ḥusayn-i-Áshchí was taken into Bahá’u’lláh’s household and became its cook; he recalled the meagre meals in Adrianople and how Bahá’u’lláh smiled on learning that he counted the coal for each brazier.
Four brothers living near Bahá'u'lláh's house in Baghdad were drawn to Him by watching Him come and go, and later bore captivity in Mosul with patience. ‘Abdu'l-Bahá remembers each of them and their uncle.
As a boy, Ibn-i-Asdaq travelled with his father to Baghdad and met Bahá'u'lláh, who revealed a prayer for him. Years later he became one of the four Hands of the Cause named by Bahá'u'lláh.
Ibn-i-Abhar, one of the four Hands of the Cause named by Bahá'u'lláh, was told to seek answers through consultation, counselled by ‘Abdu'l-Bahá on trustworthiness, and sent to Yazd shortly before the upheaval of 1903.
Two brothers who shared Bahá'u'lláh's exile died in each other's arms in the ‘Akká barracks, and He gave up His prayer carpet to pay for their burial. ‘Abdu'l-Bahá also recalls their brother Pahlaván Riḍá.
Escaping his captors after the upheaval in Nayríz, Muḥammad-Ibráhím Amír fled to Iraq, copied the sacred verses, and served Bahá'u'lláh day and night through every exile to the Most Great Prison.
Muḥammad-Ibráhím, a coppersmith and poet from Káshán, came to Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdad, was exiled to Mosul, and spent his last years in Haifa serving travellers. His elegy for the King of Martyrs moved all to tears.
After a dream, a young Shíráz shopkeeper, ‘Abdu’l-Vahháb, follows Mullá ‘Alíy-i-Basṭámí out of the city. His furious father beats Mullá ‘Alí, but later repents, and after his son’s martyrdom he is taught the Faith by Bahá’u’lláh.
Ḥájí ‘Abdu’lláh left Persia for the Holy Land, farmed for a time at Ghawr near Tiberias while spending much of his time in prayer, then settled near Bahá’u’lláh at Junayna, where he passed away.
When a Persian Consul pressed him to testify that thieves had stolen far more than his few goods, the Tabríz merchant ‘Alí-‘Askar refused to lie; later, in the ‘Akká prison with his stricken family, he never ceased giving thanks.
Hounded by his own relatives and friends in Ádhirbáyján for his faith, Hájí Áqá of Tabríz fled with his family to Adrianople, shared the exiles’ imprisonment in ‘Akká, and died there near Bahá’u’lláh.
Faraju’lláh of Tafrísh came with his father to Adrianople, followed Bahá’u’lláh into the ‘Akká prison, later prospered in trade, and ended his days in India; his grave is in Bombay.
Three brothers from Tabríz gave their hearts to Bahá’u’lláh: Hájí Hasan was killed for proclaiming the Faith in Ádhirbáyján, while Hájí Ja‘far and Hájí Taqí followed Him into the ‘Akká prison.
Early in his Guardianship, Shoghi Effendi used the gift of an Iraqi Bahá’í, Haji Mahmud Qassabchi, to add three rooms to the Shrine of the Báb, and named a door of the Shrine after him.
For decades Ḥájí Abu’l-Ḥasan Ardikání carried the Ḥuqúqu’lláh and the believers’ letters to Bahá’u’lláh, met Him in the public bath at ‘Akká, became trustee of the Ḥuqúqu’lláh, and served on into the ministry of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
Mírzá Ḥasan-i-Adíb, a celebrated scholar of Tehran, became a believer in 1889 and was named a Hand of the Cause by Bahá’u’lláh; he served the Tehran Assembly, taught Bahá’í youth and helped found the Tarbiyat School.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá remembers Mírzá Ḥasan, the great Afnán, a learned kinsman of the Báb who settled near Bahjí, studied the stars by night, and did not long survive the passing of Bahá’u’lláh.
Ḥájí Mírzá Músá, whose father had been devoted to Bahá’u’lláh in Baghdad, longed to give Him the house He lived in; Bahá’u’lláh would accept it only by purchase, and revealed a Tablet in Mírzá Músá’s honour.
The Báb’s three maternal uncles took different paths: Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí raised Him and died one of the Seven Martyrs of Tehran; Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid Muḥammad received the Kitáb-i-Íqán; the youngest believed some years later.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá remembers Ḥájí Muḥammad Khán, a Balúch mystic whose long search for a spiritual guide ended in the presence of Bahá’u’lláh; he settled near Him in the Holy Land and passed away beside the Shrine of the Báb.
In 1889 Ḥájí Muḥammad-Riḍá Iṣfahání was murdered in the bazaar of Ashkhabad; the Russian authorities tried and convicted the killers, the Bahá’ís interceded for their lives, and the community went on to build its own institutions.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá remembers Hájí Muhammad-Ridá of Shíráz, a humble believer who served the Afnán, attended Bahá’u’lláh in the Holy Land, and died in Sidon, often praised by the Blessed Beauty.
A Kirmán merchant who embraced the Faith through the Báb’s uncle, and a Zanján merchant whose brother had fought beside Mullá Ḥusayn, were among the Seven Martyrs of Tihrán, both eager to lay down their lives.
Hájí Muhammad-Tahir of Yazd begged Bahá’u’lláh for martyrdom and was told he would live long to teach the Cause. He served for decades as a teacher, historian and protector of the families of Yazd’s martyrs.
Ḥájí Mullá Ismá‘íl-i-Qumí, a disciple of Siyyid Káẓim named Sirru’l-Vujúd at Badasht, was kept from Ṭabarsí by illness and later met martyrdom in Tihrán, forgiving his executioner.
Driven from Yazd for his faith, Mullá Mihdí set out with his two sons for the Holy Land, teaching along the way. Sick, his feet torn, he reached Mazra‘ih and died close by the Mansion of Bahá’u’lláh.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá remembers Mírzá Músá, Bahá’u’lláh’s faithful brother, who shared every exile from Ṭihrán to ‘Akká, and recalls Bahá’u’lláh’s joy when the fame of the Cause reached Díyárbakr.
For forty years Husayn-Áqá kept the coffee service and waited on everyone who came, without ever giving offence; after Bahá’u’lláh’s ascension he and his mother stood firm in the Covenant despite ties of kinship.
A young merchant from Tabríz heard of the new Manifestation in Smyrna, left his business to serve Bahá’u’lláh, and made his home in Haifa a way station for Bahá’í travelers, remaining steadfast after the Ascension.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá remembers Ismu’lláhu’l-Asdaq, who was led through Shíráz by a halter, survived the siege of Fort Tabarsí, and in Baghdád gently won over a furious Persian prince within a quarter of an hour.
Jináb-i-Muníb, a gifted calligrapher and singer from Káshán, walked beside Bahá’u’lláh’s howdah from Baghdád to Constantinople; later, gravely ill on the exile to ‘Akká, he was put ashore at Smyrna, where his grave lies.
Born in Charleston to formerly enslaved parents, Louis G. Gregory became a Bahá'í in 1909, was seated by 'Abdu'l-Bahá at His right in Washington, gave decades to teaching and race unity, and was posthumously named a Hand of the Cause.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá remembers Mashhadí Faṭṭáḥ, who came from Ádhirbáyján with his brother, lost everything he owned, lived content and silent in the prison of ‘Akká, and died of grief after the passing of Bahá’u’lláh.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá remembers two believers from Ádhirbáyján who lived near Adrianople, missed the exile to ‘Akká, followed on their own, farmed outside the city, and died of fever giving thanks to God.
Mírzá ‘Abdu’lláh Faráhání, a master of Persian classical music and a believer in Tihrán, was encouraged by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to preserve the old melodies; he recorded them and was still teaching when he died in 1918.
Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl, head of a religious college in Tihrán, became a Bahá’í in 1876, was imprisoned three times, and taught the Faith in Turkmenistan, Egypt and America until his death in Cairo in 1914.
Mírzá Áqáy-i-Rikáb-Sáz, an early believer and calligrapher of Shíráz for whom Bahá’u’lláh revealed the Tablet of the Verse of Light, was betrayed, imprisoned and put to death in his native city.
Mírzá Asadu’lláh Fáḍil of Mázindarán, a scholar who became a Bahá’í in Tihrán, carried out a dangerous mission for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Najaf, taught across America, India and Persia, and wrote a nine-volume history of the Faith.
A learned seeker from Yazd became a carpenter in Baghdad, gathered provisions for the exiles on the road to Constantinople, and served in the ‘Akká barracks, where he revived after Bahá’u’lláh bade that the prayer for healing be chanted.
Mírzá Maḥmúd-i-Zarqání completed the first volume of his chronicle of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s 1912 journey in America at the end of 1913; at his sudden death the Guardian cabled that his outstanding services would shine evermore.
Bahá’u’lláh’s son Mírzá Mihdí, the Purest Branch, fell through a skylight in the ‘Akká barracks in 1870 and offered his life so that the believers might attain his Father’s presence; in 1939 Shoghi Effendi reburied him on Mount Carmel.
Mocked in Káshán for his faith, the poet Mírzá Mihdí came to Baghdad, stayed behind to guard the Holy House, endured exile in Mosul, and at last reached the ‘Akká prison, where he spent his final days in joy.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá recalls how He sensed a holy soul in a carriage approaching ‘Akká and went to the city gate to meet the Afnán, and how, after the Afnán died in India, his body was at last laid to rest near Baghdád.
As boys, two brothers of Isfahan served the Báb at their father's banquet. Grown into honest, generous merchants, they were put to death in 1879, and Bahá’u’lláh named them the King of Martyrs and the Beloved of Martyrs.
In Baghdad, Bahá'u'lláh has 'Abdu'l-Bahá settle a rich jeweler's disputed estate in a single day and gives the share pressed upon Him to the jeweler's son. Later Mírzá Muhammad defends those estates and becomes known as the Deputy.
Raised by Bahá'u'lláh from infancy, His brother Mírzá Muḥammad-Qulí served Him through every exile, pitching the tents and passing around the tea, and remained firm in the Covenant after His ascension.
A respected scholar of Isfahán gave up every comfort to serve Bahá’u’lláh and the believers in ‘Akká; after Bahá’u’lláh’s ascension, unable to bear His absence, he wasted away and died.
Mírzá Mustafá of Naráq, a believer since the days of the Báb, teaches the Faith openly in Tabríz with Shaykh Ahmad-i-Khurásání; when captured he reveals who he is, and at the place of execution asks to die first.
Mirza Qurban-‘Ali, a revered dervish of Barfurush who embraced the Cause through Mulla Husayn, was arrested in Tihran, boldly defended his faith before the Amir-Nizam, and was beheaded as the second of the Seven Martyrs.
A nephew of Vahid Darabi found certitude after long years of study, visited ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in ‘Akká, taught the Faith in America and Persia, and served the Cause until his passing in 1959.
Muḥammad-‘Alí of Iṣfahán followed Bahá’u’lláh into exile and spent the rest of his life a prisoner in ‘Akká, yet he savored every blessing so gladly that people said even kings were not so happy.
Muḥammad-‘Alí Ṣabbáq, who could neither read nor write, followed Bahá’u’lláh from Baghdád, spent two lonely years in Constantinople helping believers on their way, and shared the exile to ‘Akká before settling in Sidon.
Muḥammad-Hádí, a master bookbinder from Iṣfahán, kept the square before Bahá’u’lláh’s house in ‘Akká swept and sprinkled, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá recalls how a bowl of barley soup once cured his long fever.
Áqá Muḥammad of Iṣfahán served the King of Martyrs and the Beloved of Martyrs for years, then emigrated to ‘Akká, where he swept the ground about Bahá’u’lláh’s house and, after His passing, wept and prayed there each dawn.
Imprisoned in Tihrán with other disciples of the Báb, Muḥammad-Ḥusayn-i-Marághi’í would not say a word under torture; at the execution he embraced the body of the friend who had taught him the Faith and begged to be martyred at once.
Muḥammad Labíb survived the 1903 persecution in Yazd, founded a children's savings company that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá blessed, helped Effie Baker photograph the Faith's historic sites in Iran, and later pioneered to Japan and Rhodes.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá remembers Mullá ‘Alí-Akbar, a learned seeker who found the Faith, was chained and jailed again and again in Ṭihrán yet kept safe, and after his death appeared to Him in a dream, saying he had been teaching the Faith.
The second to believe in the Báb carried His message to the shrine cities of Iraq, was tried in Baghdad by Sunni and Shiite clerics, and died at forced labor near Istanbul, the first Bábí to die for his faith.
After Siyyid Kázim's death, Mullá Ḥusayn returned to Karbilá, urged his fellow disciples to scatter in search of the Promised One, and refused their offer to accept him instead. He became the first to believe in the Báb.
In Nayríz, Vaḥíd's doorkeeper Mullá Muḥammad-Riḍá led six companions out to scatter the mob massed around Vaḥíd's house. That night Vaḥíd told his wife he had built the house so that it might be demolished in the path of the Cause.
A renowned mujtahid of Najaf met Bahá’u’lláh in Baghdád, then taught the Faith in Qá’in, Ṭihrán, Bukhárá and Ishqábád through persecution and poverty, until he died far from his homeland.
Nabíl of Zarand, poet and teacher, sought Bahá’u’lláh in Baghdád, Adrianople and ‘Akká, waited in a cave on Mount Carmel until the prison gates opened, and could not bear to live after His ascension.
Mullá Muḥammad-‘Alí met Bahá’u’lláh in Ṭihrán before the Báb’s Declaration. Driven from Qá’in for his faith, he lived in poverty in Nazareth, trading needles for eggs, and at last made his home in ‘Akká near Bahá’u’lláh.
The titles the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave to Quddús, with an outline of his life: pilgrimage with the Báb, confinement in Sárí, leadership at Shaykh Ṭabarsí and martyrdom in Bárfurúsh in 1849.
After his father was killed for his faith near Káshán, ‘Alí-Akbar attained Bahá’u’lláh’s presence in ‘Iráq, later crossed deserts and mountains with his wife to reach Him again, and stayed loyal to the Covenant.
A disciple of Siyyid Kázim, Shaykh Ḥasan met the Báb in Karbilá, later served Him as a scribe and go-between, and, as the Báb had promised, met Bahá’u’lláh in Karbilá in 1851.
Shaykh Ismá‘íl, a Sufi leader of Kurdistán, persuaded Bahá’u’lláh to come to Sulaymáníyyih, where he and his disciples asked Him for the poem that became the Qasídiy-i-Varqá’íyyih.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá recalls Shaykh Ṣádiq of Yazd, a man of constant prayer in Baghdád, whom He healed at Bahá’u’lláh’s bidding, and who later died on the road to Mosul, longing to reach his Lord.
Shaykh Salmán slipped out of arrest in Tihrán when a stranger mistook him for someone else. Every year afterwards he walked from Persia to Bahá'u'lláh, carrying the believers' letters and bringing back His Tablets.
Siyyid Husayn-i-Turshízí, a mujtahid trained in Najaf, was converted to the Báb's Cause by a merchant friend. Led out to die with the Seven Martyrs of Tihrán, he offered to prove its truth before the city's divines, but an officer stabbed him dead.
Siyyid Ismá‘íl of Zavárih swept the doorstep of Bahá'u'lláh's house in Baghdad with his own turban each dawn. Transformed by His words, he at last gave up his life beside the river, an act Bahá'u'lláh recalls in the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf.
After the upheaval at Nayríz, the learned Siyyid Ja‘far-i-Yazdí met public humiliation with joy and endured daily beatings. Freed at last, he reached Bahá'u'lláh, Who revealed the Súriy-i-Nush in his honor.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá recalls Siyyid Muḥammad-Taqí Manshadí, who welcomed pilgrims at his little shop in Haifa, handled the Tablets and the believers' mail, stayed loyal to the Covenant, and carried on that service in Port Sa‘íd until his death.
Won to the Faith by Jamal Effendi, Siyyid Mustafa Rumi spent his life teaching in India and Burma. He was killed at Daidanaw during the Second World War, and in 1945 Shoghi Effendi named him a Hand of the Cause of God.
Sent by Muhammad Shah to investigate the Báb, the renowned divine Siyyid Yahya of Darab met Him three times in Shiraz and was won over by His commentary on the Surih of Kawthar. He later gave his life at Nayriz.
Tahirih Siyavushi, a nurse who served on the Local Spiritual Assembly of Shiraz, was arrested along with her husband, Jamshid. He was hanged two days before her. When she knew she would also be executed, she told her family she was relieved and happy.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s memorial of Táhirih: the learned woman of Qazvín who recognized the Báb, taught boldly in Karbilá and Baghdád, appeared unveiled at Badasht, and was put to death in Tihrán.
An overview of the Báb’s mission, from His declaration in 1844 and His call to prepare for “Him Whom God shall make manifest” to His martyrdom in the barracks square of Tabríz in 1850.
The life of Thornton Chase, whom ‘Abdu’l-Bahá called “the first American believer,” from his long spiritual search to his service in Chicago, and the Master’s visit to his grave in 1912.
A master cabinet-maker, poet and mathematician from Yazd entered Bahá’u’lláh’s presence almost daily in Baghdad, endured exile and hardship in Mosul, and spent his last days praying by the tomb of Bahá’u’lláh, longing for reunion.
Seeing that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had no time even to bathe, Yúnis Khán and Mírzá Ḥaydar-‘Alí arranged for the pilgrim architect Ustád Áqá Bálá to build a small bath in His house. Three days later the Master asked if it was finished, and answered with a story.
Two carpenter brothers from Káshán, driven out by persecution, joined Bahá’u’lláh in ‘Iráq; by different roads, one through Adrianople and one through captivity in Mosul, both reached the prison of ‘Akká, where they worked at their craft, joyful and faithful to the end.
A prosperous builder in Ṭihrán left his work and possessions for the Faith, lost even his bride, walked on foot to the Most Great Prison singing an ode Bahá’u’lláh had written down for him, and ended his days content in a cave near Haifa.
A quiet master carpenter from Káshán joined Bahá’u’lláh in Baghdad, endured captivity in Mosul, and after the ascension of Bahá’u’lláh made the glass roof over the inner courtyard of His Shrine.
Led to the Faith by childhood dreams of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the broadcaster William Sears gave up his career to pioneer to South Africa, met the Guardian on pilgrimage in 1954 and was appointed a Hand of the Cause in 1957.
The Montreal architect William Sutherland Maxwell, husband of May Maxwell, spent his last years serving Shoghi Effendi in Haifa and designed the superstructure of the Shrine of the Báb.
Each year before winter set in, 'Abdu'l-Bahá arranged for the poor of 'Akká to receive cloaks at a clothing shop, adjusting the garments on some of them Himself and keeping a record of those He helped.
Ali-Kuli Khan, Persia’s representative in Washington, longed for a prayer to say in moments of sudden need. On the drive from the station, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told him how, as a boy, He had cried “Yá Allah el Mustaghas!” all night before Bahá’u’lláh returned to Baghdad.
In April 1912 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke to several hundred men at the Bowery Mission and placed coins in each hand. The quarters left over He gave to a chambermaid, who later came to thank Him and to ask Him to pray for her.
When Corinne True tearfully told ‘Abdu’l-Bahá of the sad things she had had to bear, His answer brought peace to her heart, and she later became a great support for anyone who had lost a loved one.
At Cadogan Gardens, before leaving London in 1913, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said that teaching the Cause called for undivided attention; for six months He had not written even to His sister and daughters, because He must teach.
Agnes Parsons, in whose Washington home ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stayed in April 1912, recorded His gifts to her family: an ink well for her son, an illuminated manuscript for her husband, and a pair of glasses for her.
On the evening of her wedding Munírih Khánum received Bahá’u’lláh’s blessing, then awaited ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the bridal room. The service was very simple, with no choir, decorations or cake, just cups of tea.
Before leaving London, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá married a young Persian couple, asking each whether they loved the other with all their heart and soul. The writer recalls the simplicity of His own wedding and His words on the holiness of marriage.
Major Tudor Pole recorded, while noting that he could not vouch for it at first hand, how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá foretold that ‘Akká would be surrendered to two unarmed British soldiers, and how that came about.
Let these exalted words be thy love-song on the tree of Bahá, O thou most holy and resplendent Leaf: ‘God, besides Whom is none other God, the Lord of this world and the next!’
O Leaf of Paradise! Loose your tongue at all times in gratitude for the blessings of the Beloved of the Worlds, for you are always mentioned in His Glorious and Sanctified Presence, and you are ever in the hearts of His maidservants.
O my well-beloved, deeply spiritual sister! Day and night thou livest in my memory. Whenever I remember thee my heart swelleth with sadness and my regret groweth more intense.
This servant, after that grievous event and great calamity, the ascension of His Holiness ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the Abhá Kingdom …
Your touching words in connection with the sudden removal of the Greatest Holy Leaf from their midst have greatly alleviated the burden of sorrow that weighs so heavily upon their hearts and have demonstrated that in their great and …
May the Light of Union radiate with greater clearness and brilliancy day by day among the people in your great country—for to this country God has given much and much is expected from it.
O my well-beloved sister, O Most Exalted Leaf! Thou didst leave for Akká to remain but two days or so and then return, but now thou hast been gone from us for quite a while.
The letter dated 5 August 1932, from that spiritual friend has been received by the Guardian of the Cause of God, may our lives be sacrificed for him …
Your valued message brought strength and solace to my aching heart.
I deeply appreciate your sympathy. My loss is tremendous and my sorrow so profound.
O my dear sister! I have read what you wrote, and as I became aware of the content, I wept bitter tears. Then I carried the letter itself to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and He read it from beginning to end.
O thou my sister, my dear sister! Divine wisdom hath decreed this temporary separation, but I long more and more to be with thee again.
What you had written concerning the memorial gatherings of men and women believers to mourn the Most Exalted Leaf, who was the peerless fruit of the Holy Tree …
Concerning the remnants of the martyrs’ families, you have mentioned how eager they are to hear a word of commendation assuring them that this act of self-sacrifice and martyrdom will be acceptable in the sight of God.
86 ...He is eagerly awaiting to see the friends as ever burning with the desire to serve a Cause for the sake of which our departed Holy Leaf gave up her entire…
I greatly value your sympathy in my cruel, my irreparable loss.
My sister and beloved of my soul! Here on the slopes of Mount Carmel, by the cave of Elijah, we are thinking of that Most Exalted Leaf, and the beloved and handmaids of the Lord.
His loss is too immense to be adequately expressed in words.
My sister, for a considerable period, that is, from the day of Bahá’u’lláh’s ascension, had grown so thin and feeble, and was in such a weakened condition from the anguish of her mourning, that she was close to breakdown.
O leaf that has been stirred by the breeze of God! O victim of oppression in the path of the Abhá Beauty!—may my soul and the souls of the handmaids of God be offered up as a sacrifice for the dust of His Holy Shrine.
Your sweet and touching message imparted strength and solace to my heart.
All praise be to the Abhá Beauty, the Best-Beloved, the Desire of the world, for having enabled His well-assured leaves to remain firm in the Cause of God and steadfast in His love, even as immovable mountains …
My great love for the Greatest Holy Leaf and my attachment to each one of you prompt me to add these few words in person and to express to you my gratitude for the expression of your valued sympathy.
O my spiritual sister! Thou didst go away to Haifa, supposedly for only three or four days. Now it becometh apparent that the spiritual power of the Shrine hath brought thee joy and radiance, and even as a magnet is holding thee fast.
The profound sorrow occasioned by the sudden passing of the Greatest Holy Leaf, as well as the unnumbered messages of sympathy received from friends and believers in East and West, all of which the Guardian acknowledged in person …
At the exalted Threshold of our Lord, the Best-Beloved of the world, I fervently beseech Him to graciously keep that assured leaf and the other handmaids of the Merciful safe and secure under the shelter of His bounty and grace.
O my spiritual sister! God be praised, through the Ancient Beauty’s grace and bounty, we have set foot safe and sound upon this shore, and arrived in this town ...
The Guardian of the Cause of God has received your letter of 21 July 1932, telling of your and the other friends’ profound distress on receiving word of this calamity, this dire ordeal, that is, the ascension of the Most Exalted Leaf, that brightest fruit of the Eternal Tree.
The many evidences of your increasing zeal and activities in the service of our beloved Cause, have to a great measure, relieved my sorrow-laden heart.
O my affectionate sister! God be praised, through His grace and favour, my health and well-being are now restored, but it is very hard for me to bear thine absence.
On my return from Beyrouth I was sorry to find out that you had left for Italy and I missed seeing you before you left.
The Guardian’s anguish, because of this tragic occurrence, is such that it can neither be plumbed nor described in words.
Your highly impressive and touching message brought much relief to my weary soul.
Indeed, the Greatest Holy Leaf, the Trust of Bahá’u’lláh amongst us, was the emblem of His boundless grace, a luminary shining in the heaven of tender mercy and gracious providence …
O my dear sister!
O my dear sister! It is quite a while now, since thou hast left us, and gone away to Nazareth and Haifa. This journey hath lasted too long.
The passing of the Greatest Holy Leaf has filled my heart with unutterable sorrow.
O my cherished sister! Thou art never absent from my thoughts. I speak of thee and call thee to mind at all times.
O well-loved friend, The emotions that have possessed my grieving heart are such that they cannot be put into words, and tongue and pen are helpless to describe them.
The Festival of Ridván is come and the splendour of the light of God is shining from the invisible horizon of His mercy.
The Guardian trusts that the explanation he has given by wire regarding the suspension for a period of nine months of Bahá’í religious festivity has been made clear.
I wish to add a few words in person as a token of my deepfelt appreciation of your loving message of sympathy in the great loss the family of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and myself have sustained.
O my sister in the spirit, and the companion of my heart! God willing, the climate of Haifa hath proved favourable.
The loss of the Greatest Holy Leaf will be bitterly felt by all those friends who had the pleasure and privilege to meet her.
You should not think that the record of those meetings can ever be blotted out from the pages of history or that the memory of those gatherings can fade from the face of the world.
And in this fervent plea, my voice is once more reinforced by the passionate, and perhaps, the last, entreaty, of the Greatest Holy Leaf, whose spirit, now hovering on the edge of the Great Beyond …
I feel prompted to offer my sincere best wishes to you and to express the agony of separation that has deeply affected me.
O My Leaf! Hearken thou unto My Voice: Verily there is none other God but Me, the Almighty, the All-Wise.
O thou my affectionate sister! In the daytime and in the night-season my thoughts ever turn to thee. Not for one moment do I cease to remember thee.
The passing of the Greatest Holy Leaf, so cruel in the feelings of unalterable grief that it has evoked, is, indeed, a tremendous loss to us all and particularly to our Guardian.
Both in the Persian and Arabic Writings of the Primal Point—may the life of all men be offered up for Him—there are several …
Even though during these last years she was weak and most of the time confined to her room, yet she was a source of constant joy and inspiration to those that met her.
I am moved to add a few words with my own pen, to what has been written on my behalf, renewing my plea to you and through you, to each member of your beloved community, to prosecute, with undiminished vigour the enterprise which you have so splendidly inaugurated.
O thou Greatest and Most Merciful Holy Leaf!
The passing away of the Greatest Holy Leaf was a loss every Bahá’í will feel deeply if only he stops to think about it.
The passing of the beloved Khánum has plunged me in unspeakable sorrow.
Even though the Greatest Holy Leaf has left us in body she is with us in spirit, inspiring us in our work and beseeching for us God’s loving mercy and fatherly care.
I greatly value the expression of your loving sympathy and am greatly relieved by the sentiments your message conveyed.
Weeks after the passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the Greatest Holy Leaf cabled the American believers (received 14 December 1921): now is a period of great tests; the friends should be firm and united in defending the Cause.
I wish to express to your distinguished assembly my gratitude for the action they have taken in reproducing in facsimile my humble tribute to the Greatest Holy Leaf.
Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated August 25th 1932 and to extend his deep appreciation for your kind words of sympathy.
O ye who share my anguish and are my comforters in my distress and bereavement!
You should be very happy to have had the privilege of meeting her upon this physical plane of existence …
Moved by an unalterable devotion to the memory of the Greatest Holy Leaf, I feel prompted to share with you, and through you with the concourse of her steadfast lovers throughout the West …
Surely there is nothing that will console the Guardian more than the happy news that the Cause for which the Greatest Holy Leaf lived and suffered is gradually spreading and embracing the whole of the people of the world.
It was through the arrival of these pilgrims, and these alone, that the gloom which had enveloped the disconsolate members of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s family was finally dispelled.
These nine months during which the Guardian has asked the friends to discard feast days, are meant to be months of mourning for the passing away of the Greatest Holy Leaf.
We thank you most sincerely for your kind letters of sympathy, and we appreciate your loving Messages, which are as comforting balm to our wounded hearts.
Surely no matter what we say about her still we have not done justice to the abounding love she had and the services she rendered to Bahá’u’lláh and the Master.
In this day, those holy souls are divinely confirmed who stand firm in the most sacred Cause of the Abhá Beauty, those who are steadfast, and loyal to the Covenant and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
Indeed it would have been for you such a joy to meet the Greatest Holy Leaf during her earthly life, but the Guardian does not wish you to feel depressed about it …
The Fund associated with the beloved name of the Greatest Holy Leaf has been launched.
BLESSED REMAINS PUREST BRANCH AND MASTER’S MOTHER SAFELY TRANSFERRED HALLOWED PRECINCTS SHRINES MOUNT CARMEL.
He fully appreciates the deep sorrow that you, as well as the other friends, feel for the passing away of the Greatest Holy Leaf.
It is not unknown to those who stand firm in the Covenant and Testament of God that the centre of violation and his associates, from the day of the ascension of the Ancient Beauty, may His Great Name be ever exalted …
Dear and deeply spiritual sister!
GREATEST HOLY LEAF’S IMMORTAL SPIRIT WINGED ITS FLIGHT GREAT BEYOND.
The ascension of the Greatest Holy Leaf is, indeed, an irreparable loss to us all and will continue to be deeply felt for many, many long years.
The letter in which that leaf had expressed the ardent longing of her heart and revealed the depth of her devotion has received my eager attention.
O loved ones of God, These two precious and most exalted treasures, these two keepsakes of the sacred Beauty of Abhá, have now been joined to the third trust from Him, that is, to the daughter of Bahá and His remnant, the token of the Master’s Remembrance.
This dire calamity, this great affliction, the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, may our lives be sacrificed for His meekness, has shaken us to the very depths.
Although that supreme calamity, that great ordeal, the ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, put the torch to the harvest of our hearts, and brought down both our outer and inner beings, wedding us to grief and ceaseless pain, yet praised be God …
He deeply appreciates your sincere, well-expressed reference, to the tribute he has written to the dearly beloved Greatest Holy Leaf.
His nine-year-old son, later surnamed the ‘Most Great Branch’, destined to become the Centre of His Covenant and authorized Interpreter of His teachings, together with His seven-year-old sister …
70 ...as a further testimony to the majestic unfoldment and progressive consolidation of the stupendous undertaking launched by Bahá’u’lláh on that holy mountain, may be mentioned the selection of a portion of the school property…
106 ...He was deeply touched by the strong attachment of the friends to one who, besides being the beloved daughter of Bahá’u’lláh, exemplified perhaps more than anyone the true spirit that animates His teachings. His sincere hope is…
O faithful servant of the Best-Beloved, the Most Glorious! O steadfast friend, flourishing in the garden of His luminous Beauty!
O God, my God! Thou seest me immersed in the depths of grief, drowned in my sorrow, my heart on fire with the agony of parting, my inmost self aflame with longing.
The raising of this Edifice will in turn herald the construction, in the course of successive epochs of the Formative Age of the Faith, of several other structures...
The steps of her holy resting-place represent Local Spiritual Assemblies, not individual believers.
To the doves of faithfulness, ever since that most grievous of disasters, the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, this world of dust has become a cage, and a place of torment; and to the unrestrained nightingales it is only a prison, narrow and dark.
The ascension of Him Who was the Temple of the Covenant, the setting of Him Who was the Orb of harmony, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, may our lives be sacrificed for the wrongs He suffered, was the most dire calamity, and the most dread of ordeals.
We rejoiced greatly to learn of the unity among the friends, their staunchness, their ardour, and the fact that they have established a Spiritual Assembly.
That supreme affliction, the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, was the direst of ordeals; it was an anguish of mourning.
The good news that the Word of God is being raised up, and His Cause glorified, and that His friends, on fire with love for Him, are arising to spread His sweet savours abroad—is coming in steadily from every quarter of the globe.
Dear sister, beloved of my heart and soul! The news of thy safe arrival and pleasant stay in the land of Egypt has reached me and filled my heart with exceeding gladness.
Despite our overwhelming sorrows and afflictions, our heart-burning and depth of woes, you are always in our thoughts and we call to mind your cheerful face.
GREATEST HOLY LEAF ASCENDED ABHÁ KINGDOM. OUR GRIEF IMMENSE, OUR LOSS IRREPARABLE. INFORM LOCAL ASSEMBLIES COMMEMORATE BEFITTINGLY SACRED EXPERIENCES SO RICH, SO SUBLIME, SO EVENTFUL A LIFE.
His grief is too immense and his loss too heavy to be adequately expressed in words.
All the virtues of humankind are summed up in the one word ‘steadfastness’, if we but act according to its laws.
It is clear how that most dire of calamities, that most great disaster which was the ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, may our souls be sacrificed for His meekness, has set our hearts on fire and dissolved our very limbs and members in grief.
All praise to the omnipotent Lord, that in this auspicious day He Who is the Sun of bounty has shone out so fair and bright as to light up the world of the hearts.
Indeed, you have adorned yourself with the qualifications of faithfulness and are striving to fulfil the requirements of servitude to the Abhá Threshold.
The deep heart’s love and the longing of the soul of this wronged one for those spiritual beloved ones, and in particular for those who are kin to the peerless Holy Tree of sanctity and oneness, cannot be told in words …
The good news has come that the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, may our lives be sacrificed for His meekness, has been read at the meetings of the friends …
In this noblest of all ages the Sun of grace and loving-kindness has shone out from the divine day-spring with such resplendent glory and is casting His beams so bright and far …
The purport of your letter is highly indicative of your steadfastness in His Cause, of your unswerving constancy in the Covenant, of having set your face toward Shoghi Effendi, the authorized Point to whom all must turn …
At this hour while yet the heart burns with the anguish of sorrow, and the gloom of bereavement still hangs low, my thoughts turn in loving remembrance to my sincere beloved sisters and brothers in the Cause.
O steadfast ones, gathered beneath the Abhá Beauty’s standard of oneness, O faithful lovers of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá!
It is my earnest hope that you, His distinguished leaf, together with the other maidservants of the All-Merciful in that land …
O thou my loving, my deeply spiritual sister! I trust that by the grace and loving-kindness of the one true God thou art, and wilt be, kept safe and secure beneath the sheltering shadow of the Blessed Beauty.
O ye who burn in the flames of bereavement! By the Day-star of the World, my bereaved and longing heart is afire with a grief that is beyond my description.
The irreparable loss which the Faith has suffered through the passing of the Greatest Holy Leaf is too immense to be adequately expressed in words, and we cannot fully realize its significance at the present stage of the evolution of the Cause.
A physician treats every illness with a certain remedy and to every painful sore he applies a specially prepared compound.
I was very glad to know of your meeting with the Chinese students, and I am sure your effect and influence shall be great upon them because their fresh and receptive minds are ready to grasp the importance of this Manifestation …
We were delighted to receive your excellent letter ... and read it with joy.
The letter that you wrote in your burning grief, on the passing of the world’s Beloved, the Orb of the Covenant—wrote with weeping eyes and a heart afire, has come.
Although the ascension of the beloved Centre of the Covenant was the ultimate calamity, the severest of ordeals, and the fire of that bereavement consumed our hearts and souls …
You have offered up thanks to the Lord for appointing the Centre of His Cause and the Guardian of His Covenant, and have voiced your gratitude and expressed your spiritual sentiments, for this favour and grace.
The Ancient Beauty, the Most Great Name, has, through the splendours of His grace in this most glorious of all ages, made this world of dust to radiate light.
After the construction of the Báb’s Shrine on Mount Carmel, it was the wish and intention of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá—may our lives be sacrificed for His holy dust—to open a path that would lead directly from the Shrine to the German Avenue.
At the Threshold of the Lord of Mercy we supplicate Him to grant perception and understanding to the ignorant …
Brethren and fellow-mourners in the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh! A sorrow, reminiscent in its poignancy, of the devastating grief caused by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s sudden removal from our midst, has stirred the Bahá’í world to its foundations.
In these days, when we are all mourning the loss of our beloved Greatest Holy Leaf, Shoghi Effendi’s sole comfort is to see the friends as ever devoted and active and striving day and night to promote the teachings of the Cause.
O exalted leaf, O distinguished friend! May the glory of God and His praise, His bounty and blessing rest upon you inasmuch as you have remained faithful to the Covenant of God and His Testament.
Regarding the Centre of Sedition and his scrolls of doubt, this individual, for a period of thirty years, both within and without the Cause, was busy with his mischief-making, and planting his seeds of contention and dissension.
Your letter has come, and I myself and the Holy Family were infinitely grieved to learn of the sufferings you have undergone, being made as you were the targets of such injustice, malevolence and aggression.
The sad news about the death of your husband has just reached us; we fully sympathize with you.
The letter you have written was received with the utmost joy for it was to us not only a message of love and unity but a message of humble devotion and servitude at the divine Threshold.
All praise be unto the Court of Holiness, that God has drawn certain blessed souls, entities delicate and pure, unto a realm where they have no desire save the good-pleasure of the Beloved; where …
It has been demonstrated time and time again that whatever comes to pass only enhances the glory of God’s Faith, and further proclaims His Word.
The cheque for the amount of two hundred pounds that you had sent as your contribution to the Temple Fund has been received and duly forwarded to Chicago.
It is clear and evident that the body of mankind in this day stands in dire need of such members and organs as are capable, useful and active, so that their movements and activities, their bearing and behaviour, their tender feelings …
We beseech God—exalted be His glory—to grant awareness and insight to the men of wisdom as well as to those who hold in their grasp the reins of power in Persia …
ENTREAT SORROW STRICKEN AMERICAN BELIEVERS NEVER ALLOW CONSCIOUSNESS THEIR AGONIZING LOSS PARALYZE DETERMINATION PROSECUTE AN ENTERPRISE ON WHICH ADORED OBJECT OUR MOURNING CENTRED HER BRIGHTEST HOPES.
May my life be sacrificed for those leaves who are steadfast in the Covenant of God—they whom the slander of the slanderer hinders not from holding fast to His divine Testament.
O Díyá! It is incumbent upon thee, throughout the journey, to be a close, a constant and cheerful companion to my honoured and distinguished sister.
Your message of condolence and sympathy, dated July 22nd, 1932 which so fully conveyed your profound grief at the loss occasioned by the unexpected passing of the Greatest Holy Leaf was received and read with great interest.
Your letter of 12th October 1922 is just received and refreshed in our memory the many beautiful days that you spent here when the Beloved Lord, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, was still on this earth.
All praise to the beloved Abhá Beauty, that those nightingales of the gardens of knowledge, those doves of the fragrant bowers of certitude, are singing the holy verses on the boughs of grace and bounty …
Your kind and loving letter written with an unbounded love and a sincere devotion for our beloved ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and His Cause has been duly received.
Praise be to God that through the gracious assistance of the Abhá Kingdom those devoted friends have been enabled to achieve that which befits the glory of the Cause of God and the protection of the community of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh.
It was sometime ago that I received your kind and encouraging letter through your honourable secretary.
You quite well realize, I presume, that Shoghi Effendi has always cherished the fondest hopes for your services to the Cause of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and I am sure that your achievements will be great, shining brilliantly as a star.
The Pen of the divine Ordainer has so decreed that this house of sorrows should be encompassed by unending calamity and pain.
‘O God, My God! Thou hast lighted the lamp of Thy Cause with the oil of wisdom; protect it from contrary winds.
The tongue of this lowly and grief-stricken maidservant is powerless to praise those loved ones of God, and the words uttered by her are wholly inadequate to pay a worthy tribute to the staunch firmness and constancy …
From this hallowed and snow-white Spot, this blessed, heavenly Garden, wherefrom the fragrance of God is diffused to all regions, I hail you with salutations, most tender, most wondrous, and most glorious, and impart to you the most joyful tiding.
O thou my affectionate sister! God be praised, according to what we hear the climate in that land hath proved not unfavourable.
82 ...The news of the Memorial Service you had held for the Greatest Holy Leaf gave him the assurance that the friends are faithfully sharing his grief and are demonstrating in a befitting manner their profound devotion to one whose…
The question of Avárih has surely come to your attention.
Praise be to God that through His gracious bounty you were enabled to visit His exalted, His sacred and luminous Threshold, to refresh and perfume your nostrils with the sweet-scented fragrances of God diffused from these imperishable, holy Places.
It is a very long time since we have had any news from you and we are quite longing to have one of your interesting and beautiful letters, that brings us always comfort because of your sincerity, your love for the Cause and your constant energy in the work for the Cause.
Your short and loving note of June 25th has been received.
Your charming letter of June 20th has arrived and with it the spiritual waves of your love and devotion to the welfare of the Cause of God and to the prosperity of the dear friends throughout America.
Your numerous letters written to the beloved Guardian and myself have all arrived and brought with them the sweet perfume of your devotion, sincerity, strong faith and active and beautiful services you are inexhaustibly rendering to the Cause of God.
From this hallowed Spot I send heavenly greetings to those two faithful servants of the holy Threshold of the Abhá Beauty.
In this Day nothing is so important as service. Did not ‘Abdu’l-Bahá voluntarily call Himself the ‘Servant’ of Bahá, manifesting also in His life the perfections of servitude to God and man?
It always cheers my heart to hear from the dear friends whose hearts are so full of love and devotion, and desire to serve this Blessed Cause which has been proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh to all the world, so that all national, racial …
My heart is always cheered when I meet or hear from the dear friends in America, for the Beloved Master spoke so much to us about His visit to your land …
A number of your spiritual sisters, namely the handmaidens who have embraced His Cause, have arrived here from Paris and the United States on pilgrimage.
O my dear sister!
PRAY ASSURE AMERICAN BELIEVERS BEHALF HOLY FAMILY MYSELF ABIDING APPRECIATION NUMEROUS EVIDENCES THEIR VALUED SYMPATHY.
The letter from that spiritual friend has reached the beloved Guardian, and he is aware of your bitter grieving over the calamitous news that a most glorious fruit of the Holy Tree, the Most Exalted Leaf, the Remnant of Bahá, has passed away.
At the holy Threshold of the Abhá Beauty we fervently pray at all times for outstanding success to attend that exalted body.
Your letter, laden with many a graceful phrase, many a wondrous inner meaning, has been received.
Shoghi Effendi's tribute to Bahíyyih Khánum records the cost of the Adrianople exile to her own body — a winter of exceptional severity, a poor and unhealthy lodging, and dire financial distress that left her, as a young woman, with a permanent loss of vitality and a shadow on her face that would remain until the end of her life.
Shoghi Effendi's tribute to Bahíyyih Khánum recalls the years of crisis in Baghdád — when Mírzá Yaḥyá's faithlessness had unsettled the Bábí community and Bahá'u'lláh had retreated for two years to the mountains of Sulaymáníyyih — the tender solicitude she showed as a child in His absence, and the delicate, grave missions He entrusted to her in her teens.
During the Great War, Haifa was crowded with the destitute, the orphaned, and the sick. From the household at the foot of Mount Carmel, the Greatest Holy Leaf — already in advanced age — distributed daily food, money, clothing, and remedies she had herself prepared.
Shoghi Effendi's tribute to Bahíyyih Khánum preserves a single small image from her childhood in Tihrán: when Bahá'u'lláh was thrown into the Síyáh-Chál and the family's wealth was seized within the space of a single day, Navváb — the mother — placed a handful of dry flour into the hand of her young daughter as the substitute for daily bread.
The Bahá’í glad tidings disclose a vision of the Bounty of God and of the future progress of humanity, which is surely the greatest and most glorious Revelation ever given to mankind, the development and fulfillment of all previous Revelations.
The position of Bahá’u’lláh among the Prophets is unprecedented and unique, because the condition of the world at the time of His advent was unprecedented and unique.
The endeavor in the following chapters will be to set forth, as far as possible, fairly and without prejudice, the salient features of the history and more especially of the teachings of the Bahá’í Cause …
Seated by the window of a Pilgrim House in Haifa on February 14, 1914, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá foretold that Akká and Haifa would join into one mighty metropolis, and that Mount Carmel would become a sublime spectacle of light.
In the Book of Aqdas, revealed in Akká in 1873, Bahá’u’lláh appealed to America as follows:— O Rulers of America and the Presidents of the Republics therein ...
In making appointments, the only criterion must be fitness for the position.
Training in arts, sciences, crafts and useful professions is regarded as important and necessary.
Thus simply and serenely did Bahá’u’lláh pass the evening of His life on earth until, after an attack of fever, He passed away on the 29th of May, 1892, at the age of seventy-five.
In order that the power of spiritual healing may be brought fully into operation certain requirements are necessary on the part of the patient, of the healer, of the patient’s friends and of the community at large.
Bahá’u’lláh states that a person should be free to dispose of his possessions during his lifetime in any way he chooses, and it is incumbent on everyone to write a will stating how his property is to be disposed of after his death.
Abbás Effendi, Who afterwards assumed the title of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (i.e.
Mírzá Ḥusayn ‘Alí, Who afterwards assumed the title of Bahá’u’lláh (i.e.
Persia, the birthplace of the Bahá’í Revelation, has occupied a unique place in the history of the world.
According to the Bahá’í teaching the human body serves a temporary purpose in the development of the soul, and, when that purpose has been served, is laid aside …
In *Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era*, Esslemont quotes the Cambridge orientalist Edward Granville Browne's account of meeting Bahá'u'lláh at Bahjí in 1890: the face he could never forget, and the words he recalled hearing.
Education and religion are alike based on the assumption that it is possible to change human nature.
Bahá’u’lláh indicated in many ways that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was to direct the Cause after His own ascension.
The thing of paramount importance in education is character training.
The hostility aroused by the claim of Bábhood was redoubled when the young reformer proceeded to declare that He was Himself the Mihdí (Mahdi) Whose coming Muḥammad had foretold.
Bahá’u’lláh says, in the Book of Aqdas:— Be the essence of cleanliness among mankind ... under all circumstances conform yourselves to refined manners ... let no trace of uncleanliness appear on your clothes....
Amid these troublous times, however, the Cause of God will prosper.
One of the fundamental teachings of Bahá’u’lláh is that true science and true religion must always be in harmony.
During the past century scientists have devoted an immense amount of study to the struggle for existence in the plant and animal world, and, amid the perplexities of social life …
The prayers which Bahá’u’lláh has ordained as a daily obligation for Bahá’ís are to be said privately.
The journey to Constantinople lasted between three and four months, the party consisting of Bahá’u’lláh with members of His family and twenty-six disciples.
“Prayer,” says ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “is conversation with God.” In order that God may make known His Mind and Will to men, He must speak to them in a language which they can understand, and this He does by the mouths of His Holy Prophets.
Bahá’u’lláh says:— O people of God! I exhort you to courtesy. Courtesy is indeed ... the lord of all virtues. Blessed is he who is adorned with the mantle of Uprightness and illumined with the light of Courtesy.
Bahá’u’lláh teaches that the universe is without beginning in time.
God, and God alone, has the power to do whatever He wills, and the greatest proof of a Manifestation of God is the creative power of His word—its effectiveness to change and transform all human affairs and to triumph over all human opposition.
After much negotiation, at the request of the Persian Government, an order was issued by the Turkish Government summoning Bahá’u’lláh to Constantinople.
On reaching His twenty-fifth year, in response to divine command, He declared that “God the Exalted had elected Him to the station of Bábhood.”
According to the teaching of the Prophets, disease and all other forms of calamity are due to disobedience to the Divine Commands.
In order to attain to the Bahá’í life in all its fullness, conscious and direct relations with Bahá’u’lláh are as necessary as is sunshine for the unfolding of the lily or the rose.
There are, of course, difficulties in the way of the student who seeks to get at the truth about this Cause.
In the matter of divorce, as in that of marriage, the instructions of the Prophets have varied in accordance with the circumstances of the times.
Mírzá ‘Alí Muḥammad, Who afterwards assumed the title of Báb (i.e.
Education—the instruction and guidance of men and the development and training of their innate faculties—has been the supreme aim of all the Holy Prophets since the world began …
The bearing on health of these commands relating to the simple life, hygiene, abstinence from alcohol and opium, etcetera, is too obvious to call for much comment, although their vital importance is apt to be greatly underestimated.
The Bahá’í teaching is based on moderation, not as asceticism.
Under the inspired guidance of Shoghi Effendi the Bahá’í Cause grew steadily in size and in the establishment of its Administrative Order, so that by 1951 there were eleven functioning National Spiritual Assemblies.
One of the social principles to which Bahá’u’lláh attaches great importance is that women should be regarded as the equals of men and should enjoy equal rights and privileges, equal education and equal opportunities.
This terrible imprisonment lasted four months, but Bahá’u’lláh and His companions remained zealous and enthusiastic, in the greatest of happiness.
The nineteenth month, following immediately on the hospitality of the intercalary days, is the month of the fast.
The essential joyousness of the Bahá’í religion finds expression in numerous feasts and holidays throughout the year.
As a means of promoting religious unity Bahá’u’lláh advocates the utmost charity and tolerance, and calls on His followers to “consort with the people of all religions with joy and gladness.”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá writes:— When Christ appeared, twenty centuries ago, although the Jews were eagerly awaiting His Coming, and prayed ever day, with tears, saying: “O God, hasten the Revelation of the Messiah,” yet when the Sun of Truth…
The teachings of Bahá’u’lláh contain two different types of reference to the question of true social order.
During His own lifetime Bahá’u’lláh appointed a few tried and trusted friends to assist in directing and promoting the work of the Movement, and gave them the title of Ayadiyi-Amru’lláh (lit.
The Báb has been compared to John the Baptist, but the station of the Báb is not merely that of the herald or forerunner.
He teaches that there are also many methods of healing without material means.
Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá regard the descriptions of Heaven and Hell given in some of the older religious writings as symbolic, like the Biblical story of the Creation, and not as literally true.
Bahá’u’lláh’s mission in the world is to bring about Unity—Unity of all mankind in and through God.
The Writings of Bahá’u’lláh are most comprehensive in their range, dealing with every phase of human life, individual and social, with things material and things spiritual, with the interpretation of ancient and modern scriptures …
The work of healing the sick, however, is a matter that concerns not the patient and the practitioner only, but everyone.
While we are commanded to overlook the faults of others, and see their virtues, we are commanded, on the other hand, to find out our own faults and take no account of our virtues.
When the Báb declared His mission in 1844, Bahá’u’lláh, Who was then in His twenty-seventh year, boldly espoused the Cause of the new Faith, of which He soon became recognized as one of the most powerful and fearless exponents.
At that time Akká (Acre) was a prison city to which the worst criminals were sent from all parts of the Turkish Empire.
Bahá’u’lláh teaches that everyone endowed with the Station of Prophethood is given sufficient proofs of His Mission, is entitled to claim obedience from all men and has authority to abrogate, alter or add to the teachings of His predecessors.
The importance of the press as a means of diffusing knowledge and educating the people, and its power as a civilizing force, when rightly directed, are fully recognized by Bahá’u’lláh.
In the Bahá’í view the child’s nature is not like so much wax that can be molded indifferently to any shape according to the will of the teacher.
Bahá’u’lláh also advocated the establishment of an international court of arbitration, so that differences arising between nations might be settled in accordance with justice and reason, instead of by appeal to the ordeal of battle.
The interpretation of prophecy is notoriously difficult, and on no subject do the opinions of the learned differ more widely.
In the little book of Hidden Words, in which Bahá’u’lláh gives in brief the essence of the prophetic teachings, His first counsel refers to the individual life: “Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart.”
But if the essence is unknowable, the manifestations of its bounty are everywhere apparent.
During the winter of 1919–1920 the writer had the great privilege of spending two and half months as the guest of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at Haifa and intimately observing His daily life.
About this time Bahá’u’lláh wrote His famous letter to the Sulṭán of Turkey, many of the crowned heads of Europe, the Pope, and the Sháh of Persia.
Bahá’u’lláh tells us that the life in the flesh is but the embryonic stage of our existence, and that escape from the body is like a new birth through which the human spirit enters on a fuller, freer life.
Having in His earlier years of hardship shown how to glorify God in a state of poverty and ignominy, Bahá’u’lláh in His later years at Bahjí showed how to glorify God in a state of honor and affluence.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:— By a general agreement all the governments of the world must disarm simultaneously.
When asked on one occasion: “What is a Bahá’í?” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá replied: “To be a Bahá’í simply means to love all the world; to love humanity and try to serve it; to work for universal peace and universal brotherhood.”
To know the Manifestation of God means also to love Him. One is impossible without the other. According to Bahá’u’lláh, the purpose of man’s creation is that he may know God and adore Him.
As to the manner of His coming at the end of the age, Christ said:— And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
The following particulars regarding the marriage of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá were kindly supplied to the writer by a Persian historian of the Bahá’í Faith:— During the youth of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the question of a suitable marriage for Him was naturally one …
On the 9th of July, 1850, the Báb Himself, Who was then in His thirty-first year, fell a victim to the fanatical fury of His persecutors.
Bahá’u’lláh left instructions that temples of worship should be built by His followers in every country and city.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá attaches the greatest importance to regular meetings of the believers for united worship, for the exposition and study of the teachings and for consultation regarding the progress of the Movement.
In bringing about the emancipation of women as in other matters, Bahá’u’lláh counsels His followers to avoid methods of violence.
Bahá’u’lláh, like Muḥammad, forbids His followers to lead lives of monastic seclusion.
In the year 1869 Bahá’u’lláh wrote to Napoleon III, rebuking him for his lust of war and for the contempt with which he had treated a former letter from Bahá’u’lláh.
According to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá:— A mediator is necessary between man and the Creator—one who receives the full light of the Divine Splendor and radiates it over the human world, as the earth’s atmosphere receives and diffuses the warmth of the sun’s rays.
The unification of the world of humanity, the welding together of the world’s different religions, the reconciliation of Religion and Science, the establishment of Universal Peace …
In the Book of Aqdas Bahá’u’lláh forbids slavery, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has explained that not only chattel slavery, but also industrial slavery, is contrary to the law of God.
One other feature of the Bahá’í organization must be specially mentioned, and that is the absence of a professional priesthood.
As a religious body, Bahá’ís have, at the express command of Bahá’u’lláh, entirely abandoned the use of armed force in their own interests, even for strictly defensive purposes.
Devotion to God involves implicit obedience to His revealed Commands even when the reason for these Commands is not understood.
The essential oneness of all the myriad forms and grades of life is one of the fundamental teachings of Bahá’u’lláh.
The unity of humanity as taught by Bahá’u’lláh refers not only to men still in the flesh, but to all human beings, whether embodied or disembodied.
After His return from this retirement, His fame became greater than ever and people flocked to Baghdád from far and near to see Him and hear His teachings.
This last quotation reveals the spirit which animated the Báb’s whole life.
In consequence of these declarations of the Báb and the alarming rapidity with which people of all classes, rich and poor, learned and ignorant, were eagerly responding to His teaching, attempts at suppression became more and more ruthless and determined.
The great Prophets of religion have always been, at Their coming, despised and rejected of men.
Esslemont records that Persian believers who walked to 'Akká to see Bahá'u'lláh were refused entry to the city, and stood on the plain outside the third moat, from where they could see the windows of His quarters.
Although advocating as the ideal condition a representative form of government, local, national and international, Bahá’u’lláh teaches that this is possible only when men have attained a sufficiently high degree of individual and social development.
Many find a difficulty in believing in the efficacy of prayer because they think that answers to prayer would involve arbitrary interference with the laws of nature.
The use of prayer is enjoined upon Bahá’ís in no uncertain terms.
To someone who asked whether prayer was necessary, since presumably God knows the wishes of all hearts, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá replied:— If one friend loves another, is it not natural that he should wish to say so?
Esslemont quotes Bahá'u'lláh's own description, from the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, of the dungeon in Tihrán where He was held for four months in 1852, with nearly a hundred and fifty fellow-prisoners.
Even when the imprisonment was at its worst, the Bahá’ís were not dismayed, and their serene confidence was never shaken.
Unfortunately it is impossible, within the space at our disposal, to describe in detail the progress of the Bahá’í Faith throughout the world.
A great stumbling block to many, in the way of religious unity, is the difference between the Revelations given by the different Prophets.
Bahá’u’lláh asked no one to accept His statements and His tokens blindly.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá suggests that each town and village or district should be entrusted as far as possible with the administration of fiscal matters within its own area and should contribute its due proportion for the expenses of the general government.
The Bahá’í doctrine of the unity of mankind strikes at the root of another cause of war, namely, racial prejudice.
According to the Bahá’í view, the problems of human life, individual and social, are so inconceivably complex that the ordinary human intellect is incapable of itself of solving them aright.
In order to see clearly how the Most Great Peace may be established, let us first examine the principle causes that have led to war in the past and see how Bahá’u’lláh proposes to deal with each.
The state of the world today surely affords ample evidence that, with rare exceptions, people of all religions need to be reawakened to the real meaning of their religion; and that reawakening is an important part of the work of Bahá’u’lláh.
At last the imprisonment was mitigated. A mobilization of Turkish troops occurred and the barracks were required for soldiers.
An important part of the Báb’s teaching is His explanation of the terms Resurrection, Day of Judgment, Paradise and Hell.
In many of His conversations Christ speaks of the future Manifestation of God in the third person, but in others the first person is used.
He was then in His seventieth year, and His long and arduous labors, culminating in these strenuous Western tours, had worn out His physical frame.
In concluding this chapter it will be well to recall ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s teaching as to the right use of physical health.
Although Bahá’u’lláh, like Christ, counsels His follows as individuals and as a religious body to adopt an attitude of nonresistance and forgiveness toward their enemies, He teaches that it is the duty of the community to prevent injustice and oppression.
Bahá’u’lláh forbids tyranny and oppression in the most emphatic terms.
Bahá’u’lláh enjoins justice on all His followers and defines it as:—“The freedom of man from superstition and imitation, so that he may discern the Manifestations of God with the eyes of Oneness, and consider all affairs with keen sight.”—Words of Wisdom.
Never, perhaps, did the world seem farther away from religious unity than in the nineteenth century.
Bahá’u’lláh constantly urges men to realize and give full expression to the perfections latent within them—the true inner self as distinguished from the limited outer self, which at best is but the temple, and too often is the prison of the real man.
Devotion to God implies a life of service to our fellow-creatures.
Devotion to God implies also severance from everything that is not of God, severance, that is, from all selfish and worldly, and ever other-worldly desires.
In an account by 'Abdu'l-Bahá quoted in *Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era*, the Master tells how, after Bahá'u'lláh three times declined to leave 'Akká with the words "I am a prisoner," an Arab shaykh of the city pleaded with Him for a whole hour until He consented to go to the mansion of Mazra'ih.
In the Hebrew, Christian, Muḥammadan and many other Scriptures, there is a remarkable similarity in the description of the signs which are to accompany the coming of the Promised One.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:— Economy is the foundation of human prosperity.
In His Writings the Báb tells His followers that they must be distinguished by brotherly love and courtesy.
Both Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá also foretold a period of great social upheaval, conflict and calamity as an inevitable result of the irreligion and prejudices, the ignorance and superstition, prevalent throughout the world.
Before ‘Abdu’l-Bahá completed His earthly mission, He had laid a basis for the development of the administrative order established in Bahá’u’lláh’s Writings.
The first eighteen disciples of the Báb (with Himself as nineteenth) became known as “Letters of the Living.”
In consequence of this and other equally unfounded charges, in 1901, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and His family, who for more than twenty years had been allowed the freedom of the country for some miles around Akká, were again, for over seven years …
The real Bahá’í will not only believe in the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, but find in them the guide and inspiration of his whole life and joyfully impart to others the knowledge that is the wellspring of his own being.
Many are the wars which have been fought over pieces of territory whose possession has been coveted by two or more rival nations.
It has been the general characteristic of religion that organization marks the interruption of the true spiritual influence and serves to prevent the original impulse from being carried into the world.
The Bahá’í teaching is at one with science and philosophy in declaring the essential nature of God to be entirely beyond human comprehension.
In the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Zechariah are several references to a man called the Branch.
That the world, during the nineteenth and the early part of the twentieth centuries, has been passing through the death pangs of an old era and the birth pangs of a new, is evident to all.
The “Coming of the Lord” in the “last days” is the one “far-off divine event” to which all the Prophets look forward, about which Their most glorious songs are sung.
In the last half century or so, however, a change has come over the spirit of the times, a New Light of Truth has arisen which has already made the controversies of last century seem strangely out of date.
The word “Day” in such phrases as “Day of God” and “Last Day” is interpreted as meaning “Dispensation.”
Christ spoke much in parables about a great Day of Judgment when “the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father ... and ... shall reward every man according to his works” (Matt. xvi, 27).
In order that we may attain the spiritual condition in which conversation with God becomes possible, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:— We must strive to attain to that condition by being separated from all things and from the people of the world and by turning to God alone.
All things manifest the bounty of God with greater or less clearness, as all material objects exposed to the sun reflect its light in greater or less degree.
All the signs of the times indicate that we are at the dawn of a new era in the history of mankind.
According to the Bahá’í teachings, riches rightly acquired and rightly used are honorable and praiseworthy.
Bahá’u’lláh also confirms the biologist who finds for the body of man a history reaching back in the development of the species through millions of years.
The title “Bahá’u’lláh” is the Arabic for “Glory of God,” and this very title is frequently used by the Hebrew prophets for the Promised One Who is to appear in the last days.
Bahá’u’lláh gives the assurance that, through harmonious cooperation of patients, healers and the community in general, and by appropriate use of the various means to health, material, mental and spiritual, the Golden Age may be realized …
The Day of Judgment is also the Day of Resurrection, of the raising of the dead.
Both Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on many occasions foretold with surprising accuracy the coming of the Great War of 1914–1918.
If we study the story of the “ascent of man” as recorded in the pages of history, it becomes evident that the leading factor in human progress is the advent, from time to time …
‘Abdu’l-Bahá appointed His eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi, to the responsible position of “Guardian of the Cause” (Valiyy-i-Amru’lláh).
The power of spiritual healing is doubtless common to all mankind in greater or less degree, but, just as some men are endowed with exceptional talent for mathematics or music, so others appear to be endowed with exceptional aptitude for healing.
In all ages the Prophets of God have foretold the coming of an era of “peace on earth, goodwill among men.”
With the development of the Bahá’í administrative order since the ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Nineteen Day Feast, observed on the first day of each Bahá’í month, has assumed a very special importance …
According to Bahá’í philosophy it follows from the doctrine of the unity of God that there can be no such thing as positive evil.
The most potent means of healing is the Power of the Holy Spirit. ...
The different religious communities have failed to unite in the past, because the adherents of each have regarded the Founder of their own community as the one supreme authority, and His law as the divine law.
We live in a world, however, where from time immemorial obedience to the commands of the Prophets has been the exception rather than the rule; where love of self has been a more prevalent motive than love of God …
On no subject are the Bahá’í teaching more imperative and uncompromising than on the requirement to abstain from faultfinding.
What is the cause of this sudden awakening throughout the world?
Like all the other Prophets, Bahá’u’lláh states His own Mission in the most unmistakable terms.
After the Báb’s martyrdom, His remains, with those of His devoted companion, were thrown on the edge of the moat outside the city wall.
Bahá’u’lláh says in the Tablet of Tarazát:— Verily, Honesty is the door of tranquillity to all in the world, and the sign of glory from the presence of the Merciful One.
In 1904 and 1907 commissions were appointed by the Turkish Government to inquire into the charges against ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and lying witnesses gave evidence against Him.
About a year after coming to Baghdád, He departed alone into the wilderness of Sulaymáníyyih, taking with Him nothing but a change of clothes.
“Ye are all fruits of one tree, the leaves of one branch, the flowers of one garden.”
Having glanced at the principal causes of war and how they may be avoided, we may now proceed to examine certain constructive proposals made by Bahá’u’lláh with a view to achieving the Most Great Peace.
Another proposal frequently and powerfully advocated by Bahá’u’lláh was that a Universal League of Nations should be formed for the maintenance of international peace.
In a letter to the Central Organization for a Durable Peace, written in 1919, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:— Among the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh is voluntary sharing of one’s property with others among mankind.
A remarkable instance of the foresight of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was supplied during the months immediately preceding the war.
After His release, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá continued the same holy life of ceaseless activity in teaching, correspondence, ministering to the poor and the sick, with merely the change from Akká to Haifa and from Haifa to Alexandria …
When woman’s point of view receives due consideration and woman’s will is allowed adequate expression in the arrangement of social affairs …
One of the most important instructions of Bahá’u’lláh in regard to the economic question is that all must engage in useful work.
The Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are very numerous and are mostly in the form of letter to believers and inquirers.
The Writings of the Báb were voluminous, and the rapidity with which, without study or premeditation, He composed elaborate commentaries, profound expositions or eloquent prayers was regarded as one of the proofs of His divine inspiration.
Esslemont's short account of the Báb's early life: born in Shíráz in 1819, raised by a maternal uncle, a merchant from the age of fifteen, and noted as a youth for His piety and nobility of character.
From that time onwards, He became His father’s closest companion and, as it were, protector.
Riding in the country near Núr, Bahá’u’lláh came upon a lonely young dervish cooking by a brook. After a loving conversation the dervish, Mustafá, recognised His station and followed Him on foot, singing a love-song he had composed.
When the ‘ulamás of Isfáhán condemned the Báb, the governor, Manúchihr Khán, sent Him out of the city with five hundred horsemen, then had Him brought back in secret to his own residence, where he waited on Him in person.
In His own words, Bahá’u’lláh recalls the day at Badasht when Táhirih appeared at His door with her face unveiled, and the consternation that seized the companions, some of whom fled in horror.
Arrested on the way to Fort Shaykh Ṭabarsí and brought before the clergy of Ámul, Bahá’u’lláh interceded for His companions and offered Himself to receive the bastinado in their place.
Told by the Báb to await the promised Husayn in Karbilá, the aged Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunúzí met Bahá'u'lláh there in October 1851 and became one to whom He confided the secret He would later reveal in Baghdád.
A 1969 report from Canadian Bahá'í News on the Saskatoon community, where united prayer, a visit from Hand of the Cause John Robarts and a wave of young believers brought some seventy to eighty declarations in under two years.
On the eve of the Báb's arrival at Káshán in 1847, Hájí Mírzá Jání dreamed that the Báb would be his Guest for three nights. The next day the dream came true, and the escort agreed to leave the Báb in his care over Naw-Rúz.
Wishing to help Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdad, a learned believer of Yazd took copper vessels from the city's mosques and sold them. Bahá'u'lláh accepted the money, then had it thrown into the river.
On his 1901 pilgrimage to 'Akká, young William Dodge knocked soup onto the whiskers of a Persian believer at dinner. 'Abdu'l-Bahá laughed and told him not to worry: it was a blessing.
In 1955 John and Audrey Robarts gave Shoghi Effendi a springbok-skin kaross from Bechuanaland. After the Guardian's passing, Rúhíyyih Khánum showed John Robarts that it had been his prayer mat.
'Abdu'l-Bahá recounted how a famous mujtahid of Yálrúd told His grandmother of a dream in which Bahá'u'lláh, then the son of a vizier, was closeted with the Qá'im in a house no one else could enter.
A Persian pilgrim in Haifa in 1920 describes how 'Abdu'l-Bahá, burdened with countless letters, signed stacks of registered mail, replied at a bench piled with letters, and dictated answers while walking in the garden.
In 'Akká, after listening kindly to a Western visitor's complaints, 'Abdu'l-Bahá brought in Hájí Mírzá Haydar-'Alí, saying he had had many troubles. Asked about them, he replied that he had never had any.
As the Báb approached Tabríz under guard, one youth ran barefoot from the city to meet Him. The guards let him through, and the Báb dismounted, embraced him and wiped away his tears.
Tarázu'lláh Samandarí, a youth on pilgrimage in the last months of Bahá'u'lláh's life, recalls twice being present as Bahá'u'lláh revealed verses at great speed while His secretary wrote them down.
In New York in June 1912, Valíyu’lláh Varqá told Juliet Thompson and Lua Getsinger how Bahá’u’lláh had taught his father, the poet Varqá, about the power of the Great Ether and the station of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
In Pittsburgh in 1912, when the friends kept asking how He liked His fine hotel rooms, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá recalled how in the barracks of ‘Akká He had lived for about two years in the morgue so that the crowded families could be at ease.
Two pilgrims in ‘Akká argued over which kind of martyrdom was best. When they entered ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s room, His words, spoken without any notice of their arrival, affirmed first one choice and then the other.
Sutherland Maxwell, not yet a Bahá’í, planned to lodge ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in a Montreal hotel. The day before He arrived, he bought new furniture for the largest bedroom, and he met the Master at the train and begged Him to stay in his home.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá recalled how, at nine years old, while Bahá’u’lláh was in prison, He was sent through the streets of Ṭihrán to fetch money from His aunt and was chased home by boys throwing stones.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá told a story of Christ from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh: Jesus helped a seller of thorns marry a king’s daughter, and on his wedding night the young man left everything to follow Him.
In Baghdád the divines of Karbilá and Najaf sent Mullá Hasan ‘Amú to ask Bahá’u’lláh for a miracle. He agreed, if they would first choose one and pledge in writing to accept His Cause; they did not dare.
In London in September 1911 a journalist asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá about His prison life. He told of exile, the first terrible summer in ‘Akká, the Sultan’s hostile committee and His release, and said that freedom is not a matter of place.
On the eve of Naw-Rúz 1848 ‘Alí Khán, warden of the castle where the Báb was held, dreamed that the Prophet Muhammad was coming to visit Him. At sunrise he met Mullá Ḥusayn at the bridge, arriving on foot as in the dream.
Lady Blomfield recalls how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, arriving home very tired after a crowded meeting, suddenly ran up the stairs to the flat and told the astonished friends that through the power of Bahá’u’lláh all things can be done.
At dinner on Christmas Eve 1912 in London, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said playfully that two despotic monarchs of the East had not been able to command Him, but the ladies of America and Europe, because they were free, gave Him orders.
As a young man visiting Yalrud, Bahá’u’lláh resolved a puzzle about a tradition concerning Fatimih that a famed mujtahid’s scholars could not answer, and the next day the mujtahid rebuked his disciples.
In Baghdád Bahá’u’lláh sent gifts to the poor of His neighbourhood, stopped each day to greet an eighty-year-old woman who waited for Him in the road, and arranged a daily allowance for her when He left the city.
A Persian pilgrim brought his wife, who was not a Bahá’í, on the long journey to Haifa. Some travellers were rude to her, but the Greatest Holy Leaf waited outside to embrace her, seated her beside herself and gave her own ring.
Shoghi Effendi told how a coachman at Ramleh demanded an exorbitant fare from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and pulled Him roughly by His sash. The Master stayed calm, refused to give in, and paid exactly what He owed, without the tip.
At a gathering, a Sufi leader esteemed by Muhammad Shah boasted that he would not trouble to see Jesus Christ at his door. Bahá'u'lláh alone answered him, with a question that left all present speechless.
When a covetous governor of 'Akká plotted to imprison the Bahá'í shopkeepers, Bahá'u'lláh told the believers not to open their shops and to leave the matter in God's hands. Next morning a telegram arrived dismissing the governor.
When merchants in Búshihr tried to reopen a finished sale of indigo to win a discount, as was their custom, the Báb refused to bargain and took the goods back rather than yield. 'Abdu'l-Bahá recounted the episode.
On his 1941 pilgrimage, ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan knelt to take off the Guardian's boots when Shoghi Effendi's wrist was bandaged, and found one boot had a hole in it and the other had been repaired.
On the first Western pilgrimage, a young American said she was now an orphan because her parents did not believe. Munírih Khánum embraced her and brought her to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who told her that the ties of the spirit are all.
A man entrusted goods to the Báb to sell at a fixed price and was sent more than he had asked. The Báb explained that the goods had once reached that value, and refused to take back the excess.
When the authorities in Adrianople planned to part Bahá'u'lláh from His family and followers, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá pleaded, persisted and at last vehemently protested, until the governor declared that the exiles could not be separated.
A Bábí who had taken up arms for revenge fled to Hamadán and was arrested. A writing of Bahá'u'lláh forbidding retaliation fell from his collar, and after reading it the governor let him go.
On His way to Mecca, the Báb stopped His servant from chasing a Bedouin who had stolen His writings, explaining that the papers were destined to reach places they could never otherwise have reached.
Mírzá Abu'l-Faḍl boasted that he could write a better book than the Kitáb-i-Íqán, then found himself unable to write a simple letter. Years later, after praying with tears, he came to faith and found the book an ocean of knowledge.
In April 1912 John Bosch set out to meet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and, after a detour to Washington, found Him in New York. The Master told him that with him it was the heart that speaks, and welcomed him as one of the family.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá told of Mírzá Qurbán-‘Alí, a timid Bábí who, when the Prime Minister asked him to repudiate the Báb, answered with a question and went to his martyrdom with a serene face.
On 22 April 1863 crowds of believers and admirers wept in the streets of Baghdad as Bahá'u'lláh left His house and was ferried across the river to the garden that His followers named the Garden of Riḍván.
When Bahá’u’lláh was a child, His father dreamed that He swam in a limitless ocean with a multitude of fishes clinging to His hair. A renowned soothsayer interpreted the dream as a sign of His future ascendancy.
In 1835 Bahá’u’lláh married Ásíyih Khánum. Known as the Father of the Poor and the Mother of Consolation, they cared for the needy while His father's fortunes collapsed and the family moved to a rented house in Tehrán.
While Bahá'u'lláh was imprisoned in the Síyáh-Chál, His servant Isfandíyár, though hunted by a hundred officers, found the scattered family and refused to flee until he had paid every debt of the household.
In 1848 Bahá’u’lláh visited Mullá Ḥusayn and his companions at the shrine of Shaykh Ṭabarsí. Mullá Ḥusayn received Him with rapturous love, and He counselled them, sent for Quddús and promised them victory.
On pilgrimage to 'Akká in 1901, William and Wendell Dodge were told to bow, clasp their hands and avoid smiling before the Master. When they came in smiling instead, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá embraced them and told them to be natural.
During a visit to 'Akká, Ḥájí Mírzá Ḥaydar-'Alí was allowed into Bahá'u'lláh's presence while verses were being revealed, and he left a brief account of that memorable occasion.
On his first pilgrimage, around 1878–79, Varqá heard Bahá’u’lláh’s words recall a forgotten childhood dream, and later Bahá’u’lláh answered a doubt Varqá had never spoken aloud.
In ‘Akká, Dr. Yúnis Khán watched ‘Abdu’l-Bahá dictate a long Arabic Tablet that two visiting Muslim divines had asked to carry to Iran, then overheard the visitors marvelling at what they had witnessed.
On her 1906 pilgrimage to ‘Akká, Florence Khan longed to gaze fully upon ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s face; that evening, as He paced His room revealing Tablets, He twice stood still in the doorway.
When companions of Ṭáhirih were held prisoner in Ṭihrán, Bahá’u’lláh sent them help; greedy officials then accused Him of complicity and held Him for a few days, His first imprisonment for the Cause.
In Ṭihrán around 1850, the young Nabíl was asked to take six-year-old ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to school; the child took his hand and said, “We shall walk together.”
In 1845 Mullá Ṣádiq and Quddús were punished in Shíráz for proclaiming the Báb’s Cause; an onlooker told Nabíl how the aged Mullá Ṣádiq kept smiling through more than nine hundred lashes.
Bahá’u’lláh recalls how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá served the Cause in Adrianople and ‘Akká, facing the world on His Father’s behalf and securing the mansions of Mazra‘ih and Bahjí.
Shoghi Effendi brings together Bahá’u’lláh’s own words, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s memory and Nabíl’s record of the months Bahá’u’lláh spent chained in the dark, crowded dungeon of Ṭihrán.
Two brothers of Isfahan who met the Báb as boys and later Bahá’u’lláh in Baghdad became prosperous merchants, renowned for their honesty and for spending their wealth on the poor and on Bahá’u’lláh’s companions.
In 1847, while held at the village of Kulayn near Tihran on His way into exile, the Báb receives a sealed letter and gifts from Bahá'u'lláh, and His grief gives way to joy and confidence.
As a boy newly arrived in Tehran from Qum, the future Hand of the Cause Faizi enrolls at the Bahá'í Tarbiyat School and, following his friends, finds his way to a Friday Bahá'í class that shapes his whole life.
When the Grand Vizier Hájí Mírzá Áqásí tries to take Bahá'u'lláh's village of Quch-Hisar by fraud, the estate passes to the Sháh's sister, and Bahá'u'lláh answers the minister's accusations about His generous hospitality.
In Mashhad in 1848 Mullá Ḥusayn's attendant is cruelly paraded through the streets; after the ensuing uproar Prince Hamzih Mírzá receives Mullá Ḥusayn as a guest, and an admiring officer gives him a sword and a horse.
Told by Mullá Ḥusayn that the name of the Promised One could not be revealed, Mullá Ṣádiq-i-Muqaddas withdrew to pray in Iṣfahán and, in a vision, recognized the face of a Youth he had seen weeping in prayer at Karbilá.
On the morning of His martyrdom in July 1850, the Báb was led through the streets of Tabriz amid insults while three leading clerics, refusing even to see Him, supplied the warrants for His execution.
Mullá 'Alíy-i-Basṭámí followed Mullá Ḥusayn to Shíráz, sensed that his friend had found the Promised One, and on the third night of prayer was led by a vision to the Báb, becoming one of the Letters of the Living.
The great scholar Mírzá Abu'l-Faḍl credited all his learning to Bahá'u'lláh, and when American pilgrims praised him in the presence of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, he wept, feeling unworthy of any praise.
Imprisoned in Chihríq, the Báb was so grieved by news of the fate of the defenders of Ṭabarsí that He languished in sorrow for five months; He then wrote in praise of Mullá Ḥusayn, Quddús and their companions.
Shaykh Ḥasan-i-Zunúzí recalls going at dawn with his teacher Siyyid Kázim to visit a Youth from Shíráz in Karbilá, and later recognizing that Youth as the Báb.
Speaking to the Esperanto Society in Edinburgh in January 1913, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told of two friends in Baghdad whose gestures were misunderstood because they had no language in common.
In New York in 1912, John Bosch rode beside ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the way to a luncheon at the Kinneys’ home, and the Master slept on his shoulder for the whole drive.
In his pilgrimage journal of 1911, Louis Gregory recalls a vision he had soon after accepting the Faith and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s explanation of it as four classes of people.
In London on 22 December 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told how Mary Magdalene went to the emperor of Rome on behalf of the Christians and asked that no one exact vengeance for the death of Christ.
May Bolles, one of the first Western pilgrims, recalls her journey from Marseilles by way of Port Said to Haifa and the morning she first met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
In 1920, while Shoghi Effendi was resting in Paris on his way to England, the pilgrim Núru’d-Dín Mumtází met him at a gathering, and Shoghi Effendi later visited his party and chanted a prayer for their pilgrimage.
Muhammad Big, who led the escort taking the Báb to Tabríz, recalled how at Milán an old woman brought a sick child to the Báb, the child was healed, and about two hundred people there believed.
When the Báb asked Mullá ‘Abdu’l-Karím in Shíráz whether he was seeking the Manifestation, he wept, and later told his friends how a vision of Siyyid Kázim and, years afterward, a white bird that spoke those very words to him in prayer had prepared him for that moment.
Mullá Husayn walked from Mashhad to visit the Báb in the castle of Máh-Kú, arriving at Naw-Rúz 1848. The Báb sent him on to Mázindarán, where, reading a manuscript shown him by his host Quddús, he found “God’s hidden treasure.”
After the death of Siyyid Kázim, Mullá Ḥusayn urged his fellow disciples to scatter in search of the Promised One. He spent forty days in prayer at the Masjid-i-Kufih, then travelled by way of Búshihr to Shíráz.
Born in Bushruyih in 1813 to a wealthy father and a mother known as a poetess, Mullá Ḥusayn studied in Mashhad and was drawn to Siyyid Kázim. At eighteen he set out for Karbilá, with most of his family, to study with him.
Siyyid Kázim sent his young disciple Mullá Ḥusayn to Iṣfahán to win back the support of a leading cleric. Mullá Ḥusayn obtained a written testimony to Shaykh Aḥmad and Siyyid Kázim, and returned the money the cleric sent him.
In July 1850 the Báb and His young follower Anís were suspended before a regiment in the barracks square of Tabríz. The first volley only cut their ropes; the second took their lives, and a dust storm darkened the city.
Speaking at the Bowery Mission in New York in 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told of a rainy night when Jesus, with no shelter, called Himself the richest man on earth because God had given Him the poor.
Bahá'u'lláh intended His niece Shahr-Banu Khanum to marry His eldest Son, but relatives in Tihran prevented the match and forced her into another marriage, which left her in lasting grief.
Confined in Sari, Quddús wrote a commentary on one letter of a short Súrih that was three times as long as the Qur'án; besieged at Fort Shaykh Tabarsí, he wrote as much again, filling his companions with wonder.
During their 1906 pilgrimage to 'Akká, 'Abdu'l-Bahá came to Ali Kuli Khan's door with a handkerchief full of white roses for his wife Florence, fulfilling her long prayer to receive a rose from His hand.
On March 25, 1912, with His daughter Rúhá Khánum seriously ill, 'Abdu'l-Bahá bade farewell to the grieving friends at Alexandria and sailed on the S. S. Cedric with six companions, among them Shoghi Effendi.
On her first pilgrimage in 1923, the twelve-year-old Mary Maxwell stood guard at the door of her sleeping mother, May Maxwell, only to learn that the visitor she had challenged was Shoghi Effendi.
Sarah Farmer's vision of Green Acre as a place of peace and learning for all races and religions found its true purpose when she met 'Abdu'l-Bahá in 'Akká in 1900, and He visited Green Acre in 1912.
When the infant Shoghi Effendi woke crying one night, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had him brought so that He could comfort him, and told the Greatest Holy Leaf, “See, already he has dreams!”
When the young Shoghi Effendi took up 'Abdu'l-Bahá's pen and tried to write, the Master drew him close and told him it was time to play, for he would write a lot in the future.
Moved by the Tablets ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent to America in 1919, Mr. and Mrs. Hyde Dunn left California for Australia with barely fifteen dollars. Martha Root later found Bahá'í centers wherever they had lived, and was struck by their humility and faith.
On the day before His martyrdom in Tabríz, a youth, Mírzá Muḥammad-‘Alí, surnamed Anís, forced his way through the crowd and begged to follow the Báb. That night the Báb chose him to share His martyrdom.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá describes how, at Badasht, Ṭáhirih came forth unveiled, proclaiming the signs of the Day of Resurrection, and how the believers, after days of fear and confusion, regained their composure.
After the murder of Mullá Taqí, her husband's father, Ṭáhirih was held captive in Qazvín by relatives who blamed her for the crime. Bahá'u'lláh had her secretly brought to His home in Tihrán, from where she went on to Badasht.
Though the Báb was under guard in Tabríz, Ḥájí ‘Alí-‘Askar was admitted to His presence again and again, fulfilling Mullá Ḥusayn's promise that he would meet the Báb seven times.
Sent by the governor of Fárs to arrest the Báb, the leader of an armed escort met Him on the road. Moved by His words, he begged the Báb to flee, but the Báb gave Himself up and rode ahead of His escort to Shíráz.
‘Alí Khán, the harsh warden of the castle of Máh-Kú, saw the Báb praying by the river at dawn while the gates were still shut, then found Him seated in His room. The Báb's words changed his heart, and his severity gave way to humility.
At the Conference of Badasht in the summer of 1848, Ṭáhirih appeared before the assembled Bábís with her face unveiled, and the break of the new Dispensation from the laws of the past was proclaimed.
Bahá’u’lláh recalls how Mírzá ‘Abdu’l-Vahháb-i-Shírází, chained beside Him in the Ṭihrán prison, dreamed of soaring through infinite space, and went to his martyrdom that same morning wearing Bahá’u’lláh’s own shoes.
In a Tablet for His host in Káshán, the Báb prayed that Hájí Mírzá Jání's tongue be loosed to serve His Cause, and His unschooled host became able to hold his own against the most learned divines of the city.
Told he might visit Bahá’u’lláh once he owed no man anything, the Egyptian merchant ‘Abdu’l-Karím spent five years paying his debts, arrived at Haifa penniless, and was found at the dock by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
In July 1848 Mullá Ḥusayn raised the Black Standard and set out from Mashhad with his companions. Attacked near Bárfurúsh, he held back until the enemy had killed several of them, then charged, and a single stroke of his sword put the attackers to flight.
In February 1941, in the middle of the Second World War, ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan and his family travelled from Iran to Haifa. He recalls how Shoghi Effendi welcomed them, encouraged the persecuted Iranian believers and spoke about the station of Islam.
Adib Taherzadeh retells a Persian story: a king gives up his palace to follow a dervish, only to find the dervish unable to leave behind his small basket. Attachment, he explains, is not only to wealth.
At ‘Akká in January 1908 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told pilgrims of a king who found a ninety-year-old man planting date trees for the next generation, and whose grateful, witty answers earned him three gifts.
Muḥammad Sháh summoned the Báb from Iṣfahán to Ṭihrán, but his Prime Minister, Ḥájí Mírzá Áqásí, had Him halted at Kulayn and sent instead to the fortress of Máh-Kú. On the way to Tabríz His escort came to love Him.
Visiting ‘Akká in 1905, the American pilgrim Mary Lucas watched ‘Abdu’l-Bahá listen gravely to His two-year-old granddaughter's troubles, and gently prompt her when she forgot a word while chanting Him a Tablet.
In Káshán the learned Siyyid ‘Abdu’l-Báqí heard the Báb revealing verses yet was unmoved and never asked who He was; when he learned days later, the Báb had gone, and he lived out his days in seclusion.
In Isfahán, a city famed for its clergy, the first to accept the Báb was a humble sifter of wheat, who later set out with his sieve to join the defenders of Shaykh Ṭabarsí; the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh both refer to him.
Unable to give money for the Temple, the Chicago seamstress Nettie Tobin hauled a discarded building stone to the Temple site in 1908; on May 1, 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá used it when He dedicated the ground.
Jináb-i-Fáḍil's 1924 account of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's life, from His birth on the night of the Báb's declaration through the exiles and His years in 'Akká to His release by the Young Turk revolution of 1908.
In 'Akká 'Abdu'l-Bahá asked May Maxwell whether she would like a child, and she answered that she chose whatever God chose. In 1910 her daughter Mary was born, and the Master urged her to raise the child as a real Bahá'í.
Challenged by Fatḥ-'Alí Sháh to match a celebrated master's calligraphy, Mírzá 'Abbás-i-Núrí, the father of Bahá'u'lláh, copied it, added lines of his own, and was honoured with the name Mírzá Buzurg.
In Tihrán, a student from Núr visits Mullá Husayn at midnight. Hearing of a son of Mírzá Buzurg who feeds the hungry, Mullá Husayn sends Him a scroll; Bahá'u'lláh reads from it and sends back a gift.
Confined in her father's house in Qazvín and blamed for her father-in-law's murder, Ṭáhirih foretells her deliverance within nine days. Before the time is up, Bahá'u'lláh has her brought secretly to His home in Ṭihrán.
A retelling of the Báb's life: His childhood in Shiraz, His declaration to Mulla Husayn in 1844, His imprisonment, and His martyrdom in Tabriz in 1850, together with His promise of Him Whom God shall make manifest.
In Baghdad in 1862 the Báb's eldest uncle, still doubtful of his Nephew's claim, brought his questions to Bahá'u'lláh, Who answered them in two days and two nights with the Kitáb-i-Íqán, the Book of Certitude.
Khadíjih Bagum, the wife of the Báb, tells Munírih Khánum of the night in 1846 when the chief of police seized the Báb from their home in Shíráz, and of the years of isolation that followed.
In June 1870 Mírzá Mihdí, the Purest Branch, fell through a skylight while praying on the roof of the barracks in 'Akká. Offered recovery by Bahá'u'lláh, he asked instead that his life be accepted as a ransom so that the believers might enter His presence.
As a child of five or six on a visit to Beirut, Shoghi Effendi watched Dr. Baghdadi dissect a wildcat and afterwards repeated the main points of the lesson word for word.
When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's wife had a fine new coat made for Him before a visit from the Governor of ‘Akká, He asked her to send it back and have five ordinary coats made for the same price, four of them to give away.
Tarázu'lláh Samandarí recalls hearing Bahá'u'lláh chant the Tablet of the Sultán on the First Day of Riḍván and handing roses to the friends at His bidding, and a later Riḍván in the Garden of Riḍván.
In the last months of His life ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told of two dreams: in one He raised the call to prayer before a vast multitude and went out; in the other Bahá’u’lláh told Him, “Destroy this room.”
Hájí Muhammad-Táhir-i-Malmírí recalls how Bahá'u'lláh answered the question about the Imams he had carried in his heart for months, and how, when he longed for martyrdom, Bahá'u'lláh told him he must live to serve the Cause.
On the evening of April 21, 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá toured the Library of Congress with the Parsons and insisted on seeing each part thoroughly, until the superintendent ordered that the lights be left on.
After Sám Khán's regiment failed to harm the Báb, the Nasiri regiment carried out His execution in Tabríz in 1850. Nabíl records how, within three years, every member of that regiment had perished.
Shoghi Effendi describes how Táhirih, knowing her death was near, dressed as a bride and awaited her martyrdom in prayer, and how at her death she declared, “You can kill me as soon as you like, but you cannot stop the emancipation of women.”
In April 1913 about fifty children in Esslingen, Germany, lined up with flowers to welcome 'Abdu'l-Bahá. He gave them chocolates and sweets, spoke to them all, and was photographed seated in their midst.
On the morning of His martyrdom in Tabríz, a volley of 750 rifles left the Báb unharmed, and He was found finishing His interrupted conversation. Sám Khán withdrew his regiment, and another regiment carried out the execution.
In a story told by 'Abdu'l-Bahá, a ninety-year-old man planting date seeds tells a king that he plants for the next generation. His answers so please the king that he gives him three pieces of money.
Thornton Chase, the first Western believer, felt the Bahá'ís were not ready for the Master's visit to California, and died in Los Angeles as He reached San Francisco. He left his Bahá'í papers to John Bosch.
At a New York meeting on 14 April 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá compared hearts to mirrors that receive the same sunlight in different degrees, and said that our duty is to polish the mirrors of our hearts.
Speaking in New York on 14 April 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá compared humanity to one great tree and used the image of a seed, which holds the whole tree within it, to explain the unity of the world of humanity.
At the Baptist Temple in Philadelphia on 9 June 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá explained the unity of mankind: the child must be patiently trained rather than censured, and the sick must be given compassion and healing, not neglected.
Visitors from far countries who stayed on while the Master taught were invited to lunch with Him. So often were there nineteen at table that Lady Blomfield's household came to expect it, and He often served the guests with His own hands.
In His last days 'Abdu'l-Bahá still gave alms to the poor, blessed a servant's wedding and received visitors. He passed away in the early hours of 28 November 1921, with two of His daughters beside Him.
Bahíyyih Khánum recalls her mother Ásíyih Khánum's marriage to Bahá'u'lláh, her forty mules of wedding treasures, and their life of caring for the poor. The jewelled buttons were later exchanged for bread on the road to exile.
In May 1922 the Greatest Holy Leaf went with Lady Blomfield and a party of ladies to the barracks of 'Akká, where she and her family had once been imprisoned, and listened as the rooms of the captivity were described.
On 9 July 1850 the Báb and His companion were suspended before a regiment in Tabríz. When the smoke of the first volley cleared, the Báb was gone from the wall, untouched.
The Greatest Holy Leaf tells Lady Blomfield of her family's winter exile from Tihrán to Baghdád: her father still ill from the Síyáh-Chál, the youngest child left behind, and her mother riding a jolting mule through the snow.
In Shíráz in May 1844 Mullá Ḥusayn, searching for the Promised One, was welcomed into the Báb's home. There the Báb showed him the signs he sought and wrote a commentary on the Súrih of Joseph.
On 17 September 1911, at the invitation of Archdeacon Wilberforce, 'Abdu'l-Bahá addressed the congregation of St. John the Divine, Westminster, and the congregation knelt to receive His blessing.
Bahíyyih Khánum remembered the day in 1852 when a servant brought word that her father had been arrested, and the four months her mother spent in hiding with the children while He lay chained in the dungeon of Tihrán.
Visiting 'Akká in May 1922, Lady Blomfield wrote to her daughter about the small house where Bahá'u'lláh and His family had lived, and about sleeping in the room that had been Ásíyih Khánum's.
While living as a dervish in the mountains of Kurdistán, Bahá'u'lláh found a boy weeping because his schoolmaster had punished him for bad writing, and wrote out a copy for him in His own hand.
In 1852, while Bahá'u'lláh lay chained in an underground dungeon in Tihrán, His wife went out late at night to learn whether He still lived, and their daughter waited in the dark with her baby brother.
For two years after Bahá'u'lláh withdrew from Baghdád, His family did not know where He was. His daughter Bahíyyih Khánum remembered those hard years and the day He came home dressed as a dervish.
As a small boy sitting on Ṭáhirih's knee in Tihrán, 'Abdu'l-Bahá heard her call out to a learned believer debating with Bahá'u'lláh that the time for words had passed and the time for deeds had come.
Exiled from Tihrán in midwinter, Bahá'u'lláh's family travelled four weeks to Baghdád. Ásíyih Khánum sold her last treasures for the journey, washed the family's clothes with her own hands, and once, in the dark, made Him a cake with salt instead of sugar.
Corinne True's son Davis was critically ill when 'Abdu'l-Bahá visited him in Chicago on 30 April. Davis died while the Master kept Corinne busy; yet she was at the Temple site the next day, and the Master later prayed at the cemetery.
While 'Abdu'l-Bahá was again confined to 'Akká, Corinne True brought Him a petition signed by over a thousand American believers asking to build a House of Worship. He held it high with joy and told her to make a beginning.
On pilgrimage, Corinne True met the martyr's widow who served tea to the Master's family each morning, and marvelled at His household of over forty people of many races and nations, where no word of dispute was heard.
A cleaning woman, ashamed of her rough, work-worn hands, meant only to touch 'Abdu'l-Bahá's robe and slip away. He took her hand, raised her up, looked at it with deep love, and said one word: “Sacrifice!”
Corinne True's daughter Arna feared she had tuberculosis and felt she could not marry Leo Perron. 'Abdu'l-Bahá took her thermometer, broke it in two, and told her she would be well and could marry. She soon recovered.
At Lady Blomfield's table in London, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke of the blessings of freedom and wished the courses could be shared with the poor and hungry. His hosts at once resolved to simplify their dinners.
As a child in Shíráz, the Báb would not recite the opening words of the Qur'án until He knew their meaning, then explained them so well that His teacher brought Him back to His uncle, saying He needed no teachers.
In the summer of 1848 the Báb was brought from Chihríq to Tabríz and questioned before the Crown Prince and the leading divines. He declared Himself the promised One, and was afterwards beaten on the feet at the home of the Shaykhu'l-Islám.
In Iṣfáhán the Báb was the guest first of the Imám-Jum'ih and then of the governor, Manúchihr Khán. He wrote a commentary on a Súrih of the Qur'án with great speed, and told the governor how His Cause would be preserved.
In 1847 the Báb was taken from Iṣfáhán toward Ṭihrán and then sent to the fortress of Máh-Kú, and later to Chihríq. At both prisons the wardens and the people of the district came to revere Him, and at Máh-Kú He wrote the Persian Bayán.
During the Báb's nine months in the castle of Máh-Kú, its strict warden, 'Alí Khán, saw Him at prayer outside the locked castle, came to Him in humility, and opened the castle to His visitors.
On 9 July 1850 in Tabríz, the first volley fired at the Báb and Anís cut only their ropes, and the Báb was found back in His room finishing a conversation. A second regiment carried out the execution.
In 1844 the Báb sailed with Quddús from Búshihr to Arabia. On the road to Mecca a Bedouin stole His writings, and beside the Black Stone He declared His station to the Shaykhí scholar Mírzá Muḥíṭ-i-Kirmání.
In 1851 Bahá'u'lláh visited Karbilá. There He met the aged Shaykh Ḥasan-i-Zunúzí, whom the Báb had sent to wait in that city to see the promised Ḥusayn, and confided His secret to him.
After two young Bábís tried to kill the Sháh in August 1852, Bahá'u'lláh was chained for four months in the Síyáh-Chál, the underground dungeon of Ṭihrán. There, in a dream, He heard the words that announced His mission.
In 1850 Ḥujjat and his companions took refuge in the fort of 'Alí-Mardán Khán at Zanján and held out for months against the Sháh's regiments. Nabíl tells of the women who served beside them, of the maiden Zaynab, and of Ḥujjat's death.
After Mullá Ḥusayn recognised the Báb in Shíráz in May 1844, seventeen more seekers found Him, each by his own search. The last was Quddús, whose arrival the Báb foretold the night before.
In July 1848, at the Báb's bidding, Mullá Ḥusayn left Mashhad wearing the Báb's green turban, with the Black Standard carried before him, and led his companions to the shrine of Shaykh Ṭabarsí in Mázindarán.
Before dawn on 2 February 1849, Mullá Ḥusayn led a sortie from the fort of Shaykh Ṭabarsí, was shot in the breast, and was carried back to the fort, where he died after a last conversation with Quddús.
On 2 February 1849, before dawn, Mullá Ḥusayn, the first to believe in the Báb, rode out of the fort of Shaykh Ṭabarsí wearing the Báb's turban. He was shot, carried back into the fort, and died there beside Quddús.
In 1849 the defenders of Fort Ṭabarsí came out on a prince's oath sworn on the Qur'án. The oath was broken, and Quddús was handed over to his enemies in his native town of Bárfurúsh and killed in its public square.
During Bahá'u'lláh's twelve days in the Garden of Riḍván in 1863, roses were heaped so high in His tent that the companions could not see one another across them, and at night He spoke of the sleepless nightingales.
At forty, Shaykh Aḥmad-i-Aḥsá'í left his home in Baḥrayn to prepare the way for the promised One. Nabíl records that he recognized the meaning of Bahá'u'lláh's birth in 1817 and later entrusted his mission to Siyyid Káẓim.
In his last years at Karbilá, Siyyid Káẓim-i-Rashtí sent Mullá Ḥusayn on a mission to Iṣfahán, described to his students the signs of the Promised One, and urged them to scatter far and wide in search of Him.
Nabíl records Siyyid Káẓim's last days: his urging his students to scatter in search of the Promised One, an Arab shepherd's dream foretelling his death, and his passing at Karbilá at the close of 1843.
Muḥammad Sháh sent the learned Siyyid Yaḥyá-i-Dárábí to Shíráz to investigate the Báb. At their third meeting the Báb revealed, unasked, the commentary Siyyid Yaḥyá had silently resolved to request, and he embraced the Báb's Cause.
In the summer of 1848, eighty-one Bábís gathered at Badasht as guests of Bahá'u'lláh. There Ṭáhirih appeared before the assembled men without her veil and proclaimed that the fetters of the past were burst asunder.
Brought before the clergy of Tabríz and the heir to the throne in 1848, the Báb took the seat reserved for the prince and declared Himself the promised One. A retelling from Nabíl's Dawn-Breakers.
Shaykh Sálih, an Arab of Karbilá who accepted the Báb's Cause through Ṭáhirih, was falsely accused of murder and put to death in Ṭihrán, the first believer to shed his blood on Persian soil. A retelling from Nabíl's Dawn-Breakers.
In 1850 fourteen Bábís arrested in Ṭihrán were ordered to recant or die. Seven recanted; the other seven, among them the Báb's uncle and a revered dervish, were put to death. A retelling from Nabíl's Dawn-Breakers.
In 1850 Vaḥíd and his companions held the fort of Khájih near Nayríz against the governor's forces until the besiegers, swearing on a sealed Qur'án, drew him out of the fort, betrayed him and put him to death.
Pioneering to South America, Elizabeth Cheney met illness, failed funds and broken travel plans. When her river boat sank at night, she clung to a floating log and gave the Message to the woman who shared it.
When Shoghi Effendi, aged five, begged the Master to write something for him, 'Abdu'l-Bahá told him to memorize and chant the prayers of Bahá'u'lláh. The boy chanted them so loudly the whole neighbourhood heard.
Dr J. E. Esslemont, 'Abdu'l-Bahá's guest in Haifa in the winter of 1919–20, recalled how the Master charmed pilgrims at His table with humorous stories and gathered people of every race and religion in friendship.
Driving back to Thonon in 1911, 'Abdu'l-Bahá stopped the car to sit above a spectacular waterfall and delighted in the beauty of the countryside. He then told Juliet Thompson that His invitation to America would be the unity of the believers.
Before leaving America, 'Abdu'l-Bahá refused the believers' money and asked that the presents they brought for His family be sold for the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, saying the love of God is the best of all gifts.
On the last night of His life, when 'Abdu'l-Bahá's night-robe needed changing to cool His fever, no other could be found. He had given it away.
On an evening visit to the Library of Congress, 'Abdu'l-Bahá insisted on seeing each bronze figure in the rotunda, saying, “When one undertakes to see a thing one should see it.” The superintendent ordered the lights left on.
Bahíyyih Khánum recalls the order for a new banishment from Adrianople, the believers' grief at a threatened separation from Bahá'u'lláh, the wait at Gallipoli, and the crowded eleven-day voyage that followed.
Travelling east across America, 'Abdu'l-Bahá refused sleeping-car berths so as not to depend on bodily comfort. The next night He had six berths reserved, saying too much austerity was not good, and insisted that all share equally.
After an afternoon of long conversations with Professor Ignaz Goldziher and other notable visitors, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá reached a public meeting in Budapest barely able to speak, yet He delivered a powerful talk.
As British guns prepared to shell Haifa in 1918, frightened Bahá’ís came to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He called them to prayer and assured them all would be well, and the shells passed harmlessly over the town.
Mirza Mihdi, the Purest Branch, served as Bahá’u’lláh’s amanuensis. Aqa Rida remembered him as a pillar of strength to the exiles, reading to them from the Supreme Pen and teaching them courtesy, patience and dignity.
Bahíyyih Khánum recalls the night Bahá’u’lláh came home to His family in Baghdád after more than two years as a dervish in the mountains, and how the young Abbas Effendi threw Himself at His Father’s feet, weeping.
A 1936 United States government report describes how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá organized farming near Tiberias during the First World War, averting famine for the Bahá’ís and for many of the poor of all religions, and was afterwards knighted for these services.
Bahíyyih Khánum recalls how, as a youth in Baghdád, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá argued with the learned men in the mosques, who came to call Him the youthful sage. Asked who His teacher was, He answered that His Father had taught Him.
When some of His Persian companions remarked that there was better tea than the one Corinne True served in Chicago, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá drank it and said it was very good because it had been prepared with love.
Writing a century after the death of Mirza Mihdi, the Purest Branch, the Universal House of Justice recalls his dying plea to his Father and the words in which Bahá’u’lláh revealed the meaning of his sacrifice.
After ‘Abdu’l-Bahá saved Haifa’s people from wartime starvation, the British knighted Him in 1920. He came to the ceremony quietly, not in the elegant car sent for Him but in the horse-drawn carriage that His faithful servant Isfandíyár brought for Him.
At a public meeting in San Francisco in October 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said that nations at the apex of material progress were like healthy bodies empty of spirit, and that Americans would attain perfection when the spirit of divine civilization was breathed into them.
During Ethel Rosenberg’s eight-month stay in ‘Akká in 1904, she asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá why He had to endure such suffering. He answered that God’s teachers could not guide others unless they themselves underwent every kind of suffering.
Early in His imprisonment in ‘Akká, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá joined a discussion between a Muslim and a Christian in a butcher’s shop, and the news of it began His great popularity in the city.
During ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s stay at the Parsons home in Washington in April 1912, the household was called together for His short talk and blessing, and He gave each servant a silk handkerchief.
In Egypt a carriage driver demanded an unfair fare and shook ‘Abdu’l-Bahá by His sash, but the Master paid only what He owed and told him honesty would have earned a handsome tip.
Visiting the poet Elizabeth Gibson Cheyne and her invalid husband, Dr T. K. Cheyne, in Oxford, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was moved to tears by her loving care and called her an angelic woman.
Elizabeth Greenleaf had long wished, without telling anyone, for a white Bahá’í ring-stone. One day she opened an old locked trunk in her attic and found one lying on top.
As a child at a family wedding in Tihrán, Bahá'u'lláh watched a puppet play of a king and his court, then saw the whole show carried away in a box. He later wrote that the world's trappings have seemed to Him ever since like that spectacle.
In the *Epistle to the Son of the Wolf*, Bahá'u'lláh recounts a vision in which Trustworthiness itself, standing on a pillar of light, declares that it is the most great ornament of the people of Bahá and the supreme instrument for the prosperity of the world.
In the *Epistle to the Son of the Wolf*, Bahá'u'lláh briefly recalls the conditions of His four-month imprisonment in the Síyáh-Chál of Tihrán in 1852 — the underground dungeon in which the first intimations of His Revelation came to Him.
Even amid crowded days in London, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stayed calm and clear about His purpose. Before leaving in 1913 He told the friends that teaching the Cause called for undivided attention.
Returning late at night after an exhausting day of speaking in America, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had to be almost carried to His room, yet within fifteen minutes He was calling for His secretary with renewed energy.
Rúḥíyyih Khánum describes how, in 1922–24, Shoghi Effendi wrestled with doubts about his own worthiness to succeed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as his letters from those years reveal.
On the voyage to America in 1912, American friends asked that the Persians travelling with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá alter their attire to suit the time and place. He replied that there was no harm in it and that such matters were trifles.
When apartheid laws forbade integration, the South African Bahá’í community chose not to divide into separate racial bodies but to limit membership of its administration to black believers, until integrated bodies were possible again.
Longing to answer the Guardian’s call for pioneers to South America, the convalescent Grace Ober fell and ended up in a wheelchair, where she met guests from Chile, Argentina, Peru and Brazil and gave them the Message.
Florence Khánum recalls two sayings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: “Be patient, be as I am,” and, to someone discouraged about acquiring every virtue, “Little by little; day by day.”
Thornton Chase recalls a meal in ‘Akká in 1907: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would not eat until all His guests were served, then bade them begin with “Bismillah!” and spoke of the love that had drawn them together.
When His wife ordered a fine new coat for a visit from the Governor of ‘Akká, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá asked her to send it back and have five ordinary coats made for the same price, so that He could give four away.
Stripped of His possessions since the Síyáh-Chál, Bahá’u’lláh lived simply; once He gave a companion bound for Istanbul an old pair of His slippers so that new shoes of the right size could be bought.
Through the spring and summer of 1912 the California Bahá’ís longed for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to come west, while His messages wavered between hope and doubt, until in August He wired John Bosch that He would travel to the West.
Bahíyyih Khánum recalled that four days before the exiles left the garden outside Baghdád in 1863, Bahá’u’lláh told ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and then four others, that He was the One promised by the Báb, asking them to keep it secret.
In 1948 Shoghi Effendi personally directed the cutting away of rock behind the Shrine of the Báb, on his feet from early morning until dark for months, so that the work would be done quickly and economically.
In January 1853 Bahá’u’lláh, banished from Persia, set out with His family for Baghdad; through the worst of the winter they crossed the snow-bound mountains and reached the city in April.
Bahíyyih Khánum recalled how, on the 1863 journey from Baghdád to Constantinople, her brother ‘Abdu’l-Bahá guarded Bahá’u’lláh day and night, snatching sleep ahead of the caravan with His head on His horse’s neck.
The chief divine of Núr sent two of his ablest doctors, Mullá 'Abbás and Mírzá Abu'l-Qásim, to overcome Bahá'u'lláh in argument. They heard Him, gave up their pulpits and standing, and served His Cause; the divine himself declined to debate Him.
Nabíl-i-Akbar, the only disciple Shaykh Murtadá raised to the rank of mujtahid, was found kneeling humbly before Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdad. Driven later from Qá'in, he taught in disguise and died penniless in Bukhárá.
In Geneva in 1911 'Abdu'l-Bahá asked Juliet Thompson whether she could come on to London, and she said her steamer ticket could not be exchanged. Back in New York, a Tablet reached her with a small sum of money: exactly the cost of the ticket.
Invited to the Plaza Hotel in New York in July 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá sat in a small room and declined the manager's offer to show Him the rest. Mahmúd's Diary records why, and records how often that year He refused gifts.
Each summer Milly Collins gave Shoghi Effendi a sum of money and begged him to spend it on himself. The Guardian, who travelled third class and lived by strict economy, used a small part of it as she wished and spent the rest on the gardens, the Holy Places and the Archives.
In the prison of Chihríq, after months of grief for the martyrs of Shaykh Tabarsí, the Báb named His attendant Sayyáh, the Traveller, and sent him to visit their resting-place on His behalf. On the way back, in the depth of winter, Sayyáh came to Bahá'u'lláh's house in Tihrán.
Mishkín-Qalam, the leading calligrapher of Persia, signed his work as a bondsman at the door of Bahá'u'lláh. 'Abdu'l-Bahá's memorial follows him from Adrianople to Constantinople, where he was slandered, to captivity in Famagusta and his last years as the Master's close companion.
At Badasht each believer received a new name without knowing who had given it. Hájí Mullá Ismá'íl-i-Qumí, named there Sirru'l-Vujúd, missed the defence of Tabarsí through illness and later died in Tihrán as one of the Seven Martyrs.
In Bahá'u'lláh's house in Baghdad, a Persian prince asked Ismu'lláhu'l-Asdaq who he was. The renowned teacher answered that he was one of the keepers of the door, then gently won the angry prince over as 'Abdu'l-Bahá listened from a room above.
In New York on 19 June 1912, while Juliet Thompson was painting His portrait, 'Abdu'l-Bahá opened His eyes and named Lua Getsinger the Herald of the Covenant, telling her to go forth and proclaim it.
In Baghdád a Persian consul and hostile shaykhs summoned the divines of Karbilá and Najaf to move against Bahá'u'lláh and His fellow exiles. The foremost of them, Shaykh Murtadá, refused to pronounce them infidels, and the scheme failed.
On His way from Chihríq to Tabríz, the Báb was the guest of Malik Qásim Mírzá at Urúmíyyih. The prince offered Him one of his wildest horses, and before the whole town the horse stood still beneath Him.
In May 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke at the peace conference at Lake Mohonk in New York State. Mahmúd's Diary records His address, His comparison of some peace workers to wine sellers, and His farewell gift of a Persian carpet.
During the Second World War the Guardian wrote God Passes By, his review of the first Bahá'í century, racing to finish it in time for the Centenary. Rúhíyyih Khánum, who proofread it with him late into the night, recorded what the work cost him.
Ḥájí Muḥammad Khán, a Balúch dervish, searched far and wide for a true guide and found none until he attained the presence of Bahá'u'lláh in the Most Great Prison. He went back to share the news with his old friends, then settled near Bahá'u'lláh.
Siyyid Baṣír, a blind and learned man of Mooltan in India, accepted the Báb's message as soon as he heard it. He travelled to Persia, met Bahá'u'lláh at Núr, taught fearlessly among the learned, and was put to death by a prince.
Ḥájí Muḥammad Khán left home young as a wandering dervish in search of a true guide. He found what he sought in the presence of Bahá'u'lláh, told his family not to wait for his return, and later made his home near the Most Great Prison.
When thieves stole his few goods, Ḥájí ‘Alí-‘Askar refused the Persian Consul's demand that he swear to a far larger loss. Later, a prisoner with his family in 'Akká, he gave thanks to God even when all of them lay ill.
In 1922, while Shoghi Effendi was away from Haifa, the Greatest Holy Leaf headed the affairs of the Faith. Her reply to one friend's letter asked for complete unity and looked for his return.
In December 1939 Shoghi Effendi moved the remains of the Purest Branch and of his mother, Navváb, from their graves in 'Akká to Mount Carmel, near the resting-place of the Greatest Holy Leaf.
In Káshán a tradesman thought to be unlettered asked the Shaykhí leader Hájí Muhammad-Karím Khán to show him the Fourth Pillar that the Hájí's own book said every believer must know.
Mullá Muhammad-'Alí, a learned divine of Zanján, sent a trusted disciple to Shíráz to look into the claims of the Báb. When he read the writings the man brought back, he declared his faith and closed his books.
On a train journey from Salt Lake City to California in 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke of Peter's spiritual education and remembered seeing, as a child in Tihrán, the learned Vahíd fall at the muddy feet of a servant of the Báb.
When Howard Colby Ives wrote in 1912 that his Brotherhood Church had closed for lack of funds, 'Abdu'l-Bahá's reply joked about the philosophy of the age and urged him to give his whole life to spreading the teachings.
In the summer of 1911 Juliet Thompson met two professors from New York near 'Abdu'l-Bahá on Lake Geneva. One lunched with Him and asked his questions; the other stayed away and watched from a window.
During the First World War, when no one could be found to carry a Tablet of 'Abdu'l-Bahá from Haifa to Tihrán, Hájí Ramaḍán, an Arab believer of seventy-five and nearly blind, asked to go, walked there, and came back.
Speaking in Chicago in November 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá told the believers how the Bahá'ís of Yazd, though strong enough to resist, met their executioners without raising a hand, some even offering them sweets.
On 13 May 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá lay ill in New York with a high fever. Asked by Juliet Thompson whether He must still go to the peace meeting at the Hotel Astor, He answered that He worked by the confirmations of the Holy Spirit, and went.
When war broke out, Shoghi Effendi advised Marion Jack, a pioneer in Sofia, to return to Canada. She begged to stay at her post, and he changed his instructions and wired: "Advise remain Sofia love."
Shoghi Effendi sent Keith Ransom-Kehler to Persia to appeal for the entry of Bahá'í literature. The Shah refused to receive her, and she wrote of her failed mission and of a forget-me-not she had picked in Bárfurúsh before she died in Isfáhán.
The divines gathered at Káẓimayn sent an envoy to Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdád to ask for a miracle. He agreed, on condition that they choose one miracle together and put their promise in writing. They let the matter drop.
In Constantinople Bahá'u'lláh declined to call on the Ottoman ministers or seek their favour. Less than four months later He was banished to Adrianople, and He answered the edict with a Tablet sent to the Grand Vizir.
Tahirih taught the Bab's Faith openly in Karbila until guards were set on her house. In Baghdad she silenced a delegation of Shi'ih, Sunni, Christian and Jewish leaders, and was lodged in the Mufti's house, where she defended her faith.
In 1925 a Muslim religious court in Upper Egypt annulled the marriages of three Baha'is and, in doing so, declared the Baha'i Faith an independent religion. The Baha'is used the judgment to seek recognition of their Faith.
In December 1939 Shoghi Effendi moved the remains of the Purest Branch and his mother, Navvab, from their graves in 'Akka to Mount Carmel, placing the remains in new coffins with his own hands and carrying them on his shoulder.
In 'Akká, a bookbinder from Iṣfahán kept the square in front of Bahá'u'lláh's house swept and sprinkled at all times, and Bahá'u'lláh would smile and praise what he had made of it.
A dervish poet who found Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdád asked to join His exile as a groom, walking beside the convoy by day and singing. In the barracks of 'Akká, Bahá'u'lláh dedicated a special night to him.
Julia Grundy visits the Riḍván garden near 'Akká with the daughters of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and kneels at Bahá'u'lláh's chair. Its old gardener, Abu'l-Qásim, told May Maxwell what Bahá'u'lláh said of the garden and of the locusts.
In 1952 Shoghi Effendi directed the levelling of land around the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, changed his design after viewing it from a ruined building's roof, and then moved his meetings to the edge of the new garden out of respect for the Shrine.
Believers who came into the presence of Bahá'u'lláh found they could not look steadily at His face. One pilgrim spilt his tea without noticing, and a Cambridge scholar wrote that he could never forget it.
Arrested in Tihran as a Babi, Shaykh Salman was freed by a merchant who mistook him for someone else, and then told the merchant the truth. For some forty years he carried Tablets of Baha'u'llah on foot and never lost a letter.
In the village of Manshad a boy heard chanting at secret meetings and asked the Babi doctor Radiu'r-Ruh what it meant. The doctor warned that telling him could cost many lives, then taught him; later he was poisoned for his faith.
In October 1912 'Abdu'l-Baha stayed three nights at Phoebe Hearst's house near Pleasanton, California. On the last evening she asked Him to speak to her relatives and guests about the Faith, and He read them a prayer in Arabic.
In 1912 the minister Howard Colby Ives received a Tablet from 'Abdu'l-Baha that he took at first for simply a beautiful letter. When his church closed, a second Tablet consoled him with humour and called him to teach the Faith.
In Haifa in July 1909 Juliet Thompson watched 'Abdu'l-Baha dictate Tablets. He answered a believer whose father had driven him out, and told Carrie Kinney, who had said nothing of her own trouble, that the reply was for her too.
Mírzá Aḥmad-i-Azghandí gathered more than twelve thousand traditions into a book for the Cause of the Báb. In Yazd a hostile cleric borrowed it and threw it into a pond, and Mírzá Aḥmad talked his angry uncle out of revenge.
In 'Akká in 1909 Juliet Thompson gave 'Abdu'l-Bahá her mother's wish that she give up teaching the Faith for her painting. He told her to do both, and gave her a message about her two arts to take home.
In Dublin, New Hampshire, in August 1912, the minister Howard Colby Ives spent a Sunday with 'Abdu'l-Bahá and said he would never doubt again. He later wrote that he had spoken many months too soon.
In London in 1911 'Abdu'l-Bahá told a society's representative that knowledge must be put into practice, and told of a learned man who said he understood the Bahá'í teachings but flared in anger at a single question.
In 1903 the Bahá'ís of Chicago asked 'Abdu'l-Bahá's permission to build a House of Worship in America. Shoghi Effendi traces the forty years, through economic crisis and war, until its eighteen outer steps were set in place in December 1942.
Nabíl-i-A'zam tells how, as a young shepherd of Zarand, he first heard of the Báb in a village mosque, and how his search led him to Qum and Tihrán just as the struggle at the fort of Tabarsí ended.
In 'Akká in 1897 Dr Yúnis Khán asked 'Abdu'l-Bahá whether the one who would follow Him had already been born. 'Abdu'l-Bahá said it was true, and Yúnis Khán kept the answer to himself for many years.
At the Brooklands aviation ground in September 1911, a young Hindu learning to fly asked 'Abdu'l-Bahá's friends who their visitor was. Told it was 'Abdu'l-Bahá, whose teachings he had studied, he went to meet Him.
In Paris in 1911 'Abdu'l-Bahá told an artist that all true art is a gift of the Holy Spirit. The artist's questions led to the blind eyes that cannot see the Sun of Truth, and the Master answered with a prayer.
After the Unity Feast at West Englewood in 1912, a seeker asked 'Abdu'l-Bahá what this Cause taught that earlier religions did not. He answered in the moonlit garden, naming its teachings one by one.
Haifa, 1909. When 'Abdu'l-Bahá left for 'Akká without her, Juliet Thompson spoke her submission to His Will aloud on Mount Carmel. His Tablet to her repeated the very words she had spoken there.
In 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá meant to take His grandson Shoghi Effendi, then fifteen, with Him to America. At Naples, doctors ordered the boy off the ship, and the Master asked him to obey, saying there was a wisdom in it.
Bahá'u'lláh granted Khadíjih-Bagum, the widow of the Báb, permission to make the pilgrimage to 'Akká. When danger closed the road through Shíráz, she fell ill and died with words of praise.
In 1912 Lua Getsinger, asked by 'Abdu'l-Bahá to go to California, walked through poison ivy so that she could not travel. He sent her an apple and a pomegranate to cure her, and she went.
In 1917, with the usual roads closed by war, Haji Ramadan, a nearly blind believer of seventy-five, offered to carry a Tablet of 'Abdu'l-Bahá on foot from Haifa to Tihrán, and returned with letters and gold.
'Abdu'l-Bahá sent Sulaymán Khán to Qum with a letter promising the banished Prime Minister, Amínu's-Sultán, his return to power. The promise came true, but the Minister later failed to protect the believers of Yazd.
Pilgrims walking from Persia carried plants for Bahá'u'lláh's garden near 'Akká. After nine years within the prison city's walls, He was persuaded to leave them, and the Sultán's farmán against Him became a dead letter.
'Abdu'l-Bahá wished to open a path from the Shrine of the Báb down to the German Avenue, but a settler's house and landowners holding out for a fortune blocked it for years. The Greatest Holy Leaf tells how the way was opened.
Juliet Thompson, a painter with debts and a mother to care for, offered the proceeds of photographs of her 1912 portrait of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to the House of Worship. The day before He sailed from New York, He told her to keep the money.
The Guardian fixed the site of the International Archives on Mount Carmel with strings on the ground, planted its gardens first, and had the builders raise it from the rear with five metres to work in. It was completed in 1957.
Muḥammad-Hádí, a bookbinder and illuminator from Iṣfáhán, kept the square before Bahá'u'lláh's house in 'Akká so clean that Bahá'u'lláh said he had turned it into the bridalbower of a palace.
Shamsu'd-Ḍuḥá, Ṭáhirih's companion in Karbilá, was once beaten by a mob that took her for Ṭáhirih. Decades later in Iṣfáhán, where she was known as the Bahá'ís' Lady of Light, the Governor beat her until she fainted.
Pilgrims who had walked from Persia were refused entry to 'Akká and could only glimpse Bahá'u'lláh at a window from beyond the moat. Another pilgrim, Ustád Ismá'íl-i-Káshí, gazed for hours, but his sight was too weak to see His face.
On a summer rest-cure, and again in London in the last days of his life, Shoghi Effendi worked for hours on his own maps of the Ten Year Crusade, filling in their details by hand.
In March 1916 Agnes Alexander wrote from Tokyo of new people at her Friday meeting, students at her door, a blind Russian friend hearing Some Answered Questions, and Bahá'í books placed in a library, one of which a stranger had already found.
In Baghdad a secret midnight audience with Bahá'u'lláh was requested. The reply was a verse He had composed in the wilderness of Kurdistan, and it told plainly what coming to Him would cost.
In August 1868, exiled from Adrianople to Gallipoli with no one sure where they would be sent next, Bahá'u'lláh gave the departing escort officer a message for the Sultan and warned His companions of the hardships ahead.
In Washington in 1912, while Juliet Thompson waited at Mrs Parsons' house, 'Abdu'l-Bahá told her that her heart, not her eloquence, was what taught, and promised that her tongue would be loosed.
In June 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá said He had spoken in America according to the capacity of His hearers. On 16 June, in a Congregational church in Brooklyn, He spoke on the truth of Islam, and no one offered a single objection.
In July 1947 the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine asked Shoghi Effendi whether the Bahá'ís wished to submit a statement. His reply explained the Faith's ties to the Holy Land and declined to take any political side.
Called in a vision to leave his high rank in India and walk to Chihríq, a dervish reached the imprisoned Báb, received the name Qahru'lláh, and was then sent home by the Báb, alone and on foot.
Resting in a Montclair park in June 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá recalled days in Baghdád without fifteen paras for a bath. Back at the hotel, two wealthy ladies remarked that He seemed very rich, and He told them what His riches were.
In 'Akká in July 1909, some believers met to settle how the Master's station should be spoken of. At lunch that day 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke of Bahá'u'lláh's warnings to the kings and ended by declaring that His only name was 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
Early in 1916, though tired and unwell, 'Abdu'l-Bahá drove from Haifa to Nazareth to meet Jamál Páshá. On the way He prayed for a gravely ill girl in the village of Majdal, and in Nazareth the general who had been His enemy treated Him with every courtesy.
In 1955 a wave of persecution swept the Bahá'ís of Persia. Working alone in Switzerland, Shoghi Effendi took their case to the United Nations, opened a fund for their relief and called for a Mother Temple in Africa.
After 'Abdu'l-Bahá settled a Baghdád jeweller's estate among his quarrelling heirs in a single day, the son offered Him a ruby ring. Years later, in 'Akká, He sent it to India to be sold for the sick, and the money never came.
Two brothers died on the same night in the barracks of 'Akká. The guards demanded payment to bury them, and the exiles had no money, so Bahá'u'lláh gave the prayer carpet that had been placed beneath His feet to be sold.
Sent by night to arrest the Bab in Shiraz, the chief constable found the city struck by plague and his own son near death. He begged the Bab for help, his son recovered, and the governor set the Bab free.
In 1911 a reporter from The Weekly Budget asked 'Abdu'l-Baha in London about His imprisonment. He described the first summer in 'Akka, when all one hundred and fifty prisoners fell ill, and laughed about the broth He had made for them.
After the martyrdom of the King of Martyrs, his mother-in-law Shamsu'd-Duha was hunted and beaten in Isfahan. Her brother, who was not a Baha'i, won her release by promising her silence, but she went on teaching.
Horsemen sent to bring the Báb to Shíráz in chains met Him on the road from Búshihr. Their captain hid their errand, but the Báb told them plainly who He was, refused the captain's offer of escape, and rode ahead of them to Shíráz.
The Persian Ambassador's intrigues helped bring about Bahá'u'lláh's banishment from Constantinople. Nearly thirty years later, in the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, Bahá'u'lláh testified to the ambassador's honesty in his service and said he deserved commendation.
A pasha exiled to 'Akká from Yemen, near death, entrusted 'Abdu'l-Bahá with a bag of gold for his daughter. The Master paid for his funeral Himself and sent a dervish to Ṣan'á, who put the gold into her own hands.
In New York in 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá praised Juliet Thompson again and again for her truthfulness, and in November He tested whether her heart was still in the same state.
In Egypt a coachman seized 'Abdu'l-Bahá by His sash to force an unjust fare while the boy Shoghi Effendi watched. As Guardian, Shoghi Effendi added up every bill he paid and pointed out undercharges as well as overcharges.
The Báb asked Muhammad Sháh for an audience and was sent instead to the mountain fortress of Máh-Kú. From His imprisonment He wrote to the King, calling him to account and naming Himself the rightful Sovereign of all men.
In 1868 soldiers surrounded Bahá'u'lláh's house in Adrianople. On the road to Gallipoli He began the Súriy-i-Ra'ís, addressed to the Ottoman Prime Minister, writing that though armed troops surrounded Him He remained in a state of utmost joy.
At Thonon in 1911 Zillu's-Sultán, whose orders had sent Bahá'ís to their deaths, met 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Who embraced him and told him never to think of the past again. Later one of the prince's sons wept over his family's deeds.
In 1930 Queen Marie of Rumania sailed for Haifa, and the Greatest Holy Leaf waited hour after hour in the Master's house to receive her. The Queen was met at the boat and taken out of Palestine.
In April 1912, four years after the Ottoman Empire released 'Abdu'l-Bahá from prison, its ambassador in Washington gave a dinner in His honour, read Him a tribute, and walked Him to His carriage.
George Townshend, once a canon of St Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, writes that spirituality was the dominant element in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s character, whose single aim was servitude to God.
Gloria Faizi explains the Master's wide love through an example He once gave: a crushed letter from a beloved is no less precious for its condition, and so we can love anyone as God's creature.
Ordered to keep the Báb in strict confinement at Máh-Kú, the warden 'Alí Khán watched the local people come to love his Prisoner, and after a strange vision he relaxed his discipline and let pilgrims in.
Badí', a youth of seventeen, carried Bahá'u'lláh's Tablet to Náṣiri'd-Dín Sháh on foot from 'Akká to Ṭihrán, delivered it to the king, and was tortured and put to death for it.
On His way to join the besieged Bábís at Shaykh Ṭabarsí, Bahá'u'lláh was arrested at Ámul. He offered Himself to be punished in place of His companions, was beaten until His feet bled, and was stoned by a mob.
In Adrianople Bahá'u'lláh began to proclaim His Mission to the kings of the world in the Súriy-i-Mulúk and other Tablets, and from the prison of 'Akká He wrote to Napoleon III, Queen Victoria, the Czar and the Pope.
Thornton Chase became a Bahá'í in Chicago in 1894. 'Abdu'l-Bahá named him Thábit, the Steadfast, and in 1912 made a special journey to his grave in Inglewood, California.
On 1 May 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá dedicated the site of the first Bahá'í House of Worship in the West at Wilmette, laying as its first stone a discarded block brought by Nettie Tobin.
In 1870 Mírzá Mihdí, Bahá'u'lláh's son, fell through a skylight in the barracks of 'Akká. Offered his recovery, he asked instead that his life be a ransom for the believers kept from Bahá'u'lláh's presence.
On the ninth day after Bahá'u'lláh's passing, His Book of the Covenant was unsealed and read aloud at His Tomb. In it He directed His family and followers to turn to 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
After Bahá'u'lláh's passing, His eldest Son set aside the exalted titles His Father had given Him and asked to be known only as 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the Servant of Bahá.
In November 1921 Shoghi Effendi, a student at Oxford, learned in London that 'Abdu'l-Bahá had passed away. In January 1922 the Master's Will was read, naming him Guardian of the Cause of God.
At the conference of Badasht in 1848, Ṭáhirih appeared unveiled before the assembled Bábís and proclaimed that a new Dispensation had begun, breaking openly with the laws of the past.
Grace very much wanted to attend the Unity Feast at West Englewood, but Dr Krug wanted her to play golf with him. 'Abdu'l-Bahá told her she must always consider the Doctor, who later became a Bahá'í.
In Adrianople a messenger of Bahá'u'lláh foretold to Haji Mirza Haydar-'Ali how a devoted merchant, granted wealth, would fall away, lose everything and at last return to serve the Cause as a poor man.
Trying to live by guidance, Harry Randall walked all afternoon, praying at every corner, until he reached a house where a woman had dreamed the night before of the visitor who would bring her wonderful news.
Taken reluctantly to meet 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Harry Randall found the Master accepting a tea invitation he had never given. At the tea He went straight to Harry's frail wife, Ruth, whose doctor found her healed the next day.
Late in August 1912 Harry Randall asked 'Abdu'l-Bahá to help his wife Ruth, who had tuberculosis. The Master visited her that afternoon, and two weeks later her doctor found her well.
'Abdu'l-Bahá passed away in Haifa on 28 November 1921. At His funeral some ten thousand people of every religion and race followed His coffin up Mount Carmel to the Shrine of the Báb, where He was laid to rest.
'Abdu'l-Bahá tells how Nabíl-i-Zarandí, who had spent his life in the service of Bahá'u'lláh, was overwhelmed with grief when Bahá'u'lláh passed away in 1892, and could not bear to live on without Him.
Esslemont's account of Bahá'u'lláh's birth in Tihrán on 12 November 1817, His wisdom and generosity as a youth, His refusal of His father's post in the Ministry, and His acceptance of the Báb's Cause in 1844.
Esslemont's account of the Báb's birth in Shíráz on 20 October 1819, His upbringing by a merchant uncle after His father's death, and a youth noted for piety, nobility of character and faithful observance of prayer.
When the Bahá'ís begged for a day to celebrate as His, 'Abdu'l-Bahá would not let it be His birthday, which belonged to the Báb, and gave them 26 November instead. A tablet of His calls the believers to be firm.
Nabíl's account of the evening of 22 May 1844, when the Báb met Mullá Ḥusayn outside the gate of Shíráz, brought him to His house, and declared His mission to him, the first to believe in Him.
In April 1863, before His exile to Constantinople, Bahá'u'lláh spent twelve days in the Garden of Najíb Páshá outside Baghdád, and there announced that He was the One whose coming the Báb had foretold.
In Tabríz on July 9, 1850, the young believer Anís begged to die with the Báb. The first volley only cut their ropes; before the second, the Báb held up the youth's example to the watching crowd.
In 1912, on the Feast of Naw-Rúz in Alexandria, Egypt, 'Abdu'l-Bahá explained the meaning of the blessed days appointed in every dispensation — days for rejoicing together, for unity, and for leaving "tangible philanthropic or ideal traces" reaching all mankind.
How the Nineteen Day Feast, held on the first day of each Bahá'í month, came to combine prayer and reading from the Holy Writings, consultation with the Spiritual Assembly, and fellowship.
Bahá'u'lláh entered the Garden of Riḍván outside Baghdád on April 22, 1863. The river overflowed, and His family could not join Him there until the ninth day, which Bahá'ís now keep as a Holy Day.
At noon on May 3, 1863, the twelfth day of the Festival of Riḍván, Bahá'u'lláh rode out of the Garden of Riḍván and set out from Baghdád for Constantinople, as crowds of believers and others lamented His departure.
A man twice prevented from seeing 'Abdu'l-Bahá wrote a heartbreaking letter showing that he thought himself rebuffed. When it was translated, the Master at once put on His coat and, deeply grieved, went out alone.
At their first meeting in New York in 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá sat knee to knee with Howard Colby Ives, wiped away his tears, told him one must always be happy, and laughed.
Sailing for America in March 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá called the table set for morning tea a divine table, spoke of gratitude, and asked for His first good bath in several months.
In Montclair, New Jersey, in June 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá went to the market, oversaw the kitchen and often cooked for His guests, while for Himself a piece of bread and some cheese sufficed.
In Denver in 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá told of a traveller who could not sleep for fear that a gift of a robe would be stolen, and threw it away to find rest.
Juliet Thompson describes the Cedric reaching New York in April 1912, and Siyyid Asadu'lláh's report that 'Abdu'l-Bahá laughed at His first sight of the Wall Street skyscrapers and called them the minarets of the West.
At the Golden Links Club in Boston in July 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá said Arabic would not become the universal language and explained how Esperanto could become universal.
Leroy Ioas recalls how Shoghi Effendi embraced and kissed Charles Dunning, the plainly dressed Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for the Orkney Islands, and seated him beside himself at dinner.
Myron Phelps tells how 'Abdu'l-Bahá met a man in 'Akká who denounced Him for twenty-four years with food, clothing and care, until the man came weeping to ask His forgiveness.
Ugo Giachery describes being overwhelmed on first entering the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, and Shoghi Effendi explaining that evening the spiritual influence of the earthly remains of the Messengers of God.
On His third visit to Paris, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was often too weak to go to meetings in the Bahá’ís’ homes, yet He kept receiving visitors at His hotel, saying that Bahá’u’lláh had trained Him to shoulder the burdens of others.
Wary after years of disappointed hopes, Howard Colby Ives was persuaded to visit ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at the Hotel Ansonia, where he was called into the Master's room and, in a long silence with Him, found the faith he had sought.
Howard Colby Ives explains that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's courtesy was really reverence for the soul in every person, and recalls how the husband of His hostess in Dublin called Him the most perfect gentleman he had ever known.
Howard Colby Ives recalls ‘Abdu’l-Bahá serving His guests with His own hands while eating nothing Himself, and His simple answer when asked to be honorary chairman of a Bahá’í Assembly.
When Howard Colby Ives's Brotherhood Church in Jersey City had to close for lack of funds, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote to him that this had happened so that he might be free to call the people to the Kingdom.
When a group of boys came to meet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in New York, He greeted the only Black boy among them as “a black rose,” and the other boys looked at him with new eyes.
An unschooled miner who travelled far on foot to hear ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in San Francisco was so absorbed in His words that he took the interpreter for an intruder, never realizing the Master was speaking Persian.
Howard Colby Ives describes how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá taught souls: He never argued, pressed a point or told him what to believe, but showed by His own voice and manner how one should be.
In April 1912 the explosives inventor Hudson Maxim argued the case for modern weapons with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at the Hotel Ansonia; the Master urged him instead to practise the science of peace and invent “guns of love.”
Bahá’u’lláh was born in Tehran in 1817. As He grew, His father, Mirza Buzurg, marvelled at His wisdom, dreamed of Him swimming in a boundless ocean, and heard a soothsayer foretell that no one could stand in His way.
On April 10, 1911, the day he landed at Alexandria, Louis G. Gregory of Washington met 'Abdu'l-Bahá for the first time. The Master kissed his head, asked after his health and told him, "I am happy to have you here."
In April 1911 Louis G. Gregory visited the Tomb of the Báb on Mount Carmel, where the pilgrims removed their shoes and heard prayers chanted, and that evening met the believers of Haifa.
The first of the Arabic Hidden Words, revealed by Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdád, gives His first counsel: to possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart.
The twelfth Hidden Word in Arabic — Bahá'u'lláh's reminder that the soul was made with the hands of power, and that within it He has placed the essence of His light.
The twenty-second Arabic Hidden Word tells the soul that it was created noble yet has abased itself, and calls it to rise unto that for which it was created.
The second Hidden Word in Arabic names justice — *the best beloved of all things in My sight* — and explains it not as rule of law but as the soul's capacity to see with its own eyes and know with its own knowledge.
The third Hidden Word in Arabic — Bahá'u'lláh's word that the human soul was created out of His love, engraved with His image and shown His beauty.
The fortieth Hidden Word in Arabic — Bahá'u'lláh's image of the soul's rest: that no journey through space and no traversal of the heavens can bring it, save submission to His command and humbleness before His Face.
The fifth Hidden Word in Arabic — Bahá'u'lláh's brief reciprocal of love between God and the soul.
In the fifty-ninth Arabic Hidden Word, the Voice of God calls the human heart His home and bids that it be sanctified for His descent.
The sixty-fourth Hidden Word in Arabic — Bahá'u'lláh's word that He has created His eternity and wrought His unity for the soul, and His call to the soul to clothe itself therewith.
The sixty-third Hidden Word in Persian — Bahá'u'lláh's warning to the peoples of the world that their deeds have not been effaced in His sight, but are graven upon tablets of chrysolite.
The third Hidden Word in Persian — Bahá'u'lláh's tender injunction that the believer plant naught but the rose of love in the garden of the heart, hold fast to the nightingale of affection and desire, and treasure the companionship of the righteous.
The sixty-ninth Persian Hidden Word — Bahá'u'lláh's call that holy words and pure and goodly deeds ascend unto the heaven of celestial glory, and that deeds be cleansed from the dust of self and hypocrisy.
The fifth Hidden Word in Persian — Bahá'u'lláh's warning that the most negligent of men is he that disputeth idly and seeketh to advance himself over his brother, and His counsel: Let deeds, not words, be your adorning.
The forty-fourth Persian Hidden Word — Bahá'u'lláh's counsel to hear, see and speak no evil, to magnify not the faults of others, and to live the fleeting days of this life with a stainless mind and a sanctified nature.
The ninth Hidden Word in Arabic — Bahá'u'lláh's image of His love as a stronghold: he that entereth therein is safe and secure, and he that turneth away shall surely stray and perish.
The seventy-third Persian Hidden Word — Bahá'u'lláh's testimony that the soul is the daystar of the heavens of His holiness, and His call to let not the defilement of the world eclipse its splendor but to rend asunder the veil of heedlessness.
In New York in June 1912, before a few days' rest at Montclair, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told the friends of His wish to give an outdoor feast of unity, like a Persian garden, at which all would be His guests.
Howard Colby Ives asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá why he should believe in Bahá’u’lláh. After a long silence the Master spoke of the sincerity a minister's heart must have, and only months later did Ives realize his question had been answered.
In a 1912 talk in Washington, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá recalled Isfandíyár, the black servant of Bahá’u’lláh, who, though hunted by the Sháh's officers while Bahá’u’lláh was in prison, would not flee until he had paid every debt of the household.
Hand of the Cause John Robarts told of a Toronto friend who prayed all the way to the airport, missed his flight to a Chicago wedding, and still arrived on time on another plane while the first was grounded in Detroit.
On 14 April 1912 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave His first public address in America at New York's Church of the Ascension. Juliet Thompson recalls how He likened material civilization to a lamp's glass and spiritual civilization to its light.
Bahíyyih Khánum recalls how, after Bahá’u’lláh withdrew from Baghdád, her brother ‘Abdu’l-Bahá grieved deeply and spent His days copying and memorizing the tablets of the Báb.
Longing to be perfect yet despairing of his own weakness, Howard Colby Ives asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá how he could ever reach so high a goal. The Master answered that it is accomplished little by little.
Struggling to give up smoking, Howard Colby Ives asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for help. Instead of a lecture, the Master told him not to let it trouble him, and two days later the desire left him for seven years.
When a car given to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá reached port as a weekend began, Shoghi Effendi went to officials' homes for their signatures and had it at the Master's door though it was not a business day.
Leroy Ioas praised the way Shoghi Effendi had built the Administrative Order. The Guardian answered that he had no blueprint: God guided him one step at a time, and the Bahá’ís must share his confidence in that guidance.
Munírih Khánum recalls how Bahá’u’lláh summoned her from Iṣfahán, her guarded journey by way of Mecca to ‘Akká, and her simple wedding to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, at which Bahá’u’lláh Himself chanted the prayers.
John Robarts tells of friends who say they do not pray, and of a young man, sure God could never forgive him, who was comforted by the words “Prayer is a ladder by which everyone can ascend to heaven.”
Leroy Ioas describes Shoghi Effendi’s day in Haifa: prayer from 5:30 in the morning, his vast mail, the pilgrims from East and West and the International Bahá’í Council, until late at night, every day of the week.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá recalls how a grave illness at the age of seven kept Him in Tehran while Bahá’u’lláh was imprisoned there, so that He was able to go with Him into exile in Iraq.
Ali Nakhjavani tells believers in South Africa of a short Tablet in which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá hopes their relationship to the Cause will be like a ray’s to the sun rather than a flower’s to a garden, and reflects on why.
Ibn-i-Asdaq begged Bahá’u’lláh for the station of utter self-sacrifice. In a Tablet of January 1880, Bahá’u’lláh answered that service to the Cause is the greatest of deeds and that one may live and yet be counted a martyr.
Myron Phelps, a visitor to ‘Akká, describes a crowd of the poor, blind and aged waiting in the street, and the Master coming out to give each of them coins and a kindly word.
In 1907 Corinne True watched from her window as the Master gave money and words of kindness to two or three hundred of the poor of ‘Akká, as He did every Friday morning.
On pilgrimage in 1909, Ethel Rosenberg asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá how the friends could increase their numbers. He answered that they should love each other very much, for love is the foundation of everything.
Reluctantly brought to hear ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Boston in 1912, William Randall carried Him some grape juice and was asked to sit. After twenty restless minutes the Master spoke words that became a turning point in his life.
In 1914 The Christian Commonwealth described ‘Abdu’l-Bahá going about ‘Akká doing good, honoured by the officials who visited Him, and working from sunrise till midnight despite broken health.
In a letter to the friends in Denver and in talks in New York, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá counselled that the Faith be taught through sociability, pure deeds and sweet speech, through love and sacrifice for one another, and with care for the listener’s needs.
Visiting Haifa at thirteen in 1919, Margaret (Bahíyyih) Randall was told by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that her name means light, but that there is no light without something within. Asked how she could serve, He answered, “Study. Study. Study.”
Besides His own family, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s household included orphan children and widows of martyrs, and Mary Lucas saw in it a home where everything was done in the spirit of love.
In ‘Akká the Master kept giving His own bed to feverish people He found lying on bare ground, sleeping on the floor or the roof Himself until His situation was discovered and a kind friend gave Him another.
A man in ‘Akká hated ‘Abdu’l-Bahá so much that he turned his back whenever they met. When a narrow street forced them face to face, the Master told him his hatred could never be as strong as His love.
Dr. Florian Krug raged against his wife Grace’s new faith and threatened to have ‘Abdu’l-Bahá thrown out of his house. When the Master came, He asked him, ‘Dr. Krug, are you happy?’ and his opposition ended.
In California, despite fatigue and physical ailments, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá welcomed everyone with a beaming smile and asked, ‘Are you happy?’
Recalling the days in Ṭihrán when Bahá’u’lláh was imprisoned and their home sacked, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told how His mother gave Him flour to eat instead of bread, yet they were contented.
At Thonon in 1911 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá embraced the exiled prince Ẓillu’s-Sulṭán, whose family had persecuted the Bahá’ís, and asked to meet his sons; the elder of them later became a Bahá’í.
In Persia in the early days of the Faith, a mujtahid of Yazd threatened to punish a kebab-shop worker for chopping meat to a rhythm. In such a society, Bahá’u’lláh declared music a means of upliftment and joy.
In late May 1912 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had to leave His New York lodgings because of the stream of visitors, but when the staff saw His kindness as He departed, they were ashamed and begged Him to stay.
Years later Leroy Ioas described the visitors who came to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá from dawn onward, and the swift answers with which, in a single moment, He might decide someone’s destiny.
In London, inquirers who stayed on at mealtimes were invited to dine. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá led the humblest guest to the seat at His right and put each one at ease, and as many as eighteen might be served by the Master Himself.
In Minneapolis a rabbi asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to speak in his synagogue. When the Master mentioned His years of imprisonment, the rabbi remarked that we are all in prison in this world, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said He had been resigned and joyful even then.
In New York a young supporter of tax reform asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá what message to take back to friends. Laughing, the Master said to invite them into the Kingdom of God, where there is plenty of land and no taxes on it.
In Paris a man from India told ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that his aim in life was to spread the message of Krishna. The Master did not argue; He replied that Krishna’s message, like that of all God’s prophets, is the message of love.
Rúḥíyyih Khánum found almost no mention of the Second World War in her diaries, though it threatened the World Centre and the Guardian himself. She saw that silence as a measure of the pressures he carried in those years.
In San Francisco on 22 October 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá foretold a great war and said the generality of mankind would one day reproach statesmen who send them into war while they themselves live in comfort.
John Robarts came to speak to a community that needed a ninth believer to form its Assembly. When the only non-Bahá’í in the room fell asleep, he prayed for help, woke the man with a loud quotation, and the man became a Bahá’í that evening.
The Báb and Quddús spent about two months on a rough sea voyage from Búshihr to Jiddah. Through storms and hardship they remained calm, the Báb revealing writings and Quddús taking them down.
At Glenwood Springs, Colorado, in 1912, Saichiro Fujita brought a big watermelon back to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The Master began eating it at once with His hand, declining a knife and fork, and it was shared with all the Bahá’ís.
On a drive through Montreal in 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stopped at the quiet Roman Catholic cathedral and went in. There He spoke of the sacrifice of Christ’s disciples, which had carried their faith so far, and urged His companions to follow in their footsteps.
In Shoghi Effendi’s childhood the family rose at dawn to pray and take breakfast with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His room. The children sat quietly and chanted when asked, and Shoghi Effendi learned to be always the first up and on time.
With only an hour ashore in Manila, Loulie Mathews tucked Bahá'í pamphlets onto library shelves. Months later the man who found them wrote asking for more, and a Bahá'í community grew there that regathered after the war.
Though the Báb's writings convinced him, Ḥájí Mírzá Ḥaydar-'Alí was tormented by doubts whenever he was alone, until a dream left him assured, joyous and thankful.
In 1923 Shoghi Effendi withdrew to the mountains of Switzerland in complete solitude to find strength for his high office, returning in November before the second anniversary of the Master's ascension.
On the morning of 30 June 1912 in New York, 'Abdu'l-Bahá served His companions tea with His own hand and told them that every confirmation they received came from Bahá'u'lláh.
On the morning of 20 September 1912, before leaving Minneapolis, 'Abdu'l-Bahá urged the friends to love one another, visit each other and act on God's commandments rather than be Bahá'ís in word alone.
Chained in the darkness of the Síyáh-Chál, Bahá'u'lláh felt the first stirrings of God's Revelation and saw the Maiden of Heaven, yet He told no one, awaiting the hour God had appointed.
Warned in 1918 that 'Abdu'l-Bahá was in serious danger, Lady Blomfield sought Lord Lamington's help; Lord Balfour had a cable sent to General Allenby to protect Him, and when Allenby took Haifa he cabled that 'Abdu'l-Bahá was safe.
At a feast on the first day of Ayyám-i-Há, nearly two hundred believers gathered in a tent at Mazra'ih, and Bahá'u'lláh called Ḥájí Muḥammad-Ṭáhir-i-Málmírí by name to sit at His table.
Loulie Mathews tried to teach the Faith in Paris through elegant teas, until a visitor scarred by the chains of prison with his Lord showed her how much she had to learn. 'Abdu'l-Bahá wrote that she would one day be a lion roaring through the Cause of God.
When Dr Yúnis Khán handed the Master a believer's poem addressing Him in exalted terms, 'Abdu'l-Bahá was grieved and affirmed His servitude, then comforted him with such loving words that his anguish turned to joy.
When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá heard in San Francisco in 1912 that Thornton Chase, the first Bahá’í in America, had passed away, He spoke of the fruitfulness of his life, and later prayed at his grave.
When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá came to Egypt, some newspapers wrote against Him. Rather than let the Bahá’ís answer them, He called the papers heralds of the Kingdom, and events turned out as He had said.
In the years after the Master’s passing, Shoghi Effendi would set out from Interlaken before dawn to walk and climb in the mountains, usually alone and often for ten to sixteen hours, as he later told Rúḥíyyih Khánum.
A floor maid came out of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s suite with her arms full of roses He had given her, and showed them to Ella Quant, exclaiming, “See what He gave me!”
Shaykh Maḥmúd of ‘Akká hated the Bahá’ís and laid hands on ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the mosque, but the Master’s serene reply turned his anger into shame, and he became a devoted Bahá’í.
In a Tablet about backbiting, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells how Christ, passing a dead animal with His apostles, saw only the whiteness of its teeth, and calls this the conduct of the real Bahá’ís.
A poor man who brought wood to Bahá’u’lláh’s house admired a splendid rug there. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told him to take it and, as the man ran off with it, called after him with good humour.
Rúḥíyyih Khánum recalls that the Guardian as a small boy was the high-spirited ringleader of the children, and that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá once wrote a short sentence about how much he ran about.
At the 1938 National Convention in Wilmette, Grace Ober reported on her teaching trip and called for pioneers, whispered her congratulations to Harlan, and passed away in her seat.
Before leaving New York, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave Edward Kinney a pair of His boots. When the treasured boots vanished, Mr. Kinney examined his own conduct, prayed for forgiveness, and found them back in their drawer.
When the Báb was brought to Tabríz in 1847, crowds acclaimed Him and a crier warned that anyone who approached Him would be imprisoned. Yet Ḥájí ‘Alí-‘Askar was admitted to His presence seven times, as Mullá Ḥusayn had foretold.
Bahíyyih Khánum recalls how, while Bahá'u'lláh was imprisoned in Ṭihrán in 1852, Mírzá Yúsif, a Russian subject, helped her mother send Him food and hid the family in two little rooms near the prison.
In New York in 1912, Lua Getsinger told Grace Robarts that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wished her to marry Harlan Ober, a man she scarcely knew. Grace obeyed, and the Master Himself performed their marriage.
With four months left in the Nine Year Plan, Dr Muhájir sent Jenabe Caldwell to Germany. A letter from the National Assembly drew forty-five German volunteers, who joined fifteen Alaskans in street teaching that succeeded once they prayed for loving hearts.
Ḥájí Amín served as Trustee of Ḥuqúqu'lláh for forty-seven years. Chained in the prison of Qazvín, he ate without complaint the food his jailers tainted, and with no home of his own he lived among the believers who welcomed him.
Nine days before His passing, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá addressed a talk in Haifa to John Bosch, the only Westerner present, explaining that hearts can speak without words and that real love shows itself in self-sacrifice.
Swiss-born winemaker John Bosch became a Bahá’í in 1905 and took “Justice” as his watchword. When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote to him that the Book of Aqdas forbids both light and strong drinks, he thought it over and soon decided to retire.
In April 1912 John Bosch hurried from California to New York to meet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. When he said he had come three thousand miles to see Him, the Master laughed and answered that He had come eight thousand miles to see John.
On 23 April 1912 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá addressed the more than 1,000 students of Howard University, with the faculty and many guests. Joseph Hannen recorded the audience’s breathless attention and the ovation that followed.
On a drive near Thonon in August 1911, 'Abdu'l-Bahá bought violets from peasant children and stopped at a waterfall. When Juliet Thompson wished she could follow Him all her life, He told her to be happy in the present.
On 19 April 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke to three hundred homeless men at the Bowery Mission in New York, then stood at the end of the aisle and pressed coins into the hand of each man as he filed past.
In New York in April 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá sent for Juliet Thompson's grieving mother, who had opposed her daughter's work for the Faith, and comforted her. The next day she told Juliet that all her bitterness had gone.
At Thonon in August 1911, 'Abdu'l-Bahá told Juliet Thompson, through His interpreter, that He bore witness to the purity of her heart and had sent for her out of nothing but affection.
At a Washington luncheon in April 1912, asked whether the spirit could heal broken bones, 'Abdu'l-Bahá laughed that all the spirits in the air could not create a salad. Two days later, at the Turkish Embassy, He answered high praise very simply.
In June 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá sat for the painter Juliet Thompson in New York. At the first sitting, in a cramped and dark entrance hall, He asked her to paint His Servitude to God.
On 4 July 1909 'Abdu'l-Bahá took Juliet Thompson and other pilgrims to Bahjí, sat on the floor to sweeten the children's tea, led the pilgrims to the Tomb of Bahá'u'lláh, and told them that the world is one.
In 'Akká in July 1909, 'Abdu'l-Bahá called Juliet Thompson to His room and asked for the messages she had brought from the American believers. She asked His prayers for her godchild, her brother and a friend.
Julia Grundy, an early pilgrim, described a simple supper in ‘Akká at which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá welcomed and seated each guest, anointed them with attar of rose and served them Himself.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá told the artist Juliet Thompson that, though she was not eloquent, she taught well, because her heart taught and her feeling made people ask what she had.
On an outing for the Master’s birthday, a group of boys in a Bronx park jeered at ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and threw stones. He asked for the birthday cake, cut it into a piece for each boy, and they ran off happily.
In ‘Akká, Juliet Thompson told ‘Abdu’l-Bahá she was afraid she was not dressed well enough to meet the Persian believers. He answered that they do not look at the dress but at the heart.
At a Washington reception in April 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá congratulated Admiral Peary on reaching the North Pole and gently observed that, having found nothing there, he had relieved the public mind. Juliet Thompson recorded the scene.
While Juliet Thompson painted ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s portrait in America, He told May Maxwell she had a kind heart, Lua Getsinger a tender heart and Juliet an emotional one, and said that united they would make a great heart.
In Chicago, as John Bosch was paying his hotel bill before leaving for the West Coast, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá took his hand, brought him up to His room, and sent him off with a big cake and armfuls of fruit.
As Mrs C prepared to leave the household of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in ‘Akká, He came to bid her farewell and asked her, when she returned to New York, to talk to people about the love of God.
Kanichi Yamamoto, who became a Bahá’í in Hawaii, wrote to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Japanese. When one of his letters arrived that His secretary could not read, the Master said He would rely on the Blessed Beauty and reply.
The poet Kahlil Gibran, Juliet Thompson's neighbor, asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to sit for him and came to love Him deeply. Years later, seeing the Master on film, he wept before the gathering.
As a small boy, Shoghi Effendi learned from his grandfather, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to be on time, and became the first to get up for the family’s early prayers and breakfast in the Master’s room.
At Lake Mohonk in 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told some young people the fable of the mice who could not decide who would bell the cat, and likened it to the peace conferences of the day.
In 1907 a Commission of investigation came to ‘Akká, and a ship stood ready to carry ‘Abdu’l-Bahá away. As His dream had foretold, the danger passed; the ship sailed for Constantinople, and in 1908 He was freed.
During her 1909 pilgrimage, Juliet Thompson, held back by shyness, was called to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s room. As she wept, He wiped away her tears and said to her, “Speak. Speak to Me!”
On Christmas Day 1912 in London, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá called on Lord Lamington, then spoke to some five hundred people at a Salvation Army hostel and paid for their meal and another night’s lodging, as His guests.
When Helen Goodall, Ella Cooper and Harriet Wise came from California to New York in 1912, they found ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sitting on the steps of the house where He was staying, waiting for them. Days later He spoke to them of the kindness of God.
At the 1912 Lake Mohonk Peace Conference, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent Dr Zia Bagdadi overnight to New York for a Persian rug to give Albert Smiley, who received it with joy just as the Master was leaving.
After His Friday-morning gifts to the poor of ‘Akká in 1907, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told Corinne True that some of them were His enemies, yet He was kind to them, and explained how scarce work was in the city.
In Chicago in 1912 young Leroy Ioas bought white carnations for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá but asked his father to present them. After the talk, the Master turned to the boy and gave him the red rose from His own coat.
In Haifa, where shootings were common, Yúnis Khán secretly followed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá home one night. Three shots rang out, yet the Master walked on at the same pace, quietly praying, and bade him goodbye at His gate.
Near the end of Louis Gregory’s pilgrimage, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá expressed the wish that he and Louisa Mathew, a white English pilgrim, should marry. They did, and their marriage endured many pressures as a symbol of the unity of the races.
In ‘Akká, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent Lua Getsinger to care for a poor, sick friend of His. When she fled the filthy house, He sent her back to clean it, bathe the man and feed him, as He Himself had done many times.
For eighteen years after her first pilgrimage in 1898, Lua Getsinger was taught and sent on teaching missions by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Sending her to India, He urged her never to let outward circumstances worry her.
Worn out by years of travel-teaching with no home of their own, Mable Ives (Rizwanea) agreed to spend one day in prayer before deciding to stop, and was brought to submission, gratitude and love for her circumstances.
Visiting ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1918, Wellesley Tudor Pole gave Him a Persian camel-hair cloak, for winter had come and He had given away the only cloak He possessed.
Nabíl describes the self-forgetting companions of Bahá’u’lláh in Baghdad, where ten persons often lived on a pennyworth of dates and no one knew whose shoes and cloaks were whose.
Bahíyyih Khánum recalls the caravan of about seventy-five people that set out from Baghdad with Bahá’u’lláh in 1863, and how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá guarded His father day and night on the journey.
Bahíyyih Khánum remembers the day Bahá’u’lláh, disguised as a dervish, came home to Baghdad after two years in the mountains, and the simple food He had lived on there.
For weeks Mable Rice-Wray felt an unexplained urge to leave her Baltimore streetcar halfway down a long hill. When she finally did, a woman in a small shop there told her of the Bahá’í Faith.
Maria Ioas longed for a flower from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. On His first day in Chicago she waited all afternoon at His hotel, and He invited her in and gave her a rose.
On her pilgrimage May Bolles heard ‘Abdu’l-Bahá tell how Bahá’u’lláh stayed three days with a poor hermit in his cave and shared his dry meat, dark bread and spring water as though it were a banquet.
Mary Lucas, a pilgrim to ‘Akká in 1905, saw that the Master usually ate one simple meal a day, and that the family supper was packed up and sent to anyone known to have gone without.
Mary Lucas learned in ‘Akká in 1905 that the Master gave away the gifts sent to Him, and that when a wealthy woman pressed money on Him He asked her to give it for a poor man’s son’s education.
Mary Revell of Philadelphia secretly hoped to kiss the hem of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s robe, as a Bahá’í in Iran had asked her to. The Master crossed the crowd and stood before her just long enough.
On her 1898–99 pilgrimage May Bolles found joy in the Master’s presence, then spoke unkindly of a fellow believer. His gentle, compassionate gaze at supper moved her to tears, and His smile restored her.
May Maxwell died only weeks after arriving in South America as a pioneer. The Guardian wrote that she laid down her life in a spirit that merited the crown of martyrdom.
When the Cedric reached New York on 11 April 1912, reporters came aboard to ask 'Abdu'l-Bahá why He had come. He told them His object was universal peace and the unity of humankind.
'Abdu'l-Bahá visited Boston three times in 1912. He addressed the Unitarian conference at Tremont Temple and the Free Religious Association at Ford Hall, spoke to journalists about peace, and later stayed a week at Malden.
Mahmúd's Diary records 'Abdu'l-Bahá's voyage on the Cedric from Alexandria to New York in March and April 1912, including the day at Naples when three of His companions, Shoghi Effendi among them, had to leave the ship.
On December 5, 1912, Mahmúd's Diary records, a great crowd of believers from New York and other cities filled the lounge of the SS *Celtic* to bid 'Abdu'l-Bahá farewell. In His parting address He summed up the teaching of His American journey: the whole earth is one globe, and all nations one family.
On May 1, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá dug the ground for the House of Worship at Wilmette with a golden trowel, American delegates and Eastern believers continued the digging, and He set in place the stone Nettie Tobin had brought.
At a children's event given by the Unity Club in Brooklyn on June 5, 1912, Admiral Robert E. Peary asked 'Abdu'l-Bahá to make a short speech. He had not planned to speak, but His talk on education captured everyone's attention.
On 19 April 1912, His last evening in New York, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke at Earl Hall, Columbia University, on science, the power of the human spirit and the oneness of humanity. Afterwards so many came to meet Him that a planned tour of the university was given up.
From 25 July to 16 August 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá stayed at Dublin, New Hampshire, where Mrs Parsons had hoped He might rest. He said He had come for work and service, and the weeks filled with Tablets, talks and many visitors.
When two Japanese Bahá'ís called on 'Abdu'l-Bahá in San Francisco on 4 October 1912, He called their meeting an historic event, brought about through the power of Bahá'u'lláh.
In July 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá learned that the mother of Mrs Zieglar, unable to walk, longed to see Him. On His return to New York He went straight to her home.
Taking leave of Phoebe Hearst's house near Pleasanton, California, 'Abdu'l-Bahá called for the maids, orderlies, cooks and butler, thanked them, and gave each a gift, while the guests stood by, astonished.
On October 12, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke to some two thousand people at Temple Emanu-El in San Francisco. He honoured Moses, showed how Christ and Muḥammad had upheld Him, and asked why Jews should not now praise Them in turn.
On September 20, 1912, the friends went with 'Abdu'l-Bahá to the station as He left Minneapolis. His parting words asked them to love and help the poor.
On April 23, 1912, at a Washington luncheon given in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's honor by Ali-Kuli Khan, the Master asked for Louis Gregory, who had not been invited, and gave him the seat of honor at His right.
Mahmúd's Diary records 'Abdu'l-Bahá serving tea to His companions with His own hand, cooking for guests, and waiting on the friends at dinner during His 1912 journey through America.
In Washington, Chicago, Kenosha, St. Paul, San Francisco and New York, Mahmúd's Diary records 'Abdu'l-Bahá meeting children during His 1912 journey: embracing and kissing them, taking them on His lap, and giving them flowers and sweets.
In September 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá spent two days in Minneapolis and St. Paul, speaking at His hotel, the Commercial Club, a synagogue and the homes of Albert Hall and Dr Clement Woolson.
On 1 May 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá dedicated the site of the first Bahá'í House of Worship in the West. For the cornerstone He chose a rejected building stone that Nettie Tobin had brought from Chicago by baby carriage and streetcar.
On 10 September 1912, during His stay in Buffalo, 'Abdu'l-Bahá took the trolley to Niagara Falls, recalled the small waterfalls Bahá'u'lláh had loved in Mázindarán, and told His companions He could not stay even half a day.
In June 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke at two churches in Philadelphia. At the Baptist Temple He described the pathway of nature and the pathway of religion, and set out the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh.
On May 7, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spent a day in Pittsburgh. At the Hotel Schenley He met visitors, set out the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh at an evening meeting, and then spoke with a group of philosophers, doctors and journalists.
In April 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke at the Bowery Mission in New York to about four hundred poor men, telling them that Jesus Himself had been poor and that the poor are very dear to God. Then He stood at the door and gave each man a coin.
After His journey to California and back, 'Abdu'l-Bahá returned to New York in November 1912 and received crowds of friends and seekers until He sailed on the Celtic on 5 December.
On October 8, 1912, at the invitation of its president, David Starr Jordan, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke to some 1,800 students and 180 professors at Leland Stanford Junior University in Palo Alto.
As 'Abdu'l-Bahá left a country estate at Milford, Pennsylvania, in June 1912, He looked at its lush greenery and wept, remembering the sufferings of Bahá'u'lláh.
On December 5, 1912, believers crowded aboard the Celtic in New York to bid 'Abdu'l-Bahá farewell. He gave them His parting words, and as the ship sailed, a throng stretching as far as the eye could see waved goodbye.
On May 1, 1912, at the site of the future House of Worship in Wilmette, 'Abdu'l-Bahá dug the ground for the foundation stone with a golden trowel. Believers of many backgrounds followed, and He set the stone in place.
In Dublin, New Hampshire, in August 1912, a woman told 'Abdu'l-Bahá that a friend had warned her the meeting might be a trap. He answered that it was a trap, but one that frees people.
After 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke at the Church of the Ascension in New York in April 1912, a weeping woman in the crowd held fast to the hem of His robe, and He calmed her with loving words.
In Chicago in November 1912 a visitor from Russia began complaining to 'Abdu'l-Bahá about his country. The Master told him to speak ill of no one and reminded him of Christ's words about a dead dog.
On 23 May 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá drove from Boston to Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, at the invitation of its president, G. Stanley Hall, and spoke to more than a thousand students and faculty on the value and importance of science.
Another of those who left their homeland to become our neighbors and fellow prisoners was ‘Abdu’l-Ghaffár of Iṣfáhán.
When he was very young, people thought of ‘Abdu’lláh Baghdádí as a libertine, solely devoted to pleasure.
This was a patient and long-enduring man, a native of Káshán.
Among those who emigrated and were companions in the Most Great Prison was Áqá ‘Abdu’s-Ṣáliḥ.
Another among the prisoners was Abu’l-Qásim of Sulṭán-Ábád, the traveling companion of Áqá Faraj.
Also among the emigrants and near neighbors was Áqá ‘Alí Najaf-Ábádí.
In all these straits, Áqá Faraj was the companion of Abu’l-Qásim.
These two blessed souls, Mírzá Maḥmúd of Káshán and Áqá Riḍá of Shíráz, were like two lamps lit with God’s love from the oil of His knowledge.
Two brothers of Pahlaván Riḍá, brought as captives to 'Akká, died on the same night in each other's arms. Bahá'u'lláh gave the prayer carpet from beneath His feet to be sold to pay the guards, and the brothers share one grave.
'Abdu'l-Bahá remembers Áqá Riḍá of Shíráz and Mírzá Maḥmúd of Káshán, who walked ahead of Bahá'u'lláh's howdah from Baghdád to Constantinople, cooked and cared for the exiles each night, and served for fifty-five years.
This man of God came from the district of Tafrísh. He was detached from the world, fearless, independent of kindred and stranger alike.
Fáṭimih Begum, widow of the King of Martyrs, was orphaned young and left destitute when her husband was martyred. She bore every loss with thanks, until the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh proved more than she could endure.
Áqá Ṣidq-‘Alí was yet one more of those who left their native land, journeyed to Bahá’u’lláh and were put in the Prison.
Ḥájí ‘Abdu’r-Raḥím of Yazd was a precious soul, from his earliest years virtuous and God-fearing, and known among the people as a holy man, peerless in observing his religious duties, mindful as to his acts. His strong religious faith…
'Abdu'l-Bahá remembers His uncle Mírzá Músá, Áqáy-i-Kalím, the true brother of Bahá'u'lláh, who shared His exiles from Ṭihrán to 'Akká and remained steadfast to the very end.
Yet another of the emigrants and settlers was the valiant Jamshíd-i-Gurjí, who came from Georgia, but grew up in the city of Káshán.
Jináb-i-Muníb, a calligrapher, poet and singer of Káshán, walked beside Bahá'u'lláh's howdah from Baghdád to Constantinople. Gravely ill on the voyage to 'Akká, he was put ashore at Smyrna, where his grave lies.
Among the exiles, neighbors, and prisoners there was also a second Mír Imád, the eminent calligrapher, Mishkín-Qalam.
In the flower of tender youth, Muḥammad-‘Alí, the illumined, heard the cry of God, and lost his heart to heavenly grace.
This man, noble and high-minded, was the son of the respected ‘Abdu’l-Faṭṭaḥ who was in the Akká prison.
Muḥammad-Muṣṭafá was a blazing light.
'Abdu'l-Bahá remembers Mullá Ṣádiq of Khurásán, Ismu'lláhu'l-Aṣdaq, who was led by a halter through Shíráz with Quddús, survived capture at Fort Ṭabarsí, and taught the Faith cheerfully all his life.
The late Pidar-Ján was among those believers who emigrated to Baghdád.
Sháh-Muḥammad, who had the title of Amín, the Trusted One, was among the earliest of believers, and most deeply enamored.
Khurshíd Begum, who was given the title of Shamsu’d-Ḍuḥá, the Morning Sun, was mother-in-law to the King of Martyrs.
Sulaymán Khán was the emigrant and settler who was given the title of Jamálí’d-Dín.
One of the emigrants who died along the way to the Holy Land was Zaynu’l-Ábidín of Yazd.
This distinguished man was one of the greatest of all the Báb’s companions and all the loved ones of Bahá’u’lláh.
In Montreal, when a Protestant asked 'Abdu'l-Bahá a question about St. Paul, the Master answered with thunderous emphasis, "Peter, not Paul!" and would speak only of Peter.
At a luncheon where His hostess hoped He would speak on Immortality, 'Abdu'l-Bahá told humorous stories instead and recalled how, in prison, He and His companions laughed together each evening. A hush of reverence settled over the group.
When Muriel Ives met 'Abdu'l-Bahá in 1912, at fifteen, He told her she would grow like a tree and have many branches. Twenty years later she declared her belief in Bahá'u'lláh, and she came to have four children and fifteen grandchildren.
The Haneys' baby, the future Hand of the Cause Paul Haney, had screamed on seeing 'Abdu'l-Bahá. When Agnes Parsons told the Master she thought the child had been conscious of more than the adults were, He replied, "You have much insight."
George Latimer recorded 'Abdu'l-Bahá's counsel to be moderate in speech and writing and to consider the taste of the public, as the Lord bade Moses and Aaron speak to Pharaoh in moderate, sweet language.
Horace Holley recalled a cheerful dinner with 'Abdu'l-Bahá at Thonon-les-Bains on Lake Geneva, where the Master answered questions, spoke of religion in the West and laughed heartily.
On pilgrimage to 'Akká, 'Abdu'l-Bahá noticed that Robert Turner, Phoebe Hearst's butler, was absent, asked for him, and rose to greet him with words of love. Shoghi Effendi later praised the tenacity of his faith.
While Juliet Thompson was painting 'Abdu'l-Bahá's portrait in New York on June 19, 1912, the Master suddenly appointed Lua Getsinger the Herald of the Covenant and declared that He was the Covenant appointed by Bahá'u'lláh.
At a luncheon in segregated Washington, D.C., 'Abdu'l-Bahá sent for Louis Gregory, who had not been invited, gave him the seat of honor at His right, and spoke on the oneness of mankind.
When Agnes Parsons asked whether the spirit could heal even broken bones, 'Abdu'l-Bahá laughed that all the spirits in the air could not create a salad, yet the spirit of man can do far greater things.
In 1872, on her way to 'Akká, Munírih Khánum stayed in Shíráz and asked Khadíjih-Bagum, the wife of the Báb, about her marriage. She recalled her dreams, her life with the Báb, and the night Mullá Ḥusayn came.
Munírih Khánum, wife of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, recalls losing five children in 'Akká, the words Bahá'u'lláh wrote to her when her little son Ḥusayn died, and the wisdom she came to see in it.
Munírih Khánum writes that the fifty years of her married life with 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and His love, mercy and bounty, could never be adequately described.
Ṭúbá Khánum, a granddaughter of Bahá'u'lláh, recalls His last illness at Bahjí in 1892, His final words to the believers and the family, and the nine days of mourning the Master arranged after His passing.
In 1852, after Bahá'u'lláh's imprisonment, His family was left without food. 'Abdu'l-Bahá later recalled being sent as a child to His aunt for a few coins, and being recognized as a Bábí and chased and stoned by children.
Rúḥíyyih Khánum recalls how her mother, May Maxwell, was broken by grief after the passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and how a pilgrimage to Haifa in 1923 to meet Shoghi Effendi restored her.
Bahíyyih Khánum, daughter of Bahá'u'lláh, describes the underground prison in Tihrán where her father lay chained for four months in 1852, and her mother's struggle to get food to Him.
Led barefoot from Shimírán to the Síyáh-Chál in 1852, Bahá'u'lláh was abused by the crowds. When an old woman begged to throw a stone at Him, He told His guards not to deny her.
Nabíl, who compiled the Tablet of Visitation at 'Abdu'l-Bahá's request, was inconsolable after the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh and, a few months later, took his own life.
Na'ím was beaten, imprisoned and exiled from his village near Iṣfahán for his faith. In Ṭihrán he copied the Writings in poverty, later prospered as a teacher, and served the Cause devotedly all his life.
Whether life was relaxed or arduous, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá found humor: in a purring cat, a polar bear in the Paris Zoo, a man reluctant to be seen carrying his own basket, and a letter asking where He was.
No one could claim to be ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s teacher, yet Bahá’u’lláh approved His answers to religious questions with “very good”; His wisdom and love brought a change of heart to people such as Horace Holley.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá held cleanliness to be of vital importance: Florence Khánum found Him spotless even at noon in summer, and once, when He had guests, He had a lamp chimney replaced because it was not polished enough.
J. E. Esslemont describes the nineteen-day Fast of the month of 'Alá', whose reality he calls severance from all save God, and quotes 'Abdu'l-Bahá's words that fasting is a symbol and that moderation is necessary.
Nabíl-i-Zarandí left his family in youth, sought out Bahá'u'lláh, and spent his life travelling and teaching at His direction. 'Abdu'l-Bahá records his devotion and his grief at Bahá'u'lláh's passing.
Pidar-Ján, a poor old believer in Baghdád, sold socks for a living but was so absorbed in prayer that thieves took them from his outstretched hands. The friends called him Father Dear.
Bahíyyih Khánum, daughter of Bahá'u'lláh, recalls to Lady Blomfield her childhood of danger and exile, her work at her mother's side, and her choice to remain unmarried so as to serve her family.
Mírzá Asadu'lláh, a government official of Khuy, accepted the Báb after He described a dream Asadu'lláh had told no one. The Báb named him Dayyán and "the third Letter to believe in Him Whom God shall make manifest," and he later attained Bahá'u'lláh's presence in Baghdád.
The Báb sent Shaykh Ḥasan-i-Zunúzí to live in Karbilá, promising that he would behold "the promised Husayn." In 1851, in Karbilá, Bahá'u'lláh took the old man by the hand and told him the promise had been fulfilled.
Mishkín-Qalam, the leading calligrapher of Persia, left fame and favour to follow Bahá'u'lláh. He was imprisoned for years on Cyprus, then served in 'Akká, and remained firm in the Covenant after Bahá'u'lláh's ascension.
Ḥájí Mírzá Muḥammad-Taqí, the Afnán, a kinsman of the Báb, gave up his business and estates after Bahá'u'lláh's ascension and spent nearly all he owned building the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár of 'Ishqábád, the first Bahá'í House of Worship.
Shoghi Effendi sent the American believer Keith Ransom-Kehler to Persia to plead for the freedom of the persecuted Bahá'ís there. The Sháh never received her, but she stirred the Persian community, and when she died in Iṣfáhán in 1933 the Guardian called her the first American martyr.
When 'Abdu'l-Bahá passed away in Haifa in November 1921, messages of sympathy came from Winston Churchill, Viscount Allenby and the ministers of 'Iráq, and the High Commissioner for Palestine walked in His funeral procession among ten thousand mourners.
In 1909 'Abdu'l-Bahá laid the remains of the Báb in the Shrine He had built on Mount Carmel. Twelve years later, after His own funeral, His coffin was lowered into a vault beside that of the Báb in the same Shrine.
After the Great War lifted the danger to His life, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spent His last three years receiving pilgrims, revealing Tablets and helping the poor, until He passed away in November 1921.
Dr J. E. Esslemont, who had been 'Abdu'l-Bahá's guest in Haifa, describes His peaceful passing and a funeral attended by about ten thousand people of many faiths, which he saw as proof that His life's work had not been in vain.
In November 1921 the Bahá'ís of Springfield, Massachusetts, cabled 'Abdu'l-Bahá for approval of a second race amity convention. He answered, "Approved; God confirms." The convention met on 5 and 6 December, a week after His passing.
On the Friday before His passing in November 1921, 'Abdu'l-Bahá went to the noonday prayer and afterward, despite great fatigue, gave alms to the poor of Haifa as was His custom.
About two months before His passing, 'Abdu'l-Bahá told His family of a dream in which He raised the call to prayer in a great mosque. Weeks later He dreamed that Bahá'u'lláh came and said to Him, "Destroy this room."
On Friday, 25 November 1921, 'Abdu'l-Bahá went to the noon prayer and gave alms to the poor. On Sunday, unable to leave the house, He received the Muftí and the Mayor of Haifa, and early on Monday He passed away.
After 'Abdu'l-Bahá's passing, Shoghi Effendi, stricken with grief, left the Holy Land for a time and placed the affairs of the Faith under the headship of the Greatest Holy Leaf, Bahíyyih Khánum, who administered them in consultation with the Holy Family.
'Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament, written entirely in His own hand in three parts, was read aloud in January 1922. It named Shoghi Effendi the Guardian of the Cause of God and provided for the Universal House of Justice.
After Bahá'u'lláh's ascension, 'Abdu'l-Bahá asked the chronicler Nabíl to select passages from Bahá'u'lláh's Writings to form the Tablet of Visitation, the text now recited in the Shrines of Bahá'u'lláh and the Báb.
'Údí Khammár built the Mansion of Bahjí for his own family. After an epidemic, 'Abdu'l-Bahá rented it for Bahá'u'lláh, who lived there from 1879 until His ascension in 1892.
'Abdu'l-Bahá remembers Muḥammad-Muṣṭafá Baghdádí, a fearless believer of Iraq who settled in Beirut to help pilgrims on their way to and from 'Akká, and who stood firm in the Covenant after Bahá'u'lláh's ascension.
Túbá Khánum, a daughter of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, remembers Bahá'u'lláh's last illness at Bahjí, His farewell to the family, and the nine days of mourning in which the Master received more than five hundred guests and gave to the poor.
J. E. Esslemont tells how 'Abdu'l-Bahá arranged for Bahá'u'lláh to leave the prison-city of 'Akká for the countryside, how He lived simply at Bahjí, and how He passed away there on 29 May 1892.
Six days before His ascension in May 1892, Bahá'u'lláh called the believers and pilgrims at the Mansion of Bahjí to His bedside, thanked them for their services, and prayed that God would assist them to remain united.
Bahá'u'lláh wrote His Will and Testament, the Kitáb-i-'Ahd, in His own hand and entrusted it to 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His last illness. Opened nine days after His ascension, it directed His family and followers to turn to the Most Mighty Branch.
Bahá'u'lláh ascended at Bahjí at dawn on 29 May 1892. A telegram beginning "the Sun of Bahá has set" carried the news to the Sultan, and for a week mourners of many faiths gathered at Bahjí to grieve with His family.
In the last year of His life, Bahá'u'lláh addressed His last outstanding Tablet to a cleric of Iṣfahán whose father had condemned two beloved believers. He called him to repent and quoted many passages from His own earlier Writings.
In Adrianople, years before His ascension, Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Súriy-i-Ghuṣn, the Tablet of the Branch, which praises the station of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and calls Him "the Limb of the Law of God" and "the Trust of God."
On the night He declared His mission in Shíráz, the Báb called Mullá Ḥusayn, the first to believe in Him, the Bábu'l-Báb, "the gate of that Gate." Mullá Ḥusayn went on to carry the Báb's message to Tihrán and Khurásán, and fell at Shaykh Ṭabarsí.
Siyyid Káẓim addressed the young scholar of Qazvín as Qurratu'l-'Ayn, "Solace of the Eyes." At Badasht in 1848 Bahá'u'lláh gave her the name Táhirih, the Pure One, and the Báb addressed her by it.
Mírzá Músá, known as Áqáy-i-Kalím, was Bahá'u'lláh's brother and went with Him into every exile. 'Abdu'l-Bahá remembers his devotion and a day in Baghdád when Bahá'u'lláh called out to him in joy.
Bahá'u'lláh called His eldest Son the Most Mighty Branch, the Master and the Mystery of God. Shoghi Effendi explains what the last title means, and 'Abdu'l-Bahá, in His own words, asks to be known only as the Servant of Bahá.
In His Will 'Abdu'l-Bahá named His grandson Shoghi Effendi "the sign of God, the chosen branch, the Guardian of the Cause of God." Shoghi Effendi asked the believers to call him only by the name his Grandfather had used.
Quddús was the last of the Letters of the Living and the Báb's chosen companion on His pilgrimage to Mecca. At Badasht Bahá'u'lláh gave him the name Quddús. The Báb gave him the title of the Last Name of God.
Nabíl of Zarand left his home as a youth to teach the new Faith, wrote odes in praise of Bahá'u'lláh and travelled on His errands. From 1888 he wrote the chronicle published in English as The Dawn-Breakers.
Mullá Zaynu'l-'Ábidín, once the leading cleric of Najaf-Ábád, became a follower of the Báb and of Bahá'u'lláh, who named him Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín. His careful copies of Bahá'u'lláh's Tablets became a standard for checking published texts.
Ḥájí Abu'l-Ḥasan of Ardikán was the first pilgrim to see Bahá'u'lláh in 'Akká. From 1881 until his death in 1928 he served as Trustee of the Ḥuqúqu'lláh, travelling among the believers and keeping nothing for himself.
In 1920 Hyde Dunn, then in his sixties, and his wife Clara answered 'Abdu'l-Bahá's call and settled in Australia. Working as a travelling salesman, he carried the Bahá'í message to hundreds of towns, and the couple became known as "Father" and "Mother" Dunn.
In Adrianople Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Súriy-i-Mulúk, the Súrih of Kings, in which He addressed the monarchs of East and West together for the first time, called them to justice, and described His own banishment.
In Baghdád in 1862 an uncle of the Báb brought Bahá'u'lláh a list of questions about the promised Qá'im. In two days and two nights Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Kitáb-i-Íqán in reply, and the uncle's doubts were dispelled.
Esslemont records that the Báb composed His voluminous Writings with great rapidity, without study or premeditation. He went on writing while confined in the mountain fortresses of Máh-Kú and Chihríq, and in His Writings He called Himself a dew-drop from a limitless ocean.
On the Tuesday after 'Abdu'l-Bahá passed away in Haifa in November 1921, no fewer than ten thousand people of every religion and race followed His coffin up Mount Carmel, where nine speakers of the Muslim, Jewish and Christian Faiths gave funeral orations.
The House of Worship at Wilmette began with a petition from the Chicago believers in 1903. 'Abdu'l-Bahá laid its dedication stone in 1912, and the American Bahá'í community built it over the next three decades, finishing the exterior in 1942.
About 1873, still a prisoner in 'Akká under a sentence of perpetual banishment, Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, which Shoghi Effendi calls the Mother Book of His Dispensation and the Charter of His New World Order.
Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Súriy-i-Haykal in Adrianople and recast it in 'Akká, joining to it His messages to Pope Pius IX, Napoleon III, Czar Alexander II, Queen Victoria and Náṣiri'd-Dín Sháh, and had the whole written in the shape of a pentacle.
On the night of His Declaration in Shíráz in May 1844, the Báb revealed in Mullá Ḥusayn's presence the first chapter of the Qayyúmu'l-Asmá', the book Bahá'u'lláh called the first, the greatest and mightiest of all books in the Bábí Dispensation.
Between 1948 and 1953 Shoghi Effendi raised an arcade, drum and golden dome around the plain stone Shrine 'Abdu'l-Bahá had built for the Báb on Mount Carmel. When it was finished he called it the "Queen of Carmel."
On Naw-Rúz 1909, after the Báb's remains had been hidden and moved for decades, 'Abdu'l-Bahá laid them with His own hands in the Shrine He had built on Mount Carmel, and wept so that all who were present wept with Him.
In a Tablet revealed in answer to a believer's questions, Bahá'u'lláh set out nine of His teachings for the rulers and peoples of the world, each called an Ishráq, a Splendour.
In Baghdád in 1862 an uncle of the Báb brought Bahá'u'lláh his written questions about the promised Qá'im. In two days and two nights Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Kitáb-i-Íqán, the Book of Certitude, in reply.
When Bahá'u'lláh was arrested after the attempt on the Sháh's life in 1852, the Russian Minister in Ṭihrán refused to surrender Him to the Sháh's officers, pressed for His innocence to be established, and later offered Him refuge in Russia, which He declined.
On the death of the Ottoman Foreign Minister Fu'ád Páshá in 1869, Bahá'u'lláh, a prisoner in 'Akká, foretold the fall of the Grand Vizier and of Sultán 'Abdu'l-'Azíz. When the Sultán was deposed and killed in 1876, the fulfilled prophecy led the scholar Mírzá Abu'l-Faḍl to accept the Faith.
On 22 April 1863, on the eve of His exile to Constantinople, Bahá'u'lláh crossed the Tigris to the Najíbíyyih Garden. During the twelve days He spent there He declared His mission to His companions.
About 1873, still a prisoner in 'Akká and living in the house of 'Údí Khammár, Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the Most Holy Book, which sets out the laws and institutions of His Faith.
Toward the end of 1871, while still a prisoner in 'Akká, Bahá'u'lláh answered a letter from a devoted believer in Persia with the Fire Tablet, in which He laments His sufferings and then replies to Himself as the Tongue of Grandeur.
In Baghdád and Adrianople Bahá'u'lláh revealed verses faster than they could be written down. Shoghi Effendi gathers the testimony of those who saw it, including the verses He had thrown into the Tigris.
After nine years within the walls of 'Akká, Bahá'u'lláh was persuaded to move to the country, first to Mazra'ih and then to the mansion of Bahjí, where, though still nominally a prisoner, He was honoured by officials and visitors.
In ten years of exile in Baghdád, Bahá'u'lláh's house became a refuge for people of every faith and class. When He left for Constantinople in 1863, crowds wept and pressed forward to embrace His stirrups.
Before His exile, Bahá'u'lláh and His wife Navváb spent their wealth caring for the poor of Ṭihrán. Their daughter recalled that nobody was turned away from their door, and that the people called Him "The Father of the Poor."
When Bahá'u'lláh was twenty-two His father, a minister of state, died, and the Government wished Him to take His father's post. He declined, and the Prime Minister said, "Leave Him to Himself."
A Traveller's Narrative describes Bahá'u'lláh's youth in Ṭihrán, His learning without schooling, and how, when the Báb's Cause became known, He taught it to His family and friends and then carried it to Mázindarán.
When Bahá'u'lláh was a child, His father, the Vazír Mírzá Buzurg, dreamed of Him swimming in a limitless ocean with a multitude of fishes clinging to His hair. A soothsayer said the ocean was the world of being.
Before the Báb declared His mission, Bahá'u'lláh stopped to listen to the celebrated mujtahid of Núr and explained a theory none of his disciples could. Afterwards the mujtahid told his students of two dreams about Bahá'u'lláh.
Soon after He embraced the Báb's Cause in 1844, Bahá'u'lláh carried it to His ancestral home in Núr. Many officials and notables responded, and two envoys sent by the local mujtahid to investigate became His followers.
Bahá'u'lláh was born at dawn in Tihrán on 12 November 1817. Shoghi Effendi traces His descent to Abraham, Zoroaster, the last Sasanian king and Jesse, and names the Promised One of each earlier faith whom He fulfils.
Bahíyyih Khánum remembered her mother, Ásíyih Khánum, who married Bahá'u'lláh in 1835: her wealth as a bride, her gentleness, and the care for the poor that led people to call her the Mother of Consolation.
Years later, the wife of the Báb told Munírih Khánum of the dreams that came before their marriage, of His hours of prayer, and of the night Mullá Ḥusayn came to their home in Shíráz.
The Báb and Bahá'u'lláh were born two years apart but on consecutive days of the lunar calendar. In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas Bahá'u'lláh names Their births among the four great festivals and says the two days are accounted as one.
Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid 'Alí raised the Báb after His father's death, stood surety for Him before the governor of Shíráz, and in 1850 gave his life in Tihrán rather than deny Him.
In A Traveler's Narrative, 'Abdu'l-Bahá describes the Báb's early years in a few lines: raised in Shíráz by His uncle, a merchant in Búshihr, and known for godliness and piety long before He made any claim.
Khadíjih Bagum, the wife of the Báb, told Munírih Khánum how His uncles and aunts revered Him before His Declaration, and how He called the papers He asked for each evening the Book of the accounts of all the peoples of the world.
The Báb, Siyyid 'Alí-Muḥammad, was born in Shíráz on 20 October 1819 to parents who were both descendants of the Prophet Muḥammad. His father died while He was an infant, and His maternal uncle raised Him.
In Some Answered Questions, 'Abdu'l-Bahá notes that all Shíráz knew the Báb had studied in no school, yet as a young merchant He confounded the learned clergy of Persia, and He calls this the greatest proof that the Báb was a perfect Educator.
In Búshihr a man left goods with the Báb to be sold at a fixed price. The Báb sent him more than that price, because the goods had once been worth more, and refused to take back the difference.
In Karbilá, Siyyid Káẓim broke off his lesson when the young Báb sat down by the door, and said the Truth was more manifest than the ray of light on that lap. He would not say the name, and his students did not understand.
J. E. Esslemont describes the young Báb as noted for beauty, charm of manner, piety and nobility of character, faithful in prayer and fasting, and living in the spirit of the Prophet's teachings as well as the letter.
'Abdu'l-Bahá would not let His birthday be kept, for May 23 belonged to the Báb's Declaration. When the Bahá'ís begged for a day of His own, He gave them November 26. Star of the West records how they kept it.
Bahá'u'lláh wrote His Will, the Kitáb-i-'Ahd, in His own hand and entrusted it to 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His last illness. On the ninth day after His ascension it was read aloud, naming the Most Mighty Branch as the One to whom all must turn.
After Bahá'u'lláh's passing, enemies within His own family slandered 'Abdu'l-Bahá to Ottoman officials. The Chosen Highway recalls the Commission of Inquiry, the family's anxious waiting, and the Master's release in 1908.
Every year for some forty years Shaykh Salmán walked from Persia to Bahá'u'lláh with the believers' letters and carried His Tablets home, never losing one. After the ascension he served 'Abdu'l-Bahá in the same way.
In New York in 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá declared His station as Centre of the Covenant and named the city the City of the Covenant. Three days before He sailed, He spoke there of the Covenant as Bahá'u'lláh's safeguard against division.
In Adrianople Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Súriy-i-Ghuṣn, the Tablet of the Branch, which extols 'Abdu'l-Bahá as the "Branch of Holiness" and the "Trust of God" and foreshadows His appointment as Centre of the Covenant.
In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas Bahá'u'lláh told the believers to turn, after His passing, to "Him Whom God hath purposed." In His Book of the Covenant He wrote that this verse meant the Most Mighty Branch, 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
In December 1898 the first pilgrims from the West began to reach 'Akká to meet 'Abdu'l-Bahá. One of them, Mrs. Thornburgh-Cropper, later described entering the prison-city by night with Phoebe Hearst and being led up to the Master by candlelight.
On her 1905 pilgrimage to 'Akká, Julia Grundy wrote down a talk of 'Abdu'l-Bahá on obedience, in which He likened the Covenant of God to a Lifeboat and an Ark of Salvation, and the believers to fishes in the sea.
Between 1904 and 1906 Laura Clifford Barney put her questions to 'Abdu'l-Bahá in 'Akká, often at the lunch table. His answers were taken down in Persian, and He corrected the text twice in His own hand before it was published in 1908.
The Báb told Mullá Ḥusayn that the last of His first eighteen disciples would arrive the next night. The next evening a travel-stained youth recognised the Báb in the street by His gait. He was Quddús, the last of the Letters of the Living and the first in rank.
On the evening of 22 May 1844 the Báb met Mullá Ḥusayn outside the gate of Shíráz and took him to His house. That night He declared that He was the One Mullá Ḥusayn had been seeking, and revealed the first chapter of His commentary on the Súrih of Joseph.
In 1844 eighteen disciples came, each by their own search, to believe in the Báb. Before they dispersed He called them together, spoke of the greatness of the new Day, and gave each of them a task.
In December 1844 the Báb reached Mecca on pilgrimage with Quddús and there openly declared His mission. On His return to Persia the news stirred both devotion and fierce opposition, and His years of imprisonment and exile began.
In A Traveler's Narrative, 'Abdu'l-Bahá tells how the Báb, in His twenty-fifth year, declared Himself the Gate, the channel of grace from a great Person still hidden, and how most opposed Him while a few seekers arose to spread His Cause.
In Shíráz in 1844 Mullá Ḥusayn would not tell Mullá ‘Alíy-i-Bastámí whom he had found. Mullá ‘Alí prayed for three nights until a vision led him to the Báb, Who then sent him out as "the first to leave the House of God."
In Iṣfahán in 1844 Mullá Ṣádiq asked Mullá Ḥusayn to name the Promised One. Told only that God's door is never closed to a seeker, he prayed alone, and in a vision saw the face of a Youth he had often seen praying in Karbilá.
In Ṭihrán in 1844 Mullá Ḥusayn learned from a young student of Núr about a son of Mírzá Buzurg who fed the hungry and befriended the poor. He sent Him a scroll by the student's hand, and Bahá'u'lláh, reading it, affirmed its truth.
In Karbilá, Siyyid Káẓim took his disciple Shaykh Ḥasan-i-Zunúzí to visit a Youth from Shíráz whom he treated with deep reverence. Years later, when Shaykh Ḥasan heard the call of the Báb, he knew at once that it was the same Youth.
After Siyyid Káẓim's death, Mullá Ḥusayn urged his fellow disciples to scatter and search for the Promised One, spent forty days in prayer and fasting at the mosque of Kúfih, and then travelled by way of Búshihr to Shíráz.
When His house in Baghdád could not hold all who came to bid Him farewell, Bahá'u'lláh crossed the Tigris to the Najíbíyyih garden, later called the Garden of Riḍván, and there on 22 April 1863 declared His station to His companions.
As Bahá'u'lláh left Baghdád for Constantinople in 1863, people of every class came to bid Him farewell. The Muftí and the governor visited Him in the Najíbíyyih Garden, and as He rode away crowds bowed to the dust before His horse.
When Bahá'u'lláh was summoned from Baghdád in 1863, His followers were dismayed. Esslemont records that during the twelve days in the Garden of Riḍván He showed the greatest joy, dignity and power, and His followers became happy and enthusiastic.
In A Traveller's Narrative, 'Abdu'l-Bahá records the Báb's words calling Himself a dewdrop from a limitless ocean and pointing to One yet to come. Shoghi Effendi explains how the Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván fulfilled the Báb's prophecy.
Nabíl-i-A'ẓam, who was in the Garden of Riḍván in 1863, recalled the roses heaped each morning in Bahá'u'lláh's tent and the night Bahá'u'lláh spoke of the nightingales.
Bahá'u'lláh entered the Garden of Riḍván on 22 April 1863. That same day the Tigris overflowed, and the rest of His family could not join Him until the ninth day, which Bahá'ís now keep as a Holy Day.
The Báb foretold the coming of "Him Whom God shall make manifest," pointing to the year nine and to a span of nineteen years. Shoghi Effendi shows how both were fulfilled, in the Síyáh-Chál and in the Garden of Riḍván.
'Abdu'l-Bahá, then eighteen, arranged His Father's stay in the Garden of Riḍván and crossed the Tigris with Him. There, The Chosen Highway relates, Bahá'u'lláh confided to Him that He was "He Whom God shall make Manifest."
In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas Bahá'u'lláh named the days of Riḍván the first of the two Most Great Festivals and called the Most Great Festival "the King of Festivals." He wrote that on the first day of Riḍván "all created things were immersed in the sea of purification."
After Siyyid Káẓim's death, Mullá Ḥusayn refused his fellow disciples' offer to accept him as the promised One, spent forty days in prayer and fasting at the mosque of Kúfih, and set out on the search that led him to the Báb.
When the scholar Nabíl-i-Akbar came on pilgrimage to 'Akká around 1873–74, Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Tablet of Wisdom in his honour. In it He answers Nabíl's question about the origin of creation, speaks of the sages of Greece, and counsels him on how to teach.
In 1920 Shoghi Effendi entered Balliol College, Oxford, to perfect his English so that he could better translate the Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. The Master's passing in November 1921 cut his studies short.
A Paris lawyer who heard of the Faith in 1901 became the first French Bahá'í. He left the law to study Persian and Arabic, translated the Writings into French, travelled widely for the Faith and served 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris.
Shaykh Aḥmad-i-Aḥsá'í gave his life to preparing people for the coming of the Promised One and chose Siyyid Káẓim-i-Rashtí to carry on his work. Before he died, Siyyid Káẓim urged his disciples to scatter far and wide in search of Him.
During her long visits to 'Akká between 1904 and 1906, Laura Clifford Barney put her questions to 'Abdu'l-Bahá at His table. His answers became Some Answered Questions, which includes His talk on the four ways people seek to understand the truth.
A doctor at a Bournemouth sanatorium first met the Bahá'í teachings in December 1914 and set out to write a book about them. 'Abdu'l-Bahá corrected part of the manuscript, and Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era appeared in 1923.
Áqá Muḥammad-i-Qá'iní, the one disciple Shaykh Murtaḍá raised to the rank of mujtahid, met Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdád and became Nabíl-i-Akbar. He spent the rest of his life teaching the Faith, hunted and poor, and died far from home.
Alain Locke, the first Black Rhodes Scholar and a Harvard-trained philosopher, played a major role in the Harlem Renaissance. After becoming a Bahá'í he served for years on the Faith's race amity committees.
In Paris in 1913 'Abdu'l-Bahá asked the teacher Stanwood Cobb what he taught, then asked, "Do you teach the spiritual things?" Cobb counted it his most important interview with the Master.
The poet Varqá and his twelve-year-old son Rúḥu'lláh were imprisoned in Ṭihrán. After the Sháh's assassination in 1896, the Ḥájibu'd-Dawlih killed Varqá before the boy's eyes, then had Rúḥu'lláh strangled when he refused to recant.
During the siege of Zanján a village girl named Zaynab disguised herself as a man and fought at the barricades. Ḥujjat recognised her and granted her request. She fought for five months until she was killed.
In 1889 Ḥájí Muḥammad-Riḍáy-i-Iṣfahání was stabbed to death in the bazaar of ʻIshqábád. A Russian military court condemned his killers, and the Bahá'ís interceded for their lives, a deed Bahá'u'lláh praised.
Mullá ʻAlí-Akbar, known as Ḥájí Ákhúnd, taught the Faith so openly in Ṭihrán that he was the first to be arrested whenever trouble broke out. 'Abdu'l-Bahá remembers his chains, his composure and his constancy: he was never vanquished.
Mírzá Abu'l-Faḍl headed a religious college in Ṭihrán when he first met the Bahá'ís. After months of argument he accepted the Faith in 1876, lost his post, was twice imprisoned, and spent the rest of his life teaching and defending the Cause.
Badíʻ, a seventeen-year-old believer, asked Bahá'u'lláh for the honour of carrying His Tablet to Náṣiri'd-Dín Sháh. He walked alone to Ṭihrán, brought it to the king, and was tortured and killed. Bahá'u'lláh named him the Pride of Martyrs.
The Báb sent Mullá ʻAlíy-i-Bastámí, one of the Letters of the Living, to Najaf and Karbilá, telling him he would be the first to suffer for God's sake. He proclaimed the new Revelation, was denounced, chained, tried in Baghdád and sent away as a prisoner, never to be seen again.
Mírzá Qurbán-ʻAlí, a dervish revered by many, was arrested in Ṭihrán in 1850. Officials pleaded for his life and the Amír-Niẓám was loath to condemn him, but he would not deny the Báb, and he became one of the Seven Martyrs of Ṭihrán.
In 1904 and 1907 Ottoman commissions came to 'Akká to investigate false charges against 'Abdu'l-Bahá. He declared Himself ready for any sentence, refused an offer of escape, and went on with His daily life until the 1908 revolution set Him free.
Mullá Ṣádiq, later known as Ismu'lláhu'l-Asdaq, taught the new Faith so openly in Shíráz that a halter was hung on him and he was led through the streets and bázárs. 'Abdu'l-Bahá records that he kept on speaking to the people, composed and smiling.
Mullá Ḥusayn, the first to believe in the Báb, led the defence of the shrine of Shaykh Ṭabarsí. Before dawn on 2 February 1849 he rode out against the besieging army, was shot, and died in the fort after a last conversation with Quddús.
Vaḥíd, the learned divine whom Muḥammad Sháh sent to investigate the Báb, became His follower. In 1850 he taught openly in Nayríz, was besieged in the Fort of Khájih, and was killed after his enemies broke an oath sworn on the Qur'án.
How Mullá Muḥammad-'Alí of Zanján, called Ḥujjat, accepted the Báb after reading His writings, and how the believers of Zanján, besieged by the army, were at last deceived by oaths sworn on the Qur'án and put to death.
'Abdu'l-Bahá remembers Mullá Ṣádiq, Ismu'lláhu'l-Aṣdaq: led through Shíráz with a halter for teaching the Báb's Faith, starved at Fort Ṭabarsí, rescued from execution, and a teacher of the Faith for the rest of his life.
In 1870 Mírzá Mihdí, the Purest Branch, fell through a skylight while praying on the roof of the barracks of 'Akká. Dying, he asked Bahá'u'lláh to accept his life as a ransom for the believers who could not reach His presence.
Arrested in Ṭihrán in 1852, Ḥájí Sulaymán Khán refused to recant and was allowed to choose how he would die. He asked that lighted candles be set in wounds in his flesh, and walked through the bazaar praising the Báb.
In Iṣfahán in 1879 two merchant brothers known for their honesty and generosity were denounced as Bábís by a cleric who owed them money. They refused to recant and were beheaded. Bahá'u'lláh mourned them in His Tablets for years.
In 1852 Ṭáhirih, held in the house of the Kalantar of Ṭihrán, dressed in white silk and told her hostess that her death was near. That night she was taken to a garden outside the city and strangled with a silken kerchief she had set aside for the purpose.
Ashraf was born in the besieged fort of Zanján. Years later, when he was condemned for his faith, his enemies brought his mother to persuade him to recant. She urged him to stand firm instead, and Bahá'u'lláh praised her in a Tablet.
Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid ʻAlí, the uncle who had raised the Báb, was among fourteen believers arrested in Ṭihrán in 1850. He refused a ransom and the Grand Vazír's offer of freedom, and asked to be the first of the Seven Martyrs to die.
When Agnes Parsons made her pilgrimage in 1920, 'Abdu'l-Bahá asked her to arrange a convention in Washington for amity between the white and colored races. It met in May 1921, and Mountfort Mills read a message from the Master to it.
In 'Akká, 'Abdu'l-Bahá sent Lua Getsinger to care for a poor, sick friend of His. She fled the filthy house, and He sent her back to clean it and to bathe and feed the man, telling her to see in him the image and likeness of God.
On Christmas night 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke to about a thousand homeless men at the Salvation Army shelter in Westminster, and left money so that they could have another dinner on New Year's night.
As a child, 'Abdu'l-Bahá was taken to see His Father's flocks. Told that He must leave the shepherds a present, and having nothing else to give, He gave them the sheep. Bahá'u'lláh laughed when He heard of it.
On 29 September 1911, the eve of His departure for Paris, 'Abdu'l-Bahá gave His farewell address to London at the Passmore Edwards Settlement, telling some four hundred and sixty people that the whole earth is one home.
Louis Gregory, an African American lawyer, and Louisa Mathew, an Englishwoman, met as pilgrims in 1911. 'Abdu'l-Bahá expressed the wish that they marry, and on 27 September 1912 they became the first interracial Bahá'í couple in America.
In 1854 Bahá'u'lláh left Baghdád without a word and lived for two years in Kurdistan as Darvísh Muḥammad. The learned of Sulaymáníyyih came to revere Him, until a messenger from His family found Him and begged Him to return.
In Paris on 28 October 1911 'Abdu'l-Bahá compared humanity to a garden. A garden where every plant was the same would be dull, He said, and the diversity of the human family should be the cause of love and harmony.
In His youth the Báb worked as a merchant in Búshihr. A visitor recalled His humility and courtesy, and told how He insisted on paying a client the full value of an article, above the price the man had asked.
During her 1905 pilgrimage to 'Akká, Julia Grundy recorded 'Abdu'l-Bahá telling His guests at dinner that they were all of one family, joined in spiritual relationship, and serving a Feast where believers of East and West sat together.
In Ṭihrán in 1844 Mullá Ḥusayn gave a student from Núr a scroll to hand to Bahá'u'lláh at dawn. Bahá'u'lláh read it aloud, declared that its words had the same regenerating power as the Qur'án, and sent Mullá Ḥusayn a gift of tea and sugar.
In Baghdád, after His return from Sulaymáníyyih, Bahá'u'lláh answered the mystical questions of Shaykh Muḥyi'd-Dín, a Ṣúfí judge of Khániqayn, with the Seven Valleys, which describes the soul's journey toward God in seven stages.
In December 1919 'Abdu'l-Bahá answered a wartime letter from the Central Organization for a Durable Peace at The Hague. He praised their aim and set out the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh on which a lasting peace must rest.
Shoghi Effendi went to Oxford to perfect his English for translating the sacred Writings. In 1935 he published Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, a selection of passages he had translated, which Professor Norman Bentwich and Queen Marie of Romania, among others, praised.
While a prisoner in the mountain fortress of Máh-Kú, the Báb revealed the Dalá'il-i-Sab'ih, the Seven Proofs, in answer to a questioner. Shoghi Effendi calls it the most important of the Báb's polemical works.
In Baghdád, about 1858, Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Hidden Words as He paced the banks of the Tigris in meditation. He described the book as the inner essence of what had been revealed to the Prophets of old.
About two years before His passing, Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Kalimát-i-Firdawsíyyih, the Words of Paradise, in honour of Ḥájí Mírzá Ḥaydar-'Alí. Its "leaves" set out counsels on the fear of God, religion, justice, unity, education and peace.
In January 1926 Martha Root sent Queen Marie of Romania a copy of Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era. The Queen read it into the small hours, received her two days later, and that year published three testimonies to the Bahá'í teachings.
During the First World War 'Abdu'l-Bahá wrote fourteen Tablets to the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada, giving them a mission to carry the Faith to every land. They were unveiled in New York in April 1919.
In September 1921 'Abdu'l-Bahá answered a letter from the Swiss scientist Auguste Forel with a Tablet on the soul, the mind and the existence of God. Shoghi Effendi records that Forel was converted to the Faith through it.
Quddús, the last of the eighteen Letters of the Living, went with the Báb on His pilgrimage to Mecca. Held captive in Sárí and later besieged at Shaykh Ṭabarsí, he wrote a vast commentary on a single letter of the Qur'án.
When the believers in 'Iráq were hiding their faith, Muḥammad-Muṣṭafá Baghdádí openly served Bahá'u'lláh, later hosted pilgrims in Beirut, and stayed firm in the Covenant, as 'Abdu'l-Bahá recalls in Memorials of the Faithful.
A Governor of 'Akká tried to close the Bahá'ís' shops and was dismissed from office the same morning. 'Abdu'l-Bahá comforted him and sent his family safely to Damascus, and the Governor wrote asking His pardon.
Ṭáhirih's learning made her father wish she had been a son. 'Abdu'l-Bahá recalls how she studied, debated, recognized the Báb through a dream, and taught His Cause in Karbilá and Baghdád.
Shoghi Effendi went to Oxford to perfect his English so that he could translate the Bahá'í writings. Rúḥíyyih Khánum describes his notebooks, his reading and the care with which he chose every word.
Muḥammad Sháh sent Siyyid Yaḥyá-i-Dárábí, the most learned divine in Persia, to investigate the Báb. After three meetings in Shíráz he became a believer, and the Báb named him Vaḥíd.
Mírzá Abu'l-Faḍl, head of a religious college in Ṭihrán, became a Bahá'í in 1876 and spent the rest of his life teaching the Faith, from Egypt to Paris to Green Acre, yet he wept when believers praised him.
Two brothers of Iṣfáhán, later titled the King and the Beloved of Martyrs by Bahá'u'lláh, built a prosperous business, gave generously to the poor and to Bahá'u'lláh's exiled companions, and were renowned for their honesty.
Mishkín-Qalam, the leading calligrapher of Persia, heard of the Faith and set out to find Bahá'u'lláh in Adrianople, wrote the Most Great Name in many forms, endured years of imprisonment in Cyprus, and remained firm in the Covenant.
Ustád Báqir and Ustád Aḥmad, carpenter brothers from Káshán, followed Bahá'u'lláh into exile and worked at their craft in the prison of 'Akká. 'Abdu'l-Bahá wrote that they were never neglectful of duty, never at fault.
Mírzá Muḥammad-'Alíy-i-Zunúzí, called Anís, was confined by his stepfather for his love of the Báb. In a vision the Báb promised that he would share His martyrdom, and on 9 July 1850 he died beside Him in Tabríz.
In A Traveller's Narrative, 'Abdu'l-Bahá records the Grand Vizier's order, the volleys that left the Báb unharmed, His death under a second regiment, and how persecution only made the Faith grow.
After the martyrdom of the Báb in 1850, believers hid His remains in shrines and houses in Ṭihrán for nearly fifty years, then carried them to the Holy Land, where 'Abdu'l-Bahá laid them to rest on Mount Carmel in 1909.
Siyyid Ḥusayn-i-Yazdí, the Báb's amanuensis, spent His last night with Him in the barracks of Tabríz and was told not to confess his faith, so that he could later tell what he alone knew. In 1852 he was martyred in Ṭihrán.
In Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, Dr. J. E. Esslemont told English-speaking readers how the Báb and a young follower were suspended in the barrack square of Tabríz, survived the first volley, and were killed by a second regiment.
Forty days before He was taken from Chihríq to Tabríz, the Báb gave His writings, pen-case, seals and rings to Mullá Báqir, a Letter of the Living, to be passed through Mírzá Aḥmad to Bahá'u'lláh in Ṭihrán.
After the martyrdom, the bodies of the Báb and His companion were left under guard beside the moat of Tabríz. Ḥájí Sulaymán Khán had them carried away by night, and at Bahá'u'lláh's instruction they were later brought to Ṭihrán and kept hidden.
Sám Khán, the Christian colonel ordered to execute the Báb, begged to be freed from shedding His blood. When his regiment's volley left the Báb unharmed, he marched his men out of the barracks and swore never to take part again.
On the night before His martyrdom, in a cell in the barracks of Tabríz, the Báb spoke with His companions with joy and cheerfulness, and chose the youth Mírzá Muḥammad-'Alí to share His martyrdom.
Mírzá Taqí Khán, the Amír-Niẓám, ordered the Báb's execution against the advice of his own counsellors. Within two years he lost the Sháh's favour and was put to death in the bath of Fín, near Káshán.
Sent by Muḥammad Sháh to investigate the Báb, the learned Siyyid Yaḥyá-i-Dárábí, known as Vaḥíd, met Him three times in Shíráz. At the third meeting the Báb revealed, unasked, the commentary Vaḥíd had silently resolved to request.
Howard Colby Ives, a minister who had long searched for God without finding Him, met 'Abdu'l-Bahá in New York in 1912. His doubts did not end that day; certainty came months later, after the Master had left America.
A gifted student of Siyyid Káẓim, Ṭáhirih sent a sealed letter to the Promised One by a relative who had set out to find Him. On receiving it, the Báb named her one of the Letters of the Living, though she never met Him.
Shaykh Aḥmad-i-Aḥsá'í and his successor Siyyid Káẓim-i-Rashtí taught that the Promised One would soon appear. Before he died, Siyyid Káẓim urged his disciples to scatter and seek Him, and in 1844 Mullá Ḥusayn's search ended in Shíráz.
Between 1904 and 1906 Laura Clifford Barney made several long visits to 'Akká and put her questions to 'Abdu'l-Bahá, often at the lunch table. His replies, written down and corrected by Him, became Some Answered Questions.
When news of the Báb reached Zanján, the learned Mullá Muḥammad-'Alí sent a trusted disciple to Shíráz to investigate. When the disciple returned, Mullá Muḥammad-'Alí refused to let another's verdict decide his belief; he read the Báb's words for himself and accepted the new Faith.
In the summer of 1901 a young Englishman met May Bolles in Paris and within three days accepted the Bahá'í Faith. On pilgrimage to 'Akká he told 'Abdu'l-Bahá that the mill he worked for relied on child labour, and resigned at the Master's word.
George Townshend, a Canon of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, became a Bahá'í in 1921 and served Shoghi Effendi as literary adviser. At seventy he renounced his orders in the Anglican Church, and in 1951 he was named a Hand of the Cause.
A Scottish doctor who learned of the Bahá'í teachings in 1914 wrote a book about them and brought it to 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Haifa. The Master discussed it with him and later corrected part of it. It became Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era.
Mírzá Muḥammad-Qulí, a younger brother of Bahá'u'lláh, served Him through every stage of His exile. 'Abdu'l-Bahá recalls that in the prison of 'Akká he accepted comfort and torment alike and gave thanks with a face that shone like the sun.
Jamshíd-i-Gurjí was chained in Constantinople and sent under guard toward Persia to be put to death. Thrown into a pit one night, he called out the next morning that these depths were the heights of the Lord.
On the exile journey from Baghdád to Constantinople, Mírzá Maḥmúd and Áqá Riḍá walked ahead of Bahá'u'lláh's howdah each day, then cooked and washed up for the believers until midnight. 'Abdu'l-Bahá remembers their humility and contentment.
Shaykh Ṣádiq of Yazd, healed in Baghdád through words given by Bahá'u'lláh, stayed behind as bidden when the exiles left the city. After Bahá'u'lláh reached Mosul he could bear the separation no longer, ran after Him, and died on the open plain.
While the Sultán's commissions of inquiry threatened 'Abdu'l-Bahá with exile or death, He refused every offer of escape and went on serenely with His work, until the Young Turk Revolution of 1908 set Him free.
Bahíyyih Khánum, the Greatest Holy Leaf, shared the sufferings of Bahá'u'lláh's family from early childhood until her passing in 1932. Shoghi Effendi's tributes describe the calm and trust in God with which she bore them.
Ásíyih Khánum, whom Bahá'u'lláh called Navváb, came to her marriage with forty mule-loads of wedding treasures. Her daughter remembered how she sold them for the family's exile, did the hardest work in poverty and prison, and never uttered a word of complaint.
Darvísh Ṣidq-'Alí, a Súfí poet, found Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdád and begged to go with Him into exile as a groom. He walked beside the convoy by day, tended the horses at night, and served Him faithfully all the way to the prison of 'Akká.
In 'Akká 'Abdu'l-Bahá gave coins to the poor in the street, a warm garment each winter to every poor person in the town, and help to the sick of every faith. During the First World War He saved the civilians of Haifa from starvation.
As financial secretary of Bahai Temple Unity, Corinne True of Chicago gathered gifts from across America and the East for the House of Worship at Wilmette. She lived to see it dedicated in 1953 and was known as the Mother of the Temple.
From 1919 until her death in Honolulu in 1939, Martha Root travelled four times around the world teaching the Bahá'í Faith, from South American cities to the palace of Queen Marie of Romania. Shoghi Effendi called her the foremost Hand of the first Bahá'í century.
In 'Ishqábád, in Russian Turkistán, the Bahá'ís raised the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkár of the Bahá'í world, begun in 1902 under 'Abdu'l-Bahá's guidance, with a school, a travellers' house and a building for a hospital in its garden.
In 1894 Sarah Farmer opened Green Acre in Eliot, Maine, as a summer platform for speakers of every religion. After her pilgrimage to 'Akká in 1900 she offered it to the Bahá'ís, and in 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá spent a week there and prayed for her.
In March 1909 thirty-nine delegates from thirty-six cities met in Chicago and formed Bahá'í Temple Unity, the national body that would hold the land and raise the funds for the first House of Worship in the West.
In Haifa in 1891, after nine days of silence that followed the martyrdom of seven believers in Yazd, Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Lawḥ-i-Dunyá, a Tablet that sets out principles for the peace and betterment of the world.
Ḥájí Mírzá Muḥammad-Taqí, the Vakílu'd-Dawlih, a cousin of the Báb, gave up his business and estates to build the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár of 'Ishqábád, the first Bahá'í House of Worship, spending almost everything he owned on it.
In December 1898 the first of fifteen Western pilgrims, travelling in three parties arranged by Phoebe Hearst, reached 'Akká and met 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Shoghi Effendi saw in their visit the opening of a new epoch for the Faith in the West.
Thornton Chase, the first American believer, served the young Chicago community for years through its House of Spirituality and its publishing work. When he died in 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá travelled to Los Angeles to visit his grave.
In 1920 the American Bahá'ís chose Louis Bourgeois's design for the House of Worship at Wilmette. He then showed his drawings to 'Abdu'l-Bahá, who called the design "the most beautiful in the world."
During the First World War 'Abdu'l-Bahá Himself cooked the Naw-Rúz feast for the friends at Bahjí. On feast days He gathered the poor children of 'Akká for sweets and sharbat.
The Báb gave His followers a new calendar of nineteen months of nineteen days, each month named after an attribute of God, with Naw-Rúz as its first day. Bahá'u'lláh confirmed it in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas and fixed the place of the extra days before the Fast.
On 13 April 1912, three weeks after Naw-Rúz, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke at a New York home about the seasons. The coming of each Manifestation of God, He said, is a divine springtime, and Bahá'u'lláh has renewed that springtime.
In Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, J. E. Esslemont describes the close of the Bahá'í year: the intercalary days of hospitality and giving, the nineteen-day Fast, and then Naw-Rúz at the March equinox.
In November 1849, grieving for the martyrs of Shaykh Ṭabarsí, the Báb sent His attendant Sayyáh from Chihríq to visit their resting-place, asking him to return before Naw-Rúz, "the only one I probably shall ever see again."
At Naw-Rúz 1863 Bahá'u'lláh camped with His companions in a field outside Baghdád. On the fifth day He revealed the Tablet of the Holy Mariner, then had the tents folded; a month later He entered the Garden of Riḍván.
In two Tablets, one written in 1906 to American believers who had sent Him a New Year's greeting, 'Abdu'l-Bahá described a new cycle and a spiritual springtime, and hoped the believers would become "a new people."
The Báb inaugurated a new calendar of nineteen months, named after the attributes of God. In the Bayán He made the last month the month of fasting, set Naw-Rúz at its close, and designated Naw-Rúz the Day of God.
In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas Bahá'u'lláh confirmed the Báb's calendar of nineteen months and made Naw-Rúz the feast that closes the Fast. He later explained that it falls on the day the sun enters Aries.
In April 1863 Bahíyyih Khánum, then in her teens, helped the household prepare for exile while Bahá'u'lláh stayed in the Garden of Riḍván. The Tigris overflowed, and only on the ninth day could the family join Him there.
Mírzá Asadu'lláh Káshání and other companions pitched Bahá'u'lláh's tent in the Garden of Riḍván, cooked and made tea, held the tent ropes through days of wind, and kept watch at night during the twelve days of 1863.
On 22 April 1863 Bahá'u'lláh was ferried across the Tigris to the Garden of Riḍván. That same day the river overflowed, and His family could not join Him there until the ninth day.
Bahá'u'lláh crossed the Tigris to the Garden of Riḍván on 22 April 1863 with three of His sons. The river overflowed that day, and the rest of His family joined Him only on the ninth day, 30 April.
'Abdu'l-Bahá was eighteen when He crossed the Tigris with Bahá'u'lláh to the Garden of Riḍván in 1863. Shoghi Effendi records that He had recognized His Father's station while still a child.
Ásíyih Khánum, whom Bahá'u'lláh called Navváb, lost her wealth and home when He was imprisoned in Ṭihrán, and shared His exile. In 1863 she and the rest of the family joined Him in the Garden of Riḍván on the ninth day.
When Bahá'u'lláh was imprisoned in Ṭihrán in 1852, His family was left destitute, and they shared His winter exile to Baghdád. In 1863 a flooded river kept them from joining Him in the Garden of Riḍván until the ninth day.
Nabíl recalled that each morning in the Garden of Riḍván roses were heaped in Bahá'u'lláh's tent, and He sent them to His friends in Baghdád. A flooded river kept His family from joining Him there until the ninth day.
Shaykh Aḥmad-i-Aḥsá'í and his successor Siyyid Káẓim-i-Rashtí spent their lives preparing disciples for the Promised One. Before he died in 1843 the Siyyid urged them to scatter and seek Him, and within months Mullá Ḥusayn found the Báb in Shíráz.
In 1844, riding in the district of Núr, Bahá'u'lláh stopped to speak with a dervish cooking by a brook. The dervish left his utensils behind, followed Him on foot, and sang: "Thou art the Light of Truth."
Howard Colby Ives, an unhappy minister, met 'Abdu'l-Bahá in New York in 1912. Months of study and turmoil followed, and when his Brotherhood Church had to close, 'Abdu'l-Bahá wrote to him that it had happened to free him to call people to the Kingdom.
In 1910 the American Bahá'í physician Dr. Susan I. Moody wrote home from Tehran about her medical work, the Bahá'í women she met, and the community's plans for a girls' school, which it raised funds to open.
Confined in 1847 in the remote fortress of Máh-Kú, the Báb won the love of the people of the district, who looked each morning for a glimpse of Him, and of its stern warden, 'Alí Khán, who after a strange vision relaxed his discipline.
In the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, Bahá'u'lláh recalls the four months He spent chained in the underground dungeon of Ṭihrán in 1852, and the first stirrings there of His Revelation.
Sent by the Báb to Ṭihrán in 1844, Mullá Ḥusayn entrusted a scroll of the Báb's writings to a student from Núr, who carried it at dawn to Bahá'u'lláh. Bahá'u'lláh at once affirmed its truth, and the news brought the Báb great joy.
Ṭáhirih never met the Báb. She sent a sealed letter with her sister's husband to the Promised One he was sure to meet, and on receiving it the Báb named her one of the Letters of the Living.
For nearly sixty years believers kept the remains of the Báb hidden from His enemies. On Naw-Rúz 1909 'Abdu'l-Bahá laid them with His own hands in a tomb on Mount Carmel, on the spot Bahá'u'lláh had chosen, and wept over the casket.
Brought from Chihríq to Tabríz in 1848, the Báb appeared before the Crown Prince and the leading clergy of Ádhirbayján and openly declared Himself the Promised One. Afterwards He was beaten and sent back to Chihríq.
Attacked on the road to Bárfurúsh in 1848, Mullá Ḥusayn held his companions back until the enemy had killed seven of them. That evening, in the town's caravanserai, three youths in turn climbed to the roof to sound the call to prayer, and each was shot.
In Bahá'u'lláh's house in Ṭihrán, Táhirih listened from behind a curtain as the learned Vahíd spoke on the proofs of the new Revelation, then interrupted him with a call to deeds. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, then a child, was sitting on her lap.
Besieged and starving in the fort of Shaykh Ṭabarsí, the companions of Quddús listened each morning and evening to verses from his commentary on the Ṣád of Ṣamad. One of them later said the words made them forget their hunger.
On 23 April 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke at Howard University in Washington to an audience of Black and white listeners. He told them there are no whites and blacks before God, and compared humanity to a garden of many-colored flowers.
At 'Abdu'l-Bahá's instruction, Agnes Parsons organized a convention for amity between the white and colored races, held in Washington in May 1921. There Mountfort Mills read the Master's message to the gathering.
On 10 September 1911, His first Sunday in England, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke from the pulpit of the City Temple in London at the invitation of its pastor, R. J. Campbell. It was the first public address of His life.
In 1902, when Muẓaffari'd-Dín Sháh of Persia was in Paris, Lua Getsinger, received at first only by his Grand Vizier, persisted until she could hand the Sháh a petition asking him to protect the Bahá'ís of Persia.
Returning to Paris from her 1898–99 pilgrimage to 'Akká, May Bolles established, at 'Abdu'l-Bahá's instruction, the first Bahá'í centre on the European continent, where Thomas Breakwell, Hippolyte Dreyfus and Laura Barney came to the Faith.
After reading a single page of the Báb's writings, Mullá Muḥammad-'Alí of Zanján pledged his allegiance before the city's assembled clergy. Named Ḥujjat by the Báb and told to proclaim His teachings from the pulpit, he did so and was held in Tehran for it.
After the governor of Fárs had Him arrested and brought to Shíráz, the Báb was called by the Imám-Jum'ih, Shaykh Abú-Turáb, into the pulpit of the Masjid-i-Vakíl on a Friday to answer before the congregation the charges spread against Him.
In Iṣfáhán, a city famed for its divines, the first to accept the Báb's message was a sifter of wheat. Years later, sieve in hand, he set out to join the defenders of Shaykh Ṭabarsí, where he was martyred.
Shaykh Maḥmúd of 'Akká hated the Bahá'ís. Angered to hear 'Abdu'l-Bahá praised, he went to the mosque and laid hands on Him. The Master's calm reply took away his anger; days later he begged forgiveness and became a devoted Bahá'í.
In Ṭihrán in 1850, fourteen followers of the Báb were told to recant or die. Seven recanted and went free; seven refused, among them the Báb's uncle and a revered dervish, and were put to death.
Mullá Ṣádiq, a revered divine of Khurásán, was scourged and led by a halter through Shíráz, among the first believers persecuted in Persia. He survived Ṭabarsí and taught the Faith for the rest of his life.
Sent by Muḥammad Sháh to investigate the Báb, the learned Vaḥíd resolved to ask, only in his heart, for a commentary on the Súrih of Kawthar. At their third meeting the Báb offered it unasked and wrote it before him.
For eleven months in 1848–49, some three hundred followers of the Báb, most of them students, defended themselves at the shrine of Shaykh Ṭabarsí against a royal army. The siege ended only when the prince broke his oath on the Qur'án.
Moved from Máh-Kú to the castle of Chihríq under a warden ordered to admit no one, the Báb won over both the warden, Yaḥyá Khán, and the Kurds of the district, and seekers again came to Him in numbers.
Returning to Baghdád from Kurdistán in 1856, Bahá'u'lláh found the Bábí community dispirited and divided. Through His counsels and His writings He restored its faith and reformed its conduct.
Years before the First World War, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had Bahá'í villagers near the Jordan grow and store grain. In the famine years He fed the poor of Haifa, 'Akká and the surrounding district, and afterwards the British Government conferred a knighthood on Him.
In London in 1911 the journalist Isabel Fraser asked 'Abdu'l-Bahá how He had felt in prison. He told her the story of His exile and imprisonment and said He had been happy all that time, for the prison of self is the greater prison.
Imprisoned in the frontier castle of Máh-Kú, the Báb won the hearts of the townspeople. The stern warden, 'Alí Khán, was changed by a vision of the Báb at prayer and came to let His followers visit Him freely.
In Baghdád Bahá'u'lláh sent gifts to the poor, the disabled and the orphans of His neighbourhood. He stopped each day for an old woman who waited for Him, and when He left the city He provided for her for the rest of her life.
When an unfriendly governor of 'Akká fell from office, 'Abdu'l-Bahá sent him a precious ring and His good wishes. When another official asked for His cloak, He offered the only one He had.
During His years of strict confinement in 'Akká, 'Abdu'l-Bahá visited the sick in their homes, brought doctors and medicine to the poor, and gave the city's poor warm clothing each winter, whatever their religion.
To avoid becoming a cause of discord among the Bábís of Baghdád, Bahá'u'lláh withdrew to the mountains of Kurdistán. For two years He lived there as Darvísh Muḥammad, and the people of the region came to revere and love Him.
Mullá Ḥusayn's companions drew their swords only to defend their lives. When some of them mistakenly caused the death of a villager's mother near Shaykh Ṭabarsí, they grieved and apologized, and her son became their friend.
During His nine weeks in Paris in 1911, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke to a poor congregation in a mission hall, walked through a rowdy crowd that parted for Him, and comforted a weeping widow whose son faced a dangerous operation.
In His last major Tablet, Bahá'u'lláh wrote to Shaykh Muḥammad-Taqí, a cleric of Iṣfahán who had persecuted the believers. He counselled him, gave him a prayer of repentance to recite, and offered him the same advice He had given His own son.
Bahíyyih Khánum, daughter of Bahá'u'lláh, knew poverty and exile from early childhood. Shoghi Effendi recalls her kindness in 'Akká, her care for the hungry who came to 'Abdu'l-Bahá's house during the First World War, and the support she gave him after 'Abdu'l-Bahá's passing.
In Washington in 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá told of Isfandíyár, a black servant of Bahá'u'lláh who, though hunted by the Sháh's officers, stayed in Ṭihrán for a month to pay the family's debts in full before he would leave.
Mishkín-Qalam, the leading calligrapher of Persia, set out to find Bahá'u'lláh and reached Him in Adrianople. Slandered as an agitator in Constantinople, he was held captive for years on Cyprus, and afterwards stayed loyal to the Covenant.
In His letter to the Sháh of Persia, quoted in A Traveller's Narrative, Bahá'u'lláh wrote that for nearly fifteen years His persecuted followers had assailed no one, and explained that true victory means conquering one's own heart.
Bahá'u'lláh and about seventy companions were locked in the barracks of 'Akká, where nearly all fell sick and three died. Over the following years the hostility of the town gave way, step by step, to respect and reverence.
Robert Turner, Phoebe Hearst's butler, went with her party on the first Western pilgrimage to 'Akká. When he was missing from a gathering, 'Abdu'l-Bahá asked for him, rose to greet him and had him sit with the other pilgrims.
Every year for nearly forty years Shaykh Salmán walked from Persia to Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdád, Adrianople or 'Akká and back, carrying the believers' letters and His Tablets, and never lost one.
When thieves took Ḥájí ʻAlí-ʻAskar's few goods, the Persian Consul wanted him to testify to a far larger loss. Threatened with prison and banishment, he refused to lie. Bahá'u'lláh later said of him, "I am pleased with him."
Mírzá Muḥammad, a scholar of good family in Iṣfáhán, gave up a life of comfort to go to the prison of 'Akká, where he served Bahá'u'lláh, the believers and the travelling pilgrims day and night.
Ustád Ismá'íl, a prosperous builder in Ṭihrán, lost his work, his possessions and his bride for the Faith. He ended his days peddling trinkets from a cave near Haifa, always giving thanks to God.
Napoleon III is reported to have flung down Bahá'u'lláh's first Tablet. From the barracks of 'Akká Bahá'u'lláh wrote again, warning that the Emperor's empire would pass from his hands. In 1870 he was defeated at Sedan and lost his throne.
From 'Akká Bahá'u'lláh wrote to Pope Pius IX, announcing the return of Christ and bidding him leave his palaces and sell his ornaments in the path of God. In 1870 Italian troops seized Rome and the Pope's temporal rule ended.
Bahá'u'lláh was imprisoned in the barracks of 'Akká. 'Abdu'l-Bahá recalled how, in later years at Bahjí, governors and generals humbly asked to be received by Him, and how all bore witness that He was no prisoner, but a King of Kings.
In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, revealed in 'Akká around 1873, Bahá'u'lláh told the kings of the earth that the King of Kings had appeared and summoned them to serve Him. He addressed the rulers of America and foretold suffering on the banks of the Rhine.
In A Traveler's Narrative, 'Abdu'l-Bahá records how the beatings, banishments and killings of the Báb's followers in Persia made the new Faith more widely known, and explains why force fails against matters of conscience.
From the barracks in 'Akká, Bahá'u'lláh wrote to Czar Alexander II of Russia, summoning him to proclaim His Cause and recalling that a Russian minister had helped Him when He lay in chains in Ṭihrán. The Czar did not heed it.
In Adrianople Bahá'u'lláh wrote His longest letter to any single king, asking Náṣiri'd-Dín Sháh for justice and for a meeting with the divines in his presence. The youth Badí' carried it to the Sháh and was put to death.
When Bahá'u'lláh reached Constantinople in 1863, He would not make the calls on the Sultan's chief ministers expected of every government guest. The Persian Ambassador used this against Him, and within four months He was banished to Adrianople.
Ḥusayn Khán, governor of Fárs, had two of the Báb's disciples tortured and ordered the Báb struck in his presence. Later, on the night he had the Báb arrested again, plague broke out in Shíráz and the governor fled.
In the First World War the Ottoman commander Jamál Páshá, turned against 'Abdu'l-Bahá by false accusations, threatened to crucify Him. The threat was never carried out: the general's campaigns failed and he fled in defeat.
After leaving the Garden of Riḍván on 3 May 1863, Bahá'u'lláh travelled with His family and twenty-six companions across eastern Anatolia to Constantinople. Officials and villagers welcomed Him along the way, and His companions served Him on foot.
When Bahá'u'lláh's convoy left Baghdád for Constantinople in 1863, Muḥammad-Muṣṭafá Baghdádí remained in the city. 'Abdu'l-Bahá recalls how he stayed loyal, withstood the enemies of the Faith and taught it openly.
In the Garden of Riḍván, Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Súriy-i-Ṣabr, the Tablet of Patience, in honour of Ḥájí Muḥammad-Taqí, a survivor of Nayríz whom He named Ayyúb (Job). It praised the steadfast and prepared the believers of 'Iráq for His departure.
In Baghdád 'Abdu'l-Bahá grew into a youth beloved by all who knew Him. The Chosen Highway records how, before the exile of 1863, He shielded His Father, arranged His move to the Garden of Riḍván and set out with Him on the journey to Constantinople.
On the long journey from Baghdád to the Black Sea in 1863, officials and villagers received Bahá'u'lláh with honour in town after town. As the caravan neared Sámsún, He revealed the Tablet of the Howdah.
At noon on 3 May 1863 Bahá'u'lláh rode out of the Garden of Riḍván on a red roan stallion, the best His lovers could buy for Him. Crowds bowed at His horse's feet, and believers and unbelievers alike wept.
Summoned to Constantinople, Bahá'u'lláh spent twelve days in the Garden of Riḍván while a caravan was prepared. Then He set out with members of His family and twenty-six disciples on a journey of three to four months.
In the twelve days before He left Baghdád for Constantinople, Bahá'u'lláh showed, in Esslemont's words, the greatest joy, dignity and power, and the notables of the city, even the Governor, came to honor Him.
When Bahá'u'lláh left Baghdád in 1863, friends and strangers wept in the streets. On the day He rode out of the Garden of Riḍván, an eyewitness wrote, believers and unbelievers alike sobbed and lamented.
Shoghi Effendi calls Riḍván the holiest and most significant of all Bahá'í festivals. Its twelve days, which Bahá'u'lláh called the King of Festivals, ended at noon on May 3, 1863, when He rode out of the garden toward Constantinople.
Lady Blomfield recalls meals with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in her London home: He served guests with His own hands, shared a poor workman’s gift of dry bread, and seated the humblest guests at His right hand.
John Bosch, a Swiss-born believer who felt he could not be a speaker, told ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that all he did was give away pamphlets and books; the Master assured him that with him it was the heart that speaks.
Speaking at Green Acre in August 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá contrasted knowledge confined to the senses, which even animals possess, with the true virtue of man: the power to investigate the ideals of the Kingdom.
On 5 May 1912 in Chicago, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá called each of some 35 children to Him with great tenderness, told them they were His spiritual children, and invited them all to Lincoln Park for a photograph.
When Black friends decided to stay away from a Unity Feast arranged at a hotel known for racial exclusion, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá insisted that all attend, and the banquet passed in happiness without one unpleasant incident.
On 23 May 1912 Alice Breed baked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá a cake with sixty-eight candles; but He, who had forbidden the celebration of His birthday, spoke only of the Báb’s Declaration and soon left the festivities.
While ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was staying at the Maxwell home in Montreal in 1912, little Mary Maxwell slipped into His room as He rested, pushed up His eyelids, and He took her in His arms.
Fred Mortensen, a former street tough, rode under and on top of railway trains to reach Green Acre and meet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who, on hearing how he had come, kissed his cheeks and his dirty hat.
On Christmas night 1912 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke to a thousand homeless men at a Salvation Army shelter in London and left money to buy them a similar dinner on New Year’s night.
On pilgrimage in 1911 Louis Gregory heard ‘Abdu’l-Bahá urge the races to intermarry; the next year the Master encouraged his marriage to Louisa Mathew, the first marriage between a Black and a white Bahá’í.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá recalled walking twelve miles in the Baghdád heat to a poor thorn-picker’s hut, where the wife burnt the little cake she made for Him, and called it the best reception He ever attended.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá told a story of a Muslim, a Christian and a Jew caught in a storm at sea to show that prayer can be selfish.
When young Shoghi Effendi and his cousin came before ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Master held up Shoghi Effendi’s happy, pleasant expression as the example to follow.
Agnes Parsons told ‘Abdu’l-Bahá she had tried not to dwell on her late mother, and He said she had done right, for the spirit of the departed rejoices in the joy of the loved one.
When May Maxwell fell ill on pilgrimage, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá cancelled the pilgrims’ meeting on Mount Carmel, saying none of them could be happy unless all the beloved were happy.
When Stanwood Cobb arrived in Haifa ill with dysentery, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent His own physician, visited him Himself, and said He wished He could take the illness upon Himself.
On Naw-Rúz 1909, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá laid the casket holding the remains of the Báb and His companion in the marble sarcophagus on Mount Carmel with His own hands, and wept so that all present wept with Him.
Howard Colby Ives recalls how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, after listening to the executive committee of the New York Spiritual Assembly deliberate for half an hour, paused at the door and asked why they did not execute.
Driving through the English countryside near Bristol in September 1911, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá admired the old trees and green downs, and likened the country to the soul and the city to the body.
On the voyage to America in March 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told Mírzá Maḥmúd that He had slept well at last, and spoke of why the air at sea was better for health than the humid coast.
At His first dinner in Lady Blomfield's London home, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gently wished the many courses could be shared with the hungry, and afterwards the dinners were greatly simplified.
Driving back to His hotel through the park roads of New York in April 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá foresaw America's rapid progress but voiced concern about high buildings and crowded cities.
Exiled in chains from Egypt to the Sudan, Ḥájí Mírzá Ḥaydar-‘Alí and his companions were tied in pairs to the sides of camels, and despite the pain they could not help laughing at the sight.
When a salesman came through the train selling school pennants, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá joked that he should bring the banner of universal peace, and other passengers gathered to talk with Him.
After His visit to the Bowery Mission in New York, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá emptied the leftover quarters into a hotel chambermaid's apron, and she resolved to give every cent of it away.
When a London reporter remarked on His good English pronunciation, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá paced the room reciting complicated English words such as "hippopotamus", then laughingly said they were very difficult.
Muriel Ives Barrow Newhall recalled that when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá asked Bahá’u’lláh why He had never clearly designated the universal language, Bahá’u’lláh replied, "Because no one ever asked Me."
Asked why His guests always came away with shining faces, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá smiled and said that in everyone He looked upon He saw only His Father’s Face.
Before a journey, the Master’s wife left a spare cloak for Him with one of their daughters. When He learned of it, He gave it away, unwilling to keep two cloaks while others had none.
In a 1974 talk, Hand of the Cause John Robarts told the parable of a teacher who held a young man’s head under water to show him that prayer is as important as breathing.
Asked what a Bahá’í is, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá answered that it means to love all the world, to love and serve humanity, and to work for universal peace and brotherhood.
Two ladies who met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on a walk told Him they thought He must be extremely wealthy. He answered that His riches were of the Kingdom and not of this world.
At the Masonic Temple in Chicago in 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told Mrs. Dealy, who was going blind, that she must choose between spiritual and physical sight. She chose spiritual sight, as Leroy Ioas, seated beside her, witnessed.
Georgiana Dean had left California at ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s request to care for the blind Mrs. Dealy. Homesick, she took her trouble to Him; He asked her to stay as long as needed, and within days she was free to return.
In New York in 1912 a grieving young woman told ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that the more she trusted in God, the worse things became. He told her that to pray is to trust in God, and urged her to be a strong ship.
When Howard Colby Ives, then a Unitarian minister, impatiently disputed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s interpretation of Christ’s words, the Master looked at him with love and said softly that Ives should try his way and He would try His.
On pilgrimage to ‘Akká in 1909, Charles Haney told ‘Abdu’l-Bahá he feared “Spiritual indigestion” from all he was receiving. The Master assured him that the One who gives the food also gives the power to digest it.
Asked how one should live, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá answered, “Be kind to everyone.” He told Juliet Thompson never to let anyone speak unkindly of another in her presence.
Travelling from ‘Akká to Haifa, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá took a seat in the stage coach rather than a private carriage, and gave five francs to a fisherwoman whose family was hungry.
On His third visit to Paris in 1913, though His strength had suffered greatly, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá kept receiving visitors at His hotel, and said that Bahá’u’lláh had trained Him to shoulder the burdens of others.
Asked in Paris how a new civilization would come about, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá answered, “Through solidarity,” and recalled young locusts on Mt. Carmel that flung themselves into a stream so that the others might cross.
As a small child, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was sent by Bahá’u’lláh to inspect His flocks. Having nothing else to give the shepherds, He gave them the sheep, and Bahá’u’lláh remarked that someday He would give Himself away.
Ali Kuli Khan, interpreter for Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl in America, three times asked him what happens to the soul after death. Years later a ship slipping over the horizon gave him the answer.
Writing in Chicago in 1912, Mírzá Maḥmúd recorded that Dr. Zia Bagdadi was told to leave his home for inviting Louis Gregory, and that black and white Bahá’ís still associated as brothers and sisters.
Resting in Central Park after a visit to the Museum of Natural History, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told a puzzled watchman that one does not lose the material world by attaining the spiritual, just as going upstairs does not mean leaving the house.
In New York in 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá held up the book of the Hidden Words and said that whoever does not live up to its words is not of Him.
On a twelve-hour train journey from Pittsburgh to Washington in May 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá's companions begged Him to take a special compartment or a berth, but He refused.
In London 'Abdu'l-Bahá joined the laughter in the kitchen, where a Persian servant and an English housekeeper were joking about the lot of women in East and West.
Out driving in London, Mrs Thornburgh-Cropper asked 'Abdu'l-Bahá whether He longed to be back with His family in Haifa. He told her and Lady Blomfield that they were as beloved to Him as His own.
In London a woman without an appointment was turned away from 'Abdu'l-Bahá's door. As she went down the stairs, He sent a messenger after her.
In London 'Abdu'l-Bahá described how people have always complained that the Prophets took away their pleasures, and how the Prophets have always answered them.
A man who had resolved to end his life saw 'Abdu'l-Bahá's picture in a shop window and walked thirty miles to find Him in London. The Master welcomed him and gave him new hope.
In September 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá missed a connecting train on the way to Kenosha, telling His friends there was wisdom in it. The train they missed was later damaged in a collision.
'Abdu'l-Bahá told Harlan Ober he was to go to India, and a few days later told him to go to America instead. When Ober protested, the Master answered with a joke.
During His retreat in the mountains of Kurdistan, Bahá'u'lláh comforted a weeping schoolboy and wrote him a copy to learn from. The schoolmaster recognized the writing as royal penmanship, and people set out to find Him.
Walking with one of His daughters, the Master met a local woman, the daughter of a desert chief. He answered her greeting kindly, pressed a coin into her hand, and thanked her when she said she would pray for Him.
In the mountains of Kurdistan, Bahá'u'lláh stopped to help a crying boy who had been punished for poor writing. His copy was so beautiful that the schoolmaster knew its writer was no ordinary dervish.
On a carriage ride near Thonon-les-Bains, 'Abdu'l-Bahá stopped at an old inn, where children selling violets clustered around Him. He gave them francs from His pocket.
When a pilgrim noticed that no grace was said before meals, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explained that His heart was always giving thanks. Thornton Chase saw Him begin a meal with ‘In the Name of God’, and He told Lua Getsinger to have spiritual food each morning before breakfast.
While Bahá'u'lláh lived as a dervish in the mountains of Kurdistan, He gave a gathering of Sufis so wonderful an interpretation of a mystical poem that they begged Him to return. He told them to seek tidings of Him in Baghdad.
At a pilgrim's banquet at Bahjí in July 1919, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá served the guests Himself, the Bedouins camping nearby received a generous share, and He gave each of their children a coin. Next morning their fathers came to thank Him.
One June day in New York, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá slept long enough to keep His audience waiting. He told them He had awoken with one word on His lips, ‘Imtiyáz’ (Distinction), and would speak on that subject.
A parrot in the Pilgrim House had been taught to say ‘Allah-u-Abhá’ and ‘Say O Bahá.’ When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá meant to give it to the governor of ‘Akká, the bird said ‘Say, say’ and then ‘O Bahá!’, and He decided to keep it.
Speaking with physicians in San Francisco in October 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said that dogmas contrary to science and reason are a chief cause of irreligion, and He quoted Bahá’u’lláh's words that such matters are an obstacle to progress.
A Western pilgrim describes ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on Mount Carmel in 1909 moving the remains of the Báb into the marble sarcophagus with His own hands, and weeping aloud as the believers wept with Him.
Anna Kunz, one of the last pilgrims to visit ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in 1921, later recalled above all His great simplicity, His humility and His boundless love.
A member of the Commission of Inquiry sent from Constantinople against ‘Abdu’l-Bahá later fled to Egypt, was robbed and asked for help. The Master at once directed the believers to give him a sum on His behalf.
Kept in Paris at ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's wish, May Maxwell met Thomas Breakwell and gave him the Message. On the evening of the day he wrote his supplication to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, a cablegram arrived for her: ‘You may leave Paris.’
When false accusations brought a Commission of enquiry and threats of exile or execution, 'Abdu'l-Bahá stayed serene, kept the work on the Báb's Shrine going, wrote tirelessly and planted trees and vines in His garden.
After 'Abdu'l-Bahá blessed a youth by patting his shoulder, a seeker at the same table silently wished for the same sign; the Master left the room, then returned and placed His hands on the seeker's shoulders.
Asked by a reporter what He thought of America, 'Abdu'l-Bahá said He liked it: Americans are optimistic, always answering "All right!", and this cheerful attitude is good.
In Scotland, 'Abdu'l-Bahá came to an evening meeting looking very tired after speaking that afternoon; after sitting a few moments in silence, He rose with joyous animation and spoke with great power.
In New York, 'Abdu'l-Bahá invited a believer to come at dawn to learn to pray. After hours kneeling in silence across from the Master, he found himself truly praying, and 'Abdu'l-Bahá told him how to pray.
When a discouraged believer despaired of ever acquiring the virtues Bahá'ís are required to possess, 'Abdu'l-Bahá answered with the greatest compassion and encouragement: "little by little; day by day."
The American friends asked 'Abdu'l-Bahá to have His Persian companions change their attire to suit the time and place, keeping only their Persian hats and coats; He replied that such things were trifles.
On May 23, 1912, over a hundred guests gathered at the Breed home in Cambridge, where a cake with sixty-eight candles awaited 'Abdu'l-Bahá; He spoke only of the Báb's Declaration and soon left.
Pauline Hannen once feared Black people, but studying Bahá'u'lláh's writings changed her; she taught the Faith to her washerwoman, and she and Joseph began inviting Black people to meetings in their home.
In The Promised Day Is Come, Shoghi Effendi traces the loss of power of the religious hierarchies of Islám and Christendom, which he sees as paralleling the fall of the kings whom Bahá'u'lláh had also addressed.
In The Promised Day Is Come, Shoghi Effendi surveys the fall of the great monarchies of Europe and the Middle East between 1870 and 1925, reading the collapses in the light of the warnings Bahá'u'lláh had sent to those same sovereigns from Adrianople and 'Akká.
In The Promised Day Is Come, written in 1941 during the Second World War, Shoghi Effendi described the upheaval of his time as a judgment of God, at once a punishment and a cleansing, and as the birth pangs of a new Order.
Howard Colby Ives made a special journey to ask 'Abdu'l-Bahá about renunciation. On the walk back the Master spoke only of horizons; then, in His room, He asked Ives whether he was interested in renunciation.
Howard Colby Ives recalls a Sunday in New York in April 1912 when some twenty or thirty boys from the East Side came to see 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and He welcomed the only Black boy among them, before them all, as a black rose.
On pilgrimage in 'Akká, Lua Getsinger was sent by 'Abdu'l-Bahá to care for a sick, poor friend of His, and fled from the filthy house. He sent her back, telling her He had done this for the man many times.
On May 19, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke on brotherhood at the Brotherhood Church in Jersey City, where Howard Colby Ives was the unpaid minister. Ives, who had named the church, felt ashamed of how little he had lived the word.
On December 2, 1912, three days before He sailed from America, 'Abdu'l-Bahá gave His last instructions to a group of friends in New York. Howard Colby Ives, sitting close to Him, later quoted the talk in full.
A group of boys from New York's East Side came to meet 'Abdu'l-Bahá. The only Black boy among them feared he might not be welcome, and the Master greeted him before them all as "a black rose."
On a trolley to Newark, Howard Colby Ives shared his copy of Some Answered Questions with the young woman beside him. At the end of the ride she asked who the author was, and the next Sunday she came to hear 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
In April 1912 Howard Colby Ives went without an appointment to the Hotel Ansonia in New York. 'Abdu'l-Bahá beckoned him across a crowded room, sent everyone else out, and sat with him alone.
On 17 July 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá united Harlan Ober and Grace Robarts in marriage. At the evening ceremony, performed by Howard Colby Ives before guests from many lands, the Master chanted a prayer for the couple.
At the farewell aboard the S.S. Celtic in December 1912, Howard Colby Ives knelt and placed 'Abdu'l-Bahá's hand on his head. The hand lay still, and Ives remembered it ever after as a sign of the Master's humility.
After an exhausting day of speaking, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had to be almost carried into the house. Within fifteen minutes He was calling for His secretary with more than His usual energy. An incident recorded by Howard Colby Ives.
'Abdu'l-Bahá listened for half an hour to a meeting of the executive committee of the New York Spiritual Assembly. Then He rose, paused at the door, and asked why they did not execute.
Early one morning in Dublin, New Hampshire, a guest at the inn saw 'Abdu'l-Bahá call back a ragged old man and give him the trousers He was wearing.
Walking behind ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the sands near ‘Akká, Lua Getsinger placed her feet in His footprints. A scorpion’s sting, and the Master’s words afterwards, taught her what it means to walk in His footsteps.
At lunch in Haifa in November 1919, a dish called "the mouthful of the judge" was served, and 'Abdu'l-Bahá told the story behind its name: a judge who reversed a verdict for a better dinner.
'Abdu'l-Bahá recalled hearing a cleric tell of Ḥájí Muḥammad-Taqí of Kirmán, a Bábí of Karbilá whose goodness even his opponents admitted, and of the verse the clergy's own test produced at the Shrine of Ḥusayn.
Rúḥíyyih Khánum describes how Shoghi Effendi drew an arc on Mount Carmel above the graves of the Greatest Holy Leaf, her mother and her brother, as the site for the Faith's future administrative buildings.
Rúḥíyyih Khánum recalls her marriage to Shoghi Effendi on 25 March 1937: a visit to the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, a simple ceremony in the room of the Greatest Holy Leaf, and no celebration at all.
Toward the end of 1942 Shoghi Effendi asked his father-in-law, the Canadian architect William Sutherland Maxwell, to design the superstructure of the Shrine of the Báb. Built with stone cut in Italy, it was completed in 1953.
Shoghi Effendi once described to Rúḥíyyih Khánum the noisy family lunches of his childhood, when the grandchildren watched for the mouthful of food the Greatest Holy Leaf would give to one of them. It usually went to him.
While in London in the autumn of 1957, Shoghi Effendi fell ill with Asiatic influenza, kept working on his last map, and died in his sleep early on 4 November. He was buried near London on 9 November.
Faced with a flood of letters from all over the world, Shoghi Effendi chose to keep answering individual believers. He kept copies of his cables to the end and typed his own manuscripts with two fingers.
In 1920 Shoghi Effendi went to Balliol College, Oxford, to perfect his English so that he could translate the sacred writings. His studies ended in November 1921 with the news of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's passing.
Unhappy at school in Haifa and Beirut, the young Shoghi Effendi was moved by 'Abdu'l-Bahá to the Syrian Protestant College, where he aimed all his studies at serving the Master and translating His letters into English.
In 'Akká in 1899 the American pilgrim Ella Goodall Cooper watched the small Shoghi Effendi walk up to 'Abdu'l-Bahá, who greeted him with a silent nod; the boy kissed the hem of His robe and ran off to play.
In November 1921 Shoghi Effendi, a student at Oxford, learned from a cable in a London office that 'Abdu'l-Bahá had passed away; back in Haifa, the Master's Will told him he had been appointed Guardian.
Overwhelmed by grief and by his appointment as Guardian, Shoghi Effendi left Haifa in April 1922 with the Greatest Holy Leaf in charge, and in the early years of his ministry sought healing in long, solitary walks in the Swiss mountains.
Shoghi Effendi made public the Ten Year Crusade at the start of the Holy Year in 1952 and launched it at four Intercontinental Teaching Conferences in 1953; in its first year one hundred new territories were opened to the Faith.
On 29 November 1921 Shoghi Effendi, a student at Oxford, learned of the passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá by reading the cable that lay open on a desk in Wellesley Tudor Pole's London office.
'Abdu'l-Bahá's gardener said lawns would not grow in Palestine. Shoghi Effendi cabled friends and relatives and finally wrote to seed firms himself, and in time had lawns that satisfied him.
Shoghi Effendi spent eight months translating the first part of Nabíl's narrative and almost two years preparing The Dawn-Breakers, published in 1932, which deeply stirred the Bahá'ís of the West.
Rúḥíyyih Khánum records that early in his ministry Shoghi Effendi sent the American believers his revised translation of The Hidden Words, and describes the long study of English behind his translations.
Before the war ‘Abdu’l-Bahá taught the people of three villages how to grow corn, and with the stored harvest He fed the poor of Haifa and ‘Akká through the famine years. When the British arrived, He had corn for their army too.
Even in prison ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote that His prison was His garden and paradise. Through illness, exile, imprisonment and the death of His sons He remained cheerful, teaching that happiness in hardship is the proof of nobility.
4 Avenue de Camöens, Paris, November 28th In these gatherings where we have met and spoken together you have all become acquainted with the principles of this dispensation, and with the reality of facts.
Sunday, January 12th, 1913 About one thousand years ago a society was formed in Persia called the Society of the Friends, who gathered together for silent communion with the Almighty.
November 7th ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: I will speak to you today of Bahá’u’lláh.
October 28th The Creator of all is One God. From this same God all creation sprang into existence, and He is the one goal, towards which everything in nature yearns.
4 Avenue de Camöens, Paris, Friday morning, November 17th There are in the world of humanity three degrees; those of the body, the soul, and spirit.
Salle de l’Athenée, St Germain, Paris, November 9th I wish to express my gratitude for your hospitality, and my joy that you are spiritually minded.
‘What is evil?’ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.—‘Evil is imperfection.
4 Avenue de Camöens, Paris, November 12th ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: I have spoken to you of some of the principles of Bahá’u’lláh: The Search after Truth and The Unity of Mankind.
Friday evening, October 20th ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: Numerous meetings are held in Paris every day for different purposes, to discuss politics, commerce, education, art, science and many other subjects.
October 19th All true healing comes from God! There are two causes for sickness, one is material, the other spiritual.
Thursday, October 26th God’s greatest gift to man is that of intellect, or understanding.
November 8th All over the world one hears beautiful sayings extolled and noble precepts admired.
November 6th This is in truth a Bahá’í house. Every time such a house or meeting place is founded it becomes one of the greatest aids to the general development of the town and country to which it belongs.
November 2nd ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: How beautiful the weather is today, the sky is clear, the sun shines, and the heart of man is made glad thereby!
4 Avenue de Camöens, Paris, November 17th In the conduct of life, man is actuated by two main motives: ‘The Hope for Reward’ and ‘The Fear of Punishment’.
Monday, November 20th From the beginning of the world until the present time each ‘Manifestation’ sent from God has been opposed by an embodiment of the ‘Powers of Darkness’.
November 22nd In this world we are influenced by two sentiments, Joy and Pain.
97 Cadogan Gardens, London, December 26th, 1912 ‘Should Prayer take the form of action?’
October 27th The basis of the teaching of Bahá’u’lláh is the Unity of Mankind, and his greatest desire was that love and goodwill should live in the heart of men.
‘The Laws of God are not imposition of will, or of power, or pleasure, but the resolutions of truth, reason and justice.’
‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: You are very welcome! From Eastern lands I have come to the West to sojourn awhile among you.
August 28th, 1913 O Thou my beloved daughter! Thine eloquent and fluent letter was perused in a garden, under the cool shade of a tree, while the gentle breeze was wafting.
November 19th How joyful it is to see such a meeting as this, for it is in truth a gathering together of ‘heavenly men’.
4 Avenue de Camöens, October 27th God alone ordereth all things and is all-powerful.
4 Avenue de Camöens, Morning of Friday, October 27th The day is fine, the air is pure, the sun shines, no mist nor cloud obscures its radiance.
November 24th ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: I have just been told that there has been a terrible accident in this country.
November 15th ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: You are all very welcome, and I love you all most dearly.
October 16th and 17th, 1911 When a man turns his face to God he finds sunshine everywhere.
4 Avenue de Camöens, Paris A Supreme Tribunal shall be established by the peoples and Governments of every nation, composed of members elected from each country and Government.
4 Avenue de Camöens, Paris, November 18th In the teaching of Bahá’u’lláh, it is written: ‘By the Power of the Holy Spirit alone is man able to progress, for the power of man is limited and the Divine Power is boundless.’
November 3rd Paris is becoming very cold, so cold that I shall soon be obliged to go away, but the warmth of your love still keeps me here.
15 Rue Greuze, Paris, November 10th ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: Tonight I will speak of the evolution or progress of the spirit.
4 Avenue de Camöens, Paris, November 13th All prejudices, whether of religion, race, politics or nation, must be renounced, for these prejudices have caused the world’s sickness.
4 Avenue de Camöens, Paris November 10th The first principle of the Teaching of Bahá’u’lláh is: The Search after Truth If a man would succeed in his search after truth, he must, in the first place, shut his eyes to all the traditional superstitions of the past.
97 Cadogan Gardens, London, Saturday, January 4th, 1913 What a power is love!
4 Avenue de Camöens, October 31st The Divine Reality is Unthinkable, Limitless, Eternal, Immortal and Invisible.
4 Avenue de Camöens, Wednesday, October 25th I regret much that I have kept you waiting this morning, but I have so much to do in a short time for the Cause of the love of God.
15 Rue Greuze, Paris, December 1st When I arrived in Paris some time ago for the first time, I looked around me with much interest, and in my mind I likened this beautiful city to a large garden.
Monday, October 23rd When a man has found the joy of life in one place, he returns to that same spot to find more joy.
Friday, October 20th ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: In the past, as in the present, the Spiritual Sun of Truth has always shone from the horizon of the East.
November 23rd ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: You should all be very happy and thankful to God for the great privilege that is yours.
October 21st ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: I hope you are all happy and well.
October 18th The reality of man is his thought, not his material body.
‘Does the soul progress more through sorrow or through the joy in this world?’
November 11th I spoke yesterday of the first principle of the Teaching of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘The Search for Truth’; how it is necessary for a man to put aside all in the nature of superstition, and every tradition which would blind his eyes to the existence of truth in all religions.
4 Avenue de Camöens, Paris One of the most important principles of the Teaching of Bahá’u’lláh is: The right of every human being to the daily bread whereby they exist, or the equalization of the means of livelihood.
November 4th All over Europe today one hears of meetings and assemblies, and societies of all kinds are formed.
October 22nd ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: It is a lovely day, the sun shines brightly upon the earth, giving light and warmth to all creatures.
4 Avenue de Camöens, Paris, November 14th The Tenth Principle of the teaching of Bahá’u’lláh is the equality of the sexes.
November 9th In the Gospel according to St John, Christ has said: ‘Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.’
October 30th In the Bible there are prophecies of the coming of Christ.
November 5th Today the weather is gloomy and dull! In the East there is continual sunshine, the stars are never veiled, and there are very few clouds.
November 1st Today is a day of rejoicing in Paris! They are celebrating the Festival of ‘All Saints’. Why do you think that these people were called ‘Saints’?
October 24th An Indian said to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: ‘My aim in life is to transmit as far as in me lies the message of Krishna to the world.’
Since my arrival in Paris, I have been told of the Theosophical Society, and I know that it is composed of honoured and respected men.
November 21st Ferocity and savagery are natural to animals, but men should show forth the qualities of love and affection.
November 25th When Christ appeared He manifested Himself at Jerusalem.
November 26th I am deeply touched by the sympathetic words which have been addressed to me, and I hope that day by day true love and affection may grow among us.
On April 19, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke to several hundred poor and homeless men at the Bowery Mission in New York, called them His friends and comrades, and afterwards placed silver coins in each man's hand.
At the Central Congregational Church in Brooklyn in June 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá praised a pulpit open to every belief, and said that religious discord comes from ancestral imitations, not from the one reality all religions share.
On June 2, 1912, speaking for the second time at the Church of the Ascension in New York, 'Abdu'l-Bahá described the church as a collective center and the Manifestations of God as the real Collective Centers of mankind.
On June 15, 1912, in New York, 'Abdu'l-Bahá told the Bahá'ís that He did not want them distinguished by wealth or worldly success, but by love, justice, steadfastness and service to humanity.
At the Church of the Divine Paternity in New York on May 19, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá taught that religions are many but the reality of religion is one, that religion must agree with science, and that it must bring unity.
In Montreal in September 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá addressed a Socialist Club. An address on economics He gave in Montreal compares humanity to one family and one body, and proposes a village storehouse so that no one remains in want.
At a Washington synagogue on 8 November 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá argued that Christ had spread the Torah and the name of Moses throughout the world, and that Christians and Jews should therefore love one another.
At the Town Hall in Fanwood, New Jersey, on 31 May 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá traced the weakness of religion to the hatred between sects and to blind imitation, and said that the Prophets, as true shepherds, come to unite people.
On 5 December 1912, before sailing from New York, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke to the believers who crowded aboard the Celtic to say goodbye, telling them that the earth is one native land and asking them to offend no heart.
On the morning of 5 November 1912, at the Grand Hotel in Cincinnati, 'Abdu'l-Bahá dictated a statement for the people of America on peace and on Bahá'u'lláh's call for an international conference of the nations.
At Green Acre on 16 August 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá described four ways of reaching knowledge and showed that none is reliable alone, spoke on love and the immortality of the spirit, and prayed for the recovery of Sarah Farmer.
At a reception given by the New York Peace Society at the Hotel Astor on 13 May 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá told some two thousand people that there is no greater glory than service in the cause of the Most Great Peace.
At the Hotel Plaza in Chicago on 3 May 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá said that philosophers can educate only a few, while the Prophets of God bestow universal education, and He commended Bahá'u'lláh's Hidden Words.
On April 23, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá addressed Howard University in Washington, D.C., one of the foremost Black universities in the country. Rejoicing to see white and black seated together, He told them that before God there are no whites and blacks, and that humanity is a garden whose many-colored flowers are its adornment.
At the International Peace Forum in New York on May 12, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá expressed the hope that America would be first to raise the banner of peace, since a nation with no colonies to protect could not be suspected of selfish motives.
On April 30, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke at Hull House, the Chicago settlement house founded by Jane Addams in 1889. With Miss Addams presiding, He spoke to a crowded hall of white and Black listeners on the unity of the races, whose differences of color He likened to the flowers of one garden.
At the dedication of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár grounds in Wilmette on May 1, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá foretold thousands of Houses of Worship in East and West, described the one at 'Ishqábád, and said the Chicago Temple must be circular, not triangular.
Speaking at the Maxwell home in Montreal on September 2, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá compared human nature left untrained to land overgrown with thorns, and the Prophets of God to Gardeners who turn the wild field into an orchard.
Addressing the NAACP's Fourth Annual Conference in Chicago on April 30, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá said that color is accidental, that the true measure of a person is spirit and intelligence, and that the purity of the heart is what matters.
At the Orient-Occident-Unity Conference in Washington on April 20, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke of a bond between Persia and America, recalled that Bahá'u'lláh called all people leaves of one tree, and hoped America would be first to establish international agreement.
At the Hotel Schenley in Pittsburgh on May 7, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá set out six principles of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings, from the investigation of truth to the equality of man and woman, and said universal peace must come through spiritual power.
On October 7, 1912, at the Japanese Independent Church in Oakland, California, 'Abdu'l-Bahá told the Japanese Young Men's Christian Association that all war has come from prejudice, recalling a religious war He had seen in Rumelia.
At the Krug home on Park Avenue, New York, on July 15, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá contrasted thanks spoken by the tongue with thanks felt in the heart and shown in deeds, and asked the friends to love one another.
Speaking in Sacramento on October 26, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá warned that Europe was like an arsenal that one spark would set aflame, called international peace the greatest need of the day, and said that divine revelation never ceases.
On October 8, 1912, at the invitation of President David Starr Jordan, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke at Stanford University on the sovereignty of science and the oneness of all things, and asked why man, endowed with mind, should make war on his fellowman.
On October 12, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke at Temple Emanu-El in San Francisco. He praised Moses and asked His Jewish hearers why they, in turn, should not acknowledge Christ and Muḥammad.
About a week after the Titanic sank, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke of the disaster at the Parsons home in Washington, likening the soul's passage through death to an infant's birth into the wider world.
At the Hotel Plaza in Chicago on May 2, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá contrasted true consultation with parliamentary quarrelling, and described the disciples of Christ taking counsel together on the mount after His ascension.
At a dinner at the Parsons home in Washington on April 22, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá told how a Zoroastrian high priest lost his prejudice against Muḥammad, and compared it with the power that had brought East and West to one table.
On 1 October 1911 in London, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá performed the marriage of Mírzá Yuhanna Dáwúd and Núr Mahal Khánum, telling them He had never before united anyone in marriage except His own daughters.
The last illness and ascension of Bahá'u'lláh at Bahjí on 29 May 1892, His farewell to the friends, His burial, and the reading of the Kitáb-i-'Ahd nine days later.
In the Lawḥ-i-Aqdas, the Tablet to the Christians, Bahá'u'lláh tells the followers of Christ that the Father has come, and calls on their bishops, priests and monks to recognize Him.
In Adrianople Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Súriy-i-Mulúk, His first address to the kings of the world as a body, calling them to rule with justice, to settle their differences and to reduce their armaments.
Aḥmad of Yazd lived near Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdád and later set out to reach Him in Adrianople. In Constantinople he received the Tablet of Aḥmad, and instead of going on, he returned to Persia to teach.
During His last visit to Haifa in 1891, Bahá'u'lláh pitched His tent near the Carmelite monastery on Mount Carmel and revealed the Tablet of Carmel, which is considered the charter of the Bahá'í World Centre.
At Naw-Rúz 1863, in His tent outside Baghdád, Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Tablet of the Holy Mariner. His companions were filled with sorrow when they heard it, and the next day He was told He must go to Constantinople.
When the philosopher Nabíl-i-Akbar visited 'Akká around 1873-74, Bahá'u'lláh revealed for him the Tablet of Wisdom, which speaks of the origin of creation and of the ancient sages who learned from the Prophets.
Napoleon III left Bahá'u'lláh's first Tablet unanswered. The second, sent from 'Akká in 1869, warned that his empire would pass from his hands. In 1870 he was defeated at Sedan and taken prisoner, and his empire fell.
Around 1869, while a prisoner in 'Akká, Bahá'u'lláh revealed a Tablet to Pope Pius IX, calling him to leave his palaces and abandon his kingdom unto the kings. In 1870 the Pope lost his temporal rule.
From the prison of 'Akká Bahá'u'lláh wrote to Queen Victoria, praising her for forbidding the slave trade and for entrusting counsel to the people's representatives, and calling on the rulers of the earth to hold fast to the Lesser Peace.
Ella Cooper recalled glimpsing Bahíyyih Khánum in the kitchen, dividing a lamb into broth, meals and portions for the poor, and realizing the hours of work that went into caring for the visitors.
Rene made a basket of flowers for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. When she saw another girl leaving His room with it, she was upset at first, then came to understand the true meaning of giving.
The calligrapher Mishkín-Qalam, sent by Bahá'u'lláh from Adrianople to Constantinople, was arrested through the Persian ambassador's slanders and held for about nine years at Famagusta in Cyprus before he was freed and went to 'Akká.
When Ridvaniyyih Khánum’s little daughter died, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá comforted her with the image of a Divine Gardener moving a young tree to a better place. Lady Blomfield adds that after her own mother died, a friend dreamed of seeing her young and joyful in a garden.
An early pilgrim describes ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Friday mornings in ‘Akká, when He gave a coin and a kind word to each of a hundred or more poor people, and His early-morning visits to the sick.
The pilgrim Roy Wilhelm observed that people of all classes and religions in ‘Akká came to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for explanation of their scriptures and settlement of their disputes, and that a just Governor sent his son to Him for instruction.
Rúhíyyih Khánum dreamed of a great flood and begged ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to help her save the drowning. Without stopping His work, He smiled and said He was building the machine to stop the flood.
Chained in the underground Síyáh-Chál of Tihrán among nearly 150 prisoners, Bahá’u’lláh taught His companions verses to chant each night, and those called to their deaths went forth with hope and joy.
In the opening chapter of *Some Answered Questions*, 'Abdu'l-Bahá defines nature as the composition and decomposition of all things and shows that nature, though governed by one universal law, has neither will nor intelligence.
Nature is that condition, that reality, which in appearance consists in life and death, or, in other words, in the composition and decomposition of all things.
Today, at table, let us speak for a little of proofs.
In the beginning of the eleventh chapter of the Revelation of St.
In Isaiah, chapter 11, verses 1 to 10, it is said: “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and…
We have before explained that what is most frequently meant by the Holy City, the Jerusalem of God, which is mentioned in the Holy Book, is the Law of God.
In this material world time has cycles; places change through alternating seasons, and for souls there are progress, retrogression and education.
The honor and exaltation of every existing being depends upon causes and circumstances.
A subject that is essential for the comprehension of the questions that we have mentioned, and of others of which we are about to speak, so that the essence of the problems may be understood, is this: that human knowledge is of two kinds.
Question.—How was Christ born of the Holy Spirit? Answer.—In regard to this question, theologians and materialists disagree.
A great man is a great man, whether born of a human father or not.
Question.—It is said in the Gospel of St. Matthew, chapter 3, verses 13, 14, 15: “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbade Him, saying, I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest…
One of the proofs and demonstrations of the existence of God is the fact that man did not create himself: nay, his creator and designer is another than himself.
Question.—Is the ablution of baptism useful and necessary, or is it useless and unnecessary?
Question.—The Christ said: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die.”
'Abdu'l-Bahá affirms that the Manifestations of God are the sources of miracles, yet teaches that outward wonders prove nothing to those who were not present, and that the miracles of the Holy Books carry an inner meaning.
Question.—It is recorded that miracles were performed by Christ.
Question.—What is the meaning of Christ’s resurrection after three days?
Question.—What is the manner, and what is the meaning, of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, as described in the Gospel?
Question.—What is the Holy Spirit?
In a group of chapters of *Some Answered Questions*, 'Abdu'l-Bahá takes up the theory that man is descended from the animal, and teaches that although humanity's form developed gradually, like an embryo in the womb, man was from the beginning a distinct species, with mind and spirit present though hidden.
It is said in the Holy Books that Christ will come again, and that His coming depends upon the fulfillment of certain signs: when He comes, it will be with these signs.
Question.—What is the meaning of the Trinity, of the Three Persons in One?
“And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.”
Question.—In verse 22 of chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians it is written: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”
In *Some Answered Questions*, 'Abdu'l-Bahá argues that the mineral, vegetable, animal and human worlds all need an educator, and that humanity needs a Universal Educator, at once its material, human and spiritual educator, whose power is divine.
When we consider existence, we see that the mineral, vegetable, animal and human worlds are all in need of an educator.
Question.—What is the truth of the story of Adam, and His eating of the fruit of the tree?
Question.—“Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be…
Question.—In the Gospel Christ said: “Many are called, but few are chosen,” and in the Qur’án it is written: “He will confer particular mercy on whom He pleaseth.”
Question.—Will you explain the subject of Return? Answer.—Bahá’u’lláh has explained this question fully and clearly in the Íqán.
Question.—In the Gospel of St. Matthew it is said: “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church.”
Question.—If God has knowledge of an action which will be performed by someone, and it has been written on the Tablet of Fate, is it possible to resist it?
Know that, speaking generally, there are five divisions of the spirit.
Question.—What connection has the Reality of Divinity with the Lordly Rising-places and the Divine Dawning-points?
Know that the Holy Manifestations, though They have the degrees of endless perfections, yet, speaking generally, have only three stations.
We said that the Manifestations have three planes.
One of those Who possessed this power and was assisted by it was Abraham.
Question.—One of the powers possessed by the Divine Manifestations is knowledge.
Question.—What is the real explanation of the cycles which occur in the world of existence?
Question.—What is the degree of the power and the perfections of the Thrones of Reality, the Manifestations of God, and what is the limit of Their influence?
Question.—How many kinds of Prophets are there? Answer.—Universally, the Prophets are of two kinds. One are the independent Prophets Who are followed; the other kind are not independent and are themselves followers.
Question.—In the Holy Books there are some addresses of reproach and rebuke directed to the Prophets.
It is said in the holy verse: “There is no partner for Him Who is the Dayspring of Revelation136 in His Most Great Infallibility. He is, in truth, the exponent of ‘God doeth whatsoever He willeth’ in the kingdom of creation. Indeed the…
In *Some Answered Questions*, 'Abdu'l-Bahá comments on the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, with its Branch out of the stem of Jesse and its peaceable kingdom of the wolf and the lamb, and applies its verses to Bahá'u'lláh and His cycle.
Moses was for a long time a shepherd in the wilderness. Regarded outwardly, He was a Man brought up in a tyrannical household, and was known among men as One Who had committed a murder and become a shepherd.
Question.—In the Bible it is said that God breathed the spirit into the body of man.
Question.—Of what degree is the perception of the human world, and what are its limitations?
Afterward Christ came, saying, “I am born of the Holy Spirit.”
Having shown that the spirit of man exists, we must prove its immortality.
Yesterday we were occupied in discussing the immortality of the spirit.
Question.—It is said in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas “...whoso is deprived thereof, hath gone astray, though he be the author of every righteous deed.”
Question.—After the body is put aside and the spirit has obtained freedom, in what way will the rational soul exist?
You question about eternal life and the entrance into the Kingdom.
Question.—Is the predestination which is mentioned in the Holy Books a decreed thing?
Question.—Have the stars of the heavens any influence upon the human soul, or have they not?
Now we come to Muḥammad.
Question.—Is man a free agent in all his actions, or is he compelled and constrained?
In a series of chapters of *Some Answered Questions*, 'Abdu'l-Bahá offers rational proofs that the human spirit survives the death of the body, and teaches that, because the perfections of humanity are endless, the soul can continue to progress after leaving this world.
Question.—Some people believe that they achieve spiritual discoveries—that is to say, that they converse with spirits.
Question.—Some people heal the sick by spiritual means—that is to say, without medicine.
Yesterday at table we spoke of curative treatment and spiritual healing, which consists in treating maladies through the spiritual powers.
The true explanation of this subject is very difficult. Know that beings are of two kinds: material and spiritual, those perceptible to the senses and those intellectual.
Know that there are two kinds of torment: subtile and gross.
Know that to do justice is to give to everyone according to his deserts.
Question.—Should a criminal be punished, or forgiven and his crime overlooked?
Certain sophists think that existence is an illusion, that each being is an absolute illusion which has no existence—in other words, that the existence of beings is like a mirage, or like the reflection of an image in water or in a mirror …
As for the Báb—may my soul be His sacrifice!—at a youthful age, that is to say, when He had reached the twenty-fifth year of His blessed life, He stood forth to proclaim His Cause.
Question.—How many kinds of preexistence and of phenomena are there?
Question.—What is the truth of the question of reincarnation, which is believed by some people?
Question.—How do the Theosophists and the Súfís understand the question of pantheism?
There are only four accepted methods of comprehension—that is to say, the realities of things are understood by these four methods.
Question.—Those who are blessed with good actions and universal benevolence, who have praiseworthy characteristics, who act with love and kindness toward all creatures, who care for the poor …
Question.—What is the condition of children who die before attaining the age of discretion or before the appointed time of birth?
Sarah Farmer opened Green Acre in 1894 for the study of all religions. After she visited ‘Abdu’l-Bahá its courses turned towards the Bahá’í teachings, and when the Master came in 1912 He called it hallowed ground.
May the glances of Him Whom God shall make manifest illumine this letter at the primary school.
This is an epistle from this lowly servant to the All-Glorious Lord—He Who hath been aforetime and will be hereafter made manifest.
O ‘Abdu’s-Sáhib! Verily God and every created thing testify that there is none other God but Me, the Almighty, the Best Beloved...
This is an Epistle from God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, unto Sulaymán in the land of Masqát, to the right of the Sea.
All majesty and glory, O my God, and all dominion and light and grandeur and splendour be unto Thee.
All men have proceeded from God and unto Him shall all return.
All praise be to God Who hath, through the power of Truth, sent down this Book unto His servant, that it may serve as a shining light for all mankind...
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. All praise be unto God Who was Ever-Existent ere created things were called into being, when there was no one else besides Him.
Are ye wickedly scheming, according to your selfish fancies, an evil plot against Him Who is the Most Great Remembrance of God?
As a token of pure justice, We have indeed sent tidings unto every Prophet concerning the Cause of Our Remembrance, and verily God is supreme over all the peoples of the world.
As this physical frame is the throne of the inner temple, whatever occurs to the former is felt by the latter.
As to those who deny Him Who is the Sublime Gate of God, for them We have prepared, as justly decreed by God, a sore torment.
As to those who have debarred themselves from the Revelation of God, they have indeed failed to understand the significance of a single letter of the Qur’án, nor have they obtained the slightest notion of the Faith of Islám …
At the time of the appearance of Him Whom God shall make manifest, wert thou to perform thy deeds for the sake of the Point of the Bayán, they would be regarded as performed for one other than God …
At the time of the manifestation of Him Whom God shall make manifest everyone should be well trained in the teachings of the Bayán, so that none of the followers may outwardly cling to the Bayán and thus forfeit their allegiance unto Him.
Be thou content with the commandment of God, the True One, inasmuch as sovereignty, as recorded in the Mother Book by the hand of God, is surely invested in Him Who is His Remembrance...
Be Thou patient, O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn, for God hath indeed pledged to establish Thy sovereignty throughout all countries and over the people that dwell therein.
Better is it for a person to write down but one of His verses than to transcribe the whole of the Bayán and all the books which have been written in the Dispensation of the Bayán.
By My glory!
Consecrate Thou, O my God, the whole of this Tree unto Him, that from it may be revealed all the fruits created by God within it for Him through Whom God hath willed to reveal all that He pleaseth.
Consider how at the time of the appearance of every Revelation, those who open their hearts to the Author of that Revelation recognize the Truth, while the hearts of those who fail to apprehend the Truth are straitened by reason of their shutting themselves out from Him.
Consider the manifold favours vouchsafed by the Promised One, and the effusions of His bounty which have pervaded the concourse of the followers of Islám to enable them to attain unto salvation.
Do men imagine that We are far distant from the people of the world?
Do not say, ‘How can He speak of God while in truth His age is no more than twenty-five?’
Do Thou ordain for me, O Lord, every good thing Thou hast created or wilt create, and shield me from whatever evil Thou abhorrest from among the things Thou hast caused or wilt cause to exist.
Doth it seem strange to the people that We should have revealed the Book to a man from among themselves in order to purge them and give them the good tidings that they shall be rewarded with a sure stance in the presence of their Lord?
Everyone is eagerly awaiting His appearance, yet since their inner eyes are not directed towards Him sorrow must needs befall Him.
This is an Epistle from Him Who is the true, the undoubted Leader.
O Sherif!...
The substance wherewith God hath created Me is not the clay out of which others have been formed.
Glory be unto Him Who knoweth all that is in the heavens and in the earth.
Fear ye God and breathe not a word concerning His Most Great Remembrance other than what hath been ordained by God, inasmuch as We have established a separate covenant regarding Him with every Prophet and His followers.
From the beginning that hath no beginning all men have bowed in adoration before Him Whom God shall make manifest and will continue to do so until the end that hath no end.
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Thou art in truth the King of kings. Thou dost confer sovereignty upon whomsoever Thou willest and dost seize it from whomsoever Thou willest.
Glorified be Thy Name, O Lord!
Glorified is He besides Whom there is none other God. In His grasp He holdeth the source of authority, and verily God is powerful over all things.
He is God, the Supreme Ruler, the Sovereign Truth, He Whose help is implored by all.
Glory be to Thee, O God! Thou art the God Who hath existed before all things, Who will exist after all things and will last beyond all things.
He is the Almighty. Glory be unto Him Who is the Lord of all that are in the heavens and on the earth; He is the All-Wise, the All-Informed.
Glory be unto Thee, O God. How can I make mention of Thee while Thou art sanctified from the praise of all mankind.
Glory be unto Thee, O Lord!
Glory be unto Thee, O Lord my God! I beg Thee to forgive me and those who support Thy Faith. Verily Thou art the sovereign Lord, the Forgiver, the Most Generous.
Glory be unto Thee, O Lord my God!
Glory be unto Thee, O Lord, Thou Who hast brought into being all created things, through the power of Thy behest.
God, besides Whom there is none other true God, saith: Indeed, whoso visiteth the Remembrance of God after His passing, it is as though he hath attained the presence of the Lord, seated upon His mighty Throne.
God had, in truth, proposed Our Mission unto the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to bear it and were afraid thereof.
God hath, at all times and under all conditions, been wholly independent of His creatures.
God is sanctified from His servants and no direct relationship ever existeth between Him and any created thing, while ye have all arisen at His bidding.
God loveth those who are pure. Naught in the Bayán and in the sight of God is more loved than purity and immaculate cleanliness....
God, of a truth, revealed unto Me in the sacred house of the Ka’bah, ‘Verily, I am God, no God is there but Me.
God testifieth that there is none other God but Him. His are the kingdoms in the heavens and on the earth and all that is between them.
God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the Best Beloved.
Gracious God! Within the domains of Islám there are at present seven powerful sovereigns ruling the world. None of them hath been informed of His [the Báb’s] Manifestation, and if informed, none hath believed in Him.
In the Name of God, the Lord of overpowering majesty, the All-Compelling.
He—glorified be His mention—resembleth the sun.
Hearken unto the Voice of Thy Lord calling from Mount Sinai, ‘Verily there is no God but Him, and I am the Most Exalted One Who hath been veiled in the Mother Book according to the dispensations of Providence.’
How can I praise Thee, O Lord, for the evidences of Thy mighty splendour and for Thy wondrous sweet savours which Thou hast imparted to Me in this fortress, in such measure that nothing in the heavens or on the earth can compare with them?
How great the number of people who deck themselves with robes of silk all their lives, while clad in the garb of fire, inasmuch as they have divested themselves of the raiment of divine guidance and righteousness …
How numerous the souls raised to life who were exposed to dire humiliation in Thy Path for exalting Thy Word and for glorifying Thy divine Unity!
How vast the number of people who are well versed in every science, yet it is their adherence to the holy Word of God which will determine their faith …
How veiled are ye, O My creatures, ... who, without any right, have consigned Him unto a mountain [Mákú], not one of whose inhabitants is worthy of mention...
I adjure Thee by Thy might, O my God! Let no harm beset me in times of tests, and in moments of heedlessness guide my steps aright through Thine inspiration.
I am aware, O Lord, that my trespasses have covered my face with shame in Thy presence, and have burdened my back before Thee, have intervened between me and Thy beauteous countenance …
I am the Mystic Fane which the Hand of Omnipotence hath reared.
I beg Thee to forgive me, O my Lord, for every mention but the mention of Thee, and for every praise but the praise of Thee, and for every delight but delight in Thy nearness, and for every pleasure but the pleasure of communion with Thee …
I beg Thy forgiveness, O my God, and implore pardon after the manner Thou wishest Thy servants to direct themselves to Thee.
I implore Thee by the splendour of the light of Thy glorious face, the majesty of Thine ancient grandeur and the power of Thy transcendent sovereignty to ordain for us at this moment every measure of that which is good and seemly and to …
I swear by the most holy Essence of God—exalted and glorified be He—that in the Day of the appearance of Him Whom God shall make manifest a thousand perusals of the Bayán cannot equal the perusal of a single verse to be revealed by Him Whom God shall make manifest.
If at the time of the appearance of Him Whom God will make manifest all the dwellers of the earth were to bear witness unto a thing whereunto He beareth witness differently, His testimony would be like unto the sun …
Immeasurably exalted art Thou, O my God, above the endeavours of all beings and created things to praise Thee and recognize Thee.
Immeasurably glorified and exalted art Thou. How can I make mention of Thee, O Thou the Beloved of the entire creation; and how can I acknowledge Thy claim, O Thou, before Whom every created thing standeth in awe.
In the manifestation of the Apostle of God all were eagerly awaiting Him, yet thou hast heard how He was treated at the time of His appearance, in spite of the fact that if ever they beheld Him in their dreams they would take pride in them.
In the Name of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Holy.
In this Revelation the Lord of the universe hath deigned to bestow His mighty utterances and resplendent signs upon the Point of the Bayán, and hath ordained them as His matchless testimony for all created things.
Indeed We conversed with Moses by the leave of God from the midst of the Burning Bush in the Sinai and revealed an infinitesimal glimmer of Thy Light upon the Mystic Mount and its dwellers, whereupon the Mount shook to its foundations and was crushed into dust...
A short prayer of the Báb, the last of the prayers given in Selections from the Writings of the Báb, beginning "Is there any Remover of difficulties save God?"
Issue forth from your cities, O peoples of the West and aid God ere the Day when the Lord of mercy shall come down unto you in the shadow of the clouds with the angels circling around Him, exalting His praise and seeking forgiveness for such as have truly believed in Our signs.
It behooveth you to await the Day of the appearance of Him Whom God shall manifest.
It is better to guide one soul than to possess all that is on earth, for as long as that guided soul is under the shadow of the Tree of Divine Unity, he and the one who hath guided him will both be recipients of God’s tender mercy …
It is not permissible to ask questions from Him Whom God will make manifest, except that which well beseemeth Him.
It is recorded in a tradition that of the entire concourse of the Christians no more than seventy people embraced the Faith of the Apostle of God.
It is seemly that the servant should, after each prayer, supplicate God to bestow mercy and forgiveness upon his parents.
Know thou that in the Bayán purification is regarded as the most acceptable means for attaining nearness unto God and as the most meritorious of all deeds.
He is God, the Sovereign Ruler, the Ever-Living, He Whose help all men implore.
Thou art God, no God is there but Thee. Lauded and glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Thou art supreme over the realm of being and Thy power pervadeth all created things.
Lauded be Thy Name, O God. Thou art in truth our Lord; Thou art aware of whatsoever is in the heavens and on the earth.
Lauded be Thy Name, O Lord our God! Thou art in truth the Knower of things unseen. Ordain for us such good as Thine all-embracing knowledge can measure.
Let Me set forth some rational arguments for thee. If someone desireth to embrace the Faith of Islám today, would the testimony of God prove conclusive for him?
Likewise consider the manifestation of the Point of the Bayán.
Magnified be Thy Name, O God. Thine in truth are the Kingdoms of Creation and Revelation, and verily in our Lord have we placed our whole trust.
No created thing shall ever attain its paradise unless it appeareth in its highest prescribed degree of perfection.
O Concourse of the faithful!
O God our Lord! Protect us through Thy grace from whatsoever may be repugnant unto Thee and vouchsafe unto us that which well beseemeth Thee.
O Hour of the Dawn! Ere the resplendent glory of the divine Luminary sheddeth its radiance from the Dayspring of this Gate, call thou to mind that the appointed Day of God will indeed be at hand in less than the twinkling of an eye.
O King of Islám!
O Lord! Enable all the peoples of the earth to gain admittance into the Paradise of Thy Faith, so that no created being may remain beyond the bounds of Thy good-pleasure.
O Lord! Render victorious Thy forbearing servants in Thy days by granting them a befitting victory, inasmuch as they have sought martyrdom in Thy path.
O Lord! Thou art the Remover of every anguish and the Dispeller of every affliction. Thou art He Who banisheth every sorrow and setteth free every slave, the Redeemer of every soul.
O Lord! Unto Thee I repair for refuge and toward all Thy signs I set my heart. O Lord! Whether travelling or at home, and in my occupation or in my work, I place my whole trust in Thee.
O My God! I have failed to know Thee as is worthy of Thy glory, and I have failed to fear Thee as befitteth my station.
O My God, my Lord and my Master! I have detached myself from my kindred and have sought through Thee to become independent of all that dwell on earth and ever ready to receive that which is praiseworthy in Thy sight.
O My God, O my Lord, O my Master! I beg Thee to forgive me for seeking any pleasure save Thy love, or any comfort except Thy nearness, or any delight besides Thy good-pleasure, or any existence other than communion with Thee.
O My God! There is no one but Thee to allay the anguish of my soul, and Thou art my highest aspiration, O my God.
O My servants! This is God’s appointed Day which the merciful Lord hath promised you in His Book; wherefore, in very truth, glorify ye abundantly the name of God while treading the Path of the Most Great Remembrance...
O People of Persia! Are ye not satisfied with this glorious honour which the supreme Remembrance of God hath conferred upon you?
O People of the Bayán! Be on your guard; for on the Day of Resurrection no one shall find a place to flee to. He will shine forth suddenly, and will pronounce judgement as He pleaseth.
O People of the Bayán! If ye believe in Him Whom God shall make manifest, to your own behoof do ye believe. He hath been and ever will remain independent of all men.
O People of the earth!
O People of the earth! To attain the ultimate retreat in God, the True One, are we to seek a Gate other than this exalted Being?...
O People of the Qur’án! Ye are as nothing unless ye submit unto the Remembrance of God and unto this Book.
O Peoples of the earth!
O Peoples of the earth!
O Peoples of the earth! Verily the true God calleth saying: He Who is the Remembrance is indeed the sovereign Truth from God, and naught remaineth beyond truth but error, and naught is there beyond error save fire, irrevocably ordained...
O Peoples of the East and the West!
O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! I recognize in Thee none other except the ‘Great Announcement’—the Announcement voiced by the Concourse on high.
O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! Say: Verily I am the One Who is hailed in the Mother Book as the ‘Great Announcement’.
O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn!
O Qurratu’l-‘ayn!
O Spirit of God!
O Thou cherished Fruit of the heart! Give ear to the melodies of this mystic Bird warbling in the loftiest heights of heaven.
O Thou Remnant of God! I have sacrificed myself wholly for Thee; I have accepted curses for Thy sake, and have yearned for naught but martyrdom in the path of Thy love.
O Thou the Supreme Word of God!
O Thou who art the chosen one among women! He is God; glorified is the splendour of His light.
O ye concourse of the believers! Utter not words of denial against Me once the Truth is made manifest, for indeed the mandate of the Báb hath befittingly been proclaimed unto you in the Qur’án aforetime.
O ye kinsmen of the Most Great Remembrance!
O ye peoples of the earth!
O ye peoples of the earth! During the time of My absence I sent down the Gates unto you. However the believers, except for a handful, obeyed them not.
O ye peoples of the earth! Hearken unto My call, ringing forth from the precincts of this sacred Tree—a Tree set ablaze by the pre-existent Fire: There is no God but Him; He is the Exalted, the All-Wise.
O ye servants of God! Verily, be not grieved if a thing ye asked of Him remaineth unanswered, inasmuch as He hath been commanded by God to observe silence, a silence which is in truth praiseworthy.
O Ye unto whom the Bayán is given!
O Ye who are invested with the Bayán!
O Ye who are invested with the Bayán! Ye shall be put to proof, even as those unto whom the Qur’án was given.
On the Day of Resurrection when He Whom God will make manifest cometh unto you, invested with conclusive proofs, ye shall hold His Cause as being devoid of truth …
The Qayyúmu'l-Asmá', the Báb's commentary on the Súrih of Joseph, whose first chapter He revealed on the night of His Declaration in May 1844, and its opening words as given in Selections from the Writings of the Báb.
Ponder likewise the Dispensation of the Apostle of God which lasted twelve hundred and seventy years till the dawn of the manifestation of the Bayán.
Ponder upon the people unto whom the Gospel was given.
Praise be to God that He hath enabled us to become cognizant of Him Whom God shall make manifest in the Day of Resurrection, so that we may derive benefit from the fruit of our existence and be not deprived of attaining the presence of God.
Praise be to Thee, O Lord, my Best Beloved! Make me steadfast in Thy Cause and grant that I may be reckoned among those who have not violated Thy Covenant nor followed the gods of their own idle fancy.
Praise be unto Thee, O Lord. Forgive us our sins, have mercy upon us and enable us to return unto Thee.
Praised and glorified art Thou, O God! Grant that the day of attaining Thy holy presence may be fast approaching.
Recite ye as much as convenient from this Qur’án both at morn and at eventide, and chant the verses of this Book, by the leave of the eternal God, in the sweet accents of this Bird which warbleth its melody in the vault of heaven.
Rid thou thyself of all attachments to aught except God, enrich thyself in God by dispensing with all else besides Him, and recite this prayer: Say: God sufficeth all things above all things …
Say, by reason of your remembering Him Whom God shall make manifest and by extolling His name, God will cause your hearts to be dilated with joy, and do ye not wish your hearts to be in such a blissful state?
Say, God is the Lord and all are worshippers unto Him. Say, God is the True One and all pay homage unto Him. This is God, your Lord, and unto Him shall ye return.
Say, God shall of a truth cause your hearts to be given to perversity if ye fail to recognize Him Whom God shall make manifest; but if ye do recognize Him God shall banish perversity from your hearts...
Say, He Whom God shall make manifest will surely redeem the rights of those who truly believe in God and in His signs, for they are the ones who merit reward from His presence.
In the Name of Thy Lord, the Creator, the Sovereign, the All-Sufficing, the Most Exalted, He Whose help is implored by all men.
He is God, the Sovereign Lord, the All-Glorious. Say: Praise be to God Who graciously enableth whomsoever He willeth to adore Him.
Say, verily God hath caused all created things to enter beneath the shade of the tree of affirmation, except those who are endowed with the faculty of understanding.
Say, ye will be unable to recognize the One True God or to discern clearly the words of divine guidance, inasmuch as ye seek and tread a path other than His.
Send down Thy blessings, O my God, upon the Tree of the Bayán, upon its root and its branch, its boughs, its leaves, its fruits and upon whatsoever it beareth or sheltereth.
Should a person lay claim to a cause and produce his proofs, then those who seek to repudiate him are required to produce proofs like unto his.
Should it be Our wish, it is in Our power to compel, through the agency of but one letter of Our Revelation, the world and all that is therein to recognize, in less than the twinkling of an eye, the truth of Our Cause....
Since all men have issued forth from the shadow of the signs of His Divinity and Lordship, they always tend to take a path, lofty and high.
Since that Day is a great Day it would be sorely trying for thee to identify thyself with the believers.
Since thou hast faithfully obeyed the true religion of God in the past, it behooveth thee to follow His true religion hereafter, inasmuch as every religion proceedeth from God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
This is that which We have revealed for the First Believer in Him Whom God shall make manifest, that it may serve as an admonition from Our presence unto all mankind.
Take heed to carefully consider the words of every soul, then hold fast to the proofs which attest the truth.
The acts of Him Whom God shall make manifest are like unto the sun, while the works of men, provided they conform to the good-pleasure of God, resemble the stars or the moon...
The angels and the spirits, arrayed rank upon rank, descend, by the leave of God, upon this Gate ...’ and circle round this Focal Point in a far-stretching line.
The Bayán shall constitute God’s unerring balance till the Day of Resurrection which is the Day of Him Whom God will make manifest.
The Day of Resurrection is a day on which the sun riseth and setteth like unto any other day.
The divine Revelation associated with the advent of Him Who is your promised Mihdí hath proved far more wondrous than the Revelation wherewith Muḥammad, the Apostle of God, was invested.
The evidence set forth by God can never be compared with the evidences produced by any one of the peoples and kindreds of the earth; and beyond a shadow of doubt no evidence is set forth by God save through the One Who is appointed as His supreme Testimony.
The evidences which the people demanded from the Apostle of God through their idle fancy have mostly been rejected in the Qur’án, even as in the Súrih of the Children of Israel [Súrih XVII] it hath been revealed: ‘And they say …
The glory of glories and the most resplendent light rest upon Thee, O my God.
The glory of Him Whom God shall make manifest is immeasurably above every other glory, and His majesty is far above every other majesty.
The Lord hath, in truth, inspired Me: Verily, verily, I am God, He besides Whom there is none other God, and I am indeed the Ancient of Days...
The One true God may be compared unto the sun and the believer unto a mirror.
The people, during the absence of the Báb, re-enacted the episode of the Calf by setting up a blaring figure which embodied animal features in human form ...
The reason why privacy hath been enjoined in moments of devotion is this, that thou mayest give thy best attention to the remembrance of God, that thy heart may at all times be animated with His Spirit, and not be shut out as by a veil from thy Best Beloved.
The recognition of Him Who is the Bearer of divine Truth is none other than the recognition of God, and loving Him is none other than loving God.
The revelation of the Divine Reality hath everlastingly been identical with its concealment and its concealment identical with its revelation.
The substance of this chapter is this, that what is intended by the Day of Resurrection is the Day of the appearance of the Tree of divine Reality …
There is no doubt that the Almighty hath sent down these verses unto Him [the Báb], even as He sent down unto the Apostle of God.
There is no paradise, in the estimation of the believers in the Divine Unity, more exalted than to obey God’s commandments, and there is no fire in the eyes of those who have known God and His signs …
This Book which We have sent down is indeed abounding in blessings and beareth witness to the Truth, so that the people may realize that the conclusive Proof of God in favour of His Remembrance is similar to the one wherewith Muḥammad …
This Religion is indeed, in the sight of God, the essence of the Faith of Muḥammad; haste ye then to attain the celestial Paradise and the all-highest Garden of His good-pleasure in the presence of the One True God …
This Remembrance is indeed the glorious Remnant of the Light of God, and He will be best for you, if ye in very truth remain faithful to God, the Most Exalted...
Thou art aware, O My God, that since the day Thou didst call Me into being out of the water of Thy love till I reached fifteen years of age I lived in the land which witnessed My birth [Shíráz].
Thou beholdest how vast is the number of people who go to Mecca each year on pilgrimage and engage in circumambulation, while He, through the potency of Whose Word the Ka’bah [the sanctuary in Mecca] hath become the object of adoration, is forsaken in this mountain.
Thou hast asked concerning the fundamentals of religion and its ordinances: Know thou that first and foremost in religion is the knowledge of God.
Thou knowest full well, O my God, that tribulations have showered upon me from all directions and that no one can dispel or transmute them except Thee.
Thou seest, O my Lord, my dwelling-place in the heart of this mountain and Thou dost witness my forbearance.
Through Thy revelation, O my God, Thou hast enabled me to know Thee, and through the radiance of Thine effulgent splendour Thou hast inspired me with Thy remembrance.
Throughout eternity Thou hast been, O my Lord, and wilt ever remain the One true God, while all else save Thee are needy and poor.
Thy letter hath been perused. Were the truth of this Revelation to be fully demonstrated with elaborate proofs, all the scrolls that exist in the heaven and on the earth would be insufficient to contain them.
Twelve hundred and seventy years have elapsed since the declaration of Muḥammad, and each year unnumbered people have circumambulated the House of God [Mecca].
Unto every people We have sent down the Book in their own language.
Verily God hath caused the people of the Bayán to be called into being through the power of Him unto Whom the Bayán was revealed, in preparation for the Day when they will return to their Lord.
In the Name of God, the Most Exalted, the Most High. Verily I am God, no God is there but Me, and aught except Me is but My creation.
Verily I am Thy servant, O my God, and Thy poor one and Thy suppliant and Thy wretched creature.
Verily, on the First Day We flung open the gates of Paradise unto all the peoples of the world, and exclaimed: ‘O all ye created things!
Verily such as ridicule the wondrous, divine Verses revealed through His Remembrance, are but making themselves the objects of ridicule, and We, in truth, aid them to wax in their iniquity.
Verily We made the revelation of verses to be a testimony for Our message unto you.
Vouchsafe unto me, O my God, the full measure of Thy love and Thy good-pleasure, and through the attractions of Thy resplendent light enrapture our hearts, O Thou Who art the Supreme Evidence and the All-Glorified.
Whenever the faithful hear the verses of this Book being recited, their eyes will overflow with tears and their hearts will be deeply touched by Him Who is the Most Great Remembrance for the love they cherish for God, the All-Praised.
Worship thou God in such wise that if thy worship lead thee to the fire, no alteration in thine adoration would be produced, and so likewise if thy recompense should be paradise.
Ye perform your works for God from the beginning of your lives till the end thereof, yet not a single act is for the sake of Him Who is the Manifestation of God, to Whom every good deed reverteth.
O peoples of the world! The Sun of Truth hath risen to illumine the whole earth, and to spiritualize the community of man.
O thou dear handmaid of God! Thy letter hath been received and its contents noted. Thou didst ask for a rule whereby to guide thy life.
My wish is that these children should receive a Bahá’í education, so that they may progress both here and in the Kingdom, and rejoice thy heart.
O ye who have peace of soul!
O true companions! All humankind are as children in a school, and the Dawning-Points of Light, the Sources of divine revelation, are the teachers, wondrous and without peer.
The education and training of children is among the most meritorious acts of humankind and draweth down the grace and favour of the All-Merciful …
O loved ones of God and handmaids of the Merciful! A large body of scholars is of the opinion that variations among minds and differing degrees of perception are due to differences in education, training and culture.
As to the difference between that material civilization now prevailing, and the divine civilization which will be one of the benefits to derive from the House of Justice, it is this: material civilization …
Among the greatest of all services that can possibly be rendered by man to Almighty God is the education and training of children, young plants of the Abhá Paradise, so that these children, fostered by grace in the way of salvation …
Ye should consider the question of goodly character as of the first importance.
O ye recipients of the favours of God! In this new and wondrous Age, the unshakeable foundation is the teaching of sciences and arts.
As to the organization of the schools: if possible the children should all wear the same kind of clothing, even if the fabric is varied.
The root cause of wrongdoing is ignorance, and we must therefore hold fast to the tools of perception and knowledge.
In this holy Cause the question of orphans hath the utmost importance.
O handmaid of God!... To the mothers must be given the divine Teachings and effective counsel, and they must be encouraged and made eager to train their children, for the mother is the first educator of the child.
O ye loving mothers, know ye that in God’s sight, the best of all ways to worship Him is to educate the children and train them in all the perfections of humankind; and no nobler deed than this can be imagined.
O ye two well-loved handmaids of God! Whatever a man’s tongue speaketh, that let him prove by his deeds. If he claimeth to be a believer, then let him act in accordance with the precepts of the Abhá Kingdom.
O thou daughter of the Kingdom! Thy letters were received. Their contents indicated that thy mother hath ascended to the invisible realm and that thou hast been left alone.
Know thou of a certainty that Love is the secret of God’s holy Dispensation, the manifestation of the All-Merciful, the fountain of spiritual outpourings.
O my dear children! Your letter was received.
O thou whose years are few, yet whose mental gifts are many!
As to thy question regarding the education of children: it behoveth thee to nurture them at the breast of the love of God, and urge them onward to the things of the spirit, that they may turn their faces unto God …
O thou who gazest upon the Kingdom of God!
The Sunday school for the children in which the Tablets and Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh are read, and the Word of God is recited for the children is indeed a blessed thing.
The changing of teachers should be neither too frequent nor too much delayed; moderation is preferable.
O thou servant of the One true God! In this universal dispensation man’s wondrous craftsmanship is reckoned as worship of the Resplendent Beauty.
Thy letter was received. I hope that thou mayest be protected and assisted under the providence of the True One, be occupied always in mentioning the Lord and display effort to complete thy profession.
O Friends of the Pure and Omnipotent God! To be pure and holy in all things is an attribute of the consecrated soul and a necessary characteristic of the unenslaved mind.
O thou daughter of the Kingdom! Thy letter dated 5 December 1918 was received.
O thou distinguished physician!... Praise be to God that thou hast two powers: one to undertake physical healing and the other spiritual healing.
When giving medical treatment turn to the Blessed Beauty, then follow the dictates of thy heart.
There are two ways of healing sickness, material means and spiritual means.
O thou who art attracted to the fragrant breathings of God! I have read thy letter addressed to Mrs. Lua Getsinger.
O thou who art voicing the praises of thy Lord! I have read thy letter, wherein thou didst express astonishment at some of the laws of God, such as that concerning the hunting of innocent animals, creatures who are guilty of no wrong.
O ye beloved of the Lord! The Kingdom of God is founded upon equity and justice, and also upon mercy, compassion, and kindness to every living soul.
O thou handmaid of God! The heavenly glad tidings must be delivered with the utmost dignity and magnanimity. And until a soul ariseth with qualities which are essential for the bearer of these tidings, his words will take no effect.
O ye two blessed souls! Your letters were received.
Thou didst ask as to the transfiguration of Jesus, with Moses and Elias and the Heavenly Father on Mount Tabor, as referred to in the Bible.
O thou yearning flame, thou who art afire with the love of God!
O thou dear handmaid of God! Praise thou God, because thou art favoured at His Holy Threshold, and cherished in the Kingdom of His might.
O thou who hast drawn nigh unto the spirit of Christ in the Kingdom of God!
O lover of humankind! Thy letter hath been received, and it telleth, God be praised, of thy health and well-being.
Thou didst write as to the question of spiritual discoveries.
O thou handmaid afire with the love of God! I have considered thine excellent letter, and thanked God for thy safe arrival in that great city.
O ye sons and daughters of the Kingdom! Thankful, the birds of the spirit seek only to fly in the high heavens and to sing out their songs with wondrous art.
O thou who hast eyes to see! That which thou didst witness is the very truth, and it pertaineth to the realm of vision.
O captive of the love of God! The letter which thou didst write at the time of thy departure hath been received.
O thou handmaid aflame with the fire of God’s love! Grieve thou not over the troubles and hardships of this nether world, nor be thou glad in times of ease and comfort, for both shall pass away.
O thou believer in the oneness of God! Know thou that nothing profiteth a soul save the love of the All-Merciful, nothing lighteth up a heart save the splendour that shineth from the realm of the Lord.
As to the question regarding the soul of a murderer, and what his punishment would be, the answer given was that the murderer must expiate his crime: that is, if they put the murderer to death, his death is his atonement for his crime …
O thou handmaid of God! In this day, to thank God for His bounties consisteth in possessing a radiant heart, and a soul open to the promptings of the spirit.
O thou son of the Kingdom! Thy most agreeable letters, with their pleasing style, ever gladden our hearts. When the song is of the Kingdom, it rejoiceth the soul.
O thou flame of God’s love! What thou hast written hath brought great joy, for thy letter was as a garden from which roses of inner meanings spread abroad the sweet exhalations of the love of God.
O thou servant of the Holy Threshold! We have read what flowed out from thy pen in thy love for God, and found the contents of thy letter most pleasing.
O ye who are strongly attracted! O ye who are mindful! O ye who are advancing unto the Kingdom of God!
Grieve thou not over the ascension of my beloved Breakwell, for he hath risen unto a rose garden of splendours within the Abhá Paradise, sheltered by the mercy of his mighty Lord, and he is crying at the top of his voice …
As to thy question, doth every soul without exception achieve life everlasting?
O ye illumined loved ones and ye handmaids of the Merciful!
O thou sincere and loyal handmaid of the Lord! I have read thy letter. Thou art truly attached to the Kingdom and devoted to the All-Glorious Horizon.
O thou who seekest the Kingdom of heaven! This world is even as the body of man, and the Kingdom of God is as the spirit of life.
O ye two seekers after truth! Your letter was received and its contents noted.
O ye two faithful and assured souls! The letter was received. Praise be to God, it imparted good tidings. California is ready for the promulgation of the Teachings of God.
O my God! O my God!
Thou hadst asked about fate, predestination and will. Fate and predestination consist in the necessary and indispensable relationships which exist in the realities of things.
O thou lady of the Kingdom! Praise thou God that in this age, the age of the dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh, thou hast been awakened, hast been made aware of the Manifestation of the Lord of Hosts.
O ye two patient souls! Your letter was received.
O ye who are the chosen ones of the Abhá Kingdom!
O thou seeker of the Kingdom! Thy letter was received. Thou hast written of the severe calamity that hath befallen thee—the death of thy respected husband.
O thou beloved maidservant of God, although the loss of a son is indeed heart-breaking and beyond the limits of human endurance, yet one who knoweth and understandeth is assured that the son hath not been lost but, rather …
Praise be to God, thy heart is engaged in the commemoration of God, thy soul is gladdened by the glad tidings of God and thou art absorbed in prayer.
Those souls that, in this day, enter the divine kingdom and attain everlasting life, although materially dwelling on earth, yet in reality soar in the realm of heaven.
Mortal charm shall fade away, roses shall give way to thorns, and beauty and youth shall live their day and be no more.
O thou who art attracted to the Kingdom of God! Every soul seeketh an object and cherisheth a desire, and day and night striveth to attain his aim.
O living flame of heavenly love! Thine heart hath been so fired with the love of God that from ten thousand leagues afar its warmth and radiance may be felt and seen.
O maidservant of God! Thy letter dated 9 December 1918 was received. Its contents were noted. Never lose thy trust in God.
O thou possessor of a seeing heart! Although, materially speaking, thou art deprived of physical sight, yet, praise be to God, spiritual insight is thine.
I hope that in this nether world thou shalt attain unto heavenly light, thou wilt free the souls from the gloom of nature, which is the animal kingdom, and cause them to reach lofty stations in the human kingdom.
Regarding the statement in The Hidden Words, that man must renounce his own self, the meaning is that he must renounce his inordinate desires, his selfish purposes and the promptings of his human self …
O ye who are holding fast unto the Covenant and Testament! This day, from the realms of the All-Glorious, from the Kingdom of Holiness where hosannas of glorification and praise rise up, the Company on high direct their gaze upon you.
O thou daughter of the Kingdom! Thy letter was received. It was like the melody of the divine nightingale, whose song delighteth the hearts.
O ye blessed souls!
O ye friends and maidservants of the Merciful! From the Spiritual Assembly of Los Angeles a letter hath been received.
O thou who art firm in the Covenant! Three consecutive letters have been received from thee.
O thou who art firm in the Covenant! Thy letter was received. Thou hast expressed satisfaction with the Convention, that this gathering hath been the means of the elevation of the Cause of God and the demonstration of the power of His Word.
Today, every wise, vigilant and foresighted person is awakened, and to him are unveiled the mysteries of the future which show that nothing save the power of the Covenant is able to stir and move the heart of humanity …
Praise be to Him through Whose splendours the earth and the heavens are aglow, through Whose fragrant breathings the gardens of holiness that adorn the hearts of the chosen are trembling for joy, to Him Who hath shed His light and brightened the face of the firmament.
Thou seest me, O my God, bowed down in lowliness, humbling myself before Thy commandments, submitting to Thy sovereignty, trembling at the might of Thy dominion, fleeing from Thy wrath, entreating Thy grace, relying upon Thy forgiveness, shaking with awe at Thy fury.
O thou who hast been sore afflicted on the pathway of the Covenant!
Today, the Lord of Hosts is the defender of the Covenant, the forces of the Kingdom protect it, heavenly souls tender their services, and heavenly angels promulgate and spread it broadcast.
It is daybreak, and from the rising-point of the invisible realms of God, the light of unity is dawning; and streaming and beating down from the hidden world of the Kingdom of oneness there cometh a flood of abounding grace.
O ye the sincere loved ones of the Abhá Beauty! In these days the Cause of God, the world over, is fast growing in power and, day by day, is spreading further and further to the utmost bounds of the earth.
O thou exalted bough of the divine Lote-Tree! ...When thou art disdained and rejected by the wicked doers be not cast down; and at the power and stiffneckedness of the presumptuous be neither vexed nor sick at heart; for such is the way of heedless souls, from time out of mind.
O thou who art steadfast in the Covenant! Thy letter of 9 September 1909 hath been received. Be thou neither grieved nor despondent over what hath come to pass.
O thou servant of God! Do not grieve at the afflictions and calamities that have befallen thee. All calamities and afflictions have been created for man so that he may spurn this mortal world—a world to which he is much attached.
O thou who art enamoured of the breaths of God! I have read thy letter, which cried out with thy love for God and thine irresistible attraction to His Beauty, and its wondrous theme did cheer my heart.
O ye sincere ones, ye longing ones, ye who are drawn as if magnetized, ye who have risen up to serve the Cause of God, to exalt His Word and scatter His sweet savours far and wide!
O my Lord!
O my spiritual loved ones!
O thou who art carried away by the love of God! The Sun of Truth hath risen above the horizon of this world and cast down its beams of guidance.
O ye lovers of truth, ye servants of humankind! Out of the flowering of your thoughts and hopes, fragrant emanations have come my way, wherefore an inner sense of obligation compelleth me to pen these words.
O thou who art enamoured of the Covenant!
O ye respected souls! From the continual imitation of ancient and worn-out ways, the world had grown dark as darksome night.
Praise be to Him Who hath rent the dark asunder, hath blotted out the night, hath drawn aside the coverings and torn away the veils; Whose light thereupon shone out, Whose signs and tokens were spread abroad, and His mysteries laid bare.
O ye who have turned your faces toward the Exalted Beauty!
O ye servants of the Sacred Threshold!
O ye servants of the Blessed Beauty!... It is clear that in this day, confirmations from the unseen world are encompassing all those who deliver the divine Message.
O thou distinguished personage, thou seeker after truth! Thy letter of 4 April 1921, hath been read with love.
O ye roses in the garden of God’s love! O ye bright lamps in the assemblage of His knowledge! May the soft breathings of God pass over you, may the Glory of God illumine the horizon of your hearts.
When the friends do not endeavour to spread the message, they fail to remember God befittingly, and will not witness the tokens of assistance and confirmation from the Abhá Kingdom nor comprehend the divine mysteries.
It is at such times that the friends of God avail themselves of the occasion, seize the opportunity, rush forth and win the prize.
The teaching work should under all conditions be actively pursued by the believers because divine confirmations are dependent upon it.
Follow thou the way of thy Lord, and say not that which the ears cannot bear to hear, for such speech is like luscious food given to small children.
My hope from the grace of the One true Lord is that thou wilt be enabled to spread the fragrances of God among the tribes.
Rest assured that the breathings of the Holy Spirit will loosen thy tongue.
The teacher, when teaching, must be himself fully enkindled, so that his utterance, like unto a flame of fire, may exert influence and consume the veil of self and passion.
O ye sons and daughters of the Kingdom! Your letter, which was surely inspired of heaven, hath been received. Its contents were most pleasing, its sentiments arising out of luminous hearts.
O thou who art turning thy face towards God! Close thine eyes to all things else, and open them to the realm of the All-Glorious.
The Lord of all mankind hath fashioned this human realm to be a Garden of Eden, an earthly paradise.
O ye who are steadfast in the Covenant!
O ye homeless and wanderers in the Path of God!
O ye sons and daughters of the Kingdom! Your letter was received. From its contents it was known that, praise be to God, your hearts are in the utmost purity and your souls rejoice in the glad tidings of God.
O thou servant of God! Thy letter was received. Its contents were lofty and sublime, and its aim high and far-reaching.
O ye concourse of the Kingdom of Abhá!
O thou servant of God! Thy letter was received, and was the cause of gladness. Thou hast expressed thine ardent wish that I should attend the Peace Congress.
O sincere servant of the True One! I hear thou art grieved and distressed at the happenings of the world and the vicissitudes of fortune.
O thou who dost search after truth! Thy letter of 13 December 1920 hath come.
O respected personage! Thy second letter dated 19 December 1918 was received.
O thou blossom on the Tree of Life!
As to President Wilson, the fourteen principles which he hath enunciated are mostly found in the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh and I therefore hope that he will be confirmed and assisted.
O ye faithful friends, O ye sincere servants of Bahá’u’lláh!
O thou who art enraptured by the sweet breathings of the Lord!
O God, my God! Illumine the brows of Thy true lovers and support them with angelic hosts of certain triumph.
O Thou, my God, Who guidest the seeker to the pathway that leadeth aright, Who deliverest the lost and blinded soul out of the wastes of perdition, Thou Who bestowest upon the sincere great bounties and favours …
Whoso reciteth this prayer with lowliness and fervour will bring gladness and joy to the heart of this Servant; it will be even as meeting Him face to face.
O spiritual youth! Praise thou God that thou hast found thy way into the Kingdom of Splendours, and hast rent asunder the veil of vain imaginings, and that the core of the inner mystery hath been made known unto thee.
O thou handmaid of God!
O thou who seekest the Kingdom of Heaven! Thy letter hath been received and its contents noted. The Holy Manifestations of God possess two stations: one is the physical station, and one the spiritual.
In cycles gone by, each one of the Manifestations of God hath had His own rank in the world of existence, and each hath represented a stage in the development of humanity.
O leaf upon the Tree of Life! The Tree of Life, of which mention is made in the Bible, is Bahá’u’lláh, and the daughters of the Kingdom are the leaves upon that blessed Tree.
O thou who art captivated by the truth and magnetized by the Heavenly Kingdom!
Existence is of two kinds: one is the existence of God which is beyond the comprehension of man.
O thou who art dear, and wise! Thy letter dated 27 May 1906 hath been received and its contents are most pleasing and have brought great joy.
O ye handmaids of the Lord! In this century—the century of the Almighty Lord—the Day-Star of the Realms above, the Light of Truth, shineth in its meridian splendour and its rays illuminate all regions.
O servant of God!
O thou who art serving the world of humanity! Thy letter was received and from its contents we felt exceedingly glad.
O army of God! A letter signed jointly by all of you hath been received. It was most eloquent and full of flavour, and reading it was a delight.
O ye two favoured handmaids of the Lord! The letter from Mother Beecher hath been received, and truly it spoke for you both, wherefore I address the two of you together.
O handmaid of God, who tremblest even as a fresh and tender branch in the winds of the love of God!
O handmaid of God! Thy letter hath been received, bringing its news that an Assembly hath been established in that city.
Praise be to Him Who hath made the world of being, and hath fashioned all that is, Him Who hath raised up the sincere to a station of honour and hath made the invisible world to appear on the plane of the visible—yet still, in their drunken stupor, do men wander and stray.
O thou who art steadfast in the Covenant, and staunch! The letter which thou didst write ... hath been shown to me, and the opinions expressed therein were most commendable.
O ye co-workers who are supported by armies from the realm of the All-Glorious!
The prime requisites for them that take counsel together are purity of motive, radiance of spirit, detachment from all else save God, attraction to His Divine Fragrances, humility and lowliness amongst His loved ones …
The members thereof must take counsel together in such wise that no occasion for ill-feeling or discord may arise.
The first condition is absolute love and harmony amongst the members of the assembly.
O ye true friends! Your letter hath been received and it brought great joy. God be praised, ye had made ready an entertainment and established the feast which is to be held every nineteen days.
O ye loyal servants of the Ancient Beauty! In every cycle and dispensation, the feast hath been favoured and loved, and the spreading of a table for the lovers of God hath been considered a praiseworthy act.
Thy letter hath been received. Thou didst write of the Nineteen Day festivity, and this rejoiced my heart. These gatherings cause the divine table to descend from heaven, and draw down the confirmations of the All-Merciful.
The world’s great Light, once resplendent upon all mankind, hath set, to shine everlastingly from the Abhá Horizon, His Kingdom of fadeless glory, shedding splendour upon His loved ones from on high and breathing into their hearts and souls the breath of eternal life.
As to the Nineteen Day Feast, it rejoiceth mind and heart. If this feast be held in the proper fashion, the friends will, once in nineteen days, find themselves spiritually restored, and endued with a power that is not of this world.
O servant of the One true God! The Lord be praised, the loved ones of God are found in every land, and are, one and all, neath the shadow of the Tree of Life and under the protection of His good providence.
Ye have written as to the meetings of the friends, and how filled they are with peace and joy.
It befitteth the friends to hold a gathering, a meeting, where they shall glorify God and fix their hearts upon Him, and read and recite the Holy Writings of the Blessed Beauty—may my soul be the ransom of His lovers!
Whensoever a company of people shall gather in a meeting place, shall engage in glorifying God, and shall speak with one another of the mysteries of God, beyond any doubt the breathings of the Holy Spirit will blow gently over them, and each shall receive a share thereof.
We hear that thou hast in mind to embellish thy house from time to time with a meeting of Bahá’ís, where some among them will engage in glorifying the All-Glorious Lord...
Thou hast asked about places of worship and the underlying reason therefor.
O ye peoples of the Kingdom!
Although to outward seeming the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár is a material structure, yet it hath a spiritual effect.
O Lord, O Thou Who dost bless all those who stand firm in the Covenant by enabling them, out of their love for the Light of the World, to expend what they have as an offering to the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár …
O my well-beloved daughter of the Kingdom! The letter thou hadst written to Dr. Esslemont was forwarded by him to the Land of Desire [The Holy Land].
O ye blessed souls! The letter ye had written to Rahmatu’lláh hath been perused.
The Mashriqu’l-Adhkár is one of the most vital institutions in the world, and it hath many subsidiary branches.
O thou favoured handmaid of the heavenly Kingdom! Thy letter hath been received.
O thou who hast sought illumination from the light of guidance!
O thou lady of the Kingdom! Thy letter sent from New York hath been received.
O ye who are firm in the Covenant and the Testament! Your letter was received and your blessed names were one by one perused.
Thou hast written concerning organization. The divine teachings and the admonitions and exhortations of Bahá’u’lláh are manifestly evident.
O thou ignited candle! Thy letter was received.
O thou beloved maidservant of God! Thy letter was received and its contents revealed the fact that the friends, in perfect energy and vitality are engaged in the propagation of the heavenly teachings.
O thou true friend! Read, in the school of God, the lessons of the spirit, and learn from love’s Teacher the innermost truths.
O daughter of the Kingdom! Thy letter hath come and its contents make clear the fact that thou hast directed all thy thoughts toward acquiring light from the realms of mystery.
O bird that singeth sweetly of the Abhá Beauty! In this new and wondrous dispensation the veils of superstition have been torn asunder and the prejudices of eastern peoples stand condemned.
Strive with heart and soul in order to bring about union and harmony among the white and the black and prove thereby the unity of the Bahá’í world wherein distinction of colour findeth no place, but where hearts only are considered.
O thou who hast an illumined heart! Thou art even as the pupil of the eye, the very wellspring of the light, for God’s love hath cast its rays upon thine inmost being and thou hast turned thy face toward the Kingdom of thy Lord.
O thou revered maidservant of God! Thy letter from Los Angeles was received.
O thou who art pure in heart, sanctified in spirit, peerless in character, beauteous in face!
O respected personage! I have read your work, The Gospel of Wealth, and noted therein truly apposite and sound recommendations for easing the lot of humankind.
O thou who art turning thy face to God! Thy letter was received. From its contents it became known that thy wish is to serve the poor.
Those souls who during the war have served the poor and have been in the Red Cross Mission work, their services are accepted at the Kingdom of God and are the cause of their everlasting life.
O thou who art firm in the Covenant, thy letter was received.
O thou dear handmaid of God! Thy letter hath been received, and its contents were noted.
As for the question regarding marriage under the Law of God: first thou must choose one who is pleasing to thee, and then the matter is subject to the consent of father and mother.
O thou memento of him who died for the Blessed Beauty! In recent days, the joyful news of thy marriage to that luminous leaf hath been received, and hath infinitely gladdened the hearts of the people of God.
O ye my two beloved children! The news of your union, as soon as it reached me, imparted infinite joy and gratitude.
O thou who art firm in the Covenant! The letter thou hadst written on 2 May 1919 was received. Praise thou God that in tests thou art firm and steadfast and art holding fast to the Abhá Kingdom.
O thou whose heart overfloweth with love for the Lord!
O God, my God!
O thou who hast bowed thyself down in prayer before the Kingdom of God!
O ye two believers in God! The Lord, peerless is He, hath made woman and man to abide with each other in the closest companionship, and to be even as a single soul.
O thou maidservant of God!
O handmaids of the beauty of Abhá! Your letter hath come, and its perusal brought great joy.
O handmaids of the Lord! The spiritual assemblage that ye established in that illumined city is most propitious.
O handmaids of the Merciful! Render ye thanks unto the Ancient Beauty that ye have been raised up and gathered together in this mightiest of centuries, this most illumined of ages.
There are certain pillars which have been established as the unshakeable supports of the Faith of God.
Were there no educator, all souls would remain savage, and were it not for the teacher, the children would be ignorant creatures.
Thou didst write as to the children: from the very beginning, the children must receive divine education and must continually be reminded to remember their God.
In the first chapter of the Qayyúmu'l-Asmá', revealed on the night of His Declaration in 1844, the Báb calls on the kings to carry His verses to the peoples of Turkey and India and to lands in the East and the West.
In the Persian Bayán, revealed in the fortress of Máh-Kú, the Báb asks the believer, after each prayer, to beg God's mercy and forgiveness for his parents, and promises a thousandfold recompense.
Writing home from Constantinople while her husband Ali-Kuli Khan was away, Florence Khan described with humour her quiet life, her devotion to him, and the ‘guardians’ he had set to watch over her.
Leroy Ioas recalled that Shoghi Effendi lived only for the Cause of God, rejoicing at news of the believers' victories and grieving at their sufferings, his heart like a mirror reflecting all parts of the world.
Rúhíyyih Khánum describes Shoghi Effendi as a small, sensitive and mischievous child who grew into a man of iron constitution and will, and recalls his hazel eyes and wonderfully expressive face.
Leroy Ioas recalled Shoghi Effendi telling how, unwilling to become Guardian after ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s passing, he went to the mountains of Switzerland and fought with himself until he conquered himself, and that every Bahá’í must do the same.
Soon after reaching London in 1911, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá warmly greeted the Rev. R. J. Campbell; on 10 September He gave His first public address in the West from the City Temple pulpit and wrote a tribute in its Bible.
Before leaving Denver in September 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was asked about eating meat and explained how God has provided for each creature, saying that man was created blessed and not rapacious and bloodthirsty.
Lady Blomfield describes how Ásíyih Khánum, Bahíyyih Khánum, Munírih Khánum and the Master’s daughters bore the long years of privation in ‘Akká without complaint, meeting every hardship with radiant acquiescence.
As an infant Bahá'u'lláh never cried. At five or six He dreamt that birds and fishes attacked Him without harming Him, and an interpreter told His father that the peoples of the world would assail Him in vain.
Shaykh Maḥmúd, a religious leader of 'Akká, went to the barracks to kill Bahá'u'lláh and was twice turned back by messages that read his intentions. After a dream recalled a childhood prophecy, he returned and became a devoted believer.
In the Síyáh-Chál in 1852, Bahá'u'lláh's fellow prisoners were called out one by one to their deaths. The executioner, who had grown friendly to Him, would afterwards tell Him how each had died.
Chained in two rows in the Síyáh-Chál in 1852, Bahá'u'lláh's fellow prisoners chanted each night the verses He had taught them, until the sound carried to the Sháh's palace nearby.
Aḥmad of Yazd set out from Baghdád to reach Bahá'u'lláh in Adrianople. In Constantinople he received the Tablet revealed for him, and instead of going on he returned to Persia to teach.
During His third visit to Paris in 1913, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sometimes ate only milk and bread in the evening, calling it a healthy meal and recalling that Bahá’u’lláh had lived mostly on milk in Sulaymáníyyih.
Walking home with Shoghi Effendi in Haifa, Leroy Ioas heard the Guardian describe the burdens weighing on him and offered to take on his papers. With tears in his eyes, the Guardian answered that only God could give him relief.
Before travelling to the West of America, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wished first to visit Montreal, where May Maxwell, founder of the first Bahá’í community in France, had established the first permanent Bahá’í community in Canada.
When the Governor of ‘Akká insulted the newly arrived prisoners and one of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s attendants answered him in rage, the Master rebuked the attendant on the spot. The Governor’s attitude changed, and he began to treat the prisoners more humanely.
When war broke out and Haifa feared bombardment, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá accepted the invitation of the Druze chief of Abu-Sinan and moved the Bahá’ís and their children to his village, where they lived simply and recovered their health and calm.
In April 1913 'Abdu'l-Bahá visited Budapest, where about eight hundred people heard His public address. He charged Leopold Stark with uniting those likely to form the first nucleus of the Faith in the city.
In 1914 'Abdu'l-Bahá advised Agnes Alexander to go to Japan. Her 1916 letter from Tokyo, printed in the Star of the West, tells of her weekly meetings, the students who came to her, and the Esperantists who helped spread the teachings.
The first Bahá'í House of Worship was begun about 1902 at 'Ishqábád in Russian Central Asia. In 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá held it up to the American believers as the example for their own Temple.
In a Tablet to Mrs. Harriet Cline of Los Angeles, printed in the Star of the West in 1913, 'Abdu'l-Bahá praised her firmness in the Covenant and asked her to make others firm in it.
In 1925, the year the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada took the place of the Bahá'í Temple Unity, the annual Convention met at Green Acre in Maine.
In June 1917 the Star of the West looked ahead to the summer at Green Acre, the Maine conference ground founded by Sarah Farmer, and printed words 'Abdu'l-Bahá had spoken after His return to the Holy Land, praising the place for offering *a free and unrestricted platform* to people of every nation and religion.
In October 1918, soon after British forces took Haifa, the *Star of the West* printed a telegram with the news the American Bahá'ís had waited for through the war: *Master well and protected.*
In a 1922 talk printed in the Star of the West, Martha Root remembered Mírzá Ḥaydar-'Alí, who endured years of prison, set out as a very old man from the Holy Land for Persia without even a donkey, and was called the Angel of the believers.
In January 1927 the Star of the West printed the obituary of Howard MacNutt, the early New York believer who died on December 26, 1926, and who had compiled, at the request of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the Master's American addresses published as The Promulgation of Universal Peace.
In 1914 the Star of the West reprinted a letter from 'Akká describing Indian pilgrims at Haifa, among them a young Hindu of high caste, living in the pilgrim house with Zoroastrians, Jews and Muslims, and the Master's daily service to the people of 'Akká.
In 1916 the Star of the West printed the Tablet in which 'Abdu'l-Bahá urged Agnes Alexander to go directly to Japan, and her letter from Tokyo about the weekly Friday meetings and Fukuta San, the first Japanese Bahá'í in Japan.
Juliet Thompson's diary records how, in April 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had her change a thousand-franc note into quarters for the men of New York's Bowery Mission, and how He gave the coins that were left to a hotel chambermaid.
Keith Ransom-Kehler went to Persia in 1932 to appeal for the lifting of the ban on Bahá'í literature. She died of smallpox in Isfahán in October 1933, and the Guardian called her the American believers' first and distinguished martyr.
On 27 April 1920 'Abdu'l-Bahá was knighted at Haifa for His relief of famine in the Holy Land during the First World War. The Star of the West printed a Persian believer's account of the ceremony.
When little Leslie Armstrong of Montreal died in January 1913, his parents recalled that 'Abdu'l-Bahá had filled the boy's hands with fruit, kissed him, and said he would be a shining light for God.
In 1911 Louis G. Gregory spent four days in London on his way home from visiting 'Abdu'l-Bahá. The London Bahá'ís wrote that a few such men, aflame with God's Word, could change the problems between the races.
The Star of the West reproduced the one-line cable in which the Greatest Holy Leaf announced 'Abdu'l-Bahá's passing, and in later issues printed accounts of His last days and funeral.
In a letter printed in March 1912, May Maxwell described Montreal's preparation for 'Abdu'l-Bahá's visit: talks heard by socialists and labour groups, and a friendly article in the leading Canadian newspaper.
The first issues of the Star of the West in 1910 carried letters from Tehran about Dr. Susan I. Moody: a reception in her honour, and her own news of a hospital, a Mashriqu'l-Adhkár and a school for girls.
Back from Haifa in the spring of 1922, Mountfort Mills told the American Bahá'ís at their convention about meeting Shoghi Effendi, the young Guardian appointed in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Will.
In early 1922 the Star of the West printed the first detailed American accounts of the passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Haifa on 28 November 1921 and of His funeral on Mount Carmel.
In March 1911 the Star of the West reported that the Persian-American Educational Society had sent seven hundred dollars to Tehran and enrolled sixty-three scholarships, and printed 'Abdu'l-Bahá's request for two American teachers for the Tarbíyat School.
The first issue of the Star of the West, then called Bahai News, carried a photograph of Mírzá Mihdí, the Purest Branch, and an account of his fatal fall in the barracks of 'Akká and his one request to Bahá'u'lláh.
In June 1913 the Star of the West printed Edward Theodore Hall's tribute to Sarah Ann Ridgway, a silk weaver of Pendleton and the first Bahá'í in Manchester, who taught the Faith there quietly for many years.
In April 1919 the Star of the West printed part of a letter Elizabeth H. Stewart wrote in Tehran in November 1918, describing teaching meetings, a luncheon to which every Persian man brought his wife, and the hardships of the war years.
In 1919 the Star of the West reported the unveiling of nine of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Tablets of the Divine Plan at the Convention of the Covenant in New York, and printed them in the issues that followed.
On September 8, 1916, in the middle of the First World War, the Star of the West printed five Tablets from 'Abdu'l-Bahá to the Bahá'ís of the Northeastern, Western, Southern and Central States and of Canada, the first of the Tablets of the Divine Plan to reach America.
Thornton Chase, the first American believer, died in Los Angeles on September 30, 1912, while 'Abdu'l-Bahá was travelling west to California. The Star of the West told of his last days, and less than three weeks later the Master visited his grave.
In words printed in the Star of the West in June 1913, 'Abdu'l-Bahá described three kinds of persecution He met in 'Akká. The chains and the accusations of spies were easy to bear; the bitter words and criticisms of the friends were not.
At Los Angeles on October 19, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá told the believers not to look at their small number: if they attained faith, firmness and self-sacrifice, even two people would be equivalent in strength of character to the whole world.
At his last meeting with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the United States, Stanwood Cobb was embraced and told three times, “Be on fire with the love of the Kingdom!” He later reflected that these nine words summed up the Master’s teaching.
In Paris in 1913, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá asked Stanwood Cobb, then teaching at a travel school for boys, whether he taught spiritual things. Cobb answered that there was no time, and the Master’s silence showed him that spiritual things should come first.
Visiting ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in ‘Akká in 1908 while troubled by depression, Stanwood Cobb was visited in his room by the Master, Who sat beside him and held his hand. From that moment, Cobb wrote, his depressive moods left him for good.
Stanwood Cobb recalled that joy was the keynote of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s teaching: He would greet visitors with “Are you happy?”, smile at the tears of the unhappy, and sometimes wipe those tears away with His own hands.
Stanwood Cobb took his elderly father to meet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Boston and was shocked when his father spent the interview expounding his own spiritual views. The Master smiled and listened, and the father came away feeling he had had a wonderful interview.
Stanwood Cobb recalled how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave His addresses: pacing as He spoke, then smiling and nodding while the translator rendered His words, so that each talk became “a work of art, as well as a spiritual service.”
Stanwood Cobb recalls ‘Abdu’l-Bahá teaching that Bahá’ís must endure people even when they are unendurable, and beaming as He said it, as if such patience would be a joy.
Bahíyyih Khánum recalls that strife grieved Bahá’u’lláh because of the unhappiness it brought others, and that He would take the blame upon Himself to restore peace.
Sending Lua Getsinger to India in 1913, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told her that no storm could change His purpose, and urged her to strive day and night for the same firmness.
When an unfriendly Governor of ‘Akká fell from office, the Master sent him a ring and good wishes; when another official demanded His cloak, He gave him His only one and promised a better.
In New York on 19 June 1912, as Juliet Thompson painted His portrait, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá appointed Lua Getsinger the Herald of the Covenant and declared Himself the Covenant appointed by Bahá’u’lláh.
Rúḥíyyih Khánum recalls her marriage to Shoghi Effendi on 25 March 1937: a quiet visit to the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh, a ring, and no celebration, flowers or wedding dress.
Reserved by nature, Sutherland Maxwell first planned to lodge ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in a Montreal hotel, but the day before He came bought new furniture for Him and begged Him at the station to stay in their home.
In August 1910 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá quietly left Haifa for Egypt, His first departure from the Holy Land in forty-two years; Sydney Sprague and His attendant describe how no one knew beforehand.
In a Tablet to the House of Spirituality of Chicago, 'Abdu'l-Bahá tells the friends not to grieve at storms of trial, for after the storm "the divine spring will arrive."
262 Announce greeting on my behalf to the two young Japanese263 and…
Announce on my behalf respectful greeting to the maid-servant of God, Madam ........., and say …
As to [what thou hast heard concerning] the child born from Russian parentage, this is pure imagination.
300 Convey my respectful greeting to Mr. ......... and say: “Praise be to God! that there exists in thee capacity and endowment to enter into the Kingdom of God, and that thy wisdom and intelligence are known to the republic.301…
317 Convey my respectful greeting to Mrs. ......... and say: “We hope that day by day thou mayest take higher flights, attain to greater spiritual attractions, thy word become more penetrative through the power of the Spirit and…
Convey my respectful greetings to [Dr.] ... and say: “Have confidence in heavenly bounty and be sure of the favor of the Lord of the Kingdom. Soon thou shalt see that the East hath embraced the West and that the Occident and Orient are…
El-Baha, praise, light, blessing and peace be upon thee, O thou fire of the Love of God, thou light of the Kingdom of God, thou radiance of the Gift of God, thou peerless pearl in the Sea of the Mercy of God, thou sturdy lion in the Jungle of the Guidance of God!
Express my affection to Mrs. ... and say: “The grace of God hath chosen thee and distinguished thee for His love, that thou mayest thank Him, a thousand times in every moment. Because of this bounty, you must choose to serve the maid-servants of the Merciful.”
“In reality thou art spiritually hungry and athirst for the Water of Life. Therefore I send thee spiritual food and bestow upon thee the Water of Life Eternal. That food is the divine advices and exhortations revealed in the Tablets and…
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I supplicate unto Thee, O Thou my Helper! I invoke Thee, O Thou my Refuge! I utter to Thee my agonies, O Thou my Physician, and entreat Thee with all my heart, my soul and my spirit, saying: O my God!
Glory be unto Thee, O my God!
Glory be unto Thee, O Thou whose mercy hath encompassed all things, whose gift is made perfect, whose power hath encircled the world, whose proof is demonstrated, whose signs have become manifest, whose words are promulgated …
He is God! O ye heavenly Assemblage! Your letter was received and its contents became known. Ye have written concerning the printing and publication of the Tablets.
Honorable Dr. ......... According to what is heard you have received the permission of medication and the certificate of graduation (diploma) from the College of Medicine.
I ask God that thou mayest find a perceiving eye, an attentive ear and an eloquent tongue; that thou mayest loosen thy tongue in delivering the Cause of God, promoting the Word of God in that country …
If you arise in accord with the exhortations and commands of the Blessed Perfection—may my life be a sacrifice to His beloved ones! —before long agreeable results will be obtained …
130 Inquire after the health of Miss .........., send her my greeting and say: “Many ideas rise up in the human mind; some of them concern truth and some untruth. Among such ideas those which owe their source to the Light of Truth will…
“It is hoped that wonderful effects will be displayed in the future, that the friends of God may live and act in accord with the heavenly teachings, in order that the region of America may become the Paradise of Abha, that desert and…
My God! My God! Elohim.
My God! My God! I am a servant, miserable, humbled, submissive and low at the door of Thy Oneness, supplicating Thee with a heart full of Thy love and a face rejoiced at Thy glad-tidings!
My Lord! My Lord! Thou hast caused me to hear the Call, guided me unto the sea of favor, awakened me through Thy fragrant breeze, and quickened me by the spirit of Thy greatest guidance.
O attracted maid-servant of God! The epistle written (and sent) through Mirza...... was received.
O bird of the Rose-garden of Fidelity! Be of no cheerless heart; have no wing nor feather broken; sigh not, neither do thou wail, and sit not chilled in a corner.
O bird without a nest! It is reported thy home and shelter is burnt, thy resting place and habitation is become desolate.
“O Compassionate God! Thanks be to Thee for Thou hast awakened and made (me) conscious. Thou hast given me a seeing eye and favored me with a hearing ear; hast led me to Thy Kingdom and guided me to Thy Path. Thou hast shown me the…
O dear servant of God! Observe how dear thou wert that He guided thee to the Kingdom of Light, and how near to His Threshold, that He granted thee admission into His Court.
O God! O God!
O God! O thou Attracted of the hearts of the favored ones toward the Manifest Horizon!
O God who art without likeness! The servant of Thy Kingdom, Mr. ........, reached the Holy Threshold in the utmost of sincerity and longing and sought Thy good will.
O God! Grant Washington happiness and peace! Illuminate that land with the light of the faces of the friends, make it a paradise of Glory, let it become an envy of the green gardens of the earth!
O heavenly one! The maid-servant of God ... hath praised thee!
O Lord! O Beloved! The truthful servant, Mr. ........, abandoned home, left his native land and crossed the great ocean until he reached the shore of the Holy Land and arrived at the Blessed Spot.
“O loving God! I am a young child, a suppliant, a captive. Be Thou my refuge, my support, my protector. I am in distress: give me the means of tranquillity. I am needy: bestow upon me the treasure of the Kingdom. I am dead: give me the…
O maid-servant of God, thou who hast given up thy life to the service of the Kingdom of God!
O maid-servant of God, who art supplicating unto the Sublime Kingdom!
O maid-servant of God who art swayed like a strong branch by the breeze of God!
O maid-servant of God! Thy letter reached me and I prayed God to bless thee by His heavenly blessing in thy marriage with Mr. ........ and to confirm both of you with comfort and repose and the turning of your heart to the Kingdom of God.
O maid-servant of the Beauty of Abha! The valued epistle was received and the contents understood.
O my dear friend!
O my dear, intimate friend!
O my God, my God! I am a servant attracted to Thee, humbly coming to the door of Thy Oneness and addressing the kingdom of Thy mercy.
O my God! O my God!
O my God! O my God! These are servants who have turned to Thy Kingdom and hearkened unto Thy voice.
O my Lord, my Beloved, my Desire!
O my Lord, my Hope! Praise be unto Thee, for Thou hast sent down unto us this spiritual table, supreme benefit and heavenly blessing.
O my Lord! O my Lord! I am a child of tender years. Nourish me from the breast of Thy mercy, train me in the bosom of Thy love, educate me in the school of Thy guidance and develop me under the shadow of Thy bounty!
O my Lord! Thou knowest that the people are encircled with pain and calamities and are environed with hardships and trouble.
O my spiritual beloved! The days of association and intimacy are not forgotten and the sweetness of that love and meeting is still tasted in my heart.
O my spiritual friends! What you have written is perused, all of which was an entreaty and invocation unto God and a desire for devotion unto the Most High.
O my tender friend! Verily, the union between myself and thee is on a solid foundation and a well made basis. Neither the winds can remove it nor the events of time annihilate it.
O seeker of the truth! There are two ways of healing diseases, the material way and the spiritual way. The first is the remedies of the physician; the second prayers and turning one’s self to God.
O seeker of Truth!
O servant of Baha’! Thy letter written to his honor, Mirza ........, with the enclosed map of the ground of the Mashrak-el-Azcar, hath been seen.
O servant of God! What thou hast written and that which thou hast retained in mind are evident. Appreciate Mrs. ...... who reminds you of God and explains His divine mysteries.
O servants of the Blessed Beauty! It is a well known fact that, owing to the frequency of disturbances, the work of delivering the Message hath been for a short time discontinued.
O Spiritual Assembly! Everything produces an impression in existence and results in the course of ages.
O Spiritual ........! Thy letter is received; likewise that of Mr. ........ Print soon the booklet (Mirza Badi Ullah’s Epistle to the Bahai world) and spread it broadcast.
O thou dear friend! The maid-servant of God ........ hath remembered thee in her letter and hath thus made my heart busy with thy thought.
O thou advancer to God! Verily, I have read thy brilliant letter which is elegantly composed. I supplicate God to alleviate thy trials and look upon thee with the eye of His mercy under all aspects.
O thou advancing maid-servant of God! Thy letter was received and I was informed of its contents. Thanks be to God! thou art guided to the Light of guidance and hast attained to this most great gift.
O thou artery pulsating in the body of the world! Verily I read thy recent letter which indicated conscious joy and abundant happiness from the glad-tidings of the Kingdom of El-Abha.
O thou at whose mention I am rejoiced! By God, the True One, verily pure hearts are as clear and brilliant mirrors which imprint the one on the other, and hearts discover the secrets of hearts.
O thou attracted maid-servant of God! This is a blessed address.
O thou attracted one of the Kingdom! The epistle was received; likewise the enclosed epistle was read. The personage (Mr. .........) is in reality enraptured with the truth and seeketh the discovery of the mysteries of God.
O thou attracted one! Thy letter was an evidence of the happiness and rejoicing of thy heart and soul and a proof of knowing the True One and severing thyself from all else save Him.
O thou bearer of the Great-tidings of the Kingdom of God! Thy letter was received.
O thou believer in God! Thy letter was received and from its contents happiness was realized. It was a proof of faith and assurance and of firmness in the Covenant and Testament.
O thou beloved and benevolent daughter of the Kingdom of God!
O thou beloved maid-servant of God! The letter, which thou hast forwarded through Mrs. ........ was received.
O thou beloved of my heart! Verily, my soul longs for thee, for the lamp of the love of Baha’ is lighted within thy heart and I love to look upon thy face, for it is glittering with the light of guidance among the creatures.
O thou bird of pleasing tones! Thy little book of poems, which were very sweet, was read. It was a source of joy, for it was a spiritual anthem and a melody of the love of God.
O thou bird of the Garden of God! Why art thou sad and sorrowful, disappointed and grieved!
O thou bird of the Rose-garden of the Kingdom! In appearance there hath some time elapsed since news hath been received from thee, but in spirit the arrival of the news is uninterrupted.
O thou bird of the Rose-garden of the Love of God!
O thou bird warbling in the Garden of the Love of God!
O thou bird who art warbling in the Garden of the Guidance of God!
O thou blooming rose in the garden of the Love of God! Verily, the heavenly angels address thee from the Supreme Horizon, saying …
O thou bright pearl! Endeavor, and spare no effort, and hasten to the Kingdom of thy Lord, the Lord of the shining and clear evidences and arguments.
O thou candle of the Love of God!
O thou candle shining by the light of the Love of God! That which thou hast inscribed and conceived of in thy mind was manifest and clear.
O thou child of the Kingdom and firm in the Covenant!
O thou confident leaf!
O thou confident soul who art content and patient!
O thou confirmed by an inspiration from the Kingdom! Blessed thou art, for thou hast delivered the Word of thy Lord to ........, the maid-servant of God!
O thou cup overflowing with the Wine of the Love of God! Know, verily, that the doors of the Kingdom are being opened to the East and West.
O thou darling dear! Turn thy face toward the Supreme Kingdom and chant thou this commune: O Thou Pure God!
O thou daughter of the Kingdom! Thank and praise God that He hath cause thee to drink from the cup of the gifts and caused thee to suckle from the bosom of guidance while yet very young and didst possess but a few years of age.
O thou dazzling gem by the light of the Love of God!
O thou dear and honorable! I received thy last letter through his honor ........ and its contents imparted to me spiritual joy, for it indicated the high and good friendship between thee and the respectful maid-servant of God, .........
O thou dear friend! What thou hast written was perused.
O thou dear maid-servant of God! Thy likeness (photograph) was received through Mrs. .......... and was seen. The light of faith shone in thy brow and the smile of the Kingdom in thy face.
O thou dear one! Blessed art thou, for thou hast entered into the bosom of the training of God and drunk the cup of knowledge while thou art young in age among girls.
O thou dear servant of God! Thy letter was received and its contents noted.
O thou dear sister! The letter arrived at a time when—praise be to God! —calamities and sufferings in the path of God have surrounded us from every direction and arrows and darts are flying from every bow.
O thou dear wise man! They letter was considered. Its contents were in the utmost of beauty and great joy was realized therefrom.
O thou effulgence of the Kingdom! I read thy letter and was informed of thy speech, the contents of which were full of the feelings within thy consciousness, and of thy spiritual sympathies.
O thou esteemed maid-servant of God! Be thou hopeful and be thou happy and rejoiced.
O thou esteemed maid-servant of the Loving Lord! What thou hast written in recommendation of a number of Christians was perused.
O thou esteemed maid-servant of the Word of God! Praise be to God! upon thy departure from Acca, thou hast been assisted and rendered successful in serving the Kingdom of God.
O thou excellent maid-servant of God!
O thou faithful and confident! Thanks be to God that thou hast obtained that which was sought by all prophets and holy souls; namely, the knowledge of God and the love of god.
O thou faithful maid-servant of God! What thou has written me hath been seen. Indeed thou belongest to the Kingdom and thou turnest towards the Horizon of Abha.
O thou faithful one!
O thou faithful servant of the True One! I received thy letter and its contents caused the utmost joy and fragrance within me, because it showed thy firmness in the Cause of God and proved thy steadfastness in the love of the Word of God.
O thou favored maid-servant in the Threshold of the Almighty!
O thou favored maid-servant of God! Thy letter was received. Thou hast expressed joy on account of thy visit to the friends of Chicago.
O thou favored maid-servant of the Kingdom of God! The letter, which thou hast written, was received.
O thou flame of the Love of God! What thou hast written caused joy, for that letter was like unto a rose-garden whose roses of significances bestowed the sweet odor of the love of God upon the nostrils.
O thou flower of the Rose-garden of God! Thou hast presented thy life. I have also accepted it, in order that thou mayest sacrifice thyself in the path of God and attain to the ultimate desire of the spiritual ones.
O thou flower of the Rose-Garden of the Love of God! The letter which thou hast written was read.
O thou flower perfumed by the Breaths of the Love of God!
O Thou Forgiving Lord! Although certain souls finished the days of life in ignorance, were estranged and selfish, yet the ocean of Thy forgiveness is, verily, able to redeem and make free the sinners by one of its waves.
O thou fortunate and righteous, sincere and pious! Thank thou God for that by reason of which the breath of God hath awakened thee and the spirit of God hath quickened thee and raised thee from among the dead with a joyful spirit of life.
O thou fragrant rose blooming in the Garden of Guidance!
O thou fresh, slender branch saturated with the abundant rain of His bounty!
O thou friend of old and O thou incomparable companion! Many letters have so far been received from thee and lengthy answers have been written to them, but it is strange that they have not reached thee.
O thou gem of the Kingdom and brilliant leaf!
O thou Glorious Lord!
O thou Godlike person and spiritual friend!
O thou handsome child! Thy spiritual father and thy good mother sent me thy radiant picture and I rejoiced on seeing it.
O thou heavenly, brilliant and precious pearl!
O thou herald of the Kingdom of God!
O thou herald of the Kingdom! Thou wast not alone in the trip that thou didst undertake in various places. The spirit and soul of Abdul-Baha was with thee.
O thou honorable lady! Verily, I received thy excellent letter and read it and my heart was gladdened with its content, which shows thy guidance.
O thou honorable one! Thank thou God that that art instructed in music and melody, singing with pleasant voice the glorification and praise of the Eternal, the Living.
O thou honored friend! Verily the sight of Providence is far reaching and the divine glance is perfect. Thou hast always been a recipient of favors and the object of the bounty of the glorious Beauty of Abha.
O thou ignited candle! The real light is the light of the love o God.
O thou illumined maid-servant of God! Thy letter was received. Praise be to God! that thou art assisted and confirmed and, through the light of the love of God, thou art an ignited candle.
O thou illumined youth! Thank thou God, for that the tongues spoke in thy praise and the pends moved with thy love, thy knowledge and thy enkindlement by the fire of the love of God.
O thou kind friend! Thy letter was received and its contents considered. Man must, under all conditions, be thankful to God, the One, for it is said in the blessed text: “If ye be thankful I will increase thee.”
O Thou kind God! That scattered assembly is Thine, and that gathering of friends is of Thee. Their eyes are opened, their hearts in tune with Thy love, and their ears in communion with Thy hidden mysteries.
O thou kind maid-servant of God! Truly, I say, thou art worthy of the service in the Kingdom and art meriting to be a maid-servant in the threshold of the love of the realm of Might.
O thou lamp glowing with the fire of the Love of God! Know that the garden drew near and the paradise hath been adorned with the sweet-basils of the knowledge of God.
O thou lamp ignited by the fire of the Love of God! I ask God to make thee a sign of love, standard of agreement, means of union and harmony and spreader of peace among the people.
O thou lamp of the Love of God!
O thou lamp who art enkindled with the fire of the Love of God!
O thou lamp who art illuminated with the light of the Love of God!
O thou leaf who art moved by the Breeze of God!
O thou leaf who art well watered through the out-pouring of the cloud of favor from God!
O thou lover of humanity! Thy letter was received and its contents imparted spiritual significances.
O thou loving torch, flaming by the fire of the Love of God!
O thou maid-servant of God who art attracted to the Fragrances of God!
O thou maid-servant of God who art attracted unto Him! Verily, I read thy letter and was informed of its words.
O thou maid-servant of God, who art guided to the Light of Guidance!
O thou maid-servant of God! Thy writing was considered.
O thou maid-servant of the Blessed Perfection! Thy letter was received. It was written in Persian. I was very much pleased.
O thou messenger in the command of God! Blessed art thou for guiding ........ unto the Fountain of the Water of Life, caused him to enter the Ark of Safety, demonstrated unto him the manifest signs, and proved to him the elegant proofs.
O thou my beloved friend! For a long time thou didst have the longing to visit the Blessed Spot and the yearning to meet this imprisoned one.
O thou my dear friend, my associate and companion! The times of (our) meeting are still remembered and the sweetness of thy company is lastingly established in the recess of (my) life.
O thou my dear friend! I am now viewing the flowers in the little garden and remembering thy rose-like face. This material rose, although it is beautiful and fragrant, yet it cannot be compared with the beauty of the friends.
O thou my spiritual companion! Two letter have reached me from you, and the contents of both I have considered.
O thou near servant to the Threshold of God! Thy letter was received and thy desire became known. Thou wishest to serve the Threshold of God.
O thou opened rose in the garden of El-ABHA! I have perused thy excellently worded letter showing what is moving in thy heart by the emotions of the love of God.
O thou peerless, matchless, glorious martyr!
O thou plant in the Garden of the Kingdom! God created man in the utmost perfection, for He inscribed the edict of the divine likeness on his brow.
O thou plant in the garden of the Love of God! Open the tongue of praise to the Horizon of ABHA, for having received light from Him in the age of youth, and for having been planted by Him in the paradise of glory.
O thou plant of the Garden of the Love of God! Thy letter was received. Its content was of utmost grace and sweetness.
O thou pure and spiritual one!
O Thou Pure God! Gaze providently at the beloved ones and the dear maid-servants in Chicago. Confer upon them Thy bounty and grace.
O thou pure soul who art kindled by the fire of the love of Baha’!
O thou pure soul who art turning toward the Lord of the creatures!
O thou pure soul who hath turned with a submissive heart to the Kingdom of God!
O thou respectful soul! Thy letter with its great and expressive contents gave me satisfaction. It gave utterance to the feelings of thy heart and to thy contentment.
O thou revered sincere one! Know thou, verily, the brilliant realities and sanctified spirits are likened to a shining crescent.
O thou rose of the Rose-Garden of the Love of God! His Holiness Christ—may my spirit be His sacrifice! —said in the Gospel, “Many are called, but few chosen.”
O thou Secretary of the meanings emanated from the hearts of the people of the Kingdom.
O thou seeing one! Know thou, verily, God hath preferred the insight to the sight, because the sight seeth the material things, while the insight apprehendeth the spiritual.
O thou seeker after the Beauty of the True One! What thou hast written was perused. It indicated thy yearning and advancement toward the Kingdom of God.
O thou seeker after Truth! The question of the Trinity, since the time of His Holiness Christ until now, is the belief of the Christians, and to the present time all the learned among them are perplexed and confounded.
O thou seeker of the Divine Kingdom!
O thou seeker of the Heavenly Kingdom! This world resembles the human body and the Kingdom of God is like the spirit of life.
O thou seeker of the Kingdom! Thou hast forwarded thy photograph and it was considered. In thy face a brilliant light is apparent and that sparkling light is the love of God.
O thou seeker of Truth! I received the photograph of thy shining figure and I looked at it with thorough attention.
O thou servant of Baha’! Thy visit is accepted and thy name ever mentioned in the presence of Abdul-Baha. I forget thee not for a moment but remember thee always.
O thou servant of the Beauty of Abha! We considered all that thou hast written. It seems that the maid-servant of God, Mrs. ........., hath arisen to deliver (the truth).
O thou servant of the True One! Thy letter was received. The meeting which was arranged with the utmost union in the studio of Miss ......... was in reality spiritual, merciful and illumined.
O thou servant who art near and dear to the Glorious Threshold!
O thou shining ray! Verily, the ray, being transmitted from the etheric sphere, rends the space and reaches the surface of the earth and dispels the gloomy darkness.
O thou sign of the Kingdom and the bird singing with the most wonderful melodies in the rose-garden of Paradise!
O thou sign of the Love of God!
O thou sincere servant of Baha’o’llah! Thy letter was received and its content was the cause of infinite happiness, for it was an indication of thy firmness in the faith and thy steadfastness in the Covenant and Testament.
O thou sincere servant of God! Be not sad nor sorrowful over what hath occurred. What hath transpired is for the best and in it is a sacred wisdom concealed which ere long will become manifest.
O thou sincere servant of the Lord of the Kingdom! Thou art favored and accepted in the Threshold of His Highness the Incomparable One, and art beloved and praised in the presence of Abdul-Baha.
O thou sincere servant of the True One! Thy letter caused joy to the hearts. Its meanings perfumed the nostrils like unto a tender flower and a red rose.
O thou slave of the Beauty of ABHA! Thy letter was received. Praise be to God! It indicated thy firmness and steadfastness in the love of God—therefore, it was the cause of happiness.
O thou son of the associate and companion of Abdul-Baha! You brought many letters with you from those regions, but on account of the great disturbance it was not possible to write the answers.
O thou son of the Kingdom! Consider the bounty of the Lord and the gifts of thy Creator.
O thou speaker in the remembrance of God! Verily I say unto thee, O servant of God!
O thou spiritual beloved! I have carefully looked at thy picture and found that from thy face emanates the spiritual glad-tidings, the merciful complaisance and the heavenly brightness.
O thou spiritual clarion! The voice of the physical clarion may travel the distance of three miles, but the harmony of the spiritual Clarion reacheth to the East and the West.
O thou spiritual friend!
O thou spiritual lad! May God uphold thee and edify thee in the flower of thy youth and in the spring-time of thy life and may He illumine thy face with the lights of advancement unto God and turning unto the Kingdom of God.
O thou spiritual leaf who art verdant and well-watered by the outpouring from the Kingdom of God!
O thou spiritual maid-servant of God! Thy letter was received and its contents became known. God willing, the vision will become actualized.
O thou spiritual man and merciful being! I have read thy brilliant letter which showeth the utterance of thy praise upon the Beauty of El-ABHA, the Most Glorious.
O thou spiritual person and heavenly man—may God confirm thee!
O thou spiritual son! Verily I have received thy lettter … and its contents were known. I supplicate God to open to thee a way and prepare for thee and guide thee in thy affair.
O thou spiritual temple whose heart is drawn unto the Horizon of Certainty!
O thou spiritual youth and merciful young man!
O thou spiritual youth! Japan hath made wonderful progress in material civilization, but she will become perfect when she also becometh spiritually developed and the power of the Kingdom becometh manifest in her.
O thou Thahbet (Firm) in the Covenant! Thy letter was received. It indicated firmness and steadfastness; therefore, it gave me joy and gladness.
O thou that mirror in which the Light of Guidance is printed!
O thou that virtuous soul and individual who art ready for the confirmation of the Holy Spirit!
O thou thrall of the Lord of the Kingdom! Thy photograph was considered with utmost insight. This picture is an emblem of an enlightened face, that is, a countenance which hath taken a share of the outpouring of the manifest Light.
O thou tree, developed in the garden of the Love of God!
O thou tree planted in the Garden of the Love of God! Although thou art absent in body, yet, praise God! thou art present in spirit and art illuminated by the lights of the Divine Love.
O thou tree planted in the Vineyard of God!
O thou who are enkindled by the fire of the Love of God! Verily, I received thy good and beautiful letter and I found it to be a sign of thy love and an evidence of thy being attracted to the Beauty of El-ABHA.
O thou who are firm in the Covenant! Thou has written regarding the articles and papers which are written by the believers of God and the forwarding of them to this land for correction.
O thou who art a young tree in the Garden of the Love of God!
O thou who art ablaze with the fire of the Love of God!
O thou who art accepted of God! Know thou that, verily, the eye of favors is directed to thee and is beholding thee with a divine glance, so that thou mayest, with clear eyes, see the lights of the Kingdom upon the horizon.
O thou who art acknowledging the Oneness of God!
O thou who art advanced toward God! Thy letter was received. Its contents indicated that thou hast become alive through the spiritual breaths of his honor, Mr. .........
O thou who art advanced toward the Kingdom! Thy letter was received and its contents created joy, for it showed thy faith and assurance.
O thou who art advanced towards God!
O thou who art advancing to the Dawning-point of Lights! Extend the hands of communion unto the sacred and brilliant Threshold and read the following prayer: O my God!
O thou who art advancing to the Kingdom of God! I have considered thy writing, which indicates brightness of heart and the love of God.
O thou who art advancing toward God! Verily I read thy letter of wonderful expression and eloquent composition and thanked God that He hath poured upon thee the bounty of guidance and hath made thy heart a lamp of piety.
O thou who art advancing toward the Divine Kingdom! What thou hast written was understood and noted. Thou hast asked concerning the station of this servant.
O thou who art advancing toward the Kingdom of God! Thy letter was read; its contents had bearing upon Guidance.
O thou who art advancing toward the Kingdom of God!
O thou who art advancing toward the Kingdom! Thy letter was received.
O thou who art advancing toward the Threshold of Mercifulness!
O thou who art advancing towards God! I have already read thy letter sent to his honor, .....
O thou who art advancing towards the Shining Orb of the Horizons!
O thou who art advancing unto God!
O thou who art advancing unto the Face of God!
O thou who art advancing unto the Kingdom of God!
O thou who art afflicted by a visitation by which thine eyes are overflowing with tears!
O thou who art agitated as oceans by the winds blown from the direction of the Kingdom of God!
O thou who art always calling on God! Thank thou God for He hath guided thee to the path of His Kingdom and provided thee with the fruit of the Tree of Life, which is planted in the middle of the Ferdowee (i.e., the highest Paradise).
O thou who art anticipating the appearance of the Gift of God!
O thou who art anticipating the descent of the Gift of God! The sweetness of the expressions contained in thy words reached the taste of my perception and I was informed of the glorious aim embodied in thy sentences.
O thou who art arisen for the service of the Cause of God!
O thou who art assured in God! Verily we read thy letter and asked for thee confirmation. Verily thy Lord will strengthen thee in great spirituality and cause thy heart to overflow with the gifts of God.
O thou who art assuredly believing in God!
O thou who art attached to the Beauty of God! Verily, I was rejoiced when I read thy excellent letter, which portrayed a spiritual attraction and a rejoicing at the (news) of the merciful Kingdom!
O thou who art attracted by a Breath that passed upon thee from the Holy Garden, the Blessed Spot—the Paradise of El-Abha!
O thou who art attracted by the Breath of God!
O thou who art attracted by the Breaths of God! —may God confirm thee!
O thou who art attracted by the brilliant lights of the Merciful One, shining from the Supreme Kingdom!
O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of God and enkindled with the Fire wherein Moses, the Speaker, found Guidance!
O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of God!
O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of Holiness!
O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of the Kingdom of El-Abha!
O thou who art attracted by the Love of God! In the Persian tongue has thou written a letter; I was happy to read it.
O thou who art attracted by the Speech of Abdul-Baha! Verily I speak unto thee through the tongue of my spirit, from the spiritual direction, and explain for thee the mysteries of the kingdom and the meanings of the sacred, heavenly books.
O thou who art attracted by the Word of god to the Kingdom of God!
O thou who art attracted by the Word of God! Verily, I read thy letter which contained new significances.
O thou who art attracted to God!
O thou who art attracted to the Beauty of Abha! For a period of time no news hath been outwardly received from thee, but spiritual communications are continual (between us).
O thou who art attracted to the Beauty of God! Thy letter was received. I ask from God, supplicating and entreating in the Threshold of Oneness, that thy utmost desire may become realized.
O thou who art attracted to the Beauty of the Deity!
O thou who art attracted to the Bounty of El-ABHA!
O thou who art attracted to the Call of the Kingdom! Thy letter was presented and I was informed of thy expression.
O thou who art attracted to the Fire of the Love of God! I am cognizant of all thou hast written in thy letters.
O thou who art attracted to the Fragrances of God!
O thou who art attracted to the Fragrances of Holiness!
O thou who art attracted to the Fragrances of the Garden of the Covenant and art speaking the praise of the Orb of the Universe!
O thou who art attracted to the Holy Fragrances!
O thou who art attracted to the Holy Spirit! It is some time since news hath come from thee, though I have the utmost kindness toward that favored maid-servant of the Threshold of the Almighty.
O thou who art attracted to the Kingdom of God! The letter written by you […] was received. Its contents became evident.
O thou who art attracted to the Kingdom! Thy letter contained meanings full of sweetness. I therefore took it in my hand with the utmost love and became informed of thy desire.
O thou who art attracted to the Light of Guidance!
O thou who art attracted to the Light of the Kingdom!
O thou who art attracted to the Spirit of Truth! In whatsoever matter man wisheth to engage, he must first acquire some capability and make provisions and preparations therefor.
O thou who art attracted to the Word of God!
O thou who art attracted toward the Kingdom!
O thou who art attracted unto the Beauty of ABHA!
O thou who art attracted unto the Beauty of God! Verily I have read thy excellent letter and was gladdened by its wonderful meaning.
O thou who art awakened from the sleep of negligence and forgetfulness!
O thou who art awakened to the Cause of God!
O thou who art baptized by the Spirit of the Love of God! Be rejoiced with this great bounty and gladdened by this mighty gift!
O thou who art calling in the cities, the bearer of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God!
O thou who art calling in the Name of God and heralding unto the Kingdom of God!
O thou who art cheered through the Fragrances of God!
O thou who art cheerful in heart, by the Fragrances of the Merciful!
O thou who art cheerfully moving by the Fragrances of God!
O thou who art commemorating the Name of God! Verily, I read thy interesting letter and my heart was made happy by its beautiful contents.
O thou who art commemorating the praises of God!
O thou who art confessing the Oneness of God!
O thou who art confident in the appearance of the Kingdom of God!
O thou who art conscious! At last thou didst learn of the path of salvation and didst find the straight way. Now remain firm that thou mayest attain confirmation and victory.
O thou who art controlled by the attraction of the Fragrances of God!
O thou who art controlled by the attraction of the Holy fragrances of the gardens of God’s Kingdom!
O thou who art controlled by the attractions of the Fragrance of God!
O thou who art desirous of the Kingdom of God! Thy letter was the cause of happiness and its contents were the proof of thy turning to the Shining Beauty.
O thou who art directed to the Light of Guidance! Thank thou God, for thou hast chanted the verses of the Mighty guidance in the assemblage of knowledge and hast unfurled the banner of attraction in those most extensive places.
O thou who art directed toward the Light of Guidance!
O thou who art directed unto God! Thy revered wife, Mrs. ........, is indeed confirmed by the fragrances of the spirit and rendered victorious by the hosts of the Kingdom.
O thou who art drawn unto God and kindled by the Fire which burned on Mt.
O thou who art enkindled by the fire of the Love of God!
O thou who art enkindled with the fire of the Love of God!
O thou who art enkindled with the Fire of the Love of God! Thy letter was received and I was informed of the contents.
O thou who art esteemed and guarded! Thank God for that by reason of which thy picture hath come into the court of holiness of perfumed breaths.
O thou who art esteemed in the Threshold of the Almighty!
O thou who art exhilarated by the Wine of the Love of God—young in age and old in soul!
O thou who art favored in the Kingdom of the almighty! The letter that thou hast written with the utmost eloquence, compassion, humility and submission of heart and spiritual emotions, hath been read.
O thou who art firm in the Covenant and Testament! Thy letter \\\ was received and its contents became known. Thou hast written regarding the election of a committee.
O thou who art firm in the Covenant of God! Mayest thou enjoy this cup which is overflowing with the pure wine of the love of God!
O thou who art firm in the Covenant! The means of communication being severed, your letter of \\\ was received only in these days.
O thou who art firm in the love of God! Verily I read thy recent letter \\\ and I praised God for His glorious mercy and His blessings which are successively poured into the pure hearts.
O thou who art gazing toward…
O thou who art gazing toward the Kingdom of the Testament! I already received thy letter which announced thy receipt of the loving letter sent to thee by the pen of Abdul-Baha.
O thou who art gazing toward the Kingdom! Thy letter was received. Its contents became known. Thank thou God that thy house became the shelter and the nest of the birds of the Kingdom.
O thou who art guided by the Light of Guidance! Verily, I am informed of thy confession of the Oneness of God and thy being attracted to the fragrances of God.
O thou who art honorable and faithful to God! How many men and women awaited the manifestation of the Messiah after Moses?
O thou who art honored and dear! Thy letter was received and was the source of pleasure, for thou hast not forgotten this imprisoned one and remembered Acca.
O thou who art hoping for the Kingdom! Thank thou God that He hath guided thee, led thee to the Kingdom of Being, ushered thee under the shade of the bounties of the Lord of Hosts, and that thou hast stepped into the Paradise of ABHA.
O thou who art ignited through the brilliant Flame which is blazing in this Blessed Spot!
O thou who art illuminated by the Light of Knowledge! Verily, I beseech God and supplicate Him to increase thine assurance, thy knowledge and thine attraction and enkindlement by the fire of the love of God, day by day.
O thou who art imploring God!
O thou who art kindled as a lamp with the Fire of the Love of God!
O thou who art kindled by the Fire of Guidance which blazed and burnt in the Tree of Sinai!
O thou who art kindled by the fire of the Love of God! Rejoice through the fragrance of God and be attracted by the melodies of the holy birds in the garden of the gifts of God!
O thou who art kindled with the fire of the Love of God! Blessed art thou, for thy letter was presented at the Blessed Spot and was read by Abdul-Baha with a delight and love which is journeying out towards all directions.
O thou who art longing for the Heavenly Kingdom! Mrs. ......... became the guide and directed thee to the path of the Kingdom and informed thee of my love.
O thou who art longing for the Kingdom! Mr. ......... in thy behalf hath made a great endeavor.
O thou who art longing for the Orb of the Horizons!
O thou who art longing to witness the lights from the Beauty of El-ABHA!
O thou who art made happy by the Fragrances of God! Verily, I have not forgotten thee and will never forget thee.
O thou who art marching onward to God! I have read thy beautiful letter which contained delicate meanings, and I am made glad by its contents which expressed spiritual feelings.
O thou who art marching unto God! Thy letter was read. Its contents indicated thy devotion to the Horizon of the Living God and thy love for the Promised Perfection.
O thou who art near to the Threshold of ABHA! I have considered what thou hast written to Mirza ...... as well as the letter addressed to me.
O thou who art nurtured from the breasts of the Kingdom of God, who wert brought up in the lap of the Guidance of God!
O thou who art partaking of the Heavenly Food!
O thou who art patient and resigning thyself to the judgment (of God)!
O thou who art preparing to receive knowledge from the Herald of the Kingdom!
O thou who art quickened by the Divine Fragrances! I considered thy letter. Its expression was wonderful and indicated the brilliancy of thy heart and conscience.
O thou who art rejoiced at the explanation of the maid-servant of God .........!
O thou who art rejoiced at the Kingdom of God! The letter indicating thy great wish to be a maid-servant of the Cause of God in His wonderful and excellent vineyard, was received.
O thou who art rejoiced by the Appearance of God!
O thou who art rejoiced by the Divine Glad-tidings! Verily I have received thy last letter and thanked God that thou didst reach Paris protected and guarded (by Him).
O thou who art rejoicing at the Glad-tidings of God! Thank thou God for that by reason of which He hath enabled thee to traverse the seas and countries and come safe to a Spot wherein the lights are shining with great brilliancy.
O thou who art rejoicing by the Glad-tidings of God! The contents of thy letter clearly show that thou art drawn by the love of God, pondering over the Cause of God and that the cover hath been removed from off thine eyes.
O thou who art remembered by Abdul-Baha!
O thou who art seeking fire from the Fire of the Love of God!
O thou who art seeking for the Power of the Holy Spirit! The reality of man is like unto a sea, and the Holy Power is like unto brilliant pearls.
O thou who art set aglow with the Fire burning in the Tree of Sinai!
O thou who art set aglow with the Fire of the Love of God! Verily, I read thy long letter and was informed of thy visions, which art for whosoever follows the path of the Kingdom of God.
O thou who art set aglow with the Fire of the Love of God! Thy letter reached me and I noted its beautiful contents.
O thou who art shining with the Kingdom’s Lights! Verily, I am informed of thine earnest desire for the Kingdom of God, thy sparkling by the love of God and thy longing for the service of the sacred and effulgent Threshold.
O thou who art sincere in the Religion of God!
O thou who art skilled in the Knowledge of God and wise in the Wisdom of the Almighty!
O thou who art speaking the praise of god in that vast and extensive region!
O thou who art spreading the Cause of God!
O thou who art submissive and humble before the Holy Threshold!
O thou who art supplicating unto God! Verily I mention thee always and shall never forget thee forever and ever.
O thou who art supplicating unto the Kingdom of God!
O thou who art sweet tongued! Thy poem is a wonder to the minds and intellects and thy composition an evidence of the gift of the great Lord.
O thou who art tested with a great calamity!
O thou who art the single one of Japan and the unique one of the extreme Orient!
O thou who art tranquilized by the Call of the Kingdom at this time!
O thou who art turned to the Kingdom of the Lord, the Forgiving!
O thou who art turned to the Kingdom! Thou shouldst establish a divine and heavenly transaction. By God the Truth!
O thou who art turning thy heart unto the Kingdom of God! Verily, I read thy recent letter and praised God for having blessed thee with two babes, as a mercy on His part.
O thou who art turning to the divine Kingdom! The lengthy epistle was considered. Notwithstanding lack of time and opportunity, on account of exceeding love an answer will be written.
O thou who art turning toward the Kingdom of God!
O thou who art turning unto God!
O thou who art turning unto the Kingdom of God, and looking unto the Day-spring of the lights of God!
O thou who art turning unto the Kingdom of God!
O thou who art uttering the mention of God!
O thou who art uttering the praise of God! Verily I read thy letter, which expressed thy surprise at some of the commandments of the law of God, such as that concerning the hunting of innocent animals.
O thou who art waiting for the Appearance of the Kingdom!
O thou who art wholly advancing unto God!
O thou who art witnessing the Light of Guidance!
O thou who art yearning for the Glad-tidings of God!
O thou who dost believe in the Unity of God! Know verily nothing will benefit a person save the love of the Merciful One.
O thou who has advanced towards Baha’! Truly, I say unto thee, wert thou to spend all that is on earth, thou couldst not obtain this gift which God hath strengthened thee to take freely.
O thou who has sought shelter in the Impregnable Cave! Verily, the glad-tidings of God have encompassed Abdul-Baha from all directions.
O thou who has turned towards the Lights of the Alliance!
O thou who hast acknowledged the Kingdom of God!
O thou who hast addressed Abdul-Baha!
O thou who hast approached the Kingdom of God and hast looked toward the Center of the Covenant!
O thou who hast approached toward God!
O thou who hast arisen to render service to the Cause of God in His Great Vineyard!
O thou who hast attained to Truth! I beg of God that the divine light which is spoken of in the Twelfth Chapter of John may shed its rays upon thee forever, so that thou mayest always be in light.
O thou who hast confessed and believed in the Words of God!
O thou who hast gained illumination from the Light of Guidance!
O thou who hast humbled thyself before the Kingdom of God! Blessed art thou that thine heart is attracted to the Beauty of God, is illumined with the light of knowledge and the ray of the Kingdom hath shone within it.
O thou who hast prayed to the Kingdom of God! I have read thy letter and I have taken knowledge of God as to thy conduct towards the Kingdom of God and also thy conflagration with the fire of God’s love.
O thou who hast sought illumination from the Light of the Guidance of God!
O thou who hast spread the Fragrance of God!—may God confirm thee!
O thou who hast turned thy face toward the Kingdom of God!
O thou who hath advanced to the Kingdom of his Lord, the Glorious!
O thou who in truth art attracted through the Breaths of the Holy Spirit!
O thou who seekest for the Will of God! Give thanks to God that thou entered the divine Kingdom and knowest the heavenly Lord of Hosts!
O thou whom I mention with my heart and tongue!
O thou whose breast is dilated by the Fragrances of God!
O thou whose breast is dilated (with joy) for the Kingdom of Truth!
O thou whose breast is dilated with the Fragrances of God! I received thy letter which showed thine advance toward the Kingdom of God.
O thou whose face is illumined with the Light of the Love of God!
O thou whose face is radiant with the light of the Love of God!
O thou whose heart hath been filled with the love of the Beauty of God!
O thou whose heart is attracted and whose breast is dilated with joy by the Holy Fragrances!
O thou whose heart is empty and pure through the Light of the word of God shining therein!
O thou whose heart is filled with the Love of God! I was informed of thy longing for meeting (me) and that thy breast is boiling with the love of God.
O thou whose heart is moved by a breeze blowing from the Garden of El-Abha!
O thou whose heart is overflowing with the love of God! Verily, I received thy beautiful letter and praised God for kindling the fire of His love in thy heart and cheering thy spirit with the cup of the gift of thy Lord.
O thou whose heart is pure and whose souls is rejoiced! Verily, thy revered wife sent unto us thy photograph and we say and rejoiced at witnessing thy face, even though it was a (mere) image, for, verily, this image indicateth the reality.
O thou whose heart is soaring in the sky of the love of God!
O thou whose nostrils are perfumed with the Fragrances of God!
O thou whose tongue is uttering the Name of God!
O thou wonderful leaf of the Tree of the Love of God! All that thou hast written was perused. It was read from beginning to end, and it caused joy and fragrance.
O thou wooer of Truth and attracted one toward the Kingdom of God!
O thou yearner after the Kingdom of God! The maid-servant of God, Aseyeh, hath mentioned thy name in her letter, praising and commending thee.
O thou yearner after the Kingdom! Thy letter was received. It was brief and expressive of meaning.
O thou yearner after Truth! I know in what condition thou art, and how much thou longest for the meeting. The real meeting consists in the communication of heart.
O thou yearning one! Be thou a physician to every sick one and teach thou every ignorant one; that is, show thou to others the way of the Kingdom and guide them to life eternal.
O thou young in age and great in mind! [There is] many a young child who is mature and grown up, and many an aged [one] who is ignorant and stupid.
O thou young, incomparable tree of the Rose-garden of the Love of God!
O visitant of the Resort of spirits (who are) sincere in the Religion of God!
O ye beloved friends of Abdul-Baha! The detailed letter which you have written was received and it was read with the greatest attention.
O ye beloved! O ye maid-servants of the Merciful! What a wonderful meeting ye have arranged and longed for the beauty of service and have arisen to spread the fragrances of God!
O ye beloved of God and His sincere friends! By the life of God!
O ye beloved ones! It is the moment of the ecstasy of the soul and consciousness and the season of running in the arena of sacrifice!
O ye beloved ones of Abdul-Baha! This servant longeth to write a special Tablet to each one of the friends of God—but what can be done!
O ye beloved servants of Abdul-Baha and the maid-servants of the Merciful One!
O ye blessed maid-servant of the Beauty of Abha! If ye have written letters to Abdul-Baha and answers to them are delayed, know ye of a certainty that untold hindrances have been the cause.
O ye blessed souls! On the night of the feast ye entertained the beloved and were occupied in the service of the friends of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful One.
O ye brilliant realities!
O ye children of the Kingdom! It is New Year; that is to say, the rounding of the cycle of the year.
O ye Cohorts of God! A letter which was signed by you in general was received. Its content was of the utmost beauty, sweetness, eloquence and perfection.
O ye crying voices in the region of America! Make level the path of the Covenant of God! Be firm in the Alliance of God!
O ye dear children! Your father is compassionate, clement and merciful unto you and desireth for you success, prosperity and eternal life in the Kingdom of God.
O ye dear friends and maid-servants of God! A good fragrance is coming from the rose-garden of Kenosha and a pleasing breeze is blowing from the orchard of the hearts of the friends and maid-servants of the Merciful.
O ye dear friends of Abdul-Baha! The blessed letter indicating the election of the Spiritual Meeting was received and proved a source of joy.
O ye dear servants of God! Your letter received and the contents proved excellent.
O ye dwellers of the Kingdom! Thank ye God that ye have turned your faces toward the Kingdom of Abha, and are yearning for the outpouring of the Exalted Realm.
O ye elect and chosen ones of the Kingdom! Thank God that the Greatest Name selected and elected that gathering, ushered it into the Kingdom of Eternal Glory, honored and crowned it amid the Supreme Concourse.
O ye esteemed maid-servants of God, and ye revered beloved ones (or men believers) of the Merciful!
O ye firm ones in the Covenant! The report of [your meeting] was noted. All the arrangements of the meeting are suitable and acceptable.
O ye friends of Abdul-Baha! Verily I read your reports with great joy. They are a cause of spirituality and fragrance and a source of dilation of souls.
O ye friends of God and daughters of the Kingdom! The letter you have written was considered. It caused abundant spirit and fragrance.
O ye friends of this prisoner!
O ye friends! Thank God that the Light of Truth shone in that city, the bounty of guidance was granted, the fire of the love of God was ignited and the veil of superstition was burned away.
O ye illumined faces! O ye divine souls! and O ye spiritual temples!
O ye leaves of the Paradise of El-ABHA, and the maid-servants of the Merciful!
O ye longing ones! O ye cheered ones! O ye attracted ones! O ye who are beseeching the Kingdom of God!
O ye maid-servants of God and leaves of the Tree of Eternal Life!
O ye maid-servants of His Majesty, the Lord—daughters and sons of the Kingdom!
O ye maid-servants of the Merciful! Leaves of the Tree of Life!
O ye maid-servants of the Merciful!
O ye members of the shining assembly! Each one of you must resist doubts (or false rumors) in those parts like unto a great barrier, until the invisible confirmations may appear and merciful assistance may become manifest.
O ye members of the shining assembly! The letter which was written by you, was not a letter, but a musk sack.
O ye my dear friends! Your letter was received and its contents were wonderful and beautiful for it evinced the spreading of the light of Guidance.
O ye my divine friends!
O ye real companions! Day and night Abdul-Baha is engaged in the remembrances of the friends, and time after time doth he associate with them and behold their blessed faces.
O ye real friends of Abdul-Baha! From the gathering of those illuminated faces and flowers of the rose-garden (of God) in Camp Mineola utmost joy and fragrance (to me) was the result.
O ye seekers of Truth! Your letter was received and its contents became known. The new Kingdom hath raised its tents in all regions and hath enveloped East and West, but the blind ones cannot see and the deaf ones cannot hear.
O ye servants of God and maid-servants of the Merciful! The letter, which was in reality the congratulation for the entrance of the day of the anniversary of His Highness the Promised One, was received.
O ye servants of the Threshold of God! The weekly reports of ........ were received and I was informed of their beautiful meanings which proved firmness and steadfastness in the Cause of God and solidity in the Covenant of God.
O ye servants of the True One and the maid-servants of the Merciful!
O ye shining Assembly! The meeting that you organized hath attracted the divine gaze and the subject of your conversation was the divine commemoration.
O ye shining faces and spiritual beings! Verily, I was rejoiced at beholding those merciful faces in whose brows the lights of guidance shine on account of their turning unto the Kingdom of El-Abha!
O ye sincere, O ye firm and steadfast in the Testament of God!
O ye sincere ones and ye who are attracted and moved by the breeze of the favor of God!
O ye sincere ones! O ye favored ones! O ye beseeching ones! O ye supplicating ones!
O ye sincere ones! O ye firm ones! O ye heralds of the Kingdom of God! Fly away with joy! Flutter in the open of the Kingdom!
O ye sons of the Kingdom! At a time when conditions were most difficult and oppressive and the reception of letters hard and impracticable, your letter was received.
O ye spiritual assembly! As ye were gathered in the meeting of hospitality with the utmost longing for the knowledge of God, that meeting was mentioned in the divine Kingdom and you became favored with special bounty.
O ye spiritual friends of Abdul-Baha! Your long letter was considered and its contents were a source of happiness.
O ye spiritual ones! O ye heavenly ones! The assembly which you have established in that city is a splendor from the congregation of the Supreme Concourse.
O ye two accepted ones in the Kingdom of God! Your letter was read and its contents caused joy and happiness.
O ye two advancers towards the Kingdom of God!
O ye two birds in the open-space of the Love of God! Verily I read your letter and I inhaled therefrom a spiritual fragrance which perfumes the nostrils of the spirit.
O ye two birds warbling in the Garden of Wisdom. Verily, I saw your photographs, whose beauty proved the turning of your hearts unto the Center of Guidance and the dilation of your breasts by the appearance of the Kingdom of God.
O ye two dear maid-servants of God! Your longing to visit the Sacred Soil is expressed and evident and your presence will be a source of pleasure to me.
O ye two doves, flying in the verdant Gardens of the Kingdom!
O ye two kind and beloved maid-servants of God! A splendour from the Supper of the Lord was cast upon the table that ye have spread and the spiritual food descended.
O ye two lamps of the Love of God! Your letter to ........ was read and its contents considered. Its meanings expressed the feelings of spiritual hearts and emanated from the spring of the conscience.
O ye two maid-servants of God! The Lord of the Kingdom hath invited, chosen and guided you through His pure favor, feeding you from the heavenly table of divine knowledge!
O ye two merciful assemblies! Praise be to God! that through the outpouring of guidance, India is rapidly becoming a Rose-garden of Abha, for many souls have lately embraced the truth and are in the utmost attraction and enkindlement.
O ye two pilgrims of the Holy Shrine! The news of your protected and safe arrival in Paris, France, reached here and made me glad and happy.
O ye two revered persons, ye servants in the vineyard of God!
O ye two, servant and maid-servant of the Beauty of Abha!
O ye two singing birds in the Garden of Belief!
O ye two truthful believers! Your letter was received. Its contents were faith, certainty and sincerity. It was an evidence of perceiving eyes, attentive ears and acute mind.
O ye verdant and flourishing leaves of the Blessed Tree!
O ye who are advancing towards the Kingdom of God!
O ye who are attracted! O ye who are firm! O ye who are zealous in the service of the Cause of God and are sacrificers of possessions and lives for the promotion of the Word of God!
O ye who are attracted! O ye who are remembered! O ye who are directed unto the Kingdom of God!
O ye who are attracted! O ye who are united! O ye who are believers and assured!
O ye who are attracted to the Heavenly Kingdom! O ye who are enlightened by the Light of Guidance! O ye lamps lighted by the Light of Love and Affection!
O ye who are chosen! O ye who are firm! O ye who are calling! O ye who are sincere!
O ye who are considering the Kingdom of your august Savior! I know the ardor which enflames you both with the desire to present yourselves in the Sacred Place and I desire, also, to see you both.
O ye who are firm in the Covenant! The report of the Spiritual Gathering, which is dated and sent by you, was received and its contents were a source of great fragrance and spirituality.
O ye who are longing for the beauty of El-ABHA!
O ye who are set aglow with the fire of God’s Love! Blessed are ye for having been chosen by God for His love, in this new age, and joy be to you for having been guided to the Great Kingdom!
O ye who are sincere! O ye who are attracted! O ye who are yearning! O ye who are arising for service to the Cause of God, for the promotion of the Word of God and the spreading of the Fragrances of God!
O ye who are sincere! O ye who are firm in the Covenant of God in this new cycle! Verily I praise God for that He confirmed you in the service of the Cause of God in His great vineyard.
O ye who are sincere! O ye who are firm! O ye who are steadfast! Verily, I received a letter from that brilliant body and Spiritual Gathering—those who have arisen and called out for the Kingdom of God among the peoples of America.
O ye who have advanced! O ye who are rejoiced!
O ye whom God hath chosen from among those who are called!—know that “many are called but few are chosen”!—upon whom He caused the evident Light to descend; whom He guided into the right Path, and to whom He gave the Glad-tidings of the Great Success!
Rejoice, O maid-servant of God! —for that thou hast known God and heard His call and art attracted to His breaths!
The first light which shone forth from the horizon of Eternity, the first radiance which was cast forth from the Morn of Guidance, and the first mercy which descended from the Kingdom of Heaven, be upon thee, O thou manifest light …
Thou has written concerning the Board of Consultation.
Thou hast written concerning the universal peace, that before long the congress of The Hague will be opened and discussion will be made in regard to the universal peace.
Thy letter was received. It became conducive to happiness. Up to the present thou hast been serving in the Kingdom of God and hast been assisted.
Thy letters were received.
To him who is looking unto God! O thou who art gazing unto the Center of the Covenant—may God confirm thee!
To the beloved of God in Persia! O ye dear friends of Abdul-Baha! It is some time since any heart-thrilling melody hath reached the ear of life from certain countries, and life and conscience have not found happiness and joy.
To the servant of God!
In a brief Tablet to the Secretary of the House of Spirituality of Chicago, 'Abdu'l-Bahá warns that those who come claiming faith should be trusted only after careful investigation and a long period of waiting.
Verily I approach Thee, O my God, in the darkest hour of this dark night, and pray Thee with my inmost heart, while I am moving by Thy fragrances, which are being diffused from Thy Kingdom of Abha, and say: O my Lord …
Verily, I read thy magnificent letter, thy brilliant writing, and found its meanings as the chanting of the verses of guidance and its foundation based on righteousness and piety.
When you assemble in the meeting of teaching (the truth), it is incumbent on you to chant the following supplication and commune: O God, O God!
Your letters have been received.
Your three reports, together with the public announcement, were received.
When an American guest apologized for eating so much at His table, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told her that virtue lies in true faith in God, not in appetite, and recalled that Ṭáhirih had a good appetite.
‘Abdu'l-Bahá sent for me. I went to Him in the little room where He writes. He said, “Be strong! Be firm! You are not leaving Me; it is only your body that is going away. Your spirit will always be here. I shall always see you. There is…
‘Abdu'l-Bahá came in to see us unexpectedly. He said, “I wish I might he with you always, hut unfortunately other things claim My time and keep Me sway from you. But My heart is filled with love and the thought of you. The important…
‘Akká is the home of exiles and prisoners of the Turkish Government.
Tonight we met ‘Abdu'l-Bahá and a large number of believers from all parts of the East at the Feast, or Supper, under the shadow of the Blessed Perfection.
Julia Grundy describes her party's 1905 visit to the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh at Bahjí: the shoes removed at the entrance, the silent prayer at the Tomb, and the tea served afterward in a small side room.
In her 1905 pilgrim notes Julia Grundy records that at dinner 'Abdu'l-Bahá ate entirely with His fingers — and then spoke of respect for one another's customs, and of a food that needs neither knife nor fork: the food spiritual.
The question was asked, “What is real Faith?” “Faith outwardly means to believe the Message a Manifestation brings to the world and accept the fulfillment in Him of that which the Prophets have announced. But, in reality, Faith embodies…
“Moral life consists in the government of one's self. Immortality is government of a human soul by the Divine Will.”
“What is meant by 'Heaven' in the Bible?” “Christ said that nothing could ascend into Heaven except that which came down from Heaven. He also said, 'I came from Heaven and will return to Heaven,' and 'The Son of Man is in Heaven.' He…
“God has favored us by bringing us together again at His Table. May His Mercy and Bounty make night as day and make the Day everlasting! For night and day are according to the motions of the earth, but, in relation to the sun, day and…
We looked again at the faces of the Blessed Perfection and the Báb in the inner room.
I realize that the doors of a new Life are opening within me and that I have been awakened as if from a sleep.
In Julia Grundy's pilgrim notes from 'Akká, 'Abdu'l-Bahá is asked how we can love someone whose personality is unpleasant. His answer points to Christ, who loved even those who crucified Him, and to the tree whose fruit is love.
“How can we love another whose personality is unpleasant?” “See how the enemies of Christ persecuted and crucified Him, yet He loved them all. Man is like a tree. The tree lives to produce fruit. The fruit of man is love. It is easy for…
“The history of Mount Carmel is holy history. A spiritual atmosphere surrounds this 'Mountain of God.' Elijah and Jesus spent part of their precious lives upon it. ‘Abdu'l-Bahá loves Mount Carmel and has often visited it, sometimes…
“Today we will speak about Obedience! The Manifestation of God is a perfect example of real obedience. Like Him, we must sacrifice everything; every plan, every longing and ideal must be given up completely to the Will of God. We must…
Julia Grundy records a private talk with 'Abdu'l-Bahá in 'Akká in 1905. He told her she would be a source of guidance to others and, when she regretted leaving, said she would never be absent.
"In the Book of Íqán we can read the Word of God concerning the true Reincarnation, which is the Return of the Spiritual Qualities in the Servants of God.[3] In the Gospel it is written that they asked John the Baptist if he was Elijah…
(Compiled from ‘Abdu'l-Bahá's Teachings) Soul is the human will to live temporally.
‘Abdu'l-Bahá sent for me. I found Him in a little room opening from the courtyard. He was sitting upon a raised chair, His beautiful face, majestic in repose and strength, turned toward the only window.
At dinner a violent rainstorm swept in from the sea. “May we all live in the Sea of Reality and be filled with the Love of God. Thank God we are in the Ark of the Covenant. See what great blessings God has showered upon us. How many…
“Soon it will be the time of Spring. Already the signs of the flowers may be seen upon the mountains and in the valleys. When Spring comes, there is a Divine Wisdom in its appearance. God has a special object in renewing the earth with…
“When you give the Message of this Manifestation many say, 'This is nothing new—I prefer the home of my old religious belief which has been so serviceable and trustworthy.'” ‘Abdu'l-Bahá answered …
“What is the Second Coming of Christ in this Dispensation?” ‘Abdu'l-Bahá answered: “In the Book of the Zend-Avesta the Zoroastrians are awaiting the Coming of two Manifestations. Also, in the Old Testament Scriptures there is the…
“The disciples of Jesus, passing along the road and seeing a dead dog, remarked how offensive and disgusting a spectacle it was. Then Christ turning to them said, 'Yes, but see how white and beautiful are his teeth'—thus teaching that there is some good in everything.”
We went to the Ridván with the holy daughters of ‘Abdu'l-Bahá.
In an English village the Master gave so many sixpences to children that His hostesses tried to turn away a late visitor with his babies, until ‘Abdu’l-Bahá came out and embraced them all.
After Bahá’u’lláh returned to Baghdad from the mountains, curiosity-seekers crowded to see Him; His son ‘Abdu’l-Bahá put placards on the doors and admitted only genuine truth-seekers.
Bahíyyih Khánum recalls how a daughter born after the Báb's prayer for a childless follower came to the Holy Family, and how, at Bahá'u'lláh's request, 'Abdu'l-Bahá took her as His wife.
On a drive meant to show Him New York, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá laid His head on John Bosch's shoulder and slept for nearly half an hour, waking just as the car stopped at the Kinneys' home.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá remained calm to the end of His earthly life: knowing His time had come, He declined the food offered Him and gave His two daughters a beautiful look.
Bahíyyih Khánum recalls her brother's grief in Baghdad while Bahá’u’lláh was away, His devotion to copying and memorizing the tablets of the Báb, and His one diversion, horseback riding.
In 1912, before ‘Abdu’l-Bahá reached Kenosha, opponents of the Covenant attacked Him in the local newspaper; He ignored the attacks and told the worried believers that nothing would come of them.
The day after her son Davis died, Corinne True came to the dedication of the Temple site in Wilmette, where ‘Abdu’l-Bahá singled her out for a short drive and then broke ground for the House of Worship.
Tired after a day of visitors in Montreal, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá went out alone, rode a tram out of the city, and, not knowing the name of His hotel, told the taxi driver to go straight ahead, which brought Him back to it.
At the Lake Mohonk peace conference, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave its president, Albert Smiley, a Persian rug fetched overnight from New York; it replaced one the Smileys had lost in a fire.
In London a woman without an appointment was turned away from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s door, but before she reached the bottom of the steps He sent a messenger to bring her back.
An imposing motor-car was sent to bring ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the ceremony at which He was knighted, but seeing the sorrow of His old coachman Isfandiyar, He went in His own carriage instead.
After ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke at Rabbi Meyer's synagogue in San Francisco, the congregation lent its building to a neighbouring church for nine months, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote that the deed would become eternal.
Hand of the Cause John Robarts explains a Hidden Word of Bahá’u’lláh through the image of a young fruit tree that must be brought out into the sunshine and rain of God's love.
Though Bahá’u’lláh conferred exalted titles on Him, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá never applied them to Himself; after the Ascension He took the name ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Servant of Bahá, and urged the believers to call Him only by it.
In Chicago in April 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke to the Bahá’í Temple Unity Convention on the purpose of houses of worship, and Corinne True realized the Temple was meant to unite all humankind.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá seldom spoke in the first person. Once, while Lua Getsinger and Georgie Ralston talked on during a drive with Him, He opened His eyes and laughed at their words.
Boys who had followed the Master's party noisily on the way to the Bowery Mission came to see Him; He welcomed each one, called a dark-skinned boy a black rose, and shared chocolates.
Driving with Javidukht Khadem, Hand of the Cause Dorothy Baker prayed in tears for Elsie Austin, then explained that each morning she said many prayers so as to be spiritual enough for her Obligatory Prayer.
At table with His guests, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá received a poor workman's dinner of dry bread and a shrivelled apple, left His own luncheon untasted, and shared the gift with everyone present.
When the prison gates opened, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sold a gift to repair His companions' rooms in the caravanserai, leaving His own damp, flea-infested room to the last; the money ran out before it could be repaired.
Bahíyyih Khánum recalls the order that sent Bahá'u'lláh from Baghdad to Constantinople, the grief of His followers, and how the family went to live in tents in a friend's garden until the departure.
When the order came banishing the exiles from Adrianople to 'Akká, one despairing believer tried to take his own life. Bahá'u'lláh would not leave until the Governor promised to care for him and send him on.
When cables brought news of May Maxwell's death in Argentina, Shoghi Effendi broke it to her daughter, Rúḥíyyih Khánum, with great tenderness, and comforted her until she was laughing through her tears.
Leroy Ioas recalls the evening Shoghi Effendi shared news that a discouraged pioneer on a Pacific island, whom he had urged again and again to stay, now had two spiritual assemblies.
Before visiting the Master's home, Amelia Collins's husband anxiously asked her how he should behave. She told him that in the family of 'Abdu'l-Bahá simplicity reigns and nothing but love is accepted.
In Paris, the wife of a Japanese ambassador longed to meet 'Abdu'l-Bahá but was ill and leaving early the next morning. Though it was late and He was tired, He went to call on her Himself.
Mary Hanford Ford describes the practical skill of the women of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's household in 'Akká, and how the Greatest Holy Leaf sewed a simple print dress for a finely dressed Western visitor who had arrived without a trunk.
Speaking to a packed opera house in America, Abu'l-Faḍl felt proud of his success and his mind went completely blank. He turned to Bahá'u'lláh in shame and prayer, and his words returned.
Bahíyyih Khánum recalls the hard four-month journey from Baghdad, when Bahá'u'lláh cooked a warm pudding for the exiles with His own hands, and their cramped arrival in Constantinople as prisoners.
After Juliet Thompson lost her temper with her mother and stormed out, 'Abdu'l-Bahá greeted her by asking whether her mother was happy, and sent her straight home to her.
As the exiles prepared to leave Baghdad, 'Abdu'l-Bahá shielded His Father from intruders. In the Riḍván garden, Bahá'u'lláh confided to Him that He was the One promised by the Báb.
'Abdu'l-Bahá helped carry the coffin of a beloved friend who had taken his own life. He taught that God never gives us a burden greater than we can carry, and that in hard times we should remember that this too will pass.
'Abdu'l-Bahá kept little clothing and ate little food: tea, goat's milk cheese and wheat bread to begin the day, while at the evening meal a cup of milk and a piece of bread might suffice.
'Abdu'l-Bahá held cleanliness to be of vital importance. Florence Khánum found Him spotless and fresh-looking at high noon in summer, as though He had not been visiting the sick since early morning.
'Abdu'l-Bahá had His caterer send the Covenant-breakers at the Mansion whatever food and supplies they asked for, and passed on to them gifts and funds, yet they took His generosity for weakness.
Túbá Khánum recalls her little sister Rúḥ-Angíz, who longed to follow Bahá'u'lláh to Heaven and passed away the year after Him, while the Master's time was taken up by the needs of the poor.
'Abdu'l-Bahá placed His affairs in God's hands. When the military commanders of Jerusalem and Damascus invited Him to Jerusalem, He answered, 'Inshá'lláh' (If God is willing).
'Abdu'l-Bahá, who felt children were nearer to the Kingdom of God than adults, listened attentively as a granddaughter of about two chanted a Tablet, gently chanting any word she missed.
'Abdu'l-Bahá often spoke with His arm around a child, and urged parents to give their children the best education they could afford and to encourage spirituality in them.
John David Bosch felt he could not be a speaker and instead circulated pamphlets and books. 'Abdu'l-Bahá assured him that he was doing better than talking, for with him it was the heart that spoke.
At a Washington luncheon held in His honour in 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá asked for Louis Gregory, who had not been on the guest list, and seated him at His right hand before the meal began.
'Abdu'l-Bahá desired no title but His own name, 'Abdu'l-Bahá. He forbade pilgrims to fall at His feet, cooked for His fellow prisoners in 'Akká, and sometimes served His guests Himself.
'Abdu'l-Bahá disliked photographs of Himself and allowed them only to please His friends, explaining that the personality is merely the lamp, while the light within it alone has real significance.
The Master was joyful in circumstances that would have filled most people with sorrow, and He likened sorrow to furrows: the deeper they go, the more fruit they yield.
Speaking to Mary Hanford Ford of the confinement of His family’s life in ‘Akká, the Master explained that a heart full of the love of God knows no prison.
In a Tablet to a woman who longed for the Heavenly Kingdom, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá counselled her to recite the Greatest Name every morning and turn to the Kingdom of Abhá.
Speaking through an interpreter to an early pilgrim, the Master rejoiced that the believers were becoming more united, and urged them to love one another and sacrifice themselves for each other.
The Master told of a merchant who, seeing the crowds that came out to greet Him, asked to become a Bahá’í for the sake of his business, and was frankly told to remain as he was.
The Master wanted people to be happy so that they could know the spiritual life and make others happy, and He told one of His daughters travelling with her aunt to be a cheerful companion.
The Master taught that divorce should not be made easier, but marriage more difficult. Lady Blomfield records two cases from the years of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Holy Land.
On 27 November 1921 the Master sent the friends to the Shrine of the Báb for the Day of the Covenant and received Haifa’s officials; that night, the last of His life, He asked after everyone’s health.
During the First World War, when the breadwinners of ‘Akká and Haifa had been taken for the army, the Master kept the poor from starvation, opened a dispensary at Abú-Sinán and arranged schools for the children.
The morning after He arrived in Montréal, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá visited a sickly girl across the street from the Maxwells and told her parents she must be let out into the sunlight; she soon recovered completely.
The night before the battle, Hurr, the commander who had blocked every road to Husayn, was overcome with remorse. At dawn he rode to the Imam to beg forgiveness, and was killed by the soldiers he had once commanded.
On April 30, 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told an NAACP conference in Chicago that color is of no importance. That evening, across the road, a tied Bahá’í election ended with Louis Gregory joining the governing board of Bahá’í Temple Unity.
In Budapest, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was about to leave for Vienna when the president of the Turanian Society asked Him to stay for a meeting already advertised. He agreed, and that evening addressed a large and appreciative gathering.
Learning that Juliet Thompson's mother was grieving, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent for her in the midst of a thunderstorm. Though exhausted, He welcomed and comforted her, and the next day she said all her bitterness had gone.
Bahíyyih Khánum recalls that on the day of His wedding, after carefully preparing to receive the guests, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá quietly withdrew to keep His habit of visiting the poor and sick.
At the Bowery Mission in New York, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke on the station of poverty, then stood by the door and gave coins to each of some four hundred men, with money left over for others.
When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stayed at Mrs True's home in Chicago in September 1912, visitors filled its rooms, hallways and stairs; when He grew tired, He would take a walk outside and then return.
Rúhíyyih Khánum recalls how the Guardian, weighed down by burdens, tore from The Times only the articles he wanted, threw the rest away, and handed her long streamers of clippings to read.
In an essay written as a student in Beirut in 1914–15, the young Shoghi Effendi argues that well-conducted sports and athletics refresh the body, enlighten the mind and develop moral character.
When war came and Haifa feared bombardment, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá accepted a Druze chief’s invitation and moved the Bahá’ís to the village of Abu-Sinan, where they lived simply, regained their health and were kept from hunger.
At the Bowery Mission in New York, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá addressed some four hundred of the city’s poorest men, shook every hand and placed coins in each palm; back at His hotel a moved chambermaid resolved to give as He had given.
Grace Robarts begged to serve in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s household in New York. For days He ignored her as she worked from five in the morning until long after midnight; when she grasped the spirit of true service, He welcomed her.
Walking on the beach with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Lua Getsinger stepped in His footprints and three times said she wished to follow in them. A tarantula then bit her, and when fever and delirium set in, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá healed her.
On His last afternoon in London, a reporter was surprised by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s English pronunciation; laughing, He strode about the drawing room reciting elaborate English words, then turned in a moment to earnest matters.
John Robarts tells of George, an African Bahá’í whose wife opposed the Faith. With only one room in their house, she waited under the banana tree during his meetings, and became a Bahá’í during the rainy season.
Annamarie Honnold describes ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s love for every human being, and records His counsel to the pilgrim Anna Kunz and her husband in 1921 to be affectionate to all, like a shepherd with his sheep.
A coal miner who had walked many miles to hear ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in California grew impatient with the interpreter, insisting that nothing ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said needed translating.
A Christian merchant in ‘Akká seized charcoal the Bahá’ís had bought. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá waited three hours in his office to ask for it; His patient answers won the merchant’s respect, and he became a firm supporter.
In Salt Lake City in September 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá toured the agricultural exhibition at the State Fair, praised American farming, and had seeds of fruits and flowers bought to be planted at the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh.
A man in Haifa who disliked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá proudly announced, “I am Moses.” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá invited him to serve the people as Moses did; after three long days of His work, the man gave up the name.
Leroy Ioas recalls how Shoghi Effendi gave the aged Corinne True a purse once used by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, with a gold coin inside bearing the year of her first visit to the Master.
Jináb-i-Fádil, disowned by his father for becoming a Bahá’í, thought of asking ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to forgive him; the next day the Master told him that many souls would be forgiven because of his faith.
When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was once held in chains, His jailers were amazed to hear Him sing and laugh; He told them they were doing Him a kindness.
Urged on by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s enemies, the Deputy-Governor of Haifa visited Him wearing Bahá’u’lláh’s cloak and spectacles; later, dismissed from his post, he begged the Master’s forgiveness and was shown utmost kindness.
In a parable from The Seven Valleys, a lover fleeing a watchman scales a garden wall and finds his beloved there, and sees that what seemed tyranny was a hidden mercy.
A Canadian pilgrim asked whether translators could replace the nightingale and the rose for readers in the Arctic; Shoghi Effendi said the sacred texts must be translated exactly, then gave her attar of rose for the friends in Canada and for the Inuit.
While Bahá’u’lláh lived as a dervish in the mountains, His family in Baghdád sold their only rug to buy a donkey for a Bábí who set out to find Him; months later He came home.
Speaking to the Edinburgh Esperanto Society in January 1913, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá recalled Bahá’u’lláh’s call for an auxiliary language and urged His listeners to spread Esperanto.
Bahíyyih Khánum remembers 1852 in Ṭihrán: at six she held her little brother Mihdí in the dark while her mother, often with ‘Abbás, went out to learn whether Bahá’u’lláh was still alive.
From Paris, the ailing Thomas Breakwell wrote to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá through Dr Yúnis Khán, refused to leave his post, asked the Master to pray for his parents, and soon reported that his father had become a Bahá’í.
In a prayer for a memorial gathering, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá recalls Fáṭimih Begum, widow of the King of Martyrs: her sufferings after his martyrdom, her patience, and her years of humble service in the Holy Land.
A portrait of L. L. Zamenhof, reprinted in Star of the West: an oculist who struggled to support his family, sought neither profit nor power from Esperanto, and worked tirelessly to spare humanity the suffering of dissension and war.
Hurrying to breakfast without her morning prayers, Lua Getsinger met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the hallway, and He told her never to eat material food in the morning until she had had spiritual food.
Dick Grover recalls Zylpha Gray of Springfield, Massachusetts, who told an Underground Railroad story and how a childhood question about salvation was answered years later when she heard God's Prophets described as branches of one tree.
At his first meeting with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Howard Colby Ives could not speak; after a long silence the Master placed His hand upon his breast, saying that it was the heart that speaks.
Myron Phelps describes how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in ‘Akká lived simply in order to give to the poor, gave away a second cloak His wife had left for Him, and slept on the floor rather than in a bed.
Bahíyyih Khánum recalls the day soldiers surrounded the family's house in Adrianople with orders to separate Bahá’u’lláh from His family, and the week ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spent pleading until the family was allowed to go with Him.
When Bahá’u’lláh taught the Cause of the Báb in Núr, the local mujtahid sent two of his leading disciples to question Him; on hearing Him, both vowed to remain and serve Him.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá visited a widow who had come from California to Massachusetts to see Him after her son was killed, and told her that the son's only grief was his mother's tears.
Thomas Breakwell died in June 1902, hardly a year after becoming a Bahá’í. Yúnis Khán recalls how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told him of the death, though no news of it had passed through his hands, and wrote a prayer of visitation for Breakwell.
On pilgrimage to ‘Akká, Thomas Breakwell told ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that the cotton mills where he held his post were run on child labour; the Master told him to cable his resignation, and he gladly obeyed.
Ill with tuberculosis, Thomas Breakwell sent ever more joyful letters to 'Abdu'l-Bahá, never asked to be healed, and told the other patients he was not going to die but merely departing for the Kingdom of God.
When the lease on Thomas Breakwell's grave lapsed, his remains were moved to the cemetery's charnel house; later the French Bahá'ís placed a simple stone on the vacant site, which has become a focal point of pilgrimage.
When Thornton Chase, a member of Chicago's all-male House of Spirituality, asked 'Abdu'l-Bahá about the Temple, He told the three visiting men to consult Corinne True, to whom He had given complete instructions.
After speaking with visitors at Vanners in Byfleet, 'Abdu'l-Bahá walked out alone into the village, where ragged children clustered about Him, mothers followed with their little ones, and even the roughest men fell silent.
On the slow journey through the fields and mountains of Turkey, the melodious chanting of Jinab-i-Munib brought joy to those who travelled with Bahá'u'lláh and testified to his love for Him.
Near Lake Dublin, New Hampshire, in August 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke to a gathering of Black people about unity between Black and white, and told them of the coming marriage of Louisa Mathew and Louis Gregory.
When the Governor of 'Akká read Him the Sultán's edict condemning the exiles to prison for ever, 'Abdu'l-Bahá called it meaningless, since sooner or later the captives would leave the prison, dead or alive.
'Abdu'l-Bahá accepted no money or costly gifts; when a lady offered a friend's cheque to buy Him a motor-car, He thanked her, held it as though blessing it, and returned it to be used for gifts to the poor.
In A Traveler's Narrative, 'Abdu'l-Bahá tells of the Báb's martyrdom in the barrack square of Tabríz in 1850. The first regiment's volleys left Him and His young companion unharmed; a second regiment then carried out the sentence.
In A Traveler's Narrative, 'Abdu'l-Bahá tells how the Báb was sent to the mountain castle of Máh-Kú and held there nine months, and how its warden, 'Alí Khán, out of love for the family of the Prophet, let some people speak with Him.
In A Traveler's Narrative, 'Abdu'l-Bahá records how in 1844, in His twenty-fifth year, the Báb began in Shíráz to declare Himself the Gate, and how a few Shaykhí divines turned to Him while most of the learned opposed Him.
Touching the individual known as the Báb and the true nature of this sect diverse tales are on the tongues and in the mouths of men, and various accounts are contained in the pages of Persian history and the leaves of European chronicles.
These things have been put to the proof, and the greatest proof is this very transaction.
When he reached Hamadán his character became known, and, as he was of the clerical class, the doctors vehemently pursued him, handed him over to the government, and ordered chastisement to be inflicted.
Then the Royal Command was issued that their Reverences the learned doctors and honorable and accomplished divines should write a reply to that epistle.
I know not how long they shall ride the steed of desire and wander erringly in the desert of heedlessness and error.
In A Traveler's Narrative, 'Abdu'l-Bahá tells how Siyyid Yaḥyá of Dáráb, sent by Muḥammad Sháh to investigate the Báb, met Him three times in Shíráz and was won over when the Báb wrote a commentary on the Súrih of Kawthar in his presence.
When a minister called on 'Abdu'l-Bahá at the Maxwell home in Montreal, He gave him an armful of American Beauty roses, and the visitor left in awe of His regal manners and gentle courtesy.
On her pilgrimage in 1901, Ethel Rosenberg, the first English woman to embrace the Bahá'í Faith in England, heard 'Abdu'l-Bahá say that we must strive to change our bad qualities into good ones.
To Mrs Smith, a new Bahá'í from a distinguished Philadelphia family who was suffering with a headache, 'Abdu'l-Bahá explained that happiness keeps our health while depression of spirit begets diseases.
In June 1870 Mírzá Mihdí, the Purest Branch, fell through an unguarded skylight in the barracks. Dying, he asked that his life be accepted as a ransom for those prevented from attaining the presence of their Beloved.
In Haifa in 1948 thieves stole the Guardian’s newly arrived Buick. Shoghi Effendi stayed calm, and a chance conversation in a Herzl Street shop led the police to the car, which was recovered.
Túbá Khánum recalls her little sister Ruh-Angiz, whom Bahá’u’lláh promised to love more than all the rest. After His passing the child longed to go to Him, and the next year she passed away.
In a 1911 report, Wellesley Tudor Pole described ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s days in London: correspondence from about 5 a.m., interviews until midday, drives and visits in the afternoon, and gatherings of friends nearly every evening.
Two days before ‘Abdu’l-Bahá left Paris, a mother arrived from America. Her small daughter had pointed at His picture in a magazine store window, and she had caught a boat that same night.
When a reporter burst in on two Scottish visitors’ evening with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in London, the Master led him away to His room, then explained that their wish for his absence had made the man uncomfortable.
In New York, two women wept when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told Margaret He prayed for her late parents. With hands outstretched to calm them, He exclaimed in English, “Laugh! Laugh!”
At lunch in ‘Akká in 1908, two pilgrims told ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that their own faults made them unhappy. He told them to think of the Bounty of God, and smiled as He recalled an Arabic saying about the peacock.
In Chicago in 1912, under trees near Lake Michigan, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told His friends He had not called attention to their shortcomings, and asked them to be as considerate with one another.
When the Báb set out on a camel from Jaddih to Mecca, Quddús chose to walk beside Him all the way, holding the bridle by day and keeping watch over Him every night.
Early one morning in Dublin, New Hampshire, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá called over a ragged old man passing the inn, stepped into the shadow of the porch, and gave him His own trousers.
The mention of Mary Magdalene always brought joy to the face of Bahá’u’lláh. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explained to Ethel Rosenberg what the "seven devils" cast out of her meant, and why she was greater than all the disciples.
At Gallipoli the exiles learned of an order to separate Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the family and the followers. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told the Governor they would not submit, and after a week He won the concession that they remain together.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá retells an Arabian chronicle: Hanzala, pledged to die on King Nu'man's Day of Evil, returned to keep his word, and his faithfulness brought the king and his ministers to faith in God.
Bahá’u’lláh recalled how, chained in the dark dungeon of the Síyáh-Chál, He taught His fellow-prisoners verses which they chanted every night, until the sound reached the ears of Náṣiri’d-Dín Sháh.
On pilgrimage in ‘Akká, May Bolles (Maxwell) spoke against a fellow-believer. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá knew of it at once; at supper His gaze of compassion moved her to tears, and then He smiled and called her name.
Sent by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Chicago in 1901, Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl and ‘Alí-Kuli Khán found believers confused by dream-reading and the occult, and taught them to weigh every inner prompting against the revealed Teachings.
An early pilgrim called ‘Roy’ was struck by the love and harmony among the Bahá’ís in the Most Great Prison. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told him that the more the believers are united, the more they receive God’s confirmation.
A dying Turkish man in Haifa told his children that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would be their father. The Master cared for the family, arranged the funeral and provided for their journey home to Turkey.
Harry Randall did not want to meet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, but he carried Him a glass of grape juice and was told to sit down. After twenty restless minutes the Master spoke to him of the intellect and the heart.
Staying in a village near London, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave sixpences to the poor children who followed Him. When His hostess and another guest turned away a man who had walked six miles with his babies, the Master came out and embraced them all.
On meeting the polar explorer Admiral Peary in America, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told him He hoped he would explore the invisibilities of the Kingdom.
Asked what He thought about women’s fashions, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá replied that He looked not at the dress but at the wearer: her chastity, culture and heavenly morality.
In spring ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wanted to visit the Chicago zoo. Though warned that mother animals hide their young from strangers, He went ahead alone, and each mother brought out her babies to show Him.
In San Francisco ‘Abdu’l-Bahá kept delaying His departure for a reception in Berkeley, to His hostess’s dismay, until a poor stranger who had walked fifteen miles to see Him rang the bell.
In Stuttgart in 1913 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá recalled how, as a child of eight or nine, He taught an educated man who was not convinced, and told him to go and receive seeing eyes and hearing ears.
On pilgrimage in 1921, Anna and Jakob Kunz heard ‘Abdu’l-Bahá counsel moderation in everything, even in thinking.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá told pilgrims how a Governor had stopped a Bahá’í from sailing from Haifa, and how, when that Governor later fell from power and was imprisoned, the Master showed him kindness and never let him know He remembered.
Near Mardin, on the journey from Baghdad to Constantinople, two mules belonging to an Arab traveller were stolen. Bahá’u’lláh halted the caravan and refused money in their place until the animals themselves were restored to their owner.
Each week ‘Abdu’l-Bahá walked from ‘Akká to visit Bahá’u’lláh at Bahjí. When His Father asked Him to ride, He rode, but dismounted as soon as He sighted the Mansion.
On pilgrimage in 1907 Corinne True brought ‘Abdu’l-Bahá a petition from Chicago to build a House of Worship. He described the Temple’s design, warned her she would suffer, and asked her to work for it.
Arriving to find that a revolution had scattered the men she carried letters to, Elizabeth Cheney prayed as she walked the streets until she stopped at a garden fence, where a gardener led her to one of them in hiding.
Housed in comfort in London, 'Abdu'l-Bahá was saddened by the hunger of people living nearby, as in New York, and foretold a time when the wealthy would spend their riches to improve their communities.
A woman who had enjoyed a talk by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in America complained that He repeated Himself; smiling, He asked her what it was He repeated, and she could not tell Him.
In the Súriy-i-Haykal, Bahá'u'lláh recounts how He moved to another house, hoping the flame of envy in His brother's breast might be quenched, and how His brother answered with the pen of calumny.
Hand of the Cause Leroy Ioas recalls the contrast between Shoghi Effendi's slight, refined frame and the power with which he spoke, and how closely the Guardian resembled 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
When Sutherland Maxwell lay near death in the winter of 1949–50, Shoghi Effendi insisted he should not die and had him taken to Switzerland, where he recovered so completely that the Guardian called it miraculous.
When someone criticized Lua Getsinger to 'Abdu'l-Bahá, He answered the critic with a smile: "But she loves her Lord."
Bahíyyih Khánum recalls how the Bábís handed over to the populace for torture remained unflinching, chanting prayers and asking God to pardon and bless their murderers.
As the Shrine of the Báb neared completion, Shoghi Effendi placed plaster from the Báb's prison cell at Máh-Kú beneath a tile of the dome; when Leroy Ioas offered to test the scaffolding first, the Guardian reminded him he was a mountaineer.
As he began writing The Advent of Divine Justice, Shoghi Effendi made a remark about America that Rúḥíyyih Khánum found hard to accept; he told her to swallow it, and over the years she came to see the truth in it.
Provisions 'Abdu'l-Bahá had grown and stored from 1912 onward saved Haifa's civilians from starvation in 1917 and 1918, and the British Government conferred a knighthood on Him, which He accepted as a gift "from a just king."
In the Chicago area, 'Abdu'l-Bahá visited the grave of Davis True at Oak Woods Cemetery with Corinne True and others, reciting the Prayer for the Dead and praying for all who were buried there.
On board the steamship Celtic, a woman told 'Abdu'l-Bahá that she was afraid of death. He urged her to enter the Divine Kingdom and spoke of the need to ride in the Ship of God.
When wealthy Western visitors prepared an elaborate hand-washing ceremony for 'Abdu'l-Bahá, He washed at a small water-trough, dried His hands on the gardener's cloth, and used their preparations for His guests instead.
A newly declared believer asked 'Abdu'l-Bahá what he should do and was told to study the Teachings. Eighteen years later he asked again, and received the same answer.
A man in 'Akká denounced 'Abdu'l-Bahá and hid his face from Him, yet for twenty-four years the Master sent him food, clothing and a doctor, until the man came weeping to beg His forgiveness.
When a poor Black man who often visited 'Abdu'l-Bahá at His Paris hotel was turned away by the management, the Master had him sought out and said He had come to establish the standard of Bahá'u'lláh.
While Bahá'u'lláh lay chained in the Siyah-Chal, His enemies failed to prove Him guilty and tried to poison Him. After four months He was released on condition of exile, ill and scarred by the chains.
Speaking at the Bowery Mission in New York, 'Abdu'l-Bahá told how Bahá'u'lláh, though wealthy, left all He had in Baghdad and lived two years among the poor, choosing the title The Poor One.
Warned in Paris of danger if He visited a certain country, 'Abdu'l-Bahá smilingly told Lady Blomfield that He had never been a day out of danger, and that His enemies had no power over His life.
In San Francisco, 'Abdu'l-Bahá visited Charles Tinsley, a Black believer long confined to bed with a broken leg, and told him not to be sad, for this affliction would make him spiritually stronger.
Confined in the home of Mírzá Muḥammad-Taqí in Sárí, Quddús spoke to him boldly about the Báb's Revelation, yet so courteously and with such humour that no one took offence, and his host even protected him.
In 1909 a pilgrim asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá whether He would come to America if the believers built the Temple quickly. In 1911 He wrote that they must first put away their differences if they longed for His visit.
Riding in the countryside of Núr, Bahá’u’lláh met a dervish cooking his food. After Bahá’u’lláh spoke with him tenderly about the true nature of God, the dervish left his utensils behind and followed His horse, singing for joy.
On 23 May 1912, after speaking at a university in Worcester, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá joined the Boston Bahá’ís at Alice Breed's home to commemorate the Declaration of the Báb, spoke about the Báb's life, and lit the first candle on a birthday cake.
While Bahá’u’lláh was imprisoned in Ṭihrán, His wife Navváb fled with their three children, lived in fear for His life, and later sold her wedding treasures to provide for the journey into exile.
A pilgrim from Khusf who had seen nothing extraordinary in his first days in 'Akká was overwhelmed in Bahá’u’lláh's presence. Bahá’u’lláh then explained, with the example of a parrot and a mirror, why the Manifestations appear in human form.
On Riverside Drive in New York, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá met a poor man whose trousers were in rags, took him behind some shrubbery and gave him His own, then came back laughing with His aba wrapped around Him.
Keith Ransom-Kehler, sent by Shoghi Effendi to Persia, pleaded the cause of its persecuted Bahá'ís before the authorities and died in Iṣfáhán in 1933. The Guardian called her the American believers' first and distinguished martyr.
In a 1929 letter later published in The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, Shoghi Effendi answered doubts about the Bahá'í institutions, calling the administration an instrument and not a substitute for the Faith, and warning against separating it from the spiritual teachings.
In a 1934 letter to Doris McKay, Howard Colby Ives explained how he and his wife accepted a life without a settled home, trusting that God provides a heavenly home for those who accept His Will.
Hand of the Cause Leroy Ioas recalls how Shoghi Effendi went straight to the heart of every question, grew weary of long, roundabout letters, and wanted every task to bring an immediate result.
Dr Yúnis Khán recalls how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, sensing a fragrance from one sealed envelope, had it opened first; it held a violet picked from Thomas Breakwell's grave, and the Master wept.