62: Your letter has come, and I myself and the ...
Bahíyyih Khánum and others, Bahíyyih Khánum, (1982) · Read original
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When in Bahá'í history
190 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.
Since, however, you stood firm and steadfast and unchanging, as the arrows of tyranny came against you, and since this happened for the sake of the Blessed Beauty, and in the pathway of the One Beloved, it behoves you to thank God and praise Him, for having singled you out for this great bounty.
For this clamour and uproar, the blows, the abuse, the taunts, the curses, when borne for love of the All-Bounteous Lord, are but festive days and times for jubilee.
God be praised, you have been given a drop out of that ocean of tribulations that swept across the Exalted One and the Beauty of the All-Glorious, you were granted a droplet out of the seas of calamity that engulfed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
The evil ones did not destroy the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, nor will they ever; it was their own house that they brought down in ruins and gave to the winds. They did not burn down the school, they put the flame to their own roots.
Lofty is the structure of the House of Worship; it is certain that you will build a new and greater one. Be you confident of the bestowals of the Blessed Beauty and the gifts and blessings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
Source: Bahíyyih Khánum and others, Bahíyyih Khánum (1982). Public domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #19242.
Discuss this story
For adults
- Where do you see love appearing — visibly or quietly — in this passage?
- How does this story complicate or deepen your understanding of women?
- Read the closing lines once more. What single phrase stays with you?
For teens
- How could the spirit of love show up in your week?
- What does this story say about how to face hard moments?
Reflection
- How does love show up in your life right now — and where is it being asked of you?
- Is there someone in your life who would be helped by hearing this story?
- Sit quietly for a moment after reading. What does this story stir in you?
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "62: Your letter has come, and I myself and the ..." drawn from?
What period of Bahá'í history does this story belong to?
Which historical figure is featured most prominently in this story?
Which virtue does this story most clearly illustrate?
Cite this story
others, B. K. A.. (1982). *Bahíyyih Khánum*. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/19242/pg19242-images.html
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