‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the Expensive Coat

During His prison life in ‘Akká, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá often gave His bed to those who had none, and He always refused to own more than one coat. “Why should I have two,” He said, “when there are so many who have none?”

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One day ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was to entertain the Governor of ‘Akká. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s wife felt that His old coat was hardly good enough for this important visit. She wished very much that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá might have a better coat, but He never noticed what He wore, so long as it was clean. She wondered what she should do.

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Finally, she decided that she would have a new coat made for Him, and on the morning of the visit she would put out the new one instead of the old. She felt He would surely never notice the difference. So she ordered a fine and rather expensive coat to be made by a tailor. And on the important day she laid it where ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would be sure to find it.

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But when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá got ready to dress, He noticed right away that something was wrong. So He went searching through the house for His own coat, insisting that the one laid out was not His.

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His wife then tried to explain what had happened, but ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who always thought of others before He thought of Himself, said, “But think of this! For the price of this coat you can buy five such as I ordinarily use, and do you think I would spend so much money upon a coat which only I shall wear?

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If you think I need a new one, very well, but send this back and have the tailor make Me for this price five such as I usually have. Then you see, I shall not only have a new one, but I shall also have four to give to others!”

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(Adapted from ‘The Oriental Rose’, by Mary Hanford Ford; included in 'Stories about 'Abdu'l-Baha', by Gloria Faizi)

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