One Meritorious Act

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wvVOgy3qpx-pqf8rgLM5W3EDT3-m8ZFJP-_oRrckjF94Fi979KOoDRvIUG00tup_pWvoJv3fXNjMRcqy59mRVVFpNtSKgBPb_hw8CSa2ikiMOeCD8doLuPC28nXJ9tSvsvPPgWY6JEbY/s1600/act.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wvVOgy3qpx-pqf8rgLM5W3EDT3-m8ZFJP-_oRrckjF94Fi979KOoDRvIUG00tup_pWvoJv3fXNjMRcqy59mRVVFpNtSKgBPb_hw8CSa2ikiMOeCD8doLuPC28nXJ9tSvsvPPgWY6JEbY/s320/act.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sanam sat on a rooftop in a bed draped with a white mosquito net, not wanting to go to sleep.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Tell me just one more story," she begged her grandmother.

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"Then </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'll </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">go to sleep.

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I promise."</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Get under your covers, then," her grandmother replied.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sanam got under the covers while her grandmother sat on the edge of the bed and closed the mosquito net tightly behind her.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"When I was a young girl like you," her grandmother recounted, "I loved being with my grandmother, Naneh-joon, just as much as you love being with me.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Naneh-joon was a very devout Muslim.

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She got up to pray before the sun rose and went </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">to </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">bed after her midnight prayer. Even in her old age and poor health, she went to the mosque every </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">day.

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</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">She gave money to the poor and was kind to all.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br /> <a name='more'></a></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"One hot day in August, Naneh-joon </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">gave me </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">permission to accompany her on her daily </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">journey </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">to the mosque.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'On the occasion of </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">your </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">turning nine,' she </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">said, 'you </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">may come with me to the mosque.

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But </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">you </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">must cover </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">yourself </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">well and be silent as a mouse </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">in </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">God's house.'</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"I </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">held my chador tightly in place under my </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">chin with one </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">hand, and with the other I held Naneh-</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">joon's.

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</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">went </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">through the alleys of southern Tihrán.

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</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I was going </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">to the mosque!</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"As we </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">drew near to </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">t</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">he mosque, we </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">heard </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">loud </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">noises echoing </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">between the clay houses.</span><br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"'Bábí!

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</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Bábí</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">!</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">' The sound of people shouting </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">reached </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">our ears. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'Enemy of </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Islám!'</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Naneh-joon gripped </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">my hand. 'Those Bábís!' </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">she hissed.

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'The mulla </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">says they are bad people</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.

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</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">They </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">do things </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">shudder </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">to tell </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">you.'</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="color: #393939; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"I wanted to free my hand from Naneh-joon</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'s </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">tight grasp.

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'Please, Naneh-joon,</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">' </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I pleaded</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'Let's go </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">home.' I wanted my Naneh-joon back, not </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">this </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">stranger with an angr</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">y </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">look </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">in </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">her </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">eyes</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.

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</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“'The mullá says that hurting any Bábí </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">helps the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Prophet Muhammad,' Naneh-joon said</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Naneh-joon pulled me toward the noise, walking faster than I had ever </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">seen </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">her.

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She pushed and shoved until we were at the front of the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">crowd that </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">was shouting an</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">d </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">throwing </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">stones.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="color: #393939; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Then and there was the first and last time I saw Him.

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He was barefooted and bareheaded, but </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">felt </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">was standing in the presence of the King of Kings.

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I stood mesme</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">r</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ized, shutting out the noise </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">of </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">the people and seeing nothing but the glory surrounding Him</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Naneh-joon let go of my hand, and </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">jolted out </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">of </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">my trance.

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I saw her picking up a stone.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"'No!' </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">shouted. But she did not listen to me.

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</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">She was </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">about to </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">step </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">forward when an old woman </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ran ahead </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">of her into </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">t</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">he street.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"The old woman</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">s frame shook with rage as she </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">stepped </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">forward and raised her hand to throw her </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">stone </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">at Him.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="color: #3a3a3a; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"'By the Holy Imam, I beg you,' the old woma</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">n </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">pleaded with the guards surrounding Him</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.

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</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'Give me </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a chance to fling my stone </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">in </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">His face!'</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"The </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">King of Kings turned to His guards an</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">d </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">said, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'Suffer </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">not this woman to be disappointed</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.

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</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Deny </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">her not what she </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">regards as </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a meritorious </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">act </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">in </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">sight of </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">God.'</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Tears </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">welled up in </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">my eyes </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">at the words that </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">had </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">passed through His </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">lips.

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</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I looked up and saw</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">through my tears, my old </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Naneh-joon </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">standing by my </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">side. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">She had dropped her stone to the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ground.

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</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">She </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">took </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">hold of my hand, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">we walked </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">back to her house </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">in silence."</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Then what </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">happened?" asked Sanam.

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</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"I'm </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">not going to tell you the story of how Naneh-joon and I became Baha'is, Sanam!" her </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">grandmother </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">said.

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</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"It </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">is </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">your </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">bedtime!"</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Okay, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">okay!" replied Sanam.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sanam </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">made herself </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">snug </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">under the blankets.

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</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">She prayed </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">in her heart for Baha'u'llah to forgive the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">old woman for what </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">she </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">had </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">done. Then she went </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">to sleep.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(by Suzan Nadimi; Core Curriculum for Spiritual Education – Stories)</span></div>

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