Evidently some of the Americans were bothered that the Persians for their…
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When in Bahá'í history
Evidently some of the Americans were bothered that the Persians for their normal clothing and requested that they change into attire to suit the circumstances of the time and place. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá responded by asking them 'What harm is there in it? I do not care much about what is unimportant and what is not harmful to the cause. They are trifles.'
Source: Earl Redman, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Their Midst, p. 53
Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: approval-seeking).
Discuss this story
For adults
- Where do you see devotion appearing — visibly or quietly — in this passage?
- How does this story complicate or deepen your understanding of approval seeking?
- Where do devotion and patience meet in this story?
For teens
- If you were in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's place, what might you have done?
- What does this story teach about devotion?
Reflection
- Sit quietly for a moment after reading. What does this story stir in you?
- If you could bring one quality from this story into your next conversation, what would it be?
- What single image from this story will stay with you?
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "Evidently some of the Americans were bothered that the Persians for their…" drawn from?
What period of Bahá'í history does this story belong to?
Which historical figure is featured most prominently in this story?
Cite this story
Various. *bahaistories.com archive*. https://bahaistories.com/subject/approval-seeking
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