Cooking for His Guests in Montclair
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When in Bahá'í history
On 20 June 1912 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá went to a house rented for Him in Montclair, New Jersey. The weather in New York was hot and humid, and the Montclair friends had begged Him to visit. On 23 June Mírzá Maḥmúd-i-Zarqání wrote in his diary:
After morning prayers of thanksgiving, the Master, with some of these servants, went to the market to purchase food and utensils. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself supervised the affairs of the kitchen. During this journey He often cooked and prepared the meals, especially when there were special guests. When there were no guests, He would not permit us to go to the trouble of preparing special meals but instead was satisfied with a piece of bread and some cheese. With all this, His glory and majesty caused many to bow humbly before Him. In fact, it was seldom that many did not sit at His table both mornings and evenings to receive the blessings and honor of His presence.
Source: Mírzá Maḥmúd-i-Zarqání, Maḥmúd’s Diary, 20 and 23 June 1912 (Montclair); the compiler’s source was Earl Redman, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Their Midst, p. 145.
Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: hospitality).
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