The Minarets of the West
bahaistories.com archive · Read original
When in Bahá'í history
Juliet Thompson wrote in her diary on 11 April 1912, the day ‘Abdu’l-Bahá arrived in New York:
Between seven and eight I went to the pier with Marjorie Morten and Rhoda Nichols. The morning was crystal clear, sparkling. I had a sense of its being Easter: of lilies, almost seen, blooming at my feet. All the believers of New York had gathered at the pier to meet the Master’s ship. . . .
During the morning the harbour misted over. At last, in the mist we saw: a phantom ship! . . . Closer and closer, ever more substantial, came that historic ship, that epoch-making ship, till at last it swam out solid into the light, one of the Persians sitting in the bow in his long robes, ‘abá, and turban. This was Siyyid Asadu’lláh, a marvellous, witty old man, who had come with the Master to prepare His meals. He told us later that when the ship was approaching the harbour and the Master saw, as His first view of America, the Wall Street skyscrapers, He had laughed and said: "Those are the minarets of the West." What divine irony!
The ship docked, but the Master did not appear. Suddenly I had a great glimpse. In the dim hall beyond the deck, striding to and fro near the door, was One with a step that shook you! Just that one stride, charged with power, the sweep of a robe, a majestic head, turban crowned—that was all I saw, but my heart stopped.
Source: The Diary of Juliet Thompson, 11 April 1912; the remark is also quoted in Earl Redman, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Their Midst, p. 57.
Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: materialism).
Cite this story
Various. *bahaistories.com archive*. https://bahaistories.com/subject/materialism
Record yourself reading this story
Recording stays on this device only. Nothing is uploaded.
Related stories
The Master at the Church of the Ascension
On 14 April 1912 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave His first public address in America at New York's Church of the Ascension. Juliet Thompson recalls how He likened material civilization to a lamp's glass and spiritual civilization to its light.
No Taxes in the Kingdom of God
In New York on 13 April 1912 a young single-taxer asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá what message to take to his friends. The Master laughed and told him that in the Kingdom of God there is plenty of land and no taxes.
The Peace Society Meeting at the Hotel Astor
On 13 May 1912, ill with a high fever, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá still went to speak at the New York Peace Society’s meeting at the Hotel Astor, telling Juliet Thompson that He worked by the confirmations of the Holy Spirit.
Quarters for the Bowery Mission
Before speaking at New York’s Bowery Mission in April 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had two thousand-franc notes changed into quarters, and He pressed a gift of silver into the hand of each man there.