In Europe, on one occasion, remembering the desperate days in Tihran when…
bahaistories.com archive · Read original
Studio narration for this story is coming — it’ll be generated by the cloud-TTS pipeline (voice: auto-selected from the source author).
When in Bahá'í history
Tihrán (today: Tehran, Iran)
In Europe, on one occasion, remembering the desperate days in Tihran when Bahá’u’lláh was incarcerated, their home sacked and their properties confiscated, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá could yet say, ‘Detachment does not imply lack of means; it is marked by the freedom of the heart. In Tihran, we possessed everything at a nightfall, and on the morrow we were shorn of it all, to the extent that we had no food to eat. I was hungry, but there was no bread to be had. My mother poured some flour into the palm of my hand, and I ate that instead of bread. Yet, we were contented.’
Source: Honnold, Annamarie, Vignettes from the Life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 164
Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: contentment).
Discuss this story
For adults
- What stands out about Bahá'u'lláh's response in this account?
- What might Bahá'u'lláh's example ask of us in our own circumstances?
- Where do you see detachment appearing — visibly or quietly — in this passage?
For teens
- If you were in Bahá'u'lláh's place, what might you have done?
- What does this story teach about detachment?
Reflection
- Read the passage a second time, slowly. What did you notice that you missed the first time?
- Sit quietly for a moment after reading. What does this story stir in you?
- Take one line from this story and let it stay with you today.
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "In Europe, on one occasion, remembering the desperate days in Tihran when…" drawn from?
Where does this story take place?
What period of Bahá'í history does this story belong to?
Which historical figure is featured most prominently in this story?
Which virtue does this story most clearly illustrate?
Cite this story
Various. *bahaistories.com archive*. https://bahaistories.com/subject/contentment
Record yourself reading this story
Recording stays on this device only. Nothing is uploaded.
Related stories
‘Abdu’l-Bahá beautifully tells us how the days that are without pain and…
‘Abdu’l-Bahá beautifully tells us how the days that are without pain and suffering in the path of the Blessed Beauty just pass by fruitlessly. When a believer feels the pain and suffering when making the calculations and contributions for…
‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself was known for often going swimming, and both He and his…
‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself was known for often going swimming, and both He and his future wife Fatimih, whom was later renamed Munirih Khánum by Bahá’u’lláh, derived great enjoyment from it: At first, Fatimih lived in the house of Mirza Musa,…
‘Abdu’l-Bahá learned well the meaning of Bahá’u’lláh’s words: ‘Beware, lest…
‘Abdu’l-Bahá learned well the meaning of Bahá’u’lláh’s words: ‘Beware, lest thou allow anything whatsoever to grieve thee.’ Acquainted with sorrow, He was known to shed tears when He spoke of the hardships endured by Bahá’u’lláh, His…
‘Abdu’l-Bahá's generosity was natural to Him already in childhood
‘Abdu’l-Bahá's generosity was natural to Him already in childhood. A story is recorded of the time when young 'Abbas Effendi went to the mountains to see the thousands of sheep which His Father then owned. The shepherds, wishing to…