It is told that in the home of Bahá’u’lláh there was a beautiful rug upon which…
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When in Bahá'í history
It is told that in the home of Bahá’u’lláh there was a beautiful rug upon which He used to sit. One day a poor Arab brought a load of wood to the house. He saw the rug and was very much attracted by its beauty. He handled it with great appreciation and exclaimed, "Oh, how wonderful it must be to have such a splendid rug to sit upon!' ‘Abdu’l-Bahá heard him and said, 'If you like the rug, take it.'
The man could not believe it was really a gift. Fearing he would lose it, he put it over his shoulder and began to run, looking back to see if anyone was coming to take it from him. With delicious humour ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said, 'Go on, no one is going to take it away from you.'
Source: Honnold, Annamarie, Vignettes from the Life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 70
Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: generosity).
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?
- If you were to share this story aloud at a devotional gathering, which sentence would you read first?
For teens
- If you were in Bahá'u'lláh's place, what might you have done?
- What does this story teach about generosity?
Reflection
- 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?
- Where in your own life are you being asked to practice generosity?
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "It is told that in the home of Bahá’u’lláh there was a beautiful rug upon which…" drawn from?
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/generosity
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