The Five-Qirán Coin

*A retelling for children, based on the life of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in **Bahá'í Chronicles**, which quotes 'Abdu'l-Bahá's own account as given in H. M. Balyuzi's **'Abdu'l-Bahá: The Centre of the Covenant**.*

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When 'Abdu'l-Bahá was a child, His family was wealthy and much respected in Tihrán. Their house in the city and their country houses were comfortable and beautifully furnished. He had a younger sister, Bahíyyih, and a younger brother, Mihdí. His father, Bahá'u'lláh, gave so much to the poor that He was called the "Father of the Poor."

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Bahá'u'lláh was a follower of the Báb, and the followers of the Báb were being persecuted. In August 1852, after an attempt on the life of the Sháh in which He had no part, Bahá'u'lláh was arrested and put in an underground prison in Tihrán called the Síyáh-Chál, the Black Pit. 'Abdu'l-Bahá was eight years old and had only lately recovered from a serious illness.

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Bahá'u'lláh's house was looted, and the family lost almost everything they owned. His mother, Ásíyih Khánum, took the children to another part of the city and rented a house in a back alley, where she kept them indoors.

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One day there was hardly anything left to live on. His mother sent 'Abdu'l-Bahá to His aunt's house to ask for a few qiráns, the silver coins of the time. His aunt tied a five-qirán piece in a handkerchief and gave it to Him.

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On the way home someone recognized Him and shouted, "Here is a Bábí!" The children in the street chased Him. He took refuge in the entrance of a house and stayed there until nightfall. When He came out, the children chased Him again, yelling at Him and throwing stones.

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He remembered: "When I reached home I was exhausted. Mother wanted to know what had happened to me. I could not utter a word and collapsed."

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'Abdu'l-Bahá told this story Himself about sixty years afterwards. Once, while He was in Europe, He also said of those days: "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."

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*This is a retelling for children. For the fuller account, see ["‘Abdu’l-Bahá Abbas"](/stories/bc-8216-abdu-8217-l-baha-abbas).*

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