The Dream That Changed a Family

A retelling for children, based on the account of Haji ‘Abdu’l-Vahhab in the Bahá'í Chronicles.

One morning, a young man named ‘Abdu’l-Vahhab was sitting in his little shop in the city of Shíráz, deep in thought. He could not stop thinking about a dream — a dream so strong it had woken him in the night, and would not leave him alone.

In the dream, a crier had stood in the busy market street and called out to all the people: Arise and seek him! The crier said a great one had come, and that whoever went to him would receive a precious gift — and whoever stayed away would miss something more wonderful than they could imagine. And in the dream, ‘Abdu’l-Vahhab had seen a particular man, a stranger, who was handing out those very gifts.

So there he sat in his shop, turning the dream over and over in his mind — when suddenly the very same stranger from his dream walked past in the street outside, deep in conversation with a companion.

‘Abdu’l-Vahhab leapt up. He could not help himself. He left his shop just as it was and ran out into the street, his heart pounding, following the man he had only ever seen while asleep.

The stranger's name was Mullá ‘Alí. The Báb had sent him out on an important journey, to carry a wonderful new message to the world, and He had told Mullá ‘Alí to be brave no matter what hardships came. Now Mullá ‘Alí was already a good distance outside the city when ‘Abdu’l-Vahhab finally caught up to him, breathless and full of feeling.

With tears in his eyes, ‘Abdu’l-Vahhab begged to be allowed to come with him. His heart was troubled, he said, and he longed for someone to guide his steps in the way of Truth. Then he told Mullá ‘Alí all about the dream.

Mullá ‘Alí listened kindly — but he tried gently to send the young man home. Going with him, he warned, would only bring trouble. He told ‘Abdu’l-Vahhab to return and rest assured, for he was counted among the people of salvation; God would never withhold His grace from a seeker so ardent and so devoted. But the more Mullá ‘Alí asked him to turn back, the harder ‘Abdu’l-Vahhab wept and pleaded. At last Mullá ‘Alí gave in, and let the young man come.

Now, ‘Abdu’l-Vahhab had a father named Haji ‘Abdu’l-Majid, and he was an important man with a powerful position in the city. When he heard that his son had run off and left his shop to follow a stranger, he was furious. He felt embarrassed. How could my son behave this way? he thought. He grabbed a club and stormed out of the city after them, determined to teach his son a hard lesson.

When he caught up with them, his anger boiled over — but it was not his son he struck. It was Mullá ‘Alí. He beat him cruelly, again and again.

And here is the part of the story that is hardest to believe. Mullá ‘Alí did not shout, or fight back, or even seem angry. He stayed completely calm. "Stay your hand, O ‘Abdu’l-Majid," he said quietly, "for the eye of God is observing you." He told the angry father that he had done nothing wrong, and that he was not responsible for what the young man had chosen. The blows did not frighten him at all, because he was ready to suffer far worse for the sake of what he believed. And then he said something that must have sounded very strange in that furious moment: one day, he told ‘Abdu’l-Majid, you will understand that I was innocent — and you will be filled with sorrow for what you did today.

The father did not listen. He kept beating Mullá ‘Alí until he was worn out, and Mullá ‘Alí bore every blow bravely and silently. Then ‘Abdu’l-Majid took his son and marched him back toward Shíráz.

But on the walk home, his son told him about the dream. And slowly, something began to soften inside the father's heart. He started to feel a deep, aching regret. He could not stop thinking about how serenely Mullá ‘Alí had endured his cruelty — and how he himself had been so very wrong. That sorrow stayed with him for years and years. He could not shake it off.

Time passed, and the family moved far away, all the way to another country. ‘Abdu’l-Vahhab grew up, started his own business, and a quiet, beautiful mystery seemed to glow in him — as though he were keeping a wonderful secret that had changed his whole life. And it had. For one day Bahá'u'lláh came to the city where they lived, and the moment ‘Abdu’l-Vahhab met Him, he gave Him his whole heart and promised to love and serve Him forever.

Years later, ‘Abdu’l-Vahhab gave his very life for his faith — brave and faithful right to the end, just as he had been from that first morning when he ran out of his shop.

And what about his father? At last, the words Mullá ‘Alí had spoken so long ago came true. Bahá'u'lláh, with great love and kindness, gently woke the old man's heart and taught him the very message his son had given his life for. The sorrow he had carried for so many years was finally washed clean, and he was forgiven.

He never forgot his old mistake — but he learned that even a hard, wrong heart can be made new. No one is ever too far gone to change, to be sorry, and to be forgiven.

This is a retelling for children. For the fuller account, see "Haji ‘Abdu’l-Vahhab".

editors, B. C.. *Bahá'í Chronicles*. https://bahaichronicles.org/haji-abdul-vahhab-neda-typed-from-dawn-breakers/