The Name He Chose for Himself
Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, (1944), Bahá'í Publishing Trust · Read original
When in Bahá'í history
A retelling for children, based on God Passes By by Shoghi Effendi. The words in quotation marks are 'Abdu'l-Bahá's own.
In the spring of long ago, the family at a place called Bahjí was very, very sad. Bahá'u'lláh had passed from this world, and to the people who loved Him it felt as if the sun had gone out of the sky.
But Bahá'u'lláh had not left them alone. Before He passed away, He had written a special book with His own hand. In it He told everyone who they should turn to next — His eldest Son. From now on, this was the One they could trust to guide them and to explain Bahá'u'lláh's teachings.
Now think about that. A Son chosen for something so important could have been given any wonderful title in the whole world. The friends loved Him so much that they wanted to do exactly that. They wanted to crown His name with every honour they could think of. For a long time they had already called Him a beautiful name — "the Master."
So the moment came when He could choose how He wished to be known. Everyone waited. What grand name would He pick?
He picked the smallest one.
He set every great title aside, and He chose for Himself the humblest name He could find. He asked to be called 'Abdu'l-Bahá — which means the Servant of Bahá, the Servant of Glory. Not the king. Not the great leader. The servant.
And He truly meant it, with His whole heart. "My name is 'Abdu'l-Bahá," He wrote. "My reality is 'Abdu'l-Bahá. My praise is 'Abdu'l-Bahá." Being a servant to God and helping every person on earth, He said, was the only crown He would ever wear.
Best of all, He did not just say the name — He lived it, every single day until the end of His life. He woke before the sun came up to write letters for the friends. He gave away the money from His own purse to the poor people of 'Akká. He sat beside those who were sick. He cared for everyone who came to His door.
Out of all the names a person could be given, He reached for the lowest one of all. And then, by the kind and loving way He carried it, He turned it into one of the most beloved names on earth. That is the wonderful secret He showed us: the greatest people are not the ones who want to be served, but the ones who love to serve. He chose a single word — servant — and spent His whole life making that word beautiful.
This is a retelling for children. For the fuller account, see "The Name He Chose".
Cite this story
Effendi, S.. (1944). *God Passes By*. Bahá'í Publishing Trust. https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/shoghi-effendi/god-passes-by/
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