A Question at Temple Emanu-El

A retelling for children, based on Mahmúd's Diary (entry of 12 October 1912).

One Saturday morning in San Francisco, 'Abdu'l-Bahá came to speak at Temple Emanu-El, a synagogue, where Jewish people gather to pray. About two thousand people had come to hear Him. The man leading the meeting welcomed Him as "a great teacher of our age and generation."

'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke about Moses. Long ago, He said, the children of Israel were slaves in Egypt. Moses set them free, led them to the Holy Land and taught them, until they became a great and learned people. Wise men even came all the way from Greece to learn from them.

Hence, the foundation of the religion of God which was laid by Moses was the cause of eternal honor, the advancement and development of the nation and the life of the Hebrew people.

Then He spoke about two other great Messengers of God. Christ, He said, had taught people everywhere to honour Moses, and had carried His name to Persia, India and Europe, where it had never been heard before. Muḥammad had told His people to believe in Moses and the Torah, and had praised Moses many times in His Book. Christians and Muslims had lost nothing by loving Moses.

So 'Abdu'l-Bahá asked the people a question:

Why should not the children of Israel praise now Christ and Muḥammad?

If everyone honoured all the Messengers of God, He explained, the old quarrels between their peoples could end. He reminded them that they were living in a new century, a time of science and of the oneness of all people.

This century is the century of science... Does it behoove us in this century to linger in our fanaticism and tarry in our prejudice?

When He finished, many people came up to thank Him. Only a very few went away unhappy.

This is a retelling for children. For the fuller account, see "The Master at Temple Emanu-El".

Maḥmúd-i-Zarqání, M.. (1998). *Mahmúd's Diary: The Diary of Mírzá Maḥmúd-i-Zarqání*. George Ronald.