What White Teeth It Has
Mírzá Maḥmúd-i-Zarqání, Mahmúd's Diary, (1998), George Ronald · Read original
When in Bahá'í history
A retelling based on Mahmúd's Diary by Mírzá Maḥmúd-i-Zarqání (George Ronald), from the entry for 1 November 1912. The narrative is in our own words; the words in quotation marks are as the diary records them. Read the full text for the original entry.
On Friday, 1 November 1912, in Chicago, a man from Russia came to see 'Abdu'l-Bahá for the first time. As soon as he was shown into the Master's room, he began to complain about Russia.
The Master said to him:
Do not speak ill of Russia. Render good to friend and foe alike. Say that you are one with all. Be a true well-wisher of people. Give up your evil thoughts and pray for all. Be at peace and make peace with all. Do not express hatred or resentment toward anyone. Be a proclaimer of peace and say, "Now I feel no enmity toward anyone." Praise all and be mindful of the story of Christ. When everyone expressed disgust on seeing the body of a dead dog, Christ said, "What white teeth it has!"
The visitor was so overwhelmed that he cried out, "Today I have found the way to salvation and safety."
The Master replied, "If you follow these teachings you will see things greater than this."
This account is retold for the Bahá'í Story Library; the narrative is a paraphrase, and the quoted words are from Mahmúd's Diary (Mírzá Maḥmúd-i-Zarqání, tr. Mohi Sobhani, George Ronald, 1998), entry for 1 November 1912.
Cite this story
Maḥmúd-i-Zarqání, M.. (1998). *Mahmúd's Diary*. George Ronald. https://bahai-library.com/zarqani_mahmuds_diary
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