On one occasion ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told about a happy day in Iraq: ‘Once, when I…
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When in Bahá'í history
Baghdád (today: Baghdad, Iraq)
On one occasion ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told about a happy day in Iraq: ‘Once, when I lived in Baghdad, I was invited to the house of a poor thorn-picker. In Baghdad the heat is greater even than in Syria; and it was a very hot day. But I walked twelve miles to the thorn-picker’s hut. Then his wife made a little cake out of some meal for Me and burnt it in cooking it, so it was a black, hard lump. Still that was the best reception I ever attended.
Source: Honnold, Annamarie, Vignettes from the Life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: gratitude).
Discuss this story
For adults
- Read the closing lines once more. What single phrase stays with you?
- What does the setting of this account contribute to its meaning?
- If you were to share this story aloud at a devotional gathering, which sentence would you read first?
For teens
- What is one quality you'd want to carry forward from this account?
- Which line in this story surprised you the most?
Reflection
- Sit quietly for a moment after reading. What does this story stir in you?
- If you could bring one quality from this story into your next conversation, what would it be?
- What single image from this story will stay with you?
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "On one occasion ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told about a happy day in Iraq: ‘Once, when I…" drawn from?
Where does this story take place?
What period of Bahá'í history does this story belong to?
Which historical figure is featured most prominently in this story?
Cite this story
Various. *bahaistories.com archive*. https://bahaistories.com/subject/gratitude
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