On one occasion two young boys, Shoghi Effendi and his first cousin, Ruhi…
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When in Bahá'í history
On one occasion two young boys, Shoghi Effendi and his first cousin, Ruhi Effendi, entered the presence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The Master looked at them thoughtfully and then remarked to Ruhi Effendi, 'If you can't wear a happy, pleasant expression on your face like Shoghi Effendi, then you are excused.'
Source: Honnold, Annamarie, Vignettes from the Life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 48
Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: happiness).
Discuss this story
For adults
- If you were to share this story aloud at a devotional gathering, which sentence would you read first?
- What in your own life does this story bring to mind?
- Where do you see devotion appearing — visibly or quietly — in this passage?
For teens
- If you were in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's place, what might you have done?
- What does this story teach about devotion?
Reflection
- What in this account feels timely? What feels timeless?
- If you could bring one quality from this story into your next conversation, what would it be?
- Is there someone in your life who would be helped by hearing this story?
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "On one occasion two young boys, Shoghi Effendi and his first cousin, Ruhi…" drawn from?
What period of Bahá'í history does this story belong to?
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Cite this story
Various. *bahaistories.com archive*. https://bahaistories.com/subject/happiness
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