One day, Dr

One day, Dr. Khan reminded Abu'l-Fadl that, day after day, he had offered service to the best of his ability and, in view of this, would Abu'l-Fadl answer just one question: What really happened to the soul after death? Abu'l-Fadl looked at Khan very thoughtfully – and changed the subject. A few days later, as they were nearing Washington, Dr. Khan repeated his question - "Please tell me - what does happen to the soul after death?" Abu'l-Fadl glanced at Khan and changed the subject. Finally they reached Washington and the day before Abu'l-Fadl was to return to Acca. Dr. Khan asked the question for the third time. Abu'l-Fadl smiled. and went away. Two or three years went by and one day Khan was sitting on a beach, looking at the sea. On the horizon was a ship, and as first the hull and then the sails slipped out of sight - suddenly, gloriously, Khan knew what happened to the soul after death. For, to those on board that ship nothing had happened - they were still on their familiar ship sailing the same sea. So, some time later when Ali Kuli Khan met Abu'l-Fadl in Acca he told him of this experience and added - ""Why was it you refused, when I first asked you, to answer my question? Abu'l-Fadl said, lovingly,

"If, my dear friend, you would have been able to understand my answer, you would never have asked the question."

Source: Reginald Grant Barrow, Mother's Stories: Stories of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Early Believers told by Muriel Ives Barrow Newhall to her son, p. 8

Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: teaching).

Various. *bahaistories.com archive*. https://bahaistories.com/subject/teaching