66: O thou who hast sought illumination from the ...
'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, (1978) · Read original
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O thou who hast sought illumination from the light of guidance! Praise thou God that He hath directed thee to the light of truth and hath invited thee to enter the Kingdom of Abhá. Thy sight hath been illumined and thy heart hath been turned into a rose garden. I pray for thee that thou mayest ever grow in faith and assurance, shine like unto a torch in the assemblies and bestow upon them the light of guidance.
Whenever an illumined assembly of the friends of God is gathered, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, although bodily absent, is yet present in spirit and in soul. I am always a traveller to America and am assuredly associating with spiritual and illumined friends. Distance is annihilated and prevents not the close and intimate association of two souls that are closely attached in heart even though they may be in two different countries. I am therefore thy close companion, attuned and in harmony with thy soul.
Source: 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá (1978). Public domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #19287.
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For adults
- If you were to share this story aloud at a devotional gathering, which sentence would you read first?
- How does this story complicate or deepen your understanding of writings?
- Where do faith and truthfulness meet in this story?
For teens
- If you were in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's place, what might you have done?
- What does this story teach about faith?
Reflection
- Is there someone in your life who would be helped by hearing this story?
- Where in your own life are you being asked to practice faith?
- Read the passage a second time, slowly. What did you notice that you missed the first time?
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "66: O thou who hast sought illumination from the ..." drawn from?
What period of Bahá'í history does this story belong to?
Which historical figure is featured most prominently in this story?
Which virtue does this story most clearly illustrate?
Cite this story
'Abdu'l-Bahá. (1978). *Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá*. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/19287/pg19287-images.html
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