“O thou confident soul who art content and patient!...”
'Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas, (1909) · Read original
Studio narration for this story is coming — it’ll be generated by the cloud-TTS pipeline (voice: auto-selected from the source author).
When in Bahá'í history
O thou confident soul who art content and patient!
Verily, I read thy welcome letter and was informed of its contents which gladdened the hearts of the unitarians (i.e., the believers at Acca) of thy desire for God’s confirmation in the service of His Cause among the sincere servants. Do not consider the weakness of the people, but observe the power of attainment in this manifest day. Separate thyself from all thoughts, strip thyself from the unclean garment of attachment to this drossful (or earthly) world, arise for the service of thy Lord, the Clement, and be clothed with the robe of assurance (or certainty), so that thou mayest behold the hosts of confirmation from thy Lord arising from all sides.
As to thy information concerning the services of Mirza Assad Ullah to the holy and brilliant Threshold, verily, it gladdened Abdul-Baha and he thanked God for this great bounty unto him (Mirza Assad Ullah) and the chosen of God. Verily, I hope, through the favor of my Lord, that He will confirm ye unto that which he (Mirza Assad Ullah) was confirmed; because the treasury of the favors of thy Lord are full of bounties. Verily, he granteth to whomsoever He wisheth what He desireth, and, verily, He is the Generous, the Giver and the Forgiver!
Source: 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas (1909). Public domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #19312.
Discuss this story
For adults
- What stands out about 'Abdu'l-Bahá's response in this account?
- What might 'Abdu'l-Bahá's example ask of us in our own circumstances?
- If you were to share this story aloud at a devotional gathering, which sentence would you read first?
For teens
- Who is someone you know who lives out generosity the way this story describes?
- If you were going to tell a friend this story in two sentences, what would you say?
Reflection
- Where in your own life are you being asked to practice generosity?
- Read the passage a second time, slowly. What did you notice that you missed the first time?
- Sit quietly for a moment after reading. What does this story stir in you?
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "“O thou confident soul who art content and patient!...”" 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. (1909). *Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas*. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/19312/pg19312-images.html
Record yourself reading this story
Recording stays on this device only. Nothing is uploaded.
Related stories
The Tablets of the Divine Plan Unveiled
In the spring and summer of 1919 the Star of the West gave its pages to the unveiling of the Tablets of the Divine Plan — the Master's great charter of teaching addressed to the North American believers, formally proclaimed at the New York convention in April 1919.
The Tablets of the Divine Plan: First Publication in the Star
In the spring of 1916 the *Star of the West* carried the first published Tablets of the Divine Plan, sent by 'Abdu'l-Bahá from the war-strained Holy Land to the American believers — eight letters that would prove to be the charter of the Bahá'í teaching enterprise of the twentieth century.
“A sufficient number of Tablets having been gathered together,...”
A sufficient number of Tablets having been gathered together, they have been entrusted to the Baha’i Publishing Society for publication in this concrete form for the enlightenment of the English-speaking…
“Announce greeting on my behalf to the two young...”
262 Announce greeting on my behalf to the two young Japanese263 and…