“O thou esteemed maid-servant of God!...”
'Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas, (1909) · Read original
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When in Bahá'í history
O thou esteemed maid-servant of God!
Be thou hopeful and be thou happy and rejoiced. For I have supplicated and beseeched before the Threshold of the Almighty that thy wish may be realized, so thou mayest overcome the self and perform charitable deeds and that the human perfections may appear from thee; that thou mayest be endowed with lofty gifts; find thy way to divine wisdom and show forth the manners and conduct of those who are favored in the Threshold of the Almighty.
The essence of all exhortation is that thou shouldst abandon thyself and sacrifice life, body and heart for the Beloved One of the world.
Source: 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas (1909). Public domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #19312.
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 hope 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 hope?
Reflection
- How does hope show up in your life right now — and where is it being asked of you?
- 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 hope?
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "“O thou esteemed maid-servant of God!...”" 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
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