“O thou pure soul who art kindled by the fire of the love...”
'Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas, (1909) · Read original
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When in Bahá'í history
O thou pure soul who art kindled by the fire of the love of Baha’!
By God, the True One! thy letter created joy and happiness within hearts, because it was speaking the praise of Baha’ and contained words which showed thy attraction to the light of the Beauty of El-Baha.
Blessed art thou and blessed is thy heart which is longing for the Kingdom of El-Baha, and that thou art hoping to serve Baha’ in His great vineyard and in His wonderful garden!
I beg of God to favor thee with a power which may encourage thee to promulgate the Truth and guide the father and sister to the right path. I beg Him to make thee a herald, in His name, in those regions.
Have resignation and devotion and attraction and make thy heart empty of aught else save the love of Baha’. This is the state which was coveted by the near ones and this is a position which was longed for by the holy souls.
Source: 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas (1909). Public domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #19312.
Discuss this story
For adults
- Where do devotion and joy meet in this story?
- What does the setting of this account contribute to its meaning?
- What stands out about 'Abdu'l-Bahá's response in this account?
For teens
- How could the spirit of devotion show up in your week?
- What does this story say about how to face hard moments?
Reflection
- Where in your own life are you being asked to practice devotion?
- Read the passage a second time, slowly. What did you notice that you missed the first time?
- What in this account feels timely? What feels timeless?
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "“O thou pure soul who art kindled by the fire of the love...”" 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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