“O thou who art acknowledging the Oneness 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 who art acknowledging the Oneness of God!
Verily, I read thy letter which contained beautiful meanings and wonderful texts; was informed of thy turning unto God and thy attainment unto the bounty of the Kingdom, which is apparent and manifest by the appearance of God.
O maid-servant of God! Let not thy hands tremble nor thy heart be disturbed, but rather be confident and firm in the love of thy Lord, the Merciful, the Clement.
O maid-servant of God! Verily, all existence is [a book of] pages and tablets which utter the glad-tidings of the appearance of the Kingdom of thy Lord, the Supreme, the Great.
Observe the pages of the universe and discover the traces which appeared! Hast thou seen or heard in any of the previous centuries or generations that which is manifested in this Glorious Age? If the writings of the previous centuries, the middle centuries and the later centuries, be compared with that which is manifested in this single century, they will not weigh against it! nay, rather, they are as drops of water in comparison with the ocean. Magnified is He, who hath crowned this century with the appearance of His Kingdom!
As to thee, turn unto God with a heart cheerfully swayed by His love and kindled by the fire of His desires, both day and night. The lights of God will appear unto thee, the mysteries of God be unfolded to thee and thy bosom healed by the exhortations uttered by the Supreme Pen.
Convey my greeting and praise to thy respected husband and say to him that the Jews are still expecting Christ and long to see Him in all anticipation and great zeal, while His light was manifested, His beauty shone forth, His call was raised, His trumpet blown, His standard hoisted, and His stars sparkled; but the Pharisees are yet in an amazing slumber, immersed in former traditions, and they make play with the signs of Thy Lord, the Merciful, the Clement.
Thank God that He guided thee unto the fountain of guidance, gave thee to drink from the cup of affection, summoned thee unto His Supreme Kingdom and chose thee from among those people. This is a favor wholly above comprehension and is not realized by the intellects which are negligent of the Lord of hosts and angels.
O thou friend! Endeavor so that thou mayest ascend to the station which is above the firmaments, near to the Generous Lord who created and made thee.
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
- How could the spirit of generosity show up in your week?
- What does this story say about how to face hard moments?
Reflection
- What in this account feels timely? What feels timeless?
- How does generosity 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?
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "“O thou who art acknowledging the Oneness 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
Record yourself reading this story
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