“O thou who art advancing toward the Kingdom 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 advancing toward the Kingdom of God!
Thy letter was read; its contents had bearing upon Guidance. Praise be to God! thou possessed a perceiving eye and an attentive ear! Now is the time for thee to give thanks to God with an expressive tongue; to appreciate this bounty.
Consider in what a great age thou hast stepped into the world of existence and under the shadow of what an Ensign of Guidance thou wert sheltered and attained the hope and greatest desire of the saints!
If thou dost arise to comply with that which is deemed worthy of this favor and is a duty, thou shalt observe that this Guidance is the crown of eternal sovereignty and this attainment is everlasting glory, happiness and the means of the forgiveness of sins and the lamp of eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven.
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 forgiveness and hope 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 forgiveness?
Reflection
- If you could bring one quality from this story into your next conversation, what would it be?
- 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 forgiveness?
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "“O thou who art advancing toward the Kingdom 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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