“O thou who art set aglow with the Fire burning in the...”
'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 set aglow with the Fire burning in the Tree of Sinai!
Verily, I read thy letter, which speaks of the throbbing of thy heart by the thoughts of the love of God and indicates the unity of the maid-servants of the Merciful, their harmony in the word of God, and their attraction by the fragrances of God, for they are the waves of one sea, the leaves of one tree, and the flowers of one garden. By these tidings the heart of Abdul-Baha was made happy and he attained thereby fragrance and spirituality.
For the Greatest Name and the Ancient Beauty111—may my soul be a sacrifice to His beloved—endured all difficulty and ordeals for the purpose of uniting the hearts of the beloved of God; that they might be exhilarated through the wine of unity and proclaim with one voice:
“Hasten to love, to love, O peoples of the world!
Hasten to harmony, to harmony, O creatures of the universe!
Hasten to peace, to peace, O mankind!
Hasten to safety, to safety, O concourse of the Divine!
Hasten to concord, to concord, O hosts of the Merciful!
Hasten to oneness, to oneness, O people of El-Baha, among the people!”
I ask God to aid you in spreading these fragrances, and in reading these words in the supreme assemblages and great meetings.
Convey my spiritual greeting to thy honored sister. I ask God to confirm the weak and to make them mighty in the kingdom of His Majesty. I pray God to guide thy honorable husband to the Path of the Kingdom, the sublime, and to aid thee in the service of His Cause in His glorious vineyard.***
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 love 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 love?
Reflection
- Where in your own life are you being asked to practice love?
- Take one line from this story and let it stay with you today.
- What in this account feels timely? What feels timeless?
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "“O thou who art set aglow with the Fire burning in the...”" 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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