“O thou who hast arisen to render service to the Cause...”
'Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas, (1909) · Read original
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When in Bahá'í history
O thou who hast arisen to render service to the Cause of God in His Great Vineyard!
Verily, I have already written thee several letters, and sent them to thee at different times. Now, I address thee with such words whereby the souls of the proximate ones are rejoiced, and the faces of the sincere ones are cheered.
O my friend, verily the Cause is great and great, and the penetration of the Word of God in the temple (body) of all the regions is similar to the pervasion of the soul in a sound body.
By the life of Baha’, verily, the power of the Kingdom of God hath taken hold of the pillars of the world, and hath possessed all the nations. Thou wilt surely find the standards of the Testament waving in all regions, the chanting of the verses of unity raised in exalted assemblies, and the lights of the Sun of Truth and its heat dispersing the thick clouds massed on the horizon. Be rejoiced at this glad-tidings, whereby the hearts of the sincere among the beloved are cheered.
O my friend, isolate all thy faculties and senses from every other mention and thought, and follow the example of Abdul-Baha in servitude to the Holy and Exalted Threshold. Hasten to the field of sacrifice, craving for the most great martyrdom; expend thy life and all of thy grades in love for God and in attraction to the Beauty of El-ABHA.
By God, the True One, man should seek only this bounty, inasmuch as it is everlasting, eternal, divine, spiritual, luminous and merciful. Be sanctified from all the universe, and send my greeting and praise to the spiritual leaf, the being who relies upon the grace of her Lord—the maid-servant of God, thy revered wife, and say unto her that she may address the veiled ones (those blind to the Truth), saying: “Verily, eyes are dazzled by gazing at the sun, and it is impossible to consider it because of the intensity of its rays; and verily the sea cannot be contained in a cup. The weakness of eyes does no harm to the sun, nor the smallness of the cup to the sea.”
Then let her explain to the people, and make known to every questioner, by saying: “Verily, minds are limited, and the splendor of lights is so great as not to be comprehended by (man’s) reflective faculties. Ye ought to have the sigh of the heart so that ye may apprehend the reality of the mysteries of God which are deposited behind coverings.”
Source: 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas (1909). Public domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #19312.
Discuss this story
For adults
- Read the closing lines once more. What single phrase stays with you?
- 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
- If you were in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's place, what might you have done?
- What does this story teach about love?
Reflection
- 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 love?
- Read the passage a second time, slowly. What did you notice that you missed the first time?
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "“O thou who hast arisen to render service to the Cause...”" 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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