“O thou whose breast is dilated (with joy) for the Kingdom...”
'Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas, (1909) · Read original
Studio narration for this story is coming — it’ll be generated by the cloud-TTS pipeline (voice: auto-selected from the source author).
When in Bahá'í history
O thou whose breast is dilated (with joy) for the Kingdom of Truth!
Verily I read thy letter which showed that thine inner heart is attracted to the Beauty of God and that thou hast entered the Kingdom of God. I beg of god to make thy feet firm in this right path and to protect thee from violent tests and form calumnies on the part of every woman who hath, like unto Judas Iscariot, turned away from the True One and who hath withdrawn herself and is deprived of the mercy of God.
As to thee, O maid-servant of God! Blessed art thou, for thou hast dealt with people in goodness and good favor. Do not seek from them any reward whatever, but seek all grace and beneficence from thy Lord, and even deal with the people of great oppression in faithfulness, for as much as this is becoming of the people of Baha’.
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?
- Where do you see joy 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 joy?
Reflection
- Take one line from this story and let it stay with you today.
- What in this account feels timely? What feels timeless?
- How does joy show up in your life right now — and where is it being asked of you?
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "“O thou whose breast is dilated (with joy) for the Kingdom...”" 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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