“O ye friends!...”
'Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas, (1909) · Read original
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When in Bahá'í history
O ye friends!255
Thank God that the Light of Truth shone in that city, the bounty of guidance was granted, the fire of the love of God was ignited and the veil of superstition was burned away.
Some souls have arisen who have unsealed their eyes, unstopped their ears, witnessed the great signs and heard the eternal melody of the Supreme Concourse. Each of them became a faithful tree in the orchard of the love of God and a shining luminous star in the horizon of the knowledge of God. this is from the eternal bounty and the everlasting gift.
I entreat and supplicate in the Threshold of the Almighty and ask for your confirmation and assistance, that you may be born wholly out of the physical world into the Realm Divine, to seek after the eternal life and wish for the everlasting gift, so that you may shine upon ages and cycles like unto the morning star!
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
- Who is someone you know who lives out faith the way this story describes?
- If you were going to tell a friend this story in two sentences, what would you say?
Reflection
- Where in your own life are you being asked to practice faith?
- Read the passage a second time, slowly. What did you notice that you missed the first time?
- Sit quietly for a moment after reading. What does this story stir in you?
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "“O ye friends!...”" 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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