The Master's Second Cloak

Myron H. Phelps wrote of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in ‘Akká:

This man who gives so freely must be rich, you think? No, far otherwise. Once His family was the wealthiest in all Persia. But this friend of the lowly, like the Galilean, has been oppressed by the great. For fifty years He and His family have been exiles and prisoners. Their property has been confiscated and wasted, and but little has been left to Him. Now that He has not much He must spend little for Himself that He may give more to the poor. His garments are usually of cotton, and the cheapest that can be bought. Often His friends in Persia—for this man is indeed rich in friends, thousands and tens of thousands who would eagerly lay down their lives at His word—send Him costly garments. These He wears once, out of respect for the sender; then He gives them away. A few months ago this happened. The wife of the Master was about to depart on a journey. Fearing that her husband would give away His cloak and so be left without one for Himself, she left a second cloak with her daughter, charging her not to inform her father of it. Not long after her departure, the Master, suspecting, it would seem, what had been done, said to His daughter, "Have I another cloak?" The daughter could not deny it, but told her father of her mother's charge. The Master replied, "How could I be happy having two cloaks, knowing that there are those that have none?" Nor would He be content until He had given the second cloak away.

He does not permit His family to have luxuries. He Himself eats but once a day, and then bread, olives, and cheese suffice Him.

His room is small and bare, with only a matting on the stone floor. His habit is to sleep upon this floor. Not long ago a friend, thinking that this must be hard for a man of advancing years, presented Him with a bed fitted with springs and mattress. So these stand in His room also, but are rarely used. "For how," He says, "can I bear to sleep in luxury when so many of the poor have not even shelter?" So He lies upon the floor and covers Himself only with His cloak.

Source: Myron H. Phelps, Life and Teachings of Abbas Effendi, ch. 1, “The Master of Akka,” pp. 6–8.

Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: poor).

Various. *bahaistories.com archive*. https://bahaistories.com/subject/poor