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"The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens."
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"The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens."
344 stories where unity appears.
Riding to a hotel in Chicago, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explained that He bore the hardships of His travels in America because He feared that, after Him, self-seeking persons might disturb the love and unity of the friends.
In Washington in April 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, though weary, was so moved by the love between Black and white friends at the Dyers’ home that He spoke, likening their union to a string of pearls and rubies.
At the dedication of the Wilmette Temple site on 1 May 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá set aside the golden trowel He was given and broke the ground with an ordinary axe and shovel.
To show the need for one common language, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told of four hungry travellers who quarrelled over what to buy for supper until a donkey laden with grapes showed that all four wanted the same thing.
At a hotel in Glenwood Springs in 1912, a waiter set no place for Saichiro Fujita because he was a servant; ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had a chair brought and seated him among them.
After His release in 1908, American believers begged ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to visit. In 1911 He told Juliet Thompson that His invitation to America would be the unity of the believers.
At the dedication of the Temple site in Wilmette on 1 May 1912, the golden trowel could not break the ground, so ‘Abdu’l-Bahá swung an axe. Women and people of many races then dug, and He declared the Temple already built.
On her second pilgrimage in 1920, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told Agnes Parsons, a speaker for the Faith who often hosted traveling teachers, to organize a convention for racial unity, a tradition-breaking task for a woman of her social standing.
God has created the world as one—the boundaries are marked out by man.
Question.—What is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s teaching concerning the different Divine manifestations?
The magnet of your love brought me to this country.
During the last six thousand years nations have hated one another, it is now time to stop.
Someone asked if the Humanitarian Society was good.—Yes all societies, all organizations, working for the betterment of the human race are good, very good.
The Universal Races Congress was good, for it was intended for the furtherance and progress of unity among all nations and a better international understanding.
To most men who have not heard the message of this teaching, religion seems an outward form, a pretence, merely a seal of respectability.
We have met together to bid farewell to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and to thank God for his example and teaching, and for the power of his prayers to bring Light into confused thought, Hope into the place of dread, Faith where doubt was …
When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was asked if he recognized the good which the Theosophical Society has done.
At ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s table in ‘Akká an American pilgrim sat among people of many races who had come to love one another, and heard the Master speak of meeting again in the worlds of God.
An early pilgrim saw that in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s house, followers of religions who would ordinarily not even eat together lived in perfect love and harmony.
During 'Abdu'l-Bahá's visit to segregated Washington, D.C., He shocked white socialites by insisting that Louis Gregory, an African-American Bahá'í and lawyer, be seated next to Him at a society luncheon, and He asked the Bahá'ís to hold integrated meetings.
At a crowded meeting in the Hotel Rittenhouse in Philadelphia, some guests had to sit on the floor. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was delighted: the Occident was sitting on the floor like the Orient, and He called it a cause of unity.
Near the end of a long address at Stanford University in 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá asked why anyone would fight and kill over the earth, which is in the end only our grave.
A high official of the United States government asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá how best to serve his country. He was told to work, as a citizen of the world, to apply the principle of federalism to the relations between nations.
The Washington Bahá’ís were divided by the racial customs of the day. When a Unity Feast was booked at a hotel that refused Black guests, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá insisted that all attend, and they sat side by side.
O ye friends of God! Today is the day of union and this age is the age of harmony in the world of existence. “Verily, God loveth those who are working in His path in groups, for they are a solid foundation.”
I have come from distant lands to visit the meetings and assemblies of this country.
The Spiritual Meeting of men and the Spiritual Meeting of women in Chicago are indeed endeavoring to serve.
From the time of the creation of Adam to this day there have been two pathways in the world of humanity; one the natural or materialistic, the other the religious or spiritual.
In this day, the gathering of a board for consultation is of great importance and a great necessity.
Today I am most happy, for I see here a gathering of the servants of God.
You have written that there were several meetings of joy and happiness, one for white and another for colored people.
The greatest bestowal of God in the world of humanity is religion; for assuredly the divine teachings of religion are above all other sources of instruction and development to man.
Religion is the outer expression of the divine reality. Therefore it must be living, vitalized, moving and progressive.
If we look with a perceiving eye upon the world of creation, we find that all existing things may be classified as follows: First—Mineral—that is to say matter or substance appearing in various forms of composition.
Organize ye Spiritual Assemblies; lay ye the foundation of union and concord in this world; destroy ye the fabric of strife and war from the face of the earth; construct ye the temple of harmony and agreement …
The spiritual love of God maketh man pure and holy and clotheth him with the garment of virtue and purity.
If any differences of opinion may arise in those regions you must keep yourself entirely aloof and show forth love and kindness to all, saying it is better to refer to the ordained Center all the affairs.
TO THE ASSEMBLIES AND MEETINGS OF THE BELIEVERS OF GOD AND THE MAID-SERVANTS OF THE MERCIFUL IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA: Upon them be Bahá’u’lláh El-Abhá!
Every flock of the sheep of God which is protected under the shadow of the Divine Shepherd will not be scattered, but when the sheep are dispersed from the flock, they will necessarily be caught and torn by the wolf.
According to the statement of philosophers the difference in degree of humankind from lowest to highest is due to education.
O thou party who art assisted by the hosts of the Kingdom of El-Abhá!
Ye have written regarding the erection of the Temple and the purchase of the ground, or the finding of a place to be as a home for the gathering of the believers.
Today there is no greater glory for man than that of service in the cause of the “Most Great Peace.”
What is real unity? When we observe the human world we find various collective expressions of unity therein. For instance, man is distinguished from the animal by his degree or kingdom.
Thy letter was received. Thou hast written of the organization of an assembly in that city. Look not at the small number; nay, rather seek the pure hearts.
In our solar system, the center of illumination is the sun itself.
Praise be to God! that ye are gathered in one assembly like unto the stars of the Pleiades, are illumined with the light of the knowledge of God and through the outpouring of the cloud of the love of God …
In the estimation of historians this radiant century is equivalent to one hundred centuries of the past.
This recent war has proved to the world and the people that war is destruction while Universal Peace is construction; war is death while peace is life; war is rapacity and bloodthirstiness while peace is beneficence and humaneness …
Mary Maxwell of Montreal married Shoghi Effendi on 25 March 1937 in a simple, private wedding; as Rúḥíyyih Khánum she later served as a Hand of the Cause and travelled to 185 countries and territories.
In 1889 Ḥájí Muḥammad-Riḍá Iṣfahání was murdered in the bazaar of Ashkhabad; the Russian authorities tried and convicted the killers, the Bahá’ís interceded for their lives, and the community went on to build its own institutions.
Born in Charleston to formerly enslaved parents, Louis G. Gregory became a Bahá'í in 1909, was seated by 'Abdu'l-Bahá at His right in Washington, gave decades to teaching and race unity, and was posthumously named a Hand of the Cause.
Bahá’u’lláh’s son Mírzá Mihdí, the Purest Branch, fell through a skylight in the ‘Akká barracks in 1870 and offered his life so that the believers might attain his Father’s presence; in 1939 Shoghi Effendi reburied him on Mount Carmel.
Before leaving London, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá married a young Persian couple, asking each whether they loved the other with all their heart and soul. The writer recalls the simplicity of His own wedding and His words on the holiness of marriage.
May the Light of Union radiate with greater clearness and brilliancy day by day among the people in your great country—for to this country God has given much and much is expected from it.
O my dear sister!
Weeks after the passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the Greatest Holy Leaf cabled the American believers (received 14 December 1921): now is a period of great tests; the friends should be firm and united in defending the Cause.
This dire calamity, this great affliction, the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, may our lives be sacrificed for His meekness, has shaken us to the very depths.
O God, my God! Thou seest me immersed in the depths of grief, drowned in my sorrow, my heart on fire with the agony of parting, my inmost self aflame with longing.
We rejoiced greatly to learn of the unity among the friends, their staunchness, their ardour, and the fact that they have established a Spiritual Assembly.
Despite our overwhelming sorrows and afflictions, our heart-burning and depth of woes, you are always in our thoughts and we call to mind your cheerful face.
All praise to the omnipotent Lord, that in this auspicious day He Who is the Sun of bounty has shone out so fair and bright as to light up the world of the hearts.
The good news has come that the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, may our lives be sacrificed for His meekness, has been read at the meetings of the friends …
In this noblest of all ages the Sun of grace and loving-kindness has shone out from the divine day-spring with such resplendent glory and is casting His beams so bright and far …
At this hour while yet the heart burns with the anguish of sorrow, and the gloom of bereavement still hangs low, my thoughts turn in loving remembrance to my sincere beloved sisters and brothers in the Cause.
O steadfast ones, gathered beneath the Abhá Beauty’s standard of oneness, O faithful lovers of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá!
We were delighted to receive your excellent letter ... and read it with joy.
The cheque for the amount of two hundred pounds that you had sent as your contribution to the Temple Fund has been received and duly forwarded to Chicago.
Your letter of 12th October 1922 is just received and refreshed in our memory the many beautiful days that you spent here when the Beloved Lord, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, was still on this earth.
Praise be to God that through the gracious assistance of the Abhá Kingdom those devoted friends have been enabled to achieve that which befits the glory of the Cause of God and the protection of the community of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh.
The Pen of the divine Ordainer has so decreed that this house of sorrows should be encompassed by unending calamity and pain.
The tongue of this lowly and grief-stricken maidservant is powerless to praise those loved ones of God, and the words uttered by her are wholly inadequate to pay a worthy tribute to the staunch firmness and constancy …
It is a very long time since we have had any news from you and we are quite longing to have one of your interesting and beautiful letters, that brings us always comfort because of your sincerity, your love for the Cause and your constant energy in the work for the Cause.
Your short and loving note of June 25th has been received.
Your charming letter of June 20th has arrived and with it the spiritual waves of your love and devotion to the welfare of the Cause of God and to the prosperity of the dear friends throughout America.
Your numerous letters written to the beloved Guardian and myself have all arrived and brought with them the sweet perfume of your devotion, sincerity, strong faith and active and beautiful services you are inexhaustibly rendering to the Cause of God.
A number of your spiritual sisters, namely the handmaidens who have embraced His Cause, have arrived here from Paris and the United States on pilgrimage.
The position of Bahá’u’lláh among the Prophets is unprecedented and unique, because the condition of the world at the time of His advent was unprecedented and unique.
In the Book of Aqdas, revealed in Akká in 1873, Bahá’u’lláh appealed to America as follows:— O Rulers of America and the Presidents of the Republics therein ...
Thus simply and serenely did Bahá’u’lláh pass the evening of His life on earth until, after an attack of fever, He passed away on the 29th of May, 1892, at the age of seventy-five.
During the past century scientists have devoted an immense amount of study to the struggle for existence in the plant and animal world, and, amid the perplexities of social life …
The prayers which Bahá’u’lláh has ordained as a daily obligation for Bahá’ís are to be said privately.
In the matter of divorce, as in that of marriage, the instructions of the Prophets have varied in accordance with the circumstances of the times.
Under the inspired guidance of Shoghi Effendi the Bahá’í Cause grew steadily in size and in the establishment of its Administrative Order, so that by 1951 there were eleven functioning National Spiritual Assemblies.
The essential joyousness of the Bahá’í religion finds expression in numerous feasts and holidays throughout the year.
As a means of promoting religious unity Bahá’u’lláh advocates the utmost charity and tolerance, and calls on His followers to “consort with the people of all religions with joy and gladness.”
The teachings of Bahá’u’lláh contain two different types of reference to the question of true social order.
Bahá’u’lláh’s mission in the world is to bring about Unity—Unity of all mankind in and through God.
Bahá’u’lláh also advocated the establishment of an international court of arbitration, so that differences arising between nations might be settled in accordance with justice and reason, instead of by appeal to the ordeal of battle.
Having in His earlier years of hardship shown how to glorify God in a state of poverty and ignominy, Bahá’u’lláh in His later years at Bahjí showed how to glorify God in a state of honor and affluence.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:— By a general agreement all the governments of the world must disarm simultaneously.
To know the Manifestation of God means also to love Him. One is impossible without the other. According to Bahá’u’lláh, the purpose of man’s creation is that he may know God and adore Him.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá attaches the greatest importance to regular meetings of the believers for united worship, for the exposition and study of the teachings and for consultation regarding the progress of the Movement.
The unification of the world of humanity, the welding together of the world’s different religions, the reconciliation of Religion and Science, the establishment of Universal Peace …
In the Book of Aqdas Bahá’u’lláh forbids slavery, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has explained that not only chattel slavery, but also industrial slavery, is contrary to the law of God.
A great stumbling block to many, in the way of religious unity, is the difference between the Revelations given by the different Prophets.
The Bahá’í doctrine of the unity of mankind strikes at the root of another cause of war, namely, racial prejudice.
In order to see clearly how the Most Great Peace may be established, let us first examine the principle causes that have led to war in the past and see how Bahá’u’lláh proposes to deal with each.
The state of the world today surely affords ample evidence that, with rare exceptions, people of all religions need to be reawakened to the real meaning of their religion; and that reawakening is an important part of the work of Bahá’u’lláh.
He was then in His seventieth year, and His long and arduous labors, culminating in these strenuous Western tours, had worn out His physical frame.
Never, perhaps, did the world seem farther away from religious unity than in the nineteenth century.
Both Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá also foretold a period of great social upheaval, conflict and calamity as an inevitable result of the irreligion and prejudices, the ignorance and superstition, prevalent throughout the world.
Before ‘Abdu’l-Bahá completed His earthly mission, He had laid a basis for the development of the administrative order established in Bahá’u’lláh’s Writings.
Many are the wars which have been fought over pieces of territory whose possession has been coveted by two or more rival nations.
It has been the general characteristic of religion that organization marks the interruption of the true spiritual influence and serves to prevent the original impulse from being carried into the world.
In the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Zechariah are several references to a man called the Branch.
In the last half century or so, however, a change has come over the spirit of the times, a New Light of Truth has arisen which has already made the controversies of last century seem strangely out of date.
The word “Day” in such phrases as “Day of God” and “Last Day” is interpreted as meaning “Dispensation.”
All the signs of the times indicate that we are at the dawn of a new era in the history of mankind.
In all ages the Prophets of God have foretold the coming of an era of “peace on earth, goodwill among men.”
With the development of the Bahá’í administrative order since the ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Nineteen Day Feast, observed on the first day of each Bahá’í month, has assumed a very special importance …
The different religious communities have failed to unite in the past, because the adherents of each have regarded the Founder of their own community as the one supreme authority, and His law as the divine law.
“Ye are all fruits of one tree, the leaves of one branch, the flowers of one garden.”
Having glanced at the principal causes of war and how they may be avoided, we may now proceed to examine certain constructive proposals made by Bahá’u’lláh with a view to achieving the Most Great Peace.
Another proposal frequently and powerfully advocated by Bahá’u’lláh was that a Universal League of Nations should be formed for the maintenance of international peace.
After His release, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá continued the same holy life of ceaseless activity in teaching, correspondence, ministering to the poor and the sick, with merely the change from Akká to Haifa and from Haifa to Alexandria …
A 1969 report from Canadian Bahá'í News on the Saskatoon community, where united prayer, a visit from Hand of the Cause John Robarts and a wave of young believers brought some seventy to eighty declarations in under two years.
Speaking to the Esperanto Society in Edinburgh in January 1913, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told of two friends in Baghdad whose gestures were misunderstood because they had no language in common.
Sarah Farmer's vision of Green Acre as a place of peace and learning for all races and religions found its true purpose when she met 'Abdu'l-Bahá in 'Akká in 1900, and He visited Green Acre in 1912.
At a school club's lunch meeting near Naw-Rúz, children of many faiths compare the spring holy days they celebrate, share Naw-Rúz cookies, and decide to make a library display so everyone can learn about them.
In the summer of 1848 eighty-one Bábís gathered at Badasht as the guests of Bahá'u'lláh. There Táhirih appeared unveiled and declared that the fetters of the past were burst asunder.
Boys who had shouted and thrown sticks at 'Abdu'l-Bahá's party in New York came to meet Him. He welcomed each one, called the only black boy a black rose, and gave them all chocolates.
Theresa cannot go to the party for Bahá'u'lláh's Birthday, so she shares the day with the animals on her family's farm and finds them, for once, all gathered together in peace.
Speaking in New York on 14 April 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá compared humanity to one great tree and used the image of a seed, which holds the whole tree within it, to explain the unity of the world of humanity.
Dr J. E. Esslemont, 'Abdu'l-Bahá's guest in Haifa in the winter of 1919–20, recalled how the Master charmed pilgrims at His table with humorous stories and gathered people of every race and religion in friendship.
Driving back to Thonon in 1911, 'Abdu'l-Bahá stopped the car to sit above a spectacular waterfall and delighted in the beauty of the countryside. He then told Juliet Thompson that His invitation to America would be the unity of the believers.
Writing a century after the death of Mirza Mihdi, the Purest Branch, the Universal House of Justice recalls his dying plea to his Father and the words in which Bahá’u’lláh revealed the meaning of his sacrifice.
When apartheid laws forbade integration, the South African Bahá’í community chose not to divide into separate racial bodies but to limit membership of its administration to black believers, until integrated bodies were possible again.
Through the spring and summer of 1912 the California Bahá’ís longed for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to come west, while His messages wavered between hope and doubt, until in August He wired John Bosch that He would travel to the West.
In 1903 the Bahá'ís of Chicago asked 'Abdu'l-Bahá's permission to build a House of Worship in America. Shoghi Effendi traces the forty years, through economic crisis and war, until its eighteen outer steps were set in place in December 1942.
On the ninth day after Bahá'u'lláh's passing, His Book of the Covenant was unsealed and read aloud at His Tomb. In it He directed His family and followers to turn to 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
Grace very much wanted to attend the Unity Feast at West Englewood, but Dr Krug wanted her to play golf with him. 'Abdu'l-Bahá told her she must always consider the Doctor, who later became a Bahá'í.
'Abdu'l-Bahá passed away in Haifa on 28 November 1921. At His funeral some ten thousand people of every religion and race followed His coffin up Mount Carmel to the Shrine of the Báb, where He was laid to rest.
When the Bahá'ís begged for a day to celebrate as His, 'Abdu'l-Bahá would not let it be His birthday, which belonged to the Báb, and gave them 26 November instead. A tablet of His calls the believers to be firm.
In 1912, on the Feast of Naw-Rúz in Alexandria, Egypt, 'Abdu'l-Bahá explained the meaning of the blessed days appointed in every dispensation — days for rejoicing together, for unity, and for leaving "tangible philanthropic or ideal traces" reaching all mankind.
How the Nineteen Day Feast, held on the first day of each Bahá'í month, came to combine prayer and reading from the Holy Writings, consultation with the Spiritual Assembly, and fellowship.
When a group of boys came to meet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in New York, He greeted the only Black boy among them as “a black rose,” and the other boys looked at him with new eyes.
The sixty-fourth Hidden Word in Arabic — Bahá'u'lláh's word that He has created His eternity and wrought His unity for the soul, and His call to the soul to clothe itself therewith.
In New York in June 1912, before a few days' rest at Montclair, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told the friends of His wish to give an outdoor feast of unity, like a Persian garden, at which all would be His guests.
On 14 April 1912 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave His first public address in America at New York's Church of the Ascension. Juliet Thompson recalls how He likened material civilization to a lamp's glass and spiritual civilization to its light.
Ali Nakhjavani tells believers in South Africa of a short Tablet in which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá hopes their relationship to the Cause will be like a ray’s to the sun rather than a flower’s to a garden, and reflects on why.
John Robarts came to speak to a community that needed a ninth believer to form its Assembly. When the only non-Bahá’í in the room fell asleep, he prayed for help, woke the man with a loud quotation, and the man became a Bahá’í that evening.
On 23 April 1912 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá addressed the more than 1,000 students of Howard University, with the faculty and many guests. Joseph Hannen recorded the audience’s breathless attention and the ovation that followed.
On 4 July 1909 'Abdu'l-Bahá took Juliet Thompson and other pilgrims to Bahjí, sat on the floor to sweeten the children's tea, led the pilgrims to the Tomb of Bahá'u'lláh, and told them that the world is one.
While Juliet Thompson painted ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s portrait in America, He told May Maxwell she had a kind heart, Lua Getsinger a tender heart and Juliet an emotional one, and said that united they would make a great heart.
Louis Gregory, a Black lawyer from Charleston whose parents had been enslaved, became a Bahá'í in 1909. 'Abdu'l-Bahá seated him in the place of honor at a Washington luncheon, and he spent his life working for unity between the races.
After Bahá'u'lláh passed away, a document He had written and sealed was opened and read aloud. In it He told everyone to turn to His eldest Son, 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
When 'Abdu'l-Bahá passed away in Haifa, about ten thousand people of every religion and race followed His coffin up Mount Carmel to the Shrine of the Báb.
The friends wanted to celebrate 'Abdu'l-Bahá's birthday, but that day belonged to the Báb. So He gave them 26 November, the Day of the Covenant. In one of His tablets He urged the believers to be firm.
Once every Bahá'í month the friends gather for the Nineteen Day Feast. They pray and read from the Holy Books, talk over the work of their community, and then spend time together.
On December 5, 1912, many friends came aboard the ship Celtic in New York to say goodbye to 'Abdu'l-Bahá. In His last words to them He said that the whole earth is one globe and all nations are one family.
When two Japanese Bahá'ís came to see 'Abdu'l-Bahá in San Francisco, He was very happy and said that their meeting was an historic event.
When 'Abdu'l-Bahá sailed from New York in December 1912, so many friends came to say goodbye that the ship's lounge overflowed. He asked them to live by His teachings, and they waved to Him as the ship sailed away.
On a July morning in 1909 at Bahjí, 'Abdu'l-Bahá sat on the floor among four children, sweetened their tea and fed it to them. Later, looking out over the sea, He said that America and the Holy Land are one.
On a field beside a great lake, 'Abdu'l-Bahá dug the earth for the first stone of a House of Worship that still stands today, and friends from many lands took turns digging after Him.
In 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá united two American Bahá'ís in marriage. At the wedding, before guests from many countries, He chanted a prayer for them.
Near the end of Louis Gregory’s pilgrimage, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá expressed the wish that he and Louisa Mathew, a white English pilgrim, should marry. They did, and their marriage endured many pressures as a symbol of the unity of the races.
On December 5, 1912, Mahmúd's Diary records, a great crowd of believers from New York and other cities filled the lounge of the SS *Celtic* to bid 'Abdu'l-Bahá farewell. In His parting address He summed up the teaching of His American journey: the whole earth is one globe, and all nations one family.
When two Japanese Bahá'ís called on 'Abdu'l-Bahá in San Francisco on 4 October 1912, He called their meeting an historic event, brought about through the power of Bahá'u'lláh.
On December 5, 1912, believers crowded aboard the Celtic in New York to bid 'Abdu'l-Bahá farewell. He gave them His parting words, and as the ship sailed, a throng stretching as far as the eye could see waved goodbye.
On May 1, 1912, at the site of the future House of Worship in Wilmette, 'Abdu'l-Bahá dug the ground for the foundation stone with a golden trowel. Believers of many backgrounds followed, and He set the stone in place.
On pilgrimage to 'Akká, 'Abdu'l-Bahá noticed that Robert Turner, Phoebe Hearst's butler, was absent, asked for him, and rose to greet him with words of love. Shoghi Effendi later praised the tenacity of his faith.
While Juliet Thompson was painting 'Abdu'l-Bahá's portrait in New York on June 19, 1912, the Master suddenly appointed Lua Getsinger the Herald of the Covenant and declared that He was the Covenant appointed by Bahá'u'lláh.
At a luncheon in segregated Washington, D.C., 'Abdu'l-Bahá sent for Louis Gregory, who had not been invited, gave him the seat of honor at His right, and spoke on the oneness of mankind.
Dr J. E. Esslemont, who had been 'Abdu'l-Bahá's guest in Haifa, describes His peaceful passing and a funeral attended by about ten thousand people of many faiths, which he saw as proof that His life's work had not been in vain.
In November 1921 the Bahá'ís of Springfield, Massachusetts, cabled 'Abdu'l-Bahá for approval of a second race amity convention. He answered, "Approved; God confirms." The convention met on 5 and 6 December, a week after His passing.
'Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament, written entirely in His own hand in three parts, was read aloud in January 1922. It named Shoghi Effendi the Guardian of the Cause of God and provided for the Universal House of Justice.
Six days before His ascension in May 1892, Bahá'u'lláh called the believers and pilgrims at the Mansion of Bahjí to His bedside, thanked them for their services, and prayed that God would assist them to remain united.
Bahá'u'lláh wrote His Will and Testament, the Kitáb-i-'Ahd, in His own hand and entrusted it to 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His last illness. Opened nine days after His ascension, it directed His family and followers to turn to the Most Mighty Branch.
In a Tablet revealed in answer to a believer's questions, Bahá'u'lláh set out nine of His teachings for the rulers and peoples of the world, each called an Ishráq, a Splendour.
In New York in 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá declared His station as Centre of the Covenant and named the city the City of the Covenant. Three days before He sailed, He spoke there of the Covenant as Bahá'u'lláh's safeguard against division.
On her 1905 pilgrimage to 'Akká, Julia Grundy wrote down a talk of 'Abdu'l-Bahá on obedience, in which He likened the Covenant of God to a Lifeboat and an Ark of Salvation, and the believers to fishes in the sea.
Alain Locke, the first Black Rhodes Scholar and a Harvard-trained philosopher, played a major role in the Harlem Renaissance. After becoming a Bahá'í he served for years on the Faith's race amity committees.
When Agnes Parsons made her pilgrimage in 1920, 'Abdu'l-Bahá asked her to arrange a convention in Washington for amity between the white and colored races. It met in May 1921, and Mountfort Mills read a message from the Master to it.
On 29 September 1911, the eve of His departure for Paris, 'Abdu'l-Bahá gave His farewell address to London at the Passmore Edwards Settlement, telling some four hundred and sixty people that the whole earth is one home.
Louis Gregory, an African American lawyer, and Louisa Mathew, an Englishwoman, met as pilgrims in 1911. 'Abdu'l-Bahá expressed the wish that they marry, and on 27 September 1912 they became the first interracial Bahá'í couple in America.
In Paris on 28 October 1911 'Abdu'l-Bahá compared humanity to a garden. A garden where every plant was the same would be dull, He said, and the diversity of the human family should be the cause of love and harmony.
During her 1905 pilgrimage to 'Akká, Julia Grundy recorded 'Abdu'l-Bahá telling His guests at dinner that they were all of one family, joined in spiritual relationship, and serving a Feast where believers of East and West sat together.
About two years before His passing, Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Kalimát-i-Firdawsíyyih, the Words of Paradise, in honour of Ḥájí Mírzá Ḥaydar-'Alí. Its "leaves" set out counsels on the fear of God, religion, justice, unity, education and peace.
In 1894 Sarah Farmer opened Green Acre in Eliot, Maine, as a summer platform for speakers of every religion. After her pilgrimage to 'Akká in 1900 she offered it to the Bahá'ís, and in 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá spent a week there and prayed for her.
In March 1909 thirty-nine delegates from thirty-six cities met in Chicago and formed Bahá'í Temple Unity, the national body that would hold the land and raise the funds for the first House of Worship in the West.
In Haifa in 1891, after nine days of silence that followed the martyrdom of seven believers in Yazd, Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Lawḥ-i-Dunyá, a Tablet that sets out principles for the peace and betterment of the world.
In two Tablets, one written in 1906 to American believers who had sent Him a New Year's greeting, 'Abdu'l-Bahá described a new cycle and a spiritual springtime, and hoped the believers would become "a new people."
At 'Abdu'l-Bahá's instruction, Agnes Parsons organized a convention for amity between the white and colored races, held in Washington in May 1921. There Mountfort Mills read the Master's message to the gathering.
On 10 September 1911, His first Sunday in England, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke from the pulpit of the City Temple in London at the invitation of its pastor, R. J. Campbell. It was the first public address of His life.
When Black friends decided to stay away from a Unity Feast arranged at a hotel known for racial exclusion, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá insisted that all attend, and the banquet passed in happiness without one unpleasant incident.
On pilgrimage in 1911 Louis Gregory heard ‘Abdu’l-Bahá urge the races to intermarry; the next year the Master encouraged his marriage to Louisa Mathew, the first marriage between a Black and a white Bahá’í.
Asked in Paris how a new civilization would come about, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá answered, “Through solidarity,” and recalled young locusts on Mt. Carmel that flung themselves into a stream so that the others might cross.
Writing in Chicago in 1912, Mírzá Maḥmúd recorded that Dr. Zia Bagdadi was told to leave his home for inviting Louis Gregory, and that black and white Bahá’ís still associated as brothers and sisters.
Pauline Hannen once feared Black people, but studying Bahá'u'lláh's writings changed her; she taught the Faith to her washerwoman, and she and Joseph began inviting Black people to meetings in their home.
On 17 July 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá united Harlan Ober and Grace Robarts in marriage. At the evening ceremony, performed by Howard Colby Ives before guests from many lands, the Master chanted a prayer for the couple.
October 28th The Creator of all is One God. From this same God all creation sprang into existence, and He is the one goal, towards which everything in nature yearns.
Salle de l’Athenée, St Germain, Paris, November 9th I wish to express my gratitude for your hospitality, and my joy that you are spiritually minded.
4 Avenue de Camöens, Paris, November 12th ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: I have spoken to you of some of the principles of Bahá’u’lláh: The Search after Truth and The Unity of Mankind.
Friday evening, October 20th ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: Numerous meetings are held in Paris every day for different purposes, to discuss politics, commerce, education, art, science and many other subjects.
Thursday, October 26th God’s greatest gift to man is that of intellect, or understanding.
November 6th This is in truth a Bahá’í house. Every time such a house or meeting place is founded it becomes one of the greatest aids to the general development of the town and country to which it belongs.
4 Avenue de Camöens, Paris, November 17th In the conduct of life, man is actuated by two main motives: ‘The Hope for Reward’ and ‘The Fear of Punishment’.
October 27th The basis of the teaching of Bahá’u’lláh is the Unity of Mankind, and his greatest desire was that love and goodwill should live in the heart of men.
4 Avenue de Camöens, Paris A Supreme Tribunal shall be established by the peoples and Governments of every nation, composed of members elected from each country and Government.
15 Rue Greuze, Paris, December 1st When I arrived in Paris some time ago for the first time, I looked around me with much interest, and in my mind I likened this beautiful city to a large garden.
Friday, October 20th ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: In the past, as in the present, the Spiritual Sun of Truth has always shone from the horizon of the East.
October 21st ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: I hope you are all happy and well.
November 11th I spoke yesterday of the first principle of the Teaching of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘The Search for Truth’; how it is necessary for a man to put aside all in the nature of superstition, and every tradition which would blind his eyes to the existence of truth in all religions.
Since my arrival in Paris, I have been told of the Theosophical Society, and I know that it is composed of honoured and respected men.
November 26th I am deeply touched by the sympathetic words which have been addressed to me, and I hope that day by day true love and affection may grow among us.
On June 2, 1912, speaking for the second time at the Church of the Ascension in New York, 'Abdu'l-Bahá described the church as a collective center and the Manifestations of God as the real Collective Centers of mankind.
At the Church of the Divine Paternity in New York on May 19, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá taught that religions are many but the reality of religion is one, that religion must agree with science, and that it must bring unity.
At the Town Hall in Fanwood, New Jersey, on 31 May 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá traced the weakness of religion to the hatred between sects and to blind imitation, and said that the Prophets, as true shepherds, come to unite people.
At the Orient-Occident-Unity Conference in Washington on April 20, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke of a bond between Persia and America, recalled that Bahá'u'lláh called all people leaves of one tree, and hoped America would be first to establish international agreement.
At the Hotel Plaza in Chicago on May 2, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá contrasted true consultation with parliamentary quarrelling, and described the disciples of Christ taking counsel together on the mount after His ascension.
On 1 October 1911 in London, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá performed the marriage of Mírzá Yuhanna Dáwúd and Núr Mahal Khánum, telling them He had never before united anyone in marriage except His own daughters.
In Isaiah, chapter 11, verses 1 to 10, it is said: “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and…
Question.—How many kinds of Prophets are there? Answer.—Universally, the Prophets are of two kinds. One are the independent Prophets Who are followed; the other kind are not independent and are themselves followers.
Sarah Farmer opened Green Acre in 1894 for the study of all religions. After she visited ‘Abdu’l-Bahá its courses turned towards the Bahá’í teachings, and when the Master came in 1912 He called it hallowed ground.
Issue forth from your cities, O peoples of the West and aid God ere the Day when the Lord of mercy shall come down unto you in the shadow of the clouds with the angels circling around Him, exalting His praise and seeking forgiveness for such as have truly believed in Our signs.
O Lord! Enable all the peoples of the earth to gain admittance into the Paradise of Thy Faith, so that no created being may remain beyond the bounds of Thy good-pleasure.
O Qurratu’l-‘Ayn! Say: Verily I am the One Who is hailed in the Mother Book as the ‘Great Announcement’.
Thy letter hath been perused. Were the truth of this Revelation to be fully demonstrated with elaborate proofs, all the scrolls that exist in the heaven and on the earth would be insufficient to contain them.
O peoples of the world! The Sun of Truth hath risen to illumine the whole earth, and to spiritualize the community of man.
Know thou of a certainty that Love is the secret of God’s holy Dispensation, the manifestation of the All-Merciful, the fountain of spiritual outpourings.
O thou daughter of the Kingdom! Thy letter dated 5 December 1918 was received.
O captive of the love of God! The letter which thou didst write at the time of thy departure hath been received.
O ye who are the chosen ones of the Abhá Kingdom!
O thou daughter of the Kingdom! Thy letter was received. It was like the melody of the divine nightingale, whose song delighteth the hearts.
O thou who art firm in the Covenant! Three consecutive letters have been received from thee.
O thou who art firm in the Covenant! Thy letter was received. Thou hast expressed satisfaction with the Convention, that this gathering hath been the means of the elevation of the Cause of God and the demonstration of the power of His Word.
It is daybreak, and from the rising-point of the invisible realms of God, the light of unity is dawning; and streaming and beating down from the hidden world of the Kingdom of oneness there cometh a flood of abounding grace.
O my spiritual loved ones!
O thou who art carried away by the love of God! The Sun of Truth hath risen above the horizon of this world and cast down its beams of guidance.
O ye lovers of truth, ye servants of humankind! Out of the flowering of your thoughts and hopes, fragrant emanations have come my way, wherefore an inner sense of obligation compelleth me to pen these words.
O ye who have turned your faces toward the Exalted Beauty!
The Lord of all mankind hath fashioned this human realm to be a Garden of Eden, an earthly paradise.
O ye who are steadfast in the Covenant!
O ye concourse of the Kingdom of Abhá!
O ye two favoured handmaids of the Lord! The letter from Mother Beecher hath been received, and truly it spoke for you both, wherefore I address the two of you together.
O thou who art steadfast in the Covenant, and staunch! The letter which thou didst write ... hath been shown to me, and the opinions expressed therein were most commendable.
O ye co-workers who are supported by armies from the realm of the All-Glorious!
The members thereof must take counsel together in such wise that no occasion for ill-feeling or discord may arise.
The first condition is absolute love and harmony amongst the members of the assembly.
O ye true friends! Your letter hath been received and it brought great joy. God be praised, ye had made ready an entertainment and established the feast which is to be held every nineteen days.
Whensoever a company of people shall gather in a meeting place, shall engage in glorifying God, and shall speak with one another of the mysteries of God, beyond any doubt the breathings of the Holy Spirit will blow gently over them, and each shall receive a share thereof.
Thou hast asked about places of worship and the underlying reason therefor.
Although to outward seeming the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár is a material structure, yet it hath a spiritual effect.
O ye who are firm in the Covenant and the Testament! Your letter was received and your blessed names were one by one perused.
O thou ignited candle! Thy letter was received.
O thou beloved maidservant of God! Thy letter was received and its contents revealed the fact that the friends, in perfect energy and vitality are engaged in the propagation of the heavenly teachings.
Strive with heart and soul in order to bring about union and harmony among the white and the black and prove thereby the unity of the Bahá’í world wherein distinction of colour findeth no place, but where hearts only are considered.
O thou who hast an illumined heart! Thou art even as the pupil of the eye, the very wellspring of the light, for God’s love hath cast its rays upon thine inmost being and thou hast turned thy face toward the Kingdom of thy Lord.
O thou revered maidservant of God! Thy letter from Los Angeles was received.
O thou dear handmaid of God! Thy letter hath been received, and its contents were noted.
O thou memento of him who died for the Blessed Beauty! In recent days, the joyful news of thy marriage to that luminous leaf hath been received, and hath infinitely gladdened the hearts of the people of God.
O ye two believers in God! The Lord, peerless is He, hath made woman and man to abide with each other in the closest companionship, and to be even as a single soul.
Soon after reaching London in 1911, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá warmly greeted the Rev. R. J. Campbell; on 10 September He gave His first public address in the West from the City Temple pulpit and wrote a tribute in its Bible.
The first Bahá'í House of Worship was begun about 1902 at 'Ishqábád in Russian Central Asia. In 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahá held it up to the American believers as the example for their own Temple.
In 1925, the year the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada took the place of the Bahá'í Temple Unity, the annual Convention met at Green Acre in Maine.
In 1914 the Star of the West reprinted a letter from 'Akká describing Indian pilgrims at Haifa, among them a young Hindu of high caste, living in the pilgrim house with Zoroastrians, Jews and Muslims, and the Master's daily service to the people of 'Akká.
As to [what thou hast heard concerning] the child born from Russian parentage, this is pure imagination.
Convey my respectful greetings to [Dr.] ... and say: “Have confidence in heavenly bounty and be sure of the favor of the Lord of the Kingdom. Soon thou shalt see that the East hath embraced the West and that the Occident and Orient are…
He is God! O ye heavenly Assemblage! Your letter was received and its contents became known. Ye have written concerning the printing and publication of the Tablets.
If you arise in accord with the exhortations and commands of the Blessed Perfection—may my life be a sacrifice to His beloved ones! —before long agreeable results will be obtained …
“It is hoped that wonderful effects will be displayed in the future, that the friends of God may live and act in accord with the heavenly teachings, in order that the region of America may become the Paradise of Abha, that desert and…
O God! O God!
O God who art without likeness! The servant of Thy Kingdom, Mr. ........, reached the Holy Threshold in the utmost of sincerity and longing and sought Thy good will.
O God! Grant Washington happiness and peace! Illuminate that land with the light of the faces of the friends, make it a paradise of Glory, let it become an envy of the green gardens of the earth!
O Lord! O Beloved! The truthful servant, Mr. ........, abandoned home, left his native land and crossed the great ocean until he reached the shore of the Holy Land and arrived at the Blessed Spot.
O my dear friend!
O my God! O my God!
O my spiritual friends! What you have written is perused, all of which was an entreaty and invocation unto God and a desire for devotion unto the Most High.
O Spiritual Assembly! Everything produces an impression in existence and results in the course of ages.
O thou attracted one of the Kingdom! The epistle was received; likewise the enclosed epistle was read. The personage (Mr. .........) is in reality enraptured with the truth and seeketh the discovery of the mysteries of God.
O thou bearer of the Great-tidings of the Kingdom of God! Thy letter was received.
O thou beloved of my heart! Verily, my soul longs for thee, for the lamp of the love of Baha’ is lighted within thy heart and I love to look upon thy face, for it is glittering with the light of guidance among the creatures.
O thou dear and honorable! I received thy last letter through his honor ........ and its contents imparted to me spiritual joy, for it indicated the high and good friendship between thee and the respectful maid-servant of God, .........
O thou dear wise man! They letter was considered. Its contents were in the utmost of beauty and great joy was realized therefrom.
O Thou kind God! That scattered assembly is Thine, and that gathering of friends is of Thee. Their eyes are opened, their hearts in tune with Thy love, and their ears in communion with Thy hidden mysteries.
O thou lamp ignited by the fire of the Love of God! I ask God to make thee a sign of love, standard of agreement, means of union and harmony and spreader of peace among the people.
O thou lover of humanity! Thy letter was received and its contents imparted spiritual significances.
O thou my spiritual companion! Two letter have reached me from you, and the contents of both I have considered.
O thou near servant to the Threshold of God! Thy letter was received and thy desire became known. Thou wishest to serve the Threshold of God.
O Thou Pure God! Gaze providently at the beloved ones and the dear maid-servants in Chicago. Confer upon them Thy bounty and grace.
O thou seeker of the Divine Kingdom!
O thou servant of the True One! Thy letter was received. The meeting which was arranged with the utmost union in the studio of Miss ......... was in reality spiritual, merciful and illumined.
O thou slave of the Beauty of ABHA! Thy letter was received. Praise be to God! It indicated thy firmness and steadfastness in the love of God—therefore, it was the cause of happiness.
O thou spiritual friend!
O thou who are firm in the Covenant! Thou has written regarding the articles and papers which are written by the believers of God and the forwarding of them to this land for correction.
O thou who art advancing toward the Divine Kingdom! What thou hast written was understood and noted. Thou hast asked concerning the station of this servant.
O thou who art advancing unto God!
O thou who art attracted by the Breath of God!
O thou who art attracted by the brilliant lights of the Merciful One, shining from the Supreme Kingdom!
O thou who art attracted by the Love of God! In the Persian tongue has thou written a letter; I was happy to read it.
O thou who art awakened to the Cause of God!
O thou who art baptized by the Spirit of the Love of God! Be rejoiced with this great bounty and gladdened by this mighty gift!
O thou who art confessing the Oneness of God!
O thou who art favored in the Kingdom of the almighty! The letter that thou hast written with the utmost eloquence, compassion, humility and submission of heart and spiritual emotions, hath been read.
O thou who art firm in the Covenant and Testament! Thy letter \\\ was received and its contents became known. Thou hast written regarding the election of a committee.
O thou who art gazing toward…
O thou who art gazing toward the Kingdom! Thy letter was received. Its contents became known. Thank thou God that thy house became the shelter and the nest of the birds of the Kingdom.
O thou who art set aglow with the Fire burning in the Tree of Sinai!
O thou who art set aglow with the Fire of the Love of God! Verily, I read thy long letter and was informed of thy visions, which art for whosoever follows the path of the Kingdom of God.
O thou who art speaking the praise of god in that vast and extensive region!
O thou who art supplicating unto God! Verily I mention thee always and shall never forget thee forever and ever.
O thou who art uttering the mention of God!
O thou who hast gained illumination from the Light of Guidance!
O thou yearner after the Kingdom of God! The maid-servant of God, Aseyeh, hath mentioned thy name in her letter, praising and commending thee.
O ye beloved friends of Abdul-Baha! The detailed letter which you have written was received and it was read with the greatest attention.
O ye beloved ones of Abdul-Baha! This servant longeth to write a special Tablet to each one of the friends of God—but what can be done!
O ye children of the Kingdom! It is New Year; that is to say, the rounding of the cycle of the year.
O ye dear friends and maid-servants of God! A good fragrance is coming from the rose-garden of Kenosha and a pleasing breeze is blowing from the orchard of the hearts of the friends and maid-servants of the Merciful.
O ye dear friends of Abdul-Baha! The blessed letter indicating the election of the Spiritual Meeting was received and proved a source of joy.
O ye elect and chosen ones of the Kingdom! Thank God that the Greatest Name selected and elected that gathering, ushered it into the Kingdom of Eternal Glory, honored and crowned it amid the Supreme Concourse.
O ye esteemed maid-servants of God, and ye revered beloved ones (or men believers) of the Merciful!
O ye friends of God and daughters of the Kingdom! The letter you have written was considered. It caused abundant spirit and fragrance.
O ye friends of this prisoner!
O ye illumined faces! O ye divine souls! and O ye spiritual temples!
O ye maid-servants of the Merciful!
O ye my divine friends!
O ye sincere ones! O ye favored ones! O ye beseeching ones! O ye supplicating ones!
O ye sons of the Kingdom! At a time when conditions were most difficult and oppressive and the reception of letters hard and impracticable, your letter was received.
O ye spiritual friends of Abdul-Baha! Your long letter was considered and its contents were a source of happiness.
O ye two advancers towards the Kingdom of God!
O ye verdant and flourishing leaves of the Blessed Tree!
O ye who are attracted! O ye who are united! O ye who are believers and assured!
Thou has written concerning the Board of Consultation.
To him who is looking unto God! O thou who art gazing unto the Center of the Covenant—may God confirm thee!
When you assemble in the meeting of teaching (the truth), it is incumbent on you to chant the following supplication and commune: O God, O God!
‘Abdu'l-Bahá came in to see us unexpectedly. He said, “I wish I might he with you always, hut unfortunately other things claim My time and keep Me sway from you. But My heart is filled with love and the thought of you. The important…
Tonight we met ‘Abdu'l-Bahá and a large number of believers from all parts of the East at the Feast, or Supper, under the shadow of the Blessed Perfection.
“Moral life consists in the government of one's self. Immortality is government of a human soul by the Divine Will.”
“Today we will speak about Obedience! The Manifestation of God is a perfect example of real obedience. Like Him, we must sacrifice everything; every plan, every longing and ideal must be given up completely to the Will of God. We must…
At dinner a violent rainstorm swept in from the sea. “May we all live in the Sea of Reality and be filled with the Love of God. Thank God we are in the Ark of the Covenant. See what great blessings God has showered upon us. How many…
After ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke at Rabbi Meyer's synagogue in San Francisco, the congregation lent its building to a neighbouring church for nine months, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote that the deed would become eternal.
In Chicago in April 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke to the Bahá’í Temple Unity Convention on the purpose of houses of worship, and Corinne True realized the Temple was meant to unite all humankind.
Boys who had followed the Master's party noisily on the way to the Bowery Mission came to see Him; He welcomed each one, called a dark-skinned boy a black rose, and shared chocolates.
At a Washington luncheon held in His honour in 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá asked for Louis Gregory, who had not been on the guest list, and seated him at His right hand before the meal began.
Speaking through an interpreter to an early pilgrim, the Master rejoiced that the believers were becoming more united, and urged them to love one another and sacrifice themselves for each other.
On April 30, 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told an NAACP conference in Chicago that color is of no importance. That evening, across the road, a tied Bahá’í election ended with Louis Gregory joining the governing board of Bahá’í Temple Unity.
Speaking to the Edinburgh Esperanto Society in January 1913, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá recalled Bahá’u’lláh’s call for an auxiliary language and urged His listeners to spread Esperanto.
Near Lake Dublin, New Hampshire, in August 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke to a gathering of Black people about unity between Black and white, and told them of the coming marriage of Louisa Mathew and Louis Gregory.
In Chicago in 1912, under trees near Lake Michigan, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told His friends He had not called attention to their shortcomings, and asked them to be as considerate with one another.
At Gallipoli the exiles learned of an order to separate Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the family and the followers. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told the Governor they would not submit, and after a week He won the concession that they remain together.
An early pilgrim called ‘Roy’ was struck by the love and harmony among the Bahá’ís in the Most Great Prison. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told him that the more the believers are united, the more they receive God’s confirmation.
When a poor Black man who often visited 'Abdu'l-Bahá at His Paris hotel was turned away by the management, the Master had him sought out and said He had come to establish the standard of Bahá'u'lláh.
In 1909 a pilgrim asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá whether He would come to America if the believers built the Temple quickly. In 1911 He wrote that they must first put away their differences if they longed for His visit.