When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is
ended, turn your faces towards Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath
branched from this Ancient Root.--BAHA'U'LLAH, Kitab-i-Aqdas.
Birth and Childhood
Abbas Effendi, Who afterwards assumed the title of 'Abdu'l-Baha (i.e.
Servant of Baha), was the eldest son of Baha'u'llah. He was born in Tihran
before midnight on the eve of the 23rd of May, 1844,(20) the very same
night in which the Bab declared His mission.
He was nine years of age when His father, to Whom even then He was
devotedly attached, was thrown into the dungeon in Tihran. A mob sacked
their house, and the family were stripped of their possessions and left in
destitution. 'Abdu'l-Baha tells how one day He was allowed to enter the
prison yard to see His beloved father when He came out for His daily
exercise. Baha'u'llah was terribly altered, so ill He could hardly walk,
His hair and beard unkempt, His neck galled and swollen from the pressure
of a heavy steel collar, His body bent by the weight of His chains, and
the sight made a never- to-be-forgotten impression on the mind of the
sensitive boy.
During the first year of their residence in Ba_gh_dad, ten years before
the open Declaration by Baha'u'llah of His Mission, the keen insight of
'Abdu'l-Baha, Who was then but nine years of age, already led Him to the
momentous discovery that His father was indeed the Promised One Whose
Manifestation all the Babis were awaiting. Some sixty years afterwards He
thus described the moment in which this conviction suddenly overwhelmed
His whole nature:--
I am the servant of the Blessed Perfection. In Ba_gh_dad I was a
child. Then and there He announced to me the Word, and I believed
in Him. As soon as He proclaimed to me the Word, I threw myself at
His Holy Feet and implored and supplicated Him to accept my blood
as a sacrifice in His Pathway. Sacrifice! How sweet I find that
word! There is no greater Bounty for me than this! What greater
glory can I conceive than to see thick neck chained for His sake,
these feet fettered for His love, this body mutilated or thrown
into the depths of the sea for His Cause! If in reality we are His
sincere lovers--if in reality I am His sincere servant, then I must
sacrifice my life, my all at His Bless Threshold.--Diary of Mirza
Ahmad Sohrab, January 1914.
About this time He began to be called by His friends, "The Mystery of
God," a title given to Him by Baha'u'llah, by which He was commonly known
during the period of residence in Ba_gh_dad.
When His father went away for two years in the wilderness, Abbas was
heartbroken. His chief consolation consisted in copying and committing to
memory the Tablets of the Bab, and much of His time was spent in solitary
meditation. When at last His father returned, the boy was overwhelmed with
joy.
Youth
From that time onwards, He became His father's closest companion and, as
it were, protector. Although a mere youth, He already showed astonishing
sagacity and discrimination, and undertook the task of interviewing all
the numerous visitors who came to see His father. If He found they were
genuine truth seekers, He admitted them to His father's presence, but
otherwise He did not permit them to trouble Baha'u'llah. On many occasions
He helped His father in answering the questions and solving the
difficulties of these visitors. For example, when of the Sufi leaders,
named 'Ali _Sh_awkat Pa_sh_a, asked for an explanation of the phrase: "I
was a Hidden Mystery," which occurs in a well-known Muhammadan
tradition,(21) Baha'u'llah turned to the "Mystery of God," Abbas, and
asked Him to write the explanation. The boy, who was then about fifteen or
sixteen years of age, at once wrote an important epistle giving an
exposition so illuminating as to astonish the Pa_sh_a. This epistle is now
widely spread among the Baha'is, and is well known to many outside the
Baha'i faith.
About this time Abbas was a frequent visitor to the mosques, where He
would discuss theological matters with the doctors and learned men. He
never attended any school or college, His only teacher being His father.
His favorite recreation was horseback riding, which He keenly enjoyed.
After Baha'u'llah's Declaration in the Garden outside Ba_gh_dad,
'Abdu'l-Baha's devotion to His father became greater than ever. On the
long journey to Constantinople He guarded Baha'u'llah night and day,
riding by His wagon and watching near His tent. As far as possible He
relieved His father of all domestic cares and responsibilities, becoming
the mainstay and comfort of the entire family.
During the years spent in Adrianople, 'Abdu'l-Baha endeared Himself to
everyone. He taught much, and became generally known as the "Master." At
Akka, when nearly all the party were ill with typhoid, malaria, and
dysentery, He washed the patients, nursed them, fed them, watched with
them, taking no rest, until utterly exhausted, He Himself took dysentery,
and for about a month remained in a dangerous condition. In Akka, as in
Adrianople, all classes, from the Governor to the most wretched beggar,
learned to love and respect Him.
Marriage
The following particulars regarding the marriage of 'Abdu'l-Baha were
kindly supplied to the writer by a Persian historian of the Baha'i Faith:--
During the youth of 'Abdu'l-Baha the question of a suitable
marriage for Him was naturally one of great interest to the
believers, and many people came forward, wishing to have this
crown of honor for their own family. For a long time, however,
'Abdu'l-Baha showed no inclination for marriage, and no one
understood the wisdom of this. Afterwards it became known that
there was a girl who was destined to become the wife of
'Abdu'l-Baha, one whose birth came about through the Blessing
which the Bab gave to her parents in Isfahan. Her father was Mirza
Muhammad 'Ali, who was the uncle of the "King of Martyrs" and the
"Beloved of Martyrs," and she belonged to one of the great and
noble families of Isfahan. When the Bab was in Isfahan, Mirza
Muhammad 'Ali had no children, but his wife was longing for a
child. On hearing of this, the Bab gave him a portion of His food
and told him to share it with his wife. After they had eaten of
that food, it soon became apparent that their long-cherished hopes
of parenthood were about to be fulfilled, and in due course a
daughter was born to them, who was given the name of Munirih
_Kh_anum.(22) Later on son was born, to whom they gave the name of
Siyyid Yahya, and afterwards they had some other children. After a
time, Munirih's father died, her cousins were martyred by
Zillu's-Sultan and the mullas, and the family fell into great
troubles and bitter persecutions because of their being Baha'is.
Baha'u'llah then permitted Munirih and her brother Siyyid Yahya to
come to Akka for protection. Baha'u'llah and His wife, Navvab, the
mother of 'Abdu'l-Baha, showed such kindness and favor to Munirih
that others understood that they wished her to become the wife of
'Abdu'l-Baha. The wish of His father and mother became the wish of
'Abdu'l-Baha, too. He had a warm feeling of love and affection for
Munirih which was fully reciprocated, and erelong they became
united in marriage.
The marriage proved exceedingly happy and harmonious. Of the children born
to them four daughters have survived the rigors of their long
imprisonment, and, through their beautiful lives of service, have endeared
themselves to all who have been privileged to know them.
Center of the Covenant
Baha'u'llah indicated in many ways the 'Abdu'l-Baha was to direct the
Cause after His own ascension. Many years before His death He declared
this in a veiled manner in His Kitab-i-Aqdas. He referred to 'Abdu'l-Baha
on many occasions as "The Center of My Covenant," "The Most Great Branch,"
"The Branch from the Ancient Root." He habitually spoke of Him as "The
Master" and required all His family to treat Him with marked deference;
and in His Will and Testament He left explicit instructions that all
should turn to Him and obey Him.
After the death of the "Blessed Beauty" (as Baha'u'llah was generally
called by His family and believers) 'Abdu'l-Baha assumed the position
which His father had clearly indicated for Him as head of the Cause and
authoritative Interpreter of the teachings, but this was resented by
certain of His relatives and others, who became as bitterly opposed to
'Abdu'l-Baha as Subh-i-Azal had been to Baha'u'llah. They tried to stir up
dissensions among the believers, and, failing in that, proceeded to make
various false charges against 'Abdu'l-Baha to the Turkish Government.
In accordance with instructions received from His father, 'Abdu'l-Baha was
erecting a building on the side of Mount Carmel, above Haifa, which was
intended to be the permanent resting-place of the remains of the Bab, and
also to contain a number of rooms for meetings and services. They
represented to the authorities that this building was intended as a fort,
and that 'Abdu'l-Baha and His followers meant to entrench themselves
there, defy the Government, and endeavor to gain possession of the
neighboring region of Syria.
Strict Imprisonment Renewed
In consequence of this and other equally unfounded charges, in 1901,
'Abdu'l-Baha and His family, who for more than twenty years had been
allowed the freedom of the country for some miles around Akka, were again,
for over seven years, strictly confined within the walls of the prison
city. This did not prevent Him, however, from effectively spreading the
Baha'i message through Asia, Europe and America. Mr. Horace Holley writes
of this period as follows:--
To 'Abdu'l-Baha, as a teacher and friend, came men and women from
every race, religion and nation, to sit at his table like favored
guests, questioning him about the social, spiritual or moral
program each had most at heart; and after a stay lasting from a
few hours to many months, returning home, inspired, renewed and
enlightened. The world surely never possessed such a guest-house
as this.
Within its doors the rigid castes of India melted away, the racial
prejudice of Jew, Christian and Muhammadan became less than a
memory; and every convention save the essential law of warm hearts
and aspiring minds broke down, banned and forbidden by the
unifying sympathy of the master of the house. It was like a King
Arthur and the Round Table ... but an Arthur who knighted women as
well as men, and sent them away not with the sword but with the
Word.--The Modern Social Religion, Horace Holley, p. 171.
During these years 'Abdu'l-Baha cared on an enormous correspondence with
believers and inquirers in all parts of the world. In this work He was
greatly assisted by His daughters and also by several interpreters and
secretaries.
Much of His time was spent in visiting the sick and the afflicted in their
own homes; and in the poorest quarters of Akka no visitor was more welcome
than the "Master." A pilgrim who visited Akka at this time writes:--
It is the custom of 'Abdu'l-Baha each week, on Friday morning, to
distribute alms to the poor. From his own scanty store he gives a
little to each one of the needy who come to ask assistance. This
morning about one hundred were ranged in line, seated and
crouching upon the ground in the open street of the courts where
'Abdu'l-Baha's house stands. And such a nondescript collection of
humanity they were. All kinds of men, women and children--poor,
wretched, hopeless in aspect, half-clothed, many of them crippled
and blind, beggars indeed, poor beyond expression--waiting
expectant--until from the doorway came 'Abdu'l-Baha.... Quickly
moving from one to another, stopping sometimes to leave a word of
sympathy and encouragement, dropping small coins into each eager
outstretched palm, touching the face of a child, taking the hand
of an old woman who held fast to the hem of his garment as he
passed along, speaking words of light to old men with sightless
eyes, inquiring after those too feeble and wretched to come for
their pittance of help, and sending them their portion with a
message of love and uplift.--Glimpses of 'Abdu'l-Baha, M. J. M., p.
13.
'Abdu'l-Baha's personal wants were few. He worked late and early. Two
simple meals a day sufficed Him. His wardrobe consisted of a very few
garments of inexpensive material. He could not bear to live in luxury
while others were in want.
He had a great love for children, for flowers, and for the beauties of
nature. Every morning about six or seven, the family party used to gather
to partake of the morning tea together, and while the Master sipped His
tea, the little children of the household chanted prayers. Mr. Thornton
Chase writes of these children:--"Such children I have never seen, so
courteous, unselfish, thoughtful for others, unobtrusive, intelligent, and
swiftly self-denying in the little things that children love...."--In
Galilee, p. 51.
The "ministry of flowers" was a feature of the life at Akka, of which
every pilgrim brought away fragrant memories. Mrs. Lucas writes:--"When the
Master inhales the odor of flowers, it is wonderful to see him. It seems
as though the perfume of the hyacinths were telling him something as he
buries his face in the flowers. It is like the effort of the ear to hear a
beautiful harmony, a concentrated attention!"--A Brief Account of My Visit
to 'Akka, pp. 25-26.
He loved to present beautiful and sweet-smelling flowers to His numerous
visitors.
Mr. Thornton Chase sums up his impression of the prison life at Akka as
follows:--
Five days we remained within those walls, prisoners with Him who
dwells in that "Greatest Prison." It is a prison of peace, of love
and service. No wish, no desire is there save the good of mankind,
the peace of the world, the acknowledgement of the Fatherhood of
God and the mutual rights of men as His creatures, His children.
Indeed, the real prison, the suffocating atmosphere, the
separation from all true heart desires, the bond of world
conditions, is outside of those stone walls, while within them is
the freedom and pure aura of the Spirit of God. All troubles,
tumults, worries or anxieties for worldly things are barred out
there.--In Galilee, p. 24.
To most people the hardships of prison life would appear as grievous
calamities, but for 'Abdu'l-Baha they had no terrors. When in prison He
wrote:--
Grieve not because of my imprisonment and calamity; for this
prison is my beautiful garden, my mansioned paradise and my throne
of dominion among mankind. My calamity in my prison is a crown to
me in which I glory among the righteous.
Anyone can be happy in the state of comfort, ease, health,
success, pleasure and joy; but if one be happy and contented in
the time of trouble, hardship and prevailing disease, that is the
proof of nobility.
Turkish Commissions of Investigation
In 1904 and 1907 commissions were appointed by the Turkish Government to
inquire into the charges against 'Abdu'l-Baha, and lying witnesses gave
evidence against Him. 'Abdu'l-Baha, while refuting the charges, expressed
His entire readiness to submit to any sentence the tribunal chose to
impose. He declared that if they should throw Him into jail, drag Him
through the streets, curse Him, spit upon Him, stone Him, heap upon Him
all sort of ignominy, hang Him or shoot Him, He would still be happy.
Between the sittings of the Commissions of Investigation He pursued His
ordinary life with the utmost serenity, planting fruit trees in a garden
and presiding at a marriage feast with the dignity and radiance of
spiritual freedom. The Spanish Consul offered to provide Him a safe
passage to any foreign port He cared to select, but this offer He
gratefully but firmly refused, saying that whatever the consequences, He
must follow in the footsteps of the Bab and the Blessed Perfection, Who
never tried to save Themselves or run away from Their enemies. He
encouraged most of the Baha'is, however, to leave the neighborhood of
Akka, which had become very dangerous for them, and remained alone, with a
few of the faithful, to await His destiny.
The four corrupt officials who constituted the last investigating
commission arrived in Akka in the early part of the winter of 1907, stayed
one month, and departed for Constantinople, after finishing their
so-called "investigation," prepared to report that the charges against
'Abdu'l-Baha had been substantiated and to recommend His exile or
execution. No sooner had they got back to Turkey, however, than the
Revolution broke out there and the four commissioners, who belonged to the
old regime, had to flee for their lives. The Young Turks established their
supremacy, and all political and religious prisoners in the Ottoman Empire
were set free. In September 1980 'Abdu'l-Baha was released was prison, and
in the following year 'Abdu'l-Hamid, the Sultan, became himself a
prisoner.
Western Tours
After His release, 'Abdu'l-Baha continued the same holy life of ceaseless
activity in teaching, correspondence, ministering to the poor and the
sick, with merely the change from Akka to Haifa and from Haifa to
Alexandria, until August 1911, when He started on His first visit to the
Western world. During His tours in the West, 'Abdu'l-Baha met men of every
shade of opinion and amply fulfilled the command of Baha'u'llah to
"Consort with all the people with joy and fragrance." He reached London
early in September 1911, and spent a month there, during which, besides
daily talks with inquirers and many other activities, He addressed the
congregations of the Rev. R. J. Campbell at the City Temple, and of
Archdeacon Wilberforce at St. John's, Westminster, and breakfasted with
the Lord Mayor. He then proceeded to Paris, where His time was occupied in
giving daily addresses and talks to eager listeners of many nationalities
and types. In December He returned to Egypt, and next spring, in response
to the earnest entreaty of the American friends, He proceeded to the
United States, arriving in New York in April 1912. During the next nine
months He traveled through America, from coast to coast, addressing all
sorts and conditions of men--university students, Socialists, Mormons,
Jews, Christians, Agnostics, Esperantists, Peace Societies, New Thought
Clubs, Women's Suffrage Societies, and speaking in churches of almost
every denomination, in each case giving addresses suited to the audience
and the occasion. On December 5 He sailed for Great Britain, where He
passed six weeks, visiting Liverpool, London, Bristol and Edinburgh. In
Edinburgh He gave a notable address to the Esperanto Society, in which He
announced that He had encouraged the Baha'is of the East to study
Esperanto in order to further better understanding between the East and
the West. After two months in Paris, spent as before in daily interviews
and conference, He proceeded to Stuttgart, where He held a series of very
successful meetings with the German Baha'is; thence to Budapest and
Vienna, founding new groups in these places, returning, in May 1913, to
Egypt, and on December 5, 1913, to Haifa.
Return to Holy Land
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. After His return He wrote the following pathetic Tablet to the
believers in East and West:--
Friends, the time is coming when I shall be no longer with you. I
have done all that could be done. I have served the Cause of
Baha'u'llah to the utmost of my ability. I have labored night and
day all the years of my life.
Oh, how I long to see the believers shouldering the
responsibilities of the Cause! Now is the time to proclaim the
Kingdom of Abha (i.e. The Most Glorious!). Now is the hour of
union and concord! Now is the day of the spiritual harmony of the
friends of God! ...
I am straining my ears toward the East and toward the West, toward
the North and toward the South, that haply I may hear the songs of
love and fellowship raised in the meetings of the believers. My
days are numbered, and save this there remains none other joy for
me.
Oh, how I yearn to see the friends united, even as a shining
strand of pearls, as the brilliant Pleiades, as the rays of the
sun, the gazelles of one meadow!
The mystic nightingale is singing for them; will they not listen?
The bird of paradise is warbling; will they not hear? The Angel of
the Kingdom of Abha is calling to them; will they not hearken? The
Messenger of the Covenant is pleading; will they not heed?
Ah! I am waiting, waiting to hear the glad news that the believers
are the embodiment of sincerity and loyalty, the incarnation of
love and amity and the manifestation of unity and concord!
Will they not rejoice my heart? Will they not satisfy my
yearnings? Will they not heed my pleadings? will they not fulfill
my hopes? Will they not answer my call?
I am waiting, I am patiently waiting!
The enemies of the Baha'i Cause, whose hopes had risen high when the Bab
fell a victim to their fury, when Baha'u'llah was driven from His native
land and made a prisoner for life, and again at the passing of
Baha'u'llah--these enemies once more took heart when they saw the physical
weakness and weariness of 'Abdu'l-Baha after His return from His Western
travels. But again their hopes were doomed to disappointment. In a short
time 'Abdu'l-Baha was able to write:--
Unquestionably this physical body and human energy would have been
unable to stand the constant wear and tear...but the aid and help
of the Desired One were the Guardian and Protector of the weak and
humble 'Abdu'l-Baha.... Some have asserted that 'Abdu'l-Baha is on
the eve of bidding his last farewell to the world, that his
physical energies are depleted and drained and that ere long these
complications will put an end to his life. This is far from the
truth. Although in the outward estimation of the Covenant-breakers
and defective-minded the body is weak on account of ordeals in the
Blessed Path, yet, Praise be to God! through the providence of the
Blessed Perfection the spiritual forces are in the utmost
rejuvenation and strength. Thanks be to God that now, through the
blessing and benediction of Baha'u'llah, even the physical
energies are fully restored, divine joy is obtained, the supreme
glad-tidings are resplendent and ideal happiness overflowing.
Both during the European War and after its close 'Abdu'l-Baha, amidst
countless other activities, was able to pour forth a series of great and
inspiring letters which, when communications were reopened, roused
believers throughout the world to new enthusiasm and zeal for service.
Under the inspiration of these letters the Cause progressed by leaps and
bounds and everywhere the Faith showed signs of new vitality and vigor.
War Time at Haifa
A remarkable instance of the foresight of 'Abdu'l-Baha was supplied during
the months immediately preceding the war. During peacetimes there was
usually a large number of pilgrims at Haifa, from Persia and other regions
of the globe. About six months before the outbreak of war one of the old
Baha'is living at Haifa present a request from several believers of Persia
for permission to visit the Master. 'Abdu'l-Baha did not grant the
permission, and from that time onwards gradually dismissed the pilgrims
who were at Haifa, so that by the end of July 1914 none remained. When, in
the first days of August the sudden outbreak of the Great War startled the
world, the wisdom of His precaution became apparent.
When the war broke out, 'Abdu'l-Baha, Who had already spent fifty-five
years of His life in exile and prison, became again virtually a prisoner
of the Turkish Government. Communication with friends and believers
outside Syria was almost completely cut off, and He and His little band of
followers were again subjected to straitened circumstances, scarcity of
food and great personal danger and inconvenience.
During the war 'Abdu'l-Baha had a busy time in ministering to the material
and spiritual wants of the people about Him. He personally organized
extensive agricultural operations near Tiberias, thus securing a great
supply of wheat, by means of which famine was averted, not only for the
Baha'is but for hundreds of the poor of all religions in Haifa and Akka,
whose wants He liberally supplied. He took care of all, and mitigated
their sufferings as far as possible. To hundreds of poor people He would
give a small sum of money daily. In addition to money He gave bread. If
there was no bread He would give dates or something else. He made frequent
visits to Akka to comfort and help the believers and poor people there.
During the time of war He had daily meetings of the believers, and through
His help the friends remained happy and tranquil throughout those
troublous years.
Sir 'Abdu'l-Baha Abbas, K.B.E.
Great was the rejoicing in Haifa when, on the 23rd day of September, 1918,
at 3 P.M., after some twenty-four hours' fighting, the city was taken by
British and Indian cavalry, and the horrors of war conditions under the
Turkish rule came to an end.
From the beginning of the British occupation, large numbers of soldiers
and Government officials of all ranks, even the highest, sought interviews
with 'Abdu'l-Baha, delighting in His illuminating talks, His breadth of
view and depth of insight, His dignified courtesy and genial hospitality.
So profoundly impressed were the Government representatives by His noble
character and His great work in the interests of peace conciliation, and
the true prosperity of the people, that a knighthood of the British Empire
was conferred on 'Abdu'l-Baha, the ceremony taking place in the garden of
the Military Governor of Haifa on the 27th day of April, 1920.
Last Years
During the winter of 1919-1920 the writer had the great privilege of
spending two and half months as the guest of 'Abdu'l-Baha at Haifa and
intimately observing His daily life. At that time, although nearly
seventy-six years of age, He was still remarkably vigorous, and
accomplished daily an almost incredible amount of work. Although often
very weary He showed wonderful powers of recuperation, and His services
were always at the disposal of those who needed them most. His unfailing
patience, gentleness, kindliness and tact made His presence like a
benediction. It was His custom to spend a large part of each night in
prayer and meditation. From early morning until evening, except for a
short siesta after lunch, He was busily engaged in reading and answering
letters from many lands and in attending to the multitudinous affairs of
the household and of the Cause. In the afternoon He usually had a little
relaxation in the form of a walk or a drive, but even then He was usually
accompanied by one or two, or a party, of pilgrims with whom He would
converse on spiritual matters, or He would find opportunity by the way of
seeing and ministering to some of the poor. After His return He would call
the friends to the usual evening meeting in His salon. Both at lunch and
supper He used to entertain a number of pilgrims and friends, and charm
His guests with happy and humorous stories as well as precious talks on a
great variety of subjects. "My home is the home of laughter and mirth," He
declared, and indeed it was so. He delighted in gathering together people
of various races, colors, nations and religions in unity and cordial
friendship around His hospitable board. He was indeed a loving father not
only to the little community at Haifa, but to the Baha'i community
throughout the world.
The Passing of 'Abdu'l-Baha
'Abdu'l-Baha's manifold activities continued with little abatement despite
increasing bodily weakness and weariness up till the last day or two of
His life. On Friday, November 25, 1921, He attended the noonday prayer at
the Mosque in Haifa, and afterwards distributed alms to the poor with His
own hands, as was His wont. After lunch He dictated some letters. When He
had rested He walked in the garden and had a talk with the gardener. In
the evening He gave His blessing and counsel to a loved and faithful
servant of the household who had been married that day, and afterwards He
attended the usual meeting of the friends in His own salon. Less that
three days later, about 1:30 A.M. on Monday, November 28, He passed away
so peacefully that, to the two daughters watching by His bedside, it
seemed as if He had gone quietly to sleep.
The sad news soon spread throughout the town and was flashed over the
wires to all parts of the world. The next morning (Tuesday, November 29)
the funeral took place:
... a funeral the like of which Haifa, nay Palestine itself, had
surely never seen ... so deep was the feeling that brought so many
thousands of mourners together, representative of so many
religions, races and tongues.
The High Commissioner, Sir Herbert Samuel, the Governor or
Jerusalem, the Governor of Phoenicia, the Chief Officials of the
Government, the Consuls of the various countries, resident in
Haifa, the heads of the various religious communities, the
notables of Palestine, Jews, Christians, Moslems, Druses,
Egyptians, Greeks, Turks, Kurds, and a host of his American,
European and native friends, men, women and children, both of high
and low degree ... all, about ten thousand in number, mourning the
loss of their Beloved One....
"O God, my God!" the people wailed with one accord, "Our father
has left us, our father has left us!" ... they slowly wended their
way up Mount Carmel, the Vineyard of God.... After two hours'
walking, they reached the garden of the Tomb of the Bab.... As the
vast concourse pressed round ... representatives of the various
denominations, Moslems, Christians and Jews, all hearts being
ablaze with fervent love of 'Abdu'l-Baha, some on the impulse of
the moment, other prepared, raised their voices in eulogy and
regret, paying their last homage of farewell to their loved one.
So united were they in their acclamation of him, as the wise
educator and reconciler of the human race in this perplexed and
sorrowful age, that there seemed to be nothing left for the
Baha'is to say.--The Passing of 'Abdu'l-Baha, by Lady Blomfield and
Shoghi Effendi, pp. 11, 12.
Nine speakers, all of them prominent representatives of the Muslim,
Christian and Jewish communities, bore eloquent and moving witness to
their love and admiration of the pure and noble life which had just drawn
to its close. Then the casket was slowly passed to its simple and hallowed
resting-place.
Surely here was a fitting tribute to the memory of One Who had labored all
His life for unity of religions, of races, of tongues--a tribute, and also
a proof, that His lifework had not been in vain, that the ideals of
Baha'u'llah, which were His inspiration, nay, His very life, were already
beginning to permeate the world and to break down the barriers of sect and
caste that for centuries had alienated Muslim, Christian, Jew, and the
other diverse factions into which the human family has been riven.
Writings and Addresses
The Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha are very numerous and are mostly in the form
of letter to believers and inquirers. A great many of His talks and
addresses have also been recorded and many have been published. Of the
thousands of pilgrims who have visited Him at Akka and Haifa a large
number have written descriptions of their impressions, and many of these
records are now available in printed form.
His teachings are thus very completely preserved, and they cover a very
wide range of subjects. With many of the problems of both East and West He
dealt more fully than His Father had done, giving more detailed
applications of the general principles laid down by Baha'u'llah. A number
of His Writings have not yet been translated into any Western language but
enough is already available to give deep and full knowledge of the more
important principles of His teaching.
He spoke Persian, Arabic and Turkish. In His Western tours His talks and
addresses were always interpreted, obviously losing much of their beauty,
eloquence and force in the process, yet such was the power of the Spirit
which accompanied His words that all who heard Him were impressed.
Station of 'Abdu'l-Baha
The unique station assigned to 'Abdu'l-Baha by the Blessed Perfection is
indicated in the following passage written by the latter:--"When the ocean
of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is ended, turn
your faces towards Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched from this
Ancient Root." And again:--" ... refer ye whatsoever ye understand not in
the Book to Him Who hath branched from this mighty Stock." 'Abdu'l-Baha
Himself wrote the following:--"In accordance with the explicit text of the
Kitab-i-Aqdas Baha'u'llah hath made the Center of the Covenant the
Interpreter of His Word--a Covenant so firm and mighty that from the
beginning of time until the present day no religious Dispensation hath
produced its like."
The very completeness of the servitude with which 'Abdu'l-Baha promulgated
the Faith of Baha'u'llah in East and West resulted at times in a confusion
of belief concerning His station on the part of believers. Realizing the
purity of the spirit animating His word and deed, surrounded by religious
influences marking the breakdown of their traditional doctrines, a number
of Baha'is felt that they honored 'Abdu'l-Baha by likening Him to a
Manifestation, or hailing Him as the "return of Christ." Nothing caused
Him such intense grief as this failure to perceive that His capacity to
serve Baha'u'llah proceeded from the purity of the mirror turned to the
Sun of Truth, and not from the Sun itself.
Moreover, unlike previous Dispensations, the Faith of Baha'u'llah had
within it the potency of a universal human society. During 'Abdu'l-Baha's
mission covering the period 1892 to 1921, the Faith evolved through
successive stages of development in the direction of a true world order,
Its development required continuous direction and specific instruction
from 'Abdu'l-Baha, Who alone knew the fullness of that new potent
inspiration brought to earth in this age. Until His own Will and Testament
was revealed after 'Abdu'l-Baha's departure from the flesh, and its
significance was expounded by Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Faith,
the Baha'is almost inevitably attributed their beloved Master's guidance a
degree of spiritual authority equaling that of the Manifestation.
The effects of such naive enthusiasm are no longer felt within the Baha'i
community, but with a sounder realization of the mystery of that
incomparably devotion and servitude, the Baha'is can today all the more
consciously appreciate the unique character of the mission which
'Abdu'l-Baha fulfilled. The Faith which in 1892 seemed so weak and
helpless in the physical exile and imprisonment of its Exemplar and
Interpreter, has since, with irresistible power, raised up communities in
many countries,(23) and challenges the weakness of a decaying civilization
with a body of teachings that alone reveal the future of a despairing
humanity.
The Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha itself set forth with complete
clarity the mystery of the stations of the Bab and of Baha'u'llah, and His
own mission:--
This is the foundation of the belief of the people of Baha (may my
life be offered up for them): "His Holiness, the Exalted One (the
Bab), is the Manifestation of the Unity and Oneness of God and the
Forerunner of the Ancient Beauty. His Holiness the Abha Beauty
(may my life be a sacrifice for His steadfast friends) is the
Supreme Manifestation of God and the Dayspring of His Most Divine
Essence. All others are servants unto Him and do His bidding."
By this statement, and by numerous others in which 'Abdu'l-Baha emphasized
the importance of basing one's knowledge of the Faith upon His general
Tablets, a foundation for unity of belief was established, with the result
that the differences of understanding caused by reference to His Tablets
to individuals, in which the Master answered personal questions, rapidly
disappeared. Above all, the establishment of a definite administrative
order, with the Guardian at its head, transferred to institutions all
authority previously wielded in the form of prestige and influence by
individual Baha'is in the various local groups.
Exemplar of Baha'i Life
Baha'u'llah was preeminently the Revealer of the Word. His forty years'
imprisonment gave Him but limited opportunities of intercourse with His
fellowmen. To 'Abdu'l-Baha, therefore, fell the important task of becoming
the exponent of the Revelation, the Doer of the Word, the Great Exemplar
of the Baha'i life in actual contact with the world of today, in the most
diverse phases of its myriad activities. He showed that it is still
possible, amid the whirl and rush of modern life, amid the self-love and
struggle for material prosperity that everywhere prevail, to live the life
of entire devotion to God and to the service of one's fellows, which
Christ and Baha'u'llah and all the Prophets have demanded of men. Through
trial and vicissitudes, calumnies, and treachery on the one hand, and
through love and praise, devotion and veneration on the other, He stood
like a lighthouse founded on a rock, around which wintry tempests rage and
the summer ocean plays, His poise and serenity remaining ever steadfast
and unshaken. He lived the life of faith, and calls on His followers to
live it here and now. He raised amid a warring world the Banner of Unity
and Peace, the Standard of a New Era, and He assures those who rally to
its support that they shall be inspired by the Spirit of the New Day. It
is the same Holy Spirit which inspired the Prophets and Saints of old, but
it is a new outpouring of that Spirit, suited to the needs of the new
time.