Words attributed to ‘Abdu’l-Baha by His various secretaries, those in attendance during His travels, pilgrims and visitors, press interviews and friends of the Faith.
Someone present asked how it was that in prayer and meditation the heart often turns with instinctive appeal to some friend who has passed into the next life.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá answered:
“It is a law of God’s creation that the weak should lean upon the strong. Those to whom you turn may be the mediators of God’s power to you, even as when on earth. But it is the One Holy Spirit that strengthens all men.”
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘’Abdu’l-Baha in London’)
When God calls a soul to a high station, it is because that soul has capacity for that station as a gift of God, and because that soul has supplicated to be taken into His service. No envies, jealousies, calumnies, slanders, plots, nor schemes, will ever move God to remove a soul from its intended place, for by the grace of God, such actions on the part of the people are the test of the servant, testing his strength, forbearance, endurance and sincerity under adversity. At the same time those who show forth envies, jealousies, etc., toward a servant, are depriving themselves of their own stations, and not another of his, for they prove by their own acts that they are not only unworthy of being called to any station awaiting them, but also prove that they cannot withstand the very first test—that of rejoicing over the success of their neighbor, at which God rejoices. Only by such a sincere joy can the gift of God descend unto a pure heart.
Envy closes the door of Bounty, and jealousy prevents one from ever attaining to the Kingdom of Abha.
No! Before God! No one can deprive another of his rightful station, that can only be lost by one's unwillingness or failure to do the will of God, or by seeking to use the Cause of God for one's own gratification or ambition.
No one save a severed soul or a sincere heart finds response from God. By assisting in the success of another servant in the Cause does one in reality lay the foundation for one's own success and aspirations.
Ambitions are an abomination before the Lord.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Utterances of Abdu’l-Baha recorded by Dr. Edward Getsinger
in answer to his questions asked during his pilgrimage in 1915; Star of the
West, vol. 6, no. 6, June 24, 1915)
“In prayer there is a mingling of station, a mingling of condition. Pray for them as they pray for you! When you do not know it, and are in a receptive attitude, they are able to make suggestions to you, if you are in difficulty. This sometimes happens in sleep. but there is no phenomenal intercourse! That which seems like phenomenal intercourse has another explanation.”
The questioner exclaimed; “But I have heard a voice!”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: “Yes, that is possible; we hear voices clearly in dreams. It is not with the physical ear that you heard; the spirit of those that have passed on are freed from sense-life, and do not use physical means. It is not possible to put these great matters into human words; the language of man is the language of children, and man’s explanation often leads astray.”
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘’Abdu’l-Baha in London’)
A friend asked: “How should one look forward to death?”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá answered: “How does one look forward to the goal of any journey? With hope and with expectation. It is even so with the end of this earthly journey. In the next world, man will find himself freed from many of the disabilities under which he now suffers. Those who have passed on through death, have a sphere of their own. It is not removed from ours; their work, the work of the Kingdom, is ours; but it is sanctified from what we call ‘time and place.’ Time with us is measured by the sun. When there is no more sunrise, and no more sunset, that kind of time does not exist for man. Those who have ascended have different attributes from those who are still on earth, yet there is no real separation.”
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘’Abdu’l-Baha in London’)
The ones in real authority are known by their humility and self-sacrifice and show no attitude of superiority over the friends.
Some time ago a tablet was written stating that none are appointed to any authority to do anything but to serve the Cause as true servants of the friends—and for this no tablet is necessary; such service when true and unselfish, requires no announcement, nor following, nor written document.
Let the servant be known by his deeds, by his life!
To be approved of God alone should be one's aim.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Utterances of Abdu’l-Baha recorded by Dr. Edward Getsinger in answer to his questions asked during his pilgrimage in 1915; Star of the West, vol. 6, no. 6, June 24, 1915)
Holding to the letter of the law is many times an indication of a desire for leadership. One who assumes to be the enforcer of the law shows an intellectual understanding of the Cause, but that spiritual guidance in them is not yet established.
The alphabet of things is for children, that they may in time use their reasoning powers. "Following the spirit" is a guidance by and through the heart, the prompter of the spirit. The Pharisees were extremely orthodox, holding strictly to the law. They were the cause of the condemnation and ultimate crucifixion of Jesus.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Utterances of Abdu’l-Baha recorded by Dr. Edward Getsinger in answer to his questions during his pilgrimage in 1915; Star of the West, vol. 6, no. 6, June 24, 1915)
No obstacle should be placed before any soul which might prevent it from finding the truth. Baha'u'llah revealed His directions, teachings, and laws, so that souls might know God, and not that any utterance might become an obstacle in their way.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Utterances of Abdu’l-Baha recorded by Dr. Edward Getsinger in answer to his questions during his pilgrimage in 1915; Star of the West, vol. 6, no. 6, June 24, 1915)
The Master then gave an explication on the subject of reincarnation:
This reincarnation in which people have traditionally believed is contrary to what has been revealed in the Books of God. What is truly meant by ‘return’ is the reappearance of past attributes in future creatures, and the similarity of the perfections possessed by successive generations to the characters and qualities of their precursors. It is like when we say that this flower is the same flower of last year; the meaning is that the same colour and fragrance of the previous flower are now manifest in this one.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, 26 December 1912, London, England, recorded by
Mahmud Zarqani, His secretary and chronicler during His travels in the West;
‘Mahmud’s Diary’, vol. 2: ‘Abdu’l-Baha in Europe 1912-1913)
Existence itself consists of perpetual permanence. Show me something that does not exist perpetually! Ultimately, all things come to occupy different degrees of existence and undergo a transformation in their forms. Consider even this flower; it shall never be totally effaced from the earth. In the end, its present form shall be altered; it will not simply fade into nothingness. Neither does existence end in obliteration, nor can complete nonexistence ever come into existence in this world. Nonexistence is darkness, while existence is light. When light comes, darkness is driven out. It is not the case that darkness shall ever become light.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, 26 December 1912, London, England, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani, His secretary and chronicler during His travels in the West; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’, vol. 2: ‘Abdu’l-Baha in Europe 1912-1913)
It was then asked: ‘What is Satan?’ The Master responded:
One’s insistent self. Were you to leave a child to persist in his natural state, he would develop a character that is reprehensible and fiendish… [The] corrupt inclinations all stem from human nature, and the force which compels him to indulge those inclinations is the struggle for survival. The divine Manifestations have come to save humankind from the darkness of their natural state, for humanity shall not acquire knowledge without the presence of a teacher. By what means have people come to know that honesty is good? Through education and training, of course; otherwise, a person’s natural inclination is to lie… Indeed, there is a restraining force - that is, an internal inhibitor - latent within people, but this force can only begin to exert its influence through the acquisition of education and the cultivation of godliness.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, 25 December 1912, London, England, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani, His secretary and chronicler during His travels in the West; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’, vol. 2: ‘Abdu’l-Baha in Europe 1912-1913)
At this point, one of the attendees inquired: ‘How, then, are we to defend ourselves?’ [if attacked physically] To this, the Master replied:
Indeed, reward and punishment constitute the basis of order in this world. For instance, were a person to come here and attempt to strike you - or even murder you - it would be unseemly for me to sit and remain silent. In such a situation, I must certainly rise up to defend you.
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, 25 December 1912, London, England, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani, His secretary and chronicler during His travels in the West; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’, vol. 2: ‘Abdu’l-Baha in Europe 1912-1913)
In their own day the people beat them [disciples of Christ], put them in prison, ridiculed them, exiled them from their own cities and finally martyred them. They even did not give permission that they might be buried in their own cemeteries. They were not willing to have the body of His Holiness Jesus Christ put in the Jews’ cemetery. The Apostles went and bought a piece of land and interred Him. Then the Jews took their refuse there. Later men came and built a great church over it This was built by the mother of one of the Caesars, after three hundred years. Even up to this time in certain parts it is known as the Church of Refuse. This is really the Tomb of Christ. It was the place where all the refuse of the city was gathered in the day of Christ. For three hundred years it continued in this manner. You can go now and see what wonderful change there is, see what a wonderful church is built, how many jewels and precious stones are collected there. The statue of Christ is bejeweled with all kinds of precious stones, so are the statues of Mary and others. How different the attitude of the people in the days of Manifestations. They persecute, deride and ridicule them, put a crown of thorns upon their heads, beat them in the street, spit in their faces and finally crucify them. But later on they worship their images, kiss the ground upon which they walked, or the stone upon which they sat. This is the attitude of the people.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha to some believers in Philadelphia, June 8-10, 1912; Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 6, June 24, 1914)
I have made the subject of my talks here only one of the principles of the Blessed Beauty. I have not as yet touched upon others of greater importance. It is because I perceive the pulse of the people and the needs of the present circumstances that the confirmations of the Blessed Beauty successively rain down and assist me. These effects that you see are not only the result of addresses but are due to the assistance of the Blessed Beauty. Of course, everyone says that peace is desirable but the power to influence and conform is what is required. The Blessed Beauty is indeed my helper and protector, to the degree that were I, for example, even to make war the subject of my talks, the same effects would become apparent. It is indeed the confirmations of the Blessed Beauty that aid us. Otherwise how would Westerners show such consideration to us Easterners?
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, April 13, 1912, New York, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani, His secretary and chronicler during His travels in the West; ‘Mahmud’s Diary, vol. 1’)
The appearance of the divine Manifestations is like the coming of springtime. It is self-evident that spring does not remain forever. We pray that the divine Spring may again be the cause of the rejuvenation of the garden of existence.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, April 12, 1912, New York, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani, His secretary and chronicler during His travels in the West; ‘Mahmud’s Diary, vol. 1’)
You must continue to keep the Nineteen-day Feast. It is very important,—very good. But when you present yourselves in the meetings, before entering them, free yourselves from all that you have in your hearts;—free your thoughts and minds from all else save God and speak from the heart—that all may make this a gathering of love;—make it the cause of illumination;—make it a gathering of attracted hearts; surround it with the lights of the Supreme Concourse. Thus may you be gathered together in the utmost love.
Turn to God and say:
O God! dispel all those elements which are the cause of discord, and prepare for us those things which are the cause of unity and agreement! O God! cause to descend upon us Heavenly Fragrance and change this gathering into a gathering of Heaven! Grant to us every benefit and every food! Prepare for us the food of love! Give to us the food of knowledge! Bestow upon us the food of Heavenly Illumination!
In your heart remember these things and then enter the Unity Feast.
Each one of you must think how to make the other members of your assembly happy and pleased. Each one must consider all those who are present as better and greater than himself. Each one must consider himself less than the rest. Consider their station as high, and think of your own station as low. Should you act and live according to these behests, know verily and of a certainty, that such a Feast is indeed the Heavenly Food; that Supper is indeed the Lord’s Supper. I am the servant of that gathering.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha to some believers in Philadelphia, June 8-10, 1912; Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 6, June 24, 1914)
In their own day the people beat them[the disciples of Christ], put them in prison, ridiculed them, exiled them from their own cities and finally martyred them. They even did not give permission that they might be buried in their own cemeteries. They were not willing to have the body of His Holiness Jesus Christ put in the Jews’ cemetery. The Apostles went and bought a piece of land and interred Him. Then the Jews took their refuse there. Later men came and built a great church over it This was built by the mother of one of the Caesars, after three hundred years. Even up to this time in certain parts it is known as the Church of Refuse. This is really the Tomb of Christ. It was the place where all the refuse of the city was gathered in the day of Christ. For three hundred years it continued in this manner. You can go now and see what wonderful change there is, see what a wonderful church is built, how many jewels and precious stones are collected there. The statue of Christ is bejeweled with all kinds of precious stones, so are the statues of Mary and others. How different the attitude of the people in the days of Manifestations. They persecute, deride and ridicule them, put a crown of thorns upon their heads, beat them in the street, spit in their faces and finally crucify them. But later on they worship their images, kiss the ground upon which they walked, or the stone upon which they sat. This is the attitude of the people.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha to some believers in Philadelphia, June 8-10, 1912; Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 6, June 24, 1914)
Consider how the disciples [of Christ] were treated. While they were alive people would not have anything to do with them, but later on they felt greatly glorified if they had even the remotest relationship with them. They became respected and revered;—even the earth that was touched by their feet. Now the people prostrate themselves before their tombs, but they were persecuted while they lived. At that time people did not like to be known as relatives of these Disciples of Christ.
While I was traveling in Palestine I came across a stony piece of ground. I saw that a number of people had gathered around one stone, kissing it, weeping and supplicating. I asked one, ‘What is this’? He told me that the Apostles of Christ, once upon a time, had passed by this place and sat upon these rocks, but there were so many rocks they did not know on which the Apostles had sat. Therefore they prostrated themselves before all of them that perchance they might come across and kiss the right stone.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha to some believers in Philadelphia, June 8-10, 1912; Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 6, June 24, 1914)
…during the cycle of the Blessed Perfection —May My life be a sacrifice to His believers—all are beneath His shadow. He is the Unique and Peerless One till the next Manifestation. It is, however, not definite that it will be 1000 years; it may be 2000, or 10,000 or 20,000 years; but it is definite that for the coming 1000 years there will appear no Manifestation; for 1000 years there shall arise no Sun. All the appearances will be beneath the shade of the Most Great Appearance; they will be as stars of guidance. All of them shall gather around this Fountain of Life; all of them will become illumined with the rays of this Sun; all of them will receive a share and a portion from this great Sea; all of them will become vivified with this soul imparting breeze and all of them will be under the down-pour of this rain. The aim is this: His Holiness the Báb gave the Glad-tidings concerning the Appearance of the Manifestation of God, and His Holiness, the Blessed Perfection, was the “Promised One” of all the nations and religions. The Báb was the “Morning Star,” heralding the glorious Dawn of the Sun of Reality. Now all of us are under Its shadow and receive the refulgent Bestowals from It.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, recorded by Ahmad Sohrab, one of ‘Abdu'l-Bahá's secretaries and translators from 1912 to 1919; Star of the West, volume 5, no. 6, June 24, 1914)
In Mark, 9:7-29, is related the story of the afflicted child who was brought to Jesus by the disciples after their vain efforts to cast out from him the spirit which tormented him and of his being healed by Jesus, who said, in reply to a question from the disciples, that: "This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting.”
Thus Jesus taught that fasting and praying give strength to the spirit of man, so that it may become enabled to heal the different violent and strong sicknesses which possess him.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From Table Talks by ‘Abdu’l-Baha, recorded Corinne True, Haifa; Star of the West, vol. 4, no. 18, February 7, 1914)