Disciples of Christ: - How they were badly treated when alive but revered years later

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)

Next Manifestation of God: “not definite that it will be 1000 years; it may be 2000, or 10,000 or 20,000 years”

…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)

“Jesus taught that fasting and praying give strength to the spirit of man”

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)

“Nothing, after prayer, will cause the development of the spirit, save fasting.”

Nothing, after prayer, will cause the development of the spirit, save fasting. The First Point, the Báb, ordained for all the people to fast until they should reach the age of forty-two, but the Blessed Perfection [Bahá’u’lláh] said: “We love fasting! Unless the people become old and weak, they should fast.” Thus the limit for fasting was appointed. One should begin to observe the fast from the age of fifteen, and continue the observance of it until the body may become too weak to do so without injury. His Holiness, the Blessed Perfection, used to fast throughout the set time every year.

In the Kitab-i-Aqdas the rules for fasting are as follows: Eating and drinking should cease before the rising of the sun and until the setting thereof. The traveler, the sick, pregnant women and nursing mothers are free from this obligation. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From 'Table Talks' by ‘Abdu’l-Baha, recorded by Corinne True, Haifa; Star of the West, vol. 4, no. 18, February 7, 1914)

“One of the chief reasons” why “the divine principles…[are] neglected and thrown aside and forgotten”

Material and spiritual matters have always advanced hand in hand but at the present time the material side is predominant and the divine principles have been neglected and thrown aside and forgotten. One of the chief reasons for this growing apathy is that the ministers of religion have taught that religion is opposed to science and reason and have thus enforced imitation. You must, therefore, relate religious verities to science. 

- ‘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’)

“Differences between religions are due to misunderstanding and imitation.”

Differences between religions are due to misunderstanding and imitation. If these imitations were to be eliminated, all religions would be united. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha to a reporter, April 11, 1912, New York, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani, His secretary and chronicler during His travels in the West; ‘Mahmud’s Diary, vol. 1’)