Counsels and Explanations by 'Abdu'l-Baha : July 2021

July 31

As to the question: “Whither shall we turn in our prayers?” There is an appointed center toward which one must direct himself in prayer, but at present this center is not unfolded because of wisdom. In its time this shall be announced. At present, in those regions, you should direct yourself, as formerly, to the East. The appointed and certain center will be announced in its time.

You also ask: “To whom shall we turn?” Turn to the Ancient Beauty. If it be the will of God, the blessed likeness (of the Manifestation) will be sent in its proper time, so that, in the world of the heart, thou mayest direct thyself to that holy likeness and thus be saved from imagination and phantasy. However, in the Temple (Mashriqu’l-Adhkar) the blessed picture must never be placed (or hung) on the wall. This you should know.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2)

July 29

O thou who art arisen for the service of the Cause of God! I received thy recent letter and rejoiced in spirit at its interesting contents which indicated thy arising for the service of the Kingdom of God, servitude unto His beloved ones and meekness and lowliness to His chosen ones.

I ask God to augment, day by day, thy zeal, attraction and glowing with the fire of God’s love; to destine for thee a glorious station (or mansion) in His great Kingdom and to open before thy face doors of success and dilation, such that hearts shall be amazed and minds astounded.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2)

July 27

The Shí‘ihs believed in fourteen immaculate Souls and four Gates. The fourteen immaculate Souls are Muhammad, Fátimih, and the twelve Imáms. The four Gates are the four individuals who succeeded one another as the leaders of the Shí‘ihs after the twelfth Imám. Thus these eighteen souls [Letters of the Living] were appointed to match those eighteen—the main intent was the number. The Báb Himself was the nineteenth. Such is the basis of the number nineteen that has been mentioned in all the Books and Tablets of the Báb…

The greatness and glory of most of these Letters of the Living resides solely in the fact that they professed their faith at the very beginning. Among them and in terms of importance, a few souls occupy a primary position—Mullá Ḥusayn, Quddús, and Ṭáhirih; a few other blessed souls occupy a secondary position; and the rest are honoured solely for having believed in the very beginning—two of them even, like Judas Iscariot, recanted their faith later.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk, new resources prepared by the Baha’i World Center, 2019; Online Baha’i Reference Library)

July 25

…these two illustrious souls [Shaykh Ahmad and Siyyid Kázim] endowed their followers with the greatest receptivity. That is why after the passing of the late Siyyid his disciples sought with all their might after the Promised Beauty. Mullá Husayn and some of his disciples departed from Iraq, made for Persia, and were taken up with the search till they entered the city of Shíráz. As Mullá Husayn had met the Báb before in Karbilá and knew Him, he became His guest. On the night of the fifth of Jamádíyu’l-Avval,[ 23 May 1844] Mullá Husayn was seated in the presence of the Báb, who was preparing the tea. As the Báb was serving the tea, He recited certain verses. Mullá Husayn was amazed and astonished to hear a young man, with no religious education or training in the Arabic tongue, recite verses of the utmost eloquence and power, a feat which he could have never thought possible. This led to his awakening and allegiance. The following day he told his disciples and others that he had found the Object of their search and proceeded to describe and portray Him, but he concealed His identity and did not divulge His name. However, he so extolled His attributes that his disciples and the others were enthralled with this news and with unrelenting thirst continued to search for the life-giving waters. Finally, after a few days, he specified His blessed Name. A great commotion ensued. Seventeen people bore allegiance to Him, and the letter of Táhirih, which was with a certain Mírzá Muhammad-‘Alí, was presented to the Báb. For Táhirih had given him this letter and asked him to present it to the Promised One when once they had found Him. In that letter she had included the following ode, the opening of which reads:

The effulgence of Thy face flashed forth,

And the rays of Thy visage arose on high.

Then speak the word, ‘Am I not your Lord?’

And ‘Thou art, Thou art!’ we will all reply.

Thus Táhirih became the eighteenth believer.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk, new resources prepared by the Baha’i World Center, 2019; Online Baha’i Reference Library)

July 23

…let us measure the deeds of certain popes against the religion of Christ. Christ, hungry and destitute, subsisted on the herbs of the wilderness and would not consent to see any heart saddened. The pope rides in a gilded carriage and passes his days in the utmost majesty, occupied with such pleasures and pursuits as to surpass the opulence and self-indulgence of all the kings of the earth.

Christ did not harm anyone, but certain popes put many innocent souls to death. Refer to the history books. How much blood have the popes spilled merely to secure their temporal authority! How many thousands of servants of humanity, among them learned men who had discovered the mysteries of the universe, have they tortured, imprisoned, and slain, all for mere differences of opinion! How vehemently have they opposed the truth!

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Table talks in Akka, authenticated by ‘Abdu’l-Baha; ‘Some Answered Questions’ – 2014 revised translation by the Baha’i World Centre)

July 21

As to the existence of Peter’s tomb in Rome, it is doubtful and disputed; some say that it is in Antioch.[1]

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Table talks in Akka, authenticated by ‘Abdu’l-Baha; ‘Some Answered Questions’ – 2014 revised translation by the Baha’i World Centre)

[1] Its ruins lie near the current city of Antakya, Turkey.

July 19

Question: In the Gospel of Matthew Christ says to Peter: “thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church”.[1] What is the meaning of this verse?

Answer: This utterance of Christ is an affirmation of Peter’s reply, when Christ asked: “Whom do ye believe Me to be?” and Peter answered: “I believe that Thou art the Son of the living God.” Then Christ said to him: “thou art Peter” [2]—since “Cephas” in Aramaic means “rock”—“and upon this rock I will build my church”. For others, in answer to Christ, had said that He was Elias, or John the Baptist, or Jeremiah, or one of the Prophets.[3]

Christ meant, through metaphor and allusion, to affirm the words of Peter. And so, since the latter’s name meant “rock”, He said: “thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church”. That is, your belief that Christ is the Son of the living God will become the foundation of the religion of God, and upon this belief the foundation of the church of God—which is the Law of God—shall be established.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Table talks in Akka, authenticated by ‘Abdu’l-Baha; ‘Some Answered Questions’ – 2014 revised translation by the Baha’i World Centre)

[1] Matt. 16:18.

[2] Peter’s given name was Simon, but Christ called him Cephas, which corresponds to the Greek words petros or petra, meaning “rock”.

[3] Cf. Matt. 16:14–18

July 17

…consider the phenomenon of composition and decomposition, of existence and non-existence. Every created thing in the contingent world is made up of many and varied atoms, and its existence is dependent on the composition of these. In other words, a conjunction of simple elements takes place so that from this composition a distinct organism is produced. The existence of all things is based upon this principle. But when the order is deranged, decomposition is produced and disintegration sets in, then that thing ceases to exist. That is, the annihilation of all things is caused by decomposition and disintegration. Therefore attraction and composition between the various elements is the means of life, and discord, and division produce death. Thus the cohesive and attractive forces in all things lead to the appearance of fruitful results and effects, while estrangement and alienation of things lead to disturbance and annihilation. Through affinity and attraction all living things like plants, animals and men come into existence, while division and discord bring about decomposition and destruction.

Consequently, that which is conducive to association and attraction and unity among the sons of men is the means of the life of the world of humanity, and whatever causes division, repulsion and remoteness leads to the death of humankind.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From the First Tablet to the Hague, 17 December 1919; revised translation under the direction of the Universal House of Justice, available at the online ‘Baha’i Reference Library’ site of the Baha’i World Center)

July 15

…when you traverse the regions of the world, thou shalt conclude that all progress is the result of association and co-operation, while ruin is the outcome of animosity and hatred. Notwithstanding this, the world of humanity does not take warning, nor does it awake from the slumber of heedlessness. Man is still causing differences, quarrels and strife in order to marshal the cohorts of war and, with his legions, rush into the field of bloodshed and slaughter.

July 13

It may be that some foolish person among the Persians will affix his name to the contents of the Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh or to the explanations given in the letters of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and send it to that esteemed Assembly. Ye must be aware of this fact, for any Persian who seeks fame or has some other intention will take the entire contents of the Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh and publish them in his own name or in that of his community, just as happened at the Universal Races Congress in London before the war. A Persian took the substance of the Epistles of Bahá’u’lláh, entered that Congress, gave them forth in his own name and published them, whereas the wording was exactly that of Bahá’u’lláh. Some such souls have gone to Europe and have caused confusion in the minds of the people of Europe and have disturbed the thoughts of some Orientalists. Ye must bear this fact in mind, for not a word of these teachings was heard in Persia before the appearance of Bahá’u’lláh. Investigate this matter so that it may become to you evident and manifest. Some souls are like parrots. They learn any note which they may hear, and sing it, but they themselves are unaware of what they utter.

July 11

…O ye friends of God! Show ye forth an earnest endeavor and display ye a resolute effort, so that ye may become assisted in the adoration of the Ancient Beauty and the Manifest Light; to be the cause of spreading the light of the Sun of Truth; to infuse into the dead, antiquated body of the world a new spirit; to cast in the fields of the hearts pure seeds; to arise in the service of the Cause; to speak with eloquent tongues; to become candles of guidance in the assemblage of the world; to become shining stars in the horizon of the existent being; to become merciful birds in the rose garden of oneness; to sing the melodies of realities and significances; to spend every breath of your existence in the service of this conspicuous light; so that in the end ye may be freed from loss and failure and attain to the inexhaustible treasury of the Kingdom.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Star of the West, vol. 4, no.1, March 21, 1913)

July 9

O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of God and steadfast in the Covenant of God! Verily I read thine eloquent letter, the composition of which was beautiful, words excellent and significances interesting, and I thanked God that He hath chosen certain souls for His knowledge and love, deposited in their hearts His mysteries, manifested from their faces His lights and made them the signs of His Kingdom, the banners of His majesty, the trees of His paradise and the birds of the garden of His holiness.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2)

July 7

Verily I have read thy excellent letter and was gladdened by its wonderful meaning. Blessed art thou, as thou hast been kindled like a lamp by the fire of God’s love and as thou hast supplicated unto God and communicated with thy Lord with an eloquent tongue and excellent explanation.

Verily I pray unto my Lord with all humbleness, meekness, obedience and submissiveness—which demolisheth every edifice of self-exaltation—that He shall strengthen thee by the fragrances of holiness and the breath of the Spirit of Truth and cause thee to be dedicated (or severed) unto God, purged and purified from the dross of the world, holy and sanctified from carnal passions, sacrificing thy soul to the beloved of God, contented with that which the Lord hath granted thee in the world, anxious to perform noble and good deeds while following the teachings of God, and in all things adhering to the law of God!

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2)

July 5

In truth, I say unto thee that if a spark of the fire of the love of God should fall into a heart, its flame will increase gradually, as the breeze blows upon it, until the sparks of the flame reach the Supreme Kingdom, provided the necessary preparations are made to kindle that fire in thy heart, to shed the tears from thine eyes and to bring thy patience to an end for the purpose of being drawn into the Kingdom of Abha.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2)

July 3

Let them willingly subject themselves to every just king, and to every generous ruler be good citizens. Let them obey the government and not meddle in political affairs, but devote themselves to the betterment of character and behaviour, and fix their gaze upon the Light of the world.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

July 1

O ye my loved ones! The world is wrapped in the thick darkness of open revolt and swept by a whirlwind of hate. It is the fires of malevolence that have cast up their flames to the clouds of heaven, it is a blood-drenched flood that rolleth across the plains and down the hills, and no one on the face of the earth can find any peace. Therefore must the friends of God engender that tenderness which cometh from Heaven, and bestow love in the spirit upon all humankind. With every soul must they deal according to the Divine counsellings and admonitions; to all must they show forth kindness and good faith; to all must they wish well. They must sacrifice themselves for their friends, and wish good fortune to their foes. They must comfort the ill-natured, and treat their oppressors with loving-kindness. They must be as refreshing water to the thirsty, and to the sick, a swift remedy, a healing balm to those in pain and a solace to every burdened heart. They must be a guiding light to those who have gone astray, a sure leader for the lost. They must be seeing eyes to the blind, hearing ears to the deaf, and to the dead eternal life, and to the despondent joy forever.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)