To be grateful for the blessings of God in time of want and
trouble is necessary. In the abundance of blessings everyone can be grateful.
It is said that Sultán Mahmúd cut a melon and gave a portion of it to Ayáz who
ate it cheerfully and expressed gratitude. When the Sultán ate a little of the
same melon, he found it bitter. He asked, ‘How did you eat such a bitter melon
and show no sign of disliking it?' Ayáz answered, ‘I had eaten many sweet and
palatable things from the hands of the Sultán and I thought it very unworthy of
me to express dislike on eating a slightly bitter thing today.' Thus man, who
is immersed in the blessings of God, should not be grieved if he experiences a
little trouble. He should not forget the manifold divine bounties.
(Words of
‘Abdu’l-Baha, September 2, 1912, Montreal, Canada; Mahmud’s Diary’)
