Know ye that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá dwelleth in continual delight. To
have been lodged in this faraway prison is for me exceeding joy. By the life of
Bahá! This prison is my supernal paradise; it is my cherished goal, the comfort
of my bosom, the bliss of my heart; it is my refuge, my shelter, my asylum, my
safe haven, and within it do I exult amid the hosts of heaven and the Company
on high.
Rejoice in my bondage, O ye friends of God, for it soweth
the seeds of freedom; rejoice at my imprisonment, for it is the well-spring of
salvation; be ye glad on account of my travail, for it leadeth to eternal ease.
By the Lord God! I would not exchange this prison for the throne of the whole
world, nor give up this confinement for pleasures and pastimes in all the fair
gardens on earth. My hope is that out of the Lord’s abundant grace, His
munificence and loving-kindness, I may, in His pathway, be hanged against the
sky, that my heart may become the target for a thousand bullets, or that I may
be cast into the depths of the sea, or be left to perish on desert sands. This
is what I long for most; this is my supreme desire; it refresheth my soul, it
is balm for my breast, it is the very solace of mine eyes.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)
