Upon them be Bahá'u'l-Abhá!
He Is God!
O ye friends and the maidservants of the Merciful!
When the deposed Sultán of the Ottoman Empire,
'Abdu'l-Hamíd, arose in tyranny and oppression, 'Abdu'l-Bahá was incarcerated
in the prison of 'Akká and was surrounded with the utmost surveillance of
police, detectives and men of the Secret Service. The door of communication was
entirely closed and the means of correspondence was prevented. If any soul
approached the house he was searched; nay, rather, threatened with dire
persecution. The affairs reached to such a degree that, not being satisfied
with these restrictions, the Sultán sent an oppressive investigating
Commission, so that with all kinds of wiles, simulations, slander and
fabrication of false stories they might fasten some guilt upon 'Abdu'l-Bahá in
order that he might crucify Him, or cast Him into the sea, or banish Him into
the heart of the distant and unknown Sahara of Feyzan [Africa]. That oppressive
investigating Commission exercised its rights with tyranny and passed the
sentence that 'Abdu'l-Bahá merited all kinds of persecution. Finally they
decided to send Him to Feyzan, and when they cabled this decision to the palace
of 'Abdu'l-Hamíd, an answer was received that the matter of Feyzan was approved
by the Imperial Order. Then that unjust investigating Commission returned to
Constantinople. They were in the midst of the sea when the cannon of God boomed
forth before the palace of 'Abdu'l-Hamíd, a charge of dynamite was exploded, a
number of people were killed, 'Abdu'l-Hamíd fled into the interior of his
residence, difficulties and trials surrounded him, and incidents and events
developed rapidly. Therefore he did not find the opportunity to oppress
'Abdu'l-Bahá; public revolution was started, which ended in his deposition, and
the Hand of Divine Power released the neck of 'Abdu'l-Bahá from the chains of
the prison of Joseph and the fetters and manacles were placed around the
unblessed neck of 'Abdu'l-Hamíd. Be ye admonished, O ye people of insight!
Now 'Abdu'l-Bahá, with the greatest power, has hastened to the country of Egypt from the land of prison. Praise be to God, that through the Bounty and Providence of the Blessed Perfection, no sooner did he land in Alexandria than the Word of God was promoted and the melody of the Kingdom of Abhá was heard. All the newspapers wrote innumerable articles. Some gave the utmost praise; others raised a great cry, saying: "The arrival of this personage in this land will shake the pillars of Religion and will shatter to pieces ancient customs and conventions. He attracts everyone he meets and when he loosens his tongue in any meeting, it creates faith in the hearts of the deniers." The papers are still writing detailed articles and will continue to do so.
Now the friends and the maid-servants in America have
written innumerable letters and all of them are pleading that 'Abdu'l-Bahá make
a trip to that country. Their supplications and entreaties are insistent. In
view of the differences among the friends and the lack of unity among the
maid-servants of the Merciful, how can 'Abdu'l-Bahá hasten to those parts? Is this possible? No, by God!
If the friends and the maid-servants of the Merciful long
for the visit of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, they must immediately remove from their midst
differences of opinion and be engaged in the practice of infinite love and
unity. No Bahá'í must open his lips in blaming another one, he must regard
backbiting as the greatest sin of humanity, for it is clearly revealed in all
the Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh that backbiting and faultfinding are the fiendish
instruments and suggestions of Satan and the destroyers of the foundation of
man. A believer will not blame any soul among the strangers, how much less
against the friends. Faultfinding and backbiting are the characteristics of the
weak minds and not the friends. Self-exaltation is the attribute of the
stranger and not of the Beloved. It is our hope that the believers and the
maid-servants of the Merciful in America may become the cause of the union of
the East and the West, and unfurl the Standard of the Oneness of the Realm of
Humanity. Now, we observe that strangeness, lack of unity and the utmost
difference exists among the friends and the maid-servants of the Merciful.
Under such a condition, how can they arise to guide the people of the world and
establish union and harmony between the nations of the earth? His Highness
Christ, addressing His disciples said:
"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt hath lost its
savour, wherewith shall it be salted?"
O ye friends and maid-servants of the Merciful! If ye are
yearning for my meeting, and if in reality ye are seeking my visit, ye must
close the doors of difference and open the gates of affection, love and
friendship. Ye must pulsate as one heart, and throb as one spirit. You must be
like the waves, though they are innumerable they constitute the all-encircling
sea.
O ye friends and maid-servants of the Merciful! Praise be to
God, ye are the fish of one ocean, the birds of one rose-garden, the trees of
one orchard and the flowers of one paradise. Then why this difference? Why this
lack of harmony? Wherefore this
condition?
Verily, verily, I say unto you, were it not for this
difference amongst you, the inhabitants of America in all those regions would
have, by now, been attracted to the Kingdom of God, and would have constituted
themselves your helpers and assisters. Is it meet that you sacrifice this most
glorious Bounty for worthless imaginations? No, by God! Should you reflect for
one moment, you shall become enabled to destroy instantly the foundation of
this difference by absolutely refraining from backbiting and faultfinding
amongst yourselves. Adorn with infinite love and concord the assemblage of beatitude,
bring about the meeting of happiness, establish the banquet of the oneness of
the realm of humanity, loosen your tongues in praising each other, and then
anticipate the presence of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in your midst.
Aside from all these considerations, some of the náqidín [1]
have come secretly amongst you and are expressing their firmness in the
Covenant and with all kinds of intrigues and strategies are creating disorder
and calamities, so that ye might be deprived of the Lights of the Divine Testament
and subjected to the darkness of violation.
Is it worthy of you to be engaged with differences amongst
you and thereby enabling the náqidíns [1] to spread a noose and chase such firm
believers as you are?
I beg of God to confirm you in union and concord that you
may become the cause of the oneness of the kingdom of humanity. Live and act in
accord with the Divine teachings, be abstracted from all the attachments of the
human world, characterized with merciful characteristics, release yourselves
from the nether world, become heavenly souls, spiritual beings and the angels
of Paradise.
Upon ye be Bahá'u'l-Abhá!
(Signed) 'Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas
(Star of the West, vol. 2, no. 4, May 17, 1911)
[1] Covenant-breakers
