O firm ones in the Covenant!
Your letter was received and its contents became known. A
Tablet (lit. letter) was written to Tehran fifteen months ago and it was
published and spread in all parts of Persia and now is in the hands of all (the
friends) The exact text of that Tablet is this:
“O servant of the Blessed Threshold!
Thou didst complain of the decline of trade. This year
calamities, unfortunate decline and corruption have encompassed the world. Now
the proof is apparent to all. ‘Abdu'l-Baha in churches (lit, synagogues) and
meetings in many of the cities of Europe and America loudly proclaimed the
Cause of His Holiness Baha’u’llah and called (people) to the Kingdom of Abha.
And he (‘Abdu'l-Baha) brought forth luminous proofs and stated clear
conclusions and manifest arguments. There remained no excuse for any soul
whatsoever, because most of the talks were published in newspapers and spread
in the world. Notwithstanding this, still the people are captives in the sleep
of negligence and are prisoners of nature and inattentive to Reality. Still the
people desire material luxury to such a degree that Sur-i-Israfil (i.e. the
trumpet of Israfil [an angel] summoning mankind to resurrection) does not
awaken them. Of course this negligence, unthankfulness and unmindfulness are
the causes of regret, distress, war and dispute and produce devastation and
misfortune. If the people of the world do not turn to the Greatest Name, great
misery will follow. But for the sake of the believers it is my hope that traces
of the favors of God may be apparent and their affairs become exceptional.
Upon thee be Baha’u’l-Abha!
(Signed) ‘Abdu’l-Baha Abbas”
This (above) Tablet was written fifteen months ago and the
distressed happenings of today were mentioned in it. Notwithstanding this we
pray with the utmost supplication and lamentation at the Threshold of God that
He may purify and free the horizon of the world of humanity from this dark
cloud.
Upon ye be Baha’u’l-Abha!
(Signed) ‘Abdu’l-Baha Abbas
(Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 15, December 12, 1914)
