Abdu’l-Bahá’ (23 May 1844 – 28 November 1921), born ‘Abbás Effendí, was the eldest son of Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith.
In 1892, `Abdu’l-Bahá was appointed in his father’s will to be his successor and head of the Bahá’í Faith.
His journeys to the West, and his “Tablets of the Divine Plan” spread the Bahá’í message beyond its middle-eastern roots, and his Will and Testament laid the foundation for the current “Bahá’í administrative order. Many of his writings, prayers and letters are extant, and his discourses with the Western Bahá’ís emphasize the growth of the faith by the late 1890s. `Abdu’l-Bahá’s given name was `Abbás, but he preferred the title of `Abdu’l-Bahá (servant of the glory of God). He is commonly referred to in Bahá’í texts as “The Master”, and received the title of KBE (Order of the British Empire)after his personal storage of grain was used to relieve famine in Palestine following World War I, but never used the title.
Where there is love, nothing is too much trouble and there is always time.
My heart is in a constant state of thanksgiving.
Do not be content with showing friendship in words alone, let your heart burn with loving kindness for all who may cross your path
Religion should unite all hearts and cause wars and disputes to vanish from the face of the earth; it should give birth to spirituality, and bring light and life to every soul. If religion becomes a cause of dislike, hatred and division, it would be better to be without it… Any religion which is not a cause of love and unity is no religion
The intellect is good but until it has become the servant of the heart, it is of little avail.
Anyone can live contentedly in circumstances of ease and comfort, health and well-being gratification and felicity; but to remain happy and contented in the face of difficulty, hardship and the onslaught of disease and sickness-this is an indication of nobility.
Love gives life to the lifeless. Love lights a flame in the heart that is cold. Love brings hope to the hopeless and gladdens the hearts of the sorrowful. In the world of existence there is indeed no greater power than the power of love
Truthfulness is the foundation of all the virtues of mankind.
When a man turns his face to God he finds sunshine everywhere.
Love manifests its reality in deeds, not only in words-these alone are without effect
Sometimes I want to ask God why He allows poverty, famine, and injustice when He could do something about it, but I’m afraid he might just ask me the same question.
