Bahá’í World/Volume 3/‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Visit to Woking, England
‘ABDU’L—BAHA’S VISIT TO WOKING, ENGLAND
A MEMORABLE GATHERING
From "Asiatic Review”
IT may not be generally known to our readers that there are in this country but two mosques, one at Liverpool, and the other at Woking. The latter, the white dome of which outward-bound travelers on the L. & S. W. Railway will have noticed to the left of the line as Woking is approached, is intimately connected with the “Asiatic Quarterly,” having been built by the late Dr. Leitner, editor of this “Review,”* in association with the Begum of Bhopal, for use in connection with the Oriental Institute, to which it was then attached.
On the closing of the Institute after the death of Dr. Leitner the mosque was reserved for use on special occasions, the last being a memorial service at the time of the death of H.I.M. Muẓaffari’d-Dín, the late Sháh of Persia, on January 18, 1907.
It occurred to some friends interested in those matters of East and West with which this “Review” is concerned, that the presence in London recently ** of the Head of the Bahá’í movement (H. E. ‘Abbas Effendi) afforded a fitting opportunity for bringing the mosque once more into prominence. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was accordingly invited to give there, under the auspices of the “Asiatic Quarterly Review,” a discourse on “World Unity.” So on Friday, January 17, there assembled in the precincts of the mosque a unique and distinguished gathering of Asians and Europeans—Muḥammadans, Jews, and Christians—to signify their sympathy with the ideal of unity between races ———————— * The "Asiatic Quarterly Review" is essentially nonofficial in character. It is not connected in any way with party politics, and welcomes as contributors all who are interested in fostering goodwill between East and West, whatever their political opinions. Its motto is: “A fair hearing and no favor."
** 1913
and religions. The occasion was surely rendered all the more significant by the fact that, in popular imagination at least, a mosque has hitherto symbolized something of the stern isolation of an exclusive Creed!
On his arrival, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (H. E. ‘Abbas Effendi) was welcomed at the Memorial House adjoining the mosque by Mr. Henry Leitner, son of the founder, who expressed his sympathy with Persia and Turkey; spoke of his father’s lifelong devotion to Orientalism, and “conjectured of” him as “a stiller guest” on that occasion, and, “though in silence,” watching and sympathizing with all. He was afterwards conducted to the mosque steps, around which a large number of people had assembled to welcome his coming, and where he was greeted on behalf of the visitors by the Right Hon. Lord Lamington, the Right Hon. Ameer Ali, P.C., and Dr. John Pollen (representing the East India Association), a record of the proceedings was being meanwhile taken in the form of the photograph facing page 280. This exchange of courtesies over, a number of the Eastern visitors worshipped in the mosque, and then ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, an impressive figure in his native robes, addressed the company in Persian from the entrance-steps on “The Unity of Religions,” his remarks being fluently translated into English by Mirza Aḥmad Suhrab.
The venerable speaker began by dwelling
on the essential unity of the human race and
of all religions. Each religion, he said, is
divided into two parts: its essential immutable
part, which he called its moral aspect;
and its changing, temporal aspects, which
have to do with "the world of transactions
and business.” To the latter, with their
dogmas and peculiarities incidental to
dif[Page 279]
ferences of race and
period, are due the
antagonisms which divide mankind. He
exhorted his listeners to investigate
the fundamental teachings of the religions of God.
“Clergymen or priests might entertain the
idea that Muḥammad was antagonistic to
Christ.” This was erroneous. “All these
prophets entertained love for each other,
praised each other, and were friends. Why
should not we, the followers of these
prophets, be friends too?” We of this century
were witnessing the dawn of a new
era, the era of love and co-operation, as
against that of hatred and competition.
This era had been heralded by the Báb, who
in the last century “proclaimed the law of
the oneness of humanity, and enunciated
universal peace between the nations and
communities,” and had gathered into his
flock various communities, which, previously
at enmity, today bore the utmost love
to one another, and considered the whole
world one great commonwealth. To-day,
in the opinion of the Bahá’ís, the Gospels,
the Old and New Testaments, the Qur’án
and all the other holy books, constituted the
Bible of the World.
At the close of the address, Dr. Pollen briefly expressed the amicable feelings of those present, and bade them all welcome in the name of the West and of the East. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, he said, was hastening that “diviner day,” when all men would work together "in noble brotherhood.” On behalf of Mr. Leitner, he announced that the mosque would in future be open for Muḥammadans to worship in at any time they pleased.
Before leaving, our distinguished guest wrote as follows in Persian in the visitors’ book: “O God, illumine this "Review,” and ignite this Society like unto a lamp, so that it may spread the Light in all directions.”
Among those present were: the Turkish Princess Ouroussoff, Prince and Princess Sherriff, His Highness Mehmet (Ex—Prime Minister of Persia), Lady Blomfield, Lady Barclay, Sir Arundel Arundel, J.P., and Lady Arundel, Sir Richard and Lady Stapley, Dr. Abdul Majid, Khaja Kamaluddin, Maimutullah Shah, Shah Mohamed Yehya, Zafrulla Khan, S. Bashir Uddin, Zafar Ali Khan, Sheik Atta Ullah, Abdul Ghani, Mohamed Hasan, Mr. G. R. S. Mead (Editor of the Quest), Miss Alice Buckton, and a number of representatives from the Asiatic Society, the India Office, Muḥammadan Brotherhood, and Oriental students from Oxford and Cambridge.—W. M. C. M.