The Chosen Highway/1892 to 1908

PART III

‘ABDU’L-BAHA [Page 134]“My father was much with Baha’u’llah.

“One night Baha’u’llah, as He walked back and forth in His room, said to my father:

“At stated periods souls are sent to earth by the Mighty God with what we call “the Power of the Great Ether.’ And

they who possess this power can do anything; they have all Power... .’

“Jesus Christ had this Power.

“The people thought of Him as a poor young man, Whom they had crucified; but He possessed the Power of the Great Ether, therefore He could not remain underground. This ethereal Power arose and quickened the world. And now look to the Master, for this Power is His.”

Recorded by Mirzd Valiyyw’lléh Khan Vargd, son of the martyred poet, Varga. [Page 135]CHAPTER I

1892 to 1908

After the passing, from this visible, mortal world, of Baha’u’llah, His devoted disciples turned their faces to the beloved Master, ‘Abbas Effendi.

- ‘Abbas Effendi” was the name by which He was known by

all who came into His presence in those days, the dwellers in ‘Akka and the country round about, and also by the many who came to ask His help and counsel in problems great and small.

To all comers He was the ‘“‘Father of Compassion” and helpfulness; in His presence was rest; in His words peace and joy, love, and a wonderful wisdom.

Beyond the comprehension of the people, in whose midst He walked, to the pilgrims, who journeyed from Persia, Arabia, and gradually from America and Europe, the Master was also ‘their adored Lord, Who had been appointed to establish the teaching of His Father.

The personality of Baha’u’llah, the pilgrims understood to have dwelt in a human temple, where the clouds of humanity veiled the mystery and the majesty of Divinity. They thought of Him as the Mouthpiece, the Manifestation of the Spirit of the Divine Father, Who had arisen to re-educate the world, which had forsaken the Law of Love, given to them nigh two thousand years ago by the Holy One, Christ Jesus, a humanity which had transferred their worship from the Lord of Compassion to that of the Golden Calf.

The pilgrims recognized that Baha’u’llah was “He whom God shall make Manifest.”

He had fulfilled the prophecies, relative to this Day of God, the prophecies which were contained in the Holy books of the great religions of the world.

A mighty part of the Mission of Baha’u’llah was to bring about

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the cessation of “‘the fruitless strifes and the ruinous wars” and to usher in “‘the Most Great Peace.”

He, “Whom God had made Manifest,”’ had suffered persecutions, manifold tortures, imprisonment, and exile for forty years!

From behind the prison door His Voice had proclaimed His Sacred Mission. The Supreme Pen had written Laws for the guidance of the world of the future. The earthly, mortal work was finished. Baha’u’ll4h had returned to the Shelter of Heaven.

Before His Ascension, He had laid the charge upon ‘Abbas Effendi, His eldest son, to go forth into all the world, to “Sound the solemn call to Regeneration, to carry the glad tidings of the renewal of the Gospel of Peace into every land of earth.”

‘Abbas Effendi henceforth took the title of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, literally ‘Servant of Glory.”

Now the pilgrims who came from afar understood the glorious Mission which had been entrusted to Him, but the people of the land of Palestine knew not the Station of Baha’u’llah and of ‘Abbas Effendi.

They saw only the Christ-like life; very few of them comprehended anything of the significance of the Great Ones Who walked in their midst.

The reason was this:

The Turkish Government, entirely misunderstanding the matter, gave ear to the false statements of prejudiced and bigoted religionists, and fearing any innovation, exacted a promise from Baha’u’llah that no teaching should be given to the dwellers in that country, where the Holy Ones were held as prisoners and exiles.

‘Abdu’l-Baha also continued to respect this promise, so that for the people of that country the Life of the Holy Ones, as lived amongst them, was the Teaching for them. Some souls, by intuition, divined the secret of the stupendous event which was taking place, but for the most part they did not become aware.

At this time many and great difficulties beset ‘Abdu’l-Baha, mainly through those enemies who were of His own kindred and “‘of His own Father’s house.”’ The enemies would approach the various Governors of the Prison City with differing results.

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Some of these Governors, being intelligent, and having, moreover, a great admiration for the Master, would reply to the calumnies of these persons:

“I advise you not to make these accusations against your brother; He is a great and wonderful person, of Whom you should be very proud; I do not wish to listen to these obviously untrue tales; do not trouble me again with such things.”

Another Governor, not so intelligent, would give ear to the insidious suggestions made by this enemy. For instance:

“Abbas Effendi has gone to Haifa.

“He has many English and American friends.

“He is building a strong fortification on Mount Carmel. Very soon the whole of Palestine and Syria will be in his hands, and the Turkish Government will be driven out.”

Such insinuations seem too absurd to consider, but they constituted ground for fresh persecutions.

Thus ‘Abdu’l-Baha and His family were recalled from Haifa, where they were enjoying the freshness of the air, and, with their dear little children, were again immured in the pestilential atmosphere of the prison city of ‘Akka.

The Turkish officials at one time tried persistently to entrap the Master into saying something which they would be able to misrepresent as incriminating, but the wisdom of His replies never failed.

On one occasion an unfriendly Governor, hating these peaceful, honest Baha’is, thought of a plan for destroying their means of livelihood. He gave orders to the police: “There are fifteen shops owned by Baha’is; go to-morrow morning early, lock them up and bring the keys to me.”

The Master called the Baha’is to Him that same evening and said:

“Do not open your shops to-morrow, but wait and see what God will send to us.”

The next morning the Governor waited for the keys. Again he sent them. ‘‘Go,” he said to the police, ‘“‘and see if the shops are open.” The police announced that the shops were closed.

He waited and waited; at ten o’clock all the shops were still unopened, those shops which were always accustomed to open and be ready for trade at seven o’clock. The Governor was

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greatly perplexed. His plan did not seem to be working as he had schemed.

The Mufti (the chief mulla) came to the Governor whilst he waited.

“How are you?” said the Governor.

“Quite well,” was the reply, “but very sad; because of a telegram from Damascus, I am full of sorrow.”

“Show it to me,” said the Governor.

To his consternation he saw that the telegram was from the Vali of Damascus, deposing him from his place as governor, and directing that he be conducted by the police to Damascus.

In fear, sorrow, and amazement he went to his own house to make such preparation as was possible for the hurried and unlooked for journey.

The shops of the friends were saved.

‘Abdu’l-Baha, hearing of the misfortune which had befallen the Governor, went to visit him.

“You must not be sad because of this; everything in this world changes. Can I do anything for you?” He asked of the erstwhile Governor.

“Now that I am being taken away from them, there will be none to care for those I love. My dear family will be sad, lonely, and helpless, with nobody to counsel and aid them in their sore need.”

“Do not be filled with grief, but tell me where you wish your family to go.”

“Tf only they could go to Damascus?”

“Now, trust in me, and let your heart be lightened of its distress; I will gladly send an honourable escort with your wife and children to Damascus; you will find that they will be there soon after your own arrival.”

The Master sent the family with a trustworthy escort, providing mules and everything needed for the comfort of the journey—quite a formidable undertaking in those days. The command was worded: ‘“Take these persons safely and with great respect to join the Governor at Damascus.”’ A telegram was despatched after they had set out: “I have sent your family to Damascus. They will very soon arrive in safety.”

When they arrived in Damascus the Governor, being greatly

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rejoiced, enquired of the escort as to the cost of the journey.

“Tt is nothing; I am but obeying the command of the Master.”

The Governor then wished to give the escort a present for himself.

“I desire no recompense; I am but obeying the Master’s command, I can accept nothing.”

When invited to stay the night for rest and refreshment, the reply was:

“T obey the Master’s command to return without delay.”

“Then I pray you take a letter, which I will write at once to the Master.”

“O ‘Abdu’l-Baha,” the letter read, “I pray you pardon me. I did not understand. I did not know you. I have wrought you great evil. You have rewarded me with great good.”

Thus was this enemy, who had indeed wrought great evil to the prisoners, repaid by being loaded with benefits.

Always did ‘Abdu’l-Baha obey this Tablet of Baha’u’llah:

“Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbour, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer of the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility.”

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‘Abdu’l-Baha lived forty years of His sanctified life in the prison fortress town, obeying this holy Tablet, not only in the letter but in the spirit.

When the dreaded Committee of Investigation arrived from Constantinople, they abode in a large garden, near the tomb shrine of Baha’u’llah.

Enemies of the Master at once busied themselves in sending documents full of false accusations. The people of ‘Akka, being panic-stricken and full of fear, were careful to avoid any communication with the Master and His family; nobody dared to pay visits to them.

‘Abdu’l-Baha wrote to the Committee, informing them that there were many enemies, who were capable of forging and posting a letter in His name, full of untrue statements. The Committee assured Him that they would beware of and suppress any such document.

After the investigations in ‘Akka were completed, the Committee proceeded to Haifa, where they examined the building on Mount Carmel.

In the meantime they were awaiting the official farmdn, confirming the sentence of banishment of the Master to the far-off island of Fizan. But, instead of that farmdn, the Committee received the command to return at once to Constantinople, in consequence of an attempt to assassinate the Sultan, ‘Abdu’lHamid, by placing a bomb in his path!

In consequence of this recall, it came to pass that the very boat which had been prepared to take ‘Abdu’l-Baha into perpetual banishment took the investigators hurriedly away to Beirut, thence to Constantinople.

Arrived there, they presented their report to the Sultan.

The main points were three:

1. ‘Abbas has made ‘Akka a Mecca, and Haifa a Medina unto himself.

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2. He has made a banner with “Ya Baha’u’l-Abha” emblazoned upon it; with this he is endeavouring to foment a rebellion among the Arabs.

3. He, ‘Abbas, is establishing his government in that neighbourhood.

Such was the report presented to His Majesty the Sultan, at Constantinople.

But his government, being too much occupied with the investigation of the conspiracy against the life of the Sultan, did not take up the matter of the “‘Akk4 and Haifa Accusations,” as they were legally called.

Meanwhile the persecution of the Master continued unabated. No one dared to go near Him, but a few of the Baha’i friends.

His days were spent in chanting prayers and in planting trees in the garden.

One day the Governor of ‘Akka sent for the Master, Whom he questioned about some political documents which He was supposed to have received. To which the reply was:

“Assuredly, and I speak naught but the truth, no such papers have ever been received by me. If, however, you wish to bring a false accusation against me, you have only to write it down and I will sign it. For I have no fear of death, it is, indeed, my life’s greatest desire, for it would be following the example of the most dearly beloved Bab to be martyred for my love of God.”

This answer was communicated to the Vali of Beirut.

At this time the Master wrote to the Sublime Porte at Constantinople, replying to the three accusations, contained in the report of the Committee of Investigation.

i “To make a ‘Mecca’ of one town, and a ‘Medina’ of another town is not in the power of my hands to accomplish, therefore it is an absurd accusation. II ‘The statement that I have established a government in this place, with myself as king, is quite the greatest honour you could possibly confer upon me, and the highest praise. “For a prisoner, so carefully watched and guarded, day and

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night, to be able to institute a government would be absolutely miraculous, therefore the accusation is truly a tribute to my ability.

III

“Concerning the banner which I am supposed to have had made, with that special emblem upon it—it is very strange that neither the Vali, nor any other Government official has ever seen it.

“Moreover, for me to possess such a flag, and to carry it far and wide among the Arabs to raise a revolt, would need the help of the Angels of God to render it invisible to the sight of all others.”

When the Sultan eventually received the report of that Committee of Investigation, he sentenced the Master to banishment, but before the decree was carried out the “Young Turk” revolution took place, the Sultan was deposed, and the religious, with the political prisoners, were set at liberty.

This release took place in August 1908.

Those fateful days in the autumn of 1908 were passed by the Master’s family and friends in constant anxiety and fear of danger to His very life; whilst the people of ‘Akka were panicstricken and full of fear.

At this time there was much activity going forward: the Governor of the town was dismissed, and replaced by a new Governor of ‘Akka, who was appointed in Beirut.

This man was very unfriendly to the Master, and did not permit any of His friends to approach Him.

In a short time this antagonistic official was recalled to Beirut, and another new Governor had arrived in ‘Akka; whilst in Beirut the unfriendly person’s conduct as an official gave great offence, and he was dismissed from his post. On hearing of his downfall, the Master straightway sent a special messenger to enquire as to his health and to assure him of His good wishes; He also sent a very precious ring as a present. This envoy was charged to tell the unfortunate man that, although in captivity, ‘Abdu’l-Baha was ready to do everything in His power for him.

Such was the Master’s kindness, disregarding always the bitter persecution directed against Himself.

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The man was much ashamed of his behaviour, and begged the Master to forgive him all the harmful deeds he had wrought against Him.

The Master forgave all the evil done to Himself, but the people of Beirut were not ready to overlook his behaviour, and rejoiced in his downfall.

It was during these dark days that one of the government officials asked the Master to give an ‘abd (cloak) to him.

“T have only this ‘abd, which I am wearing, I will gladly give it to you.”

The man replied that he did not like that ‘abd, but wanted a better one.

“IT do not possess a better one, but if you wish,” said the Master, “I will give you money to buy a good ‘abd for yourself.”

This offer did not content the man, so ‘Abdu’l-Baha promised to send and buy a new ‘abd for him, meanwhile letting him keep His only one!

In spite of all this kindness, the man continued to speak evil concerning the Master, to bring false accusations against Him, to make more rigorous the prison rules, and in many ways to harass and annoy the noble prisoner. He set soldiers to watch all those who tried to approach the Master, and to prevent their meeting Him.

Whilst this official busied himself in working evil against ‘Abdu’l-Baha he offended a brother official, who accused him to the Vali of Beirut, of certain treacheries; for instance, of possessing a book by which he could foretell future events. By this book he prophesied “that the Sultanate would not last more than two years.”

This aroused the suspicions of the Vali, who sent an escort of soldiers to arrest that faithless public servant, also to seize all his possessions and papers, and to bring him and his belongings, including the prophetic book, to Beirut.

* *

During the latter part of this time when all the people of the place had grown to look upon Him with a great reverence,

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witnessing His perfect Christ-like life, He had much additional suffering heaped upon Him through the bitter hatred of His half-brothers.

The Master one day being asked a question concerning these enemies, replied:

“I do not wish to mention them, much less to speak against them; only do I wish to say unto you that calumny and persecution are of no importance. As nothing can prevent the fall of rain from heaven to give life to the gardens of earth, so no human power is able to prevent the fulfilment of the Word of God.”

And so we leave them, for as these are some memories of the Divine Cause, not of its traitors, its betrayers, its opposers, or its enemies, it is not the place to discuss the abundant evidence of increased severity, of imprisonment, of even death sentences passed upon ‘Abdu’l-Baha through the intrigues of these enemies, the subtle poison of whose malign and cunninglydevised misrepresentations were persistently poured into the ears of officials. These persons, however inclined to be in themselves friendly, were not proof against what was described to them as the dangerous influence of the new reforming teaching.

The day came when the Master was forbidden to visit even the tomb-shrine of Baha’u’llah, where He had been wont to spend in prayer such time as He spared from the daily and nightly ministering service to the poor, the grief-stricken, and the sick in body, soul, and spirit.

One of His daughters related that being deprived of these visits, which were the most prized intervals in His arduous days, gave Him more pain than the imprisonment itself:—

One day, a party of nine (we, my mother, Khanum, my three sisters, two Persian, and one English, friends) were passing the Master’s coor. He came out and said:

“Where are you going?”

“To the shrine; to Bahji—it is the day of the ascension of Baha’u’llah.”

“Yes. Yes. Pray for me.”

None could describe how touched we were that our Beloved One should turn back into His little room, whilst we went on

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to celebrate the day in prayer and chanting. Oh, the pity of it, that the Master was not permitted to visit the tomb-shrine of His Father, even on the Day of His ascension.

The party of nine determined to pray a prayer of power at the shrine for the whole of the night, with the special intention —the release of ‘Abdu’l-Baha.

Very soon, suddenly, the release came.

The day before ‘Abdu’l-Hamid was dethroned, we were seated at lunch; always in a state of terrible anxiety, the atmosphere seemed charged with dread and danger.

A soldier passed the window; he was bringing a letter. It was for the Master calling Him to the house of the Governor. The much-feared Committee of Investigation had returned, unrelenting and cruel, and began to terrorize the people in advance.

‘Abdu’l-Baha arose to obey the call, to be arraigned before such a tribunal.

“Do not be unhappy, my dear ones,” and He smiled that calm, loving smile, which filled our hearts with peace, even in that dire hour.

“Do not be unhappy; I shall come back to you.”

Those waiting hours were spent in an extraordinary state of mind. Outwardly all was hopeless. We were tortured by the spectre of the possible, nay most probable fate of the Master. We waited—waited. Mirza Muhsin (a son-in-law of ‘Abdu’lBaha) went to the Court House to obtain news. Still we waited, upheld by the words, spoken as He left us:

“Do not be unhappy; I shall come back to you.”

At length He came. But He told us nothing.

All through the hours of that night we could hear the Beloved chanting and praying. The night seemed endless. At dawn He called us: “Make some tea and then go to Haifa. Carry the news that everything is changed, that all is well.”

Thus the burden was lifted from our hearts.

On that day the Sultan, ‘Abdu’l-Hamid, was dethroned. In two days the news reached ‘Akka. “The Young Turk Party . are in power.”

The great gun was fired from the fortress of ‘Akka. “That was God’s gun,” said ‘Abdu’l-Baha.

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All prisoners, religious and political, were released. The Master was free!

Forty years in captivity!

Entering the prison city of ‘Akka a young man of twenty-four years. Released at sixty-four!

Was ever so great a victory over material conditions? The opposing forces utterly routed!

The radiant spirit of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, undaunted and eager!

He began to make plans for journeying to the western world in accordance with His Father’s sacred charge to bring to mankind the knowledge of the Divine Plan for establishing the “Kingdom of God, where His Will shall be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” He was ready to go forth with that vital transforming spirit which would change a World, now wet with tears, into the delectable Paradise of Love and Justice.

Oh, the marvel of such a preparation for such a Mission!

Was ever such unfaltering, unswerving determination?