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Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá

From Bahai9

Read online at https://bahai-library.com/abdul-baha_selections_writings_abdul-baha

Study guides[edit]

Sources for the Quotations of Bahá'u'lláh, the Qur'án, the Bible, or others where noted (and not in the footnotes or directly in text) by section[edit]

Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá cross-referenced with Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and other works[edit]

(The Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá page content needs to be completed, adapted, and moved here.)

The following are not found in Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, but rather some other:

By section/page[edit]

(Sorted by general topic)

For an alternative summary, see https://bahai-library.com/bayat_study_writings_abdul-baha

New Day beginning to be made manifest and fulfilled; those with eyes to see can and should be thankful for it--be kind to all, even enemies[edit]

Section 1: Sun of Truth risen; all to help one another; see all as one, always consider doing kindly things for others, even to enemies; teach Faith to bring peace to mankind

(part of Tablet to the Hague)

Section 2: Prayer; divine Springtime came--some were heedless, but believers should be thankful for recognizing Him; 'Abdu'l-Bahá attacked; need to be firm, rely on God, teach the Faith, and possess a good character to bring unity and peace to all

Section 3: Revelation of St. John: New Jerusalem, wiped away tears, death not overtake, Alpha and Omega fulfilled in Bahá'u'lláh

Section 4: Prophecies of Qur'án fulfilled; proofs/signs of Bahá'u'lláh

Section 5: Reference to Tablet of the Divine Vision (Sun of Bahá'u'lláh and now shines on believers from Kingdom); be firm and not dismayed at the setting of His Sun; arise to further His Cause

Section 6: Should be thankful for attaining to the Faith while others who sacrificed had not; in gratitude, one should grow in faith and teach

Section 7: Messenger of world of the spirit arrived; connections between souls exist and to be increased for love & oneness of all; love not restricted in this age; care for all, young and old; care for enemies--will show power of this Faith; people like children--to be cared for mercifully; prayer

Section 8: Morning signs only evident to perceptive and pure; friends are as physicians with balm of teachings for man's conscience and hope; do not look on own capacity--look to Bahá'u'lláh's bestowals; unlike queens, handmaids sovereignty eternal; see none as different, never asking if deserve to be loved; kind to enemies; prayer for development

Section 9: Be firm in Covenant; be tender to servitors of God; be not grieved nor angered, be a friend to all (no exceptions); praise for obedience to Huqúqu'lláh

Section 10: Rule to guide life: be firm, detached, and loving, worship God, lead, teach, do not rest

Section 11: Service to friends=Service to Kingdom of God; Consideration for the poor is one of greatest teachings

Section 12: Love is the secret; strive for it

Section 13: Green Acre; Religions to be cause of unity; all to be tended to

Section 14: Praise of independent investigation that found the Faith

Section 15: Need for true Christians; unity essential; not to speak down to others; Prophets all came to bring virtues, love and unity; unity is life; due to increasing travel, communication, publications, and interdependence, unity can today be achieved; seven candles of unity

page 32 (candles of unity): Century of Light, pp. 127-129
"The seven lights of Unity will not necessarily come in the order given. A product of the second may well be universal culture."
(Directives from the Guardian, no. 179, p. 67; note: the second is "unity of thought in world undertakings")

Section 16: Sun of Truth came amidst darkness to those with eyes to see; still only in beginning of the dawn--will stir all things, even though who sought darkness underground; out of gratitude, teach; embody God's qualities: care for stranger and enemies to bring peace

Section 17: Sun of Bahá'u'lláh has come upon the clouds as a thief; chosen ones to show thankfulness through obedience and reading of Tablets (to become centers of attraction) (Hidden Words, Ornaments, Words of Paradise, Effulgences, Splendours, Glad Tidings); work for peace of all and to bring about Abhá Paradise and life to humanity; 'Abdu'l-Bahá prays for us; supplication

Section 18: Address to blind individual; Import of heavenly meetings and happiness of following teachings in this age

Section 19: Praise to God and Bahá'u'lláh for the new era; as the Pharisees rejected Christ, so do the people reject Bahá'u'lláh today; God can never be described but His signs of light are in all things, especailly the Mirror (Manifestation)--as means "Father in the Son"; teach the Cause; prayer for assistance and guidance

Section 20: Though Jews rejected Him, Christ fulfilled the signs of the Messiah

Section 22: Ask alone of God and be submissive to Him.

God exists but exalted above comprehension; the Nature of Religion and its Power (especially in this Day)[edit]

Section 21: God's existence proven, but Its reality cannot be known; all things interconnected and have their own function--needs Director; all things influence and are influenced--leads to the All-Influencing, Uninfluenced; Manifestations of God as Mirrors reflecting the Sun (i.e., God) for man

Section 22: See section above.

Section 23: Religions of past all fulfilled function (and are one), but need to be renewed; religion not series of beliefs or customs but teachings of God which are life of humanity; only such a heavenly power (in God's teachings) can dispel antagonisms of humanity

Section 24: God exists but is above conceptions people make

Section 25: Influence of Judaism on Socrates, Greek philosophers

Section 26: Physical and spiritual station of Manifestations; 'Abdu'l-Bahá as Servant

Section 27: Each Manifestation had own rank but leading to Bahá'u'lláh

Section 28: Tree of Life=Bahá'u'lláh, Heavenly Feast (guide the people)

Section 29: Every atom reflects God's signs; Interconnectedness of past and future; Manifestation of God as Physician (so should believers also be); Prescriptions differ--in this age, it is available for the whole world; New Jerusalem and Word/Letter symbolism; Tablets to be read

Section 30: Existence of God & Existence of Man (stages within latter)

Section 31: Manifestation of God the Focal Point for unification; souls with handicaps and trials; influence of Manifestations of God after Their passing; grieve not for slow advance of Faith there; greatness of Faith; on translations; All-embracing love of Bahá'u'lláh

Section 32: Century/Age of Blessed Beauty

Section 33: Next Manifestation vs. Next Universal Manifestation

Need for sacrifice, teaching, love, unity[edit]

Section 34: Need to sacrifice and widen one's vision; Manifesations of God were all-embracing (and so should we be)

Section 35: Fasting; call to be heralds of the Kingdom; Bahá'ís to be known for character; to lack private, selfish motives; love all; The Báb and His followers suffered for humanity; not to hurt others; patience amidst calamity; Commission of Investigation; Prayer for East and West (to be in close embrace)

pages 69-70 - cf. with translation in the Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting, sec. 2, no. 26

Section 36: Handmaids of God (and all friends) to be united; long for sacrifice (will be loved and cherished in the next world)

Spiritual Assemblies, Consultation, etc.[edit]

Sections 37-46

Community Gatherings/Institutions[edit]

Feast[edit]

Sections 47-51

Fellowship, Spiritual meetings[edit]

Sections 52-53

Worship meetings/Mashriqu'l-Adhkár[edit]

Sections 54-64

Travel-teaching, unity, 'Abdu'l-Bahá to America, etc.[edit]

Section 65: Teaching & Travel-teaching (Far-East)

Section 66: 'Abdu'l-Bahá's perpetual closeness to believers

Section 67: Travel-teaching (and Paris)

Section 68: Unity among the friends and glory and effort in God's path; 'Abdu'l-Bahá invited to America

Section 69: Organization & exhortations obligatory; 'Abdu'l-Bahá to America

Section 70: Travel-teaching, "10+ principles"; Communion between pure souls; Chicago

Section 71: Oneness of humanity & teaching; President Woodrow Wilson (see also section 232)

Human/Social subjects[edit]

Science, Music, etc.[edit]

Section 72: Import of Science joined to Religion

Section 73: Need for focus; Ridván--new stirring in sciences, books, etc.

Section 74: Music (and Eastern prejudice against)

Race[edit]

Sections 75-78

Serving the Poor[edit]

Sections 79-81

Section 79 - For an on-line copy of The Gospel of Wealth referred to here, see http://xroads.virginia.edu/~DRBR/wealth.html

Prison[edit]

Sections 82-83

Marriage[edit]

Sections 84-92

Women[edit]

Section 93

Women and Education[edit]

Sections 94-96

Education (and parenting)[edit]

Sections 97-116, 122-125

Children's Duties[edit]

Sections 117-121

Professions[edit]

Sections 126-128

Material subjects[edit]

Purity, cleanliness, not smoking or opium[edit]

Section 129 (pp. 146-150) (See Tablet of Purity)

Health[edit]

Sections 130-136

Animals (hunting/kindness toward)[edit]

Sections 137-138

Spiritual/Theological Subjects[edit]

Power of the Holy Spirit[edit]

Section 139

Christ and Christian topics[edit]

Sections 140-147

From earthly to spiritual[edit]

Sections 148-151

Soul of Murderer[edit]

Section 152

Misc. (thanksgiving, capacity on Day of Resurrection, assistance in teaching, dream, forgetfulness of self)[edit]

Section 153

Love of God (to a doctor)[edit]

Section 154

Tests[edit]

Section 155

Reincarnation (and tests)[edit]

Section 156

SWA, section 156 (pp. 183-185 (all)) - There are footnotes at TAB, pp. 642 and 643 on this Tablet not included in SWA which state respectively:

"To a believer in Baku, Russia"
" `Abdu'l-Bahá elucidated Jesus' teaching against the theory of "blindness from birth" and the defects being caused by the sin of the individual former state (see St. John 9:1-3), thus: "Jesus states that this defect exists in order to prove and show that the gift of sight is from God alone and is one of his bounties. Because were all created with sight the people would consider it a mere natural fact that they must be so made, and not give God thanks for His great gift." - Translator."

Earthly to Spiritual/Promise of Assistance[edit]

Sections 157

Breakwell's happiness (in next world)[edit]

Sections 158

Spirit and the next world[edit]

Section 159: Souls' immortality and degrees

Section 160: Teaching, Books to study, Goodall, Souls saved, Spirituality over materalism

Section 161: Body and spirit; Kingdom of God and world

Section 162: Blessings of Bahá'u'lláh on the spirit

Section 163: Next world is not a place or detectable; Tests and trials are in this world; Soul of heavenly not physical elements; Next world is within this world; oneness of humanity; refer to Centre of Covenant on differences; Poor are especially blessed; Some have attained and others not

Section 164: California and Mr. Chase

Section 165: Prayer for departed (husband); will meet and be happy

Self-sacrifice; through divine force of magnetism, possible to traverse time and space[edit]

Section 166

Fate, predestination, and will[edit]

Section 167

Preciousness of (being a believer in) this Day[edit]

Section 168

Death of close ones[edit]

Sections 169-171 (sections 169 and 171 are also in Star of the West, vol. 10, issue 19, pp. 340-341)

Prayer (esp. midnight)[edit]

Section 172

Spirits of believers transcending earth[edit]

Section 173

Spiritual Qualities and Instructions; Covenant; Teaching; Kingdom of God[edit]

Love of God and spiritual qualities[edit]

Section 174

Everlasting Beauty, Riches, Fire, Bounties[edit]

Section 175-177

Section 178: also, attendance at meetings; travel to Montana

Turn to Kingdom for courage and power[edit]

Section 179

Free from earthly to spiritual[edit]

Section 180

The Covenant and Testament (and Trials related to)[edit]

Section 181: Also on the meaning of "self"; First reference to the Hidden Words is likely to be no. 38 from the Persian (since the following references only explicitly mention the language when it is "Arabic", and here it does not) but might also be no. 8 from the Arabic. The reference to Mount Párán is for the Hidden Words, Persian, 71. As to the reference to detachment from self in the Arabic Hidden Words, this may be a reference to no. 7 from the Arabic?

Section 182-192

Need to strive in teaching, unity, love, peace[edit]

Attacks on Faith as it grows, trials, need for unity of believers and love to all[edit]

Section 193-200

Need to teach, sacrifice, and create love[edit]

Sections 201-219

Section 202: Also on "12" principles
Strive tirelessly for Peace (and teaching)[edit]

Section 220: On peace, To readers of The Christian Commonwealth, 1 January 1913

Section 221: Duties of believers to establish unity amongst themselves and importance of the peace of mankind

Section 222: Travel-teaching

Section 223: Work for peace

Section 224: Need for sacrificing souls against worldliness of humanity

Section 225: Material & spiritual civilization (otherwise destructive); carnal vs. spiritual nature; unity in diversity; obedience and well-wishing to governments; need for service to Cause

Section 226: (Limitations of) Peace conference

Section 227: part of Tablet to the Hague; elaborates on "12" principles (small part of translation subsequently updated at https://bahai-library.com/compilation_peace#21)

Section 228: (Limitations of) Peace Committee in Hague; associate with Esperantists (and what to teach about Bahá'u'lláh)

Section 232: President Woodrow Wilson (see also section 71)

Kingdom of God (Happiness and perseverence in, perpetuity of)[edit]

Section 229: Happiness in Kingdom of God; Need for confidence and hope amidst troubles; will be confirmed; observe commandments and wish well of country/government

Section 230: Persevere in Call to the (undying) Kingdom to revive the people

Section 231: Perpetuity of the Kingdom of God

Section 232: (Grouped in section above)

Firmness and Protection[edit]

Section 233: Prayers for firmness and protection of believers; Beware & caution against internal strife;

Section 234: Not to grieve/fear over 'Abdu'l-Bahá's imprisonment or passing

Section 235: Prayer for firmness and reward of believers

Section 236: Prayer for firmness; Praise for believers; need to teach and demonstrate spiritual qualities; obey government and be apolitical

Tablet of Visitation of 'Abdu'l-Bahá[edit]

Section 237: Prayer for service

To-dos for this page[edit]

  • All of the headings above should be turned into appropriate links to new pages with content added (from SWAB too) if not already existing
  • Give individual Tablet summaries within all major sections
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