‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Refinement The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines refinement as the action or process of refining,[1] which is to free from impurities, unwanted material or from moral imperfections.[2] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said that “in every aspect of life, purity and holiness, cleanliness and refinement, exalt […]

‘Abdu’l-Bahá and kindness One might think kindness to be merely one virtue among many in our spiritual toolbox. A search in the Master’s talks and writings on this quality, however, does away with this assumption: The language of kindness is the lodestone of […]

Mírzá Abu’l-Fadl: a true seeker In his series The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, Adib Taherzadeh shares with us this little vignette from the life of Mírzá Abu’l-Fadl: Noticing the long beard and large turban of Mírzá Abu’l-Fadl — indications of his vast knowledge – the […]

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Teacher in Europe ‘Abdu’l-Bahá loved people into the world of the Spirit.[1] To teach, to share the Word of God with others, is an act of love. It is as much a connection of souls as it is an intellectual intercourse. It was […]

‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Perseverance Reading about the Master’s travels in the West one cannot but be in awe with the perseverance He displayed. Despite His age and health condition, He was continuously and truly present to the many people that sought Him out. What […]

‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Professor Árminius Vámbéry The colorful life of the renowned Hungarian orientalist Professor Árminius Vámbéry (1832 – 1913) is well documented; his remarkable career drawing close interest from notables, including Queen Victoria. His long and arduous journey to the interior of Asia, disguised as […]

‘Abdu’l-Bahá and laughter When we think of the Master as the perfect example, we usually think of virtues like love, generosity, patience, etc… But what do we make of the following account? One day in the Holy Land He told Harlan Ober, an […]

‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Germany While making several short trips to cities in Austria and Hungary, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spent most of the month of April 1913 in Germany. Balyuzi gives us the details of the intense daily pace with which the Master, despite His age and […]

‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Courage Among the many virtues and spiritual qualities explained and discussed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, courage ranks, in my opinion, as one of the most vital qualities that each person should acquire and perfect. Why? When we consider other virtues—truthfulness, trustworthiness, rectitude of […]