Letter from Professor Cheyne, Oxford, England to ‘Abdu’l-Baha

Thomas Kelly Cheyne (1841-1915)

Oxford, Oct. 23. 1913

ALLAHO’ABHA!

To Abdu’l-Baha,

My Beloved Friend and Guide:

I cannot forget your tender embrace when you were with me in my study in the dear old house (which we have since left). It has been a constant source of strength in memory and I fully believe it was by the will of God. There was no need for me to be "converted," because I already lived by the truths which you are always insisting on. What I wanted, and what you gave, was the example of a life (yours was) devoted entirely to the Truth, and the sense of brotherly love, to which I may fitly add the extraordinary life of BAHA'O'LLAH.

Love is the secret of the universe, and in love I aspire to live. You help me constantly.

I thank you also, with all my heart, for empowering the admirable Mirza Ali Akbar to help me with my search for Truth. He has been, and is, of great service to me and I shall express my gratitude to him both in private and in public.

It is a great pleasure to have Hashmat'ullah so near.

My state of health does not allow me to go into "society," but I do see a few friends from time to time.

I fear that university circles ore not likely to be open-minded enough to receive the message of Bahaism. But who would have expected Saul to become a Paul?

St. Paul's teaching appeals to me by its "mysticism." He too had a "thorn in the flesh," but he heard a voice saying, "My strength is made perfect in weakness."

I trust - rather, I know - that your inward strength remains undiminished. But you have worked, our Brother, the body very hard of late.

With reverential love in El-ABHA, in which my dear wife joins, I am, beloved Friend and Guide.

(Signed) (Ruhani) T. K. CHEYNE

P.S.- I read with much sympathy your prayer for Thornton Chase, and from time to time I turn to the volume of American Tablets. You have indeed, like St. Paul, "the care of all the churches." May you be helped with that some help which you are empowered to convey to others!

(Star of the West, vol. 4, no. 17, January 19, 1914)

Decisions to be made by marriage partners when both husband and wife are pursuing career opportunities which appear to be leading them along divergent paths.

The issue you have raised is of vital importance to Bahá’í couples striving to address the various needs and opportunities with which they are confronted in present-day society.[1] As in so many other aspects of daily life, the resolution of this issue must be sought through the comprehension and application of the Teachings of the Faith. The believers should clearly understand and remain untroubled by the fact that the resulting solutions may well not be regarded as adequate by those not blessed with the bounty of acceptance of the Promised One and who are enmeshed in patterns of thought which are alien to the Bahá’í Teachings despite widespread acceptance of such patterns by the generality of humankind.

Central to the consideration of this matter must be the purpose in life of all faithful followers of Bahá’u’lláh: to know and worship God. This involves service to one’s fellow human beings and in the advancement of the Cause of God. In pursuing this purpose, they should strive to develop their talents and faculties to whatever extent is possible by exploring the avenues before them.

The early impact of the Báb on Shiraz – by French diplomat Comte de Gobineau (1784–1858)

“Be that as it may, the resultant impression was immense in Shíráz and all the learned and religious gathered around ‘Alí-Muhammad. As soon as he appeared in the Mosque, they surrounded him and, as soon as he was seated in the pulpit, everyone was silent in order to listen to him. His public talks never attacked the essentials of the Faith of Islám, they respected most of its ritual; in fact, the Kitman dominated. Nevertheless, they were daring discourses. The clergy was not spared; its vices were cruelly lashed. The sad and painful destiny of humanity was generally the theme. Here and there, certain allusions, the obscurity of which irritated the passions of some while it flattered the pride of others already initiated as a whole or only in part, gave to his prophecies such a bitter truth that the crowd was growing day by day and so, in all Persia, they were beginning to talk of ‘Alí-Muhammad.

“The Mullás of Shíráz had not waited for all this agitation to unite against this young detractor. From his first public appearances, they sent to him their most able Mullás to argue with him and confuse him, and these public debates were held either in the Mosques or in the colleges in the presence of the Governor, the military chiefs, the clergy, the people, in fact before everyone. But, instead of benefiting the clergy, they contributed quite a little to spread and exalt, at their own expense, the renown of this enthusiastic teacher. It is a fact that he defeated his adversaries, he condemned them—which was not very difficult—with the Qur’án in hand. It was an easy matter for him to show before all these crowds who knew the Mullás well, at which point their conduct, their precepts, and to what extent their beliefs, even their theology, were in flagrant contradiction with the Book, which they could not deny.

Baha'i Shrine - The Maxwell Home in Montreal, Canada

The Maxwell Home (the building on the left) where 'Abdu'l-Baha was a guest in 1912, was presented to the Canadian Baha'is in 1953. Hands of the Cause, Amelia Collins (left) and Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum (right) are shown in front of the building. (The Baha'i World 1954-1963)

circa 1960: Hands of the Cause at Bahji

From left to right: William Sears, Zikrullah Khadem, 'Ali-Akbar Furutan, General Shu'a'u'llah 'Ala'i, Rahmatu'llah Muhajir, Tarazu'llah Samandari, Collis Featherstone, Abul-Qasim Faizi, Dr Hermann Grossmann, Jalal Khazeh

A new site: - Baha’i Meditations

 Excerpts from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá