Two Sacred Days to honour a life of service and humility

As we approach two sacred Holy Days—The Day of the Covenant on 25th November (celebrated from sunset on 24 November to sunset on 25 November) and the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on 27th November (to be commemorated at 2:00 am NZ daylight saving time that morning)—we look to the extraordinary life of the Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the perfect Exemplar of Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings.

““My name is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. My qualification is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. My reality is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. My praise is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Thraldom to the Blessed Perfection [Bahá’u’lláh] is my glorious and refulgent diadem, and servitude to all the human race my perpetual religion … No name, no title, no mention, no commendation have I, nor will ever have, except ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. This is my longing. This is my greatest yearning. This is my eternal life. This is my everlasting glory.””

— ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Day of the Covenant

This sacred day, honours ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s unique role as the Centre of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant, the divine instrument established to preserve the unity of the Bahá’í Faith and to shield it from fragmentation.

“By Him Who hath illumined my face with the light of absolute servitude to His Holy Threshold! No melody can fill this yearning soul with such joy and rapture as the call of “O ‘Abdu’l-Bahá!” And no sweet accents warbled by the birds of the orchards can thrill my heart with such delight as the dulcet tune of “O ‘Abdu’l-Bahá!” This melody causeth my heart to leap with joy, and these wondrous words fill me with blissful rapture, but only on condition that this name be accompanied by no other epithets of praise, and paired with no other titles. The designation should be ‘‘Abdu’l-Bahá’ alone for it to bestow boundless joy upon my heart and soul. This is my qualification and my station, this is my title and my glory, and this indeed is my highest aspiration throughout eternity.”
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Light of the World, Section 76)
“O thou who art steadfast in the Covenant! Thy letter was received and its contents noted. Speak in accordance with the instructions written herein, and utter not even one word more: Abraham, on Him be peace, made a covenant concerning Moses and gave the glad-tidings of His coming. Moses made a covenant concerning the promised Christ, and announced the good news of His advent to the world. Christ made a covenant concerning the Paraclete and gave the tidings of His coming. The Prophet Muḥammad made a covenant concerning the Báb, and the Báb was the One promised by Muḥammad, for Muḥammad gave the tidings of His coming. The Báb made a covenant concerning the Blessed Beauty, Bahá’u’lláh, and gave the glad-tidings of His coming for the Blessed Beauty was the One promised by the Báb. Bahá’u’lláh made a covenant concerning a Promised One Who will become manifest after one thousand or thousands of years. That Manifestation is Bahá’u’lláh’s Promised One, and will appear after a thousand or thousands of years. He, moreover, with His Supreme Pen, entered into a great Covenant and Testament with all the Bahá’ís whereby they were all commanded to follow the Centre of the Covenant after His ascension, and depart not, even to a hair’s breadth, from obeying Him.”
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Light of the World, Section 61)
“He is, and should for all time be regarded, first and foremost, as the Centre and Pivot of Bahá’u’lláh’s peerless and all-enfolding Covenant, His most exalted Handiwork, the stainless Mirror of His light, the perfect Exemplar of His teachings, the unerring Interpreter of His Word, the embodiment of every Bahá’í ideal, the incarnation of every Bahá’í virtue, the Most Mighty Branch sprung from the Ancient Root, the Limb of the Law of God, the Being “round Whom all names revolve”, the Mainspring of the Oneness of Humanity, the Ensign of the Most Great Peace, the Moon of the Central Orb of this most holy Dispensation—styles and titles that are implicit and find their truest, their highest and fairest expression in the magic name ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He is, above and beyond these appellations, the “Mystery of God”—an expression by which Bahá’u’lláh Himself has chosen to designate Him, and which, while it does not by any means justify us to assign to Him the station of Prophethood, indicates how in the person of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the incompatible characteristics of a human nature and superhuman knowledge and perfection have been blended and are completely harmonized.”
(Shoghi Effendi, from a letter of 8 February 1934, published in “The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh - Selected Letters”, p. 134)

Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

The passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on 28 November, 1921, was a profound and unexpected loss that sent ripples of grief across the world. Beloved and revered by countless individuals, He had touched the hearts of people from all walks of life and religious backgrounds with His wisdom, kindness, and tireless service.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the steps of 7 Haparsim Street, the House of the Master, May 1921 - **Bahá’í Media Bank, Copyright © Bahá’í International Community.**

“Till the very last day of His earthly life ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá continued to shower that same love upon high and low alike, to extend that same assistance to the poor and the down-trodden, and to carry out those same duties in the service of His Father’s Faith, as had been His wont from the days of His boyhood. On the Friday before His passing, despite great fatigue, He attended the noonday prayer at the mosque, and distributed afterwards alms, as was His custom, among the poor; dictated some Tablets—the last ones He revealed—; blessed the marriage of a trusted servant, which He had insisted should take place that day; attended the usual meeting of the friends in His home; felt feverish the next day, and being unable to leave the house on the following Sunday, sent all the believers to the Tomb of the Báb to attend a feast which a Parsí pilgrim was offering on the occasion of the anniversary of the Declaration of the Covenant; received with His unfailing courtesy and kindness that same afternoon, and despite growing weariness, the Muftí of Haifa, the Mayor and the Head of the Police; and inquired that night—the last of His life—before He retired after the health of every member of His household, of the pilgrims and of the friends in Haifa.
At 1:15 A.M. He arose, and, walking to a table in His room, drank some water, and returned to bed. Later on, He asked one of His two daughters who had remained awake to care for Him, to lift up the net curtains, complaining that He had difficulty in breathing. Some rose-water was brought to Him, of which He drank, after which He again lay down, and when offered food, distinctly remarked: “You wish Me to take some food, and I am going?” A minute later His spirit had winged its flight to its eternal abode, to be gathered, at long last, to the glory of His beloved Father, and taste the joy of everlasting reunion with Him.”
(Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, The Ministry of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá, p. 396)

Books to deepen our love for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Light of the World: Selected Tablets of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá

The present volume consists of seventy-six newly translated selections covering the entire period of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's ministry. They describe aspects of the life of Bahá’u’lláh—the tribulations He suffered, events in His homeland, the purpose and greatness of His Cause, and the unparalleled nature and significance of His Covenant, as well as the relentless but futile efforts to undermine and destroy it. Many of the Tablets in the volume reflect parallels between Bahá’u’lláh’s sufferings and those that the Master Himself endured during His lifetime.

Pearls of Bounty

Pearls of Bounty is a new collection of recently translated prayers, Tablets, and talks of the Master. This beautiful limited-edition book contains nineteen prayers, most of which were revealed for or about children; twenty-eight Tablets, including the historic Tablets to The Hague; and twelve table talks given by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in 'Akká on a wide range of subjects. Most of the selections included here appear in print for the first time.