28 May
2013
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‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Refinement

‘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 […]

23 May
2013
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‘Abdu’l-Bahá and kindness

‘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 […]

10 May
2013
Mírzá Abu’l-Fadl: a true seeker

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 […]

3 May
2013
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‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Teacher in Europe

‘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 […]

28 Apr
2013
‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Perseverance

‘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 […]

11 Apr
2013
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‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Professor Árminius Vámbéry

‘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 […]

8 Apr
2013
‘Abdu’l-Bahá and laughter

‘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 […]

31 Mar
2013
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‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Germany

‘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 […]

25 Mar
2013
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‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Courage

‘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 […]

14 Mar
2013
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Biography: Edward Granville Browne

Biography: Edward Granville Browne

Edward Granville Browne was born in Gloucestershire, England on 7 February 1862. He studied medicine at the University of Cambridge and wrote several academic articles and books on the Orient.  In April 1890 he met Bahá’u’lláh in four successive interviews. […]