(The Center of the Covenant)
23 May, 1844 - 28 November, 1921
"Baha'u'llah's eldest and only
surviving
son, Abbas Effendi, later designated by His Father as
'Abdu'l Baha (Servant of Glory) was appointed by Him
as
His lawful successor and the authorized Interpreter of
His teachings. 'Abdu'l Baha served His father His for
forty years from the age of nine, and bore all the
hardship
and deprivation this entailed until His (Baha'u'llah's)
death in May, 1892. He was released from captivity in
1908 as a result of the Revolution of the Young Turks.
After His release from confinement He made His home
in
the Haifa, Israel. He soon after embarked on a three
year
journey to Egypt, Europe, and North America during the
course of which He expounded before vast audiences
the
teachings of His Father and predicted the approach of
that catastrophe that was soon to befall mankind. He
returned
to His home on the eve of the First World War, in the
course of which He was exposed to constant danger,
until
the liberation of Palestine by the forces under the
command
of General Allenby, who extended the utmost
consideration
to Him and to the small band of His fellow exiles in
'Akka
and Haifa. In 1921 he passed away and was buried in a
vault in the mausoleum erected on Mount Carmel. This
mausoleum
was erected at the express instruction of Baha'u'llah
for the remains of the Bab which had previously been
transferred
from Tabriz to the Holy Land after having been
preserved
and concealed for no less than sixty years."
(Paraphrased
from the writings of Shoghi Effendi, Guidance for Today
and Tomorrow, pp 6-7)
'Abdu'l Baha has a special station in
the Baha'i Faith. While not a Manifestation of God, He
was appointed by His Father in His Covenant and
Testament,
as His successor, the Centre of His Covenant, to
safeguard
the infant Baha'i Faith from schism as the institutions
prescribed by Baha'u'llah were not ready for their
formation.
'Abdu'l Baha, also known as the Master, was and is the
Exemplar, the one human who lived a perfect life as an
example of what we can all be. In any situation a Baha'i
can ask herself or himself, "What would 'Abdu'l
Baha
do in a situation like this?"
'Abdu'l Baha's writings are
characterized
by extreme clarity, logic, and straightforwardness as
well as spirituality. All His life He worked tirelessly
for the Faith, often as His Fathers deputy, and was
instrumental
in defining the administrative order of the Baha'i Faith.
The following is a prayer written by 'Abdu'l Baha for
the Baha'i's of the Western United States:
"O God! O God! This is a broken
winged bird and his flight is very slow -- assist him
so that he may fly toward the apex of prosperity and
salvation,
wing his way with the utmost joy and happiness
throughout
the illimitable space, raise his melody in Thy Supreme
Name in all the regions, exhilarate the ears with this
call, and brighten the eyes by beholding the signs of
guidance!
O Lord! I am single, alone and lowly.
For me there is no support save Thee, no helper except
Thee and no sustainer beside Thee. Confirm me in Thy
service,
assist me with the cohorts of Thy angels, make me
victorious
in the promotion of Thy Word and suffer me to speak out
Thy wisdom amongst Thy creatures. Verily, Thou art the
custodian of the poor and the defender of the little ones,
and verily Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty and the
Unconstrained!"
