`Abdu'l-Bahá

Sir `Abdu'l-Bahá `Abbás Effendí (May 23, 1844 - November 28, 1921) commonly known as `Abdu'l-Bahá (abdol-ba-haa ), was the son of Bahá'u'lláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá'í Faith. In 1892, `Abdu'l-Bahá was appointed in his father's Will to be his successor and head of the Bahá'í Faith.

His Journeys to the West, and his Tablets of the Divine Plan spread the Bahá'í message beyond its Persian roots, and his Will and Testament laid the foundation for the current Bahá'í administrative order.

Life of `Abdu'l-Bahá

Early life

`Abdu'l-Bahá was born in Tehran, Persia on May 23, 1844, the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh and Ásiyih Khánum, Navváb. He was born on the very same night on which the Báb declared his mission (Esslemont). During his youth, `Abdu'l-Bahá was shaped by his father's station as a prominent member of the Bábís. One event that affected `Abdu'l-Bahá greatly during his childhood was the imprisonment of his father, when `Abdu'l-Bahá was nine years old, which led to his family being reduced to poverty and being attacked in the streets by other children. Esslemont records that "A mob sacked their house, and the family were stripped of their possessions and left in destitution" (pp 64).

Years in exile with his father

Bahá'u'lláh was eventually released from prison but ordered into exile, and `Abdu'l-Bahá joined his father on the journey to Baghdad in the winter of 1853. During the journey Abdu'l-Bahá suffered from frost-bite. During his years in Baghdad, Abdu'l-Bahá spent much of his time reading the writings of the Báb. He followed his father through exile to Constantinople, Adrianople and finally Akka, Palestine, and during this time he increasingly assumed the role of Bahá'u'lláh's chief steward.

In Akka he also gradually took over responsibility for the relationships between the small Bahá'i exile community and the outside world. It was through his interaction with the people of Akka that, according to the Bahá'ís, they recognized the innocence of the Bahá'ís, and thus the conditions of imprisonment were eased. Eventually, Bahá'u'lláh was allowed to leave the city and visit nearby places.

Family life

`Abdu'l-Bahá married Munirih Khanum in 1873 and they had nine children, four of whom, all daughters, survived infancy. Munirih was daughter of Mirza Muhammad Ali, who died some years prior to the marriage. After his death Munirih Khanum came and lived with Bahá'u'lláh and his wife Navváb and they expressed an interest that she should become `Abdu'l-Bahá's wife. They were married in the house of `Abbud.

The eldest daughter Díyá'íyyih Khánum would become the mother of `Abdu'l-Bahá's heir, his eldest grandson Shoghi Effendi. The other three daughters were Tuba Khanum, Ruha Khanum and Munavvar Khanum, the three younger daughters.

Early years of his ministry

After Bahá'u'lláh died on May 29, 1892, the Will and Testament of Bahá'u'lláh named `Abdu'l-Bahá as Centre of the Covenent, and successor. In the Will and Testament, it was stated that `Abdu'l-Bahá's half-brother, Mírzá Muhammad `Alí should be the leader of the Faith after `Abdu'l-Bahá's death.

In 1893, the Bahá'í cause was launched in America by Ibrahim Khayru'llah at the World Parliament of Religions, held at the Chicago's World's Fair. It was here that Miss Sarah Farmer first heard of it. Her home at Green Acre would later become the first Bahá'í school.

While most Bahá'ís followed `Abdu'l-Bahá, a handful did not and followed Mírzá Muhammad `Alí. Maulana notes:

"Many prominent followers of Bahá'u'lláh repudiated his claims. Among the latter were such important leaders as Mirza Javad, Ibrahim Khayru'llah, the famous Bahá'í missionary to American, and Janab-i-Khadimu'llah."

(Maulana, p 44, Also 'Material for the Study' p 145).

Muhammad `Alí and Mirza Javad began to accuse `Abdu'l-Bahá of taking on too much authority, suggesting that he believed himself to be a Manifestation of God, equal in status to Bahá'u'lláh. ('Material for the Study', p 77). `Abdu'l-Bahá in many tablets to the West, however, clearly stated that he was not a Manifestation of God, and that he was only a servent to Bahá'u'lláh.

Muhammad `Alí began to make accusations against him to the Ottoman authorities, causing them to re-introduce stricter terms to `Abdu'l-Bahá's imprisonment in August 1901. It was as a result of this breakdown in relations between the half-brothers that when `Abdu'l-Bahá died, instead of appointing Muhammad `Alí, he left a Will and Testament which set up the framework of an administration. The two highest instituions were the Universal House of Justice, and the Guardianship, for which he appointed Shoghi Effendi as the Guardian.

Journeys to the West

The 1908 Young Turks revolution freed all political prisoners in the Ottoman Empire. `Abdu'l-Bahá was freed from imprisonment.

With the freedom to leave the country, in 1910 he embark on a three year journey to Egypt, Europe, and North America, spreading the Bahá'í message.

From August to December of 1911, `Abdu'l-Bahá visited cities in Europe, including London, Bristol, and Paris. The purpose of these trips was to support the Bahá'í communities in the west and to further spread his father's teachings.

In the following year, he undertook a much more extensive journey to the United States and Canada to once again spread his father's teachings. He arrived in New York City on April 11, 1912, and while he spent most of his time there, he visited Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Boston and Philadelphia. In August of the same year he started a more extensive journey to places including New Hampshire, the Green Acre school in Maine, and Montreal (his only visit to Canada). He then travelled west to Minneapolis, San Francisco, Stanford, and Los Angeles before starting to return east at the end of October. On December 5, 1912 he set sail back to Europe.

Back in Europe, he visited London, Paris (where he stayed for two months), Stuttgart, Budapest, and Vienna. Finally on June 12, 1913 he returnd to Egypt, where he stayed for six months before returnig to Haifa.

Final years

During World War I `Abdu'l-Bahá stayed in Palestine, under the continued threat of Allied bombardment and threats from the Turkish commander. As the war ended, the British Mandate over Palestine brought relative security to `Abdu'l-Bahá. During his final year, a growing number of visitors and pilgims came to see him in Haifa.

On April 27, 1920, he gained the title of "sir" when he was awarded a knighthood by the British Mandate of Palestine for his humanitarian efforts during the war. `Abdu'l-Bahá died on November 28, 1921. On his funeral, Esslemont notes:

"... a funeral the like of which Haifa, nay Palestine itself, had surely never seen... so deep was the feeling that brought so many thousands of mourners together, representative of so many religions, races and tongues."

(p 77, quoting 'The Passing of `Abdu'l-Bahá", by Lady Blomfield and Shoghi Effendi, pp 11, 12)

He is buried in the front room of the Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel. Plans are in place to one day build a Shrine of `Abdu'l-Bahá. In his Will and Testament he appointed His grandson Shoghi Effendi Rabbani as the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith.