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`Abdu'l-bah`Abdu'l-Bah Abbas (May 23, 1844 - November 28, 1921) also known as Abbas Effendi, was the son of Bah'u'llh, the Prophet and Founder of the Bah' Faith. `Abdu'l-Bah was appointed by his Father to succeed him, and became leader of the Bah' Faith in 1892. Life of `Abdu'l-Bah Early life `Abdu'l-Bah was born in Tehran, Persia on May 23, 1844 to Bah'u'llh and siyih Khnum, Navvb. During his youth, `Abdu'l-Bah was shaped by his father's station as a prominent member of the Bbs. One event that affected `Abdu'l-Bah's greatly during his childhood was the imprisonment of his father, which led to his family being reduced to poverty and being attacked in the streets by other children. Years in exile with his father Bah'u'llh was eventually released from prison but ordered into exile, and `Abdu'l-Bah joined his father on the journey to Baghdad in the winter of 1853. During the journey Abdu'l-Bah suffered from frost-bite. During his years in Baghdad, Abdu'l-Bah spent much of his time reading the writings of the Bb. He followed his father through exile to Constantinople, Adrianople and finally Akka, Palestine, and during this time he increasingly assumed the role of Bah'u'llh's chief steward. In Akka he also gradually took over responsibility for the relationships between the small Bah'i exile community and the outside world. It was through his interaction with the people of Akka that, according to the Bah's, they recognized the innocence of the Bah's, and thus the conditions of imprisonment were eased. Eventually, Bah'u'llh was allowed to leave the city and visit nearby places. Early years of his ministry After Bah'u'llh passed away on May 29, 1892, he appointed `Abdu'l-Bah as his successor, calling him "The Centre of the Covenant". The common understanding at the time was that `Abdu'l-Bah's half-brother, Mrz Muhammad `Al should be the leader of the Faith after `Abdu'l-Bah's death. Soon, however, Muhammad `Al began to accuse his half-brother of taking on too much authority, suggesting that `Abdu'l-Bah believed himself to be a Manifestation of God, equal in status to Bah'u'llh. Muhammad `Al began to make accusations against him to the Ottoman authorities, causing them to re-introduce stricter terms to `Abdu'l-Bah's imprisonment in August 1901. It was as a result of this breakdown in relations between the half-brothers that `Abdu'l-Bah appointed Shoghi Effendi to succeed him instead. In 1908, as a result of the Turkish Revolution, `Abdu'l-Bah was freed from imprisonment. Journeys to the West From August to December of 1911, `Abdu'l-Bah visited cities in Europe, including London, Bristol, and Paris. The purpose of these trips was to to support the Baha'i 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-Bah 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-Bah. During his final year, a growing number of visitors and pilgims came to see him in Haifa. On April 27, 1920, he was awarded a knighthood by the British government. `Abdu'l-Bah passed away on November 28, 1921. He is buried in a room in the Shrine of the Bb on Mount Carmel. In his Will and Testament he appointed His grandson Shoghi Effendi Rabbani as the Guardian of the Bah' Faith. Titles of `Abdu'l-Bah While many titles were given to `Abdu'l-Bah, he preferred the title `Abdu'l-Bah (Servant of Bah). Other titles include: - The "Centre of the Covenant", the instrument for ensuring the unity of the Bah' community and preserving the integrity of Bah'u'llh's teachings.
- The "Mystery of God"
- The "Perfect Exemplar" of Bah'u'llh's teachings
- Bah's frequently refer to Him as the Master
Writings of `Abdu'l-Bah The following includes some of `Abdu'l-Bah's many books, tablets, and talks: - Some Answered Questions
- Divine Philosophy
- Tablets of the Divine Plan
- Foundations of World Unity
- The Promulgation of Universal Peace
- The Secret of Divine Civilization
References See also: Orthodox Bahai Faith External links
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