The Bahá'í Faith
Basic Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh
A Way of Life
The Historical Background
The Báb (1819-1850)
Bahá'u'lláh (1817-1892)
`Abdu'l-Bahá (1844-1921)
The Unity of Bahá'ís
The Guardianship
The Universal House of Justice
The Bahá'í World Centre
The Bahá'í World Community
Bahá'í Houses of Worship
Social and Economic Development
Bahá'ís and the United Nations

 
 

 Contacting the Bahá'ís




Portrait of `Abdu'l-Bahá.

From earliest childhood, `Abbas Effendi, the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh, shared His father's sufferings and banishments. He took as His title `Abdu'l-Bahá, the "servant of Bahá." Bahá'u'lláh appointed Him the one authorized interpreter of the Bahá'í teachings and as Head of the Faith after His own passing. In `Abdu'l-Bahá was seen a perfect example of the Bahá'í way of life.

While `Abdu'l-Bahá was still a prisoner of the Ottomans the first Bahá'í pilgrims from the western world arrived in Acre in 1898. After His release in 1908, `Abdu'l-Bahá set out on a series of journeys which, in 1911-1913, took Him to Europe and America. There He proclaimed Bahá'u'lláh's message of unity and social justice to church congregations, peace societies, the members of trade unions, university faculties, journalists, government officials, and many public audiences.

`Abdu'l-Bahá passed away in 1921, having consolidated the foundations of the Bahá'í Faith and greatly expanded its reach. The northern rooms of the Shrine of the Báb, where He is interred, are a place of pilgrimage for Bahá'ís visiting the World Centre of their Faith.





`Abdu'l-Bahá, the Center of the Covenant

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