Despite this fact, a few well-placed individuals voiced their opposition to the visit of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Rumours circulating in certain social groups concerning the motive of His unexpected visit lay athwart, however, of the dignified report written by the chief editor of Al-Mu’ayyid, the able Shaykh ‘Alí Yusif, who welcomed the august Visitor to Egypt and extolled His knowledge.

“The Learned ‘Abbás Effendi, the authoritative leader of the Bahá’í Faith, arrived in Alexandria from the city of ‘Akká. He stayed a few days in Victoria Hotel in Ramleh, and then transferred to his residence in ‘the Chutes.’ He is a learned and venerable gentleman of about seventy years with vast knowledge in all aspects of the Muslim religion, its history and ideological movements (doctrines). Although he has been living in ‘Akká, his followers number in the millions, and are scattered throughout Persia, India, Europe and America. His followers maintain a very high regard for him—to the point that his opponents have alleged they worship him. In fact, whoever visits him realizes the greatness of his knowledge and finds in him an eloquent speaker who captures the souls of his listeners. He proclaims the unity of mankind, and all his teachings revolve around the elimination of all prejudices, religious, racial, national or for any other reason.”

Shaykh Yusif then indicates that he twice went to see ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and in these interviews learned that his coming had absolutely no political motive, for “he ‘does not interfere in political matters;’ his ‘stay in Egypt is for health reasons.’” The news report concludes with a warm reiteration of welcome to the learned and wise Visitor, and wishes Him a happy stay and recovery of good health.

It is certain that Egyptian readers of Al-Ahram, or those of the Al-Mu’ayyid article, had no previous knowledge that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had spent sixty years of His life in exile, solely because of His Father’s proclamation of Divine Revelation; that He had been transferred from one place to another until He ended, in 1868, in the prison city of ‘Akká; that He had been the wronged captive of three despots of the Eastern World: the Qajar shah of Persia and the two sultans ‘Abdu’l-Azíz and ‘Abdu’l-Hamíd II of the Ottoman Empire; that they had deprived Him, from childhood, of any formal education—all His knowledge had been received from His august Father; and that they had, after the prosperity and dignified living He had known as an infant, imposed on Him a life of deprivation and years of captivity and abasement. By 1908, when the dethroning of ‘Abdu’l-Hamíd II and the declaration of the constitution by the Young Turks movement freed Him, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had spent forty years behind the walls of ‘Akká. Its poor sanitary conditions and humid weather, and the extremely harsh treatment to which He was subject throughout His life, as well as His dire cares, had worn away His health.

With the acquisition of freedom, the way was opened for the world to become acquainted with His wisdom and knowledge—He was a lamp in a temple of guidance, an expounder of the divine word, an exemplar of heavenly virtues. It was the hour for the people of the world in the East and the West to listen to the voice of love rising from a new horizon of divine guidance, but to the extent that the remaining years of His life, now close to seventy, allowed. Believers and leaders of thought both in America and Europe beseeched Him to come. At last, when a measure of strength was regained, He was able to respond, and in a series of journeys to a number of western countries He spread the seeds of unity and concord—the new Divine Message His Father had revealed. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was the personification of the virtues of this Message intended to transform mankind and for which He was, in word and deed, the perfect exemplar.

Many Egyptian writers, journalists, leaders of thoughts and high officials took advantage of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s short stays in Egypt to visit him privately and listen to Him, because He did not give any public talks in that country. The little the Egyptian press published about Him or about His talks given in other countries was, however, rich enough to be considered by historians and writers as a public proclamation of the Bahá’í Faith, which in those days was referred to also as the Bábí Faith. The Al-Ahram issue of 19 January 1911 gives an interesting account of such visits: “His reverence Abbas Effendi, the head of the Bábí Faith, is still visiting and being visited, with much veneration, by senior officials and high ranking individuals. He is the son of Bahá’u’lláh, and His successor, and a descendant of a noble Persian lineage. Kindness and love to all regardless of social rank or religious affiliation are His distinguishing attributes for He looks at the unifying force latent in the humanity of all people and not at their diverse beliefs or worldly conditions.”

‘Abdu’l-Bahá was not planning to stay on Egyptian soil. When He embarked from Port Said His destination was Marseilles. But as soon the ship sailed, He discovered that the weak state of His health could not bear the trip; He was obliged to disembark in Alexandria, and thus remained some months more in Egypt, resting and regaining strength, after which, despite continued bodily weakness, He began a journey that would, over a period of three years, take Him to France, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Germany, the Balkan region, Austria, the United States and Canada. His sojourn in Egypt allowed Him to visit the localities of Abúkír, the suburb of Al-Zaytún, as well as the cities of Cairo, Mansúra, Port Said and Ismá’ílíyya.

The reasons for this arduous journey, undertaken with so much risk to His life and when traveling conditions were still lacking basic elements of comfort and safety, as well as its results, will unfold in a number of articles that the visitor will find published on this website as our description of these travels progresses. We can nevertheless here reveal that these travels were the occasion for the West to hear a voice rising from the East calling the people of the world to establish the unity of all humankind and to lay it on the foundation of lofty principles—true faithfulness, justice and international solidarity. This call, which echoed in temples, mosques, churches and university campuses, also warned of the approach of a ruinous war, which, unless there were a radical change in the thinking of the leaders of the world, would devastate Europe.

Shoghi Effendi, the grandson of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith succinctly summarized the immediate motive of this journey and its outcome: “The establishment of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh in the Western Hemisphere had set in motion such tremendous forces, and been productive of such far-reaching results, as to warrant the active and personal participation of the Center of the Covenant Himself in those epoch-making activities which His Western disciples had, through the propelling power of that Covenant, boldly initiated and were vigorously prosecuting.” 1

Although the primary motive of the journey was to consolidate the efforts of the Bahá’ís in the West, the results of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s participation surpassed by far the meaning of consolidation. His talks and interviews opened an ideological and intellectual horizon unprecedented in the history of religion, a horizon different too from any vista offered in any theses advanced by leaders of thought. To venture to understand this and bring it to remembrance is the object this website is attempting to participate in, as we commemorate the first centenary of the historic travels undertaken by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the West.

1. Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, 2nd printing (Wilmette, Illinois: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1979), p. 279.