The Centenary
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Journey to Europe
Summary: The journey of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá from Egypt in 1911 in the direction of the European continent opened a new stage in the Cause of God towards its world goals, at the head of which was to lay down the foundations on which would be built the long-sought unity between East and West, gathering all the races of the globe in one human family under the shadow of the Tree of Life. This journey was like a stream of light released from the land in which it appeared to reflect itself on the myriad horizons yearning for its encounter.
'Abdu'l-Bahá as a young man (Reproduced with permission of the Bahá'í Inter- national Community) This picture was taken before 'Abdu'l-Bahá's brief stop in Alexandria on His way to the prison-city of 'Akká.
According to the Eg- yptian news media and other documents, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s health upon His arrival in Egypt did not allow Him to continue His journey to the West, and necessitated His change of plans. Aft- er recuperating in Alexandria for about a year, and precisely on the 11th of August 1911, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá repaired to the Port of Alexandria accom- panied by a number of Bahá’ís, some of whom had come to bid Him farewell and others to be in His company during the trip. The S.S. Corsica, a steamer, was wait- ing to embark its passengers for Mar- seilles, the French port on the Mediter- ranean Sea, from where ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would go to London and Paris after a brief stop in Thonon-les- Bains.
Did the view of the Port of Alexandria and the atmosphere of travelling bring to remembrance for any of those with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the events of great consequence that had taken place during the forty years ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spent in prison, events that had altered the order of governance and changed political theories, given rise to new economic concepts and started a second industrial revolution, that had removed the prestige of religious institutions, and caused all these and many other changes to occur in a way that made the world a different one? A new world has inherited the world of our ancestors and these steamers standing in the port and the activities taking place on the docks are the witnesses of this change. Into this same port came a ship on the morning of the 27th day of August 1868, a steamer belonging to the Austrian Lloyd Line carrying on board a group of prisoners deported from Turkey who were to spend the rest of their lives in the prison-city of ‘Akká in execution of the firman of July 26, 1868 issued by Sultan ‘Abdu’l-Azíz of Turkey in satisfaction of the despotic King of Persia, Náṣiri’d-Dín Sháh, in whom the spread of the Message of Bahá’u’lláh in his land had raised fear that his people would awaken from their deep sleep of unconsciousness. It appeared that these kinds of fears would come upon the Shah and his entourage even after sending Bahá’u’lláh away from Persia to Baghdád in 1853, and from there, in concert with the Sultan, ten years later to Constantinople, then Adrianople, by reason of its remote location on the borders of what remained of the imperial properties in Europe. After almost five years in Adrianople, Bahá’u’lláh had found Himself deported once more with His family and a number of His followers, this time to the fortress of ‘Akká.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá had been on the deck of that steamer in company of His revered Father and the rest of His family. Those prisoners spent that day in the Port of Alexandria waiting to embark on another ship that would take them the next day to Haifa after two short stops, first in Port Said, and then in Jaffa. From Haifa, a sailing boat would take the prisoners to ‘Akká. It was a journey full of difficulties and humiliation for those innocent individuals, none of whom had violated any law or disobeyed any order. Their only crime in the eyes of the Sultan of Turkey and the Shah of Persia was their belief in and their following of the divine call of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, a revelation foretold explicitly in the holy texts of the religions of the past and whose signs, it was promised, would be the spread of justice and peace on earth and the flooding of divine light over the entire globe.
A boundless river—rain that came down from heaven fresh and shining, a river that overflows again and again—never does it miss its time, a river that revives the earth and all that is in it, the destination of lovers, a bounty for whoever reaches it, a river that brings fulfillment to whoever drinks from it. Praised be the One Who created it, the Most Excellent of makers.
Did the view of the Port of Alexandria and the atmosphere of travelling bring to remembrance for any of those with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the events of great consequence that had taken place during the forty years ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spent in prison, events that had altered the order of governance and changed political theories, given rise to new economic concepts and started a second industrial revolution, that had removed the prestige of religious institutions, and caused all these and many other changes to occur in a way that made the world a different one? A new world has inherited the world of our ancestors and these steamers standing in the port and the activities taking place on the docks are the witnesses of this change. Into this same port came a ship on the morning of the 27th day of August 1868, a steamer belonging to the Austrian Lloyd Line carrying on board a group of prisoners deported from Turkey who were to spend the rest of their lives in the prison-city of ‘Akká in execution of the firman of July 26, 1868 issued by Sultan ‘Abdu’l-Azíz of Turkey in satisfaction of the despotic King of Persia, Náṣiri’d-Dín Sháh, in whom the spread of the Message of Bahá’u’lláh in his land had raised fear that his people would awaken from their deep sleep of unconsciousness. It appeared that these kinds of fears would come upon the Shah and his entourage even after sending Bahá’u’lláh away from Persia to Baghdád in 1853, and from there, in concert with the Sultan, ten years later to Constantinople, then Adrianople, by reason of its remote location on the borders of what remained of the imperial properties in Europe. After almost five years in Adrianople, Bahá’u’lláh had found Himself deported once more with His family and a number of His followers, this time to the fortress of ‘Akká.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá had been on the deck of that steamer in company of His revered Father and the rest of His family. Those prisoners spent that day in the Port of Alexandria waiting to embark on another ship that would take them the next day to Haifa after two short stops, first in Port Said, and then in Jaffa. From Haifa, a sailing boat would take the prisoners to ‘Akká. It was a journey full of difficulties and humiliation for those innocent individuals, none of whom had violated any law or disobeyed any order. Their only crime in the eyes of the Sultan of Turkey and the Shah of Persia was their belief in and their following of the divine call of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, a revelation foretold explicitly in the holy texts of the religions of the past and whose signs, it was promised, would be the spread of justice and peace on earth and the flooding of divine light over the entire globe.
The kings and rulers of the European nations showed no concern for the injustice that fell upon that One Whose Message contained only guidance, happiness and prosperity for the people. They received the news of this injustice with absolute indifference. What caused this apathy in the face of such flagrant injustice may not have been unrelated to the principles of the new Revelation, which these leaders may have thought would weaken their authority—it announced that the right of rulers to govern the people is justified by the achievement of justice in the society and insurance of the people’s happiness and tranquillity, goals that depend on the unity of the human family under a global administrative order capable of realizing solidarity and mutual assistance between organized groups of men in an aim to put an end to ignorance, quench the fires of prejudice, eliminate political conflict, abolish religious strife, guarantee the needs required for a dignified life for every human being, ban wars, reconcile the conflicting interests of nations, and arrange priorities for the general interest of humanity over any one nation’s particular benefits. Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, explained: “The unity of the human race, as en-
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SECTION: The Bahá’í Faith
visaged by Bahá’u’lláh, implies the establishment of a world commonwealth in which all nations, races, creeds and classes are closely and permanently united, and in which the autonomy of its state members and the personal freedom and initiative of the individuals that compose them are definitely and completely safeguarded.” 1 It may have been such values as these declared by Bahá’u’lláh that raised the suspicions of the rulers who received the messages sent to them from Him upon His entering the citadel of ‘Akká.
These are but a few of the thoughts that might have passed through the minds of the Bahá’ís—when they entered the Port of Alexandria after the forty-three years that had elapsed from the time of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s imprisonment in the prison-city of ‘Akká, which He entered as a youth and came out from as an old man, suffering from what He had endured those years, years in which the conditions of the world had changed—and as they stood, seeing before them their beloved master about to sail from the very port He had passed through in such grave conditions on His way to His life of imprisonment. But now, with potency and reverence, to Europe, from which He had been banished, He is to journey in response to the solicitation of Europeans and Americans, Bahá’ís and friends, whom He will visit and whose efforts to spread the Cause of God He will consolidate, efforts which will become the hope of humanity and the means to build a new and peaceful world.
The Far-Stretching River
A boundless river—rain that came down from heaven fresh and shining, a river that overflows again and again—never does it miss its time, a river that revives the earth and all that is in it, the destination of lovers, a bounty for whoever reaches it, a river that brings fulfillment to whoever drinks from it. Praised be the One Who created it, the Most Excellent of makers.