Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Lesley Shams, Little Book of Comfort / Librito Reconfortante, bahai-library.com.
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Little Book of
Comfort

by
Lesley Shams
© National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of India

First Indian Edition: February 2015

Artwork: Nicole Dawn Mercredi
Photos: Badi Shams

ISBN: 978-81-7896-121-7

Bahá’í Publishing Trust
F-3/6, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-I, New Delhi – 110 020, India
Printed at: _________________
Acknowledgments
Dedicated to my husband, Badi’, whose
painstaking care and continuous support
of my efforts made publication of this
book possible.
Table of Contents
The Reason for Suffering ..................... 1
Tools to Transform Suffering .............. 17
Words of Comfort ................................ 47
Prayers ................................................. 58
References ........................................... 77
The Reason for Suffering
We live in a beautiful world. Every time we step
out of our homes, we are bombarded by the
incredible majesty of nature – towering verdant
mountains; an azure sea edged with pearly sand;
flowing rivers gurgling down ebony rocks; majestic
trees providing a leafy canopy with birds carolling
in their branches. These are only a few of the
beauties of nature. And we, God’s noblest creation,
are also part of this beautiful world. What joys
we experience in our lives at the birth of a child,

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a love found between two souls that grows and
matures through time, precious friendships that
enrich us and expand our hearts and souls. And
for many of us, a connection with a Creator who
blesses our lives in a myriad ways.
But into this beautiful world must also come pain
and suffering. Sometimes the pain forces us to
slow down and recognize that our lives are out of
control. When pain arrives at our doorstep we
have two choices – to become overwhelmed by
it and to stay stuck in it or to work through it,
trying to understand why and allow it to help us
grow, change and evolve. In this little volume I
have included an explanation of why we experience
suffering in our lives and some suggestions for
coping in difficult times. This is followed by a
selection of words of comfort. Finally I have written
about the power of prayer in our lives and provided
some prayers for healing for yourself and for your
loved ones.
Why do we have suffering, tests, difficulties and
adversity in our lives? There are always challenges
and they are part of life. We can grow stronger
through challenges but sadly we are not just given

The Reason for Suffering

one test to pass in life; they are never over and
we are always given more. Learning to face the
tests and trials of life may be a life-long journey.
And we need a Guide to accompany us on this
journey if we are to reach our true potential. When
something really terrible happens to you or those
you love and there seems to be no reasonable
explanation for it, it is difficult for us to have faith
that God is on our side, that He truly loves us.
We really need to understand why bad things
happen to good people.
Justice St. Rain, in his book, Why Me, A Spiritual
Guide to Growing through Tests,1 uses the analogy
of four bushes to illustrate this point. Four rose
bushes in a garden did their best all summer to
grow long and produce many blossoms, only to
be shocked when the gardener chopped off their
branches at the end of the season. The first rose
bush was angry and yelled at the gardener about
the injustice of being cut down after trying to please
him. It decided to rebel and concentrated on its
root system the next spring, so that eventually it
had only a few leaves and began to die. The
second rose bush thought it was being punished
for blossoming and so decided in the spring not to
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grow or blossom, but to do nothing so it might as
well have been dead. The third rose bush thought
that things happened in life quite haphazardly and
didn’t have to be fair so in the spring it did the
same thing it had done before, growing long
branches with blossoms. Knowing that the gardener
The Reason for Suffering

might just chop it down again at the end of the
summer, it did not resist when the aphids began
munching on leaves and petals. But the fourth bush
trusted the gardener and wondered what he wanted
it to do or learn from the experience. In the spring
it noticed that it had many nodes on each branch
and could branch out in many directions and
blossom. And so with effort it could become a
better rose bush with more blossoms rather than
a leggy bush with only one blossom at the end of
each stalk. We need to be like the fourth rose
bush. In the face of calamities, we need to trust
in God and know we can cope with any situation
because we have faith in His love. And just like
the fourth rose bush, we need to learn about
ourselves and strive to achieve our potential by
making efforts to be the best we can be. In the
Bible we are told that “God is love”; the Bahá’í
Writings state that God is “more friend to me than
I am to myself “. We can only understand why bad
things happen by believing in this view of God.
Life is meant to be difficult and fraught with
problems and we know that facing them is very
painful. The Bahá’í Writings offer an explanation
of the purpose of tests:
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“Suffering, of one kind or another,
seems to be the portion of man in this
world. Even the Beloved ones, the
Prophets of God, have never been
exempt from the ills that are to be found
in our world; poverty, disease,
bereavement, - they seem to be part of
the polish God employs to make us finer,
and enable us to reflect more of His
attributes!” 2
“Tests are benefits from God, for which
we should thank Him. Grief and sorrow
do not come to us by chance, they are
sent to us by the Divine Mercy for our
own perfecting.” 3
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the son of the founder and
Messenger of the Bahá’í Faith, wants us to
experience suffering and tribulation because He
knows how it benefits us:
“The more difficulties one sees in the
world the more perfect one becomes.
The more you plough and dig the ground
the more fertile it becomes. The more
you cut the branches of a tree the higher
The Reason for Suffering

and stronger it grows. The more you
put the gold in the fire the purer it
becomes. The more you sharpen the
steel by grinding the better it cuts.
Therefore, the more sorrows one sees
the more perfect one becomes…
Therefore I am happy that you have
had great tribulations and
difficulties…Strange it is that I love you
and still I am happy that you have
sorrows.” 4
Here is a story that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told related to
suffering:
“A certain ruler wished to appoint one
of his subjects to a high office: so, in
order to train him, the ruler cast him
into prison and caused him to suffer
much. The man was surprised at this,
for he expected great favours. The ruler
had him taken from prison and beaten
with sticks. This greatly astonished the
man, for he thought the ruler loved him.
After this he was hanged on the gallows
until he was nearly dead. After he
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recovered he asked the ruler, ‘If you
love me, why did you do these things?’
The ruler replied: ‘I wish to make you
prime minister. By having gone through
these ordeals you are better fitted for
that office. I wish you to know how it
is yourself. When you are obliged to
punish, you will know how it feels to
endure these things. I love you so I wish
you to become perfect.’ Even so with
you. After this ordeal you will reach
maturity. God sometimes causes us to
suffer much and to have many
misfortunes that we may become
strong… 5
“…so suffering and tribulation free man
from the petty affairs of this worldly
life until he arrives at a state of
complete detachment. His attitude in
this world will be that of divine
happiness. Man is, so to speak, unripe:
the heat of the fire of suffering will
mature him. Look back to the times
past and you will find that the greatest
men have suffered most.” 6
The Reason for Suffering

One of our greatest difficulties in life is dealing
with physical pain.
Again, from the Bahá’í Writings:
“Physical pain is a necessary
accompaniment of all human existence,
and as such is unavoidable…But
suffering, although an inescapable
reality, can nevertheless be utilized as
a means for the attainment of
happiness. This is the interpretation
given to it by all the prophets and saints
who, in the midst of severe tests and
trials, felt happy and joyous and
experienced what is best and holiest in
life. Suffering is both a reminder and a
guide. It stimulates us to better adapt
ourselves to our environmental
conditions, and thus leads the way to
self-improvement. In every suffering
one can find a meaning and a wisdom.
But it is not always easy to find the
secret of that wisdom. It is sometimes
only when all our suffering has passed
that we become aware of its usefulness.

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What man considers to be evil turns
of ten to be a cause of infinite
blessings.” 7
“Verily the Will of God acts sometimes
in a way for which mankind is unable
to find out the reason. The causes and
reasons shall appear. Trust in God and
confide in Him, and resign thyself to
the Will of God. Verily thy God is
af fectionate, compassionate and
merciful ... and will cause His Mercy to
descend upon Thee.” 8
And we are promised that God will never test us
beyond our capacity:
“He will never deal unjustly with any
one, neither will He task a soul
beyond its power. He, verily, is the
Compassionate, the All-Merciful.” 9
“Whatever hath befallen you, hath been
for the sake of God. This is the truth,
and in this there is no doubt. You should,
therefore, leave all your affairs in His
Hands, place your trust in Him, and
The Reason for Suffering

rely upon Him. He will assuredly not
forsake you. In this, likewise, there is
no doubt. No father will surrender his
sons to devouring beasts; no shepherd
will leave his flock to ravening wolves.
He will most certainly do his utmost to
protect his own.” 10
“Rest assured in the protection of God.
He will preserve his own children under
all circumstances. Be ye not afraid nor
be ye agitated. He holds the scepter of
power in his hand, and like unto a hen
he gathereth his chickens under his
wings. ‘To everything there is a season,
and a time for every purpose under
the sun. A time to be born, and a time
to die, a time to weep and a time to
laugh; a time to keep silent and a time
to speak.’ Now, friends, this is the time
of assurance and faith and not fear
and dread.” 11
We are also promised days of “blissful joy”:
“Sorrow not if, in these days and on
this earthly plane, things contrary to
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your wishes have been ordained and
manifested by God, for days of blissful
joy, of heavenly delight, are assuredly
in store for you. Worlds, holy and
spiritually glorious, will be unveiled to
your eyes. You are destined by Him, in
this world and hereafter, to partake of
their benefits, to share in their joys,
and to obtain a portion of their
sustaining grace. To each and every
one of them you will, no doubt,
attain.” 12

And here’s a story that illustrates clearly why we
suffer in this world:
A couple vacationing in Europe went strolling
down a little street and saw a quaint little gift
shop with a beautiful teacup in the window.
The lady collected teacups and she wanted
this one for her collection so she went inside
to pick up the teacup, and as the story goes
the teacup spoke and said:
“I want you to know that I have not always
looked like this. It took the process of pain to

The Reason for Suffering

bring me to this point. You see, there was a
time when I was just clay and the master came
and he pounded me and he squeezed me and
he kneaded me and I screamed: ‘STOP THAT’.
But he just smiled and he said, ‘Not yet’.
Then he took me and put me on the wheel
and I went round and round and round and
round … and while I was spinning and getting
dizzier and dizzier I screamed again and I said,
‘Please get me off this thing … please get me
off!!!’ And the master was looking at me and
he was smiling, as he said, ‘Not yet’.
Then he took me and walked toward the oven
and he shut the door and turned up the heat
and I could see him through the window of
the oven and it was getting hotter and hotter
and I thought, ‘He’s going to burn me to death’.
And I started pounding on the inside of the
oven and I said ‘Master, let me out, let me
out, let me out, and I could see that he was
smiling as he said ‘Not yet’.
Then he opened the door and I was fresh and
free and he took me out of the oven and he

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put me on the table and then he got some
paint and a paintbrush. And he started dabbing
me and making swirls all over me and I started
to gag and I said: ‘Master, stop it … stop it …
stop it please … you’re making me gag’ and
he just smiled as he said ‘Not yet’.
Then very gently he picked me up again and
he started walking toward the oven and I said,
‘Master, NO! Not again, pleeeeease’. He
opened the oven door and he slipped me
inside and he shut the door and this time he
turned the heat up twice as hot as before
and I thought, ‘He’s going to kill me’, and I
looked through the window of the oven and
I started to pound saying, ‘Master … Master,
please let me out … please let me out …let
me out … let me out’. And I could see that he
was smiling, but I also noticed a tear trickle
down his cheek as I watched him mouth the
words, ‘Not yet!’
Just as I thought I was about to die, the door
opened and he reached in ever so gently and
took me out, fresh and free and he went and
placed me on a high shelf and he said: ‘There,

The Reason for Suffering

I have created what I intended. Would you
like to see yourself?’ I said ‘Yes’, so he handed
me a mirror and I looked and I looked and I
looked again and I said, ‘That’s not me, I’m
just a lump of clay.’ And he said: ‘Yes, that IS
you, but it took the process of pain to bring
you to this place. ‘You see, had I not worked
you when you were clay, then you would have
dried up. If I had not subjected you to the
stress of the wheel, you would have crumbled.
If I had not put you into the heat of the oven
you would have cracked. If I had not painted
you there would be no color in your life. But,
it was the second oven that gave you the
strength to endure. And now you are
everything that I intended you to be – from
the beginning.’
And I, the tea cup, heard myself saying
something I never thought I would hear myself
saying: ‘Master, forgive me, I did not trust you,
I thought you were going to harm me, I did
not know you had a glorious future and a hope
for me. I was too short-sighted, but I want to
thank you. I want to thank you for suffering.
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I want to thank you for the process of pain.
Here I am! I give you myself - fill me, pour
from me, use me as you see fit. I really want
to be a vessel that brings you glory within my
life.’” 13

Tools to Transform Suffering
Now let us consider how we can cope with
suffering. We know that we are going to have
difficulties in life and that God has given us these
tests for our own perfecting. Knowing God and feeling
His presence in our lives gives our soul a protective
armor, an immunity that aids us from being bounced
around by all the difficult circumstances we must
face in life. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells us:
“In this world we are influenced by two
sentiments, Joy and Pain. Joy gives us
wings! In times of joy our strength is
more vital, our intellect keener, and our
understanding less clouded. We seem
better able to cope with the world and
to find our sphere of usefulness. But
when sadness visits us we become
weak, our strength leaves us, our
comprehension is dim and our
intelligence veiled. The actualities of life
seem to elude our grasp, the eyes of
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our spirits fail to discover the sacred
mysteries, and we become even as dead
beings.
There is no human being untouched by
these two influences; but all the sorrow
and the grief that exist come from the
world of matter — the spiritual world
bestows only the joy!
If we suffer it is the outcome of material
things, and all the trials and troubles
come from this world of illusion.
For instance, a merchant may lose his
trade and depression ensues. A
workman is dismissed and starvation
stares him in the face. A farmer has a
bad harvest, anxiety fills his mind. A
man builds a house which is burnt to
the ground and he is straightway
homeless, ruined, and in despair.
All these examples are to show you that
the trials which beset our every step,
all our sorrow, pain, shame and grief,
are born in the world of matter; whereas
Tools to Transform Suffering

the spiritual Kingdom never causes
sadness. A man living with his thoughts
in this Kingdom knows perpetual joy.
The ills all flesh is heir to do not pass
him by, but they only touch the surface
of his life, the depths are calm and
serene.
Today, humanity is bowed down with
trouble, sorrow and grief, no one
escapes; the world is wet with tears;
but, thank God, the remedy is at our
doors. Let us turn our hearts away from
the world of matter and live in the
spiritual world! It alone can give us
freedom! If we are hemmed in by
difficulties we have only to call upon
God, and by His great Mercy we shall
be helped.
If sorrow and adversity visit us, let us
turn our faces to the Kingdom and
heavenly consolation will be outpoured.
If we are sick and in distress let us
implore God’s healing, and He will
answer our prayer.
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When our thoughts are filled with the
bitterness of this world, let us turn our
eyes to the sweetness of God’s
compassion and He will send us
heavenly calm! If we are imprisoned in
the material world, our spirit can soar
into the Heavens and we shall be free
indeed!
I myself was in prison forty years —
one year alone would have been
impossible to bear — nobody survived
that imprisonment more than a year!
But, thank God, during all those forty
years I was supremely happy! Every day,
on waking, it was like hearing good
tidings, and every night infinite joy was
mine. Spirituality was my comfort, and
turning to God was my greatest joy. If
this had not been so, do you think it
possible that I could have lived through
those forty years in prison?” 14
Here’s a story to illustrate our need to trust in God:
“One day a despondent little Jewish girl,
all in black, was brought into the
Tools to Transform Suffering

Master’s presence. With tears flowing,
she told Him her tale of woes: her
brother had been unjustly imprisoned
three years before – he had four more
years to serve; her parents were
constantly depressed; her brother-in-
law, who was their support, had just
died. She claimed the more she trusted
in God the worse matters became. She
complained,’…my mother reads the
Psalms all the time; she doesn’t deserve
that God should desert her so. I read
the Psalms myself, - the ninety-first
Psalm and the twenty-third Psalm every
night before I go to bed. I pray too.’
Comforting and advising her,
‘Abdu’l-Bahá replied, ‘To pray is not to
read Psalms. To pray is to trust in God,
and to be submissive in all things to
Him. Be submissive, then things will
change for you. Put your family in
God’s hands. Love God’s will. Strong
ships are not conquered by the sea, -
they ride the waves. Now be a strong
ship, not a battered one.’” 15
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And we are told that living in the spiritual realm
may aid our physical health:
“Spiritual health is conducive to
physical health, but physical health
depends upon many factors, some of
which are outside the control of the
individual. Even the most exemplary
spiritual attitude on the part of the
individual, therefore, may not ensure
physical health in every case. The holiest
men and women sometimes suffer
illness. Nevertheless, the beneficent
influence on bodily health which results
from a right spiritual attitude is far
more potent than is generally imagined,
and is sufficient to banish ill-health in
a large proportion of cases.” 16
It is often difficult for us to see beyond our
immediate circumstance and we are fearful of
terrible things that can happen to us in life. We try
to avoid calamities, not seeing beyond the present
to realize that we may need difficult situations in
our lives to grow. We want to avoid health
problems but through physical ailments we learn

Tools to Transform Suffering

to appreciate health. Physical suffering also touches
the deepest emotions of our hearts and we want
to avoid the pain at all costs. Our rewards for
suffering only come much later. So we need some
tools to transform our suffering to another plane.
We need to learn to be patient, to be contented,
to be grateful, to be happy in the face of adversity,
to learn to serve others in the midst of our own
grief and to forgive. Words of comfort in relation
to these valuable virtues are offered in this section.

The tool of happiness:
“On his way to church, a scholar was surprised
to see a man in tattered clothes and barefoot.
Nevertheless, as a good Christian, he greeted
the poor man: ‘May God give you a good
morning!’
The poor man replied cheerfully, ‘I have never
yet had a bad morning.’
‘Then may God give you good luck!’
‘I have never yet had bad luck.’
‘Well, may God give you happiness!’ ‘I have
never yet been unhappy.’
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The scholar then asked the man, ‘Could you
please explain yourself to me? I do not
understand.’
And the poor man replied, ‘With pleasure! You
wish me a good morning, yet I have never had
a bad morning. For when I am hungry, I praise
God; when I feel cold, or when it is raining or
snowing, I praise God; and that is why I have
never had a bad morning. You wish that God
may give me luck. However, I have never had
bad luck. This is because I live with God and
always feel what he does for me is the best.
Whatever God sends me, be it pleasant or
unpleasant, I accept with a grateful heart. That
is why I have never had bad luck. Finally, you
wish that God should make me happy. But I
have never been unhappy. For all I desire is to
follow God’s will; I have surrendered my will
so totally to God’s will that, whatever God
wants, that is what I also want. That is why I
have never been unhappy.’” 17
And so we can approach life with happiness and
with “radiant acquiescence”. “Radiant acquiescence”
means not only to give up your will to the Divine
Tools to Transform Suffering

Will, but to do so joyfully and with radiance,
knowing it is the best way. We cannot control what
happens to us but we can control how we respond.
Our deepest happiness often comes through our
suffering and we reach new spiritual horizons and
bask in the joy of the presence of God.
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but
a broken spirit saps a person’s
strength.” 18
“To attain eternal happiness one must
suffer. He who has reached the state of
self-sacrifice has true joy. Temporal joy
will vanish.” 19
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“If ye were aware of what God hath
destined for you in the kingdom of His
glory, verily ye would rejoice
exceedingly and soar with the wings of
joy unto the heights of happiness, crying
with the most loud voice: ‘Blessings and
happiness from this great attainment
and evident bounty.” 20
“Abdu’l-Bahá loved laughter and His laughter
was often a source of solace . . . When they
were in prison, He said, and under the utmost
deprivation and difficulties, each of them at
the close of the day would relate the most
ludicrous event which had happened.
Sometimes it was difficult to find one but
always they would laugh until the tears would
run down their cheeks. Happiness, He said, is
never dependent upon material surroundings,
otherwise, how sad those years would have
been. As it was they were always in the utmost
state of joy and happiness . . .” 21
We are blessed with the ability to laugh. It is a
medicine for healing. Studies have indicated that
laughter can boost our immune and circulatory
Tools to Transform Suffering

systems, stimulate our lungs and heart, help
digestion, serve as a pain reliever by triggering the
release of endorphins, balance our blood pressure,
improve our alertness, creativity and memory and
reduce stress and relax us. Norman Cousins in his
book Anatomy of an Illness tells the story of how
he cured himself of ankylosing spondylitis (a very
painful degenerative disease) mostly by watching
funny movies and laughing.

The tool of serving others:
When we are able to forget our woes for a time
and reach out to help others, then we relieve our
own sorrows and are truly blessed.

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“To ease another’s heartache is to forget
one’s own.” 22
“If you want happiness for an hour take a nap.
If you want happiness for a day, go fishing.
If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune.
If you want happiness for a lifetime, help
someone else.” 23
“If you learn from your suffering, and really
come to understand the lesson you were taught,
you might be able to help someone else who’s
now in the phase you may have just completed.
Maybe that’s what it’s all about after all...” 24
“This is my simple religion. There is no need
for temples; no need f or complicated
philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is
our temple; the philosophy is kindness.” 25
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can
do small things with great love.” 26
“I shall pass through this world but once. Any
good therefore that I can do or any kindness
that I can show to any human being, let me do
it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I
shall not pass this way again” 27
Tools to Transform Suffering

“A person starts to live when he can live
outside himself.” 28
“No one is useless in this world who lightens
the burdens of another.” 29
“Thousands of candles can be lit from
a single candle, and the life of the
candle will not be shortened. Happiness
never decreases by being shared.” 30
“Strive that your actions day by day
may be beautiful prayers. Turn towards
God, and seek always to do that which
is right and noble. Enrich the poor, raise
the fallen, comfort the sorrowful, bring
healing to the sick, reassure the fearful,
rescue the oppressed, bring hope to the
hopeless, shelter the destitute!” 31
“Man is he who forgets his own interests
for the sake of others. His own comfort
he forfeits for the well-being of all. Nay,
rather, his own life must he be willing to
forfeit for the life of mankind. Such a
man is the honor of the world of
humanity. Such a man is the glory of
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the world of mankind. Such a man is
the one who wins eternal bliss. Such a
man is near to the threshold of God.
Such a man is the very manifestation of
eternal happiness.” 32
And it is important to visit the sick:
“We should all visit the sick. When they
are in sorrow and suffering, it is a real
help and benefit to have a friend come.
Happiness is a great healer to those
who are ill…call upon the patient often
and meet him individually…show the
utmost kindness and compassion to the
sick and suffering. This has greater
effect than the remedy itself. You must
always have this thought of love and
affection when you visit the ailing and
afflicted.” 33
“The work of healing the sick, however,
is a matter that concerns not the patient
and the practitioner only, but everyone.
All must help, by sympathy and service,
by right living and right thinking, and
especially by prayer, for of all remedies
Tools to Transform Suffering

prayer is the most potent. ‘Supplication
and prayer on behalf of others,’ says
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, ‘will surely be effective.’
The friends of the patient have a special
responsibility, for their influence, either
for good or ill, is most direct and
powerful. In how many cases of
sickness the issue depends mainly on
the ministrations of parents, friends or
neighbors of the helpless sufferer! Even
the members of the community at large
have an influence in every case of
sickness. In individual cases that
influence may not appear great, yet in
the mass the effect is potent. Everyone
is affected by the social ‘atmosphere’
in which he lives, by the general
prevalence of faith or materialism, of
virtue or vice, of cheerfulness of
depression; and each individual has his
share in determining the state of that
social ‘atmosphere.’ It may not be
possible for everyone, in the present
state of the world, to attain to perfect
health, but it is possible for everyone

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to become a ‘willing channel’ for the
health-giving power of the Holy Spirit
and thus to exert a healing, helpful
influence both on his own body and on
all with whom he comes in contact.” 34
“The Prophet Muhammad used to comfort the
ill when he visited them and would say the
following prayer:
‘O Allah remove the hardship, O Lord of
mankind, grant cure for You are the Healer.
There is no cure but from You, a cure which
leaves no illness behind.’
He would also make the following prayer for
his own health:
‘O Allah cure my body, cure my heart and cure
my eyesight from any illness.’ (repeated 3
times). 35

The tool of patience:
Because we are always going to experience
suffering in our lives, developing patience is a
valuable tool. Dealing with an illness is one
example of the need for an ampler share of

Tools to Transform Suffering

patience. A patient often has to wait for tests after
seeing a doctor, then for the test results that could
indicate something serious. Patience is needed
when a diagnosis is not clear or doctors differ in
their diagnoses. Then there are treatment options
to choose from and finally the waiting time for the
necessary treatment. And throughout this process
one must deal with the physical pain. Other
hardships and difficulties in our lives similarly test

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our ability to be patient. We need patience to
cope with life and we are promised blessings for
the virtue of patience.
“He, verily, shall increase the reward
of them that endure with
patience…Blessed are the steadfastly
enduring, they that are patient under
ills and hardships, who lament not over
anything that befalleth them, and who
tread the path of resignation.” 36
“For everything there is a sign. The
sign of love is fortitude under My
decree and patience under My trials.” 37
“Verily! I have rewarded them this Day
for their patience; they are indeed the
ones that are successful.” 38
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction,
faithful in prayer.” 39
“...to be firm or patient in pain or
suffering, and adversity, and throughout
all periods of panic. Such are the people
of truth, the God fearing.” 40

Tools to Transform Suffering

“Since God chose you to be the holy
people he loves, you must clothe
yourselves with tenderhearted mercy,
kindness, humility, gentleness, and
patience.” 41
“Patience does not mean to passively endure. It
means to be farsighted enough to trust the end
result of a process. What does patience mean? It
means to look at the thorn and see the rose, to
look at the night and see the dawn. Impatience
means to be shortsighted as to not be able to see
the outcome. The lovers of God never run out of
patience, for they know that time is needed for
the crescent moon to become full.” 42
“Patience is the key to joy.” 43
“If thy daily living become difficult, soon
thy Lord will bestow upon thee that which
shall satisfy thee. Be patient in the time
of affliction and trial, endure every
difficulty and hardship with a dilated
heart, attracted spirit and eloquent tongue
in remembrance of the Merciful. Verily
this is the life of satisfaction, the spiritual
existence, heavenly repose, divine
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benediction and the celestial table! Soon
thy Lord will extenuate thy straitened
circumstances even in this world.” 44
“O ye who believe! Persevere in
patience and constancy; vie in such
perseverance; strengthen each other;
and fear Allah, that ye may prosper.” 45
“I seek patience only in God. Verily He
is the best protector and the best helper.
No refuge do I seek save God. Verily
He is the guardian and the best
supporter...I swear by the glory of God,
My Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most
Great, He assuredly, as is divinely
ordained, will make His Cause shine
resplendent, while there will be no
helper for the unjust…Verily I seek
patience only in God, and Him do I
regard as the goal of My desire.” 46

The tool of contentment:
If we can accept our lot in life with contentment
and even thankfulness, we have truly attained an
honorable state.
Tools to Transform Suffering

“Contentment is real wealth. If one
develops within himself the quality of
contentment he will become independent.
Contentment is the creator of happiness.
When one is contented he does not care
either for riches or poverty. He lives
above the influence of them and is
indifferent to them.” 47
“The greatest bestowal in the world of
existence is a tranquil heart…This station
is joy succeeded by joy, confidence after
confidence and Paradise after Paradise.” 48
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“Christian contentment is that sweet, inward,
quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely
submits to and delights in God’s wise and
fatherly disposal in every condition.” 49
“Joy is a deeply felt contentment that transcends
difficult circumstances and derives maximum
enjoyment from every good experience.” 50
With the hands of power I made thee
and with the fingers of strength I
created thee; and within thee have I
placed the essence of My light. Be thou
content with it and seek naught else,
for My work is perfect…” 51
“Health is the greatest gift, contentment
the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best
relationship.” 52
“Patience is the key to contentment.” 53
“Be content with what you have; rejoice in the
way things are. When you realize there is nothing
lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” 54
“The greatest wealth is to live content with
little.” 55
Tools to Transform Suffering

“Anybody can be happy in the state of
comfort, ease, health, success, pleasure
and joy; but if one will be happy and
contented in the time of trouble, hardship
and prevailing disease, it is the proof of
nobility. Thanks be to God that that dear
servant of God is extremely patient under
the disastrous circumstances, and in the
place of complaining gives thanks.” 56

The tool of forgiveness:
There is one more gem, one more truth that has
been proven to be extremely important in the

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process of healing and dealing with difficulties in
life and that is the quality of forgiveness. Studies
have indicated that forgiveness can contribute to
emotional and physical healing. But if someone
holds a grudge, is resentful, wants revenge, is
bitter and full of anger and hatred, these negative
emotions can exacerbate illness.
Schiraldi and Kerr in The Anger Management
Sourcebook state:
“Forgiving means that we choose to release
resentment, hatred, bitterness, desires for
revenge for wrongs done to us; it is a way to
come to peace with the past. In forgiving,
we decide to break our troubling connection
to the offender. We realize that no offense is
worth the price of destroying our peace.
Forgiving is taking the arrows out of our gut,
rather than twisting them around inside us.
We move away from it beyond the offender
and the offense and take full responsibility
for our present happiness. We choose to
forgive so that we will suffer less and be free
to live.
Tools to Transform Suffering

Forgiving is a personal choice that does not
depend on the offender’s deserving it, asking
for it, or expressing remorse–although this
certainly can make forgiving easier. Forgiving
is about the offended person’s inner strength,
rather than the offender’s. We voluntarily
forgive because we realize that getting even
does not heal.” 57
“The practice of forgiveness is our most important
contribution to the healing of the world.” 58
“When asked by an offender for
forgiveness, one should forgive with a
sincere mind and a willing spirit . . .” 59
“And when you stand praying, if you
hold anything against anyone, forgive
him, so that your Father in heaven may
forgive you your sins.” 60
“But I tell you who hear me: Love your
enemies, do good to those who hate
you, bless those who curse you, pray
for those who mistreat you. If someone
strikes you on one cheek, turn to him
the other also.” 61

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“Then Peter came and said to Him,
‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin
against me and I forgive him? Up to
seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do
not say to you, up to seven times, but
up to seventy-seven times.’” 62
“Let not those among you who are
endued with grace and amplitude of
means resolve by oath against helping
their kinsmen, those in want and those
who migrated in the path of God. Let
them forgive and overlook. Do you not
wish that God should also forgive you.
Indeed God is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful 63
‘Abdu’l-Bahá gives us the pearl for living our lives:
“Act in such a way that your heart may
be free from hatred. Let not your heart
be offended with anyone. If some one
commits an error and wrong toward
you, you must instantly forgive him. Do
not complain of others. Refrain from
reprimanding them, and if you wish to
Tools to Transform Suffering

give admonition or advice, let it be
offered in such a way that it will not
burden the bearer. Turn all your
thoughts toward bringing joy to hearts.
Beware! Beware! lest ye offend any
heart. Assist the world of humanity as
much as possible. Be the source of
consolation to every sad one, assist
every weak one, be helpful to every
indigent one, care for every sick one,
be the cause of glorification to every
lowly one, and shelter those who are
overshadowed by fear.” 64
“…the constitution of the communities
depends upon justice, not upon
forgiveness. Then what Christ meant
by forgiveness and pardon is not that,
when nations attack you, burn your
homes, plunder your goods, assault your
wives, children and relatives, and
violate your honor, you should be
submissive in the presence of these
tyrannical foes and allow them to
perform all their cruelties and
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oppressions. No, the words of Christ
refer to the conduct of two individuals
toward each other: if one person
assaults another, the injured one should
forgive him.” 65
And how can we forgive and love others? By
loving them for the sake of God.
“Love the creatures for the sake of God
and not for themselves. You will never
become angry or impatient if you love
them for the sake of God. Humanity is
not perfect. There are imperfections in
every human being, and you will always
become unhappy if you look toward the
people themselves. But if you look
toward God, you will love them and be
kind to them, for the world of God is
the world of perfection and complete
mercy. Therefore, do not look at the
shortcomings of anybody; see with the
sight of forgiveness.” 66
“O ye friends of God! Show ye an
endeavor that all the nations and
Tools to Transform Suffering

communities of the world, even the
enemies, put their trust, assurance and
hope in you; that if a person falls into
errors for a hundred-thousand times he
may yet turn his face to you, hopeful
that you will forgive his sins; for he
must not become hopeless, neither
grieved nor despondent.” 67
As a fitting ending to this section and a reminder
that we are not alone in all our struggles, I am
including this well-known passage:
“One night I dreamed I was walking along
the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from
my life flashed across the sky. In each scene
I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes
there were two sets of footprints, other times
there were one set of footprints. This bothered
me because I noticed that during the low
periods of my life, when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only
one set of footprints. So I said to the Lord,
‘You promised me Lord, that if I followed
you, you would walk with me always. But I
have noticed that during the most trying

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periods of my life there has only been one
set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I
needed you most, have you not been there
for me?’ The Lord replied, ‘The years when
you have seen only one set of footprints, my
child, is when I carried you.’” 68

Words of Comfort
“When a man turns his face to God he finds
sunshine everywhere.” 69
“Healing may not be so much about getting
better, as about letting go of everything that
isn’t you – all of the expectations, all of the
beliefs – and becoming who you are.” 70
“Sorrow looks back with sadness. Worry looks
up and down, from side to side, with fear.

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Faith looks f orward with hope and
gladness.” 71
“Our sorrows and wounds are healed only
when we touch them with compassion.” 72
“There is no disaster that can’t become a
blessing...” 73
“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile,
but sometimes your smile can be the source of
your joy.” 74
“When an appreciation for just being alive
becomes a daily awareness, your life finds the
threshold of bliss.” 75
“All healing is f irst a healing of the
heart.” 76
“It takes both rain and sunshine to make a
rainbow.” 77
“When you reach the end of your rope, tie a
knot in it and hang on.” 78
“My love is My stronghold; he that entereth
therein is safe and secure.” 79

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“Everything can be taken from a man but
one thing: the last of the human freedoms
– to choose one’s attitude in any given
ci rcu ms t a n c es, t o c h o o s e o n e’s o wn
way.” 80
“My love is in thee, know it, that thou mayest
find Me near unto thee.” 81
“May the long time sun shine upon you, all
love surround you and the sweet light within
you guide your way on.” 82
“If you knew Who walked beside you at all
times, on the path that you have chosen, you
could never experience f ear or doubt
again.” 83
“The healer of all thine ills is remembrance
of Me, forget it not.” 84
“Healing does not mean going back to the
way things were before, but rather allowing
what is now to move us closer to God.” 85
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you: I have
summoned you by name; you are mine. When

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you pass through the waters, I will be with
you; and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you. When you walk
through the fire, you will not be burned; the
flames will not set you ablaze…Do not be
afraid, for I am with you.” 86
“This, too, shall pass.” 87
“You were given this life because you were
strong enough to live it.” 88
“Armed with the power of Thy name nothing
can ever hurt me, and with Thy love in my
heart all the world’s afflictions can in no
wise alarm me.” 89
“Most of the shadows of this life are caused
by our standing in our own sunshine.” 90
“Don’t confuse your path with your
destination. Just because it’s stormy now
doesn’t mean you aren’t headed for
sunshine.” 91
“You never know how strong you are until
being strong is the only choice you have.” 92

Words of Comfort

“The wound is the place where the Light
enters you.” 93
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy
and peace as you trust in him.” 94
“Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you
earth; burst into song, you mountains! For
the LORD comforts his people and will have
compassion on his afflicted ones” 95
“He heals the broken-hearted and binds up
their wounds.” 96
“Come to me, all you who are weary and
burdened… and I will give you rest.” 97
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but
in rising each time we fall.” 98
“He who has hope has everything” 99
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and
courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be
discouraged, for the LORD your God will be
with you wherever you go.” 100
“Even though I walk through the darkest
valley, I will fear no evil, for you are

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with me; your rod and your staff, they
comfort me.” 10 1
“Hope is like a bird that senses the dawn and
carefully starts to sing while it is still dark.” 102
“It is better to light one candle than to curse
the darkness.” 103
“There are only two ways to live your life. One
is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is
as though everything is a miracle.” 104
“Our care should not be to have lived long as
to have lived enough.” 105
“God will not look you over for medals,
degrees or diplomas, but for scars.” 106
“O Tender One, Bestowing One, Thou didst
calm their pain with the balm of Thy bounty
and grace, and didst heal their ailments with
the sovereign m edicine of Thy
compassion.”
“Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth
living and your belief will help create the
fact.” 108
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“I think only through suffering all our
wonderful human qualities come out in us.
Unless and until you suffer, how will you
understand other’s suffering?” 109
“Happiness is different from pleasure. Happiness
has something to do with struggling and
enduring and accomplishing.” 110
“For He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert
you, nor will I ever forsake you.’” 111
“To embrace one’s brokenness, whatever it
looks like, whatever has caused it, carries
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within it the possibility that one might come to
embrace one’s healing.” 112
“O thou who art turning thy face towards
God! Close thine eyes to all things else, and
open them to the realm of the All-Glorious.
Ask whatsoever thou wishest of Him alone;
seek whatsoever thou seekest from Him alone.
With a look He granteth a hundred thousand
hopes, with a glance He healeth a hundred
thousand incurable ills, with a nod He layeth
balm on every wound, with a glimpse He
freeth the hearts from the shackles of grief.
He doeth as He doeth, and what recourse
have we? He carrieth out His Will, He
ordaineth what He pleaseth. Then better for
thee to bow down thy head in submission,
and put thy trust in the All-Merciful
Lord.” 113
“In the morning when I began to wake, it
happened again - That feeling that you,
Beloved, had stood over me all night keeping
watch, that feeling that as soon as I began to
stir you put Your lips on my forehead and lit a
Holy lamp inside my heart.” 114

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“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes
courage is the little voice at the end of the day
that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” 115
“Never fear shadows. They simply mean there’s
a light shining somewhere nearby.” 116
“Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers,
but to be fearless in facing them. Let me not
beg for the stilling of my pain, but for the
heart to conquer it.” 117
“Do not fear the winds of adversity.
Remember: a kite rises against the wind rather
than with it.” 118
“Nothing is im possible to the Divine
Benevolence of God.” 119
“Man is, in reality, a spiritual being, and
only when he lives in the spirit is he truly
happy.” 120
“Seek out the beauty in nature and absorb its
glory. What your eye sees and what your ear
hears can have a dramatic impact on the
healing process.” 121

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“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but
rarely admit the changes it has gone through
to achieve that beauty.” 122
“God will answer the prayer of every servant
if that prayer is urgent. His mercy is vast,
illimitable. He answers the prayers of all
His servants…But we ask for things which
the divine wisdom does not desire for us,
and there is no answer to our prayer. His
wisdom does not sanction what we wish. We
pray, ‘O God! Make me wealthy!’ If this
prayer were universally answered, human
affairs would be at a standstill. There would
be none left to work in the streets, none to
till the soil, none to build, none to run the
trains. Therefore, it is evident that it would
not be well for us if all prayers were
answered. The affairs of the world would be
interfered with, energies crippled and
progress hindered. But whatever we ask for
which is in accord with divine wisdom, God
will answer. Assuredly!
For instance, a very feeble patient may ask
the doctor to give him food which would be
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positively dangerous to his life and condition.
He may beg for roast meat. The doctor is
kind and wise. He knows it would be
dangerous to his patient so he refuses to allow
it. The doctor is merciful; the patient,
ignorant. Through the doctor’s kindness the
patient recovers; his life is saved. Yet the
patient may cry out that the doctor is unkind,
not good, because he refuses to answer his
pleading.
God is merciful. In His mercy He answers
the prayers of all His servants when according
to His supreme wisdom it is necessary.” 123

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Prayers
When we are in distress and when we are
suffering, it is a natural act to turn to God in prayer.
We want to reach out and beseech Him for help.
Perhaps our souls know that our only hope and
the true source of our comfort and strength is in
God. And there is a power in prayer:
“Prayer and supplication are so
effective that they inspire one’s heart

Prayers

for the whole day with high ideals and
supreme sanctity and calmness.” 124
“As to thy question, ‘Why pray? What
is the wisdom thereof, for God has
established everything and executes all
affairs after the best order and He
ordains everything according to a
becoming measure and puts things in
their places with the greatest propriety
and perfection – therefore what is the
wisdom in beseeching and supplicating
and in stating one’s wants and seeking
help?’ Know thou, verily, it is becoming
of a weak one to beseech the glorious,
bountiful One. When one supplicates to
his Lord, turns to Him and seeks bounty
from His ocean this supplication is by
itself a light to his heart, an illumination
to his sight, a life to his soul and an
exaltation to his being.
Therefore during thy supplications to
God and thy reciting’ Thy name is my
healing’, consider how thy heart is
cheered, thy soul delighted by the spirit

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of the love of God and thy mind
attracted to the kingdom of God! By
these attractions one’s ability and
capacity increase. When the vessel is
widened the water increaseth and when
the thirst grows the bounty of the cloud
becomes agreeable to the taste of man.
This is the mystery of supplication and
the wisdom of stating one’s wants.” 125
And so we pray to God and ask for His guidance.
We need His guidance because we are lost souls
without His help. When we ask Him for assistance,
we will receive it. At times we find ourselves
bargaining with God and begging Him to meet our
request. We ask Him to fulfill our wishes, but He
knows best; He may not fulfill our wishes in the
way we expect. We need to trust in Him and
know that He is responding in a way that He feels
is right for us.
“Ask not of Me that which We desire
not for thee, then be content with what
We have ordained for thy sake, for this
is that which profiteth thee, if therewith
thou dost content thyself.” 126

Prayers

We need only to trust in God, to be at peace
and contented with His will and believe that He
knows best.
Here are some prayers we can use to help us to
deal with painful situations in our lives:
God grant me the serenity to accept the things
I cannot change, the courage to change the
things I can, and the wisdom to know the
difference. 127
O Thou Benevolent God, forgive my sins, grant
Thy Bestowals, overlook my faults, provide for
me a shelter, immerse me in the Fountain of Thy
Patience and heal me of all sickness and disease.
Purify and sanctify me. Give me a portion from
the outpouring of holiness, so that sorrow and
sadness may vanish, joy and happiness descend,
despondency and hopelessness be changed into
cheerfulness and trustfulness, and courage take
the place of fear. Verily Thou art the Forgiver, the
Compassionate, and Thou art the Generous, the
Beloved! (‘Abdu’l-Bahá) 128

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O Lord, my God and my Haven in my distress!
My Shield and my Shelter in my woes! My Asylum
and Refuge in time of need and in my loneliness my
Companion! In my anguish my Solace, and in my
solitude a loving Friend! The Remover of the pangs
of my sorrows and the Pardoner of my sins!
Wholly unto Thee do I turn, fervently imploring
Thee with all my heart, my mind and my tongue,
to shield me from all that runs counter to Thy will
in this, the cycle of Thy divine unity, and to cleanse
me of all defilement that will hinder me from
seeking, stainless and unsullied, the shade of the
tree of Thy grace. Have mercy, O Lord, on the
feeble, make whole the sick, and quench the
burning thirst…
O God, my God! Stay not from me the gentle
gales of Thy pardon and grace, and deprive me
not of the wellsprings of Thine aid and favor.
‘Neath the shade of Thy protecting wings let me
nestle, and cast upon me the glance of Thine all-
protecting eye…Thou art, in all truth, the Gracious,
the Glorified, the Mighty, the Omnipotent.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá) 129
Prayers

Dispel my grief by Thy bounty and Thy generosity,
O God, my God, and banish mine anguish through
Thy sovereignty and Thy might. Thou seest me, O
my God, with my face set towards Thee at a time
when sorrows have compassed me on every side.
I implore Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of all
being, and overshadowest all things visible and
invisible, by Thy Name whereby Thou hast
subdued the hearts and the souls of men, and by
the billows of the Ocean of Thy mercy and the
splendors of the Day-Star of Thy bounty, to
number me with them whom nothing whatsoever
hath deterred from setting their faces toward Thee,
O Thou Lord of all names and Maker of the
heavens!
Thou beholdest, O my Lord, the things which
have befallen me in Thy days. I entreat Thee, by
Him Who is the Day-Spring of Thy names and
the Dawning-Place of Thine attributes, to ordain
for me what will enable me to arise to serve Thee
and to extol Thy virtues. Thou art, verily, the
Almighty, the Most Powerful, Who art wont to
answer the prayers of all men!

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And, finally, I beg of Thee by the light of Thy
countenance to bless my affairs, and redeem
my debts, and satisfy my needs. Thou art He to
Whose power and to Whose dominion every
tongue hath testified, and Whose majesty and
Whose sovereignty every understanding heart
hath acknowledged. No God is there but Thee,
Who hearest and art ready t o answer.
(Bahá’u’lláh) 130

Lauded and glorified art Thou, O my God! I
entreat Thee by the sighing of Thy lovers and by
the tears shed by them that long to behold Thee,
not to withhold from me Thy tender mercies in
Thy Day, nor to deprive me of the melodies of
the Dove that extolleth Thy oneness before the
light that shineth from Thy face. I am the one
who is in misery, O God! Behold me cleaving
fast to Thy Name, the All-Possessing. I am the
one who is sure to perish; behold me clinging to
Thy Name, the Imperishable. I implore Thee,
therefore, by Thy Self, the Exalted, the Most
High, not to abandon me unto mine own self and
unto the desires of a corrupt inclination. Hold
Prayers

Thou my hand with the hand of Thy power, and
deliver me from the depths of my fancies and
idle imaginings, and cleanse me of all that is
abhorrent unto Thee.
Cause me, then, to turn wholly unto Thee, to put
my whole trust in Thee, to seek Thee as my
Refuge, and to flee unto Thy face. Thou art, verily,
He Who, through the power of His might, doeth
whatsoever He desireth, and commandeth, through
the potency of His will, whatsoever He chooseth.
None can withstand the operation of Thy decree;
none can divert the course of Thine appointment.
Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the All-Glorious,
the Most Bountiful. (Bahá’u’lláh) 131
He is the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful! O
God, my God! Thou seest me, Thou knowest
me; Thou art my Haven and my Refuge. None
have I sought nor any will I seek save Thee; no
path have I trodden nor any will I tread but the
path of Thy love. In the darksome night of despair,
my eye turneth expectant and full of hope to the
morn of Thy boundless favor and at the hour of
dawn my drooping soul is refreshed and
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strengthened in remembrance of Thy beauty and
perfection. He whom the grace of Thy mercy
aideth, though he be but a drop, shall become the
boundless ocean, and the merest atom which the
outpouring of Thy loving- kindness assisteth, shall
shine even as the radiant star.
Shelter under Thy protection, O Thou Spirit of
purity, Thou Whom art the All-Bountiful Provider,
this enthralled, enkindled servant of Thine. Aid
him in this world of being to remain steadfast and
firm in Thy love and grant that this broken-winged
bird attain a refuge and shelter in Thy divine nest
that abidet h upon t he celestial tree.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá) 132
O thou kind God! To me Thou art kinder than
myself, and Thy love is more abundant and more
ancient. Whenever I am reminded of Thy bestowals
I am made happy and hopeful. If I have been agitated
I obtain ease of heart and soul. If I am sick, I gain
eternal health. If I am disloyal, I become loyal. If I
have been hopeless, I become hopeful. O thou Lord
of the Kingdom! Cause Thou the rejoicing of my

Prayers

heart; empower my weak spirit and strengthen my
exhausted nerves. Illumine Thou my eyes: suffer my
ears to become hearing, so that I may hearken to
the music of the Kingdom and attain to the joy and
happiness everlasting. Verily, thou art the Generous,
the Giver, and the Kind! (‘Abdu’l-Bahá) 133
Create in me a pure heart, O my God, and renew
a tranquil conscience within me, O my Hope!
Through the spirit of power confirm Thou me in
Thy Cause, O my Best-Beloved, and by the light
of Thy glory reveal unto me Thy path, O Thou
the Goal of my desire! Through the power of
Thy transcendent might lift me up unto the heaven
of Thy holiness, O Source of my being, and by
the breezes of Thine eternity gladden me, O Thou
Who art my God! Let Thine everlasting melodies
breathe tranquillity on me, O my Companion,
and let the riches of Thine ancient countenance
deliver me from all except Thee, O my Master,
and let the tidings of the revelation of Thine
incorruptible Essence bring me joy, O Thou Who
art the most manifest of the manifest and the
most hidden of the hidden! (Bahá’u’lláh) 134
Little Book of Comfort

O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify
my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs
in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge.
I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved; I will
be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no
longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble
harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant
things of life.
O God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to
myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá) 135
O God, my God! I beg of Thee by the ocean of
Thy healing, and by the splendors of the Day-
Star of Thy grace, and by Thy Name through
which Thou didst subdue Thy servants, and by
the pervasive power of Thy most exalted Word
and the potency of Thy most august Pen, and by
Thy mercy that hath preceded the creation of all
who are in heaven and on earth, to purge me
with the waters of Thy bounty from every affliction
and disorder, and from all weakness and
feebleness.
Prayers

Thou seest, O my Lord, Thy suppliant waiting at
the door of Thy bounty, and him who hath set his
hopes on Thee clinging to the cord of Thy
generosity. Deny him not, I beseech Thee, the
things he seeketh from the ocean of Thy grace
and the Day-Star of Thy loving-kindness.
Powerful art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. There
is none other God save Thee, the Ever-Forgiving,
the Most Generous. (Bahá’u’lláh) 136
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I implore
Thee, by Thy Most Great Name through Which
Thou didst stir up Thy servants and build up Thy
cities, and by Thy most excellent titles, and Thy
most august attributes, to assist Thy people to
turn in the direction of Thy manifold bounties, and
set their faces towards the Tabernacle of Thy
wisdom. Heal Thou the sicknesses that have
assailed the souls on every side, and have deterred
them from directing their gaze towards the Paradise
that lieth in the shelter of Thy shadowing Name,
which Thou didst ordain to be the King of all
names unto all who are in heaven and all who are
on earth. Potent art Thou to do as pleaseth Thee.
Little Book of Comfort

In Thy hands is the empire of all names. There is
none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Wise.
I am but a poor creature, O my Lord; I have
clung to the hem of Thy riches. I am sore sick; I
have held fast the cord of Thy healing. Deliver me
from the ills that have encircled me, and wash me
thoroughly with the waters of Thy graciousness
and mercy, and attire me with the raiment of
wholesomeness, through Thy forgiveness and
bounty. Fix, then, mine eyes upon Thee, and rid
me of all attachment to aught else except Thyself.
Aid me to do what Thou desirest, and to fulfill
what Thou pleasest.
Thou art truly the Lord of this life and of the next.
Thou art, in truth, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most
Merciful. (Bahá’u’lláh) 137
Glory be to Thee, O my God! I beg of Thee by
Thy name, the Most Merciful, to protect Thy
servants and Thy handmaidens when the tempests
of trials pass over them, and Thy manifold tests
assail them. Enable them, then, O my God, so to
seek refuge within the stronghold of Thy love and

Prayers

of Thy Revelation, that neither Thine adversaries
nor the wicked doers among Thy servants, who
have broken Thy Covenant and Thy Testament,
and turned away most disdainfully from the
Day-Spring of Thine Essence and the Revealer of
Thy glory, may prevail against them. They
themselves, O my Lord, have waited at the door
of Thy grace. Do Thou open it to their faces with
the keys of Thy bountiful favors. Potent art Thou
to do what Thou willest, and to ordain what Thou
pleasest. These are the ones, O my Lord, who
have set their faces towards Thee, and turned
unto Thy habitation. Do with them, therefore, as
becometh Thy mercy, which hath surpassed the
worlds. (Bahá’u’lláh) 138
Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! I beg of
Thee by Thy Name through which He Who is
Thy Beauty hath been stablished upon the throne
of Thy Cause, and by Thy Name through which
Thou changest all things, and gatherest together
all things, and callest to account all things, and
rewardest all things, and preservest all things,
and sustainest all things — I beg of Thee to

Little Book of Comfort

guard this handmaiden who hath fled for refuge
to Thee, and hath sought the shelter of Him in
Whom Thou Thyself art manifest, and hath put
her whole trust and confidence in Thee.
She is sick, O my God, and hath entered beneath
the shadow of the Tree of Thy healing; afflicted,
and hath fled to the City of Thy protection;
diseased, and hath sought the Fountain-Head of
Thy favors; sorely vexed, and hath hasted to attain
the Well-Spring of Thy tranquillity; burdened with
sin, and hath set her face toward the court of Thy
forgiveness.
Attire her, by Thy sovereignty and Thy loving-
kindness, O my God and my Beloved, with the
raiment of Thy balm and Thy healing, and make
her quaff of the cup of Thy mercy and Thy favors.
Protect her, moreover, from every affliction and
ailment, from all pain and sickness, and from
whatsoever may be abhorrent unto Thee.
Thou, in truth, art immensely exalted above all
else except Thyself. Thou art, verily, the Healer,
the All-Sufficing, the Preserver, the Ever-Forgiving,
the Most Merciful. (Bahá’u’lláh) 139
Prayers

Thy name is my healing, O my God, and
remembrance of Thee is my remedy. Nearness to
Thee is my hope, and love for Thee is my
companion. Thy mercy to me is my healing and
my succor in both this world and the world to
come. Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful, the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise. (Bahá’u’lláh) 140
Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! I implore
Thee by Thy Name, through which Thou didst lift
up the ensigns of Thy guidance, and didst shed
the radiance of Thy loving-kindness, and didst
reveal the sovereignty of Thy Lordship; through
which the lamp of Thy names hath appeared within
the niche of Thine attributes, and He Who is the
Tabernacle of Thy unity and the Manifestation of
detachment hath shone forth; through which the
ways of Thy guidance were made known, and the
paths of Thy good pleasure were marked out;
through which the foundations of error have been
made to tremble, and the signs of wickedness
have been abolished; through which the fountains
of wisdom have burst forth, and the heavenly table

Little Book of Comfort

hath been sent down; through which Thou didst
preserve Thy servants and didst vouchsafe Thy
healing; through which Thou didst show forth Thy
tender mercies unto Thy servants and revealedst
Thy forgiveness amidst Thy creatures — I implore
Thee to keep safe him who hath held fast and
returned unto Thee, and clung to Thy mercy, and
seized the hem of Thy loving providence. Send
down, then, upon him Thy healing, and make him
whole, and endue him with a constancy vouchsafed
by Thee, and a tranquillity bestowed by Thy
highness. Thou art, verily, the Healer, the Preserver,
the Helper, the Almighty, the Powerful, the
All-Glorious, the All-Knowing. (Bahá’u’lláh) 141
Thou art He, O my God, through Whose names
the sick are healed and the ailing are restored,
and the thirsty are given drink, and the sore-vexed
are tranquillized, and the wayward are guided,
and the abased are exalted, and the poor are
enriched, and the ignorant are enlightened, and
the gloomy are illumined, and the sorrowful are
cheered, and the chilled are warmed, and the
downtrodden are raised up. Through Thy name,
Prayers

O my God, all created things were stirred up, and
the heavens were spread, and the earth was
established, and the clouds were raised and made
to rain upon the earth. This, verily, is a token of
Thy grace unto all Thy creatures.
I implore Thee, therefore, by Thy name through
which Thou didst manifest Thy Godhead, and didst
exalt Thy Cause above all creation, and by each
of Thy most excellent titles and most august
attributes, and by all the virtues wherewith Thy
transcendent and most exalted Being is extolled,
to send down this night from the clouds of Thy
mercy the rains of Thy healing upon this suckling,
whom Thou hast related unto Thine all-glorious
Self in the kingdom of Thy creation. Clothe him,
then, O my God, by Thy grace, with the robe of
well-being and health, and guard him, O my
Beloved, from every affliction and disorder, and
from whatever is obnoxious unto Thee. Thy might,
verily, is equal to all things. Thou, in truth, art the
Most Powerful, the Self-Subsisting. Send down,
moreover, upon him, O my God, the good of this
world and of the next, and the good of the former
and latter generations. Thy might and Thy wisdom
are, verily, equal unto this. (Bahá’u’lláh) 142
Little Book of Comfort

O kind Lord! O Comforter of anguished hearts!
Send down Thy mercy upon us, and Thy grace,
bestow upon us patience, give us the strength to
endure. With Thy generous hand, lay Thou a balm
upon our sores, grant us a medicine for this
never-healing woe. Console Thou Thy loved ones,
comfort Thy friends and handmaids, heal Thou
our wounded breasts, and with Thy bounty’s
remedy, restore our festering hearts.
With the gentle breeze of Thy compassion, make
fresh and green again these boughs, withered by
autumn blasts; restore Thou to flourishing life these
flowers, shrivelled by the blight of bereavement.
With tidings of the Abha Paradise, wed Thou our
souls to joy, and rejoice Thou our spirits with
heartening voices from the dwellers in the realm
of glory.
Thou art the Bounteous, Thou art the Clement; Thou
art the Bestower, the Loving. (Bahiyyih Khanum) 143
(For more information about The Bahá’í Faith, please
contact your local Bahá’í community and the
international website www.bahai.org.)

References
1 St. Rain, Justice, Why Me, A Spiritual Guide to
Growing Through Tests (Heltonville, IN: Special
Ideas, 2003), p. 1-4
2 Shoghi Effendi, Lights of Guidance (New Delhi,
India: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1994), 2049,
p. 603-604
3 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks (London: Bahá’í Publishing
Trust, 1995), The Benefits of God to Man, [7], p. 50
4 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Star of the West, vol. XIV, no. 2, p. 41
5 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Star of the West, vol. IV, no. 12, p. 205
6 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, The Progress of the
Soul, [1], p. 178
7 Shoghi Effendi, Lights of Guidance, 944, p. 280
8 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in Dr. J. E. Esslemont, Bahá’u’lláh
and the New Era (Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í Publishing
Trust, 1980), p. 110
9 Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá’u’lláh (Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í Publishing Trust,
1976), LII, p. 106
10 Bahá’u’lláh, The Compilation of Compilations vol.
I, prepared by the Universal House of Justice
1963-1990 (Victoria, Australia: Bahá’í
Publications, 1991), 334, p. 171

Little Book of Comfort

11 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Star of the West vol. 8, no. 19, p. 241
12 Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá’u’lláh, CLIII, p. 329
13 Author unknown. Variation submitted to local
Bahá’í bulletin by Daryush Yazdani; the story can
be found on several websites, including http://
www.turnbacktogod.com.story-teacup-speaks-
about-its-potter
14 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, Pain and Sorrow,
[1-10; 14], p. 109-112
15 Honnold, Annamarie, Vignettes from the Life of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Oxford: George Ronald, 1982),
p. 115-116
16 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Dr. J.E. Esslemont, Bahá’u’lláh and
the New Era, p. 110-111
17 Meister Eckhart, http://www.elsajoy.com/free2/
htm
18 Proverbs 17:22, http://www.biblegateway.com
19 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, The Progress of the Soul,
[3],p. 179
20 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Vol. I (New
York: Bahá’í Publishing Committee, The National
Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United
States, 1980), p. 70
21 Honnold, Annamarie, Vignettes from the Life of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 149-151
22 Abraham Lincoln, http://www.goodreads.com/
quotes/

References

23 Chinese proverb, http://www.beliefnet.com
24 Anonymous, http://quotationsbook.com/quote/37925
25 Dalai Lama, http://www.brainyquote.com/quote/
quotes/d/dalailama101711.html
26 Mother Teresa, http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/
27 Stephen Grellet, http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/
28 Albert Einstein, http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/
29 Charles Dickens, http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/
30 Buddha, http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/
quotes/b/buddha417367.html
31 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, Good Ideas must be
Carried into Action, [7], p. 80
32 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá , Foundations of World Unity
(Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1968), p. 42
33 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace
(Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1982), 17
June 1912, [1], p. 204
34 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Dr. J.E. Esslemont, Bahá’u’lláh and
the New Era, p. 113
35 Shahid Athar, http://www.onislam.net/english/
h ealth-an d-s c ie n ce /faith -an d-th e-s c ie n c es /
435134-prophet-mohammads-advices-of-healiing-
wih-prayers.html?the-sciences
36 Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá’u’lláh, LXVI, p. 129
37 Bahá’u’lláh, The Hidden Words (Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í
Publishing Trust, 2003), Arabic no. 48, p. 15

Little Book of Comfort

38 Qu’ran 23: 111 in http://www/islamreligion.com/
articles/3534
39 Romans 12:12, http://www.biblegateway.com
40 Qu’ran 2:177, http://.www.qurantoday.com/
BaqSec22.htm
41 Colossians 3:12, http://www.biblegateway.com
42 Elif Shafak, The Forty Rules of Love, http://
www.colourenergyworks.co.uk/the-forty-rules-of-love/
43 Rumi, http://www.entheos.com/quotes/by_topic/
patience
44 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá’í World Faith (Wilmette, IL:
Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1976), p. 375
45 Qu’ran 3:200, http://quran.com/search?=patience
46 The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab,
compiled by the Research Department of the
Universal House of Justice (Haifa, Israel: Bahá’í
World Centre, 1978), p. 21
47 Attributed to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the diary of Ahmad
Sohrab, Star of the West, vol. 8, no. 2, p. 17
48 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Star of the West, vol. 16. no. 1,
p. 401
49 Jeremiah Burroughs, http://www.goodreads.com/
quotes/
50 Charles R, Swindoll, http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/
51 Bahá’u’lláh, The Hidden Words, Arabic no, 12, p. 6
52 Buddha, http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/
quotes/b/buddha140966.html

References

53 Mohammed, http://quotationsbook.com/quote/
249466/
54 Lao Tzu, http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/
quotes/1/laotzu393061.html
55 Plato, http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/
56 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá’í World Faith, p. 363-364
57 Schiraldi, Glenn R. and Kerr, Melissa Hallmark,
The Anger Management Sourcebook (New York:
McGraw-Hill, 2002), p. 182
58 Marianne Williamson, http://www.goodreads.com/
quotes/
59 Mishneh Torah, Teshuvah 2:10, http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgiveness
60 Mark 11:25, http://en/wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgiveness
61 Luke 6:27-29, http://en/wikipedia.org/wiki/
Forgiveness
62 Matthew 18:21-22, http://en/wikipedia.org/wiki/
Forgiveness
63 Qu’ran 24:22, http://www/islamawakened.com/
quran/24/..%5C24%5C22%5Cdefault.htm
64 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace,
2 December 1912, [2], p. 453
65 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, p. 154
66 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace,
5 May 1912, [4], p. 93
67 Abdu;l-Baha, The Compilation of Compilations vol. I,
786, p. 373

Little Book of Comfort

68 Mary Stevenson, http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/
69 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, The Duty of Kindness
and Sympathy towards Strangers and
Foreigners, [1], p. 15
70 Rachel Naomi Remen, http://
freehealingweb.blogspot.ca/p/quotes.html
71 Anonymous, http://goodreads.com
72 Buddha, http://freehealingweb.blogspot.ca/p/
quotes.html
73 Richard Bach, http://www.goodreads.com
74 Thich Nhat Hanh, http://freehealingweb.blogspot.ca/
p/quotes.html
75 J.J.Goldwag, http://quotes-motivational.com/
Motivational/Healing -Quotes-6.html
76 Carl Townsend, http://freehealingweb.blogspot.ca/
p/quotes.html
77 Anonymous, http://www.quotes.cl
78 Franklin D. Roosevelt, http://www/brainyquote.com
79 Bahá’u’lláh, The Hidden Words, Arabic no. 9, p. 5
80 Viktor E. Frankl, http://www.goodreads.com/
quotes/quotes/f/franklind101840.html
81 Bahá’u’lláh, The Hidden Words, Arabic no. 10, p. 6
82 Traditional blessing, http://www.worldprayers.org/
archive/prayers/celebrations
83 Wayne Dyer, http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/
84 Bahá’u’lláh, The Hidden Words, Persian no. 32, p. 33

References

85 Ram Dass, http://www.freehealingweb.blogspot.ca/
p/quotes.html
86 Isaiah 43: 1-5, http://www.biblegateway.com/
passage/?search=Isaiah+43&version=NIV
87 Originally Persian Sufi poets, http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
88 Unknown, http://shareinspirequotes.blogspot.ca
89 Bahá’u’lláh, Bahá’í Prayers (Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í
Publishing Trust, 2002), p. 145
90 Ralph Waldo Emerson, http://
www.goodreads.com/quotes/
91 Unknown, http://www.searchquotes.com
92 Cayla Mills, http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/
93 Rumi, http://www/goodreads.com/quotes/
94 Romans 15:13, http://www.biblestudytools.com/
95 Isaiah 49:13, http://www.biblegateway.com/
96 Psalms 147:3, http://www.biblegateway.com/
97 Matthew 11: 28, http://biblehub.com
98 Confucius, http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/
99 Arabian proverb, http://www.selfhelpdaily.com/
quotes
100 Joshua 1:9, http://www,biblegateway.com/
101 Psalms 23: 4, http://www.biblegateway.com/
102 Anonymous, http://www.selfhelpdaily.com/
103 Chinese proverb, http://quotationsbook.com/
quotes/

Little Book of Comfort

104 Albert Einstein, http://www.goodreads.com/
quotes/
105 Lucius Annaeus Seneca, http://www/
brainyquote.com/quotes/
106 Elbert Hubbard, http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/
107 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, compiled by the Research Department
of the Universal House of Justice (Haifa,Israel:
Bahá’í World Centre, 1978), 236, p. 317
108 Henry James, http://quotationsbook.com
109 Sree Chakravarti, http://www.suffering.net/
helpoth.htm
110 George Sheehan, http://www.quotationspage.com
111 Hebrews 13:5c, http://dailystudybible.com/
Morning_March_25.htm
112 Robert Benson, http://friendsofsilence.net/
newsletter/june-2011
113 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá, 22, p. 51
114 Hafiz, http://www.elsajoy.com/hafiz.html
115 Mary Anne Radmacher, http://www.goodreads.com/
quotes/
116 Ruth E. Renkel, http://quotationsbook.com/quotes/
117 Rabindranath Tagore, http://www.goodreads.com/
quotes/
118 Unknown, http://www.great-inspirational-
quotes.com/adversity-quotes.html

References

119 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, The Pitiful Causes of War,
and the Duty of Everyone to Strive for Peace, [10],
p. 29
120 Ibid., Spiritual Aspiration in the West, [7], p. 72
121 J.J.Goldwag, http://quotes-motivational.com/
Motivation/Healing -Quotes-2.html
122 Maya Angelou, http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/
123 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace,
5 August 1912, [6-9], p. 246-247
124 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Star of the West Vol. 8, no. 4, p. 41-44
125 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Divine Art of Living (Wilmette, IL:
Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1974), p. 26
126 Bahá’u’lláh, The Hidden Words, Arabic no. 18, p. 8
127 Serenity Prayer, untitled prayer written down by
the American theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr in
1943, adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous and other
twelve-step programs
128 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Dr. J.E. Esslemont, Bahá’u’lláh and
the New Era, p. 99
129 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá’í Prayers, p. 132-133
130 Bahá’u’lláh, Ibid., p. 223-224
131 Ibid., p. 224-225
132 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 133-134
133 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Divine Art of Living (Wilmette, IL:
Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1944), p. 106
134 Bahá’u’lláh, Bahá’í Prayers, p. 164-165

Little Book of Comfort

135 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá’í Prayers, p. 174-175
136 Bahá’u’lláh, Ibid., p. 95-96
137 Ibid., p. 97-99
138 Bahá’u’lláh, Prayers and Meditations of Bahá’u’lláh
(Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1987), CXLIII,
p. 231-232
139 Bahá’u’lláh, Bahá’í Prayers, p. 99-100
140 Ibid., p. 96
141 Ibid., p. 96-97
142 Ibid, p. 100-102
143 Bahiyyih Khanum, The Greatest Holy Leaf: A
Compilation from Bahá’í sacred texts and writings
of the Guardian of the Faith and Bahiyyih Khanum’s
own letters (Haifa, Israel: Bahá’í World Centre,
1982), p. 150

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