Abdul-Baha
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Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Moojan Momen, Abdul-Baha, bahai-library.com.
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Abdul-Baha

Abdul-Baha was appointed by his father, Baha'u'llah, to be his successor as head of the
Baha'i faith. He was named as the Center of the Covenant between Baha'u'llah and his
followers, the perfect exemplar of the Baha'i teachings, and the authorized interpreter of
the Baha'i scriptures. He carried out these functions from the death of his father in 1892
until his own death in 1921.

Abdul-Baha was named Abbas Effendi at his birth in Tehran on May 23, 1844. He grew up
during the turbulent years of the Babi upheavals in Iran, in which his father was much
involved. In 1852, the whole family was exiled to Baghdad, Iraq, then to Istanbul and
Edirne in Turkey, and finally to Akka (now in Israel). As he grew up, Abdul-Baha
increasingly assumed responsibility for organizing the household, for supervising and vetting the stream of
visitors and pilgrims who came to see his father, and for managing all contacts between the small community of
exiles and government officials, thus leaving his father as free as possible to concentrate on dictating the words
that would form the Baha'i scriptures. Even as a young man, he came to prominence because of his character,
his grasp of mysticism and philosophy, and his ability to attract and inspire those whom he met. In later years,
Professor E.G. Browne of Cambridge University described Abdul-Baha in this manner: "Seldom have I seen one
whose appearance impressed me more. . . . One more eloquent of speech, more ready of argumentation, more
apt of illustration, more intimately acquainted with the sacred books of the Jews, the Christians, and the
Muhammadans, could, I should think, scarcely be found."

When Abdul-Baha took over the leadership of the Baha'i faith in 1892, it was still a movement confined to the
Middle East and India that consisted almost exclusively of Iranians. During his ministry, he expanded the reach of
the religion to North and South America, Europe, East Asia, and Australasia. Through his two visits to Europe
and North America (in 1911 and 1912–1913), he strengthened these nascent communities, spoke at numerous
prestigious venues, and met many prominent persons, including religious leaders, philosophers, and statesmen.
The newspapers of the time frequently referred to him as "the Persian prophet." Wherever there was a sufficiently
large Baha'i community, he initiated the establishment of Baha'i administrative institutions.

The writings of Abdul-Baha and the texts of the talks he gave during his journeys to the West have an important
place in Baha'i literature. He kept up a voluminous correspondence with people, both Baha'is and others, from all
parts of the world and wrote on philosophical, mystical, historical, social, and political themes. Still, Abdul-Baha
suffered greatly during his life. It was not until he was 64 years old, in 1908, that the restrictions he had been
under since going into exile in 1852 were finally lifted. On several occasions, his life was in great danger. He died
in Haifa in modern-day Israel on November 28, 1921, and is buried in the Shrine of the Bab on Mount Carmel in
Haifa.

All accounts agree that Abdul-Baha had a charismatic personal presence that radiated a serene, majestic, and
authoritative air. He was always very kind in his personal dealings and generous to the point that his own family

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members complained that they were left with nothing. He had a keen sense of humor and frequently used
amusing anecdotes to make his point understood. His personal life was very simple and the furnishings of his
rooms spartan. He ate and slept little and spent some hours every day in prayer and meditation. He was greatly
venerated by the Baha'is and sometimes restrained them from making exaggerated claims about him. He always
insisted that his highest station and greatest honor was to be Abdul-Baha ("the servant of Baha'u'llah").

Moojan Momen

Further Reading

'Abdu'l-Baha. Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha. Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre, 1978; Balyuzi, Hasan
M.'Abdu'l-Baha: The Centre of the Covenant of Baha'u'llah. 2d ed. Oxford: George Ronald, 1987.

Select Citation Style:     MLA

MLA
Momen, Moojan. "Abdul-Baha." World Religions: Belief, Culture, and Controversy. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 2 Nov.
2011.

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-- Abdul-Baha (Used by permission of the curator)