# Interviews with 'Abdu'l-Baha *Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-18 — 1 clipping.* --- > Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Lovell Bearse Pemberton, Interviews with 'Abdu'l-Baha, bahai-library.com. > ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── > > /Ifcobern pilgrimage > to > > Palestine > > X. . pemberton > > Will UluBlrattoitB from pr,QtoorjirjB bg tl|r atrtlior > > DORRANCE AND COMPANY > PUBLISHERS PHILADELPHIA MCMXXV > COPYRIGHT 1928 > DORRANCE Ok COMPANY INC > > MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA > Contents > CHAPTER PAGE > > I The First Step 13 > II London in February 22 > III In Gay Paree 27 > IV Through Switzerland 33 > V Impressions of Italy 40 > VI On the Mediterranean 49 > VII In the Land of the Pharaohs 56 > VIII From Egypt to Palestine 66 > IX The New Bahai Temple 74 > X What the Bahai Movement Is 82 > XI Haifa to Tiberias 90 > XII Interviews With Abdul Baha 97 > XIII Snapshots on the Sea of Galilee 105 > XIV From the Sea of Galilee to Jerusalem 110 > XV In Jerusalem 117 > XVI Jerusalem Continued 130 > XVII Mosque of Omar and the Via Dolorosa 137 > XVIII A Day at Bethlehem 143 > XIX From the Mount of Olives to Mount Zion ... 150 > XX Last Days in Jerusalem 155 > XXI From Jerusalem to Cairo 161 > XXII Here and There in Cairo 166 > XXIII Cairo to Alexandria 172 > XXIV How the Pyramids Were Built 178 > XXV Woman's Sphere in the Orient 184 > XXVI The Future of Bahaism 190 > XXVII On the Good Ship Esperia 198 > XXVIII From Naples to Paris 202 > XXIX A Glimpse of Paris 209 > XXX Playgrounds of Children and Kings 218 > XXXI From Paris to New York 225 > XXXII Hints to Travelers 230 > XXXIII Transportation Problems 240 > XXXIV Dress, Tips and Guides 252 > XXXV The End of the Trail 260 > ICfst of Uttustratfons > Model of the Bahai Temple at Chicago, Illinois. . > .Frontispiece > PACING PAGE > > Looking Down From the Ruins of the Palaces of the > Caesars 44 > > Garden of Rizwan, Near Haifa 92 > Abdul Baha 100 > > The Garden of Gethsemane 121 > > Statue of Joan of Arc in The Madeleine, Paris 205 > XII > > Interviews With Abdul Baha > > Before going further it might be well to explain that > the three outstanding figures in the Bahai world are > Ali Muhammad, known as the Bab (meaning the Door > or Gate) ; Huseyn Ali of Nur, afterwards called Baha > > Ullah (pronounced Buh-hah Oo-lah, accented on the > second and fourth syllables and meaning the "Glory of > God"), and Abdul Baha (pronounced Ahb-dool Buh-hah, > accented on the first and last syllables, and meaning > literally "Slave or Servant of the Glory"). The latter > is the son of Baha Ullah, and is the present head of the > movement. > > Among the Bahais these three personages are regarded > respectively as the Messenger, the Manifestation and the > Expounder of the cause. Of these, the first was martyred > in 1850 at the age of thirty, in the public square at > Tabriz; the second, Beha Ullah, after being persecuted > and imprisoned for nearly forty years, finally departed > this life in May, 1892, at Behje, near Acca, where he is > buried. Before his death he appointed his son, Abdul > Baha to be the "Center of the Covenant," and author > ized Expounder of his writings. The only claim that > Abdul Baha makes for himself is that he is a great > educator, and the Servant of God in this Revelation. > Sir Abdul Baha Abbas (as he was recently knighted > by the English government), was born in Teheran, > > [97] > A Modern Pilgrimage > > Persia, May 23, 1844, and is consequently in the seventyeighth year of his age. He is a genial, kindly man of > medium size, somewhat stooped, with long, snow-white > hair and beard. His face is browned and seamed with > many lines that at first would seem to indicate a man > of more advanced age ; but in his movements he is active > and alert, while his majestic bearing gives one the im > pression that he is a person of prominence and power. > You are immediately attracted by his large grey eyes > that have a kindly, but searching look, and seem to take > in everything at a glance. His mental and physical > faculties are in full vigor. He wears a long, brown robe > of silk and camel's wool, with wide, flowing sleeves, and > his massive head is crowned with a pure white turban. > In speech he is ready and apt; his expressions concise > and exact, and his genial talks lead up to a point and > convey a lesson, which his > hearers cannot fail to grasp. > > During the early stages of our trip I had entertained > see this important person (as > vague hopes that I might > I had not yet received permission to visit him), and > often wondered if I would really meet him. You can > inter > imagine my surprise when I was invited to daily > views with him during our short stay in Tiberias, and > > the honor I felt in being accorded a private interview > of three-quarters of an hour's duration. > When ushered into his presence, you are greeted with > are you ?" in English, strongly > a kindly smile and "How > > accented on the second word. If you reply, "Very > > well!" he laughingly repeats it in Persian, which is very > like the English expression, and invites you to be seated; > > {98 1 > Interviews With Abdul Bahai > > after which he usually inquires of each one, "Are you > well and happy?" Then, after a few preliminary remarks, > he begins his > talk, which lasts from twenty to thirty > minutes. You listen, or answer the questions directed > to you, until he has finished, when he rises, shakes hands > all around, and ends the interview. As he speaks very > little English, his talks are in Persian, and translated by > his secretary, Azizullah, who has a ready command of > English as well as Persian, Arabic and other languages. > In the first interview, which was given in his room > in the tower of the hotel at Tiberias, he commented on > the beauty of the scenery of Palestine, and related how > the Lord told Abraham that it was the finest in the > world and if there was anything better He would have > given it to him. He then likened it to California, its > climate, the contour of the hills, its flowers and foliage > being much the same, and in this respect he called > California "the Holy Land of America." He concluded > his talk with the story of the man who wanted to be > come a Bahai. > > Some years ago, he said, he was traveling through > Persia, in company with several others, one of whom > was a merchant known to him as a man of rather > questionable reputation. The caravan stopped at a cer > > tain town, and numbers of the people flocked out to > meet Abdul Baha. From there they proceeded to > another town, where more people came out to meet him; then > to another town, where the same thing was repeated. After > this had occurred a number of times, and every > where crowds of people had invariably rushed out to > > [99] > A Modern Pilgrimage > > meet him, the merchant called him aside and told him > he wished to become a Bahai. On being asked why, > he said, "You are a Bahai, and wherever you go great > crowds of people flock out to meet you, while no one > comes to meet me ; so I wish to become a Bahai." Asked > > if that was the real reason, he replied, "I also think it > will help my business, as I will have all these people > come to meet me." Then Abdul Baha told him, "Do not > become a Bahai. It is better for you to remain as > > you are." > The moral to this little story was too obvious to need > any explanation. > The next day Abdul Baha spoke of the essential and > non-essential things of life and illustrated his remarks > with the story of the young Arab woman who preferred > not to live in thecity. It seems that a wealthy man > who was traveling through the desert happened to meet > a young Arab woman, and being struck > with her youth > and beauty, begged her to accompany him to the city, > other > offering her many inducements to do so. Among > adorn her with silk and > things, he offered to person > should have the > costly raiment, promising that she > beautiful > daintiest and most expensive morsels to eat; a > to wait her. After > palace to live in, and servants upon > he had exhausted his glowing arguments, the young > Arab woman at him and said, "Why should I > laughed > be a your expensive > prisoner, and shut myself up > in > > walls? Why should I worry with your silks and fine > have all that I need. > raiment? Here I am happy and > and I have the pure > The whole blue sky is above me, > > [100] > ESESESESE^BaSSHiailMf esf* ' > > ^^*V^ > E^EMBlssEWiprIbJ iii r > Bftiii. *4^ > 11 RHsi '* TT V > > 1 B^IVf -*S j > A^ > ^^BsKk^B > 1 e4- r\-SRffl ^ > X^i - > ' > "'.jA > > ^r > ' > > l ! > > E^ESESESfESESE* -'' > ' > - > m > > ' > > H| 1 ^8 > w > > 9 J^ j \^ > 1 ' > # > ' > fl .sw > > ^^^^^HH[ / jm > > > > ESESEflESESESESEsssflH!^ / m > ^B^^^^^^^^^^K^*Se^e^emb1e > ABUL'I. BAHA > Interviews With Abdul Bahai > > air to breathe. Why should I give up my freedom?" > Early one morning I visited Magdala, and returning > at about eleven o'clock I noticed that Abdul Baha was > > seated alone in the parlor of the hotel. As I passed, > he came to the door and beckoned me to enter. While > he was saying, "Come in!" his gestures indicated the > opposite direction; but as I had been informed before > hand of this lack of co-ordination in his signals, I en > > tered. After the usual salutations, he called in his secre > tary and said, "You have been to Magdala! How did > you like it? expressed the desire, I would > If you had > have placed my carriage at your disposal." He mar > veled that I had walked so far; but I explained that on > the steamer we had made it a practice to walk twenty > miles each day, in order to keep in good condition. He > took a handful of shells which I had just picked up on > the beach near Magdala, and commented on their beauty > and then inquired if I would like to hear the history of > Mary Magdalene. On being assured that I would, espe > cially from him, he proceeded to relate the history, > which in substance is as follows: > Magdala, the little village I had just visited, was the > birthplace of Mary, known as the Magdalene. She was > a beautiful girl in the habit of coming often to Tiberias, > > where at that time many Roman soldiers were located. > Here she attracted the attention of a young Roman > officer, with whom she later lived on terms of intimacy. > In the course of time, this officer was transferred to > Rome, and was advanced to a position of trust in the > affairs of the Roman Empire being well liked and en- > > [101] > A Modern Pilgrimage > > joying the favor of the Emperor. After his departure > from Tiberias, the well-known events occurred that > changed Mary. She forsook her former life, > the life of > embraced the faith and became an ardent Christian. > In those days, immediately following the crucifixion, > the Jews were being severely persecuted by the Romans, > and Mary was chosen to go to Rome and intercede for > them. On her arrival at Rome, one of the first persons > she met was the young officer who had been her lover > in Tiberias, and who was overjoyed at seeing her think > ing that her great love for him had induced her to make > the long journey. He lost inviting her to > no time in > come with him; but she refused, saying that she was > > not the same woman he had known at Tiberias. He > then inquired why she had come to Rome if not to see > > him? To which she replied, "To see the Roman Em > peror!" This somewhat astounded the young officer, > who thought she was making sport with him. Finally > all > she convinced him of her sincerity by telling him > that had happened in the Holy Land since his departure, > how she had of her former life and become a > repented > Christian. The young man was so touched by her > for her > recital that he offered to secure an interview > his high posi > with the Emperor. This, on account of > and in few days she entered > tion, he was able to do, > a > > the presence of the Emperor, who > met her kindly and > for her. To which she re > inquired what he could do > Somewhat per > plied "For myself, I want nothing." > had sought interview with > plexed, he asked why she > an > > and she answered, "I have come to ask you in the > him, > > [102] > Interviews With Abdul Bahai > > name of the Christians to stop the persecutions of the > Jews in Palestine." The Emperor exclaimed, "I have > been doing this as a favor to the Christians to punish > the Jews for crucifying your Christ !" But Mary assured > him that the Christians did not want this; that their > religion was based on love not revenge. > > This idea was so new to the Emperor that he asked > her to explain to him more about this strange new creed, > and in the end agreed to comply with her request. At > the close of the interview, the Emperor ordered her to > be well cared for, and showed her many honors during > her stay in Rome. > "This," said Abdul Baha, in closing, "shows the power > of the Spirit. Here was a poor and ignorant woman, > who in her youth had been a girl of the street and re > spected by no one, but whose life had been transformed > and illumined by the Spirit. From a lowly station she > had been elevated by the power of the Spirit, until she > was received and honored by an Emperor. Other things > pass away, but the power of the Spirit is sure and > eternal !" > His talk the following day was on the folly of devot > ing one's life simply to the accumulation of money. As > an illustration he cited an incident that occurred during > > his visit to New York City in 1912: > A noted banker had been making a collection of rare > Persian and Oriental manuscripts and invited Abdul > Baha to come at a certain hour and give him an opinion > as to whether or not they were genuine. At the ap > time he was conducted to the banker's library > pointed > > [103] > A Modem Pilgrimage > > and soon after his arrival was informed by a messenger > that his host was detained, but would arrive presently. > After some time, a second messenger arrived, expressing > his regrets that an urgent business meeting had prevented > the banker from arriving on time, but that he would > come very Then Abdul Baha said that he was > soon. > > sorry he could not remain longer, as he, too, was a > busy man. > "Thus," he said, "a man who is spending his time > trying to amass great riches, is not a free man, but is a > slave to his wealth. After all, if wealth was the prin > cipal thing, then Christ would have devoted His life > to money-getting, as He had a brain undoubtedly equal > to the task; but He realized that other things are of > more consequence, and that the things of the Spirit are > > the only ones that are eternal." > In our final interview the next morning, he spoke of > the pleasure our visit had given him. He wished us > success in our work and promised to pray for us in the > with > silent hours of the night. He urged us to go forth > of > renewed courage, and a determination to live a life > of color, race > service; to be kind to everyone regardless > or condition; to be "a cause > of healing for every sick > > one, a comforter for every sorrowful one, a pleasant > for every > water forevery one, a heavenly table > thirsty > to everyone who yearns for > hungry one, and a herald > the Kingdom of God." > > [104] > > — *Interviews with 'Abdu'l-Baha (Used by permission of the curator)*