Light of the World: Selected Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

A volume of newly translated tablets penned by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has been released online and in print. Light of the World comprises a selection of seventy-six tablets, from among thousands penned by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in which aspects of the life of Bahá’u’lláh and the purpose of His Faith are recounted. “Who better to tell us about Bahá’u’lláh,” the preface of the new volume states, “than His most cherished Son, Who shared, as His closest associate, His life of exile, imprisonment, and persecution?” The passing of Bahá’u’lláh on 29 May 1892, after a ministry spanning four decades of exile from His native Iran, left the Bahá’í community grief-stricken. In its hour of need, the community turned to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá—Bahá’u’lláh’s appointed successor—for solace and guidance. Many of the tablets in the new volume are from that time of bereavement, while others were written in later years when Bahá’ís found themselves suffering persecution and hardship. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá called on Bahá’ís to reflect on the life of Bahá’u’lláh and His response to times of tribulation as a source of inspiration in their efforts to serve humanity, even when under the most difficult circumstances. The release of this volume comes at a special period of reflection on the lives of the Central Figures of the Bahá’í Faith. Over the last five years, the Bahá’í world has marked the bicentenaries of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh and the Birth of the Báb and now prepares to commemorate the centenary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s passing later this year.

Tablets of ‘Abdul-Bahá describing aspects of the life of Bahá’u’lláh including the tribulations He suffered, events in His homeland, the purpose and greatness of His Cause, and the nature and significance of His Covenant.