I am most grateful for your services; in truth you have
served me. You have extended hospitality. Night and day you have been ready to
serve and to diffuse the divine fragrances. I shall never forget your services,
for you have no purpose but the will of God and you desire no station but entry
into the Kingdom of God. Now you have brought presents for the members of my
family. They are most acceptable and excellent but better than all these are
the gifts of the love of God which remain preserved in the treasuries of the
heart. These gifts are evanescent but those are eternal; these jewels must be
kept in boxes and vaults and they will eventually perish but those jewels
remain in the treasuries of the heart and will remain throughout the world of
God for eternity. Thus I will take to them your love, which is the greatest of
all gifts. In our house they do not wear diamond rings nor do they keep rubies.
That house is sanctified above such adornments. I, however, have accepted your
gifts; but I entrust them to you for you sell and send the proceeds to the fund
for the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Chicago. - ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, November 30, New York, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)
When the friends continued to plead with Him, He said:
“I want to take from you a present which will endure in the
eternal world and a jewel which belongs to the treasuries of the heart. This is
better.”
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, November 30, New York, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, November 30, New York, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)
No matter how much the friends supplicated and pleaded, He
would not accept their gifts and instead asked them all to contribute towards
the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár fund. He did this everywhere He traveled.
- Mahmud Zarqani (‘Mahmud’s Diary’)
- Mahmud Zarqani (‘Mahmud’s Diary’)
