Pilgrim Notes

Emogene Hoagg

1913-1914

Haiffa, Syria,
December 25, 1913.

My dear Eleanor:

‘Abdu’l-Baha arrived here two weeks ago tomorrow. The second day He left for Akka and was there eight days. During that time the pilgrims visited Him in turn. We were there one night, and what a wonderful time we had! Two houses have been made into one by simply taking down a partition that divided them. In both of these houses Baha’u’llah lived. In one for nine years He was a prisoner and did not leave the house. In one of the rooms Baha’u’llah occupied, our Lord slept. In the larger house, which faces the sea, Baha’u’llah’s room is kept as a sanctuary. Into that room our Lord went several times a day. He seemed so happy to be back in the Holy Land. He spoke of it so often. At one time He said: “I am very glad to meet you in this Holy Land. A visit here cannot be compared with a visit in another place. It is quite different. We hope that the results will be very great! At another time: “You ought to be very happy because you have come here. Thank God we are under the care of the Blessed Perfection, that we have been together under His roof. You must be enkindled by the Spirit of God and then you will shine through the Light of the Kingdom of God.”

During one of our conversations our Lord spoke about the Catholics, how some had written against Him and the Cause. He said: “The power of the Catholics shall wane, and end in naught. You will see, that in America the influence of the Catholics will be broken.”

He has been so occupied since arriving that we have had only short visits with Him, - no time for asking important questions, or even to present any except short messages.

After every one has made his call, and they have all been returned, we hope He will not be so tired and we can really visit with Him. Letters, hundreds of them, are arriving for Him, yet He is answering very few. The Persian pilgrims, about thirty men, are all here star, so the Master is hardly alone a minute.

December 27th, 1913! Yesterday we took luncheon with the Holy Mother and Greatest Holy Leaf and the four daughters. When I say we, I mean the four American believers, Mrs. von Lilienthal, Mrs. Beede, both of New York, ourselves and Mrs. Holbach. As we sat around the table I could not how little we were really realizing of the importance of such a feast, and how wonderful it will seem in after years .a Christmas luncheon with the Holy Family! Our material feast was very delicious. One dish was a very wonderful Persian concoction” of egg plant with a’ sauce of varied and delicious flavors. The spiritual feast was most delightful and that, as you know, cannot be measured nor can it be described. The Holy Mother told us a story which I shall give you. It was a dream that Baha’u’llah bad ix when a boy eight years old.

Having this dream one night He went in the morning to relate it to His father. The dream was as follows: He thought He was swimming in a mighty ocean, so great that He marvelled at it. His hair which was long, was floating out on the waves, and soon He discovered that to each separate hair a fish was attached by his mouth, – that is the fish was holding the hair in its mouth. There were large fish, small fish, white fish, black fish, in fact all kinds of fish. The impression He received was so great as to awaken Him. When He told His father in the morning, he decided to have the meaning, if possible. Being, as you know, a Grand Vizier, he applied to the Shah, asking permission to have a dream interpreted by the Court interpreter of dreams. This was granted him. Then the interpreter had heard the dream, he stood amazed. He said, “This is a most wonderful dream, but I do not see how it can come true. The ocean symbolizes the world, the fish are the people of the world who are to gain knowledge from this boy, – knowledge of God. You must protect and keep him, for he will be very great; but it is not possible that he can fulfil entirely such a wonderful dream. How can the entire world receive knowledge of God from this boy: However, that is what I see from the dream. Protect him; keep and guard him: He will be very great and will teach great and learned people as well as others.” The Greatest Holy Leaf said that although Baha’u’llah was the second son, yet He was always different from the others.

At about 3:30 we drove out to the “School, of the Prophets” as the Cave of Elijah is called. This is the lower cave, as you know, where ‘Abdu’l-Baha once stayed three weeks, Muhammedan, Christian, Jew and Baha’i – all visit this Cave and worship, We asked our Lord about the Cave and He said that Elijah really inhabitated this spot and taught there his disciples. It seems too bad that they have put a concrete floor in its It takes away from the naturalness and the imagination must reach heights to get a picture or feel a spiritual nearness. We were there at sunset and the view was gorgeous. With a clear atmosphere Mt. Herman, snow covered, peeping over the anti-Lebanons; Acca, the White City as a foreground to Mt. Herman, then the unruffled sea that reached almost to the foot of our view point, all received the reflections from the sun as it sank behind Mt. Carmel. We were in the shadow long before the view before us, gradually marked the receding line of light. The tints were those that one sees only in tropical countries, – one of the sarance (?) sunsets of a bright, clear day. It cast a spell over me, and I wished that I might remain there a week in solitary meditation.

Zia Khanum’s son Shoghi and her daughter of fourteen, and Tooba Khanum’s son and daughter of thirteen and eleven, also Risuaniehti’s daughter of seventeen, are home for Christmas vacation. It seems strange to see such young women with these big children.

Three times I have been to the Tomb of Baha’u’llah, and each time have mentioned your name and your mother’s – and remembered all the friends. I had the privilege of going into the place where the Body lies, and remaining ten minutes alone.

I think I wrote Georgia (Ralston) about our visit in the Bahje to the room Baha’u’llah occupied and where He passed away. The daughters had not been there for many years, and were greatly affected.

Muhammad Ali’s wife we met, and one of his sons, who was quite officious, insisting upon our going into a sitting roam and having tea. He seemed possessed to talk to the Americans.

(Signed) Emogene (Hoagg)

___ __ Mrs. Hoagg’s letter to Miss Bailey
Dated May 26 – 14

In Hoy Family went to the ___ of El Hammuli – 3 hours ride from Haifa - ____ ___ are as nature made ___ - no conveniences whatsoever. First the Holy Family ___ Rooha Kahnum, Monever Khanum and Miss Sanderson ___. In a few days ‘Abdu’l-Baha ___ their afterward and Tooba Khanum and I ___. Only a station house marks the place. Two rooms were secured in this for ‘Abdu’l-Baha and the Holy Mother. The rest of the Party was housed in tents and oleander bough lowers.

___ lowers are called “Areesheh” Hammuli is 900 feet below sea level and very hot.

Persian ringo were spread in the lowers and ___ and all sat around Persian fashion and all off the friends (there are evidences of Vast Temple and haths by Romans – it is thought.) as present ___ name to the stretch over that past of water which is used for nothing.

Only Bidonouis to the seen in that section of the country – five spe___ of humanity – very picturesque and clothed in their native garb, most fascinating. It was truly interesting to see ‘Abdu’l-Baha walking among them always a s a figure apart, distinct. The Bedonius are treacherous and natural tgieves: two men guarded our cargo every night, and we were not permitted to walk __ to the basts without escort. During our stay of 16 days we heard of ___ robberies and murders very near us.

Haifa, January 2nd, 1914.

My dear Eleanor (Cooper):

Yesterday, Monerva Khanum asked me to write you in answer to the supplication Mr. and Mrs. Rabb sent our Beloved. Monerva said to tell you hi busy our Lord is, and that He is so tired always He is not writing at all these days. So that they might get a speedy answer our Lord told Monerva to tell me to send you the following message.

“Tell Mr. Rabb to get another lawyer. To search and find an honest lawyer, then present the case as the new lawyer will suggest, after you have advised well with him. Be sure he is honest.”

My dear, the message about California, our Lord said to me, in a private interview. I thought I mentioned that in my letter to your mother. Ahmad, in his diary notes did not put it in that way, as you will see when you get them. I have not mentioned it to him yet, but was glad than I saw that he did not make the assertion of the Beloved so pointed as he translated it to me.

Yesterday, Now Year’s Day, we lunched with the Beloved. As ho wanted a Mr. Hurltach, the ladies could not be present except at the cracks of the doors. We had a delicious meal, and some spiritual food too. The authenticity of the holy places pointed out by the Christians was touched upon. It was beautiful to see how ‘Abdu’l-Baha did not emphatically deny their assertions, but gave to understand that much of it was imagination. For instance He said that the sepulchre of Jesus was not known until St. Helena had search made. He said: “What is known is that a piece of ground was bought specially for the Tomb of Jesus and that is known as Golgotha. But the traces of this place were completely lost. When St. Helena went to Jerusalem she tried to have this place discovered, The Jews showed her the place that is now pointed out. They of a good sum for their guidance.” How clearly He summed it up. Ahmad was present and translated.

I have just returned from our Lord’s house. I went in not expecting to see the Beloved, but He was seated in the Tea Room, in the sun, with His eyes closed. He did not sloop well last night and looked tired. After a short time He told me to sit by Him in the sun. “Sun is good. Do you like the sun?” Thai I came away I went into a corner of the front yard to take a snap of the house. Just as I snapped the Beloved stepped out of the door. I am quite sure He will be in the photograph. I could not have planned it so nicely.

(Signed) Emogane (Hoagg).

Some of the Utterances of His holiness ‘Abdu’l-Baha in a letter from Mrs. Hoagg to Mrs. Brittingham, written from Haifa, Syria, January 1914. Translated by Monever Khanum.

When Jesus came, the Jews called Him Beelzebub. I have always said that the believers will be blamed for this Cause. I promised you this. The Jews proved from the bible that Jesus was a false prophet, so this is nothing new. It is always so. Let them go to the Rabbi and. see that be will say about Jesus.

Before leaving America I mentioned in many meetings, the things that would happen. I said that after I left, the clergy would begin to cause many doubts, that the believers would be blamed and wand fault with, and that they would fall into many tests, but that the ones who would remain firm would be established in the Kingdom of God. In the time of Jesus the Jewish clergy created so marry doubts that there were very few who believed and one o those denied. Why? Because the tests at that time were very great. The clergy were very busy creating doubts in the minds of the people. They brought forward may proofs. They said that the Messiah should, come from heaven, and Jesus was born of Mary. They said that He must come with a sword in us hand and Jesus had not even a stick or wood. They said that the Messiah should establish a Kingdom, – a great Kingdom, and. Jesus came as the poorest of men. Accenting to the WORDS of the Prophets, the Promised One must promote the Cause of the bible, and this man broke the Sabbath day and other laws of the Bible. According to prophecy Elijah should come from heaven in the promised day, and this John the Baptist had a father and mother. In the day of the kingdom of the Promised One even the animals would live in peace. The sheep and wolf would drink from one spring; the lion and deer would pasture together; the eagle and partridge would be in one nest, and the mouse and serpent would stay in one hole. But when Jesus came, the oppression and cruelty were, so great e was crucified. This Kingdom, wherein even the animals must live in peace, was not fulfilled in the time of Jesus, for even lie was crucified. Therefore, they say, – Jesus was a false Messiah, a Beelzebub, as mentioned in the Bible. There is no doubt that these tests are very great, and. all will not remain firm. These who have weak faith will surely be shaken, but the ones who are strong – they bill remain as in as a mountain. Whatever storms of tests may one they shall not be shaken.

I hope that the American believers like the .Persians, will be able to face all these tests,- that they also may reach a state like the Persians, – when they will sacrifice their lives and became the cause of the guidance of the people of the world. They must not be shaken by the mere words of the clergymen. A person whose belief is so weak as to be shaken, by the words of the clergy, is se weak to be a good believer, and it is better far Lim to be out of the Cause than in it.

The following copied from the same letter was translated by Mirza Ahmed Sohrab, in Ramleh, Egypt.