Excerpts from the Notes of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Mattoon taken in Haifa

Mr. & Mrs. Edwin Mattoon

July 1 to 23, 1921

(The notes containing words of Ahdu’l-Baha were taken in Persian by Dr. Lotfullah S. Hakim, and later written into English by him.)

..... when we entered Abdu’l-Baha’s presence again in the east room of and other friends each evening. He welcomed use warmly again paying special attention to Florence. (Faraukh Khanum or the happy One as He named her was six veers old at this time.) The baby Zievar, four months old, was fretting when we entered and the Master stroked her gently on the head and breast, repeating some words in Persian. She became quiet and He was pleased. Very soon however she started crying vociferously and He laughingly motioned her away. He pointed out chairs for us and had Florence sit in His right, talking with her and directing that candy be brought for her.

The room contained eighteen or twenty people including pilgrims from Malay, India, Persia, Russia, Turkey, and Egypt. We were the only Occidentals there during the three weeks we were permitted to stay.

The Master inquired about our health and asked if our journey had been pleasant. We said that the friends in Urbana and New York sent their Abba greeting and sincere devotion.

Abdu’l-BahA: I always pray on their behalf and supplicate heavenly confirmation for them. Today, he who is turning his face toward the Divine Kingdom, the confirmations will reach him continually. Today the Cause of Baha’u’llah is confirmed over all the world. He, who is attached to that Cause is confirmed.

How is Roy Wilhelm?
Edw.: He is well. He helped us very much.
A. B.: Is Mr. Mills there? (In New York)
E.: We met him at the Convention.
A. B.: How is Mr. Macnutt?
E.: We did not see him. . . . . The Master is tired and we must not trouble Him longer.
A. B.: No, you are not the cause of trouble, but you are the cause of comfort. How was the Convention? Was it good?
E: It was very good. There were may people there. A meeting was held at the grounds of the Nashriq ‘ul-adhkar. The workmen were digging the holes for the 9 great pillars and were near the rock. At this time the work is probably commencing on the Foundation.
A. B.: Very good! (Persian) Very good! (English)

Have not the people risen against you yet? Are not the preachers crying aloud? It is good that they have not yet excommunicated you. No doubt it is hard for the (Christian) ministers. The missionaries come here. They receive salaries so that they may convert one to their religion. They do not succeed. Now they see that you (the friends) gather together in such a way that they become angry and bitter against you. They will attack all of you; they will excommunicate you; they will rise up causing trouble for you. You will go through all of these for my sake. For My sake they will say wrong against you. They will oppress you. In the same way that it happened in Persia, it will happen there (in America) also. Those souls who were firm and steadfast, they will overcome for they are assisted.

The more these people rise against it, the more Cause will spread. The more they arise to extinguish this lamp, the more brilliant it becomes; because water for this lamp is like oil, it becomes brighter. They wish to extinguish it with water, but they do not know that the water will be changed immediately into oil in the same way that it happened before.

During the time of His Holiness Christ and after Him, how much trouble they gave. They wished to extinguish the Divine Light, but it became more luminous.

There is no doubt that there will be tests, so that the sincere and pure souls may be distinguished from those who are not so.

During the time of the Manifestation of His Holiness, the Spirit, for three hundred years there were continually tests. The followers used to be caught, to be beaten, to be martyred, to be exiled, and with any possible means that the people could find, the followers were persecuted.

They tried with every means to annihilate them. . . (Here Dr. Lotfullah did not get the first sentence or two of an incident relating the persecution of a beautiful Christian girl who became a martyr.) . . .

She was an excellent girl. Her parents were people of great rank. They persecuted her father, but it did not affect her. Her parents became cross and punished her severely, but to no effect. They wanted her to marry one of the influential persons of the country, but she did not accept. Then they beat her very much, but she remained firm. They put her in prison, but still she was steadfast. They put her in chains, but she was more firm. At last her father out her throat. The father of the girl cut the throat of his own daughter. Notwithstanding this, the banner of Christ was raised.

Any cause that may appear in the world of existence, if it be not true, by itself it will become extinguished. It is like unto a tree which has no root; if one should put an axe to the root of the tree, as it has no root, it will become dry. But if it has roots and is firm, the more ye till around it, the more this will become the cause of its growth.

We have seen the days of much hardship. When we were in Persia, no one had the hope of being alive on the following day. As soon as one of the friends would be taken, they would kill him. They would put fire to his body. Notwithstanding this, the Lamp of the Cause became daily more luminous. The banner of Baha’u’llah was raised higher. It came to such an extent that they brought Him and put Him in prison with criminals. For twenty-five years He was imprisoned in the fortress of Aces. Under chains and in prison He raised His Banner. Now the Banner of Baha’u’llah is waving both in the East and in the West. . . . (Here a few words were evidently omitted again in the transcription.) . . .

. . They brought one of the friends and gave him to the mounted soldiers, for they used to give one of them to the people of each calling or tribe so that they should kill him and have a share in the martyrdom. A thousand mounted men with swords rushed over him and cut him into pieces. The executioner shouted aloud, ‘We have to gather up all these pieces and take them away’. At that time a baker who had a fire came forward and gathered up the chopped nieces of the body of that martyr, and took them and put them in his own oven.

There were such severe tests, but praise be to God that the Friends of God were in utmost firmness and steadfastness, and they were not shaken by fear or any agitation.

In the time of the Cause of his Holiness the Spirit, twelve times there was a general massacre of the followers. And at the end (the Oppressors) became defeated, and the Banner of the Standard of Christ was raised, and all of the oppressors were dispersed.

Mankind is like unto the ground; the more it is tilled, the more it is cultivated, the more it will yield blessings and progress.

. . The blood that is shed in the Path of God will be the cause of nourishment and strength to the Blessed Tree.

(After these words the Master asked Mirza Sohlir, one of the pilgrim from Persia to chant a Commune of Baha’u’llah. when the melodious chant was finished, He again shook our hands and bade us goodnight.)

The above notes were taken on the evening of July 1, 1921. Following is the Master’s farewell talk to us on the morning of July 23, 1921. It is quoted from a letter addressed to us in St. Joseph, Illinois, by Dr. Lotfullah, and is a translation of notes which he made in Persian as Abdul-Baha was speaking.

“You have journeyed from that long-distant region and have arrived in this Holy Land, and you have visited the two Holy Shrines. You must appreciate this gift. Not everybody has such a gift. You became confirmed in it with utmost sincerity and with your attention turned to the Kingdom of God completely. While you were here we were pleased with you and you with us. Visiting is good like this for it is of worship. This visit of yours is well accepted in the Kingdom of Abha. Its results will remain for you forever. Therefore you should thank God that you attained to such great Bounty.

“Now that you return, your going should be like the breeze that comes out of a rose—Garden, — the breeze that has a very sweet fragrance. You who return should be in utmost joy and mirth, and with great glad- tidings be the cause of the happiness of the friends, that whoever meets you may become filled with joy. Convey to every one of the friends the message of kindness from me. You yourselves must be like letters, letters that speak. I wish to write to every one of the friends, but you see that I have no time.

“I am always with you: my heart is with you. I will never forget you.”