Abdu'l-Baha Return to Egypt

From December 2nd, 1911 until the end of March 1912, Abdu'l-Baha Stayed in Egypt. On November 16th an article appeared in The Egyptian Gazette describing some tenants of the Faith and announcing Abdu'l-Baha return to Egypt. The following words appeared in a corresponding editorial:

Alexandria in the early 1910's

In the East his religion will find its true home and exercise its beneficent influence upon nations newly awakening to a sense of their unity and power. We can, then, welcome him back to Egypt, fresh from achievements in the Western capitals which have afforded yet another proof of his remarkable personal and intellectual powers.

These words were printed in The Star of the West and distributed amongst the friends. I can’t help but imagine what it would have been like to be one of those early North-American believers, reading about the Master’s travels, and anticipating His upcoming transatlantic voyage.

The opening prayer written by the Master and found at the beginning of The Star of the West, read in retrospect, becomes a tribute to those eager and thrilled souls:

O thou Star of the West!

Be thou happy! Be thou happy! Shouldst thou continue to remain firm and eternal, ere long, thou shalt become the Star of the East and shalt spread in every country and clime. Thou art the first paper of the Bahais which is organized in the country of America. Although for the present thy subscribers are limited, thy form is small and thy voice weak, yet shouldst though stand unshakable, become the object of attention of the friends and the centre of the generosity of the leaders of the faith who are firm in the Covenant, in the future thy subscribers will become hosts after hosts like unto waves of the sea; thy volume will increase, thy arena will become vast and spacious and thy voice and fame will be raised and become world-wide — at at last thou shalt become the first paper of the world of humanity. Yet all these depend unto firmness, firmness, firmness!

Abdu'l-Baha in Egypt

One hundred years have passed since the arrival of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Egypt in September, 1910. He remained in Port Said for one month and then moved to Alexandria in August, 1911. Then he continued His journey to Europe from August, 1911 then returning to Egypt in December, 1911. Subsequently he left Egypt going to New York, on March, 1912 and then coming back to Egypt in June 1913 and then returned to Haifa. His visit was welcomed by the government of Egypt and its leaders. Destiny determined that Alexandria become a home for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and a stopover for His comings and goings during His travels in western countries over a period of three years. From the time of [‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s arrival in Egypt], he resides in Alexandria. His presence attracted the attention of many Egyptian political leaders, leaders of thought, writers, journalists and clergy, who hastened to pay Him their respects. The news items and articles that were published by His visitors and reporters from various journals were like a proclamation of the Bahá’í Faith.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá (known in the literature of Egypt as Abbas Effendi) received a warm welcome and expressions of appreciation from the Egyptian government and population, when upon His arrival He was able to dispel the misconceptions and doubts that a vicious consul of Iran had disseminated in government circles and among Muslim scholars to tarnish the good name of the Bahá’í Faith and suppress its truth. During His stay, He gave bountifully to all of that boundless knowledge, magnanimity and love, of which He was the unique bearer.

In 1910, on the 19th of September, the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram published news of the unannounced visit to their country of the “leader of the Bahai Faith”. The news article stated: “Abbas Effendi left His residence in the city of ‘Akká a few days ago for Port Said, an event that has precipitated His Persian followers residing in Egypt to hasten to that city to be blessed by visiting Him. This surprise visit has given rise to speculation and controversial claims between His opponents and supporters about its motive.