Abdu'l-Bahá (vegetarian) & Unity in the Bahá'í Faith

Abdu'l-Bahá was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh. Along with Bahá'u'lláh and the Báb, Abdu’l-Bahá, who staunchly persevered and worked towards the realization of His father’s mission, was canonized as the last of the three “central authoritative figures” of the Baha’i faith. Today, Abdu’l-Bahá’s discourses and writings continue to serve as a source of Bahá'í sacred literature.

Abdu’l-Bahá was born with the name Abbás in Tehran in 1844 on the night the Báb declared His mission. For embracing the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, Abdu’l-Bahá was detained from 1868 to 1908. Forty years of detainment did not change Him nor erode His ideals. A being of nobility with an abiding love for people of all creeds and status, Abdu’l-Bahá selflessly devoted His life to the service of others, particularly the deprived, the underprivileged, and the homeless. He was 64 when He was freed. Without a formal education, social status, nor power, and unfamiliar with modern ways, He amazingly proceeded to promote the Bahá'í teachings to the West by journeying to Europe and North America.

Abdu’l-Bahá set the Western world alight wherever He went. His speeches in the United States of America attracted huge audiences and received widespread media coverage. He articulated His father’s world-embracing vision. He emphasized the Oneness of God, the Oneness of Religion, and the Oneness of Humanity. He spoke about the commonalities of Faith across all religions and that the world’s ills can be addressed from a spiritual standpoint. God repeatedly delivers His message to humanity in all the great Faiths, stating that one should transcend the self and become selfless. Abdu’l-Bahá advocated ending racial inequality and violence of all kinds and supported the complete liberation of women.

He stood for world peace through global governance and insisted that unless religion becomes the cause of love and unity among all people, humankind may face extinction. The unity of humanity can be realized when we ignore the selfish promptings of our lower nature and substitute it with the selfless promptings of our higher nature.