'Abdu'l-Baha Visits the West: At Parson's Home; In Cleveland, Ohio; and at a Youth Camp

'Abdu'l-Baha at the Parson's home, August 15, 1912

Left to right: Mirza Mahmud-i-Zarqani, Edward Getsinger, Mirza Ali-Akbar Nakhjavani (?),

Dr Amin Farid, Ahmad Sohrab, Ali Kuli Khan, 'Abdu'l-Baha, Mirza Valiyu'llah-i-Varqa,

and Siyyid Asadu'llah

'Abdu'l-Baha in Cleveland, Ohio May 5, 1912

Edward and Lua Getsinger are at the center rear

'Abdu'l-Baha at a youth camp, August 1, 1912

Ahmad Sohrab, standing left, and Valiyu'llah-i-Varqa, right are in fezes

station of 'Abdu'l-Baha

uniqueness of 'Abdu'l-Baha's visit to the West

"Until now it never happened that someone from the East. impelled by the promptings of his conscience, should come to the West to see the friends of God and to associate with respected individuals with such sincere love and friendship and without any political or commercial motive or the desire of sightseeing. It is without precedent and is not recorded in any history. If others have come, it has been to sightsee or for commercial or other reasons"

- 'Abdu'l-Bha (Words of 'Abdu'l-Baha, October 22, 1912, San Francisco, Mahmud's Diary)

“Look at the history of the world and try to find a parallel instance in which a native of the East has come to the countries of the West, particularly America, and called out to them in the churches and meetings there, raised the divine call in many of the large cities and invited everyone to the Abhá Kingdom, with no one taking exception. Nay, on the contrary, those present at the gatherings have heard him with patience and unbounded joy. These things have been achieved solely through the confirmations of the Abhá Kingdom.”

- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, September 13, 1912, Chicago, Mahmud’s Diary)