Categories
Baha'i Children class Free Kids Can Do Ruhi Book 3

WHY WE PRAY GRADE 2 LESSON 2

WELCOME

Welcome to the lesson on Why We Pray. In this lesson, we will try to answer the question WHY DO WE PRAY? We will continue to memorize the prayer  O Lord! I am a child; enable me to grow,  We will learn a new quote, hear more songs and stories, do crafts, and games, and continue to learn.

EACH SET HAS PRAYERS TO MEMORIZE

For the next 2 classes, we will memorize the following prayer 

O Lord! I am a child; enable me to grow beneath the shadow of Thy loving kindness. I am a tender plant; cause me to be nurtured through the outpourings of the clouds of Thy bounty. I am a sapling of the garden of love; make me into a fruitful tree. Thou art the Mighty and the Powerful, and Thou art the All-Loving, the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá
G2 PRAYER SET 1

Would Anyone Like To Say A Prayer?

Send A Prayer To A Family Near You!
Postcard
Memorization Aid

Download and print the memorization aid. Use it as part of the lapbook or glue it into your class notebook.

Download Filling the blank Memorization Aid here

Download the Prayer, Print and Glue to your class notebook. Download Here

Songs for grade 2
BE HAPPY
TEACHING PEACE
Greatest Longing Of Every Soul
Quote for class to memorize

We know that God has created every one of us and that He is aware of what we need and what we want. He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Why, then should we pray? God does not need our prayers, but we pray because it serves to strengthen our souls, for prayer is life food for the soul. Prayer brings life to the soul. We should pray in the morning, evening, during difficult times, and at times of great gladness. Of course, we do not only pray for ourselves but also for our family, our friends, our community, and for all of humanity.

Abdu’l-Baha assures us that if we pray for something that is in agreement with God’s wisdom, then God will provide us with it. But sometimes, unknowingly we ask for things that will harm us, and God, in His infinite wisdom does not grant our wish. To help us remember why we pray, let us memorize the following words of Abdu’l-Baha:

It is the greatest longing of every soul who is attracted to the Kingdom of God to find time to turn with entire devotion to his Beloved, so as to seek His bounty and blessing and immerse himself in the ocean of communion, entreaty, and supplication.

Abdu’l-Baha
MEANING OF WORDS
Longing

When Tanya’s brother went away to university, she missed him very much.  Tanya felt a great longing in her heart to be near her brother again. 

Rodrigo was tired after working many hours in the fields, planting crops. At the end of the day, he longed to rest.

She stood before the meeting with her head bowed and her eyes closed. Silence filled the room.  Then she lifted her head and began to intone the verses of God in a melodious voice.

Bahereh taught her children to intone beautiful prayers at the beginning of each new day and in the evening before they slept.

Immerse

In order to boil an egg, it must be completely covered with water.  To boil the egg, you must immerse it in water.

After working on the engine of the car, Norman’s hands were dirty and greasy.  So he filled a bucket of water from the well and put his hands into the water, washing off the dirt and grease.  His hands were immersed in the water.

Communion

Because of the difficulties in their own country, all the brothers left their homeland and went to different places around the world to look for work.  Many years went by, and they did not see each other or speak to one another.  But They remained in communion through their thoughts and prayers, and eventually, they were joyfully reunited as old men. 

When we pray, we turn our hearts to God and converse with Him.  Prayer is communion with God.

Entreaty

One of the king’s subjects was in great need, so he begged the king to assist him.  The king considered his subject’s entreaty and agreed to help.

The teachers were concerned that the textbooks the children were using were out of date and did not cover the latest discoveries and the most recent information, so they asked the principal to order new ones.  The principal listened to their entreaty, and now the children are using up-to-date textbooks.

MEMORIZATION CARDS FOR LESSON 2 QUOTE

MEMORIZATION WORKSHEET HERE

STORY RELATED TO LESSON
A Story To Illustrate The Importance Of Praying Daily

This is a story of one of the early Baha’is in the West, Lua Getsinger, and an important lesson she learned about prayer.  Lua loved God very much, and she often turned to him in supplication, that she might be enabled to live a life of service.  She prayed, too, that her eager and enthusiastic spirit would learn to be patient.  Of course, she wanted to learn quickly, without having to wait too long!

Lua knew that ‘Abdu’l-Baha wanted her to learn patience.  One day, when she was visiting Him in the Holy Land, He helped her to see that there are some things for which we must always make time, no matter how hurried we might feel.  Rushing off to breakfast without having said her usual morning prayers, Lua met ‘Abdu’l-Baha in the hallway.  He looked at her, staring deeply into her eyes.  And what do you think he said to her? “Lua,” He said, “you must never eat material food in the morning until you have had your spiritual food.”  So it was that Lua learned she must never fail to draw sustenance from God’s heavenly bounties, the source of true strength.

Another Story about Prayer: The Bejewelled Sword

There was once a little child in Persia during the days of Persia’s ancient glory.  It was customary in those days that whenever there was an important feast the people would share gifts with their friends and loved ones.  So this little child prayed very hard and loudly for a bejeweled sword to be his gift.

At the time of the feast, this little boy was waiting, eagerly to receive the sword he had prayed so hard for.  However, the time passed and the feast was almost over and the child did not receive any sword as a gift.  He was quite sad and disappointed.

His father, who never believed in God or in any kind of prayers, saw his son’s disappointment and said, “My son, can’t you see, your prayers were not answered?”

The son looked at his father and replied, “Oh yes father, my prayers were answered.”

“How can that be?” asked the father in surprise.   “You did not receive the bejeweled sword that you desired so much.

“But father, don’t you understand?” said the child, “The answer is ‘no’.  God said No.” 

GAMES FOR GRADE 2 TO PLAY
Activities to help students develop skills and abilities related to drama.
  1. As you did in the previous lesson, have the children stand about two meters apart and imagine that they are in their own squares.  You may ask them each to walk along the border of their square.
  2. Ask the children to raise their arms and, stretching from the tips of their toes to the tips of their fingers, reach towards the sky.  Now, tell them to relax and let their arms and head hang freely.  Repeat this exercise three or four times.
  3. Next, ask your students to stand as tall as they can and raise their arms over their heads, pressing the palms of their hands together. They are candles burning brightly.  Explain to them that you will slowly count backward from ten.  As you do so, they should pretend they are melting.  By the time you reach zero, they should be like a pool of wax on the ground. The children should remain in that position until you give them the signal to move again.

The above exercises will have helped the children develop their skills of movement and physical expression.  They will also need to acquire increasingly effective skills of verbal expression. To assist them, ask them to say the sentence “Good morning”

  • as though they were respectfully greeting a teacher
  • as though they were excited to see a friend
  • as though they had met a friend who was feeling sad
  • as though they were trying not to wake a sleeping baby


The second set of activities has to do with the theme of today’s lesson: why we pray.  Tell the children that they are now going to improvise a situation to show why we need to eat every day to maintain our physical strength. Explain, that our souls need to turn to God in prayer to grow and remain strong and healthy.  

  1. Begin by having the children return to their imaginary squares.  Ask them to show that they are full of strength by pretending to lift some imaginary objects; by jumping up high to reach something in an imaginary tree; or by building an imaginary tower.
  2. Now, tell the children to pretend they are getting hungry and feeling weak.  Ask them to repeat the lifting, jumping, and building exercises.
  3. Then, tell them that they are receiving food and beginning to feel strong again.  Ask them to repeat the exercises once more.
BROKEN TELEPHONE

Speaking to God is like making a phone call, you speak and have to wait for an answer.

What happens if you don’t understand the answer? Play the game broken telephone

CRAFT IDEAS
Make A Bejeweled Sword

Make a sword PBS KIDS

SUPER EASY sword

Decorate A Prayer Mat 

Although we don’t use a prayer mat in Baha’i Faith, it is a cool and creative activity

Download the template mat here

FELT PRAYER BOOK COVERS

The class where these prayer book covers were made can be seen here

Lapbook Lesson 2

SIMPLE LAPBOOK USED THIS YEAR (2022)

We are using a simplified version of the lapbook, changing some elements, adding others, and making all the pieces larger for the children. Lapbooks are very easy, flexible tools and it’s easy for you to create your own or download my templates. you do not have to use all the elements I am posting. There are NO right and wrong ways. enjoy!

For lesson 2 we are using the wheel component.

The component for this lesson is the wheel ” why we pray” that turns and reveals information below. It is a modified version of the first lapbook shown below

download this here

Note you will need a brass fastener also known as split pins,  to attach the two pieces. you can get it from Amazon, craft stores like Michaels, and stationery stores.

This is what our lapbook looks like for lesson2

Remember, any item can be placed in the lapbook and any of the files for the lapbook can be used in a notebook or just as an activity.

Items:

  1. Wheel Why We Pray: blank or filled out template
  2. heading with lesson 2

Extra items can be added such as the door hanger, the prayer decorated in a frame from lesson 1. or the prayer mat from this lesson. position items before you glue to make sure what you choose fits.

Download all the elements for the lapbook here

ruhi book 3 grade 2 resources
Categories
Baha'i Children class Free Kids Can Do Ruhi Book 3

THE NATURE OF PRAYER Grade 2 Lesson 1

RUHI BOOK 3 GRADE 2  WELCOME
WELCOME

Welcome to Lesson 1: The nature of prayer.  Abdu’l-Baha tells us that prayer is a “conversation with God”. 

We already mentioned that when we pray, we speak to God.  When we love another, our greatest wish is to be close to the one we love and to express the love he feels. 

To understand the nature of prayer and why we pray, we would need to also look at the effects of prayer. We can ask God for things that we want, and He will answer our prayers in accordance with Divine wisdom.

We can pray for things related to the specific circumstances of our lives and for the development of spiritual qualities, both in ourselves and in others.

We must understand that prayer is not just a time for us to make requests of God. Remember that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells us, “In the highest prayer, men pray only for the love of God, not because they fear Him or hell, or hope for bounty or heaven. . . .”

What are some of the things we pray for?

WHO IS ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ?

We will be using many stories to help us understand the virtues and concepts we are learning. Many of the stories will be about Abdu’l-Bahá. Let us learn a little about him.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá is the Son of Bahá’u’lláh. He is the Centre of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant, the unerring Interpreter of His Writings, and the Perfect Exemplar of His Teachings. He was given many titles during His lifetime, including “The Master”; the one He preferred and took for Himself, however, was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

Meaning of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
  • Abdu’l means Servant
  • Baha means Splendor or Glory. Baha is one of the names of Bahá’u’lláh

Abdu’l-Baha means “Servant of Bahá”—Servant of Bahá’u’lláh.

EACH SET HAS PRAYERS TO MEMORIZE

For the next 3 classes, we will memorize the following prayer 

O Lord! I am a child; enable me to grow beneath the shadow of Thy loving kindness. I am a tender plant; cause me to be nurtured through the outpourings of the clouds of Thy bounty. I am a sapling of the garden of love; make me into a fruitful tree. Thou art the Mighty and the Powerful, and Thou art the All-Loving, the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Would Anyone Like To Say A Prayer?
Send A Prayer To A Family Near You!
O Lord! I am a child
Memorization Aid

Download and print the memorization aid. Use it as part of a lapbook or glue it into your class notebook.

Download Filling the blank Memorization Aid here

Download the Prayer the Print Glue to your class notebook here

Songs for grade 2
STRIVE THAT DAY BY DAY
BOUNDLESS LOVE
I Want To Be Happy
I Want To Br Happy
Quote for class to memorize
Remember that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells us that prayer is “Conversation With God”

Through our prayers, we speak to God of our love for Him. We love God and our greatest wish is to be close to God and to express the love we feel. We know that even though God knows what is in our hearts, still we want to tell Him of our love for Him and thank Him for the bounties that He has showered upon us.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá lived in a state of prayer. His heart was always turned towards God. He often mentioned that there is nothing sweeter in life than prayer. When we converse with God each day, our love for Him grows stronger, and we feel closer to Him. Our hearts are opened, and enkindled with His love, and our souls become joyful. God loves us more than we can possibly imagine. So it is that we constantly receive His bounties as we pray to Him to guide us, protect us, and help us become worthy of His love. To aid us in our efforts to live our lives in a state of prayer, with our hearts always turned towards God, let us memorize the following quotation:

Listen to the Quote
Meaning of the words in the quote
INTONE

She stood before the meeting with her head bowed and her eyes closed. Silence filled the room.  Then she lifted her head and began to intone the verses of God in a melodious voice.

Bahereh taught her children to intone beautiful prayers at the beginning of each new day and in the evening before they slept.

WHO WANTS TO PRACTICE INTONING THEIR NAME? (have a few kids do this)
Kindle

The grass in the field was very dry.  In the intense heat of the summer, the dry grass kindled, and the fire spread to the edge of town.
After reading a few passages from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, Florence felt the love of God kindled in her heart.

Attract

We enjoy looking at flowers because they are beautiful. We are attracted to their beauty.  

When we feel God’s love, we want to be near Him.  Our hearts are attracted to God by the power of His love.

WORKSHEET TO MEMORIZE PRAYER

DOWNLOAD IT HERE

STORY RELATED TO LESSON
STORY OF RÚHU”LLÁH

When Ruhu’llah was about seven years old, he travelled with his father to the Holy Land.  There he had the great privilege of meeting Baha’u’llah, Who had brought to humanity God’s message for this day.  Ruhu’llah’s heart became filled with love for Baha’u’llah, and he wanted nothing more than to serve Him.  Upon returning home to Persia, he spent his time sharing with others news of Baha’u’llah’s coming. Ruhu’llah was truthful, honest, courteous and kind, and his words had great effect on all who heard him.  He rose at every dawn to pray and, with his heart turned towards God, passed each day in servitude to Him.

One day, Ruhu’llah was summoned to appear before an official.  At that time, many people were fearful of the new message that was being spread throughout the land.  They clung to beliefs of the past, and the followers of the new Faith often became victims of harsh punishments.  For this reason, Ruhu’llah’s father was in great danger.  As proof that he had raised his sons in this new Faith, Ruhu’llah was asked to say a prayer in the presence of the official.  This, it was hoped, would be enough to convince the official to condemn his father.  Calmly, Ruhu’llah prepared his heart to offer supplication to God.  Then, in a melodious voice, he chanted a Baha’i prayer with exquisite beauty.  The official was deeply moved.  He dismissed the matter immediately, saying he would not condemn a man who had raised a child so wonderful.  And so Ruhu’llah’s father was saved.

Later, when Ruhu’llah was about twelve years old, he would once again set out with his father to visit the Holy Land.  This time, he would be blessed to pass his days in the presence of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, who loved Ruhu’llah very much and especially enjoyed hearing him chant in his beautiful voice the many prayers he knew by heart.  Ruhu’llah would leave the Holy Land ablaze with Divine love, ready to sacrifice his all for the Cause of God.

Download all the extra resources here

BRILLIANT STAR MAGAZINE STORY HERE

GAMES FOR GRADE 2 TO PLAY

There are two types of activities related to drama in these lessons.  The first set of activities is concerned with the development of skills and abilities.

To acquire the discipline yet freedom of movement needed to participate in creative drama, the children must learn to control their actions within a defined space.  The following activities will contribute to the development of this ability.

  1. Have your children stand about two meters apart from one another.  Each child should imagine that he or she is standing in a square measuring about one and a half meters by one and a half meters.  Ask them to draw with their eyes the boundaries of their imaginary squares.  Then, have each of them walk along the border of his or her own square.  
  2. Next, tell them to imagine that there is a rope about half a meter above the ground stretching across the middle of each of their squares.  Ask them to jump over it, crawl under it, walk along it, hop along it, and go around it without leaving their squares.


The children also need to learn to cooperate and work together.  The following activities will help them develop some of the corresponding activities.

  1. Divide the youngsters into pairs.  Think of a very heavy object that is familiar to them and ask each pair to pretend that they are carrying it together.
  2. Then ask the pair to pretend they are digging a well together.  
  3. Now tell them to imagine that one of the children’s mother has invited a guest over, but the guest has arrived early before the mother has returned home from work.  One child in each pair is the guest.  The other child invites the guest in and offers him or her something refreshing to drink while they wait for the mother.


The second type of activity is related to the theme of the lesson, the state of prayer.  Tell the children that they are going to improvise a situation about the state of prayer.

  1. Begin by having the children return to their imaginary squares.  Once they are in position, explain to them that, although we pray to God with words, other things, or their very existence, we are asking for God’s blessings and bounties.  In this way, all created things are praying to God.  A plant, for example, needs rain to grow.  By its very existence, the plant prays, “O God! Send me rain!”
  2. Now, tell the children to pretend that they are in a field of corn or another crop with which they are familiar.  For some days there has been no rain on the field  How do they look?  Days pass, but there is not a could in the sky.  The plants droop more and more, day by day.  Silently, they are praying.  Then, suddenly, there is a clap of thunder in the distance which grows louder and louder.  You can use your hands or some instrument to make the clap of thunder.  Then start slowly tapping on something, pretending to be rain.  Gradually tap faster and faster.  The rain has come, and little by little, the plants raise their drooping leaves.
CRAFT IDEAS
ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS

There are many craft and activity suggestions for you to consider. When you choose what you would like to do with the class, make sure all the required supplies are available for the children. 

Prayer Hand

To make the prayer hand you will need 

  1. Cardstock is about 6 in x 11in
  2. Pencil
  3. Scissors
  4. printed prayer or quote
  5. Child

Fold the paper in half so your paper is 6in x 5.5 in. Place the child’s hand on the fold. Use a pencil to trace the hand. The fingers can be together or apart. Try to get as much of the fold as part of the drawn hand as possible as this gives more space for the prayer to be stuck. Cut out hand shape. Open and glue the prayer to the hand. (alternative or addition is to write who you will pray for on the fingers.) Decorate

Call and talk to God

Decorate this phone and remember that prayer is a conversation with God

Download here

POPUP CARD
How to make the POPUP card
  • Download the template
  • cut out the base, there are 2 per page
  • cut out the cover
  • Print and cut out the prayer

When you are cutting out the pieces, the straight lines are cut lines and any dashed/dotted lines are to be folded. The folded lines are only on the card base in the middle.

Once the pieces are cut out, take the base and push the partially cut middle out. This is the only tricky part if you are not familiar with popups. take a look at the photo below.

Glue the quote and the cover. Done.

View the instruction on the blog post

Make A Door Hanger

Template # 1

Print and cut the round template.

The base can be cut from cardboard. to do this print the base and use it as a template to cut the cardboard.

The top part is decorated and stuck to the base.

A string is threaded through the hole and then the craft can be hung on a door.

Note that you can use a piece of ribbon and glue it in between the base and the top to form a loop and hang it on the door.

TEMPLATE #2 

Print and Cut the straight template or use the 9-pointed strar one below. Add your own message and decorate

9 pointed star tempalte

Decorate the Prayer

Decorate the frame of the prayer or use the blank template to write your prayer in the shape and decorate it.

You can also use any shape you like. My daughter and I did this activity years ago from Varga Magazine. We used the shape of a bird.

DOWNLOAD BIRD SHAPE HERE

LAPBOOK General Information

As mentioned in the welcome lesson for Grade 2. We will be making a lapbook for each lesson. The pieces we put into a lapbook are called mini books. Lapbooks help to keep information organized and help the kids memorize. Plus they a typically lots of fun to put together. You can choose to use all the suggested mini-books for a lesson or you can just combine lessons into one lapbook

For each lapbook you will need a file folder and any of the mini-books that are suggested . For information on Lapbooks take a look at this short  video below (not my viedo)

Lapbook for lesson 1

There are 2 versions of lesson 1 here. Both have elements for lessons 1 to 3 in one lapbook. The first one has small images and mini-books. the second is simplified, larger and fewer pieces

Print, cut out and decorate the pieces. You can finish the lapbook over a period of days or all at once. OR Choose to do one or two items from each of the 3 lessons and assemble them into one lapbook 

Please note that you don’t have to create the lapbook. You can use the mini books and glue them into a notebook or just keep them as they are.

Download all the elements for the lapbook here

SIMPLE lapbook

This is what Burlington is using this year (2022). Larger and fewer pieces. Note that we created a flap so that there is space under the LESSON 1 flap to house lessons 2 and 3.

Here is a video to show how easier it is to create a flap (5:58 timestamp)

All pieces can be found here

A Closer Look

This video takes a closer look at the lesson 1 files for simple lapbook

ruhi book 3 grade 2 resources
Recommend a resource: leave us a comment

LESSON 2 HERE

ALL GRADE 2 HERE

Categories
Baha'i Children class Free Ruhi Book 3

THE CAUSE OF GOD HAS THE POWER TO WITHSTAND ALL OPPOSITION Grade 4 Lesson 8

Welcome Grade 4 Rughi Book 3
Grade 4 Lesson 8 Ruhi Book 3

Introducing The Principal Theme

Welcome to Lesson 8 Grade 4

After His Declaration in the Garden of Riḍván, Bahá’u’lláh instructed His followers to proclaim His Mission and spread His teachings—a duty which we all continue to shoulder today.

Do you remember what we learned in the last lesson?

What were the circumstances that led up to the Declaration of Bahá’u’lláh? What else do you recall from this lesson?

Today, every April—the season of spring in many parts of the world—we celebrate Bahá’u’lláh’s Declaration over the twelve-day period we call the Festival of Riḍván. It is the holiest and most significant of all Bahá’í festivals, and it is a time when we are reminded that the divine springtime is here, when the outpouring of God’s bounties is bringing new life and new possibilities to the world of humanity.

Can you imagine the joy that must have filled the hearts of the believers when Bahá’u’lláh disclosed to them His station when He announced to them that He was the long-awaited Promised One, Who had come to unify humankind and to establish a just and peaceful world where all people can find true happiness and prosperity?

Like fountains brimming over with water for every thirsty one, how they must have wanted to share with others the good news of Bahá’u’lláh’s Declaration! And that is precisely what Bahá’u’lláh wished them to do.

Later I am going to tell you the story of Aḥmad, and you are going to memorize the most beautiful passage from a Tablet in which Bahá’u’lláh instructs Aḥmad to return to Persia and convey to the Bábís the new Message of their Lord. As you grow older, you will teach the Cause to more and more people, which means that, whenever you encounter someone who is happy to listen, you will speak about Bahá’u’lláh and His teachings with love and in a spirit of fellowship.

Prayer Grade 4 Ruhi Book 3

Prayer 1

O God, Educate These Children

Prayer 2

Prayer 3

O God, my God! Aid Thou Thy trusted servants
Song Grade 4 Ruhi Book 3
Radiant Heart Sung by Earl Gaston
Teach Ye the Cause Sung by Goleta Burriston
Happy is the Faithful One Sung by Amy Stephen
In The Garden Of Ridvan By Leslie Garrett
Quote Grade 4 Ruhi book 3

In this lesson, you are going to memorize a portion of the Tablet Of Ahmad.

“He is the King, the All-Knowing, the Wise! Lo, the Nightingale of Paradise singeth upon the twigs of the Tree of Eternity, with holy and sweet melodies, proclaiming to the sincere ones the glad tidings of the nearness of God, calling the believers in the Divine Unity to the court of the Presence of the Generous One, informing the severed ones of the message which hath been revealed by God, the King, the Glorious, the Peerless, guiding the lovers to the seat of sanctity and to this resplendent Beauty.”

Bahá’u’lláh

RESOURCES TO LEARN THE TABLET OF AHMAD

Justuscrafting aid

RED GRAMMER

BOOK: LEARN WELL THIS TABLET

ENABLE ME TO GROW

Meaning Of Words

Use the resource to memorize this part of the tablet of Ahmad or the entire prayer. Included in the resources is space to record the meaning of words.

Download it here

SEND A POSTCARD

Send To A Friend Or Neighbour: Use Email, Snail Mail, Or Hand-Deliver It!

Story grade 4 ruhi book 3

Historical Episodes

The historical episode in this lesson focuses on Bahá’u’lláh’s exiles to Constantinople and Adrianople and, in this connection, also shares the story of Aḥmad, as one of many that show how Bahá’u’lláh instructed the believers to convey the glad tidings of His Declaration. 

While listening to the story, feel free to draw. Download the blank drawing book and a comic-style format. Remember not to portray the image of any of the Messengers of God.

Bahá’u’lláh and His family stayed in Constantinople for four months. During that time, the Persian ambassador in the court of the Sulṭán—the ruler of the Ottoman Empire—was constantly spreading terrible lies about Bahá’u’lláh. Many of the Sulṭán’s ministers and their associates were corrupt, and Bahá’u’lláh did not want to have anything to do with them. Finally, the Sulṭán was persuaded to issue an order exiling Bahá’u’lláh to the city of Adrianople, still farther from the Persian border.

Bahá’u’lláh responded to the order with an act of extraordinary courage. He immediately revealed a Tablet in which He addressed the Sulṭán himself and rebuked him and his ministers for the terrible way they ruled over their people. The Tablet was delivered to the Prime Minister in a sealed envelope. It is said that when he opened the letter and began to read it, he turned pale and remarked:

“It is as if the King of Kings were issuing his behest to his humblest vassal king and regulating his conduct.”

The twelve-day journey from Constantinople to Adrianople was extremely difficult for Bahá’u’lláh and His family, who were now going to their third place of exile. It was the month of December and the weather was mercilessly cold. They did not have the necessary clothes to protect them from such harsh weather. Even to obtain water from springs on their way, they had to light a fire to thaw the ice.

Bahá’u’lláh entered Adrianople on 12 December 1863 and stayed in that city for just over four and a half years. As always, suffering followed Him, but so did great victories for His Cause. As the influence of Bahá’u’lláh grew, the fire of jealousy burned more intensely in the hearts of some. Foremost among the foolish people who opposed Him was His half- brother Mírzá Yaḥyá, who had accompanied Him on His exile. Mírzá Yaḥyá tried everything he could to prevent the Bábís from accepting the Manifestation of God for this Day. He caused enormous trouble for the community, and his mischief encouraged the enemies of the Faith to increase their attacks on Bahá’u’lláh and His followers. He even decided to poison Bahá’u’lláh and schemed and schemed until he finally succeeded. The effect of the poison on Bahá’u’lláh was grave, and although He recovered, He was left with a shaking hand until the end of His life.

But you already know that Bahá’u’lláh had no fear of suffering and that no one could stop Him from raising the banner of the oneness of humankind. So in the midst of all these troubles, He continued to reveal the Word of God and sent to Persia dedicated believers to visit the Bábís and give them the glad tidings that the One promised by the Báb—He Whom God shall make manifest—had declared His Mission.

One of the great teachers who traveled throughout Persia during that time was named Aḥmad. He was born in Yazd, a city in the central part of the country, and from early childhood showed an extraordinary thirst for spirituality. By the age of fifteen, he had already begun his search for the Qá’im. He would fast and pray for hours, meditating on how to find the Beloved of his heart. One day, he wrapped his clothes in a small bundle and left home. He traveled from village to village looking for spiritual leaders who could assist him in his search. But all this effort got him nowhere and, finally, with a sad and heavy heart, he settled in the city of Káshán to earn a living as a cloth-maker. In that city, he became a successful and respected businessman. But the comforts of this world did not satisfy him; he was restless.

While in Káshán, Aḥmad began to hear rumors of One Who claimed to be sent by God. This awakened in him the enthusiasm of his youth. He asked and asked about this great Person, but no one could give him any information. Then someone told him to go to the faraway province of Khurásán where a certain learned man could provide the answers to his questions. The very next day he left his home and headed for that province. Though He arrived exhausted and ill, he was not about to rest. He set out in search of the learned man—a task that did not prove to be as easy as he had hoped. Only after some further hardship did Aḥmad, at last, find him. And you will not be surprised to hear that this man was actually a follower of the Báb, which is how Aḥmad finally came to learn that the Promised Qá’im had, indeed, appeared and that He was the Beloved Báb.

Aḥmad returned to Káshán a changed man. He went back to his work, but all he wanted to do was to teach the Faith. He knew, however, that he had to remain cautious. For a while, he thought he was the only Bábí in the city, but to his great happiness, he found another believer. And imagine his joy when one day this new friend told him that the Báb Himself was passing through Káshán and that he would be able to enter into His presence.

The bounties showered upon Aḥmad by God did not cease there. Later he went to Baghdád and attained the presence of Bahá’u’lláh. He was among those fortunate people who lived for several years in close proximity to the Manifestation. Yet every reunion must end in separation. When Bahá’u’lláh was exiled to Constantinople, Aḥmad was not included with those chosen to accompany Him.

Aḥmad spent a few years away from Bahá’u’lláh, but finally, he could stand the pain of separation no longer. He set out for Adrianople hoping that he would be allowed to live in that city, to which his Best Beloved had been further exiled. But he only got as far as Constantinople. Waiting for him there was a Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh with instructions that he should go to Persia and convey to the Bábís the new Message of their Lord. The Tablet is now well known among Bahá’ís, who recite it often, especially in times of difficulty. As you grow up, you will probably learn to say this Tablet by heart in its entirety.

You are already committing to memory the beginning words of this Tablet:

“He is the King, the All-Knowing, the Wise! Lo, the Nightingale of Paradise singeth upon the twigs of the Tree of Eternity, with holy and sweet melodies, proclaiming to the sincere ones the glad tidings of the nearness of God, calling the believers in the Divine Unity to the court of the Presence of the Generous One, informing the severed ones of the message which hath been revealed by God, the King, the Glorious, the Peerless, guiding the lovers to the seat of sanctity and to this resplendent Beauty.”

Aḥmad immediately obeyed. The task before him would be far from easy. But he was reassured by the words of Bahá’u’lláh in His Tablet that

“. . . if thou art overtaken by affliction in My path, or degradation for My sake, be not thou troubled thereby. Rely upon God, thy God and the Lord of thy fathers.”

And so he made his way back to Persia and, unrestricted as the wind, carried Bahá’u’lláh’s Message throughout the country.

Among the places he visited was Khurásán, the very province in which he had received the news of the appearance of the Báb many years before. There he went to the home of a prominent Bábí by the name of Furúghí. Aḥmad explained in clear terms that the One promised by the Báb, to Whom He referred as He Whom God shall make manifest, was Bahá’u’lláh. Furúghí was not a person easy to convince.

Aḥmad, of course, would not give up. In the Tablet addressed to him, Bahá’u’lláh, had told him to be like “a river of life eternal to My loved ones”. Aḥmad went back to Furúghí’s home, knocked on the door and entered into discussion with him once again. How, he asked, could Furúghí deny that Bahá’u’lláh was the Promised One when so many passages in the Writings of the Báb referred to the greatest name Bahá. If Aḥmad could prove this, Furúghí said in response, he would accept. At the time the persecutions against the Bábís were so intense that they had to keep their books hidden from sight, usually in places inside the walls of their houses. So Furúghí went to the wall, tore part of it open and took out a bundle containing the Writings of the Báb. And what do you think happened? The very first page they opened mentioned the word “Bahá”. Furúghí and his entire family instantly recognized Bahá’u’lláh, and he went on to become one of the greatest teachers of the Faith.

Thus, it was through the efforts of outstanding Bahá’ís like Aḥmad who obeyed the commandment to teach that soon the vast majority of the Bábís accepted Bahá’u’lláh and became His faithful followers.

FROM THE EVENTS WE JUST READ, WE CAN SEE THAT:

  1. With the recognition of God’s Manifestation comes obedience to His commands, as two inseparable twin duties. 
  2. Reliance on God, as a source of courage and joy in the path of service to Him, is another. 

Are there any other insights from the events we read?

How about searching for truth?

PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOUSE OF BAHAULLAH IN ADRIANOPLE

NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT WHAT THE HOUSE LOOKED LIKE WHEN BAHA’U’LLAH AND HIS FAMILY LIVED THERE

For any of the figures we heard about, use the biography page to write down the information you would like to remember.

Download from Teachers Pay Teachers here

facts about Bahá'u'lláh Grade 4

Facts

  1. Bahá’u’lláh and His family arrived in Constantinople on 16 August 1863.
  2. Bahá’u’lláh remained in Constantinople for about four months.
  3. From Constantinople, Bahá’u’lláh was exiled to Adrianople.
  4. Bahá’u’lláh and His family arrived in Adrianople on 12 December 1863.
  5. Bahá’u’lláh stayed in Adrianople for just over four and a half years.
games/ drama grade 4 ruhi book 3

Like fountains brimming over with water for every thirsty one, how they must have wanted to share with others the good news of Bahá’u’lláh’s Declaration! And that is precisely what Bahá’u’lláh wished them to do.

Act out being a fountain, you have the knowledge to share (water) try to be a fountain that is happy, excited, and full of good news

crafts grade 4 ruhi book 3

Based on the theme of the lesson

THE CAUSE OF GOD HAS THE POWER TO WITHSTAND ALL OPPOSITION Activity/craft: Use oil and colored water in a jar. Add beads or other items. When you shake the bottle, the oil and water and items mix ( the trials and tribulations impact of the Cause of God. But when you stop the shaking motion, the oil and water separate and so do all the little items.

PAINTING

Use the quote from the Tablet of Ahmad to help you paint a picture.

Make A Mini Book

Teachers Pay Teachers: Download and print the mini book for Tablet of Ahmad

Fountain

Remember at the beginning of this lesson we said:

“Like fountains brimming over with water for every thirsty one, how they must have wanted to share with others the good news of Bahá’u’lláh’s Declaration! And that is precisely what Bahá’u’lláh wished them to do.”

Follow this Website to make an easy fountain using a plastic water bottle, straw, and a balloon

Zen Tangle Art

Use the Nightingale outline to do some Zen Tangle Art: See examples of Zen Tangle Art here.

Other Ideas

  1. Brilliant Star Here And Here
  2. Happiness during hardship
  3. Garden of Paradise word drop
  4. Meeting Baha’u’llah

“These are the appointed days which ye have been yearningly awaiting in the past— the days of the advent of divine justice. Render ye thanks unto God, O ye concourse of believers.”

Selections from the Writings of the Báb 
Download The Memorization Aid
Review Quote G4 L8