Caring for the sick
“We should all visit the sick. When they are in sorrow and suffering, it is a real help and benefit to have a friend come. Happiness is a great healer to those who are ill. You must always have this thought of love and affection when you visit the ailing and afflicted.” (Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 204)
“Joy is the best cure for our illness. Joy is better than a hundred thousand medicines for a sick person. If there is a sick person and one wishes to cure him, let one cause joy and happiness in his heart.” (Abdu'l-Baha)
“..Be a healing medicine for those who suffer pain; be ye doctor and nurse to the ailing..” (Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 72)
“You must love and be kind to everybody, care for the poor, protect the weak, heal the sick, teach and educate the ignorant.” (Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 93)
“Be the source of consolation to every sad one, assist every weak one, be helpful to every indigent one, care for every sick one, be the cause of glorification to every lowly one, and shelter those who are overshadowed by fear.” (Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 453)
Stories of Abdu'l-Baha :
Abdu'l-Baha's hand
There are so many stories of the Abdu’l-Baha’s self-denial in favour of others. He was bountiful as the rain in His generosity to the poor, the sick and needy. He gladly accepted material deprivation and all He gave was saved by the cutting off of what most people would consider necessities. He did not need, or want, luxury. Abdu’l-Baha gave freely of what He had: love, time, care and concern, food and money, clothing and flowers, a bed, a rug! His motto appeared to be: self-denial for Himself, generosity for others. Following are few of many stories of him caring for the sick.
- In ‘Akka the Master’s room often contained not even a bed as He was continually giving His own to those more needy than He. Wrapped in a blanket, He would lie on the floor. It was not possible to buy a bed in the town of ‘Akka; a bed ordered from Haifa took at least thirty-six hours to arrive. Inevitably, when the Master went on His morning round of visitations and found a feverish individual tossing on bare ground, He sent him His bed. Only after His own situation was inadvertently discovered did He receive another bed, thanks to some caring friend. (Honnold, Annamarie, Vignettes from the Life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 66)
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s kind heart went out to those who were ill. If He could alleviate a pain or discomfort, he set about to do so. One old couple who were ill in bed for a month had twenty visits from the Master during that time in Akka.
- As there was no hospital in town, He paid a doctor a regular salary to look after the poor. The doctor was instructed not to tell Who provided this service. When a poor and crippled woman was shunned on contracting measles, the Master, on being informed, ‘immediately engaged a woman to care for her; took a room, put comfortable bedding (His own) into it, called the doctor, sent food and everything she needed.. (Honnold, Vignettes from the Life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 43-4)
- Lua Getsinger, one of the early Bahá’ís of America, tells of an experience she had in Akká. She had made the pilgrimage to the prison-city to see ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. One day He said to her that He was too busy today to call upon a friend of His who was very poor and sick. He wished Lua to go in His place. He told her to take food to the sick man and care for him as He had been doing. Lua learned the address and immediately went to do as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had asked. She felt proud that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had trusted her with some of His own work. But soon she returned to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in a state of excitement. “Master,” she exclaimed, “You sent me to a very terrible place! I almost fainted from the awful smell, the dirty rooms, the degrading condition of that man and his house. I left quickly before I could catch some terrible disease.” Sadly and sternly, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gazed at her. If she wanted to serve God, He told her, she would have to serve her fellow man, because in every person she should see the image and likeness of God. Then He told her to go back to the man’s house. If the house was dirty, she should clean it. If the man was dirty, she should bathe him. If he was hungry, she should feed him. He asked her not to come back until all of this was done. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has done these things many times for this man, and he told Lua Getsinger that she should be able to do them once. This is how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá taught Lua to serve her fellow man. (Howard Colby Ives, Portals to Freedom, p. 85)
- A man, ill with tuberculosis, was avoided by his friends - even his family was fearful and hardly dared enter his room. The Master needed only to hear of it and 'thereafter went daily to the sick man, took him delicacies, read and discoursed to him, and was alone with him when he died. (Honnold, Annamarie, Vignettes from the Life of ‘Abdu’l-Baha)