DECEIT SANCTIONED BY ABBAS EFENDI.
The political sagacity of Abbas Efendi and the ways in which he meets the pilgrims with every display of affection, and the proffering of abundant distinctions and honours to them, as likewise his training of his followers and attendants to manifest towards him and also the pilgrims tender love, kindness and complete humility, assure him an absolute sovereignty over their intellects and win for him their blind confidence, so that they regard him *as great and perfect to such a degree that if he bids them perform actions which God hath declared unlawful, they do them unwittingly. As an instance of this, Abbas Efendi invited Colonel Bedri Bey, the commanding officer of the Turkish troops there, to partake of food at his table with the American pilgrims who were there at that time. Before they entered the dining room, however, Abbas Efendi commanded them through their interpreter at the time, Bahiyya the daughter of Khayru'llah, to deny all knowledge of the French language if Bedri Bey should desire to converse with them in that tongue. So when all were gathered at the table, Bedri Bey enquired if any of the Americans was conversant with the French language, for if so he would like to converse with them in it, since he did not know English. In obedience to Abbas Efendi's command they all denied such knowledge, though four of these respected ladies spoke French very well, namely, Mrs. Hearst, Mrs. Kruper, Mrs. Thornbourg and Mrs. Aberson. Verily God and His servants cannot teach their followers to deny the truth, for assuredly a lie is hateful in God's sight, whatever be the object in view, and truly what God hath forbidden cannot become right.
* page 83
| Stumbling Blocks | Biographical Sketch | Conversion to faith | ||
| Evangelizing | Akka | Disrepancies | ||
| Estrangement | Precautions and Prejudice | Deceit | ||
| Prophecies | Alleged Duplicity | Khayrullah renounces Abbas Effendi |