You just made a very good point, so I assume you meant if it was a test, it was sent by God?
So my next thought was: How can we know if something is a test or if it is a consequence of something else?
Abdu'l-Baha and Baha'u'llah both talked about the tests that come to the faithful in the path of service to God. I have never had any problems with those tests and I can be grateful for them as Abdu'l-Baha said we should be, because those tests serve a purpose, not just for me, but for other people. These are NOT the tests I have ever complained about. So context is very important! What tests was Abdu'l-Baha referring to in the following paragraph? If he was referring to tests that come upon us in the path of service I gladly hasten, with the utmost joy and gladness, to the tests of a violent battlefield.
“Thou hast written concerning the tests that have come upon thee. To the sincere ones, tests are as a gift from God, the Exalted, for a heroic person hasteneth, with the utmost joy and gladness, to the tests of a violent battlefield, but the coward is afraid and trembles and utters moaning and lamentation. Likewise, an expert student prepareth and memorizeth his lessons and exercises with the utmost effort, and in the day of examination he appeareth with infinite joy before the master. Likewise, the pure gold shineth radiantly in the fire of test. Consequently, it is made clear that for holy souls, trials are as the gift of God, the Exalted; but for weak souls they are an unexpected calamity.” Bahá’í World Faith, p. 371
Again, on the quote below, Abdu'l-Baha refers to tests in the path of service. to the Cause. I agree that, as he said, these episodes shall pass away, while abiding glory and eternal life shall remain unchanged forever, and that these afflictions shall be the cause of great advancement.
"O thou who art steadfast in the Covenant! Thy letter of 9 September 1909 hath been received. Be thou neither grieved nor despondent over what hath come to pass. This trouble overtook thee as thou didst walk the path of God, wherefore it should bring thee joy. We addressed the friends in writing ere this, and made a verbal statement as well, to the effect that the friends in the West will unquestionably have their share of the calamities befalling the friends in the East. It is inevitable that, walking the pathway of Bahá’u’lláh, they too will become targets for persecution by the oppressors.
Consider how at the beginning of the Christian era the Apostles were afflicted, and what torments they endured in the pathway of Christ. Every day of their lives they were targets for the Pharisees’ darts of mockery, vilification and abuse. They bore great hardship; they saw prison; and most of them carried to their lips the sweet cup of martyrdom.
Now ye, as well, must certainly become my partners to some slight degree, and accept your share of tests and sorrows. But these episodes shall pass away, while that abiding glory and eternal life shall remain unchanged forever. Moreover, these afflictions shall be the cause of great advancement.
I ask of God that thou, His husbandman, shalt plough the hard and stony ground, and water it, and scatter seeds therein—for this will show how skilful is the farmer, while any man can sow and till where the ground is soft, and clear of brambles and thorns." Selections From the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, pp. 238-239
Now we come to what Abdu'l-Baha said, that all calamities and afflictions have been created for man so that he may spurn this mortal world—a world to which he is much attached, and I can agree with that too.
"O thou servant of God! Do not grieve at the afflictions and calamities that have befallen thee. All calamities and afflictions have been created for man so that he may spurn this mortal world—a world to which he is much attached. When he experienceth severe trials and hardships, then his nature will recoil and he will desire the eternal realm—a realm which is sanctified from all afflictions and calamities. Such is the case with the man who is wise. He shall never drink from a cup which is at the end distasteful, but, on the contrary, he will seek the cup of pure and limpid water. He will not taste of the honey that is mixed with poison.
Praise thou God, that thou hast been tried and hast experienced such a test. Be patient and grateful. Turn thy face to the divine Kingdom and strive that thou mayest acquire merciful characteristics, mayest become illumined and acquire the attributes of the Kingdom and of the Lord. Endeavour to become indifferent to the pleasures of this world and to its comfort, to remain firm and steadfast in the Covenant and to promulgate the Cause of God.
This is the cause of the exaltation of man, the cause of his glory and of his salvation."
Selections From the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 239
The caveat is that not
everyone is attached to this mortal world of dust and they might not need tests in order to become detached; they might just read what Baha'u'llah wrote about the world and decide that it is in their best interest NOT to be attached to the world. That is what I did.
I am not saying this to brag, but I am attached to nothing except my husband and my cats, and all my suffering comes from the illness and death of my cats, not from a drop on the stock market. I have a lot of money in the stock market and the stock market has crashed many times, but I hardly pay any attention to it, although luckily it all came back. I have many financial assets and much wealth, but I plan to leave all of that to the Baha'i Faith and animal rescue organizations. I do understand that most Baha'is enjoy the physical world so there is a degree of attachment, and I do not judge them for that because that is normal, but I have to force myself to partake of the bounties of the physical world, because I am very austere in my lifestyle and I would much rather be serving the Cause than partaking of worldly things.
Making a general statement that we should endure tests and difficulties is fine by me; it was when he called people cowards and weak souls as contrasted with sincere ones and holy souls, that bothered me. I will hasten to the battlefield to teach the Faith and I will consider that a gift from God, but if a cat dies I will not consider that a gift, I will consider it a calamity, and I will not thank God for that, although I will accept it as God's will as long as I know I did everything possible to prevent it... So now you know where I am coming from.
I would guess that Abdu'l-Baha got his knowledge from Baha'u'llah, who had
all knowledge which He got from God.
“O KING! I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the knowledge of all that hath been. This thing is not from Me, but from One Who is Almighty and All-Knowing. And He bade Me lift up My voice between earth and heaven, and for this there befell Me what hath caused the tears of every man of understanding to flow.” Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 57
The only problem I have is if Abdu'l-Baha comes up with something that Baha'u'llah did not write about. In that case, if it does not sit right with me, I am going to question it, because I do not believe that Abdul-Baha is infallible. By contrast, if Baha'u'llah wrote it I will not question it even if I do not like it; rather I will accept it and try to understand why He wrote it.
