I have forgotten to write that as I was standing delivering the khutba Abdul Baha arrived with a few friends in a motor car and stood at the gate of the mosque, some fifty yards from me. He saw us, stood there for a few minutes and then went towards the guest house. He is after all the son of a Muslim, and used to be a Muslim and knows what the Jumu‘a prayer is. After finishing the prayer, when we went to the guest house, we found Abdul Baha seated at a table with his food. Our eating arrangements were in the same room. When they finished and emerged from the room, Abdul Baha extended his hand towards me and greeted me. After a formal exchange of words, I said to him: You came here in connection with the opening of the mosque and today was Friday. Why didn’t you join the prayer? Being familiar with worldly expediency, he replied: The prayer time came when we were still at home, so we performed this duty there. I said: Yes, but now the time for asr is approaching.[note 2] He would have to join in it. He had no choice but to answer in the affirmative.
Anyhow, we entered the dining room, and as I emerged after the meal Abdul Baha approached me and began to walk with me, taking me to the mosque while talking to me. Finding the mosque empty he immediately entered it, called out the takbir and pointed me to lead the prayer. If he had said his prayer at that time no one else would have known what happened in the mosque. I said to him that there were many Muslims who had yet to pray and he should wait till the congregation was ready. He was about to say something when I went outside and called everyone to come inside. Immediately I had the adhan called loudly for the asr prayers. People started to gather. Meanwhile Abdul Baha had started praying and performed the prayer in the manner of Sunni Muslims. While the adhan was being called out he finished his prayer. However, when the adhan came to an end he said loudly La ilaha illallah Muhammad-ur Rasulullah like Muslims. Then we stood for prayers, which I led. Abdul Baha joined us in the congregation and two Europeans who were with him, probably Bahais, also joined. Others just watched. His Persian companions, including Hakim Mahmud, also joined the prayer.
After the prayer Abdul Baha stood outside at the threshold of the mosque and some forty people were present in the courtyard to listen to him, including ourselves and some other Muslim students who had not been able to come in time for the Jumu‘a prayer. The gist of Abdul Baha’s speech was that the basis of religion is harmony and love, and it was the mission of every prophet to spread harmony and love in mankind. This was also the real mission of Moses, Jesus and the Holy Prophet Muhammad. In past times there was much discord and ignorance. Now Bahaullah had brought light and his mission was to teach love, harmony and brotherhood. The reason for man’s existence is to show humanity and love, so we must adhere to love and brotherhood.
There was a Persian interpreter with him who translated each sentence into English. No doubt the speech was well constructed but it was certainly not impromptu.
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