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ABDU'L-BAHA'S USE OF NATURAL REMEDIES
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Taken from "The Revelation of Baha'u'llah", Volume Three, by Adib Taherzadeh, pp. 361-2








Dr. Yunis Khan,
a distinguished and trusted secretary of Abdu'l-Baha and one of the Heralds of the Covenant of Baha'u'llah (the title 'Herald of the Covenant' was sometimes given by Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi to outstanding promoters of the Covenant), writes an interesting account in his memoirs. The following is a summary of his reminiscences:
"I heard Abdu'l-Baha many times speaking about the subject of medicine: He used to say that Jinab-i-Kalim (Baha'u'llah's faithful brother) was very knowledgeable in herbal medicine and used to practise it. In the early days Abdu'l-Baha also used to practise it. In the early days Abdu'l-Baha also used to prescribe medicine to those who came to him for healing. But later Baha'u'llah directed Him not to prescribe for patients, so that the believers might turn to the medical profession and not form the habit of seeking medical advice from unqualified people. This advice was given by Baha'u'llah so that His injunction in the 'Kitab-i-Aqdas (Baha'i Most Holy Book) to consult a skilled physician might be realized.
Although we all knew that because of this particular commandment in the 'Kitab-i-Aqdas, Abdu'l-Baha, the healer of spiritual ills, would not consent to prescribe for the physical sickness, yet whenever the doctor's treatment failed to cure, the patient used to turn to the Master and beg for healing from the One who was the Healer of all ills. And since the compassionate nature of Abdu'l-Baha was such that He could not withhold help from an individual who turned to Him, in such cases He would, as a matter of principle, employ some means to cure the patient. This He did by offering some remedy and thus conferring healing on the individual. More surprising is the fact that whereas the believers acted with some restraint, the non-Baha'i public who were not aware of the real situation used to come to Him for healing more often, and none of them left feeling disappointed.
One of the remedial means which was at Abdu'l-Baha's disposal and which He offered to many a sick person, was a delicious sauce made from pomegranates. The fruit has been grown in the Garden of Ridvan in Akka. To whomsoever Abdu'l-Baha gave this sauce, whether a believer or a non-Baha'i, He would say that the pomegranates had grown on trees in the Garden of Ridvan, trees which had been blessed by Baha'u'llah's eyes. But what were the circumstances which produced healing? Was it an inherent nature of the patient to be cured, was the cure the result of taking the sauce, or was it purely through the will of Abdu'l-Baha? I do not know the answer, but one thing I know that it was proved time and time again that this delicious fruit sauce was the remedy for many an illness! This was one of the topics often discussed among the believers in the Pilgrim House.
Another prescription which Abdu'l-Baha gave to some was that of fasting or cutting down on certain foods...."
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