The Master's humility was shown in many ways. He desired no name or title except that of Abdu'l-Baha - the Servant of God. He forbade pilgrims to fall at His feet. In the early days in Akka, He cooked for His fellow prisoners, and later, when entertaining visitors at His table, He sometimes served His guests Himself, 'a practice he recommended to other hosts'.

Whenever 'Abdu'l-Baha discussed the importance of teaching the Baha'i Faith He spoke with emphasis, and in His Will and Testament He wrote: 'Of all the gifts of God the greatest is the gift of Teaching.'

'The disciples of Christ forgot themselves and all earthly things, forsook all their cares and belongings, purged themselves of self and passion and with absolute detachment scattered far and wide and engaged in calling the peoples of the world to the Divine Guidance, till at last they made the world another world... Let them that are men of action follow in their footsteps!'

A friend had sent some fur so that the Master could have a good warm coat; He had it cut up and made into twenty caps for the elderly men of the town.

During 'Abdu'l-Baha's last days in America, the Baha'is were eager to show their love and gratitude by contributions of money, but these He refused. 'I am pleased with your services,' He told them, 'and I am grateful for all you have done for Me. ... Now you have brought presents for the members of My family. They are acceptable, but the best of all presents is the love of God which remains preserved in the treasuries of hearts. Material presents remain for a time but this lasts forever. These presents require chests and shelves for for safe keeping while this is preserved in the treasuries of the hearts. Material presents remain for a time but this lasts forever. These presents require chests and shelves for safe keeping while this is preserved in the repositories of the minds and hearts and remains eternal and immortal forever in the divine worlds. I shall, therefore, convey to them your love which is the most precious of all gifts. No one uses diamond rings in our home and no one wants rubies. That house is free from all these things.

'I, however, accept your presents but I leave them in your safe keeping with the request that you will kindly sell them and send the proceeds to the funds for the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar.'

On one occasion 'Abdu'l-Baha told about a happy day in Iraq: 'Once, when I lived in Baghdad, I was invited to the house of a poor thorn-picker. In Baghdad the heat is greater even than in Syria; and it was a very hot day. But I walked twelve miles to the thorn-picker's hut. Then his wife made a little cake out of some meal for Me and burnt it in cooking it, so that it was a black, hard lump. Still that was the best reception I ever attended.'

One day 'Abdu'l-Baha was going from 'Akka to Haifa and asked for a seat in the stage coach. The driver, surprised, said 'Your Excellency surely wishes a private carriage.' 'No,' replied the Master. While He was still in the coach in Haifa, a distressed fisherwoman came to Him; all day she had caught nothing and now must return to her hungry family. The Master gave her five francs, then turned to the driver and said: 'You now see the reason why I would not take a private carriage. Why should I ride in luxury when so many are starving?'

'Abdu'l-Baha was not afraid of silence; indeed, He know its virtue. Howard Colby Ives has recalled: 'To the questioner He responded first with silence - an outward silence. His encouragement always was that the other should speak and He listen. There was never that eager tenseness, that restlessness so often met showing most plainly that the listener has the pat answer ready the moment he should have a chance to utter it.' And Ives recounts a charming story about another Unitarian minister who was interviewing 'Abdu'l-Baha for an article on the Baha'i Faith. His questions were long. The Master listened 'with unwearied attention', replying mostly in monosyllables, but relaxed and interested. A great 'understanding love' flowed from Him to the minister . Ives grew impatient, but not the Master; His guest must be heard fully. When at last His questioner paused, after a brief silence 'Abdu'l-Baha spoke to him with wisdom and love, calling him 'my dear son'. Within five minutes the minister 'had become humble, for the moment, at least, a disciple at His feet. ... Then 'Abdu'l-Baha rose ... lovingly embraced the doctor and led him towards the door. At the threshold he paused. His eyes lighted upon a large bunch of American Beauty roses ... He laughed aloud ... stooped, gathered the whole bunch in His arms ... and placed them all in the arms of His visitor. Never shall I forget that round, bespectacled, grey head above that immense bunch of lovely flowers. So surprised, so radiant, so humble, so transformed.'

Lua Getisinger reported that one day she and Georgie Ralston were driving with the Master. He closed His eyes and apparently fell asleep. Lua and Gorgie talked on, probably about their own concerns, for suddenly the Master's eyes sprang open and He laughed. "I, me, my, mine: words of the Devil!" He said. 

'Freedom is not a matter of place, but of condition. I was happy in that prison, for those days were passed in the path of service.

'To me prison was freedom.

'Troubles are a rest to me.

'Death is life.

'To be despised is honour.

'Therefore was I full of hapiness all through that prison time.

'When one is released from the prison of self, that is indeed freedom! For self is the greatest prison.

'When this release takes place one can never be imprisoned.

'Unless one accepts dire vicissitudes, not with dull resignation, but with radiant acquiescence, one cannot attain this freedom.'