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These were the most perilous and dramatic years of 'Abdu'l-Baha's ministry, when He was confined within the walls of the prison city by the Ottoman authorities, subjected to continual surveillance, and confronted with the constant threat of further exile or of execution. Under such circumstances of stricture and suspicion, it was dangerous to receive visitors of any kind, let alone host prominent Western guests. Yet 'Abdu'l-Baha was determined to nurture the seeds of faith so recently germinated. Thus, in the heart of this dark period, during the years 1904-1906, Miss Barney was able to make several extended visits, sometimes for weeks or months at a time, during which she was privileged to join Him on numerous occasions and to pose questions on a wide range of subjects. Many of the conversations took place at the lunch table. Arrangements were made for one of 'Abdu'l-Baha's sons-in-law, or for one of His three secretaries of that time, to take down in Persian the text of His replies. From the resulting collection of notes a selection was made; 'Abdu'l-Baha then corrected these notes twice in His own hand, sometimes substantially revising them in the process as well as carefully reviewing the final wording
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