Exalted as is the rank of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and however profuse
the praises with which in these sacred Books and Tablets Bahá'u'lláh has
glorified His son, so unique a distinction must never be construed as
conferring upon its recipient a station identical with, or equivalent to, that
of His Father, the Manifestation Himself… Indeed, as I have already stated,
those who overestimate 'Abdu'l-Bahá's station are just as reprehensible and
have done just as much harm as those who underestimate it. And this for no
other reason except that by insisting upon an altogether unwarranted inference
from Bahá'u'lláh's writings they are inadvertently justifying and continuously
furnishing the enemy with proofs for his false accusations and misleading
statements. - Shoghi Effendi (The World Order of Baha'u'llah)
