About the Remover of Difficulties

Is there any Remover of difficulties save God? Say: Praised be God! He is God! All are His servants, and all abide by His bidding!

~ The Bab

This is a famous prayer in the Baha'i Faith, one which has been said by many people in many circumstances, usually during times of tests. It has been put to a multitude of melodies, and is often chanted in Arabic, the language in which it was revealed. Originally it was revealed by the Bab for His wife, as a comfort for her during the time He was persecuted, imprisoned, and later executed with 750 bullets in Tabriz.

I have heard people snort in derision at the notion of standing by the road with a flat tire, saying the Remover of Difficulties; what needs to be done is remove the tire.

Angus Cowan, a Counselor in Canada, pointed out in one of his talks that he didn't care for the Remover of Difficulties, as he figured it would turn out that he was probably the difficulty and would  be removed.

At one time 'Abdu'l-Baha, Center of the Covenant, was trying to purchase land next to the site of the Shrine of the Bab on Mount Carmel, to facilitate construction there, and the enemies of the Faith were blocking the sale. He spent a night chanting 500 Remover of Difficulties. The next day, the owner of the property offered it to him for free; of course, He gave a fair price for the property.

I used to really be puzzled about the statement that "All are His servants, and all abide by His bidding!" This is like one of those koans in Buddhism: if this is true, how can this other thing be true? How can it be said that everyone is doing the Will of God? But that is a literal interpretation of the prayer. It recently occurred to me that this is a statement that God is in charge, and the role of humankind is to obey.

Lately my attitude in saying the prayer has been to try to do the Will of God, and hope my internal difficulties will be removed.