I went on pilgrimage in February 2001. Below are the notes from the final night with Mr. Furutan. The notes are slightly modified from the original shorthand.
Monday, 26 FEB 2001
Mr. Furutan's Talk
Someone once asked `Abdu'l-Baha, "People come from pilgrimage saying 'He said this, He said that.' How should we regard these sayings?" `Abdu'l-Baha responded, "Thou hast written concerning the pilgrims and pilgrims' notes. Any text that is not authenticated should not be trusted."
Shoghi Effendi also mentioned that pilgrims notes are for personal use.
Mr. Furutan said that if you need to know something, it would be in the text. Hadiths ruined the very base of Islam.
George Townsend, Hand of the Cause, was at a conference in Stockholm in 1951. A boy asked his opinion on a matter. He asked the boy why he was asking the question, and the boy said, "You know more than me." He responded, "Of course I know more than you, everyone knows that I know more than you, because I've read the writings. Go read Some Answered Questions on such-and-such page and you will find the answer."
It's interesting how Pilgrim Notes have similar status in the Faith as miracles; perhaps interesting and inspiring to the one who personally perceived it, but no authority or proof for the generality of the Baha'is
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