VER since I began the writing of my
narrative, it has been my firm intention to include, in such accounts
as I might be able to relate of the early
days of this Revelation, those gems of inestimable
value which it has been my privilege to hear, from time to
time, from the lips of Baha'u'llah. These words, some of
which were addressed to me alone, others which I shared
with my fellow-disciples as we sat in His presence, are
mainly concerned with the very episodes I have essayed
to describe. Baha'u'llah's comments on the conference of
Badasht, and His references to the tumult that marked its
closing stages, to which I have referred in a preceding chapter,
are but instances of the passages with which I hope to enrich
and ennoble my narrative.
Upon the termination of the description of the struggle of
Zanjan, I was ushered into His presence, and received, together
with a number of other believers, the blessings which
on two occasions He deigned to confer upon us. Both visits
took place during the four days which Baha'u'llah chose to
tarry in the home of Aqay-i-Kalim. On the second and
fourth nights after His arrival at His brother's house, which
fell on the seventh day of the month of Jamadiyu'l-Avval,
in the year 1306 A.H.,(1) I, together with a number of pilgrims
from Sarvistan and Faran, as well as a few resident believers,
was admitted into His presence. The words He spoke to us
lie for ever engraved upon my heart, and I feel it my duty
to my readers to share with them the gist of His talk.
"Praise be to God," He said, "that whatever is essential
for the believers in this Revelation to be told has been revealed.
Their duties have been clearly defined, and the deeds
they are expected to perform have been plainly set forth in
"God knows that at no time did We attempt to conceal
Ourself or hide the Cause which We have been bidden to
proclaim. Though not wearing the garb of the people of
learning, We have again and again faced and reasoned with
men of great scholarship in both Nur and Mazindaran, and
have succeeded in persuading them of the truth of this
Revelation. We never flinched in Our determination; We
never hesitated to accept the challenge from whatever direction
it came. To whomsoever We spoke in those days, We
found him receptive to our Call and ready to identify himself
with its precepts. But for the shameful behaviour of the
people of Bayan, who sullied by their deeds the work We had
accomplished, Nur and Mazindaran would have been entirely
won to this Cause and would have been accounted by
this time among its leading strongholds.
At a time when the forces of Prince Mihdi-Quli Mirza
had besieged the fort of Tabarsi, We resolved to depart from
Nur and lend Our assistance to its heroic defenders. We had
intended to send Abdu'l-Vahhab, one of Our companions,
in advance of Us, and to request him to announce Our approach
to the besieged. Though encompassed by the forces
of the enemy, We had decided to throw in Our lot with those
steadfast companions, and to risk the dangers with which
"Whilst in Sari, We were again exposed to the insults of
the people. Though the notables of that town were, for the
most part, Our friends and had on several occasions met Us
in Tihran, no sooner had the townspeople recognised Us,
as We walked with Quddus in the streets, than they began
to hurl their invectives at Us. The cry `Babi! Babi!'
greeted Us wherever We went. We were unable to escape their
bitter denunciations.
"In Tihran We were twice imprisoned as a result of Our
`Upon Our return to Baghdad, We found, to Our great
astonishment, that the Cause of the Bab had been sorely
neglected, that its influence had waned, that its very name
had almost sunk into oblivion. We arose to revive His Cause
and to save it from decay and corruption. At the time when
ear and perplexity had taken fast hold of Our companions,
We reasserted, with fearlessness and determination, its essential
verities, and summoned all those who had become
lukewarm to espouse with enthusiasm the Faith they had so
grievously neglected. We sent forth Our appeal to the
peoples of the world, and invited them to fix their gaze upon
the light of His Revelation.
"After Our departure from Adrianople, a discussion arose
among the government officials in Constantinople as to
whether We and Our companions should not be thrown into
the sea. The report of such a discussion reached Persia, and
gave rise to a rumour that We had actually suffered that fate.
In Khurasan particularly, Our friends were greatly perturbed.
Mirza Ahmad-i-Azghandi, as soon as he was informed of
this news, was reported to have asserted that under no circumstances
could he credit such a rumour. `The Revelation
of the Bab,' he said, `must, if this be true, be regarded as
utterly devoid of foundation.' The news of Our safe arrival
"From Our Most Great Prison We were moved to address
to the several rulers and crowned heads of the world
Epistles in which We summoned them to arise and embrace
the Cause of God. To the Shah of Persia We sent Our messenger
Badi', into whose hands We entrusted the Tablet.
It was he who raised it aloft before the eyes of the multitude
and, with uplifted voice, appealed to his sovereign to heed
the words that Tablet contained. The rest of the Epistles
likewise reached their destination. To the Tablet We addressed
to the Emperor of France, an answer was received
from his minister, the original of which is now in the possession
of the Most Great Branch.(1) To him We addressed
these words: `Bid the high priest, O Monarch of France, to
cease ringing his bells, for, lo! the Most Great Bell, which
the hands of the will of the Lord thy God are ringing, is made
manifest in the person of His chosen One.' The Epistle We
addressed to the Czar of Russia, alone failed to reach it
destination. Other Tablets, however, have reached him, and
that Epistle will eventually be delivered into his hands.
"Be thankful to God for having enabled you to recognise
His Cause. Whoever has received this blessing must, prior
to his acceptance, have performed some deed which, though
he himself was unaware of its character, was ordained by God
as a means whereby he has been guided to find and embrace
the Truth. As to those who have remained deprived of such
a blessing, their acts alone have hindered them from recognising
the truth of this Revelation. We cherish the hope that
you, who have attained to this light, will exert your utmost
to banish the darkness of superstition and unbelief from the
midst of the people. May your deeds proclaim your faith
and enable you to lead the erring into the paths of eternal
salvation. The memory of this night will never be forgotten.
May it never be effaced by the passage of time, and may its
mention linger for ever on the lips of men."
The seventh Naw-Ruz after the Declaration of the Bab
A few days after my arrival, Mirza Ahmad informed me
of his having succeeded, while in Qum, in teaching the Cause
to Ildirim Mirza, brother of Khanlar Mirza, to whom he
wished to present a copy of the "Dala'il-i-Sab'ih,"(3) and expressed
his desire that I should be its bearer. Ildirim Mirza
was in those days governor of Khurram-Abad, in the province
of Luristan, and had encamped with his army in the mountains
On my return, I received from Mirza Ahmad the joyful
tidings of the arrival of Baha'u'llah in Kirmanshah. As we
were being ushered into His presence, we found Him, it being
the month of Ramadan, engaged in reading the Qur'an, and
were blessed by hearing Him read verses of that sacred Book.
I presented to Him Ildirim Mirza's written message to Mirza
Ahmad. "The faith which a member of the Qajar dynasty
professes," He remarked, after reading the letter, "cannot
be depended upon. His declarations are insincere. Expecting
that the Babis will one day assassinate the sovereign, he
harbours in his heart the hope of being acclaimed by them
the successor. The love he professes for the Bab is actuated
by that motive." Within a few months we knew the truth
of His words. This same Ildirim Mirza gave orders that a
certain Siyyid Basir-i-Hindi, a fervent adherent of the Faith,
should be put to death.
It would be appropriate at this juncture to deviate from
the course of our narrative and refer briefly to the circumstances
of this martyr's conversion and death. Among the
disciples whom the Bab had instructed, in the early days of
His Mission, to disperse and teach His Cause, was a certain
Shaykh Sa'id-i-Hindi, one of the Letters of the Living, who
had been directed by his Master to journey throughout
India and proclaim to its people the precepts of His Revelation.
Shaykh Sa'id, in the course of his travels, visited the
town of Mooltan, where he met this Siyyid Basir,(l) who,
I have heard Shaykh Shahid-i-Mazkan relate the following:
"I was privileged to meet Siyyid Basir at the height of
summer during his passage through Qamsar, whither the
leading men of Kashan go to escape the heat of that town.
Day and night, I found him engaged in arguing with the
leading ulamas who had congregated in that village. With
ability and insight, he discussed with them the subtleties of
their Faith, expounded without fear or reservation the
fundamental teachings of the Cause, and absolutely confuted
their arguments. No one, however great his learning and
experience, was able to reject the evidences he set forth in
support of his claims. Such were his insight and his knowledge
I have similarly heard Mulla Ibrahim, surnamed Mulla-Bashi,
who was martyred in Sultan-Abad, thus recount his
impression of Siyyid Basir: "Towards the end of his life, Siyyid
Basir passed through Sultan-Abad, where I was able to meet
him. He was continually associated with the leading ulamas.
No one could surpass his knowledge of the Qur'an and his
mastery of the traditions ascribed to Muhammad. He displayed
an understanding which made him the terror of his
adversaries. Often would his opponents question the accuracy
of his quotations or reject the existence of the tradition
which he produced in support of his contention. With
unerring exactitude, he would establish the truth of his
argument by his reference to the text of the Usul-i-Kafi'
and the `Biharu'l-Anvar,'(1) from which he would instantly
bring out the particular tradition demonstrating the truth
of his words. He stood unrivalled alike in the fluency of his
argument and the facility with which he brought out the
most incontrovertible proofs in support of his theme."
From Sultan-Abad, Siyyid Basir proceeded to Luristan,
where he visited the camp of Ildirim Mirza, and was receive
by him with marked respect and consideration. In the course
of his conversation with him one day, the siyyid, who was
a man of great courage, referred to Muhammad Shah in
terms that aroused the fierce anger of Ildirim Mirza. He
was furious at the tone and vehemence of his remarks, and
ordered that his tongue be pulled out through the back of his n
eck. The siyyid endured this cruel torture with amazing
fortitude, but succumbed to the pain which his oppressor
had mercilessly inflicted upon him. The same week a letter,
in which Ildirim Mirza had abused his brother, Khanlar
Mirza, was discovered by the latter, who immediately obtained
the consent of his sovereign to treat him in whatever
way he pleased. Khanlar Mirza, who entertained an implacable
hatred for his brother, ordered that he be stripped of his
clothes and conducted, naked and in chains, to Ardibil, where
he was imprisoned and where eventually he died.
Baha'u'llah spent the entire month of Ramadan in Kirmanshah.
Shukru'llah-i-Nuri, one of His kinsmen, and
Mirza Muhammad-i-Mazindarani, who had survived the
struggle of Tabarsi, were the only companions He chose to
take with Him to Karbila. I have heard Baha'u'llah Himself
give the reasons for His departure from Tihran. "The
Amir-Nizam, He told us, "asked Us one day to see him.
He received Us cordially, and revealed the purpose for which
he had summoned Us to his presence. `I am well aware,'
he gently insinuated, `of the nature and influence of your
activities, and am firmly convinced that were it not for the
support and assistance which you have been extending to
Mulla Husayn and his companions, neither he nor his band of
inexperienced students would have been capable of resisting
for seven months the forces of the imperial government. The
ability and skill with which you have managed to direct and
encourage those efforts could not fail to excite my admiration.
I have been unable to obtain any evidence whereby I could
establish your complicity in this affair. I feel it a pity that
so resourceful a person should be left idle and not be given
an opportunity to serve his country and sovereign. The
thought has come to me to suggest to you that you visit
Karbila in these days when the Shah is contemplating a
journey to Isfahan. It is my intention to be enabled, on his
return, to confer upon you the position of Amir-Divan, a
function you could admirably discharge.' We vehemently
protested against such accusations, and refused to accept the
position he hoped to offer Us. A few days after that interview,
We left Tihran for Karbila."
Ere Baha'u'llah's departure from Kirmanshah, He summoned
Mirza Ahmad and me to His presence and bade us
depart for Tihran. I was charged to meet Mirza Yahya
immediately after my arrival and to take him with me to
the fort of Dhu'l-Faqar Khan, situated in the vicinity of
Shahrud, and remain with him until Baha'u'llah returned to
the capital Mirza Ahmad was instructed to remain in
Tihran until His arrival, and was entrusted with a box of
sweetmeats and a letter addressed to Aqay-i-Kalim, who was
to forward the gift to Mazindaran, where the Most Great
Branch and His mother were residing.
Mirza Yahya, to whom I delivered the message, refused
to leave Tihran, and directed me instead to leave for Qazvin.
He compelled me to abide by his wish and to take with me
certain letters which he bade me deliver to certain of his
friends in that town. On my return to Tihran, I was constrained,
on the insistence of my kinsmen, to leave for Zarand.
Mirza Ahmad, however, promised that he would again arrange
for my return to the capital, a promise which he fulfilled.
Two months later, I was again living with him in a
caravanserai outside the gate of Naw, where I passed the
whole winter in his company. He spent his days in transcribing
the Persian Bayan and the "Dala'il-i-Sab'ih," a work he
accomplished with admirable enthusiasm. He entrusted me
with two copies of the latter, asking me to present them on
his behalf to Mustawfiyu'l-Mamalik-i-Ashtiyani and Mirza
Siyyid Aliy-i-Tafarshi, surnamed the Majdu'l-Ashraf. The
former was so much affected that he was completely won
over to the Faith. As for Mirza Siyyid Ali, the views he
expressed were of a totally different character. At a gathering
at which Aqay-i-Kalim was present, he commented in an
unfavourable manner upon the continued activities of the
believers. "This sect," he publicly declared, "is still living.
Its emissaries are hard at work, spreading the teachings of
their leader. One of them, a youth, came to visit me the
other day, and presented me with a treatise which I regard
as highly dangerous. Anyone from among the common
people who shall read that book will surely be beguiled by
its tone." Aqay-i-Kalim immediately understood from his
allusions that Mirza Ahmad had sent the Book to him and
that I had acted as his messenger. On that very day, Aqay-i-Kalim
asked me to visit him and advised me to return to my
home in Zarand. I was asked to induce Mirza Ahmad to
leave instantly for Qum, as both of us, in his opinion, were
exposed to great danger. Acting according to Mirza Ahmad's
instructions, I succeeded in inducing the siyyid to return
the Book that had been offered him. Shortly after, I
parted company with Mirza Ahmad, whom I never met
again. I accompanied him as far as Shah-'Abdu'l-'Azim,
while he departed for Qum, while I pursued my way to
Zarand.
The month of Shavval, in the year 1267 A.H.,(1) witnessed
the arrival of Baha'u'llah at Karbila. On His way to that
holy city, He tarried a few days in Baghdad, that place which
He was soon to visit again and where His Cause was destined
to mature and unfold itself to the world. When He arrived
at Karbila, He found that a number of its leading residents,
among whom were Shaykh Sultan and Haji Siyyid Javad,
had fallen victims to the pernicious influence of a certain
Siyyid-i-'Uluvv, and had declared themselves his supporters.
They were immersed in superstitions and believed their
leader to be the very incarnation of the Divine Spirit. Shaykh
Sultan ranked among his most fervent disciples and regarded
himself, next to his master, as the foremost leader of his
countrymen. Baha'u'llah met him on several occasions and
succeeded, by His words of counsel and loving-kindness, in
purging his mind from his idle fancies and in releasing him
from the state of abject servitude into which he had sunk.
He won him over completely to the Cause of the Bab and
kindled in his heart a desire to propagate the Faith. His
fellow-disciples, witnessing the effects of his immediate and
marvellous conversion, were led, one after another, to forsake
their former allegiance and to embrace the Cause which their
colleague had risen to champion. Abandoned and despised
by his former adherents, the Siyyid-i-'Uluvv was at length
reduced to recognising the authority of Baha'u'llah and
acknowledging the superiority of His position. He even
went so far as to express repentance for his acts, and to
pledge his word that he would never again advocate the
theories and principles with which he had identified himself.
It was during that visit to Karbila that Baha'u'llah encountered,
as He was walking through the streets, Shaykh
Hasan-i-Zunuzi, to whom He confided the secret He was
destined to reveal at a later time in Baghdad. He found him
eagerly searching after the promised Husayn, to whom the
Bab had so lovingly referred and whom He had promised he
would meet in Karbila. We have already, in a preceding
chapter, narrated the circumstances leading to his meeting
with Baha'u'llah. From that day, Shaykh Hasan became
magnetised by the charm of his newly found Master, and
Among those who were made to feel that power was
Mirza Muhammad-'Aliy-i-Tabib-i-Zanjani, in whose heart
was implanted a seed that was destined to grow and blossom
into a faith of such tenacity that the fires of persecution were
powerless to quench it. To his devotion, his high-mindedness
and singleness of purpose Baha'u'llah Himself testified. That
faith carried him eventually to the field of martyrdom.
The same fate was shared by Mirza Abdu'l-Vahhab-i-Shirazi,
son of Haji Abdu'l-Majid, who owned a shop in
Karbila and who felt the impulse to forsake all his possessions
and follow his Master. He was advised, however,
not to abandon his work, but to continue to earn his livelihood
until such time as he should be summoned to Tihran. Baha'u'llah
urged him to be patient, and gave him a sum of money
wherewith he encouraged him to extend the scope of his
business. Unable to concentrate his attention upon his
trade, Mirza Abdu'l-Vahhab hastened to Tihran, where he
remained until he was thrown into the dungeon in which his
Master was confined and there suffered martyrdom for His
sake.
Shaykh Ali-Mirzay-i-Shirazi was likewise attracted to,
and remained to his last breath a staunch supporter of, the
Cause to which he had been called and which he served with
a selflessness and devotion beyond all praise. To friend and
stranger alike he recounted his experiences of the marvellous
influence the presence of Baha'u'llah had had upon him, and
enthusiastically described the signs and wonders he had
witnessed during and after the days of his conversion.
|