OON after the arrival of Mulla
Husayn at Shiraz, the voice of the people rose again in protest against
him. The fear and indignation of the multitude
were excited by the knowledge of his continued
and intimate intercourse with the Bab. "He again has come
to our city," they clamoured; "he again has raised the standard
of revolt and is, together with his chief, contemplating
a still fiercer onslaught upon our time-honoured institutions."
So grave and menacing became the situation that the Bab
instructed Mulla Husayn to regain, by way of Yazd, his native
province of Khurasan. He likewise dismissed the rest of
His companions who had gathered in Shiraz, and bade them
return to Isfahan. He retained Mulla Abdu'l-Karim, to
whom He assigned the duty of transcribing His writings.
These precautionary measures which the Bab deemed
wise to undertake, relieved Him from the immediate danger
of violence from the infuriated people of Shiraz, and served
to lend a fresh impetus to the propagation of His Faith beyond
the limits of that city. His disciples, who had spread throughout
the length and breadth of the country, fearlessly proclaimed
to the multitude of their countrymen the regenerating
power of the new-born Revelation. The fame of the Bab
had been noised abroad and had reached the ears of those
who held the highest seats of authority, both in the capital
and throughout the provinces.(1) A wave of passionate enquiry
swayed the minds and hearts of both the leaders and the
Muhammad Shah(1) himself was moved to ascertain the veracity of these reports and to enquire into their nature.
He delegated Siyyid Yahyay-i-Darabi,(2) the most learned, the
most eloquent, and the most influential of his subjects, to
interview the Bab and to report to him the results of his investigations.
The Shah had implicit confidence in his impartiality,
in his competence and profound spiritual insight.
He occupied a position of such pre-eminence among the
leading figures in Persia that at whatever meeting he happened
to be present, no matter how great the number of the
ecclesiastical leaders who attended it, he was invariably its
chief speaker. None would dare to assert his views in his
presence. They all reverently observed silence before him;
all testified to his sagacity, his unsurpassed knowledge and
mature wisdom.
In those days Siyyid Yahya was residing in Tihran in the
house of Mirza Lutf-'Ali, the Master of Ceremonies to the
Shah, as the honoured guest of his Imperial Majesty. The
Shah confidentially signified through Mirza Lutf-'Ali his
desire and pleasure that Siyyid Yahya should proceed to
Shiraz and investigate the matter in person. "Tell him from
us, commanded the sovereign, "that inasmuch as we repose
the utmost confidence in his integrity, and admire his moral
and intellectual standards, and regard him as the most suitable
among the divines of our realm, we expect him to proceed
to Shiraz, to enquire thoroughly into the episode of the
Siyyid-i-Bab, and to inform us of the results of his investigations;
We shall then know what measures it behoves us to
take."
Siyyid Yahya had been himself desirous of obtaining
first-hand knowledge of the claims of the Bab, but had been
unable, owing to adverse circumstances, to undertake the
journey to Fars. The message of Muhammad Shah decided
him to carry out his long-cherished intention. Assuring his
sovereign of his readiness to comply with his wish, he immediately
set out for Shiraz.
On his way, he conceived the various questions which he
thought he would submit to the Bab. Upon the replies which
the latter gave to these questions would, in his view, depend
the truth and validity of His mission. Upon his arrival at
Shiraz, he met Mulla Shaykh Ali, surnamed Azim, with
whom he had been intimately associated while in Khurasan.
He asked him whether he was satisfied with his interview
with the Bab. "You should meet Him," Azim replied, "and
seek independently to acquaint yourself with His Mission.
As a friend, I would advise you to exercise the utmost consideration
Siyyid Yahya met the Bab at the home of Haji Mirza
Siyyid Ali, and exercised in his attitude towards Him the
courtesy which Azim had counselled him to observe. For
about two hours he directed the attention of the Bab to the
most abstruse and bewildering themes in the metaphysical
teachings of Islam, to the obscurest passages of the Qur'an,
and to the mysterious traditions and prophecies of the imams
of the Faith. The Bab at first listened to his learned references
to the law and prophecies of Islam, noted all his
questions, and began to give to each a brief but persuasive
reply. The conciseness and lucidity of His answers excited
the wonder and admiration of Siyyid Yahya. He was overpowered
by a sense of humiliation at his own presumptuousness
and pride. His sense of superiority completely vanished.
As he arose to depart, he addressed the Bab in these words:
"Please God, I shall, in the course of my next audience with
You, submit the rest of my questions and with them shall
conclude my enquiry." As soon as he retired, he joined
Azim, to whom he related the account of his interview. "I
have in His presence," he told him, "expatiated unduly upon
my own learning. He was able in a few words to answer my
questions and to resolve my perplexities. I felt so abased
before Him that I hurriedly begged leave to retire." Azim
reminded him of his counsel, and begged him not to forget
this time the advice he had given him.
In the course of his second interview, Siyyid Yahya, to
his amazement, discovered that all the questions which he
had intended to submit to the Bab had vanished from his
memory. He contented himself with matters that seemed
irrelevant to the object of his enquiry. He soon found, to
his still greater surprise, that the Bab was answering, with the
same lucidity and conciseness that had characterised His
previous replies, those same questions which he had momentarily
forgotten. "I seemed to have fallen fast asleep,"
he later observed. "His words, His answers to questions
which I had forgotten to ask, reawakened me. A voice still
kept whispering in my ear: `Might not this, after all, have
"I resolved that in my third interview with the Bab I
would in my inmost heart request Him to reveal for me a
commentary on the Surih of Kawthar.(1) I determined not
to breathe that request in His presence. Should he, unasked
by me, reveal this commentary in a manner that would immediately
distinguish it in my eyes from the prevailing standards
current among the commentators on the Qur'an, I
then would be convinced of the Divine character of His
Mission, and would readily embrace His Cause. If not, I
would refuse to acknowledge Him. As soon as I was ushered
into His presence, a sense of fear, for which I could not account,
suddenly seized me. My limbs quivered as I beheld
His face. I, who on repeated occasions had been introduced
into the presence of the Shah and had never discovered the
slightest trace of timidity in myself, was now so awed and
shaken that I could not remain standing on my feet. The
Bab, beholding my plight, arose from His seat, advanced
towards me, and, taking hold of my hand, seated me beside
Him. `Seek from Me,' He said, `whatever is your heart's
desire. I will readily reveal it to you.' I was speechless with
wonder. Like a babe that can neither understand nor speak,
I felt powerless to respond. He smiled as He gazed at me and
said: `Were I to reveal for you the commentary on the Surih
of Kawthar, would you acknowledge that My words are
born of the Spirit of God? Would you recognise that My
utterance can in no wise be associated with sorcery or magic?'
Tears flowed from my eyes as I heard Him speak these words.
"It was still early in the afternoon when the Bab requested
Haji Mirza Siyyid Ali to bring His pen-case and some paper.
He then started to reveal His commentary on the Surih of
Kawthar. How am I to describe this scene of inexpressible
majesty? Verses streamed from His pen with a rapidity that
was truly astounding. The incredible swiftness of His writing,(1)
the soft and gentle murmur of His voice, and the stupendous
force of His style, amazed and bewildered me. He
continued in this manner until the approach of sunset. He
did not pause until the entire commentary of the Surih was
completed. He then laid down His pen and asked for tea.
Soon after, He began to read it aloud in my presence. My
heart leaped madly as I heard Him pour out, in accents of
unutterable sweetness, those treasures enshrined in that
sublime commentary.(2) I was so entranced by its beauty
that three times over I was on the verge of fainting. He
sought to revive my failing strength with a few drops of rose-water
which He caused to be sprinkled on my face. This
"When He had completed His recital, the Bab arose to
depart. He entrusted me, as He left, to the care of His maternal
uncle. `He is to be your guest,' He told him, `until
the time when he, in collaboration with Mulla Abdu'l-Karim,
shall have finished transcribing this newly revealed
commentary, and shall have verified the correctness of the
transcribed copy.' Mulla Abdu'l-Karim and I devoted three
days and three nights to this work. We would in turn read
aloud to each other a portion of the commentary until the
whole of it had been transcribed. We verified all the traditions
in the text and found them to be entirely accurate.
Such was the state of certitude to which I had attained that
if all the powers of the earth were to be leagued against me
they would be powerless to shake my confidence in the
greatness of His Cause.(1)
"As I had, since my arrival at Shiraz, been living in the
home of Husayn Khan, the governor of Fars, I felt that my
prolonged absence from his house might excite his suspicion
and inflame his anger. I therefore determined to take leave
of Haji Mirza Siyyid Ali and Mulla Abdu'l-Karim and to
regain the residence of the governor. On my arrival I found
that Husayn Khan, who in the meantime had been searching
for me, was eager to know whether I had fallen a victim to
the Bab's magic influence. `No one but God,' I replied, `who
alone can change the hearts of men, is able to captivate the
heart of Siyyid Yahya. Whoso can ensnare his heart is of
God, and His word unquestionably the voice of Truth.'
My answer silenced the governor. In his conversation with
others, I subsequently learned, he had expressed the view
that I too had fallen a hopeless victim to the charm of that
Youth. He had even written to Muhammad Shah and complained
that during my stay in Shiraz I had refused all manner
of intercourse with the ulamas of the city. `Though nominally
my guest,' he wrote to his sovereign, `he frequently
" Muhammad Shah himself, at one of the state functions
in his capital, was reported to have addressed these words
to Haji Mirza Aqasi: `We have been lately informed(1) that
Siyyid Yahyay-i-Darabi has become a Babi. If this be true,
it behoves us to cease belittling the cause of that siyyid.'
Husayn Khan, on his part, received the following imperial
command: `It is strictly forbidden to any one of our subjects
to utter such words as would tend to detract from the exalted
rank of Siyyid Yahyay-i-Darabi. He is of noble lineage, a
man of great learning, of perfect and consummate virtue.
He will under no circumstances incline his ear to any cause
unless he believes it to be conducive to the advancement
of the best interests of our realm and to the well-being of the
Faith of Islam.'
"Upon the receipt of this imperial injunction, Husayn
Khan, unable to resist me openly, strove privily to undermine
my authority. His face betrayed an implacable enmity and
hate. He failed, however, in view of the marked favours
bestowed upon me by the Shah, either to harm my person or
to discredit my name.
"I was subsequently commanded by the Bab to journey to
Burujird, and there acquaint my father(2) with the new Message.
He urged me to exercise towards him the utmost forbearance
and consideration. From my confidential conversations with
him I gathered that he was unwilling to repudiate the truth
of the Message I had brought him. He preferred, however,
to be left alone and to be allowed to pursue his own way."
Another dignitary of the realm who dispassionately investigated
and ultimately embraced the Message of the Bab
As soon as the Call from Shiraz reached his ears, Hujjat
deputed one of his disciples, Mulla Iskandar, in whom he
reposed the fullest confidence, to enquire into the whole
matter and to report to him the result of his investigations.
Utterly indifferent to the praise and censure of his countrymen,
whose integrity he suspected and whose judgment he
disdained, he sent his delegate to Shiraz with explicit instructions
to conduct a minute and independent enquiry. Mulla
Iskandar attained the presence of the Bab and felt immediately
the regenerating power of His influence. He tarried
With the approval of the Bab, he returned to Zanjan.
He arrived at a time when all the leading ulamas of the city
had assembled in the presence of Hujjat. As soon as he appeared,
Hujjat enquired whether he believed in, or rejected,
the new Revelation. Mulla Iskandar submitted the writings
of the Bab which he had brought with him, and asserted that
whatever should be the verdict of his master, the same would
he deem it his obligation to follow. "What!" angrily exclaimed
Hujjat. "But for the presence of this distinguished
company; I would have chastised you severely. How dare
you consider matters of belief to be dependent upon the
approbation or rejection of others?" Receiving from the
hand of his messenger the copy of the Qayyumu'l-Asma',
he, as soon as he had perused a page of that book, fell prostrate
upon the ground and exclaimed "I bear witness that
these words which I have read proceed from the same Source
as that of the Qur'an. Whoso has recognised the truth of
that sacred Book must needs testify to the Divine origin of
these words, and must needs submit to the precepts inculcated
by their Author. I take you, members of this assembly, as
my witnesses: I pledge such allegiance to the Author of this
Revelation that should He ever pronounce the night to be the
day, and declare the sun to be a shadow, I would unreservedly
submit to His judgment, and would regard His
verdict as the voice of Truth. Whoso denies Him, him will
I regard as the repudiator of God Himself." With these
words he terminated the proceedings of that gathering.(1)
We have, in the preceding pages, referred to the expulsion
of Quddus and of Mulla Sadiq from Shiraz, and have attempted
to describe, however inadequately, the chastisement
inflicted upon them by the tyrannical and rapacious Husayn
The siyyid's message stung Haji Mirza Karim Khan.
Convulsed by a feeling of intense resentment which he could
neither suppress nor gratify, he relinquished all hopes of
acquiring the undisputed leadership of the people of Kirman.
That open challenge sounded the death-knell of his cherished
ambitions.
In the privacy of his home, Haji Siyyid Javad heard Quddus
recount all the details of his activities from the day of his
departure from Karbila until his arrival at Kirman. The
circumstances of his conversion and his subsequent pilgrimage
with the Bab stirred the imagination and kindled the flame
of faith in the heart of his host, who preferred, however,
to conceal his belief, in the hope of being able to guard more
effectively the interests of the newly established community.
"Your noble resolve," Quddus lovingly assured him, "will
in itself be regarded as a notable service rendered to the
The incident was related to me by a certain Mirza
Abdu'llah-i-Ghawgka, who, while in Kirman, had heard it from the
lips of Haji Siyyid Javad himself. The sincerity of the expressed
intentions of the siyyid has been fully vindicated by
the splendid manner in which, as a result of his endeavours, From Kirman, Quddus decided to leave for Yazd, and
from thence to proceed to Ardikan, Nayin, Ardistan, Isfahan,
Kashan, Qum, and Tihran. In each of these cities, notwithstanding
the obstacles that beset his path, he succeeded
in instilling into the understanding of his hearers the principles
which he had so bravely risen to advocate. I have
In Tihran, Quddus was admitted into the presence of
Baha'u'llah after which he proceeded to Mazindaran, where,
in his native town of Barfurush, in the home of his father, he
lived for about two years, during which time he was surrounded
by the loving devotion of his family and kindred.
His father had married, on the death of his first wife, a lady
who treated Quddus with a kindness and care that no mother
could have hoped to surpass. She longed to witness his wedding,
and was often heard to express her fears lest she should
have to carry with her to the grave the "supreme joy of her
heart." "The day of my wedding," Quddus observed, "is
not yet come. That day will be unspeakably glorious. Not
within the confines of this house, but out in the open air,
under the vault of heaven, in the midst of the Sabzih-Maydan,
before the gaze of the multitude, there shall I celebrate my
nuptials and witness the consummation of my hopes." Three
years later, when that lady learned of the circumstances attending
the martyrdom of Quddus in the Sabzih-Maydan,
she recalled his prophetic words and understood their meaning.(1)
Quddus remained in Barfurush until the time when
he was joined by Mulla Husayn after the latter's return from
his visit to the Bab in the castle of Mah-Ku. From Barfurush
they set out for Khurasan, a journey rendered memorable
by deeds so heroic that none of their countrymen
could hope to rival them.
As to Mulla Sadiq, as soon as he arrived at Yazd, he
enquired of a trusted friend, a native of Khurasan, about the
" Mirza Ahmad," he was told, "secluded himself for a
considerable period of time in his own home, and there concentrated
his energies upon the preparation of a learned and
voluminous compilation of Islamic traditions and prophecies
relating to the time and the character of the promised Dispensation.
He collected more than twelve thousand traditions
of the most explicit character, the authenticity of which
was universally recognised; and resolved to take whatever
steps were required for the copying and the dissemination of
that book. By encouraging his fellow-disciples to quote publicly
from its contents, in all congregations and gatherings,
he hoped he would be able to remove such hindrances as might
impede the progress of the Cause he had at heart.
"When he arrived at Yazd, he was warmly welcomed by
his maternal uncle, Siyyid Husayn-i-Azghandi, the foremost
mujtahid of that city, who, a few days before the arrival of
his nephew, had sent him a written request to hasten to
Yazd and deliver him from the machinations of Haji Mirza
Karim Khan, whom he regarded as a dangerous though unavowed
enemy of Islam. The mujtahid called upon Mirza
Ahmad to combat by every means in his power Haji Mirza
Khan's pernicious influence; and wished him to establish
permanently his residence in that city, that he might, through
incessant exhortations and appeals, succeed in enlightening
the minds of the people as to the true aims and intentions
cherished by that malignant enemy.
" Mirza Ahmad, concealing from his uncle his original
intention to leave for Shiraz, decided to prolong his stay in
Yazd. He showed him the book which he had compiled, and
shared its contents with the ulamas who thronged from every
quarter of the city to meet him. All were greatly impressed
"Among those who came to visit Mirza Ahmad was a
certain Mirza Taqi, a man who was wicked, ambitious, and
haughty, who had recently returned from Najaf, where he
had completed his studies and had been elevated to the
rank of mujtahid. In the course of his conversation with
Mirza Ahmad, he expressed a desire to peruse that book, and
to be allowed to retain it for a few days, that he might acquire
a fuller understanding of its contents. Siyyid Husayn and
his nephew both acceded to his wish. Mirza Taqi, who was
to have returned the book, failed to redeem his promise.
Mirza Ahmad, who had already suspected the insincerity of
Mirza Taqi's intentions, urged his uncle to remind the borrower
of the pledge he had given. `Tell your master,' was
the insolent reply to the messenger sent to claim the book,
`that after having satisfied myself as to the mischievous character
of that compilation, I decided to destroy it. Last night
I threw it into the pond, thereby obliterating its pages.'
"Moved by deep and determined indignation at such
deceitfulness and impertinence, Siyyid Husayn resolved to
wreak his vengeance upon him. Mirza Ahmad succeeded,
however, by his wise counsels, in pacifying the anger of his
infuriated uncle and in dissuading him from carrying out the
measures which he proposed to take. `This punishment,'
he urged, `which you contemplate will excite the agitation of the
people, and will stir up mischief and sedition. It will gravely
interfere with the efforts which you wish me to exert in order
to extinguish the influence of Haji Mirza Karim Khan. He
will undoubtedly seize the occasion to denounce you as a
Babi, and will hold me responsible for having been the cause
of your conversion. By this means he will both undermine
your authority and earn the esteem and gratitude of the
people. Leave him in the hands of God.'"
Mulla Sadiq was greatly pleased to learn from the account
of this incident that Mirza Ahmad was actually residing in
Yazd, and that no obstacles stood in the way of his meeting
with him. He went immediately to the masjid in which Siyyid
Husayn was leading the congregational prayer and in which
Mulla Sadiq prefaced his discourse with one of the best-known
and most exquisitely written homilies of the Bab,
after which he addressed the congregation in these terms:
"Render thanks to God, O people of learning, for, behold, the
Gate of Divine Knowledge, which you deem to have been
closed, is now wide open. The River of everlasting life has
streamed forth from the city of Shiraz, and is conferring untold
blessings upon the people of this land. Whoever has
partaken of one drop from this Ocean of heavenly grace, no
matter how humble and unlettered, has discovered in himself
the power to unravel the profoundest mysteries, and has felt
capable of expounding the most abstruse themes of ancient
wisdom. And whoever,though he be the most learned expounder
of the Faith of Islam, has chosen to rely upon his
own competence and power and has disdained the Message
of God, has condemned himself to irretrievable degradation
and loss."
A wave of indignation and dismay swept over the entire
congregation as these words of Mulla Sadiq pealed out this
momentous announcement. The masjid rang with cries of
"Blasphemy!" which an infuriated congregation shouted in
horror against the speaker. "Descend from the pulpit,"
rose the voice of Siyyid Husayn amid the clamour and tumult
of the people, as he motioned to Mulla Sadiq to hold his
peace and to retire. No sooner had he regained the floor of
the masjid than the whole company of the assembled worshippers
rushed upon him and overwhelmed him with blows.
Siyyid Husayn immediately intervened, vigorously dispersed
the crowd, and, seizing the hand of Mulla Sadiq, forcibly
drew him to his side. "Withhold your hands," he appealed
to the multitude; "leave him in my custody. I will take him
By this solemn assurance, Mulla Sadiq was delivered from
the savage attacks of his assailants. Divested of his aba(1) and turban, deprived of his sandals and staff, bruised and shaken by the injuries he had received, he was entrusted to
the care of Siyyid Husayn's attendants, who, as they forced
their passage among the crowd, succeeded eventually in
conducting him to the home of their master.
Mulla Yusuf-i-Ardibili, likewise, was subjected in those
days to a persecution fiercer and more determined than the
savage onslaught which the people of Yazd had directed
against Mulla Sadiq. But for the intervention of Mirza
Ahmad and the assistance of his uncle, he would have fallen
a victim to the wrath of a ferocious enemy.
When Mulla Sadiq and Mulla Yusuf-i-Ardibili arrived at
Kirman, they again had to submit to similar indignities and
to suffer similar afflictions at the hands of Haji Mirza Karim
Khan and his associates.(2) Haji Siyyid Javad's persistent
exertions freed them eventually from the grasp of their
persecutors, and enabled them to proceed to Khurasan.
Though hunted and harassed by their foes, the Bab's
immediate disciples, together with their companions in different
parts of Persia, were undeterred by such criminal acts
While Vahid(1) was still in Shiraz, Haji Siyyid Javad-i-Karbila'i(2) arrived and was introduced by Haji
Mirza Siyyid
Ali into the presence of the Bab. In a Tablet which He
addressed to Vahid and Haji Siyyid Javad, the Bab extolled
the firmness of their faith and stressed the unalterable character
of their devotion. The latter had met and known the
Bab before the declaration of His Mission, and had been a
fervent admirer of those extraordinary traits of character
which had distinguished Him ever since His childhood. At
a later time, he met Baha'u'llah in Baghdad and became the
recipient of His special favour. When, a few years afterwards,
Baha'u'llah was exiled to Adrianople, he, already much advanced
in years, returned to Persia, tarried awhile in the
province of Iraq, and thence proceeded to Khurasan. His
kindly disposition, extreme forbearance, and unaffected simplicity
earned him the appellation of the Siyyid-i-Nur.(3)
Haji Siyyid Javad, one day, while crossing a street in
Tihran, suddenly saw the Shah as he was passing on horseback.
Undisturbed by the presence of his sovereign, he
calmly approached and greeted him. His venerable figure
and dignity of bearing pleased the Shah immensely. He
acknowledged his salute and invited him to come and see
him. Such was the reception accorded him that the courtiers
of the Shah were moved with envy. "Does not your Imperial
Majesty realise," they protested, "that this Haji
Haji Siyyid Javad spent the
last days of his life in Kirman
and remained until his last hour a staunch supporter of the
Faith. He never wavered in his convictions nor relaxed in
his unsparing endeavours for the diffusion of the Cause.
Shaykh Sultan-i-Karbila'i, whose ancestors ranked among
the leading ulamas of Karbila, and who himself had been a
firm supporter and intimate companion of Siyyid Kazim,
was also among those who, in those days, had met the Bab
in Shiraz. It was he who, at a later time, proceeded to
Sulaymaniyyih in search of Baha'u'llah, and whose daughter
was subsequently given in marriage to Aqay-i-Kalim. When
he arrived at Shiraz, he was accompanied by Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunuzi,
to whom we have referred in the early pages of this
narrative. To him the Bab assigned the task of transcribing,
in collaboration with Mulla Abdu'l-Karim, the Tablets
which He had lately revealed. Shaykh Sultan, who had been
too ill, at the time of his arrival, to meet the Bab, received
one night, while still on his sick-bed, a message from his
I have heard Shaykh Sultan himself describe that nocturnal
visit: "The Bab, who had bidden me extinguish the
lamp in my room ere He arrived, came straight to my bedside.
In the midst of the darkness which enveloped us, I was
holding fast to the hem of His garment and was imploring
Him: `Fulfil my desire, O Beloved of my heart, and allow me
to sacrifice myself for Thee; for no one else except Thee is
able to confer upon me this favour.' `O Shaykh!' the Bab
replied, `I too yearn to immolate Myself upon the altar of
sacrifice. It behoves us both to cling to the garment of the
Best-Beloved and to seek from Him the joy and glory of
martyrdom in His path. Rest assured I will, in your behalf,
supplicate the Almighty to enable you to attain His presence.
Remember Me on that Day, a Day such as the world has never
seen before.' As the hour of parting approached, he placed
in my hand a gift which He asked me to expend for myself.
I tried to refuse; but He begged me to accept it. Finally
I acceded to His wish; whereupon He arose and departed.
"The allusion of the Bab that night to His `Best-Beloved'
excited my wonder and curiosity. In the years that followed
I oftentimes believed that the one to whom the Bab had
referred was none other than Tahirih. I even imagined
Siyyid-i-'Uluvv to be that person. I was sorely perplexed,
and knew not how to unravel this mystery. When I reached
Karbila and attained the presence of Baha'u'llah, I became
firmly convinced that He alone could claim such affection
from the Bab, that He, and only He, could be worthy of
such adoration."
The second Naw-Ruz after the declaration of the Bab's
Mission, which fell on the twenty-first day of the month of
Rabi'u'l-Avval, in the year 1262 A.H.,(1) found the Bab still
in Shiraz enjoying, under circumstances of comparative tranquillity
and ease, the blessings of undisturbed association
The mother of the Bab failed at first to realise the significance
of the Mission proclaimed by her Son. She remained
for a time unaware of the magnitude of the forces
latent in His Revelation. As she approached the end of her
life, however, she was able to perceive the inestimable quality
of that Treasure which she had conceived and given to the
world. It was Baha'u'llah who eventually enabled her to
discover the value of that hidden Treasure which had lain
for so many years concealed from her eyes. She was living
in Iraq, where she hoped to spend the remaining days of her
life, when Baha'u'llah instructed two of His devoted followers,
Haji Siyyid Javad-i-Karbila'i and the wife of Haji
Abdu'l-Majid-i-Shirazi, both of whom were already intimately
acquainted with her, to instruct her in the principles of the
Faith. She acknowledged the truth of the Cause and remained,
until the closing years of the thirteenth century
A.H.,(1) when she departed this life, fully aware of the bountiful
gifts which the Almighty had chosen to confer upon her.
The wife of the Bab, unlike His mother, perceived at the
earliest dawn of His Revelation the glory and uniqueness of
His Mission and felt from the very beginning the intensity
of its force. No one except Tahirih, among the women of her
generation, surpassed her in the spontaneous character of
her devotion nor excelled the fervor of her faith. To her
the Bab confided the secret of His future sufferings, and unfolded
After the Bab had settled the affairs of His household
and provided for the future maintenance of both His mother
and His wife, He transferred His residence from His own 
home to that of Haji
Mirza Siyyid Ali. There He awaited
the approaching hour of His
sufferings. He knew that the
afflictions which were in store
for Him could no longer be
delayed, that He was soon to
be caught in a whirlwind of
adversity which would carry
Him swiftly to the field of
martyrdom, the crowning object
of His life. He bade those
of His disciples who had settled
in Shiraz, among whom were
Mulla Abdu'l-Karim
and Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunuzi,
to proceed to Isfahan and
there await His further instructions.
Siyyid Husayn-i-Yazdi,
Meanwhile Husayn Khan, the governor of Fars, was
bending every effort to involve the Bab in fresh embarrassments
and to degrade Him still further in the eyes of the
public. The smouldering fire of his hostility was fanned to
flame by the knowledge that the Bab was allowed to pursue
unmolested the course of His activities, that He was still
able to associate with certain of His companions, and that
He continued to enjoy the benefits of unrestrained fellowship
with His family and kindred.(1) By the aid of his secret
agents, he succeeded in obtaining accurate information regarding
One night there came to Husayn Khan the chief of his
emissaries with the report that the number of those who
were crowding to see the Bab had assumed such proportions
as to necessitate immediate action on the part of those whose
function it was to guard the security of the city. "The
eager crowd that gathers every night to visit the Bab," he
remarked, "surpasses in number the multitude of people
that throngs every day before the gates of the seat of your
government. Among them are to be seen men celebrated
alike for their exalted rank and extensive learning.(1) Such
are the tact and lavish generosity which his maternal uncle
displays in his attitude towards the officials of your government
that no one among your subordinates is inclined to
acquaint you with the reality of the situation. If you would
permit me, I will, with the aid of a number of your attendants,
surprise the Bab at the hour of midnight and will deliver,
handcuffed, into your hands certain of his associates
who will enlighten you concerning his activities, and who
will confirm the truth of my statements." Husayn Khan
refused to comply with his wish. "I can tell better than
That very moment, the governor summoned Abdu'l-Hamid
Khan, the chief constable of the city. "Proceed immediately,"
he commanded him, "to the house of Haji Mirza
Siyyid Ali. Quietly and unobserved, scale the wall and
ascend to the roof, and from there suddenly enter his home.
Arrest the Siyyid-i-Bab immediately, and conduct him to
this place together with any of the visitors who may be
present with him at that time. Confiscate whatever books
and documents you are able to find in that house. As to
Haji Mirza Siyyid Ali, it is my intention to impose upon
him, the following day, the penalty for having failed to
redeem his promise. I swear by the imperial diadem of
Muhammad Shah that this very night I shall have the
Siyyid-i-Bab executed together with his wretched companions.
Their ignominious death will quench the flame
they have kindled, and will awaken every would-be follower
of that creed to the danger that awaits every disturber of
the peace of this realm. By this act I shall have extirpated
a heresy the continuance of which constitutes the gravest
menace to the interests of the State."
Abdu'l-Hamid Khan retired to execute his task. He,
together with his assistants, broke into the house of Haji
Mirza Siyyid Ali(1) and found the Bab in the company of
His maternal uncle and a certain Siyyid Kazim-i-Zanjani,
who was later martyred in Mazindaran, and whose brother,
Siyyid Murtada, was one of the Seven Martyrs of Tihran.
He immediately arrested them, collected whatever documents
he could find, ordered Haji Mirza Siyyid Ali to remain in
his house, and conducted the rest to the seat of government.
The Bab, undaunted and self-possessed, was heard to repeat
this verse of the Qur'an: "That with which they are threatened
is for the morning. Is not the morning near?"
No sooner had the chief constable reached the marketplace
than he discovered, to his amazement, that the people
of the city were fleeing from every side in consternation,
as if overtaken by an appalling calamity. He was struck
Abdu'l-Hamid Khan, terrified by this dreadful intelligence,
ran to the home of Husayn Khan. An old man who
guarded his house and was acting as door-keeper informed
him that the house of his master was deserted, that the
ravages of the pestilence had devastated his home and afflicted
the members of his household. "Two of his Ethiopian
maids," he was told, "and a man-servant have already fallen
victims to this scourge, and members of his own family are
now dangerously ill. In his despair, my master has abandoned
his home and, leaving the dead unburied, has fled
with the rest of his family to the Bagh-i-Takht."(3)
Abdu'l-Hamid Khan decided to conduct the Bab to his
own home and keep Him in his custody pending instructions
from the governor. As he was approaching his house, he
was struck by the sound of weeping and wailing of the members
of his household. His son had been attacked by the
plague and was hovering on the brink of death. In his
despair, he threw himself at the feet of the Bab and tearfully
implored Him to save the life of his son. He begged
Him to forgive his past transgressions and misdeeds. "I
adjure you," he entreated the Bab as he clung to the hem
of His garment, "by Him who has elevated you to this exalted
The Bab, who was in the act of performing His ablutions
and was preparing to offer the prayer of dawn, directed him
to take some of the water with which He was washing His
face to his son and request him to drink it. This He said
would save his life.
No sooner had Abdu'l-Hamid Khan witnessed the signs
of the recovery of his son than he wrote a letter to the governor
in which he acquainted him with the whole situation
and begged him to cease his attacks on the Bab. "Have
pity on yourself," he wrote him, "as well as on those whom
Providence has committed to your care. Should the fury of
this plague continue its fatal course, no one in this city, I
fear, will by the end of this day have survived the horror
of its attack." Husayn Khan replied that the Bab should
be immediately released and given freedom to go wherever
He might please.(1)
As soon as an account of these happenings reached Tihran
and was brought to the attention of the Shah, an imperial
edict dismissing Husayn Khan from office was issued and
sent to Shiraz. From the day of his dismissal, that shameless
tyrant fell a victim to countless misfortunes, and was
in the end unable to earn even his daily bread. No one
seemed willing or able to save him from his evil plight.
When, at a later time, Baha'u'llah had been banished to
Baghdad, Husayn Khan sent Him a letter in which he expressed
repentance and promised to atone for his past misdeeds
on condition that he should regain his former position.
Baha'u'llah refused to answer him. Sunk in misery and
shame, he languished until his death.
The Bab, who was staying at the home of Abdu'l-Hamid
Khan, sent Siyyid Kazim to request Haji Mirza Siyyid Ali to
|