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Jamshíd-i-Gurjí 120 |
Yet another of the emigrants
and settlers was the
valiant Jamshíd-i-Gurjí, who came from Georgia, but grew
up in the city of Káshán. He was a fine youth, faithful,
trustworthy, with a high sense of honor. When he heard
of a new Faith dawning, and awoke to the tidings that on
Persia’s horizons the Sun of Truth had risen, he was filled
with holy ecstasy, and he longed and loved. The new fire
burned away those veils of uncertainty and doubt that had
closed him round; the light of Truth shed down its rays,
the lamp of guidance burned before him.
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He remained in Persia for a time, then left for Rumelia,
which was Ottoman territory, and in the Land of Mystery,
Adrianople, won the honor of entering the presence of
Bahá’u’lláh; it was there that his meeting took place. His
joy and fervor were boundless. Later, at Bahá’u’lláh’s
command he made a journey to Constantinople, with Áqá
Muḥammad-Báqir and Áqá ‘Abdu’l-Ghaffár. In that city,
the tyrannous imprisoned him and put him in chains.
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The Persian ambassador informed against Jamshíd and
Ustád Muḥammad-‘Alí-i-Dallák as enemy leaders and
fighters. Jamshíd he described as a latter-day Rustam
1
121
while Muḥammad-‘Alí, according to the envoy, was a
ravening lion. These two respected men were first imprisoned
and caged; then they were sent out of Turkish
territory, under guard to the Persian frontier. They were
to be delivered over to the Persian Government and crucified,
and the guards were threatened with terrible punishments
should they once relax their vigilance and let the
prisoners escape. For this reason, at every stopping place
the victims were kept in some almost inaccessible spot.
Once they were thrown into a pit, a kind of well, and
suffered agonies all through the night. The next morning
Jamshíd cried out: “O you who oppress us! Are we Joseph
the Prophet that you have thrown us in this well? Remember
how He rose out of the well as high as the full moon?
We too walk the pathway of God, we too are down here
for His sake, and we know that these depths are the
heights of the Lord.”
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Once arrived at the Persian frontier, Jamshíd and Muḥammad-‘Alí
were handed over to Kurdish chiefs to be
sent on to Ṭihrán. The Kurdish chiefs could see that the
prisoners were innocent men, kindly and well-disposed,
who had fallen a prey to their enemies. Instead of dispatching
them to the capital, they set them free. Joyfully,
the two hastened away on foot, went back to Bahá’u’lláh
and found a home close by Him in the Most Great Prison.
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Jamshíd spent some time in utter bliss, receiving the
grace and favor of Bahá’u’lláh and ever and again being
admitted to His presence. He was tranquil and at peace.
The believers were well-pleased with him, and he was
well-pleased with God. It was in this condition that he
hearkened to the celestial bidding: “O thou soul who art
well-assured, return unto thy Lord, well-pleased with Him, and
well-pleasing unto Him.”
2
And to God’s cry: “Return!”
122
he replied, “Yea, verily!” He rose out of the Most Great
Prison to the highest Heaven; he soared away to a pure
and gleaming Kingdom, out of this world of dust. May
God succor him in the celestial company,
3
bring him into
the Paradise of Splendors, and safe in the Divine gardens,
make him to live forevermore.
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1. | Persia’s Hercules. [ Back To Reference] |
2. | Qur’án 89:27. [ Back To Reference] |
3. | Qur’án 4:71. [ Back To Reference] |