A new version of the Bahá’í Reference Library is now available. This ‘old version’ of the Bahá’í Reference Library will be replaced at a later date.
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The new version of the Bahá’i Reference Library can be accessed here »
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CHAPTER IX: THE BÁB’S STAY IN SHÍRÁZ AFTER THE PILGRIMAGE (Continued) |
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SOON after the arrival of Mullá Husayn at Shíráz,
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 Báb. “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 Báb
instructed Mullá Husayn to regain, by way of Yazd, his native
province of Khurásán. He likewise dismissed the rest of
His companions who had gathered in Shíráz, and bade them
return to Isfahán. He retained Mullá ‘Abdu’l-Karím, to
whom He assigned the duty of transcribing His writings.
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These precautionary measures which the Báb deemed
wise to undertake, relieved Him from the immediate danger
of violence from the infuriated people of Shíráz, 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 Báb
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
171
masses of the people. Amazement and wonder had seized
those who had heard from the lips of the immediate messengers
of the Báb the tales of those signs and testimonies
which had heralded the birth of His Manifestation. The
dignitaries of State and Church either attended in person or
delegated their ablest representatives to enquire into the
truth and character of this remarkable Movement.
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Muhammad Sháh
2
himself was moved to ascertain the
veracity of these reports and to enquire into their nature.
He delegated Siyyid Yahyáy-i-Darábí,
3
the most learned, the
most eloquent, and the most influential of his subjects, to
interview the Báb and to report to him the results of his investigations.
The Sháh 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.
172
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In those days Siyyid Yahyá was residing in Tihrán in the
house of Mírzá Lutf-‘Alí, the Master of Ceremonies to the
Sháh, as the honoured guest of his Imperial Majesty. The
Sháh confidentially signified through Mírzá Lutf-‘Alí his
desire and pleasure that Siyyid Yahyá should proceed to
Shíráz 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 Shíráz, to enquire thoroughly into the episode of the
Siyyid-i-Báb, and to inform us of the results of his investigations;
We shall then know what measures it behoves us to
take.”
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Siyyid Yahyá had been himself desirous of obtaining
first-hand knowledge of the claims of the Báb, but had been
unable, owing to adverse circumstances, to undertake the
journey to Fárs. The message of Muhammad Sháh 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 Shíráz.
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On his way, he conceived the various questions which he
thought he would submit to the Báb. 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
Shíráz, he met Mullá Shaykh ‘Alí, surnamed ‘Azím, with
whom he had been intimately associated while in Khurásán.
He asked him whether he was satisfied with his interview
with the Báb. “You should meet Him,” ‘Azím replied, “and
seek independently to acquaint yourself with His Mission.
As a friend, I would advise you to exercise the utmost consideration
173
in your conversations with Him, lest you, too, in
the end should be obliged to deplore any act of discourtesy
towards Him.”
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Siyyid Yahyá met the Báb at the home of Hájí Mírzá
Siyyid ‘Alí, and exercised in his attitude towards Him the
courtesy which ‘Azím had counselled him to observe. For
about two hours he directed the attention of the Báb to the
most abstruse and bewildering themes in the metaphysical
teachings of Islám, to the obscurest passages of the Qur’án,
and to the mysterious traditions and prophecies of the imáms
of the Faith. The Báb at first listened to his learned references
to the law and prophecies of Islám, 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 Yahyá. 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 Báb 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
‘Azím, 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.” ‘Azím
reminded him of his counsel, and begged him not to forget
this time the advice he had given him.
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In the course of his second interview, Siyyid Yahyá, to
his amazement, discovered that all the questions which he
had intended to submit to the Báb 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 Báb 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
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been an accidental coincidence?’ I was too agitated to collect
my thoughts. I again begged leave to retire. ‘Azím, whom I
subsequently met, received me with cold indifference, and
sternly remarked: ‘Would that schools had been utterly
abolished, and that neither of us had entered one! Through
our little-mindedness and conceit, we are withholding from
ourselves the redeeming grace of God, and are causing pain
to Him who is the Fountain thereof. Will you not this time
beseech God to grant that you may be enabled to attain His
presence with becoming humility and detachment, that perchance
He may graciously relieve you from the oppression of
uncertainty and doubt?’
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“I resolved that in my third interview with the Báb I
would in my inmost heart request Him to reveal for me a
commentary on the Súrih of Kawthar.
4
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’án, 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 Sháh 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
Báb, 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 Súrih
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.
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All I was able to utter was this verse of the Qur’án: ‘O our
Lord, with ourselves have we dealt unjustly: if Thou forgive
us not and have not pity on us, we shall surely be of those
who perish.’
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“It was still early in the afternoon when the Báb requested
Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí to bring His pen-case and some paper.
He then started to reveal His commentary on the Súrih 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,
5
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 Súrih 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.
6
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
176
restored my vigour and enabled me to follow His reading to
the end.
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“When He had completed His recital, the Báb 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 Mullá ‘Abdu’l-Karím,
shall have finished transcribing this newly revealed
commentary, and shall have verified the correctness of the
transcribed copy.’ Mullá ‘Abdu’l-Karím 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.
7
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“As I had, since my arrival at Shíráz, been living in the
home of Husayn Khán, the governor of Fárs, I felt that my
prolonged absence from his house might excite his suspicion
and inflame his anger. I therefore determined to take leave
of Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí and Mullá ‘Abdu’l-Karím and to
regain the residence of the governor. On my arrival I found
that Husayn Khán, who in the meantime had been searching
for me, was eager to know whether I had fallen a victim to
the Báb’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 Yahyá. 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 Sháh and complained
that during my stay in Shíráz I had refused all manner
of intercourse with the ‘ulamás of the city. ‘Though nominally
my guest,’ he wrote to his sovereign, ‘he frequently
177
absents himself for a number of consecutive days and nights
from my house. That he has become a Bábí, that he has been
heart and soul enslaved by the will of the Siyyid-i-Báb, I
have ceased to entertain any doubt.’
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“Muhammad Sháh himself, at one of the state functions
in his capital, was reported to have addressed these words
to Hájí Mírzá Aqásí: ‘We have been lately informed
8
that
Siyyid Yahyáy-i-Darábí has become a Bábí. If this be true,
it behoves us to cease belittling the cause of that siyyid.’
Husayn Khán, 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 Yahyáy-i-Darábí. 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 Islám.’
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“Upon the receipt of this imperial injunction, Husayn
Khán, 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 Sháh, either to harm my person or
to discredit my name.
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“I was subsequently commanded by the Báb to journey to
Burújird, and there acquaint my father
9
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.”
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Another dignitary of the realm who dispassionately investigated
and ultimately embraced the Message of the Báb
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was Mullá Muhammad-‘Alí,
10
a native of Zanján, whom the
Báb surnamed Hujjat-i-Zanjání. He was a man of independent
mind, noted for extreme originality and freedom from
all forms of traditional restraint. He denounced the whole
hierarchy of the ecclesiastical leaders of his country, from
the Abváb-i-Arbá’ih
11
down to the humblest mullá among
his contemporaries. He despised their character, deplored
their degeneracy, and expatiated upon their vices. He even,
prior to his conversion, betrayed an attitude of careless contempt
for Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsá’í and Siyyid Kázim-i-Rashtí.
12
He was so filled with horror at the misdeeds that
had stained the history of shí’ah Islám that whoever belonged
to that sect, no matter how high his personal attainments,
was regarded by him as unworthy of his consideration. Not
infrequently did cases of fierce controversy arise between
him and the divines of Zanján which, but for the personal
intervention of the Sháh, would have led to grave disorder
and bloodshed. He was eventually summoned to the capital
and, in the presence of his opponents, representatives of the
ecclesiastical heads of Tihrán and other cities, was called
upon to vindicate his claim. Single-handed and alone he
would establish his superiority over his adversaries and
would silence their clamour. Although in their hearts they
dissented from his views and condemned his conduct, they
were compelled to acknowledge outwardly his authority and
to confirm his opinion.
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As soon as the Call from Shíráz reached his ears, Hujjat
deputed one of his disciples, Mullá 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 Shíráz with explicit instructions
to conduct a minute and independent enquiry. Mullá
Iskandar attained the presence of the Báb and felt immediately
the regenerating power of His influence. He tarried
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forty days in Shíráz, during which time he imbibed the
principles of the Faith and acquired, according to his capacity,
a knowledge of the measure of its glory.
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With the approval of the Báb, he returned to Zanján.
He arrived at a time when all the leading ‘ulamás 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. Mullá Iskandar submitted the writings
of the Báb 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 Qayyúmu’l-Asmá,
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’án. 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.
13
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We have, in the preceding pages, referred to the expulsion
of Quddús and of Mullá Sádiq from Shíráz, and have attempted
to describe, however inadequately, the chastisement
inflicted upon them by the tyrannical and rapacious Husayn
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Khán. A word should now be said regarding the nature of
their activities after their expulsion from that city. For a
few days they continued to journey together, after which
they separated, Quddús departing for Kirmán in order to
interview Hájí Mírzá Karím Khán, and Mullá Sádiq directing
his steps towards Yazd with the intention of pursuing among
the ‘ulamás of that province the work which he had been
so cruelly forced to abandon in Fárs. Quddús was received,
upon his arrival, at the home of Hájí Siyyid Javád-i-Kirmání,
whom he had known in Karbilá and whose scholarship, skill,
and competence were universally recognised by the people
of Kirmán. At all the gatherings held in his home, he invariably
assigned to his youthful guest the seat of honour
and treated him with extreme deference and courtesy. So
marked a preference for so young and seemingly mediocre a
person kindled the envy of the disciples of Hájí Mírzá Karím
Khán, who, describing in vivid and exaggerated language
the honours which were being lavished upon Quddús, sought
to excite the dormant hostility of their chief. “Behold,”
they whispered in his ears, “he who is the best beloved, the
trusted and most intimate companion of the Siyyid-i-Báb,
is now the honoured guest of one who is admittedly the most
powerful inhabitant of Kirmán. If he be allowed to live in
close companionship with Hájí Siyyid Javád, he will no doubt
instil his poison into his soul, and will fashion him as the
instrument whereby he will succeed in disrupting your authority
and in extinguishing your fame.” Alarmed by these
evil whisperings, the cowardly Hájí Mírzá Karím Khán appealed
to the governor and induced him to call in person upon
Hájí Siyyid Javád and demand that he terminate that dangerous
association. The representations of the governor inflamed
the wrath of the intemperate Hájí Siyyid Javád.
“How often,” he violently protested, “have I advised you
181
to ignore the whisperings of this evil plotter! My forbearance
has emboldened him. Let him beware lest he overstep his
bounds. Does he desire to usurp my position? Is he not the
man who receives into his home thousands of abject and
ignoble people and overwhelms them with servile flattery?
Has he not, again and again, striven to exalt the ungodly and
to silence the innocent? Has he not, year after year, by
reinforcing the hand of the evil-doer, sought to ally himself
with him and gratify his carnal desires? Does he not until
this day persist in uttering his blasphemies against all that
is pure and holy in Islám? My silence seems to have added
to his temerity and insolence. He gives himself the liberty
of committing the foulest deeds, and refuses to allow me
to receive and honour in my own home a man of such integrity,
such learning and nobleness. Should he refuse to
desist from his practice, let him be warned that the worst
elements of the city will, at my instigation, expel him from
Kirmán.” Disconcerted by such vehement denunciations,
the governor apologised for his action. Ere he retired, he
assured Hájí Siyyid Javád that he need entertain no fear,
that he himself would endeavour to awaken Hájí Mírzá
Karím Khán to the folly of his behaviour, and would induce
him to repent.
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The siyyid’s message stung Hájí Mírzá Karím Khán.
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 Kirmán.
That open challenge sounded the death-knell of his cherished
ambitions.
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In the privacy of his home, Hájí Siyyid Javád heard Quddús
recount all the details of his activities from the day of his
departure from Karbilá until his arrival at Kirmán. The
circumstances of his conversion and his subsequent pilgrimage
with the Báb 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,” Quddús lovingly assured him, “will
in itself be regarded as a notable service rendered to the
182
Cause of God. The Almighty will reinforce your efforts
and will establish for all time your ascendancy over your
opponents.”
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The incident was related to me by a certain Mírzá ‘Abdu’lláh-i-Ghawgka,
who, while in Kirmán, had heard it from the
lips of Hájí Siyyid Javád 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,
he succeeded in resisting the encroachments of the insidious
Hájí Mírzá Karím Khán, who, had he remained unchallenged,
would have caused incalculable harm to the Faith.
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From Kirmán, Quddús decided to leave for Yazd, and
from thence to proceed to Ardikán, Nayin, Ardistán, Isfahán,
Káshán, Qum, and Tihrán. 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
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heard Áqáy-i-Kalím, the brother of Bahá’u’lláh, describe in
the following terms his meeting with Quddús in Tihrán:
“The charm of his person, his extreme affability, combined
with a dignity of bearing, appealed to even the most careless
observer. Whoever was intimately associated with him was
seized with an insatiable admiration for the charm of that
youth. We watched him one day perform his ablutions, and
were struck by the gracefulness which distinguished him from
the rest of the worshippers in the performance of so ordinary
a rite. He seemed, in our eyes, to be the very incarnation of
purity and grace.”
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In Tihrán, Quddús was admitted into the presence of
Bahá’u’lláh after which he proceeded to Mázindarán, where,
in his native town of Barfurúsh, 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 Quddús 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,” Quddús 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-Maydán,
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 Quddús in the Sabzih-Maydán,
she recalled his prophetic words and understood their meaning.
14
Quddús remained in Barfurúsh until the time when
he was joined by Mullá Husayn after the latter’s return from
his visit to the Báb in the castle of Máh-Kú. From Barfurúsh
they set out for Khurásán, a journey rendered memorable
by deeds so heroic that none of their countrymen
could hope to rival them.
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As to Mullá Sádiq, as soon as he arrived at Yazd, he
enquired of a trusted friend, a native of Khurásán, about the
184
latest developments connected with the progress of the
Cause in that province. He was particularly anxious to be
enlightened concerning the activities of Mírzá Ahmad-i-Azghandí,
and expressed his surprise at the seeming inactivity
of one who, at a time when the mystery of the Faith
was still undivulged, had displayed such conspicuous zeal
in preparing the people for the acceptance of the expected
Manifestation.
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“Mírzá 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 Islámic 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.
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“When he arrived at Yazd, he was warmly welcomed by
his maternal uncle, Siyyid Husayn-i-Azghandí, 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 Hájí Mírzá
Karím Khán, whom he regarded as a dangerous though unavowed
enemy of Islám. The mujtahid called upon Mírzá
Ahmad to combat by every means in his power Hájí Mírzá
Khán’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.
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“Mírzá Ahmad, concealing from his uncle his original
intention to leave for Shíráz, decided to prolong his stay in
Yazd. He showed him the book which he had compiled, and
shared its contents with the ‘ulamás who thronged from every
quarter of the city to meet him. All were greatly impressed
185
by the industry, the erudition, and the zeal which the compiler
of that celebrated work had demonstrated.
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“Among those who came to visit Mírzá Ahmad was a
certain Mírzá Taqí, 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
Mírzá 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. Mírzá Taqí, who was
to have returned the book, failed to redeem his promise.
Mírzá Ahmad, who had already suspected the insincerity of
Mírzá Taqí’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. Mírzá 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 Hájí Mírzá Karím Khán. He
will undoubtedly seize the occasion to denounce you as a
Bábí, 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.’”
|
|
Mullá Sádiq was greatly pleased to learn from the account
of this incident that Mírzá 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
186
Mírzá Ahmad delivered the sermon. Taking his seat in the
first row among the worshippers, he joined them in prayer,
after which he went straight to Siyyid Husayn and publicly
embraced him. Uninvited, he immediately afterwards ascended
the pulpit and prepared to address the faithful
Siyyid Husayn, though at first startled, preferred to raise no
objection, being curious to discover the motive, and ascertain
the degree of the learning, of this sudden intruder. He motioned
to his nephew to refrain from opposing him.
|
|
Mullá Sádiq prefaced his discourse with one of the best-known
and most exquisitely written homilies of the Báb,
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 Shíráz, 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 Islám, 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 Mullá Sádiq 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 Mullá Sádiq 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 Mullá Sádiq, forcibly
drew him to his side. “Withhold your hands,” he appealed
to the multitude; “leave him in my custody. I will take him
187
to my home, and will closely investigate the matter. A
sudden fit of madness may have caused him to utter these
words. I will myself examine him. If I find that his utterances
are premeditated and that he himself firmly believes
in the things which he has declared, I will, with my own hands,
inflict upon him the punishment imposed by the law of
Islám.”
|
|
By this solemn assurance, Mullá Sádiq was delivered from
the savage attacks of his assailants. Divested of his ‘abá
15
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.
|
|
Mullá Yúsúf-i-Ardibílí, 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 Mullá Sádiq. But for the intervention of Mírzá
Ahmad and the assistance of his uncle, he would have fallen
a victim to the wrath of a ferocious enemy.
|
|
When Mullá Sádiq and Mullá Yúsúf-i-Ardibílí arrived at
Kirmán, they again had to submit to similar indignities and
to suffer similar afflictions at the hands of Hájí Mírzá Karím
Khán and his associates.
16
Hájí Siyyid Javád’s persistent
exertions freed them eventually from the grasp of their
persecutors, and enabled them to proceed to Khurásán.
|
|
Though hunted and harassed by their foes, the Báb’s
immediate disciples, together with their companions in different
parts of Persia, were undeterred by such criminal acts
188
from the accomplishment of their task. Unswerving in their
purpose and immovable in their convictions, they continued
to battle with the dark forces that assailed them every step
of their path. By their unstinted devotion and unexampled
fortitude, they were able to demonstrate to many of their
countrymen the ennobling influence of the Faith they had
arisen to champion.
|
|
While Vahíd
17
was still in Shíráz, Hájí Siyyid Javád-i-Karbilá’í
18
arrived and was introduced by Hájí Mírzá Siyyid
‘Alí into the presence of the Báb. In a Tablet which He
addressed to Vahíd and Hájí Siyyid Javád, the Báb extolled
the firmness of their faith and stressed the unalterable character
of their devotion. The latter had met and known the
Báb 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 Bahá’u’lláh in Baghdád and became the
recipient of His special favour. When, a few years afterwards,
Bahá’u’lláh was exiled to Adrianople, he, already much advanced
in years, returned to Persia, tarried awhile in the
province of ‘Iráq, and thence proceeded to Khurásán. His
kindly disposition, extreme forbearance, and unaffected simplicity
earned him the appellation of the Siyyid-i-Núr.
19
|
|
Hájí Siyyid Javád, one day, while crossing a street in
Tihrán, suddenly saw the Sháh 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 Sháh immensely. He
acknowledged his salute and invited him to come and see
him. Such was the reception accorded him that the courtiers
of the Sháh were moved with envy. “Does not your Imperial
Majesty realise,” they protested, “that this Hájí
189
Siyyid Javád is none other
than the man who, even prior
to the declaration of the Siyyid-i-Báb,
had proclaimed
himself a Bábí, and had
pledged his undying loyalty to
his person?” The Sháh, perceiving
the malice which actuated
their accusation, was
sorely displeased, and rebuked
them for their temerity and
low-mindedness. “How
strange!” he is reported to
have exclaimed; “whoever is
distinguished by the uprightness
of his conduct and the
courtesy of his manners, my
people forthwith denounce
him as a Bábí and regard
him as an object worthy of
my condemnation!”
|
|
Shaykh Sultán-i-Karbilá’í, whose ancestors ranked among
the leading ‘ulamás of Karbilá, and who himself had been a
firm supporter and intimate companion of Siyyid Kázim,
was also among those who, in those days, had met the Báb
in Shíráz. It was he who, at a later time, proceeded to
Sulaymáníyyih in search of Bahá’u’lláh, and whose daughter
was subsequently given in marriage to Áqáy-i-Kalím. When
he arrived at Shíráz, he was accompanied by Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunúzí,
to whom we have referred in the early pages of this
narrative. To him the Báb assigned the task of transcribing,
in collaboration with Mullá ‘Abdu’l-Karím, the Tablets
which He had lately revealed. Shaykh Sultán, who had been
too ill, at the time of his arrival, to meet the Báb, received
one night, while still on his sick-bed, a message from his
190
Beloved, informing him that at about two hours after sunset
He would Himself visit him. That night the Ethiopian
servant, who was acting as lantern-bearer to his Master, was
instructed to walk in advance at a distance which would keep
away the attention of the people from Him, and to extinguish
the lantern as soon as he reached his destination.
|
|
I have heard Shaykh Sultán himself describe that nocturnal
visit: “The Báb, 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 Báb
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 Báb 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 Báb had
referred was none other than Táhirih. 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
Karbilá and attained the presence of Bahá’u’lláh, I became
firmly convinced that He alone could claim such affection
from the Báb, that He, and only He, could be worthy of
such adoration.”
|
|
The second Naw-Rúz after the declaration of the Báb’s
Mission, which fell on the twenty-first day of the month of
Rabí’u’l-Avval, in the year 1262 A.H.,
20
found the Báb still
in Shíráz enjoying, under circumstances of comparative tranquillity
and ease, the blessings of undisturbed association
191
with His family and kindred. Quietly and unceremoniously,
He celebrated the festival of Naw-Rúz in His own home, and,
in accordance with His invariable custom, bountifully conferred
upon both His mother and His wife the marks of His
affection and favour. By the wisdom of His counsels and
the tenderness of His love, He cheered their hearts and dispelled
their apprehensions. He bequeathed to them all His
possessions and transferred to their names the title to His
property. In a document which He Himself wrote and
signed, He directed that His house and its furniture, as well
as the rest of His estate, should be regarded as the exclusive
property of His mother and His wife; and that upon the death
of the former, her share of the property should revert to His
wife.
|
|
The mother of the Báb 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 Bahá’u’lláh 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 ‘Iráq, where she hoped to spend the remaining days of her
life, when Bahá’u’lláh instructed two of His devoted followers,
Hájí Siyyid Javád-i-Karbilá’í and the wife of Hájí
‘Abdu’l-Majíd-i-Shírází, 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.,
21
when she departed this life, fully aware of the bountiful
gifts which the Almighty had chosen to confer upon her.
|
|
The wife of the Báb, 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 Táhirih, 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 Báb confided the secret of His future sufferings, and unfolded
192
to her eyes the significance of the events that were to
transpire in His Day. He bade her not to divulge this secret
to His mother and counselled her to be patient and resigned
to the will of God. He entrusted her with a special prayer,
revealed and written by Himself, the reading of which, He
assured her, would remove her difficulties and lighten the
burden of her woes. “In the hour of your perplexity,” He
directed her, “recite this prayer ere you go to sleep. I Myself
will appear to you and will banish your anxiety.” Faithful
to His advice, every time she turned to Him in prayer, the
light of His unfailing guidance illumined her path and resolved
her problems.
22
|
|
After the Báb 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 Hájí Mírzá
Siyyid ‘Alí. 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 Shíráz, among whom were
Mullá ‘Abdu’l-Karím
and Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunúzí,
to proceed to Isfahán and
there await His further instructions.
Siyyid Husayn-i-Yazdí,
193
one of the Letters of the Living, who had recently
arrived at Shíráz, was likewise instructed to proceed to Isfahán
and to join the company of his fellow-disciples in that
city.
|
|
Meanwhile Husayn Khán, the governor of Fárs, was
bending every effort to involve the Báb 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 Báb 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.
23
By the aid of his secret
agents, he succeeded in obtaining accurate information regarding
194
the character and influence of the Movement which
the Báb had initiated. He had secretly watched His movements,
ascertained the degree of enthusiasm which He had
aroused, and scrutinised the motives, the conduct, and the
number of those who had embraced His Cause.
|
|
One night there came to Husayn Khán the chief of his
emissaries with the report that the number of those who
were crowding to see the Báb 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 Báb,” 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.
24
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 Báb 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 Khán
refused to comply with his wish. “I can tell better than
195
you,” was his answer, “what the interests of the State require.
Watch me from a distance; I shall know how to
deal with him.”
|
|
That very moment, the governor summoned ‘Abdu’l-Hamíd
Khán, the chief constable of the city. “Proceed immediately,”
he commanded him, “to the house of Hájí Mírzá
Siyyid ‘Alí. Quietly and unobserved, scale the wall and
ascend to the roof, and from there suddenly enter his home.
Arrest the Siyyid-i-Báb 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
Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí, 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 Sháh that this very night I shall have the
Siyyid-i-Báb 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-Hamíd Khán retired to execute his task. He,
together with his assistants, broke into the house of Hájí
Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí
25
and found the Báb in the company of
His maternal uncle and a certain Siyyid Kázim-i-Zanjání,
who was later martyred in Mázindarán, and whose brother,
Siyyid Murtadá, was one of the Seven Martyrs of Tihrán.
He immediately arrested them, collected whatever documents
he could find, ordered Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí to remain in
his house, and conducted the rest to the seat of government.
The Báb, undaunted and self-possessed, was heard to repeat
this verse of the Qur’án: “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
196
with horror when he witnessed the long train of coffins being
hurriedly transported through the streets, each followed by
a procession of men and women loudly uttering shrieks of
agony and pain. This sudden tumult, the lamentations, the
affrighted countenances, the imprecations of the multitude
distressed and bewildered him. He enquired as to the reason.
“This very night,” he was told, “a plague
26
of exceptional
virulence has broken out. We are smitten by its
devastating power. Already since the hour of midnight it
has extinguished the lives of over a hundred people. Alarm
and despair reign in every house. The people are abandoning
their homes, and in their plight are invoking the aid of the
Almighty.”
27
|
|
‘Abdu’l-Hamíd Khán, terrified by this dreadful intelligence,
ran to the home of Husayn Khán. 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.”
28
|
|
‘Abdu’l-Hamíd Khán decided to conduct the Báb 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 Báb 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 Báb as he clung to the hem
of His garment, “by Him who has elevated you to this exalted
197
position, to intercede in my behalf and to offer a prayer
for the recovery of my son. Suffer not that he, in the prime
of youth, be taken away from me. Punish him not for the
guilt which his father has committed. I repent of what I
have done, and at this moment resign my post. I solemnly
pledge my word that never again will I accept such a position
even though I perish of hunger.”
|
|
No sooner had ‘Abdu’l-Hamíd Khán 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 Báb. “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 Khán replied that the Báb should
be immediately released and given freedom to go wherever
He might please.
29
|
|
As soon as an account of these happenings reached Tihrán
and was brought to the attention of the Sháh, an imperial
edict dismissing Husayn Khán from office was issued and
sent to Shíráz. 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, Bahá’u’lláh had been banished to
Baghdád, Husayn Khán 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.
Bahá’u’lláh refused to answer him. Sunk in misery and
shame, he languished until his death.
|
|
The Báb, who was staying at the home of ‘Abdu’l-Hamíd
Khán, sent Siyyid Kázim to request Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí to
198
come and see Him. He informed His uncle of His intended
departure from Shíráz, entrusted both His mother and His
wife to his care, and charged him to convey to each the
expression of His affection and the assurance of God’s unfailing
assistance. “Wherever they may be,” He told His
uncle, as He bade him farewell, “God’s all-encompassing love
and protection will surround them. I will again meet you
amid the mountains of Ádhirbayján, from whence I will
send you forth to obtain the crown of martyrdom. I Myself
will follow you, together with one of My loyal disciples, and
will join you in the realm of eternity.”
199
|
| 1. |
“Bábism had many adepts in all classes of society, and many among them were of important standing; great lords, members of the clergy, military men and merchants had accepted this doctrine.” (Journal Asiatique, 1866, tome 8, p. 251.)
[ Back To Reference] |
| 2. |
Refer to “Pedigree of the Qájár Dynasty” at the beginning of the book.
[ Back To Reference] |
| 3. |
Concerning him, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written the following: “This remarkable man, this precious soul, had committed to memory no less than thirty thousand traditions, and was highly esteemed and admired by all classes of people. He had achieved universal renown in Persia, and his authority and erudition were widely and fully recognized.” (From manuscript relating to martyrdoms in Persia.) “This personage was, as his name indicates, born at Daráb near Shíráz; his father, Siyyid Ja’far, surnamed Kashfí, was one of the greatest and most celebrated ‘Ulamás of that period. His high moral character, his righteous ways had attracted to him universal esteem and consideration. His science had won for him the glorious name of Kashfí, that is to say, one who discovers and explains the divine secrets. Brought up by him, his son was not slow to equal him in every way and he enjoyed the public favor bestowed on his father. When he went to Tihrán, he was preceded by his fame and popularity. He became the regular guest of Prince Tahmásp Mírzá, Mu’ayyadu’d-Dawlih, grandson of Fath-‘Alí Sháh by his father Muhammad-‘Alí Mírzá. The government itself paid homage to his science and to his merit and he was consulted more than once in trying circumstances. It was of him that Muhammad Shahet Hájí Mírzá Aqásí thought when they wished to find an honest emissary whose faithfulness could not be questioned.” (A. L. M. Nicolas’ “Siyyid ‘Alí-Muhammad dit le Báb,” p. 233.) “While these events were taking place in the north of Persia, the central and southern provinces were deeply roused by the fiery eloquence of the missionaries of the new doctrine. The people, light, credulous, ignorant, superstitious in the extreme, were struck dumb by the incessant miracles which they heard related every moment; the anxious priests, feeling their flock quivering with impatience and ready to escape their control, redoubled their slanders and infamous imputations; the grossest lies, the most bloody fictions were spread among the bewildered populace, torn between horror and admiration…. Siyyid Ja’far was unacquainted with the doctrine of the Shaykhís as he was with those of Mullá Sadrá. Nevertheless, his burning zeal and his ardent imagination had carried him, towards the end of his life, out of the ways of the orthodox Shí’ite. He interpreted the ‘hadíths’ differently from his colleagues and claimed even, so they said, to have fathomed the seventy inner meanings of the Qur’án. His son, who was to outdo these oddities, was at that time about thirty-five years of age. After the completion of his studies, he came to Tihrán where he became intimately associated with all that the court counted of great personages and distinguished men. It was upon him that the choice of His Majesty fell. He was, therefore, commissioned to go to Shíráz to make contact with the Báb and to inform the central authority, as exactly as possible, of the political consequences which would result from a reform which seemed likely unsettle heart of the country.” (A. L. M. Nicolas’ “Siyyid ‘Alí-Muhammad dit le Báb,” pp. 387–388.)
[ |
| 4. |
Qur’án, 108.
[ Back To Reference] |
| 5. |
According to the “Kashfu’l-Ghitá” (p. 81), no less than two thousand verses were revealed on that occasion by the Báb. The bewildering rapidity of this revelation was no less remarkable in the eyes of Siyyid Yahyá than the matchless beauty and profound meaning of the verses in that commentary. “Within five hours’ time he revealed two thousand verses, that is, he spoke as fast as the scribe could write. One can judge thereby that, if he had been left free, how many of his works from the beginning of his manifestation until today would have been spread abroad among men.” (“Le Bayán Persan,” vol. I, p. 43.) “God had given him such power and such fluency of expression that, if a scribe wrote with the most extreme rapidity during two days and two nights without interruption, he would reveal, out of this mine of eloquence, the equivalent of the Qur’án.” (Ibid., vol. 2, p. 132.)
[ |
| 6. |
“Certainly the fact of writing, currente calamo, a new commentary on a súrih whose meaning is so obscure, should deeply astonish the Siyyid Yahyá, but that which surprised him even more was to find, in this commentary, the explanation that he, himself, had found in his meditation on these three verses. Thus he found himself in agreement with the Reformer in the interpretation that he had believed himself to be the only one to have reached and that he had not made known to anyone.” (A. L. M. Nicolas’ “Siyyid ‘Alí-Muhammad dit le Báb,” p. 234.)
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| 7. |
“It was a strange circumstance,” writes Lady Sheil, “that among those who adopted [the] Báb’s doctrine there should have been a large number of mullás, and even mujtahids, who hold a high rank as expounders of the law in the Muhammadan church. Many or these men sealed their faith with their blood.” (“Glimpses of Life and Manners in Persia,” pp. 178–9.)
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| 8. |
According to “A Traveller’s Narrative” (p. 8), Siyyid Yahyá “wrote without fear or care a detailed account of his observations to Mírzá Lutf-‘Alí, the chamberlain, in order that the latter might submit it to the notice of the late king, while he himself journeyed to all parts of Persia, and in every town and station summoned the people from the pulpit-tops in such wise that other learned doctors decided that he must be mad, accounting it a sure case of bewitchment.”
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| 9. |
His name was Siyyid Ja’far, known as Kashfí “the Discloser,” because of his skill in the interpretation of the Qur’án and the visions which he claimed to have.
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| 10. |
He was styled Hujjatu’l-Islám.
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| 11. |
Literally meaning “The Four Gates,” each of whom claimed to be an intermediary between the absent Imám and his followers.
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| 12. |
He was an Akhbarí. For an account of the Akhbaris, see Gobineau’s “Les Religions et Les Philosophies dans l’Asie Centrale,” p. 23 et seq.
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| 13. |
“‘I met him [Mullá Muhammad-‘Alí],’ says Mírzá Jání, ‘in Tihrán, in the house of Mahmúd Khán, the kalantar, where he was confined because of his devotion to His Holiness. He said: ‘I was a mullá, so proud and masterful that I would abase myself to no one, not even the late Hájí Siyyid Báqir Rasht, who was regarded as the ‘Proof of Islám’ and the most learned of doctors. My doctrines being after the Akhbari school, I differed in certain questions with the mass of the clergy. People complained of me, and Muhammad Sháh summoned me to Tihrán. I came, and he perused my books and informed himself of their purport. I asked him to summon the siyyid [i.e. Siyyid Báqir of Rasht] also, that we might dispute. At first he intended to do so, but afterwards, having considered the mischief which might result, suspended the proposed discussion. To be brief, notwithstanding all this self-sufficiency, as soon as news of the Manifestation of His Holiness reached me, and I had perused a small page of the verses of that Point of the Furqán, I became as one beside himself, and involuntarily, yet with full option, confessed the truth of His claim, and became His devoted slave; for I beheld in Him the most noble of the Prophet’s miracles, and, had I rejected it, I should have rejected the truth of the religion of Islám.”’” (Hájí Mírzá Jání’s History: Appendix 2 of “Taríkh-i-Jadíd,” pp. 349–50.)
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| 14. |
A similar statement is reported in the “Kashfu’l-Ghitá” (p. 227). Such a statement, the author declares, was made to him by several residents of the province of Mázindarán.
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| 15. |
Refer to Glossary.
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| 16. |
“A bitter struggle broke out between the Muqaddas and Karím Khán who, as it is known, had taken the rank of chief of the Shaykhí sect, after the death of Kázim. The discussion took place in the presence of many people and Karím challenged his opponent to prove the truth of the mission of the Báb. ‘If you succeed,’ he said to him, ‘I will be converted and my pupils with me; but if you fail, I shall have it proclaimed in the bazaars: “Behold the one who tramples under foot the Holy Law of Islám!’” ‘I know who you are, Karím,’ replied Muqaddas to him. ‘Do you not remember your Master Siyyid Kázim and that which he told you: “Dog, do you not wish that I should die that, after me, may appear the absolute truth?” Witness how today, urged on by your passion for riches and for glory, you lie to yourself!’ “Begun in this vein, the discussion was bound to be brief. Instantly, the pupils of Karím drew their knives and threw themselves upon him who was insulting their chief. Fortunately, the governor of the city interposed; Muqaddas arrested and brought to his house where he kept him for a while and, when the excitement had subsided, he sent him away by night, escorted for several miles by ten mounted men.” (A. L. M. Nicolas’ “Siyyid ‘Alí-Muhammad dit le Báb,” pp. 228–229.)
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| 17. |
Title given by the Báb to Siyyid Yahyáy-i-Darábí.
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| 18. |
The remarkable circumstances attending the conversion of Hájí Siyyid Javád-i-Karbilá’í are fully related in the “Kashfu’l-Ghitá” (pp. 70–77), and reference is made to a significant Tablet revealed to him by Bahá’u’lláh (p. 63), in which the importance of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas is fully stressed, and the necessity of exercising the utmost caution and moderation in the application and execution of its precepts emphasised. The text of this Tablet is found on pp. 64–70 of the same book. The following passage of the “Dalá’il-i-Sab‘ih” refers to the conversion of Hájí Siyyid Javád: “Áqá Siyyid Javád-i-Karbilá’í a dit qu’avant la manifestation, un indien lui avait ecrit le nom de celui qui serait manifeste.” (“Le Livre des Sept Preuves,” traduction par A. L. M. Nicolas, p. 59.)
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| 19. |
Literally meaning “radiant siyyid.”
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| 20. |
1846 A.D.
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| 21. |
The thirteenth century A.H. ended in October, 1882 A.D.
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| 22. |
“The Báb’s widow survived till A.H. 1300, only six years ago. She was the sister of my friend’s maternal grandfather. The above particulars are derived from an old lady of the same family, so that there is every reason to regard them as reliable.” (Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1889, p. 993.)
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| 23. |
“Meanwhile the turmoil, the intense discussions, the scandal continued in Shíráz, so much so that, annoyed by all this uproar and fearful of the outcome, Hájí Mírzá Aqásí ordered Husayn Khán Nizámu’d-Dawlih to be done with the Reformer and to have him killed immediately and secretly.” (A. L. M. Nicolas’ “Siyyid ‘Alí-Muhammad dit le Báb,” p. 235.)
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| 24. |
“Extremely irritated, discontented and worried, the Mullás of Fárs, unable to foresee the heights that popular indignation against them might reach were not the only ones to be perplexed. The authorities of the town and of the province understood only too well that the people, who were under their care but who were never very much under their control, this time were quite independent of it. The men of Shíráz, superficial, mockers, noisome, quarrelsome, rebellious, insolent in the extreme, perfectly indifferent toward the Qájár dynasty, were never easy to govern and their administrators often passed wearisome days. What then would be the position of these administrators if the real chief of the city and of the country, the arbiter of their thoughts, their idol, were to be a young man who, undaunted, with no ties whatsoever, and no love of personal gain, made a pedestal of his independence and took advantage of it by impudently and publicly attacking every day all that which, until now, had been considered as strong and respected in the city? “In truth, the court, the government and its policies had not as yet been the object of any of the violent denunciations of the Innovator, but, in view of the fact that he was so rigid in his habits, so unrelenting against intellectual dishonesty and the plundering practices of the clergy, it was unlikely that he would approve the same rapaciousness so flagrant in the public officials. One could well believe that the day when they would fall under his scrutiny, he would not fail to see and violently condemn the abuses which could no longer be concealed.” (Comte de Gobineau’s “Les Religions et les Philosophies dans l’Asie Centrale,” pp. 122–123.)
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| 25. |
September 23,1845 A.D. See “Taríkh-i-Jadíd,” p. 204.
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| 26. |
Outbreak of cholera.
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| 27. |
The Báb refers to this incident in the “Dalá’il-i-Sab‘ih” in the following terms: “Recall the first days of the Manifestation, how many people died of cholera! That was one of the wonders of the Manifestation yet no one understood it. During four years the scourge raged among the Muhammadan Shí’ites without anyone grasping its true significance.” (“Le Livre des Sept Preuves,” translated by A. L. M. Nicolas, pp. 61–62.)
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| 28. |
A garden in the outskirts of Shíráz.
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| 29. |
According to “A Traveller’s Narrative” (p. 11), “Husayn Khán released the Báb on condition of his quitting the city.”
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