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CHAPTER I THE MISSION OF SHAYKH AHMAD-I-AHSÁ'Í
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1 |
AT A time when the shining reality of the Faith of
Muhammad had been obscured by the ignorance,
the fanaticism, and perversity of the contending
sects into which it had fallen, there appeared above
the horizon of the East
[1]
that luminous Star of Divine guidance,
Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsá'í.
[2]
He observed how those who
professed the Faith of Islám had shattered its unity, sapped
its force, perverted its purpose, and degraded its holy name.
His soul was filled with anguish at the sight of the corruption
and strife which characterised the Shí'ah sect of Islám. Inspired
by the light that shone within him,
[3]
he arose with
unerring vision, with fixed purpose, and sublime detachment
to utter his protest against the betrayal of the Faith by that
ignoble people. Aglow with zeal and conscious of the sublimity
of his calling, he vehemently appealed not only to
shí'ah Islám but to all the followers of Muhammad throughout
the East, to awaken from the slumber of negligence and
to prepare the way for Him who must needs be made manifest
in the fulness of time, whose light alone could dissipate the
mists of prejudice and ignorance which had enveloped that
Faith. Forsaking his home and kindred, on one of the islands
of Bahrayn, to the south of the Persian Gulf, he set out, as
bidden by an almighty Providence, to unravel the mysteries
of those verses of Islamic Scriptures which foreshadowed the
advent of a new Manifestation. He was well aware of the
dangers and perils that beset his path; he fully realised the
crushing responsibility of his task. There burned in his soul
the conviction that no reform, however drastic, within the
Faith of Islám, could achieve the regeneration of this perverse
people. He knew, and was destined by the Will of
God to demonstrate, that nothing short of a new and independent
Revelation, as attested and foreshadowed by the
sacred Scriptures of Islám, could revive the fortunes and
restore the purity of that decadent Faith.
[4]
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2 |
Bereft of all earthly possessions, and detached from all
save God, he, in the early days of the thirteenth century of
the Hegira, when forty years of age, arose to dedicate the
remaining days of his life to the task he felt impelled to
shoulder. He first proceeded to Najaf and Kárbilá,
[5]
where
in a few years he acquired familiarity with the prevailing
thoughts and standards current among the learned men of
Islám. There he came to be recognised as one of the authorised
expounders of the Islámic Holy Writ, was declared
a mujtahid, and soon obtained an ascendancy over the rest
of his colleagues, who either visited or were residing in those
holy cities. These came to regard him as one initiated into
the mysteries of Divine Revelation, and qualified to unravel
the abstruse utterances of Muhammad and of the imáms of
the Faith. As his influence increased, and the scope of his
authority widened, he found himself besieged on every side
by an ever-increasing number of devoted enquirers who asked
to be enlightened regarding the intricacies of the Faith, all
of which he ably and fully expounded. By his knowledge
and fearlessness he struck terror to the hearts of the Súfís
and Neo-Platonists and other kindred schools of thought,
[6]
who envied his learning and feared his ruthlessness. Thereby
he acquired added favour in the eyes of those learned divines,
who looked upon these sects as the disseminators of obscure
and heretical doctrines. Yet, great as was his fame and universal
as was the esteem in which he was regarded, he despised
all the honours which his admirers lavished upon him. He
marvelled at their servile devotion to dignity and rank, and
refused resolutely to associate himself with the objects of their
pursuits and desires.
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3 |
Having achieved his purpose in those cities, and inhaling
the fragrance which wafted upon him from Persia, he felt
in his heart an irrepressible yearning to hasten to that country.
He concealed from his friends, however, the real motive that
impelled him to direct his steps towards that land. By way
of the Persian Gulf, he hastened unto the land of his heart's
desire, ostensibly for the purpose of visiting the shrine of the
Imám Ridá in Mashhad.
[7]
He was filled with eagerness to
unburden his soul, and searched zealously for those to whom
he could deliver the secret which to no one he had as yet
divulged. Upon his arrival at Shíráz, the city which enshrined
that concealed Treasure of God, and from which the voice of
the Herald of a new Manifestation was destined to be proclaimed,
he repaired to the Masjid-i-Jum'ih, a mosque which
in its style and shape bore a striking resemblance to the holy
shrine of Mecca. Many a time did he, whilst gazing upon
that edifice, observe: "Verily, this house of God betokens
such signs as only those who are endowed with understanding
can perceive. Methinks he who conceived and built it was
inspired of God."
[8]
How often and how passionately he extolled
that city! Such was the praise he lavished upon it
that his hearers, who were only too familiar with its mediocrity,
were astonished at the tone of his language. "Wonder
not," he said to those who were surprised, "for ere long the
secret of my words will be made manifest to you. Among
you there shall be a number who will live to behold the
glory of a Day which the prophets of old have yearned to
witness." So great was his authority in the eyes of the
`ulamás who met and conversed with him, that they professed
themselves incapable of comprehending the meaning of his
mysterious allusions and ascribed their failure to their own
deficient understanding.
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4 |
Having sown the seeds of Divine knowledge in the hearts
of those whom he found receptive to his call, Shaykh Ahmad
set out for Yazd, where he tarried awhile, engaged continually
in the dissemination of such truths as he felt urged to reveal.
Most of his books and epistles were written in that city.
[9]
Such was the fame he acquired,
[10]
that the ruler of Persia,
Fath-`Alí Sháh, was moved to address to him from Tihrán a
written message,
[11]
calling upon him to explain certain specific
questions related to the abstruse teachings of the Muslim
Faith, the meaning of which the leading `ulamás of his realm
had been unable to unfold. To this he readily answered in
the form of an epistle to which he gave the name of "Risaly-i-Sultaniyyih."
The Sháh was so pleased with the tone and
subject matter of that epistle that he forthwith sent him a
second message, this time extending to him an invitation to
visit his court. Replying to this second imperial message,
1. Commentary on the Ziyaratu'l Jami'atu'l-Kabirih of Shaykh Hádí.
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5 |
2. Commentary on the verse "Qu'l Huvallah-u-Ahad."
3. Risaly-i-Khaqaniyyih, in answer to Fath-`Alí Sháh's question
regarding the superiority of the Qá'im over His ancestors.
4. On dreams.
5. Answer to Shaykh Musay-i-Bahrayni regarding the position and
claims of the Sáhibu'z-Zamán.
6. Answer to the Súfís.
7. Answer to Mullá Mihdiy-i-Astirabadi on the knowledge of the soul.
8. On the joys and pains of the future life.
9. Answer to Mullá `Alí-Akbar on the best road to the attainment of
God.
10. On the Resurrection.
[Illustrations: FATH-'ALI SHÁH AND SONS]
he wrote the following: "As I had intended ever since my
departure from Najaf and Kárbilá to visit and pay my
homage to the shrine of the Imám Ridá in Mashhad, I venture
to hope that your Imperial Majesty will graciously allow
me to fulfil the vow which I have made. Later on, God
willing, it is my hope and purpose to avail myself of the
honour which your Imperial Majesty has deigned to confer
upon me.
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6 |
Among those who, in the city of Yazd, were awakened
by the message of that bearer of the light of God, was Hájí
Abdu'l-Vahhab, a man of great piety, upright and God-fearing.
He visited Shaykh Ahmad each day in the company
of a certain Mullá `Abdu'l-Kháliq-i-Yazdí, who was noted
for his authority and learning. On certain occasions, however,
in order to talk confidentially with Abdu'l-Vahhab,
Shaykh Ahmad, to the great surprise of the learned Abdu'l-Khaliq,
would ask him to retire from his presence and leave
him alone with his chosen and favoured disciple. This marked
preference shown to so modest and illiterate a man as Abdu'l-Vahhab
was a cause of great surprise to his companion, who
was only too conscious of his own superiority and attainments.
Later, however, when Shaykh Ahmad had departed from
Yazd, Abdu'l-Vahhab retired from the society of men and
came to be regarded as a Súfí. By the orthodox leaders of
that community, however, such as the Ni'matu'llah and
Dhahabi, he was denounced as an intruder and was suspected
of a desire to rob them of their leadership. Abdu'l-Vahhab,
for whom the Súfí doctrine had no special attraction, scorned
their false imputations and shunned their society. He associated
with none except Hájí Hasan-i-Nayini, whom he had
chosen as his intimate friend and to whom he confided the
secret with which he had been entrusted by his master.
When Abdu'l-Vahhab died, this friend, following his example,
continued to pursue the path which he had directed him to
tread, and announced to every receptive soul the tidings of
God's fast-approaching Revelation.
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7 |
Mírzá Mahmud-i-Qamsari, whom I met in Káshán, and
who at that time was an old man over ninety years of age
and was greatly beloved and revered by all those who knew
him, related to me the following story: "I recall when in
my youth, at the time when I was living in Káshán, I heard
of a certain man in Nayin who had arisen to announce the
tidings of a new Revelation, and under whose spell fell all
who heard him, whether scholars, officials of the government,
or the uneducated among the people. His influence was such
that those who came in contact with him renounced the
world and despised its riches. Curious to ascertain the truth,
I proceeded, unsuspected by my friends, to Nayin, where I
was able to verify the statements that were current about
him. His radiant countenance bespoke the light that had
been kindled in his soul. I heard him, one day, after he had
offered his morning prayer, speak words such as these: `Ere
long will the earth be turned into a paradise. Ere long will
Persia be made the shrine round which will circle the peoples
of the earth.' One morning, at the hour of dawn, I found
him fallen upon his face, repeating in wrapt devotion the
words `Alláh-u-Akbar.'
[12]
To my great surprise he turned to
me and said: `That which I have been announcing to you is
now revealed. At this very hour the light of the promised
One has broken and is shedding illumination upon the world.
O Mahmúd, verily I say, you shall live to behold that Day
of days.' The words which that holy man addressed to me
kept ringing in my ears until the day when, in the year sixty,
I was privileged to hear the Call that arose from Shíráz. I
was, alas, unable, because of my infirmities, to hasten to that
city. Later, when the Báb, the herald of the new Revelation,
arrived in Káshán and for three nights lived as a guest in
the house of Hájí Mírzá Jání, I was unaware of His visit
and so missed the honour of attaining His presence. Sometime
afterwards, whilst conversing with the followers of the
Faith, I was informed that the birthday of the Báb fell on
the first day of the month of Muharram of the year 1235 A.H.
[13]
I realised that the day to which Hájí Hasan-i-Nayini had
referred did not correspond with this date, that there was
actually a difference of two years between them. This thought
sorely perplexed me. Long after, however, I met a certain
Hájí Mírzá Kamálu'd-Dín-i-Naráqí, who announced to me
the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdád, and who
shared with me a number of verses from the `Qasidiy-i-Varqa'iyyih'
as well as certain passages of the Persian and Arabic `Hidden
Words.' I was moved to the depths of my soul as I heard
him recite those sacred words. The following I still vividly
remember: `O Son of Being! Thy heart is my home; sanctify
it for my descent. Thy spirit is my place of revelation;
cleanse it for my manifestation. O Son of Earth! Wouldst
thou have me, seek none other than me; and wouldst thou
gaze upon my beauty, close thine eyes to the world and all
that is therein; for my will and the will of another than I,
even as fire and water, cannot dwell together in one heart.'
I asked him the date of the birth of Bahá'u'lláh. `The dawn
of the second day of Muharram,' he replied, `of the year
1233 A.H.'
[14]
I immediately remembered the words of Hájí
Hasan and recalled the day on which they were spoken.
Instinctively I fell prostrate on the ground and exclaimed:
`Glorified art Thou, O my God, for having enabled me to
attain unto this promised Day. If now I be called to Thee,
I die content and assured.'" That very year, the year
1274 A.H.,
[15]
that venerable and radiant soul yielded his spirit
to God.
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8 |
This account which I heard from the lips of Mírzá Mahmud-i-Qamsari
himself, and which is still current amongst
the people, is assuredly a compelling evidence of the perspicacity
of the late Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsá'í and bears eloquent
testimony to the influence he exercised upon his immediate
disciples. The promise he gave them was eventually
fulfilled, and the mystery with which he fired their souls was
unfolded in all its glory.
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9 |
During those days when Shaykh Ahmad was preparing
to depart from Yazd, Siyyid Kázim-i-Rashtí,
[16]
that other
luminary of Divine guidance, set out from his native province
of Gílán with the object of visiting Shaykh Ahmad, ere the
latter undertook his pilgrimage to Khurásán. In the course
of his first interview with him, Shaykh Ahmad spoke these
words: "I welcome you, O my friend! How long and how
eagerly have I waited for you to come and deliver me from
the arrogance of this perverse people! I am oppressed by
the shamelessness of their acts and the depravity of their
character. `Verily, We proposed to the heavens, and to the
earth, and to the mountains, to receive the trust of God, but
they refused the burden, and they feared to receive it. Man
undertook to bear it; and he, verily, hath proved unjust,
ignorant.'"
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10 |
This Siyyid Kázim had already, from his early boyhood,
shown signs of remarkable intellectual power and spiritual
insight. He was unique among those of his own rank and
age. At the age of eleven, he had committed to memory the
whole of the Qur'án. At the age of fourteen, he had learned
by heart a prodigious number of prayers and recognised traditions
of Muhammad. At the age of eighteen, he had composed
a commentary on a verse of the Qur'án known as the
Ayatu'l-Kursi, which had excited the wonder and the admiration
of the most learned of his day. His piety, the gentleness
of his character, and his humility were such that all who
knew him, whether young or old, were profoundly impressed.
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11 |
In the year 1231 A.H.,
[17]
when only twenty-two years old,
he, forsaking home, kindred, and friends, departed from Gílán,
intent upon attaining the presence of him who had so nobly
arisen to announce the approaching dawn of a Divine Revelation.
He had been in the company of Shaykh Ahmad for
only a few weeks, when the latter, turning to him one day,
addressed him in these words: "Remain in your house and
cease attending my lectures. Such of my disciples as may
feel perplexed will turn henceforth to you, and will seek to
obtain from you directly whatsoever assistance they may require.
You will, through the knowledge which the Lord your
God has bestowed upon you, resolve their problems and tranquillise
their hearts. By the power of your utterance you
will help to revive the sorely neglected Faith of Muhammad,
your illustrious ancestor." These words addressed to Siyyid
Kázim excited the resentment and kindled the envy of the
prominent disciples of Shaykh Ahmad, among whom figured
Mullá Muhammad-i-Mamaqaní and Mullá `Abdu'l-Kháliq-i-Yazdí.
So compelling was the dignity of Siyyid Kázim, however,
and so remarkable were the evidences of his knowledge
and wisdom, that these disciples were awed and felt compelled
to submit.
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12 |
Shaykh Ahmad, having thus committed his disciples to
the care of Siyyid Kázim, left for Khurásán. There he tarried
awhile, in the close vicinity of the holy shrine of the Imám
Ridá in Mashhad. Within its precincts he pursued with undiminished
zest the course of his labours. By resolving the
intricacies that agitated the minds of the seekers, he continued
to prepare the way for the advent of the coming Manifestation.
In that city he became increasingly conscious that
the Day which was to witness the birth of the promised One
could not be far distant. The promised hour, he felt, was
fast approaching. From the direction of Núr, in the province
of Mazindarán, he was able to perceive the first glimmerings
that heralded the dawn of the promised Dispensation. To
him the Revelation foreshadowed in these following traditional
utterances was at hand: "Ere long shall ye behold
the countenance of your Lord resplendent as the moon in its
full glory. And yet, ye shall fail to unite in acknowledging
His truth and embracing His Faith." And "One of the most
mighty signs that shall signalise the advent of the promised
Hour is this: `A woman shall give birth to One who shall be
her Lord.'"
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13 |
Shaykh Ahmad therefore set his face towards Núr and,
accompanied by Siyyid Kázim and a number of his distinguished
disciples, proceeded to Tihrán. The Sháh of Persia,
being informed of the approach of Shaykh Ahmad to his
capital, commanded the dignitaries and officials of Tihrán to
go out to meet him. He directed them to extend a cordial
expression of welcome on his behalf. The distinguished visitor
and his companions were royally entertained by the Sháh,
who visited him in person and declared him to be "the glory
of his nation and an ornament to his people."
[18]
In those
days, there was born a Child in an ancient and noble family
of Núr,
[19]
whose father was Mírzá Abbás, better known as
Mírzá Buzurg, a favoured minister of the Crown. That Child
was Bahá'u'lláh.
[20]
At the hour of dawn, on the second day
of Muharram, in the year 1233 A.H.
[21]
the world, unaware of
its significance, witnessed the birth of Him who was destined
to confer upon it such incalculable blessings. Shaykh Ahmad,
who recognised in its full measure the meaning of this auspicious
event, yearned to spend the remaining days of his life
within the precincts of the court of this Divine, this new-born
King. But this was not to be. His thirst unallayed, and
his yearning unsatisfied, he felt compelled to submit to God's
irrevocable decree, and, turning his face away from the city
of his Beloved, proceeded to Kirmansháh.
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14 |
The governor of Kirmansháh, Prince Muhammad-`Alí Mírzá,
the Sháh's eldest son and the ablest member of his
house, had already begged permission of his Imperial Majesty
to enable him to entertain and serve in person Shaykh Ahmad.
[22]
So favoured was the Prince in the eyes of the Sháh, that his
request was immediately granted. Wholly resigned to his
destiny, Shaykh Ahmad bade farewell to Tihrán. Ere his
departure from that city, he breathed a prayer that this
hidden Treasure of God, now born amongst his countrymen,
might be preserved and cherished by them, that they might
recognise the full measure of His blessedness and glory, and
might be enabled to proclaim His excellence to all nations
and peoples.
|
15 |
Upon his arrival in Kirmansháh, Shaykh Ahmad decided
to select a number of the most receptive from among his
shí'ah disciples, and, by devoting his special attention to their
enlightenment, to enable them to become the active supporters
of the Cause of the promised Revelation. In the series of
books and epistles which he undertook to write, among which
figures his well-known work Sharhu'z-Ziyarih, he extolled in
clear and vivid language the virtues of the imáms of the
Faith, and laid special stress upon the allusions which they
had made to the coming of the promised One. By his repeated
references to Husayn, he meant, however, none other
than the Husayn who was yet to be revealed; and by his
allusions to the ever-recurrent name `Alí, he intended not the
`Alí who had been slain, but the `Alí recently born. To those
who questioned him regarding the signs that must needs
herald the advent of the Qá'im, he emphatically asserted the
inevitableness of the promised Dispensation. In the very
year the Báb was born, Shaykh Ahmad suffered the loss of
his son, whose name was Shaykh `Alí. To his disciples who
mourned his loss he spoke these words of comfort: "Grieve
not, O my friends, for I have offered up my son, my own
`Alí, as a sacrifice for the `Alí whose advent we all await.
To this end have I reared and prepared him."
|
16 |
The Báb, whose name was `Alí-Muhammad, was born in
Shíráz, on the first of Muharram, in the year 1235 A.H. He
was the descendant of a house renowned for its nobility,
which traced its origin to Muhammad Himself. His father, Siyyid
Muhammad-Ridá, as well as His mother, were descendants
of the Prophet, and belonged to families of recognised
standing. The date of His birth confirmed the truth
of the saying attributed to the Imám `Alí, the Commander
of the Faithful: "I am two years younger than my Lord."
The mystery of this utterance, however, remained unrevealed
except to those who sought and recognised the truth of the
new Revelation. It was He, the Báb, who, in His first, His
most weighty and exalted Book, revealed this passage concerning
Bahá'u'lláh: "O Thou Remnant of God! I have sacrificed
Myself wholly for Thee; I have consented to be cursed
for Thy sake; and have yearned for naught but martyrdom
in the path of Thy love. Sufficient witness unto Me is God,
the Exalted, the Protector, the Ancient of Days!"
|
17 |
While Shaykh Ahmad was sojourning in Kirmansháh, he
received so many evidences of ardent devotion from Prince
Muhammad-`Alí Mírzá that on one occasion he was moved
to refer to the Prince in such terms: "Muhammad-`Alí I
regard as my own son, though he be a descendant of Fath-`Alí."
A considerable number of seekers and disciples thronged his
house and eagerly attended his lectures. To none, however,
did he feel inclined to show the consideration and affectionate
regard which characterised his attitude towards Siyyid Kázim.
He seemed to have singled him out from among the multitude
that crowded to see him, and to be preparing him to carry
on with undiminished vigour his work after his death. One
of his disciples, one day, questioned Shaykh Ahmad concerning
the Word which the promised One is expected to utter
in the fulness of time, a Word so appallingly tremendous
that the three hundred and thirteen chiefs and nobles of the
earth would each and all flee in consternation as if overwhelmed
by its stupendous weight. To him Shaykh Ahmad
replied: "How can you presume to sustain the weight of the
Word which the chieftains of the earth are incapable of
bearing? Seek not to gratify an impossible desire. Cease
asking me this question, and beseech forgiveness from God."
That presumptuous questioner again pressed him to disclose
the nature of that Word. At last Shaykh Ahmad replied:
"Were you to attain that Day, were you to be told to repudiate
the guardianship of `Alí and to denounce its validity, what
would you say?" "God forbid!" he exclaimed. "Such things
can never be. That such words should proceed out of the
mouth of the promised One is to me inconceivable." How
grievous the mistake he made, and how pitiful his plight!
His faith was weighed in the balance, and was found wanting,
inasmuch as he failed to recognise that He who must needs
be made manifest is endowed with that sovereign power which
no man dare question. His is the right "to command whatsoever
He willeth, and to decree that which He pleaseth."
Whoever hesitates, whoever, though it be for the twinkling
of an eye or less, questions His authority, is deprived of His
grace and is accounted of the fallen. And yet few, if any,
among those who listened to Shaykh Ahmad in that city,
and heard him unfold the mysteries of the allusions in the
sacred Scriptures, were able to appreciate the significance of
his utterances or to apprehend their purpose. Siyyid Kázim,
his able and distinguished lieutenant, alone, could claim to
have understood his meaning.
|
18 |
After the death of Prince Muhammad-`Alí Mírzá,
[23]
Shaykh
Ahmad, freed from the urgent solicitations of the Prince to
extend his sojourn in Kirmansháh, transferred his residence
to Kárbilá. Though to outward seeming he was circling round
the shrine of the Siyyidu'sh-Shuhada',
[24]
the Imám Husayn,
his heart, whilst he performed those rites, was set upon that
true Husayn, the only object of his devotions. A host of
the most distinguished `ulamás and mujtahids thronged to
see him. Many began to envy his reputation, and a number
sought to undermine his authority. However much they
strove, they failed to shake his position of undoubted preeminence
amongst the learned men of that city. Eventually
that shining light was summoned to shed its radiance upon
the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Thither he journeyed,
there he pursued with unstinted devotion his labours, and
there he was laid to rest beneath the shadow of the Prophet's
sepulchre, for the understanding of whose Cause he had so
faithfully laboured.
|
19 |
Ere he departed from Kárbilá, he confided to Siyyid Kázim,
his chosen successor, the secret of his mission,
[25]
and instructed
him to strive to kindle in every receptive heart the fire that
had burned so brightly within him. However much Siyyid
Kázim insisted on accompanying him as far as Najaf, Shaykh
Ahmad refused to comply with his request. "You have no
time to lose," were the last words which he addressed to him.
"Every fleeting hour should be fully and wisely utilised. You
should gird up the loin of endeavour and strive day and
night to rend asunder, by the grace of God and by the hand
of wisdom and loving-kindness, those veils of heedlessness
that have blinded the eyes of men. For verily I say, the
Hour is drawing nigh, the Hour I have besought God to
spare me from witnessing, for the earthquake of the Last
Hour will be tremendous. You should pray to God to be
spared the overpowering trials of that Day, for neither of us
is capable of withstanding its sweeping force. Others, of
greater endurance and power, have been destined to bear
this stupendous weight, men whose hearts are sanctified from
all earthly things, and whose strength is reinforced by the
potency of His power."
|
20 |
Having spoken these words, Shaykh Ahmad bade him
farewell, urged him to face valiantly the trials that must
needs afflict him, and committed him to the care of God.
In Kárbilá, Siyyid Kázim devoted himself to the work initiated
by his master, expounded his teachings, defended his
Cause, and answered whatever questions perplexed the minds
of his disciples. The vigour with which he prosecuted his
task inflamed the animosity of the ignorant and envious. "For
forty years," they clamoured, "we have suffered the pretentious
teachings of Shaykh Ahmad to be spread with no opposition
whatever on our part. We no longer can tolerate
similar pretensions on the part of his successor, who rejects
the belief in the resurrection of the body, who repudiates the
literal interpretation of the `Mi'ráj,'
[26]
who regards the signs
of the coming Day as allegorical, and who preaches a doctrine
heretical in character and subversive of the best tenets of
orthodox Islám." The louder their clamour and protestations,
the firmer grew the determination of Siyyid Kázim to
prosecute his mission and fulfil his trust. He addressed an
epistle to Shaykh Ahmad, wherein he set forth at length the
calumnies that had been uttered against him, and acquainted him
with the character and extent of their opposition. In
it he ventured to enquire as to how long he was destined to
submit to the unrelenting fanaticism of a stubborn and ignorant
people, and prayed to be enlightened regarding the time
when the promised One was to be made manifest. To this
Shaykh Ahmad replied: "Be assured of the grace of your God.
Be not grieved at their doings. The mystery of this Cause
must needs be made manifest, and the secret of this Message
must needs be divulged.
[27]
I can say no more, I can appoint
no time. His Cause will be made known after Hin.
[28]
`Ask
me not of things which, if revealed unto you, might only
pain you.'"
|
21 |
How great, how very great, is His Cause, that even to so
exalted a personage as Siyyid Kázim words such as these
should have been addressed! This answer of Shaykh Ahmad
imparted solace and strength to the heart of Siyyid Kázim,
who, with redoubled determination, continued to withstand
the onslaught of an envious and insidious enemy.
|
22 |
Shaykh Ahmad died soon after,
[29]
in the year 1242 A.H., at
the age of eighty-one, and was laid to rest in the cemetery
of Baqi',
[30]
in the close vicinity of the resting place of Muhammad
in the holy city of Medina.
|