CHAPTER III THE DECLARATION OF THE BÁB'S MISSION |
|
1 | THE death of Siyyid Kázim was the signal for renewed activity on the part of his enemies. Athirst for leadership, and emboldened by his removal and the consequent dismay of his followers, they reasserted their claims and prepared to realise their ambitions. For a time, fear and anxiety filled the hearts of Siyyid Kázim's faithful disciples, but with the return of Mullá Husayn-i-Bushru'i from the highly successful mission with which he had been entrusted by his teacher, their gloom was dispelled. [1] |
2 |
It was on the first day of Muharram, in the year 1260 A.H.,
[2]
that Mullá |
3 |
As the year sixty, the year that witnessed the birth of the
promised Revelation, had just dawned upon the world, it
would not seem inappropriate, at this juncture, to digress
from our theme, and to mention certain traditions of |
4 |
Mullá |
5 |
This cloistered calm with which they were surrounded
was, after a few days, unexpectedly interrupted by the arrival
of Mullá Alíy-i-Bastamí, one of the foremost disciples of
Siyyid Kázim. He, together with twelve other companions,
arrived at the Masjid-i-Kúfih, where he found his fellow-disciple
Mullá |
6 |
Immediately after the completion of his forty days' retirement,
Mullá |
7 | He could not, however, tarry longer in Búshihr. Drawn as if by a magnet which seemed to attract him irresistibly towards the north, he proceeded to Shíráz. Arriving at the gate of that city, he instructed his brother and his nephew to proceed directly to the Masjid-i-Ilkhani, and there to remain until his arrival. He expressed the hope that, God willing, he would arrive in time to join them in their evening prayer. |
8 |
On that very day, a few hours before sunset, whilst walking
outside the gate of the city, his eyes fell suddenly upon a
Youth of radiant countenance, who wore a green turban and
who, advancing towards him, greeted him with a smile of
loving welcome. He embraced Mullá |
9 |
Mírzá Ahmad-i-Qazvini, the martyr, who on several occasions
had heard Mullá |
10 | "`We soon found ourselves standing at the gate of a house of modest appearance. He knocked at the door, which was soon opened by an Ethiopian servant. "Enter therein in peace, secure," [4] were His words as He crossed the threshold and motioned me to follow Him. His invitation, uttered with power and majesty, penetrated my soul. I thought it a good augury to be addressed in such words, standing as I did on the threshold of the first house I was entering in Shíráz, a city the very atmosphere of which had produced already an indescribable impression upon me. Might not my visit to this house, I thought to myself, enable me to draw nearer to the Object of my quest? Might it not hasten the termination of a period of intense longing, of strenuous search, of increasing anxiety, which such a quest involves? As I entered the house and followed my Host to His chamber, a feeling of unutterable joy invaded my being. Immediately we were seated, He ordered a ewer of water to be brought, and bade me wash away from my hands and feet the stains of travel. I pleaded permission to retire from His presence and perform my ablutions in an adjoining room. He refused to grant my request, and proceeded to pour the water over my hands. He then gave me to drink of a refreshing beverage, after which He asked for the samovar [5] and Himself prepared the tea which He offered me. |
11 | "`Overwhelmed with His acts of extreme kindness, I arose to depart. "The time for evening prayer is approaching," I ventured to observe. "I have promised my friends to join them at that hour in the Masjid-i-Ilkhani." With extreme courtesy and calm He replied: "You must surely have made the hour of your return conditional upon the will and pleasure of God. It seems that His will has decreed otherwise. You need have no fear of having broken your pledge." His dignity and self-assurance silenced me I renewed my ablutions and prepared for prayer. He, too, stood beside me and prayed. Whilst praying, I unburdened my soul, which was much oppressed, both by the mystery of this interview and the strain and stress of my search. I breathed this prayer: "I have striven with all my soul, O my God, and until now have failed to find Thy promised Messenger. I testify that Thy word faileth not, and that Thy promise is sure." |
12 |
"`That night, that memorable night, was the eve preceding
the fifth day of Jamádiyu'l-Avval, in the year 1260 A.H.
[6]
It was about an hour after sunset when my youthful Host
began to converse with me. "Whom, after Siyyid Kázim,"
He asked me, "do you regard as his successor and your
leader?" "At the hour of his death," I replied, "our departed
teacher insistently exhorted us to forsake our homes, to
scatter far and wide, in quest of the promised Beloved. I
have, accordingly, journeyed to Persia, have arisen to accomplish
his will, and am still engaged in my quest." "Has your
teacher," He further enquired, "given you any detailed indications
as to the distinguishing features of the promised One?"
"Yes," I replied, "He is of a pure lineage, is of illustrious
descent, and of the seed of Fátimih. As to His age, He is
more than twenty and less than thirty. He is endowed with
innate knowledge. He is of medium height, abstains from
smoking, and is free from bodily deficiency." He paused for
a while and then with vibrant voice declared: "Behold, all
these signs are manifest in Me!" He then considered each
of the above-mentioned signs separately, and conclusively
demonstrated that each and all were applicable to His person.
I was greatly surprised, and politely observed: "He whose
advent we await is a Man of unsurpassed holiness, and the
Cause He is to reveal, a Cause of tremendous power. Many
and diverse are the requirements which He who claims to be
its visible embodiment must needs fulfil. How often has
Siyyid Kázim referred to the vastness of the knowledge of
the promised One! How often did he say: `My own knowledge
is but a drop compared with that with which He has
been endowed. All my attainments are but a speck of dust
in the face of the immensity of His knowledge. Nay, immeasurable
is the difference!'" No sooner had those words
dropped from my lips than I found myself seized with fear
and remorse, such as I could neither conceal nor explain. I
bitterly reproved myself, and resolved at that very moment
to alter my attitude and to soften my tone. I vowed to God
that should my Host again refer to the subject, I would, with
the utmost humility, answer and say: "If you be willing to
substantiate your claim, you will most assuredly deliver me
from the anxiety and suspense which so heavily oppress my
soul. I shall truly be indebted to you for such deliverance."
When I first started upon my quest, I determined to regard
[Illustrations: VIEWS OF THE UPPER ROOM OF THE BÁB'S HOUSE IN SHIRAZ WHERE HE DECLARED HIS MISSION.] |
13 |
"`I was revolving these things in my mind, when my
distinguished Host again remarked: "Observe attentively.
Might not the Person intended by Siyyid Kázim be none
other than I?" I thereupon felt impelled to present to Him
a copy of the treatise which I had with me. "Will you," I
asked Him, "read this book of mine and look at its pages
with indulgent eyes? I pray you to overlook my weaknesses
and failings." He graciously complied with my wish. He
opened the book, glanced at certain passages, closed it, and
began to address me. Within a few minutes He had, with
characteristic vigour and charm, unravelled all its mysteries
and resolved all its problems. Having to my entire satisfaction
accomplished, within so short a time, the task I had
expected Him to perform, He further expounded to me certain
truths which could be found neither in the reported sayings
of the imáms of the Faith nor in the writings of Shaykh
[Illustrations: HIS BEDCHAMBER. HIS MOTHER'S ROOM. HIS SITTING ROOM. VIEWS OF THE BÁB'S HOUSE IN SHIRAZ.] |
14 |
"`At the third hour after sunset, my Host ordered the
dinner to be served. That same Ethiopian servant appeared
again and spread before us the choicest food. That holy
repast refreshed alike my body and soul. In the presence
of my Host, at that hour, I felt as though I were feeding upon
the fruits of Paradise. I could not but marvel at the manners
and the devoted attentions of that Ethiopian servant whose
very life seemed to have been transformed by the regenerating
influence of his Master. I then, for the first time, recognised
the significance of this well-known traditional utterance
ascribed to |
15 | "`I sat spellbound by His utterance, oblivious of time and of those who awaited me. Suddenly the call of the muadhdhín, summoning the faithful to their morning prayer, awakened me from the state of ecstasy into which I seemed to have fallen. All the delights, all the ineffable glories, which the Almighty has recounted in His Book as the priceless possessions of the people of Paradise--these I seemed to be experiencing that night. Methinks I was in a place of which it could be truly said: "Therein no toil shall reach us, and therein no weariness shall touch us"; "No vain discourse shall they hear therein, nor any falsehood, but only the cry, `Peace! Peace!'"; "Their cry therein shall be, `Glory be to Thee, O God!' and their salutation therein, `Peace!' And the close of their cry, `Praise be to God, Lord of all creatures!'" [10] |
16 | "`Sleep had departed from me that night. I was enthralled by the music of that voice which rose and fell as He chanted; now swelling forth as He revealed verses of the Qayyúmu'l-Asmá, [11] again acquiring ethereal, subtle harmonies as He uttered the prayers He was revealing. [12] At the end of each invocation, He would repeat this verse: "Far from the glory of thy Lord, the All-Glorious, be that which His creatures affirm of Him! And peace be upon His Messengers! And praise be to God, the Lord of all beings!" [13] |
17 |
"`He then addressed me in these words: "O thou who art
the first to believe in Me! Verily I say, I am the Báb, the
Gate of God, and thou art the Bábu'l-Báb, the gate of that
Gate. Eighteen souls must, in the beginning, spontaneously
and of their own accord, accept Me and recognise the truth
of My Revelation. Unwarned and uninvited, each of these
must seek independently to find Me. And when their number
is complete, one of them must needs be chosen to accompany
Me on My pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. There I shall
deliver the Message of God to the Sharif of Mecca. I then
shall return to Kúfih, where again, in the Masjid of that
holy city, I shall manifest His Cause. It is incumbent upon
you not to divulge, either to your companions or to any
other soul, that which you have seen and heard. Be engaged
in the Masjid-i-Ilkhani in prayer and in teaching. I, too,
will there join you in congregational prayer. Beware lest
your attitude towards Me betray the secret of your faith.
You should continue in this occupation and maintain this
attitude until our departure for [Illustrations: ORIGINAL WINDOW SASH AND DOOR. STEPS LEADING TO THE DECLARATION CHAMBER. ENTRANCE. VIEWS OF THE BÁB'S HOUSE IN SHIRAZ WHERE HE DECLARED HIS MISSION.] |
18 | "`This Revelation, so suddenly and impetuously thrust upon me, came as a thunderbolt which, for a time, seemed to have benumbed my faculties. [14] I was blinded by its dazzling splendour and overwhelmed by its crushing force. Excitement, joy, awe, and wonder stirred the depths of my soul. Predominant among these emotions was a sense of gladness and strength which seemed to have transfigured me. How feeble and impotent, how dejected and timid, I had felt previously! Then I could neither write nor walk, so tremulous were my hands and feet. Now, however, the knowledge of His Revelation had galvanised my being. I felt possessed of such courage and power that were the world, all its peoples and its potentates, to rise against me, I would, alone and undaunted, withstand their onslaught. The universe seemed but a handful of dust in my grasp. I seemed to be the Voice of Gabriel personified, calling unto all mankind: "Awake, for lo! the morning Light has broken. Arise, for His Cause is made manifest. The portal of His grace is open wide; enter therein, O peoples of the world! For He who is your promised One is come!" |
19 |
"`In such a state I left His house and joined my brother
and nephew. A large number of the followers of Shaykh
|
20 | "`During those days I was, on several occasions, summoned by the Báb to visit Him. He would send at night-time that same Ethiopian servant to the masjid, bearing to me His most loving message of welcome. Every time I visited Him, I spent the entire night in His presence. Wakeful until the dawn, I sat at His feet fascinated by the charm of His utterance and oblivious of the world and its cares and pursuits. How rapidly those precious hours flew by! At daybreak I reluctantly withdrew from His presence. How eagerly in those days I looked forward to the approach of the evening hour! With what feelings of sadness and regret I beheld the dawning of day! In the course of one of these nightly visits, my Host addressed me in these words: "To-morrow thirteen of your companions will arrive. To each of them extend the utmost loving-kindness. Leave them not to themselves, for they have dedicated their lives to the quest of their Beloved. Pray to God that He may graciously enable them to walk securely in that path which is finer than a hair and keener than a sword. Certain ones among them will be accounted, in the sight of God, as His chosen and favoured disciples. As to others, they will tread the middle way. The fate of the rest will remain undeclared until the hour when all that is hidden shall be made manifest." [15] |
21 |
"`That same morning, at sunrise, soon after my return
from the home of the Báb, Mullá Alíy-i-Bastamí, accompanied
by the same number of companions as indicated to
me, arrived at the Masjid-i-Ilkhani. I immediately set about
to provide the means for their comfort. One night, a few
days after their arrival, Mullá `Alí, as the spokesman of his
companions, gave vent to feelings which he could no longer
repress. "You know well," he said, "how great is our confidence
in you. We bear you such loyalty that if you should
claim to be the promised Qá'im we would all unhesitatingly
submit. Obedient to your summons, we have forsaken our
homes and have gone forth in search of our promised Beloved.
You were the first to set us all this noble example. We have
followed in your footsteps. We have determined not to
relax in our efforts until we find the Object of our quest.
We have followed you to this place, ready to acknowledge
whomsoever you accept, in the hope of seeking the shelter
of His protection and of passing successfully through the
tumult and agitation that must needs signalise the last Hour.
How is it that we now see you teaching the people and conducting
their prayers and devotions with the utmost tranquillity?
Those evidences of agitation and expectancy seem
to have vanished from your countenance. Tell us, we beseech
you, the reason, that we too may be delivered from
our present state of suspense and doubt." "Your companions,"
I gently observed, "may naturally attribute my
peace and composure to the ascendancy which I seem to have
acquired in this city. The truth is far from that. The
world, I assure you, with all its pomp and seductions, can
never lure away this |
22 |
Mullá `Alí hastened to his companions and acquainted
them with the nature of his conversation with Mullá |
23 |
On the third night of his retirement, whilst wrapt in
prayer, Mullá Alíy-i-Bastamí had a vision. There appeared
before his eyes a light, and, lo! that light moved off before
him. Allured by its splendour, he followed it, till at last it
led him to his promised Beloved. At that very hour, in the
mid-watches of the night, he arose and, exultant with joy
and radiant with gladness, opened the door of his chamber
and hastened to Mullá |
24 |
That very morning, at break of day, Mullá |
25 |
The first meeting of Mullá `Alí with the Báb, which was
analogous to the meeting with Mullá |
26 |
Each of the twelve companions of Mullá `Alí, in his turn
and by his own unaided efforts, sought and found his Beloved.
Some in sleep, others in waking, a few whilst in prayer, and
still others in their moments of contemplation, experienced
the light of this Divine Revelation and were led to recognise
the power of its glory. After the manner of Mullá `Alí,
these, and a few others, accompanied by Mullá |
27 |
One night, in the course of His conversation with Mullá
|
28 |
Though distant in body, these heroic souls are engaged in
daily communion with their Beloved, partake of the bounty
of His utterance, and share the supreme privilege of His
companionship. Otherwise how could Shaykh |
29 |
The acceptance by Quddús of the truth of the Báb's
Revelation completed the assigned number of His chose
disciples. Quddús, whose name was |
30 |
The Báb, whose name was Siyyid |
31 | Abdu'dh-Dhikr |
32 | Bábu'lláh |
33 | Nuqtiy-i-Ula |
34 | Tal'at-i-A'la |
35 | Hadrat-i-A'la |
36 | Rabb-i-A'la |
37 | Nuqity-i-Bayan |
38 |
Siyyid-i-Báb
[Illustrations: THE RUINS OF THE QAHVIYIH-AWLIYA THE BÁB ATTENDED IN SHIRAZ. ENTRANCE DOOR OF RUINS OF THE QAHVIYIH-AWLIYA.][Illustrations: TREE MARKING THE RESTING PLACE OF THE BÁB'S INFANT SON IN BABI-DUKHTARAN, SHIRAZ. GRAVE OF THE BÁB'S WIFE IN SHAH-CHIRAGH, SHIRAZ.] |
39 |
Shaykh Abid, known by his pupils as Shaykhuna, was
a man of piety and learning. He had been a disciple of both
Shaykh |
40 |
Some years later
[24]
the Báb was united in wedlock with the
sister of Mírzá Siyyid Hasan and Mírzá Abu'l-Qásim.
[25]
The
child which resulted from this union, He named |
41 | The days which the Báb devoted to commercial pursuits were mostly spent in Búshihr. [29] The oppressive heat of the summer did not deter Him from devoting, each Friday, several hours to continuous worship upon the roof of His house. Though exposed to the fierce rays of the noontide sun, He, turning His heart to His Beloved, continued to commune with Him, unmindful of the intensity of the heat and oblivious of the world around Him. From early dawn till sunrise, and from midday till late in the afternoon, He dedicated His time to meditation and pious worship. Turning His gaze towards the north, in the direction of Tihrán, He, at every break of day, greeted, with a heart overflowing with love and joy, the rising, sun, which to Him was a sign and symbol of that Day-Star of Truth that was soon to dawn upon the world. As a lover who beholds the face of his beloved, He gazed upon the rising orb with steadfastness and longing. He seemed to be addressing, in mystic language, that shining luminary, and to be entrusting it with His, message of yearning and love to His concealed Beloved. With such transports of delight He greeted its beaming rays, that the heedless and ignorant around Him thought Him to be enamoured with the sun itself. [30] |
42 |
I have heard |
43 |
"With what assiduous care He attended those gatherings
at which the virtues of the Siyyidu'sh-Shuhada', the Imám
|
44 | As to those whose supreme privilege it was to be enrolled by the Báb in the Book of His Revelation as His chosen Letters of the Living, their names are as follows: |
45 | Mullá Husayn-i-Bushru'i, |
46 |
|
47 | Mullá Alíy-i-Bastamí, Mullá Khuda-Bakhsh-i-Quchani, later named Mullá `Alí |
48 |
Mullá Hasan-i-Bajistani,
Siyyid |
49 |
Mírzá |
50 | Mullá Mahmud-i-Khu'i, Mullá Jalil-i-Urumi, |
51 | Mullá Ahmad-i-Ibdal-i-Maraghi'i, Mullá Baqir-i-Tabrizi, |
52 | Mullá Yusif-i-Ardibili, Mírzá Hádí, son of Mullá Abdu'l-Vahhab-i-Qazvini, |
53 | Mírzá Muhammad-'Aliy-i-Qazvini. [34] Táhirih, [35] |
54 | Quddús. |
55 |
These all, with the single exception of Táhirih, attained
the presence of the Báb, and were personally invested by
Him with the distinction of this rank. It was she who, having
learned of the intended departure of her sister's husband,
Mírzá |
56 |
Mírzá |
57 |
A word should now be said in explanation of the term
Bala-Sari. Shaykh |
58 |
Mullá |
59 | The Báb then summoned to His presence Mullá Alíy-i-Bastamí, and addressed to him words of cheer and loving-kindness. He instructed him to proceed directly to Najaf and Kárbilá, alluded to the severe trials and afflictions that would befall him, and enjoined him to be steadfast till the end. "Your faith," He told him, "must be immovable as the rock, must weather every storm and survive every calamity. Suffer not the denunciations of the foolish and the calumnies of the clergy to afflict you, or to turn you from your purpose. For you are called to partake of the celestial banquet prepared for you in the immortal Realm. You are the first to leave the House of God, and to suffer for His sake. If you be slain in His path, remember that great will be your reward, and goodly the gift which will be bestowed upon you." |
60 | No sooner were these words uttered than Mullá `Alí arose from his seat and set out to prosecute his mission. At about a farsang's distance from Shíráz he was overtaken by a youth who, flushed with excitement, impatiently asked to speak to him. His name was Abdu'l-Vahhab. "I beseech you," he tearfully entreated Mullá `Alí, "to allow me to accompany you on your journey. Perplexities oppress my heart; I pray you to guide my steps in the way of Truth. Last night, in my dream, I heard the crier announce in the market-street of Shíráz the appearance of the Imám `Alí, the Commander of the Faithful. He called to the multitude: `Arise and seek him. Behold, he plucks out of the burning fire charters of liberty and is distributing them to the people. Hasten to him, for whoever receives them from his hands will be secure from penal suffering, and whoever fails to obtain them from him, will be bereft of the blessings of Paradise.' Immediately I heard the voice of the crier, I arose and, abandoning my shop, ran across the market-street of Vakíl to a place where my eyes beheld you standing and distributing those same charters to the people. To everyone who approached to receive them from your hands, you would whisper in his ear a few words which instantly caused him to flee in consternation and exclaim: `Woe betide me, for I am deprived of the blessings of `Alí and his kindred! Ah, miserable me, that I am accounted among the outcast and fallen !' I awoke from my dream and, immersed in an ocean of thought, regained my shop. Suddenly I saw you pass, accompanied by a man who wore a turban, and who was conversing with you. I sprang from my seat and, impelled by a power which I could not repress, ran to overtake you. To my utter amazement, I found you standing upon the very site which I had witnessed in my dream, engaged in the recital of traditions and verses. Standing aside, at a distance, I kept watching you, wholly unobserved by you and your friend. I heard the man whom you were addressing, impetuously protest: `Easier is it for me to be devoured by the flames of hell than to acknowledge the truth of your words, the weight of which mountains are unable to sustain!' To his contemptuous rejection you returned this answer: `Were all the universe to repudiate His truth, it could never tarnish the unsullied purity of His robe of grandeur.' Departing from him, you directed your steps towards the gate of Kaziran. I continued to follow you until I reached this place." |
61 |
Mullá `Alí tried to appease his troubled heart and to
persuade him to return to his shop and resume his daily
work. "Your association with me," he urged, "would involve
me in difficulties. Return to Shíráz and rest assured,
for you are accounted of the people of salvation. Far be it
from the justice of God to withhold from so ardent and devoted
a seeker the cup of His grace, or to deprive a soul so
athirst from the billowing ocean of His Revelation." The
words of Mullá `Alí proved of no avail. The more he insisted
upon the return of Abdu'l-Vahhab, the louder grew his
lamentation and weeping. Mullá `Alí finally felt compelled
to comply with his wish, resigning himself to the will of God.
|
62 | "I continued my search until I reached them. Seized with a savage fury, I inflicted upon Mullá `Alí unspeakable injuries. To the strokes that fell heavily upon him, he, with extraordinary serenity, returned this answer: `Stay your hand, O `Abdu'l-Majíd, for the eye of God is observing you. I take Him as my witness, that I am in no wise responsible for the conduct of your son. I mind not the tortures you inflict upon me, for I stand prepared for the most grievous afflictions in the path I have chosen to follow. Your injuries, compared to what is destined to befall me in future, are as a drop compared to the ocean. Verily, I say, you shall survive me, and will come to recognise my innocence. Great will then be your remorse, and deep your sorrow.' Scorning his remarks, and heedless of his appeal, I continued to beat him until I was exhausted. Silently and heroically he endured this most undeserved chastisement at my hands. Finally, I ordered my son to follow me, and left Mullá `Alí to himself. "On our way back to Shíráz, my son related to me the dream he had dreamt. A feeling of profound regret gradually seized me. The blamelessness of Mullá `Alí was vindicated in my eyes, and the memory of my cruelty to him continued long to oppress my soul. Its bitterness lingered in my heart until the time when I felt obliged to transfer my residence from Shíráz to Baghdád. From Baghdád I moved to Kazímayn, where Abdu'l-Vahhab established his business. A strange mystery brooded over his youthful face. He seemed to be concealing from me a secret which appeared to have transformed his life. And when, in the year 1267 A.H., [40] Bahá'u'lláh journeyed to `Iráq and visited Kazímayn, Abdu'l-Vahhab fell immediately under the spell of His charm and pledged his undying devotion to Him. A few years later, when my son had suffered martyrdom in Tihrán and Bahá'u'lláh had been exiled to Baghdád, He, with infinite loving-kindness and mercy, awakened me from the sleep of heedlessness, and Himself taught me the message of the New Day, washing away with the waters of Divine forgiveness the stains of that cruel act." |
63 |
This episode marks the first affliction which befell a disciple
of the Báb after the declaration of His mission. Mullá
`Alí realised from this experience how steep and thorny was
the path leading to his eventual attainment of the promise
given him by his Master. Wholly resigned to His will, and
prepared to shed his life-blood for His Cause, he resumed his
journey until he arrived at Najaf. In the presence of Shaykh
|
64 |
|
65 |
Having sent forth Mullá `Alí on his mission, the Báb
summoned to His presence the remaining Letters of the
Living, and to each severally He gave a special command and
appointed a special task. He addressed to them these parting
words: "O My beloved friends! You are the bearers of the
name of God in this Day. You have been chosen as the repositories
of His mystery. It behoves each one of you to
manifest the attributes of God, and to exemplify by your
deeds and words the signs of His righteousness, His power
and glory. The very members of your body must bear witness
to the loftiness of your purpose, the integrity of your life, the
reality of your faith, and the exalted character of your devotion.
For verily I say, this is the Day spoken of by God in
His Book:
[42]
`On that day will We set a seal upon their mouths
yet shall their hands speak unto Us, and their feet shall bear
witness to that which they shall have done.' Ponder the
words of Jesus addressed to His disciples, as He sent them forth
to propagate the Cause of God. In words such as these, He
bade them arise and fulfil their mission: `Ye are even as the
fire which in the darkness of the night has been kindled upon
the mountain-top. Let your light shine before the eyes of
men. Such must be the purity of your character and the
degree of your renunciation, that the people of the earth may
through you recognise and be drawn closer to the heavenly
Father who is the Source of purity and grace. For none has
seen the Father who is in heaven. You who are His spiritual
children must by your deeds exemplify His virtues, and witness
to His glory. You are the salt of the earth, but if the
salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? Such
must be the degree of your detachment, that into whatever
city you enter to proclaim and teach the Cause of God, you
should in no wise expect either meat or reward from its people.
Nay, when you depart out of that city, you should shake
the dust from off your feet. As you have entered it pure and
undefiled, so must you depart from that city. For verily I
say, the heavenly Father is ever with you and keeps watch
over you. If you be faithful to Him, He will assuredly deliver
into your hands all the treasures of the earth, and will exalt
you above all the rulers and kings of the world.' O My
Letters! Verily I say, immensely exalted is this Day above
the days of the Apostles of old. Nay, immeasurable is the
difference! You are the witnesses of the Dawn of the promised
Day of God. You are the partakers of the mystic chalice of
His Revelation. Gird up the loins of endeavour, and be
mindful of the words of God as revealed in His Book:
[43]
`Lo,
the Lord thy God is come, and with Him is the company of
His angels arrayed before Him!' Purge your hearts of worldly
desires, and let angelic virtues be your adorning. Strive
that by your deeds you may bear witness to the truth of these
words of God, and beware lest, by `turning back,' He may
`change you for another people,' who `shall not be your like,'
and who shall take from you the Kingdom of God. The days
when idle worship was deemed sufficient are ended. The time
is come when naught but the purest motive, supported by
deeds of stainless purity, can ascend to the throne of the
Most High and be acceptable unto Him. `The good word
riseth up unto Him, and the righteous deed will cause it to
be exalted before Him.' You are the lowly, of whom God has
thus spoken in His Book:
[44]
"And We desire to show favour to
those who were brought low in the land, and to make them
spiritual leaders among men, and to make them Our heirs.'
You have been called to this station; you will attain to it,
only if you arise to trample beneath your feet every earthly
desire, and endeavour to become those `honoured servants of
His who speak not till He hath spoken, and who do His
bidding.' You are the first Letters that have been generated
from the Primal Point,
[45]
the first Springs that have welled
out from the Source of this Revelation. Beseech the Lord
your God to grant that no earthly entanglements, no worldly
affections, no ephemeral pursuits, may tarnish the purity,
or embitter the sweetness, of that grace which flows through
you. I am preparing you for the advent of a mighty Day.
Exert your utmost endeavour that, in the world to come, I,
who am now instructing you, may, before the mercy-seat of
God, rejoice in your deeds and glory in your achievements.
The secret of the Day that is to come is now concealed. It
can neither be divulged nor estimated. The newly born babe
of that Day excels the wisest and most venerable men of this
time, and the lowliest and most unlearned of that period shall
surpass in understanding the most erudite and accomplished
divines of this age. Scatter throughout the length and
breadth of this land, and, with steadfast feet and sanctified
hearts, prepare the way for His coming. Heed not your
weaknesses and frailty; fix your gaze upon the invincible
power of the Lord, your God, the Almighty. Has He not, in
past days, caused Abraham, in spite of His seeming helplessness,
to triumph over the forces of Nimrod? Has He not
enabled Moses, whose staff was His only companion, to
vanquish Pharaoh and his hosts? Has He not established
the ascendancy of Jesus, poor and lowly as He was in the
eyes of men, over the combined forces of the Jewish people?
Has He not subjected the barbarous and militant tribes of
Arabia to the holy and transforming discipline of |
66 |
With such words the Báb quickened the faith of His
disciples and launched them upon their mission. To each
He assigned his own native province as the field of his labours.
He directed them each and all to refrain from specific references
to His own name and person.
[47]
He instructed them
to raise the call that the Gate to the Promised One has been
opened, that His proof is irrefutable, and that His testimony
is complete. He bade them declare that whoever believes
in Him has believed in all the prophets of God, and that
whoever denies Him has denied all His saints and His chosen
[Illustration: THE MADRISH OF NIM-AVARD, ISFAHAN] |
67 |
To Mullá |
1. ["Mullá Husayn-i-Bushru'i was a man whose great learning and strength of character were acknowledged even by his enemies. He had devoted himself to study from early childhood and his progress in theology and jurisprudence had won him no little consideration." (Comte de Gobineau's "Les Religions et les Philosophies dans l'Asie Centrale," p. 128.)]
5. [Tea-urn.]
6. [Corresponding with the evening of May 22, 1844 A.D. The 23rd of May fell on a Thursday.]
7. ["Mullá
9. [A. L. M. Nicolas quotes the following from the Kitabu'l-Haramayn: "In truth, the first day that the Spirit descended in the heart of this Slave was the fifteenth of the month of Rabí'u'l-Avval." (A. L. M. Nicolas' "Siyyid
10. [Quotations from the Qur'án.]
11. [The Báb's commentary on the Súrih of Joseph.]
14. ["It is related in the `Biháru'l-Anvar,' the `Aválím,' and the `Yanbú" of Sádiq, son of
15. ["Understand in the same way the beginning of the manifestation of the Bayán during forty days no one but the letter Sin believed in B. It was only, little by little, that the Bismi'llahu'l-Amna'u'l-Aqdas clothed themselves with the garment of faith until finally the Primal Unity was completed. Witness then how it has increased until our day." ("Le Bayán Persan," vol. 4, p. 119.)]
16. [The father of Quddús, according to the "Kashfu'l-Ghita'," died several years before the Manifestation of the Báb. At the time of the death of his father, Quddús was still a boy studying in Mashhad in the school of Mírzá Ja'far. (P. 227, note 1.)]
17. [He is also known by the following designations:]
19. [According to Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl (manuscript on history of the Cause, p. 3), the Báb was still an infant, and had not yet been weaned, when His father passed away.]
20. [According to Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl (manuscript, p. 41,) the Báb was six or seven years of age when He entered the school of Shaykh Abid. The school was known by the name of "Qahviyih-Awliya." The Báb remained five years at that school where He was taught the rudiments of Persian. On the first day of the month of Rabí'u'l-Avval, in the year 1257 A.H., He left for Najaf and Kárbilá, returning seven months after to His native province of Fárs.]
21. [In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.]
22. ["The Lord of the Age," one of the titles of the promised Qá'im.]
23. [According to
24. [According to
25. [The Báb refers to her in his commentary on the Súrih of Joseph (Súrih of Qarabat). The following is A. L. M. Nicolas' translation of the passage in question: "In truth I have become betrothed before the throne of God with Sara, that is to say, the dearly beloved, because `dearly beloved' is derived from Dearly Beloved (the Dearly Beloved is
27. [1843 A.D.]
28. ["He left Shíráz for Búshihr at the age of 17, and remained there for five years engaged in commercial pursuits. During this time he won the esteem of all the merchants with whom he was brought in contact, by his integrity and piety. He was extremely attentive to his religious duties, and gave away large sums to charity. On one occasion he gave 70 tumans [about 22 [pounds]] to a poor neighbour." (Appendix 2 of Tarikh-i-Jadid:
29. ["He was already predisposed to meditation and inclined to be silent, while his fine face, the radiance of his glance as well as his modest and contemplative mien drew, even at that early date, the attention of his fellow-citizens. Though very young, he felt an invincible attraction to matters of religion, for he was barely nineteen when he wrote his first work, the `risaliy-i-Fiqhiyyih' in which he reveals a true piety and an Islamic effusion, which seemed to predict a brilliant future within the law of Shí'ite orthodoxy. It is probable that this work was written at Búshihr, for he was sent there by his uncle at the age of eighteen or nineteen to look after his business interests." (A. L. M. Nicolas' "Siyyid
30. ["In society he held converse preferably with the learned or listened to the tales of travelers who congregated in this commercial city. This is why he was generally considered to be one of the followers of Taríqat who were held in high esteem by the people." (Journal Asiatique, 1866, tome 7, p. 335.)]
32. ["[The] Báb possessed a mild and benignant countenance, his manners were composed and dignified, his eloquence was impressive, and he wrote rapidly and well." (Lady Sheil's "Glimpses of Life and Manners in Persia," p. 178.)]
33. ["Withdrawn within himself, always absorbed in pious practices, of extreme simplicity of manner, of a fascinating gentleness, those gifts further heightened by his great youth and his marvellous charm, he drew about himself a number of persons who were deeply edified. People then began to speak of his science and of the penetrating eloquence of his discourses. He could not open his lips (we are assured by those who knew him) without stirring the hearts to their very depths. "Speaking, moreover, with a profound reverence regarding the Prophet, the Imáms and their holy companions, he fascinated the severely orthodox while, at the same time, in more intimate addresses, the more ardent and eager minds were happy to find that there was no rigidity in his profession of traditional opinions which they would have found boring. His conversations, on the contrary, opened before them unlimited horizons, varied, colored, mysterious, with shadows broken here and there by patches of blinding light which transported those imaginative people of Persia into a state of ecstasy." (Comte de Gobineau's "Les Religions et les Philosophies dans l'Asie Centrale," p. 118.)]
34. [According to Samandar, who was one of the early believers of Qazvín (manuscript, p. 15), Táhirih's sister, Mardiyyih, was the wife of Mírzá
35. [According to the "Memorials of the Faithful" (pp. 291-8), Táhirih had two sons and one daughter, none of whom recognised the truth of the Cause. Such was the degree of her knowledge and attainment, that her father,
36. [According to the "Kashfu'l-Ghiti'" (p. 93), Táhirih was informed of the Message of the Báb by Mullá Alíy-i-Bastamí, who visited Kárbilá in the year 1260 A.H., after his return from Shíráz.]
37. ["One of the most distinguished families of Qazvín--and by this I mean most distinguished by the number of high offices which their various members held in the ecclesiastical hierarchy, as well as by their reputation for science--was, without doubt, the family of
38. [Third Martyr. . "Mullá
39. ["`This name comes to them,' said
40. [1850-51 A.D.]
41. [According to
42. [The Qur'án.]
43. [The Qur'án.]
44. [The Qur'án.]
45. [One of the Báb's titles.]
47. [A. L. M. Nicolas, in his introduction to volume I of "Le Bayán Persan" (pp. 3-5), writes as follows: "Everyone agrees in acknowledging that it would be absolutely impossible for him to proclaim loudly his doctrine or to spread it among men. He had to act as does a physician to children, who must disguise a bitter medicine in a sweet coating in order to win over his young patients. The people in the midst of whom he appeared were, and still are, alas, more fanatical than the Jews were at the time of Jesus, when the majesty of Roman peace was no longer there to put a stop to the furious excesses of religious madness of an over-excited people. Therefore, if Christ, in spite of the relative calm of the surroundings in which He preached, thought it necessary to employ the parable, Siyyid