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CHAPTER VI MULLA HUSAYN'S JOURNEY TO KHURASAN
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AS THE Báb bade farewell to the Letters of the
Living, He instructed them, each and all, to record
separately the name of every believer who embraced
the Faith and identified himself with its
teachings. The list of these believers He bade them enclose
in sealed letters, and address them to His maternal uncle,
Hájí Mírzá Siyyid `Alí, in Shíráz, who would in turn deliver
them to Him. "I shall classify these lists," He told them,
"into eighteen sets of nineteen names each. Each set will
constitute one vahíd.
[1]
All these names, in these eighteen
sets, will, together with the first vahíd, consisting of My own
name and those of the eighteen Letters of the Living, constitute
the number of Kull-i-Shay'.
[2]
Of all these believers
I shall make mention in the Tablet of God, so that upon
each one of them the Beloved of our hearts may, in the
Day when He shall have ascended the throne of glory, confer
His inestimable blessings, and declare them the dwellers of
His Paradise."
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To Mullá Husayn, more particularly, the Báb gave
definite injunctions to send Him a written report on the
nature and progress of his activities in Isfahán, in Tihrán,
and in Khurásán. He urged him to inform Him of those
who accepted and submitted to the Faith, as well as of those
who rejected and repudiated its truth. "Not until I receive
your letter from Khurásán," He said, "shall I be ready to
set out from this city on My pilgrimage to Hijáz."
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Mullá Husayn, refreshed and fortified by the experience
of his intercourse with Bahá'u'lláh, set out on his journey to
Khurásán. During his visit to that province, he exhibited
in an astonishing manner the effects of that regenerating
power with which the parting words of the Báb had invested
[Illustrations: VIEWS OF THE MOSQUE OF GAWHAR-SHAD IN MASHHAD SHOWING
PULPIT WHERE MULLA HUSAYN PREACHED]
him.
[3]
The first to embrace the Faith in Khurásán was
Mírzá Ahmad-i-Azghandí, the most learned, the wisest, and
the most eminent among the `ulamás of that province. In
whatever gathering he appeared, no matter how great the
number or representative the character of the divines who
were present, he alone was invariably the chief speaker. The
high traits of his character, as well as his extreme devoutness,
had ennobled the reputation which he had already acquired
through his erudition, his ability and wisdom. The next to
embrace the Faith among the shaykhís of Khurásán was
Mullá Ahmad-i-Mu'allim, who, while in Kárbilá, had been
the instructor of the children of Siyyid Kázim. Next to him
came Mullá Shaykh `Alí, whom the Báb surnamed Azím,
and then Mullá Mírzá Muhammad-i-Furúghí, whose learning
was unsurpassed except by that of Mírzá Ahmad. No one
apart from these outstanding figures among the ecclesiastical
leaders of Khurásán exercised sufficient authority or possessed
the necessary knowledge to challenge the arguments of Mullá
Husayn.
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Mírzá Muhammad Baqir-i-Qa'ini, who, for the remaining
years of his life, had established his residence in Mashhad,
was the next to embrace the Message. The love of the Báb
inflamed his soul with such a consuming passion, that no
one could resist its force or could belittle its influence. His
fearlessness, his unsparing energy, his unswerving loyalty,
and the integrity of his life, all combined to make him the
terror of his enemies and a source of inspiration to his friends.
He placed his home at the disposal of Mullá Husayn, arranged
for separate interviews between him and the `ulamás of
Mashhad, and continued to endeavour, to the utmost of
his power, to remove every obstacle that might impede the
progress of the Faith. He was untiring in his efforts, undeviating
in his purpose, and inexhaustible in his energy. He continued
to labour indefatigably for his beloved Cause until
the last hour of his life, when he fell a martyr at the fort of
Shaykh Tabarsí. In his last days he was bidden by Quddús,
after the tragic death of Mullá Husayn, to assume the leadership
of the heroic defenders of that fort. He acquitted himself
gloriously of his task. His home, situated in Bala-Khiyaban,
in the city of Mashhad, is up to the present time known by
the name of Bábíyyih. Whoever enters it can never escape
the accusation of being a Bábí. May his soul rest in peace!
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Mullá Husayn, as soon as he had won to the Cause such
able and devoted supporters, decided to address a written
report concerning his activities to the Báb. In his communication
he referred at length to his sojourn in Isfahán and
Káshán, described the account of his experience with Bahá'u'lláh,
referred to the departure of the latter for Mazindarán,
related the events of Núr, and informed Him of the success
which had attended his own efforts in Khurásán. In it he
enclosed a list of the names of those who had responded to
his call, and of whose steadfastness and sincerity he was
assured. He sent his letter by way of Yazd, through the
trustworthy partners of the Báb's maternal uncle who were
at that time residing in Tabas. That letter reached the Báb
on the night preceding the twenty-seventh day of Ramadán,
[4]
a night held in great reverence by all the sects of Islám
and regarded by many as rivalling in sacredness the Laylatu'l-Qadr
itself, the night which, in the words of the Qur'án,
"excelleth a thousand months."
[5]
The only companion of the
Báb, when that letter reached Him that night, was Quddús,
with whom He shared a number of its passages.
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I have heard Mírzá Ahmad relate the following: "The
Báb's maternal uncle himself described to me the circumstances
attending the receipt of Mullá Husayn's letter by the
Báb: `That night I saw such evidences of joy and gladness
on the faces of the Báb and of Quddús as I am unable to
describe. I often heard the Báb, in those days, exultingly
repeat the words, "How marvellous, how exceedingly marvellous,
is that which has occurred between the months of
Jamadi and Rajab!" As He was reading the communication
addressed to Him by Mullá Husayn, He turned to Quddús
and, showing him certain passages of that letter, explained
the reason for His joyous expressions of surprise. I, for my
part, remained completely unaware of the nature of that
explanation.'"
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Mírzá Ahmad, upon whom the account of this incident
had produced a profound impression, was determined to
fathom its mystery. "Not until I met Mullá Husayn in
Shíráz," he told me, "was I able to satisfy my curiosity.
When I repeated to him the account described to me by the
Báb's uncle, he smiled and said how well he remembered that
between the months of Jamadi and Rajab he chanced to be
in Tihrán. He gave no further explanation, and contented
himself with this brief remark. This was sufficient, however,
to convince me that in the city of Tihrán there lay hidden a
Mystery which, when revealed to the world, would bring unspeakable
joy to the hearts of both the Báb and Quddús."
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The references in Mullá Husayn's letter to Bahá'u'lláh's
immediate response to the Divine Message, to the vigorous
campaign which He had boldly initiated in Núr, and to the
marvellous success which had attended His efforts, cheered
and gladdened the Báb, and reinforced His confidence in the
ultimate victory of His Cause. He felt assured that if now
He were to fall suddenly a victim to the tyranny of His foes
and depart from this world, the Cause which He had revealed
would live; would, under the direction of Bahá'u'lláh, continue
to develop and flourish, and would yield eventually its
choicest fruit. The master-hand of Bahá'u'lláh would steer
its course, and the pervading influence of His love would
establish it in the hearts of men. Such a conviction fortified
His spirit and filled Him with hope. From that moment
His fears of the imminence of peril or danger entirely forsook
Him. Phoenix-like He welcomed with joy the fire of adversity,
and gloried in the glow and heat of its flame.
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