{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_49257/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_49257","id":"gutenberg_49257","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/49257","summary":null,"tags":["Bab, Ali Muhammad Shirazi, 1819-1850","Bahai Faith","Category: Biographies","Category: History - Religious","Category: Religion/Spirituality"],"text":"THE B\u00c1B\n\n The Herald of\n the Day of Days\n\n\n_By the same author_\n\n `ABDU'L-BAH\u00c1\n The Centre of the Covenant of Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h\n\n BAH\u00c1'U'LL\u00c1H\n The King of Glory\n\n BAH\u00c1'U'LL\u00c1H\n A brief life, followed by an essay entitled THE WORD MADE FLESH\n\n [_KH_]AD\u00cdJIH BAGUM\n The Wife of the B\u00e1b\n\n EDWARD GRANVILLE BROWNE AND THE BAH\u00c1'\u00cd FAITH\n\n EMINENT BAH\u00c1'\u00cdS IN THE TIME OF BAH\u00c1'U'LL\u00c1H\n\n MU\u1e24AMMAD AND THE COURSE OF ISL\u00c1M\n\n\n\n\n\n THE B\u00c1B\n\n _The Herald of the Day of Days_\n\n by\n H. M. BALYUZI\n\n\n GEORGE RONALD\n OXFORD\n\n\n First published 1973 by George Ronald\n 46 High Street, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 2DN\n Reprinted 1973 and 1974\n Paper edition 1975\n Reprinted 1994\n\n \u00a9 H. M. BALYUZI 1973\n\n ALL RIGHTS RESERVED\n\n This book is copyright under the Berne Convention. It may\n not be reproduced in whole or in part, in any form (except\n for fair dealing for the purposes of private study,\n research, criticism or review as permitted under the\n Copyright Act, 1956) without written permission from the\n publisher.\n\n ISBN 0 85398 054 3\n\n\nEXTRACTS FROM\n\n Nab\u00edl, _The Dawn-Breakers_\n Copyright \u00a9 1932 National Spiritual Assembly of the Bah\u00e1'\u00eds\n of the United States\n\n Shoghi Effendi, _God Passes By_\n Copyright \u00a9 1944, 1971 National Spiritual Assembly of the Bah\u00e1'\u00eds\n of the United States\n\n WORLD ORDER, A Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Magazine\n Copyright \u00a9 1966 National Spiritual Assembly of the Bah\u00e1'\u00eds\n of the United States\n\n\n Printed by The Cromwell Press,\n Broughton Gifford, Melksham,\n Wiltshire SN12 8PH\n\n\n\n\nContents\n\n\n Foreword ix\n\n A Note on the Construction of Persian Names xi\n\n Prologue 1\n\n 1. All Hail [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z 15\n\n 2. He Whom They Sought 32\n\n 3. \u1e6cihr\u00e1n 48\n\n 4. The First Martyr 58\n\n 5. Pilgrimage to Mecca 69\n\n 6. Forces of Opposition Arrayed 76\n\n 7. Belief and Denial 85\n\n 8. The City of `Abb\u00e1s the Great 106\n\n 9. The Antichrist of the B\u00e1b\u00ed Revelation 117\n\n 10. Where the Aras Flows 124\n\n 11. The Grievous Mountain 134\n\n 12. That Midsummer Noon 148\n\n 13. The Dawn-Breakers 161\n\n Epilogue 189\n\n\n APPENDICES\n\n 1. The Siege of Karbil\u00e1 193\n\n 2. The Martyrdom of the B\u00e1b 202\n\n 3. Prelude to the Episode of Nayr\u00edz 204\n\n 4. The Seven Martyrs of \u1e6cihr\u00e1n 206\n\n 5. The Episode of Zanj\u00e1n 209\n\n 6. Lord Palmerston's Enquiry 214\n\n 7. Myth-Making 217\n\n Bibliography 225\n\n Notes 229\n\n Index 243\n\n\n\n TO\n THE SHINING MEMORY\n OF\n A LONE AND NOBLE WOMAN\n WHO SUFFERED IN SILENCE\n FOR FORTY YEARS\n THIS STORY OF HER BELOVED HUSBAND\n IS DEDICATED\n\n\n\n\n_Foreword_\n\n\nThe present book completes the trilogy on the lives of the Founders of\nthe Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Faith. However, now that additional material is at my\ndisposal, it is my hope to expand at a future date the volume on the\nlife of Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h, and also to write a supplement to the volume on\nthe life of `Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1.\n\nThis book is the first in the range of Bah\u00e1'\u00ed literature to make\nextensive use of official documents from governmental archives. I am\ngreatly indebted to Moojan Momen who has generously shared with me the\nresults of his able research in the Public Record Office of London and\nelsewhere.\n\nThe two British Foreign Secretaries who received news and dispatches\nregarding the B\u00e1b and the B\u00e1b\u00eds were the Earl of Aberdeen, who held\noffice from September 1841 to July 1846, under Sir Robert Peel; and\nViscount Palmerston, whose tenure of office extended from July 1846 to\nJanuary 1852, under Lord John Russell. The British envoy chiefly\ninvolved in forwarding such reports to London was Lt.-Col. (later Sir\nJustin) Sheil, the Minister in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n. Lord Palmerston's letters to\nhim (F.O. 248/134) state that his dispatches concerning the B\u00e1b and\nthe B\u00e1b\u00eds were 'laid before the Queen'.\n\nMy deep gratitude goes to Abul-Qasim Afnan, who has unstintingly made\navailable to me the chronicle-history and the autobiography of his\nfather, the late \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e24ab\u00edbu'll\u00e1h, as well as letters\nwritten by and to the relatives of the B\u00e1b, together with many other\ndocuments of inestimable value.\n\nIt should be borne in mind that apart from quotations from the Writings\nof the B\u00e1b, speeches attributed to Him or to anyone else in these pages\nmust not be taken as exact reportage of words spoken at the time. They\nonly convey the sense and purport of what was said on those occasions.\nObviously no one was taking notes. It is possible, however, that a few\nshort sentences here and there, which immediately engrave themselves on\nthe mind, are exact utterances, the very words spoken.\n\nAs the bibliography indicates I have consulted a number of books; but\nof printed works, the main sources have been _God Passes By_ and\nNab\u00edl's Narrative, _The Dawn-Breakers_. I am much indebted to the\nBah\u00e1'\u00ed Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois, for permission to quote\nfrom these and other sources, as well as to Cambridge University\nPress, the Public Record Office, George Allen & Unwin Ltd., A. & C.\nBlack Ltd., Faber & Faber Ltd., William Heinemann Ltd., Methuen & Co.\nLtd., and _World Order_, A Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Magazine. Full acknowledgment is\nmade in the bibliography and notes.\n\nI am profoundly grateful to the Hands of the Cause Paul Haney and\nAbul-Qasim Faizi for reading the manuscript and for their review and\nadvice. As in the past Marion Hofman's generous help has smoothed the\npath to publication. My indebtedness to her is immense. And without my\nwife's assistance and support I could not have completed my task.\n\nI should also like to thank Miss Dorothy Wigington, Mr. Farhang Afnan\nand Mr. Rustom Sabit for their care in reading the proofs, and Mr.\nHorst W. Kolodziej for his excellent reproduction of a number of old\ndocuments and photographs.\n\nFinally, a word as to the Prologue; this in my view provides a\nnecessary background for the story of the B\u00e1b. But should the reader\nfind in it too many unfamiliar facts, he may turn immediately to the\nfirst chapter.\n\n H. M. BALYUZI\n _London_\n _October 1972_\n\n\n\n\n_A Note on the Construction of Persian Names_\n\n\nIn times past the people of Persia had no surnames, but in many\ninstances they were known by the name of the district, city, town, or\neven the village from which they came: for example, [_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n\u00ed,\nM\u00e1zindar\u00e1n\u00ed, \u1e6cihr\u00e1n\u00ed, I\u1e63fah\u00e1n\u00ed, and [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z\u00ed.\n\nThere were also various honorific prefixes and suffixes by which a\nperson was distinguished. A descendant of the Prophet Mu\u1e25ammad had\n(and has) the prefix of 'Siyyid'. At times, 'M\u00edrz\u00e1' took the place of\n'Siyyid', and at times the two were used together. 'M\u00edrz\u00e1' by itself\ndid not denote any particular ancestry, except when placed after a\nproper name to mark royal descent.\n\nThe suffix '[_Kh_]\u00e1n' served at one time as a title, but with passing\nyears, it became merely honorific, even meaningless, and at no time\nwas it a surname.\n\nThe prefix '\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed' or '\u1e24\u00e1j' indicated then, as now, one who had\nmade the pilgrimage to Mecca. Ma[_sh_]had\u00ed and Karbil\u00e1'\u00ed, as prefixes,\nmarked pilgrimage to Ma[_sh_]had or Karbil\u00e1, but as suffixes pointed\nout nativity.\n\nThere were also innumerable titles conferred by the sovereign in \u00cdr\u00e1n,\nconsisting of diverse combinations, sometimes ludicrous, sometimes\ngrammatically impossible. Occasionally they indicated a definite rank\nand profession. As time passed, these titles multiplied absurdly,\nuntil they were swept away by legislation in the 1920's.\n\nFinally, a person was often distinguished from others by a combination\nof prefixes and suffixes attached to his name which, if omitted, might\ncause him to be taken for another person.\n\nToday the situation is much changed, but for the period described in\nthis book, the author can identify people only by the names they then\nused, however difficult they may be.\n\n * * * * *\n\nQuotations are reproduced in their original form, even though\ndiffering from the spelling and transliteration of Persian words\nadopted in this book. Translations from Persian sources are by the\nauthor unless otherwise attributed.\n\nThe text of the Authorised Version of the Bible is Crown copyright and\nthe extracts used herein are reproduced by permission.\n\n * * * * *\n\n The B\u00e1b, the Exalted One, is the Morn of Truth,\n Whose Light shineth throughout all regions.\n `ABDU'L-BAH\u00c1\n\n O people of the B\u00e1b! sorely persecuted,\n compelled to silence, but steadfast now as at\n Sheykh \u1e6cabars\u00ed and Zanj\u00e1n, what destiny is\n concealed for you behind the veil of the Future?\n EDWARD GRANVILLE BROWNE\n\n\n\n\n\nPROLOGUE\n\n\nI\n\nAbout the time that the thirteen colonies of North America were\ngaining their independence to form the nucleus of the mighty Republic\nof the West, France was inching her way towards a revolution such as\nthe world had never seen, and Britain was striding along the road to a\nrevolution of a different kind, industrial, agrarian and economic in\nnature, a cleric of the Islamic [_Sh_]\u00ed`ah persuasion left his\nisland-home in the Persian Gulf for the great centres of [_Sh_]\u00ed`ah\nlearning and [_Sh_]\u00ed`ah devotion in `Ir\u00e1q. His purpose was to find a\nmuch larger audience in order to give voice to thoughts and\npresentiments that had developed with his years.\n\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] A\u1e25mad-i-A\u1e25s\u00e1'\u00ed (1743-1826), the founder of the\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\u00ed school, belonged to the ancient tribe of\nBan\u00fa-\u1e62a[_kh_]r, and his family originated from the region of\nA\u1e25s\u00e1 on the Arabian mainland. His father's name was [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\nZayni'd-D\u00edn, and Ba\u1e25rayn had been their home. [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\nA\u1e25mad first visited Najaf, where the Tomb of `Al\u00ed, the first Im\u00e1m,\ncousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Mu\u1e25ammad, is situated. Then in\nKarbil\u00e1, close by the Shrine of the martyred \u1e24usayn, the third\nIm\u00e1m, he began to preach and a circle of earnest students gathered\nround him. He asked the leading [_Sh_]\u00ed`ah divines of the holy cities\nof `Ir\u00e1q to issue him a licence which would give him recognition as a\nmujtahid in his own right, that is, a divine empowered to interpret\nand prescribe. They all declared that they considered [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\nA\u1e25mad to be a man of knowledge and talent superior to their own,\nand that their testimonial was written solely at his request.\n\nThe fame of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] A\u1e25mad soon spread throughout \u00cdr\u00e1n. Fat\u1e25-`Al\u00ed\n[_Sh_]\u00e1h (reigned 1797-1834) and Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1,[A] a son of the\n[_Sh_]\u00e1h who held the life-long tenure of the governorship of\nKirm\u00e1n[_sh_]\u00e1h, were particularly desirous to meet him. But\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] A\u1e25mad preferred to go to \u00cdr\u00e1n by way of B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr\n(Bushire) in the south, rather than by the nearer and more accessible\nroute of Kirm\u00e1n[_sh_]\u00e1h in the west. From B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr he went to\n[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z and thence to Yazd, where he stayed for a number of years.\nSiyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im-i-Ra[_sh_]t\u00ed, a young man barely out of his teens, who\nshared the same views, joined him there (sometime in 1231 A.H.:\n1815-16). [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] A\u1e25mad was then making his final arrangements to\ngo on pilgrimage to the holy city of Ma[_sh_]had,[B] prior to his visit\nto \u1e6cihr\u00e1n. He received Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im with great affection and asked him\nto remain at Yazd to take up his own patient work of many years. In\nMa[_sh_]had and later in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] A\u1e25mad was shown every\nmark of high respect and reverence.\n\n [Footnote A: The Rukni'd-Dawlih.]\n\n [Footnote B: Ma[_sh_]had (Meshed) contains the Shrine of Im\u00e1m\n Ri\u1e0d\u00e1, the eighth Im\u00e1m.]\n\nEventually Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im travelled north to be in his company, and\ntogether they went to Kirm\u00e1n[_sh_]\u00e1h, as the Prince-Governor had been\nurgently begging his father to let [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] A\u1e25mad visit him.\nThey stayed in Kirm\u00e1n[_sh_]\u00e1h as long as the Governor lived. After his\npremature death, they departed for Karbil\u00e1, where [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\nA\u1e25mad, his zeal unabated and his powers untouched by advancing\nyears, preached and taught. He was in his early eighties when he took\nthe road to Mecca and Medina. From that journey he did not return and\nlies buried in the famed cemetery of Baqi`, in the vicinity of the\nTomb of the Prophet Mu\u1e25ammad.\n\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] A\u1e25mad's constant theme was the near advent of the\nDeliverer of the Latter Days, promised to the world of Isl\u00e1m, the Q\u00e1'im\nof the House of Mu\u1e25ammad or the Mihd\u00ed (Mahd\u00ed).[1] In the course of his\nlast pilgrimage to the holy cities of Arabia, he told a merchant from\nI\u1e63fah\u00e1n[C] who was with him: 'You will attain the presence of the B\u00e1b;\nsalute Him on my behalf.'[2] [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] A\u1e25mad did not believe in\nphysical resurrection nor in the physical ascent (Mi`r\u00e1j)[D] of the\nProphet Mu\u1e25ammad to heaven on the night that the Angel Gabriel took Him\nto view the celestial world. Mi`r\u00e1j was an experience of the spirit,\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] A\u1e25mad maintained. Moreover he asserted that the signs and\nportents of the coming of the Q\u00e1'im, given by the Prophet and the Im\u00e1ms,\nwere allegorical. These and similar doctrines were anathema to the\northodox, but while [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] A\u1e25mad lived, royal patronage muted\ntheir hostile criticism.\n\n [Footnote C: \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mu\u1e25ammad-Ism\u00e1`\u00edl-i-Gulp\u00e1yg\u00e1n\u00ed.]\n\n [Footnote D: The following verse in the Qur'\u00e1n (xvii, 4)\n refers to the Mi`r\u00e1j:\n\n Glory be to Him, who carried His servant by night\n from the Holy Mosque to the Further Mosque\n the precincts of which We have blessed,\n that We might show him some of Our signs.\n He is the All-hearing, the All-seeing.\n --Arberry, _The Koran Interpreted_\n\n The Holy Mosque (Masjid-al-\u1e24ar\u00e1m) is the Ka`bah in Mecca;\n the Further Mosque (Masjid-al-Aq\u1e63\u00e1) is in Jerusalem.]\n\nSiyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im (1793-1843), who, in accordance with the will of\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] A\u1e25mad, succeeded him in guiding his disciples, was the\nson of Siyyid Q\u00e1sim of Ra[_sh_]t, a town in northern \u00cdr\u00e1n close to the\nCaspian Sea. He came from a family of well-known merchants and was no\nmore than thirty-three years old when he occupied the seat of authority.\nThe orthodox divines now began their vitriolic assaults in earnest\nuntil, at last, Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im felt that he needed solid support in \u00cdr\u00e1n\nfrom the ranks of the orthodox. For that purpose he chose one of his\nablest disciples, Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn, a native of the small town of\nBu[_sh_]r\u00fayih in [_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n, to go to I\u1e63fah\u00e1n and secure the aid of\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Mu\u1e25ammad-B\u00e1qir-i-Ra[_sh_]t\u00ed, a noted divine whose influence\nwas felt far and wide. Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn succeeded brilliantly in\naccomplishing the mission entrusted to him, obtained the support of that\nfamous man in writing, and then proceeded to Ma[_sh_]had to acquire a\nsimilar pledge from yet another powerful divine.\n\nIn the meantime not only did Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im suffer from the intrigues\nand onslaughts of his adversaries headed by Siyyid Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm-i-Qazv\u00edn\u00ed,\nbut the whole of Karbil\u00e1 was thrown into turmoil. These disorders were\nof long standing and gradually the authority of the Ottoman government\nhad ceased to exist. Within the town there were several factions at\nodds with one another, but all determined to resist the\nre-establishment of Ottoman power. Two successive V\u00e1l\u00eds\n(governor-generals) of `Ir\u00e1q tried to force the people of Karbil\u00e1 to\nsubmission, but failed conspicuously. However, in the closing months\nof the year 1842, Naj\u00edb P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1, a man resolute and even obstinate,\ncame to occupy the post of V\u00e1l\u00ed. Affairs in Karbil\u00e1 had gradually gone\nfrom bad to worse. Lawlessness had increased and mob rule prevailed.\nNaj\u00edb P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1's first thought was to resolve this problem which had\nbaffled his predecessors. He tried to negotiate a settlement, but\nneither he nor the rebels of Karbil\u00e1 could really trust one another.\nNaj\u00edb P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1 moved near-by to Musayyib and sent Sar`askar (Colonel)\nSa`du'll\u00e1h P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1 with a small force to reduce the town.\nNegotiations proceeded apace. Emissaries came and went. Persian\nprinces, who lived in Karbil\u00e1, took part in the negotiations, but\nnothing was achieved.\n\nDuring those fatal weeks, at the end of the year 1842 and the beginning\nof 1843, Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im, who was greatly respected both for his wisdom\nand humanity,[E] took a leading role, urging all parties to act with\nmoderation and in a spirit of conciliation. Twice, in company with a\nsmall delegation, he visited the camps of Naj\u00edb P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1 and Sa`du'll\u00e1h\nP\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1 outside Karbil\u00e1. Lieutenant-Colonel Farrant, the British\nSpecial Commissioner, reported his efforts to Constantinople:\n\n The Chief Priest Hajee Seid Kausem did all in his power to\n prevent hostilities, he preached against their proceedings,\n he was abused and threatened, they would not listen to\n him--this I have heard from many people at Kerbella--at this\n time all were unanimous in defending the place\n\n ... to the very last he entreated them to listen to the\n Pacha but without avail, he shewed great courage on the\n occasion, as he had all the chief Geramees[F] and Mollahs\n against him.[4]\n\n [Footnote E: `Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1 has related this story of Siyyid\n K\u00e1\u1e93im's works of charity: '`Al\u00ed-[_Sh_]\u00e1h [the\n \u1e92illu's-Sul\u1e6d\u00e1n, see Prologue II, p. 10] claimed the\n throne of \u00cdr\u00e1n. He showed great benevolence towards the\n divines of Karbil\u00e1 and Najaf, sent them money and stood up\n for them. However, he was unsuccessful and betook himself to\n Karbil\u00e1. There he fell on hard times and suffered poverty. He\n expected the divines to come to his help and applied to them,\n one by one. But none heeded him. One night he and his family\n had to go to bed hungry. At midnight he heard a knock on his\n door. When he opened it he found someone, who had pulled his\n `ab\u00e1 over his head so as to hide his face. This man put a\n purse with money in it into his hands and went away.\n\n 'Time passed. Indigence and want recurred. Again the same\n person, head covered with `ab\u00e1, came at midnight, handed a\n sum of money and went away without a word. To the repeated\n question \"who are you?\" he gave no answer. Then, that man\n came a third time with a purse containing money. This time\n `Al\u00ed-[_Sh_]\u00e1h followed him and saw him enter the house of\n \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im and shut the door. `Al\u00ed-[_Sh_]\u00e1h\n related this event in many gatherings. He used to say: \"O\n people! I am not a [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\u00ed, but this deed is the work\n of righteousness. None but a man of truth would act in this\n way.\"'[3]\n\n [Footnote F: Probably 'y\u00e1r\u00e1m\u00e1z', meaning 'good-for-nothing'.]\n\nUnhappily, his counsel was ignored by both rebels and Turks. In\nJanuary 1843, after a siege of twenty-four days, the holy city was\ntaken by assault, causing great suffering to the innocent inhabitants.\nThe files of the Public Record Office in London contain several\ndocuments that throw light on this episode, as well as on the central\npart played by Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im. (See Appendix I.)\n\nDuring the siege \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im had spent himself in an\neffort to forestall violence and protect all parties to the conflict.\nAlthough only fifty years of age, he became aware that his life was\nnearing its close. He was warned of this, we are told, by the dream of\nan Arab shepherd who recounted it to him. When his disciples expressed\ntheir distress, Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im replied:\n\n Is not your love for me for the sake of that true One whose\n advent we all await? Would you not wish me to die, that the\n promised One may be revealed?[5]\n\nThe year 1844 was about to dawn when Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im breathed his last\nand was laid to rest near the tomb of Im\u00e1m \u1e24usayn. His death was\nreported by Farrant, who wrote on January 24th 1844 to Sir Stratford\nCanning, sending a copy in February to Lt.-Col. (later Sir) Justin\nSheil,[6] the British charg\u00e9 d'affaires in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n:\n\n Hajee Seid Kausem one of the Chief Priests of Kerbella died\n lately on his return from a visit to Samerrah--Seid Ibrahim\n Kasveenee the other Chief Priest who was greatly opposed to\n him, will now enjoy full power, and all contention between\n the two religious parties will cease.[7]\n\n\nWhen Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn-i-Bu[_sh_]r\u00fa'\u00ed returned to Karbil\u00e1 from his\nhighly successful mission in \u00cdr\u00e1n, his teacher was dead. He had not\nappointed anyone to succeed him.\n\n\nII\n\nTo follow the events of this narrative, it may be helpful to consider\ntheir background in some aspects of Iranian history.[G]\n\n [Footnote G: For other aspects the reader is referred to the\n Introduction of Nab\u00edl's _The Dawn-Breakers_.]\n\nMu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h, the third monarch of the Q\u00e1j\u00e1r dynasty, ruled\nthe land in 1843, but real power rested in the hands of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1\n\u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed, his unprepossessing Grand Vizier. The Q\u00e1j\u00e1rs were a tribe of\nTurkish origin. \u00c1q\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad [_Kh_]\u00e1n, a eunuch chieftain of this\ntribe, arose in the year 1779 to carve out a kingdom for himself.\nFifteen years later he finally won the crown of \u00cdr\u00e1n when he captured\nand brutally murdered Lu\u1e6df-`Al\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n, the last ruler of the\nZand dynasty, who was brave and high-minded but piteously young. The\neunuch king was utterly and savagely ruthless, and he managed to hold\noff the Russians in the area of the Caucasus until 1797 when he was\nstruck down by three assassins. He was succeeded by his nephew,\nFat\u1e25-`Al\u00ed [_Sh_]\u00e1h, a man of soft heart and weak will, who was\nhighly uxorious. At his death in 1834, fifty-three sons and forty-six\ndaughters survived him.\n\nDuring the reign of Fat\u1e25-`Al\u00ed [_Sh_]\u00e1h, \u00cdr\u00e1n lost heavily to Russia\nin a series of disastrous wars. Her ministers, comfortably cocooned in\ntheir isolation from the currents of world affairs, and totally\nignorant of the realities of the European situation, believed that\nwith the aid of the Emperor of France the Russian menace could be\nthwarted. Hard on the heels of General Gardanne, Bonaparte's envoy,\nnot one but two envoys from the more familiar 'Ingr\u00edz' (English) came\nin 1808. Sir Harford Jones had been dispatched from the court of King\nGeorge III and Sir John Malcolm from India. In 1801 the latter, on\nbehalf of the Marquis of Wellesley, Governor-General of India,\nconcluded an abortive treaty with the shrewd and immensely ambitious\nGrand Vizier[H] of Fat\u1e25-`Al\u00ed [_Sh_]\u00e1h. But in the intervening years\nBonaparte, subsequent to his _d\u00e9bacle_ in Egypt and Syria, showered\nhis dubious favours on the Persians, and the British connexion was\nconveniently ignored by the ministers of Fat\u1e25-`Al\u00ed [_Sh_]\u00e1h, who\nhad entered into the Treaty of Finkenstein (1807) with the French.\nMoreover, in the same period, the most capable \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n, who had contributed more than anyone to the downfall of the\nZand dynasty and the ensuing victories of the eunuch king, fell from\npower and, as legend has it, met his death in a boiling cauldron.\n\n [Footnote H: \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm [_Kh_]\u00e1n (the\n I`tim\u00e1du'd-Dawlih).]\n\nIndeed, high hopes centred on what the Emperor of France would do for\n\u00cdr\u00e1n, only to be dashed by Bonaparte's change of policy; when he met\nTsar Alexander I at Tilsit (1807) he did not remember any of his\npromises. And so General Gardanne was ignominiously ousted from\n\u1e6cihr\u00e1n, and Sir Harford Jones and Sir John Malcolm were left at\npeace, to glower at each other, much to the amusement and also\nsurprise and embarrassment of the Persian ministers. But as Napoleon's\nstar waned, so did the interest of the British in Persian affairs. The\nwars with Russia went on until the Persians acknowledged defeat in the\nTreaty of Gulist\u00e1n of 1813.\n\nAmidst abysmal ignorance, nepotism and malpractice which abounded in\nthe realm, there stood two men in particular, untouched by corruption,\nwho were fully aware of the needs of their country: Prince `Abb\u00e1s\nM\u00edrz\u00e1, the heir to the throne, and his vizier, M\u00edrz\u00e1 Abu'l-Q\u00e1sim,\nQ\u00e1'im-Maq\u00e1m-i-Far\u00e1h\u00e1n\u00ed. But their attempts at reform could not obtain\nthe success they deserved because of the obscurantism surrounding the\nperson of the sovereign. It was this Crown Prince who sent the first\ngroup of Iranian students to Britain to learn the crafts of the West.\nTheir story, which does no credit to the government in London, is\npreserved in a number of documents lodged in the Public Record Office.\nIncidentally, one of these men, a student of medicine, was named M\u00edrz\u00e1\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed B\u00e1b\u00e1, the eponym of the chief character of James Morier's\nwell-known satire.\n\nPrince `Abb\u00e1s M\u00edrz\u00e1, worsted in the field by the Russians, now tried\nto provide his country with a modern army and engaged British\ninstructors. As in the past, \u1e6cihr\u00e1n gave him little help. Yet he\nwas under constant pressure to resume hostilities. The divines,\nparticularly, were urging it.[I] Yet Russia had no desire to fight;\nnor had Fat\u1e25-`Al\u00ed [_Sh_]\u00e1h: war was too expensive. Prince Menchikov\narrived from St. Petersburg (the present-day Leningrad) not to dictate\nbut to negotiate. But the demands of those who sought war--the clerics\nand the powerful court faction of All\u00e1h-Y\u00e1r [_Kh_]\u00e1n[J]--proved\nirresistible; Menchikov returned to St. Petersburg.\n\n [Footnote I: This incident is referred to by Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h in\n His Tablet to N\u00e1\u1e63iri'd-D\u00edn [_Sh_]\u00e1h.]\n\n [Footnote J: The \u00c1\u1e63afu'd-Dawlih, who later rose in\n rebellion against the central government during the reign of\n N\u00e1\u1e63iri'd-D\u00edn [_Sh_]\u00e1h.]\n\nIn the war that soon followed the Persians were soundly beaten and\nRussian forces surged forward to occupy the city of Tabr\u00edz. The first\nto abandon the field was a group of clerics, who, with raised\nstandards, had accompanied the army. By the Treaty of Turkuman[_ch_]\u00e1y\n(1828), onerous and humiliating in the extreme, \u00cdr\u00e1n was excluded from\nthe Caucasus. In addition to the payment of heavy indemnities, she\nlost her rights in the Caspian Sea and the frontier between Russia and\n\u00cdr\u00e1n was fixed on the river Aras.\n\nPrince `Abb\u00e1s M\u00edrz\u00e1 was now a sad and broken man. Rash actions forced\nupon him had brought total desolation. His modern army was shattered.\nBecause he knew of the intrigues that plagued his father's court, and\nto make certain that his eldest son would not be left undefended, he\nasked for guarantees from the Tsar, which were readily given. After\nthis ordeal of defeat and submission Prince `Abb\u00e1s M\u00edrz\u00e1 did not live\nlong. He died at the age of forty-five, and a year later his father\nfollowed him to the grave.\n\nThe eldest son of `Abb\u00e1s M\u00edrz\u00e1, named heir-apparent by Fat\u1e25-`Al\u00ed\n[_Sh_]\u00e1h, came into his heritage by a combination of the assured\nsupport of Britain and Russia, and the wise strategy of Q\u00e1'im-Maq\u00e1m.\nSir John Campbell, the British Minister in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, and Sir Henry\nLindesay Bethune, who took command of the forces loyal to the son of\n`Abb\u00e1s M\u00edrz\u00e1, brought him safely from Tabr\u00edz to \u1e6cihr\u00e1n.\nQ\u00e1'im-Maq\u00e1m, in the meantime, secured the backing of influential men\nin the capital, where another son of the late king had styled himself\n`Adil [_Sh_]\u00e1h[K] and was claiming the throne. But his reign was\nbrief, and soon Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h, the heir-apparent, was well\nentrenched in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, for Sir Henry Lindesay Bethune (whom a\nPersian historian calls Mr. Lenzi) easily routed other pretenders.[8]\n\n [Footnote K: In reality `Al\u00ed-[_Sh_]\u00e1h, the\n \u1e92illu's-Sul\u1e6d\u00e1n, not to be confused with Prince\n Sul\u1e6d\u00e1n Mas`\u00fad M\u00edrz\u00e1, the Governor-General of I\u1e63fah\u00e1n,\n who had the same title in later years.]\n\nMu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h did not wish to seem beholden to the British officials\nwho had helped him to his throne, nor did he show much gratitude to\nQ\u00e1'im-Maq\u00e1m, the architect of his victory. Within a year he contrived\nthe death of that great minister who had served him and his father so\nwell. By the death of Q\u00e1'im-Maq\u00e1m, treacherously designed, \u00cdr\u00e1n\nsustained a tremendous and irreparable loss. Q\u00e1'im-Maq\u00e1m was not only a\nbrilliant statesman, but also a master of prose whose style rescued the\nlanguage from encrusted artificialities.[L]\n\n [Footnote L: See Balyuzi, _`Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1_, p. 373 and note.]\n\nHis successor as the Grand Vizier was \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed, a man\nignorant and devoid of all graces, affecting deep piety. This is how\nSir Henry Layard[9] saw him in 1840:\n\n We waited upon the Prime Minister, the Haji Mirza Agasi, who\n was then the man of the greatest influence, power and\n authority in Persia. The Shah had committed to him almost\n the entire government of his kingdom, occupying himself but\n little with public affairs, aware of his own incapacity for\n conducting them. 'The Haji'--the name by which he was\n familiarly known--was, by all accounts, a statesman of craft\n and cunning, but of limited abilities. He was cruel and\n treacherous, proud and overbearing, although he affected the\n humility of a pious mulla who had performed the pilgrimage\n to Mecca and the holy shrines of the Imaums. The religious\n character which he had assumed made him intolerant and\n bigoted, and he was known to be a fanatical hater of\n Christians. He had been the Shah's tutor and instructor in\n the Koran, and had acquired a great influence over his\n pupil, who had raised him to the lofty position which he\n then held. He had the reputation of being an accomplished\n Persian and Arabic scholar, but he was entirely ignorant of\n all European languages. His misgovernment, and the\n corruption and general oppression which everywhere existed\n had brought Persia to the verge of ruin. Distress, misery,\n and discontent prevailed to an extent previously unknown. He\n was universally execrated as the cause of the misfortunes\n and misery from which the people and the State were\n suffering. We found him seated on his hams, in the Persian\n fashion, on a fine Kurdish carpet spread in a handsome hall.\n Before him was a large tray filled with ices and a variety\n of fruit.... He was a man of small stature, with sharp and\n somewhat mean and forbidding features, and a loud shrill\n voice. His dress was simple--almost shabby--as became a\n mulla and a man devoted to religious life.... It was evident\n that the Haji suspected that we were spies and agents of the\n British Government. However, he declared that the Shah was\n willing that we should visit any part of his territories\n where we could travel in safety, and that orders had been\n issued for the preparation of our farman [royal decree]; for\n his Majesty had said that we belonged to a friendly nation,\n and his quarrel was not with England but with Lord\n Palmerston, who had treated Persia ill, and had recalled the\n Queen's Ambassador[10] without sufficient cause....\n\nNor was \u00cdr\u00e1n on good terms with the Ottomans. Layard's book, _Early\nAdventures_, indicates the considerable extent of the incursions which\nthe Turks had made into Iranian territory. The meeting between Layard\nand \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed in 1840 took place in Hamad\u00e1n, not far from\nthe frontier, where Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h was encamped with his army.\nThe relations between the Ottoman and Iranian governments were further\nstrained by the storming and sacking of Karbil\u00e1 in January 1843, where\nthe chief sufferers were Persian. We have seen how the Persian princes\nliving in Karbil\u00e1 at the time of its investment by the troops of Naj\u00edb\nP\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1 took a hand in negotiations. They were exiles and fugitives\nwho had contested with Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h and offended him, and\nsenior among them was `Al\u00ed-[_Sh_]\u00e1h, the \u1e92illu's-Sul\u1e6d\u00e1n.\n\nYet another issue reared its ugly head to exacerbate relations between\n\u00cdr\u00e1n and the Ottoman Empire, that of [_Sh_]\u00ed`ah against Sunn\u00ed. Sheil,\nthe British Minister in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, reported to the Foreign Secretary,\nthe Earl of Aberdeen:\n\n If the Moollahs, and in particular the chief priest of\n Ispahan, Hajee Syed Moollah Mahomed Baukir, whose religious\n influence in Persia is powerful, should use the present\n opportunity for regaining their former position by exerting\n their authority among the people, and preaching a crusade\n against the rival branch of Mahommedanism, it is not easy to\n foresee the consequences.[11]\n\nIndeed, reported Sheil, the Persian Foreign Minister and \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1\n\u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed were considering the possibility of war.[12]\n\nThis chief priest of I\u1e63fah\u00e1n, mentioned by Sheil, was the same\ndivine from whom Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn-i-Bu[_sh_]r\u00fa'\u00ed obtained unqualified\nsupport for Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im-i-Ra[_sh_]t\u00ed.\n\nIt is helpful to compare the authority of the divines of these two\ngreat branches of Isl\u00e1m. The [_Sh_]\u00ed`ah divine in contradistinction to\nthe Sunn\u00ed has the power of 'Ijtih\u00e1d', that is, issuing _ex cathedra_\ndecrees and judgments. His position is, in a sense, analogous to that\nof the English judge who can, within the boundaries of equity and\ncommon law, establish precedents. The Sunn\u00ed divine belongs to one of\nthe four schools of Islamic jurisprudence: the \u1e24anaf\u00ed, the\n[_Sh_]\u00e1fi`\u00ed, the M\u00e1lik\u00ed and the \u1e24anbal\u00ed. The jurisconsults, who\nfounded these four schools or rites, which are named after them, set\ncertain standards from which the Sunn\u00ed divine cannot deviate. The\n[_Sh_]\u00ed`ah divine, on the other hand, relies exclusively on the text\nof the Qur'\u00e1n and the Traditions ascribed to the Prophet and the\nIm\u00e1ms, all of which are wide open to interpretation. Moreover, the\n[_Sh_]\u00ed`ah mujtahid--the divine who pronounces _ex cathedra_--does so,\nit is understood, as the deputy of the \u1e62\u00e1\u1e25ibu'z-Zam\u00e1n, the Lord\nof the Age.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER I\n\nALL HAIL [_SH_]\u00cdR\u00c1Z\n\n All hail, [_Sh_]iraz, hail! Oh site without peer!\n May God be the Watchman before thy gate,\n That the feet of Misfortune enter not here!\n Lest my Ruknabad be left desolate....\n --\u1e24\u00e1fi\u1e93\n\n\nIn the afternoon of May 22nd 1844 a traveller stood outside the gates\nof [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z. He had come from Karbil\u00e1, on a spiritual quest to his\nnative land of \u00cdr\u00e1n. A boat had taken him to B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr on the\nPersian Gulf. From that insalubrious port his route had lain over\nforbidding mountains to the renowned city of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z. He was\naccompanied by his brother and his nephew, both barely twenty years\nold, and he himself but in his early thirties. They had undertaken\nthis journey for a purpose which to many seemed fantastic. But for\nthemselves and many more like them it was real and urgent.\n\nThis traveller was the same Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn-i-Bu[_sh_]r\u00fa'\u00ed, who, after\nthe accomplishment of his highly fruitful mission in \u00cdr\u00e1n on behalf of\nSiyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im-i-Ra[_sh_]t\u00ed, had reached Karbil\u00e1 only to find his\nteacher dead. He had learned that Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im's parting counsel to\nhis disciples had been to leave their homes and their cloisters, to\nabandon their studies and their debates and go out into the world to\nseek 'the Lord of the Age' (\u1e62\u00e1\u1e25ibu'z-Zam\u00e1n) whose advent had for\ncenturies been the hope of countless millions. His supernal light\nwould soon break upon the world, Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im had said. Mull\u00e1\n\u1e24usayn together with a number of Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im's disciples kept\nvigil for forty days in the old mosque of K\u00fafih, nearly in ruins, and\nthen set out on different routes to do their master's bidding.\n\nMull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn was a man of profound scholarship and unbending will.\nNothing daunted him. Now, reaching the gates of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, he sent\nhis companions into the city to obtain lodgings, but he himself\ntarried for a while in the fields. His mind was occupied with the\nobject of his quest, a quest that had brought him all those wearisome\nmiles to [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, the home and the resting-place of two of the\ngreatest poets of \u00cdr\u00e1n. Here, some five hundred years before,\n\u1e24\u00e1fi\u1e93 had composed his superb, ethereal lyrics. Here Sa`d\u00ed had\nlived a good part of his life and had written his lucid prose, his\nlambent verse. Here had worked and died a host of men celebrated both\nin their own days and thereafter. The air of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, the plain of\n[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, the roses of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, the cypresses of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, have\nall been lavishly praised.\n\nForty-four years later, the young Edward Granville Browne, the future\neminent orientalist of the University of Cambridge, looked at the\nplain of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z from the heights facing the road to B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr,\nthat mountain pass which is named All\u00e1h-u-Akbar (God is the Greatest)\nbecause the traveller thus expresses his wonderment at beholding such\na beauteous plain. Browne wrote:\n\n Words cannot describe the rapture which overcame me as,\n after many a weary march, I gazed at length on the reality\n of that whereof I had so long dreamed, and found the reality\n not merely equal to, but far surpassing, the ideal which I\n had conceived. It is seldom enough in one's life that this\n occurs. When it does, one's innermost being is stirred with\n an emotion which baffles description, and which the most\n eloquent words can but dimly shadow forth.[1]\n\nThis was the city that Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn was about to enter. It was as\nif a magnet had drawn him, with his brother and his nephew, to\n[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z. Nor were they alone in being thus drawn.\n\nOn this hot afternoon of May 22nd, Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn was fatigued after\nthe trying journey from the coast up the precipitous tracks of the\nrising plateau. But his mind was alert and his soul yearned for that\npeace which the attainment of his goal would bring him. As he walked\nand pondered he came face to face with a Youth of striking appearance.\nThat young Man, who was gentle and gracious and whose turban\nproclaimed His descent from the Prophet Mu\u1e25ammad, greeted him with\ngreat kindness. Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn was amazed and overwhelmed by the\nwarmth of this unexpected welcome. It was the courtesy coupled with\nthe dignified mien of this young Siyyid[M] which particularly\nimpressed him. Then the young Man invited him to be His guest and to\npartake of the evening meal at His house. Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn mentioned\nthat his companions had gone ahead and would be awaiting him, to which\nthe young Siyyid replied: 'Commit them to the care of God; He will\nsurely protect and watch over them'.[N]\n\n [Footnote M: A descendant of the Prophet Mu\u1e25ammad.]\n\n [Footnote N: The quotations in this chapter without reference\n numbers are taken from Nab\u00edl, _The Dawn-Breakers_, ch. iii.]\n\n'We soon found ourselves standing at the gate of a house of modest\nappearance,' Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn has recounted. 'He knocked at the door,\nwhich was soon opened by an Ethiopian servant. \"Enter therein in\npeace, secure,\"[O] were His words as He crossed the threshold and\nmotioned me to follow Him. His invitation, uttered with power and\nmajesty, penetrated my soul. I thought it a good augury to be\naddressed in such words, standing as I did on the threshold of the\nfirst house I was entering in [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, a city the very atmosphere\nof which had produced already an indescribable impression upon me.'\n\n [Footnote O: Qur'\u00e1n xv, 46.]\n\n[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z had cast its spell upon Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn. But little did he\nthink that his youthful Host, whose utterance rang with authority, was\nthat 'Lord of the Age', that 'Q\u00e1'im of the House of Mu\u1e25ammad' whom\nhe was seeking. Yet he could not escape the feeling that the\nunexpected encounter might in some way bring him near the end of his\nquest. At the same time he was uneasy at having left his brother and\nnephew with no news of himself. He further recounts: 'Overwhelmed with\nHis acts of extreme kindness, I arose to depart. \"The time for evening\nprayer is approaching,\" I ventured to observe. \"I have promised my\nfriends to join them at that hour in the Masjid-i-\u00cdl[_kh_]\u00e1n\u00ed\".[P]\nWith extreme courtesy and calm He replied: \"You must surely have made\nthe hour of your return conditional upon the will and pleasure of God.\nIt seems that His will has decreed otherwise. You need have no fear of\nhaving broken your pledge.\"' Such undoubted assurance should have made\nMull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn aware that he was about to experience the supreme test\nof his life.\n\n [Footnote P: A well-known mosque in [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z.]\n\nThey prayed together. They sat down to converse. And suddenly his Host\nasked Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn: 'Whom, after Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im, do you regard as\nhis successor and your leader?' Furthermore, He asked: 'Has your\nteacher given you any detailed indications as to the distinguishing\nfeatures of the promised One?' Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn replied that Siyyid\nK\u00e1\u1e93im had laid the injunction upon his disciples to disperse after\nhis death and seek 'the Lord of the Age', and indeed he had given them\nindications by which they could come to recognize Him. 'He is of a\npure lineage, is of illustrious descent,' said Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn, 'and\nof the seed of F\u00e1\u1e6dimih.[Q] As to His age, He is more than twenty\nand less than thirty. He is endowed with innate knowledge, ...\nabstains from smoking, and is free from bodily deficiency.'\n\n [Footnote Q: The daughter of the Prophet Mu\u1e25ammad, and the\n wife of `Al\u00ed, the first Im\u00e1m.]\n\nThere was silence--the pause that precedes the breaking of the dawn.\nMull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn has told us that the silence was broken with 'vibrant\nvoice' by his Host who declared to him:\n\n Behold, all these signs are manifest in Me.\n\nMull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn was for the moment shocked and bewildered. He tried to\nresist a claim so breath-taking. But Truth looked him in the face. He\nmarshalled arguments. But Truth is its own argument.\n\nMull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn said: 'He whose advent we await is a Man of\nunsurpassed holiness, and the Cause He is to reveal [is] a Cause of\ntremendous power. Many and diverse are the requirements which He who\nclaims to be its visible embodiment must needs fulfil. How often has\nSiyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im referred to the vastness of the knowledge of the\npromised One! How often did he say: \"My own knowledge is but a drop\ncompared with that with which He has been endowed. All my attainments\nare but a speck of dust in the face of the immensity of His knowledge.\nNay, immeasurable is the difference!\"'\n\nIn days gone by Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn had written a dissertation on some of\nthe abstruse doctrines and teachings which [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] A\u1e25mad and\nSiyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im had enunciated. He carried a copy of this treatise\nwith him. He now presented it to his Host and asked Him to peruse it,\nand elucidate the mysteries which it contained. Not only did his Host\nafter a rapid look through that treatise shed light upon it, He went\nfar beyond it. Then Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn was given the proof of which he\nhad ample knowledge. There is a S\u00farih (Arabic 'S\u00farah': chapter) in the\nQur'\u00e1n entitled the S\u00farih of Joseph.[R] It tells the story of Joseph,\nthe son of Jacob, he whom his brothers betrayed and sold into slavery,\nwho suffered imprisonment in Egypt, but rose to rule that land. It is\nhighly allegorical. Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im had told Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn, when\nrequested by him to write a commentary on that chapter of the Qur'\u00e1n:\n'This is, verily, beyond me. He, that great One, who comes after me\nwill, unasked, reveal it for you. That commentary will constitute one\nof the weightiest testimonies of His truth, and one of the clearest\nevidences of the loftiness of His position.'\n\n [Footnote R: S\u00farih xii.]\n\nMull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn's Host told him: 'Now is the time to reveal the\ncommentary on the S\u00farih of Joseph.'\n\n'He took up His pen,' Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn related, 'and with incredible\nrapidity revealed the entire S\u00farih of Mulk, the first chapter of His\ncommentary on the S\u00farih of Joseph. The overpowering effect of the\nmanner in which He wrote was heightened by the gentle intonation of\nHis voice which accompanied His writing. Not for one moment did He\ninterrupt the flow of the verses which streamed from His pen. Not once\ndid He pause till the S\u00farih of Mulk was finished. I sat enraptured by\nthe magic of His voice and the sweeping force of His revelation.'\n\nBut Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn was anxious to rejoin his companions. Since that\nafternoon--and long ago it seemed--when he had sent them into the city\nand had himself lingered outside the city-gates, he had had no news of\nthem nor they of him. So he rose and asked to be permitted to depart.\nHis Host smilingly told him: 'If you leave in such a state, whoever\nsees you will assuredly say: \"This poor youth has lost his mind.\"' 'At\nthat moment,' Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn has said, 'the clock registered two\nhours and eleven minutes after sunset.'\n\nIn that moment a new Dispensation was born.\n\n'This night,' said He who ushered in the new Dispensation, He who was to\nherald a new cycle, 'this very hour will, in the days to come, be\ncelebrated as one of the greatest and most significant of all\nfestivals.'[S]\n\n [Footnote S: Today that night and that hour are celebrated\n with joy and reverence and gratitude all over the world.]\n\nThe evening meal was now served. Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn afterwards recalled:\n'That holy repast refreshed alike my body and soul. In the presence of\nmy Host, at that hour, I felt as though I were feeding upon the fruits\nof Paradise.... Had my youthful Host no other claim to greatness, this\nwere sufficient--that He received me with that quality of hospitality\nand loving-kindness which I was convinced no other human being could\npossibly reveal.\n\n'I sat spellbound by His utterance, oblivious of time and of those who\nawaited me.... Sleep had departed from me that night. I was enthralled\nby the music of that voice which rose and fell as He chanted; now\nswelling forth as He revealed verses of the Qayy\u00famu'l-Asm\u00e1',[T] again\nacquiring ethereal, subtle harmonies as He uttered the prayers He was\nrevealing. At the end of each invocation, He would repeat this verse:\n\"Far from the glory of thy Lord, the All-Glorious, be that which His\ncreatures affirm of Him! And peace be upon His Messengers! And praise\nbe to God, the Lord of all beings!\"[U]' Such was Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn's\nrecollection of that momentous night.\n\n [Footnote T: The commentary on the S\u00farih of Joseph.]\n\n [Footnote U: Qur'\u00e1n xxxvii, 180.]\n\nThen He who stood as the Vicegerent of God on earth thus addressed\nMull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn, who only a few hours before had been so anxious,\ntormented and unsure:\n\n O thou who art the first to believe in Me! Verily I say, I\n am the B\u00e1b, the Gate of God, and thou art the B\u00e1bu'l-B\u00e1b,\n the gate of that Gate. Eighteen souls must, in the\n beginning, spontaneously and of their own accord, accept Me\n and recognise the truth of My Revelation. Unwarned and\n uninvited, each of these must seek independently to find Me.\n And when their number is complete, one of them must needs be\n chosen to accompany Me on My pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina.\n There I shall deliver the Message of God to the [_Sh_]ar\u00edf\n of Mecca.\n\n\nAnd then He laid this injunction upon 'the first to believe' in Him:\n'It is incumbent upon you not to divulge, either to your companions or\nto any other soul, that which you have seen and heard.'\n\n'This Revelation,' Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn has further related, 'so suddenly\nand impetuously thrust upon me, came as a thunderbolt which, for a\ntime, seemed to have benumbed my faculties. I was blinded by its\ndazzling splendour and overwhelmed by its crushing force. Excitement,\njoy, awe, and wonder stirred the depths of my soul. Predominant among\nthese emotions was a sense of gladness and strength which seemed to\nhave transfigured me. How feeble and impotent, how dejected and timid,\nI had felt previously! Then I could neither write nor walk, so\ntremulous were my hands and feet. Now, however, the knowledge of His\nRevelation had galvanised my being. I felt possessed of such courage\nand power that were the world, all its peoples and its potentates, to\nrise against me, I would, alone and undaunted, withstand their\nonslaught. The universe seemed but a handful of dust in my grasp.'\n\nOn that early morning of May 23rd 1844 when Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn stepped\nout into the streets of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, his heart brimming with joy, he\nabandoned a priestly career which would have brought him high honours.\nHe abandoned it willingly and knowingly for a task which, though great\nand noble, would bring him jeers and humiliation. He was well-known\namongst the circle of the divines who exercised authority. He had the\ncapacity, the intelligence and the learning which would have placed\nhim in years to come in the forefront of the spiritual guides of the\nnation. Power and riches would have been his. But by giving his\nallegiance to the young Siyyid of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z whom he had met under\nsuch strange circumstances, Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn renounced all this, and\nchose a path in the opposite direction.\n\nMull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn was not alone in his high resolve. Others with\nsimilar prospects of a clerical vocation journeyed to [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z in\nsearch of light and truth. They too had set out at the bidding of\nSiyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im. As if by a magnet, they were drawn to [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z. How\ncan one explain it otherwise? They had no intimation that in this city\nlived the One whom they sought. A force far greater than themselves\nled their steps to [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, to their journey's end. As ordained by\nthe B\u00e1b, they found Him, each one, independently. They were true,\nsincere and eager and they had their reward.\n\nThe last to arrive was a youth of twenty-two, whose home was in\nB\u00e1rfur\u00fa[_sh_][V] in the province of M\u00e1zindar\u00e1n which borders the\nCaspian Sea. When he was a boy in his early teens, his father, \u00c1q\u00e1\nMu\u1e25ammad-\u1e62\u00e1li\u1e25, had died. Devoting himself to the pursuit of\nlearning he had joined the circle of Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im in Karbil\u00e1.\nEventually, he became an outstanding disciple of that remarkable\nteacher. It is recorded that the night before this youth, whose name\nwas Mull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-`Ali, reached [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, the B\u00e1b told Mull\u00e1\n\u1e24usayn that on the following day one would arrive whose acceptance\nof the new theophany would 'complete the number of My chosen\ndisciples'. Next evening as the B\u00e1b, accompanied by Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn,\nwas going towards His house, they encountered a young man whose dress\nand appearance showed the effects of a long journey. The newcomer went\nto Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn whom he knew well as a fellow-disciple of Siyyid\nK\u00e1\u1e93im, greeted him and immediately asked whether he had found the\nobject of his quest. Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn was not at liberty to divulge the\nfact that he had, and he tried to pacify his friend and avoid the\nsubject. It was useless, for that youth had seen the B\u00e1b. His retort\nto Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn was astounding: 'Why seek you to hide Him from me?\nI can recognise Him by His gait. I confidently testify that none\nbesides Him, whether in the East or in the West, can claim to be the\nTruth. None other can manifest the power and majesty that radiate\nfrom His holy person.' Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn was amazed, and leaving the\nnewcomer he walked on and told the B\u00e1b what had transpired. Having\nalready anticipated the arrival of that youth, although he had\ncertainly not received any word from him, the B\u00e1b observed: 'Marvel\nnot at his strange behaviour. We have in the world of the spirit been\ncommuning with that youth. We know him already.... Go to him\nand summon him forthwith to Our presence.' Thus did Mull\u00e1\nMu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00edy-i-B\u00e1rfur\u00fa[_sh_]\u00ed, whom the B\u00e1b honoured with the\ntitle of Qudd\u00fas (the Most Holy), attain his heart's desire.\n\n [Footnote V: Now named B\u00e1bul.]\n\nThese disciples of the B\u00e1b are called the Letters of the Living.[W]\nAll but one met the B\u00e1b face to face, and recognized in Him the Lord\nof the Age whom they sought. That single exception was a gifted woman,\nan accomplished writer of verse, courageous, a total stranger to fear,\nof whom Lord Curzon says:\n\n Beauty and the female sex also lent their consecration to\n the new creed, and the heroism of the lovely but ill-fated\n poetess of Kazvin, Zerin Taj[X] (Crown of Gold), or\n Kurrat-el-Ain (Solace of the Eyes), who, throwing off the\n veil, carried the missionary torch far and wide, is one of\n the most affecting episodes in modern history.[2]\n\n [Footnote W: \u1e24ur\u00faf-i-\u1e24ayy. \u1e24ayy (the Living) is an\n Arabic word, numerically equivalent to eighteen.]\n\n [Footnote X: Zarr\u00edn-T\u00e1j.]\n\nAnd here is the tribute of another eminent Englishman, Edward\nGranville Browne, to this unique woman:\n\n The appearance of such a woman as \u1e32urratu'l-`Ayn is in\n any country and any age a rare phenomenon, but in such a\n country as Persia it is a prodigy--nay, almost a miracle.\n Alike in virtue of her marvellous beauty, her rare\n intellectual gifts, her fervid eloquence, her fearless\n devotion and her glorious martyrdom, she stands forth\n incomparable and immortal amidst her countrywomen. Had the\n B\u00e1b\u00ed religion no other claim to greatness, this were\n sufficient--that it produced a heroine like\n \u1e32urratu'l-`Ayn.[3]\n\nQurratu'l-`Ayn belonged to a family famed for its learning. Her\nfather, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mull\u00e1 \u1e62\u00e1li\u1e25, and her uncle, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mull\u00e1\nMu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00ed,[4] were both leading figures among the clergy. But\nthey were far too orthodox for this great woman's spiritual\nsusceptibilities, although a younger uncle, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed, had\nbecome a supporter of the [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\u00ed school.[Y] Qurratu'l-`Ayn\nwas married to the son of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00ed--her cousin,\nMull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad. They had children, but their marriage was\ndisastrous. Mull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad was even more fanatical and\nnarrow-minded than his father and a wide gulf yawned between husband\nand wife.\n\n [Footnote Y: The school of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] A\u1e25mad.]\n\nQurratu'l-`Ayn had another cousin, Mull\u00e1 Jav\u00e1d, who had accepted the\nrational views of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] A\u1e25mad and Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im. Having\nlearned in this cousin's library of the teaching of the illustrious\nsage of Karbil\u00e1 who had gone far beyond the limits of orthodoxy,\nQurratu'l-`Ayn corresponded with Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im and gave him her\nallegiance. From him she received the name Qurratu'l-`Ayn. In vain did\nher elders attempt to dampen her enthusiasm. No persuasion or threat\ncould stop the tide of her newly-found devotion. And when she decided\nto leave her home and her family and join the circle of Siyyid\nK\u00e1\u1e93im, nothing could thwart her purpose. To appreciate the boldness\nand gravity of her action, one must realize how sheltered were the\nEastern women of those days; her behaviour could be seen only as\nscandalous and almost unprecedented. However, she reached Karbil\u00e1 too\nlate. Ten days prior to her arrival Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im had passed away.\nQurratu'l-`Ayn remained in Karbil\u00e1. She was convinced that before long\nthe One promised to them would appear. Now, many of the disciples of\nSiyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im were setting out on their search. One of them was\nQurratu'l-`Ayn's brother-in-law, the husband of her younger sister\nMar\u1e0d\u00edyyih. She gave this relative, M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed, a sealed\nletter and told him to deliver it to the One whom they expected and\nsought. A verbal message in verse was added to the letter: 'Say to\nHim, from me,' she said,\n\n 'The effulgence of thy face flashed forth and\n the rays of thy visage arose on high;\n Then speak the word, \"Am I not your\n Lord?\" and \"Thou art, Thou art!\"\n we will all reply.'[5]\n\nWhen M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed reached the presence of the B\u00e1b, he gave Him\nthe letter and the message; and the B\u00e1b numbered her among the Letters\nof the Living. Thus it was that this fearless, eloquent pioneer of\nwoman's emancipation joined the ranks of the first disciples of the B\u00e1b.\nQurratu'l-`Ayn is better known as \u1e6c\u00e1hirih--the Pure One--a designation\nby which she will ever be remembered.[Z]\n\n [Footnote Z: We shall see on p. 163 how she acquired this\n name.]\n\n * * * * *\n\nThe Letters of the Living, the eighteen disciples who found the B\u00e1b\n'independently and of their own accord', were:\n\n _Mull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00edy-i-B\u00e1rfur\u00fa[_sh_]\u00ed_, entitled Qudd\u00fas.\n\n _Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn-i-Bu[_sh_]r\u00fa'\u00ed_, entitled B\u00e1bu'l-B\u00e1b.\n\n _M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-\u1e24asan-i-Bu[_sh_]r\u00fa'\u00ed_, brother of Mull\u00e1\n \u1e24usayn.\n\n _M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-B\u00e1qir_, nephew of Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn.\n\n _M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00edy-i-Qazv\u00edn\u00ed_, brother-in-law of\n \u1e6c\u00e1hirih.\n\n _Mull\u00e1 A\u1e25mad-i-Ibd\u00e1l-i-Mar\u00e1[_gh_]i'\u00ed_.\n\n _Mull\u00e1 Y\u00fasuf-i-Ardib\u00edl\u00ed._\n\n _Mull\u00e1 Jal\u00edl-i-Ur\u00fam\u00ed._\n\n _Mull\u00e1 Ma\u1e25m\u00fad-i-[_Kh_]u'\u00ed._\n\nThese nine were martyrs who fell during 'the M\u00e1zindar\u00e1n upheaval' (see\np. 175).\n\n _Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00edy-i-Bas\u1e6d\u00e1m\u00ed_, the first martyr of the B\u00e1b\u00ed\n Dispensation. He was put to death somewhere in `Ir\u00e1q.\n\n _Qurratu'l-`Ayn, \u1e6c\u00e1hirih_, whose original name was\n Umm-Salamih.\n\n _Siyyid \u1e24usayn-i-Yazd\u00ed_, known as K\u00e1tib (the Amanuensis),\n and also `Az\u00edz.\n\n \u1e6c\u00e1hirih and Siyyid \u1e24usayn-i-Yazd\u00ed suffered\n martyrdom in the holocaust of August 1852, subsequent to the\n attempt made by two B\u00e1b\u00eds on the life of N\u00e1\u1e63iri'd-D\u00edn\n [_Sh_]\u00e1h.\n\n _[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Sa`\u00edd-i-Hind\u00ed_ (the Indian). He met his death\n somewhere in India, though no one knows how and where.\n\n _Mull\u00e1 B\u00e1qir-i-Tabr\u00edz\u00ed_. He lived on to the advent of\n Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h and believed in Him.\n\n _M\u00edrz\u00e1 H\u00e1d\u00edy-i-Qazv\u00edn\u00ed_, son of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 `Abdu'l-Vahh\u00e1b,\n and brother of M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed (the fifth name\n above). M\u00edrz\u00e1 H\u00e1d\u00ed remained apart from other B\u00e1b\u00eds and\n taught the Faith with caution.\n\n _M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad Raw\u1e0dih-[_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Yazd\u00ed_. He too remained\n apart from other B\u00e1b\u00eds and was generally known as a\n [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\u00ed. But he never renounced his faith and taught\n it whenever he could.\n\n _Mull\u00e1 [_Kh_]ud\u00e1-Ba[_kh_][_sh_]-i-Q\u00fa[_ch_]\u00e1n\u00ed_, later known as\n Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00edy-i-R\u00e1z\u00ed. He died a natural death, but his son\n Ma[_sh_]\u00edyyatu'll\u00e1h later met with martyrdom in his youth.\n\n _Mull\u00e1 \u1e24asan-i-Bajist\u00e1n\u00ed_. Doubts assailed him after the\n martyrdom of the B\u00e1b, because he did not consider himself\n worthy of the station given to him. Forced to leave his\n home, he went to `Ir\u00e1q and attained the presence of\n Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h.\n\n\nMull\u00e1 `Al\u00edy-i-Bas\u1e6d\u00e1m\u00ed was given the mission to return to `Ir\u00e1q and\ninform the people in that heartland of the [_Sh_]\u00ed`ah persuasion that\nthe B\u00e1b had appeared, but not to divulge, as yet, any particulars that\nmight reveal His identity. To him the B\u00e1b said:\n\n Your faith must be immovable as the rock, must weather every\n storm and survive every calamity. Suffer not the\n denunciations of the foolish and the calumnies of the clergy\n to afflict you, or to turn you from your purpose. For you\n are called to partake of the celestial banquet prepared for\n you in the immortal Realm. You are the first to leave the\n House of God, and to suffer for His sake. If you be slain in\n His path, remember that great will be your reward, and\n goodly the gift which will be bestowed upon you.\n\nMull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed was soon on his way to `Ir\u00e1q. Then the B\u00e1b called together\nthe other sixteen disciples and spoke to them, adjuring them to go out\ninto the world and serve their God in the light of the faith given to\nthem:\n\n O My beloved friends! You are the bearers of the name of God\n in this Day. You have been chosen as the repositories of His\n mystery. It behoves each one of you to manifest the\n attributes of God, and to exemplify by your deeds and words\n the signs of His righteousness, His power and glory. The\n very members of your body must bear witness to the loftiness\n of your purpose, the integrity of your life, the reality of\n your faith, and the exalted character of your devotion. For\n verily I say, this is the Day spoken of by God in His Book:\n 'On that day will We set a seal upon their mouths; yet shall\n their hands speak unto Us, and their feet shall bear witness\n to that which they shall have done.'[AA] Ponder the words of\n Jesus addressed to His disciples, as He sent them forth to\n propagate the Cause of God. In words such as these, He bade\n them arise and fulfil their mission: 'Ye are even as the\n fire which in the darkness of the night has been kindled\n upon the mountain-top. Let your light shine before the eyes\n of men. Such must be the purity of your character and the\n degree of your renunciation, that the people of the earth\n may through you recognise and be drawn closer to the\n heavenly Father who is the Source of purity and grace. For\n none has seen the Father who is in heaven. You who are His\n spiritual children must by your deeds exemplify His virtues,\n and witness to His glory. You are the salt of the earth, but\n if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be\n salted? Such must be the degree of your detachment, that\n into whatever city you enter to proclaim and teach the Cause\n of God, you should in no wise expect either meat or reward\n from its people. Nay, when you depart out of that city, you\n should shake the dust from off your feet. As you have\n entered it pure and undefiled, so must you depart from that\n city. For verily I say, the heavenly Father is ever with you\n and keeps watch over you. If you be faithful to Him, He will\n assuredly deliver into your hands all the treasures of the\n earth, and will exalt you above all the rulers and kings of\n the world.' O My Letters! Verily I say, immensely exalted is\n this Day above the days of the Apostles of old. Nay,\n immeasurable is the difference! You are the witnesses of the\n Dawn of the promised Day of God. You are the partakers of\n the mystic chalice of His Revelation. Gird up the loins of\n endeavour, and be mindful of the words of God as revealed in\n His Book: 'Lo, the Lord thy God is come, and with Him is the\n company of His angels arrayed before Him!'[AB] Purge your\n hearts of worldly desires, and let angelic virtues be your\n adorning. Strive that by your deeds you may bear witness to\n the truth of these words of God, and beware lest, by\n 'turning back',[AC] He may 'change you for another\n people',[AC] who 'shall not be your like',[AD] and who\n shall take from you the Kingdom of God. The days when idle\n worship was deemed sufficient are ended. The time is come\n when naught but the purest motive, supported by deeds of\n stainless purity, can ascend to the throne of the Most High\n and be acceptable unto Him. 'The good word riseth up unto\n Him, and the righteous deed will cause it to be exalted\n before Him.'[AD] You are the lowly, of whom God has thus\n spoken in His Book: 'And We desire to show favour to those\n who were brought low in the land, and to make them spiritual\n leaders among men, and to make them Our heirs.'[AE] You have\n been called to this station; you will attain to it, only if\n you arise to trample beneath your feet every earthly desire,\n and endeavour to become those honoured servants of His who\n speak not till He hath spoken, and who do His bidding'. You\n are the first Letters that have been generated from the\n Primal Point [the B\u00e1b], the first Springs that have welled\n out from the Source of this Revelation. Beseech the Lord\n your God to grant that no earthly entanglements, no worldly\n affections, no ephemeral pursuits, may tarnish the purity,\n or embitter the sweetness, of that grace which flows through\n you. I am preparing you for the advent of a mighty Day.\n Exert your utmost endeavour that, in the world to come, I,\n who am now instructing you, may, before the mercy-seat of\n God, rejoice in your deeds and glory in your achievements.\n The secret of the Day that is to come is now concealed. It\n can neither be divulged nor estimated. The newly born babe\n of that Day excels the wisest and most venerable men of this\n time, and the lowliest and most unlearned of that period\n shall surpass in understanding the most erudite and\n accomplished divines of this age. Scatter throughout the\n length and breadth of this land, and, with steadfast feet\n and sanctified hearts, prepare the way for His coming. Heed\n not your weaknesses and frailty; fix your gaze upon the\n invincible power of the Lord, your God, the Almighty. Has He\n not, in past days, caused Abraham, in spite of His seeming\n helplessness, to triumph over the forces of Nimrod? Has He\n not enabled Moses, whose staff was His only companion, to\n vanquish Pharaoh and his hosts? Has He not established the\n ascendancy of Jesus, poor and lowly as He was in the eyes of\n men, over the combined forces of the Jewish people? Has He\n not subjected the barbarous and militant tribes of Arabia to\n the holy and transforming discipline of Mu\u1e25ammad, His\n Prophet? Arise in His name, put your trust wholly in Him,\n and be assured of ultimate victory.\n\n [Footnote AA: Qur'\u00e1n xxxvi, 65.]\n\n [Footnote AB: Qur'\u00e1n lxxxix, 23.]\n\n [Footnote AC: _ibid._, xlvii.]\n\n [Footnote AD: Qur'\u00e1n.]\n\n [Footnote AE: _ibid._, xxviii, 4.]\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER 2\n\nHE WHOM THEY SOUGHT\n\n The gentle spirit of the B\u0101b is surely high up in the\n cycles of eternity. Who can fail, as Prof. Browne says, to\n be attracted by him?\n\n --T. K. Cheyne, D.Litt., D.D.\n\n\nSiyyid (or M\u00edrz\u00e1) `Al\u00ed-Mu\u1e25ammad, known to history as the B\u00e1b, was\nthe son of Siyyid (or M\u00edr) Mu\u1e25ammad-Ri\u1e0d\u00e1, a mercer of\n[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z.[1] He was born on October 20th 1819 (Mu\u1e25arram 1st, 1235\nA.H.). Through both His father and His mother He was descended from\nIm\u00e1m \u1e24usayn,[AF] the third Im\u00e1m. Thus He stood in direct line of\ndescent from the Prophet Mu\u1e25ammad. According to M\u00edrz\u00e1\nAbu'l-Fa\u1e0dl-i-Gulp\u00e1yg\u00e1n\u00ed, Siyyid Mu\u1e25ammad-Ri\u1e0d\u00e1, the B\u00e1b's\nfather, died when his only child was an infant, unweaned. Then the\ncare of the child devolved upon a maternal uncle, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid\n`Al\u00ed. He was the only relative of the B\u00e1b to espouse His Cause openly\nduring His lifetime and, as will be seen, to accept martyrdom for His\nsake. But according to a manuscript history of the B\u00e1b\u00ed-Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Faith\nin [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z by \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e24ab\u00edbu'll\u00e1h-i-Afn\u00e1n,[AG] Siyyid\nMu\u1e25ammad-Ri\u1e0d\u00e1 passed away when his son was nine years old, and\n`Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1 appears to confirm this account.[AH]\n\n [Footnote AF: He was the son of F\u00e1\u1e6dimih and `Al\u00ed.]\n\n [Footnote AG: \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e24ab\u00edbu'll\u00e1h's father, \u00c1q\u00e1\n M\u00edrz\u00e1-\u00c1q\u00e1, was a nephew of the wife of the B\u00e1b, and his\n paternal grandfather, \u00c1q\u00e1 M\u00edrz\u00e1 Zaynu'l-`\u00c1bid\u00edn, was a\n paternal cousin of the father of the B\u00e1b. (See Foreword for\n other details of the manuscript.)]\n\n [Footnote AH: Browne (ed.), _A Traveller's Narrative_, Vol.\n II, p. 2.]\n\nTwo of Siyyid Mu\u1e25ammad-Ri\u1e0da's paternal cousins rose to eminence in the\nranks of the [_Sh_]\u00ed`ah divines, and both bore allegiance, in strict\nsecrecy, to their kinsman when His claim to be 'the Q\u00e1'im of the House\nof Mu\u1e25ammad' became publicly known. Of the two, the more famed and\ndistinguished was \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-\u1e24asan (1815-95), known as\nM\u00edrz\u00e1y-i-[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z\u00ed, who, like all the leading [_Sh_]\u00ed`ah divines,\nresided in `Ir\u00e1q. He was the most influential ecclesiastic of his time,\npowerful enough to wreck the Tobacco R\u00e9gie, the monopoly concession\nwhich N\u00e1\u1e63iri'd-D\u00edn [_Sh_]\u00e1h (reigned 1848-96) gave to Major Gerald F.\nTalbot, a British citizen, in the summer of 1889.[2]\nM\u00edrz\u00e1y-i-[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z\u00ed put the use of tobacco under an interdict and the\npeople of \u00cdr\u00e1n, even the women in the [_Sh_]\u00e1h's harem, ceased to use\nit. N\u00e1\u1e63iri'd-D\u00edn [_Sh_]\u00e1h was forced early in 1892 to cancel the\nconcession and pay the Tobacco Corporation an indemnity of \u00a3500,000. The\nfather of M\u00edrz\u00e1y-i-[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z\u00ed, named M\u00edrz\u00e1 Ma\u1e25m\u00fad, was a noted\ncalligraphist, and was uncle to the father of the B\u00e1b.\n\nThe other celebrated ecclesiastic, cousin to Siyyid\nMu\u1e25ammad-Ri\u1e0d\u00e1, was \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Jav\u00e1d, the Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih[AI] of\nKirm\u00e1n. It was Qudd\u00fas who gave this dignitary the news of the advent\nof the B\u00e1b. \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Jav\u00e1d extended his protection to Qudd\u00fas,\ndespite the clamour of his adversaries.\n\n [Footnote AI: Literally, 'The Leader of Friday'--the leading\n im\u00e1m (he who leads the congregation in prayer) in a town or\n city.]\n\nThe mother of the B\u00e1b was F\u00e1\u1e6dimih-Bagum. She was the daughter of\nM\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-\u1e24usayn, a merchant of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, and had three\nbrothers. Of these, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Al\u00ed became the guardian of\nthe B\u00e1b, while \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid Mu\u1e25ammad and \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1\n\u1e24asan-`Al\u00ed, although not enlisted in the ranks of the followers of\ntheir illustrious Nephew, feature in His story.\n\nEvery account that we have of Siyyid `Al\u00ed-Mu\u1e25ammad's childhood\nindicates that He was not an ordinary child. When He was sent to\nschool, He so surprised the schoolmaster, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `\u00c1bid, with\nHis wisdom and intelligence that the bewildered man took the child\nback to His uncle, and said that he had nothing to teach this gifted\npupil: 'He, verily, stands in no need of teachers such as I.' The\nuncle had already noticed the remarkable qualities of his ward, and it\nis recorded that on this occasion he was very stern with Him: 'Have\nYou forgotten my instructions? Have I not already admonished You to\nfollow the example of Your fellow-pupils, to observe silence, and to\nlisten attentively to every word spoken by Your teacher?' It was\ntotally alien to the nature of that gentle child to disregard the\nwishes of His guardian. He returned to school and conducted Himself on\nthe pattern of other children. Nothing, however, could restrain the\nsuperior mind and intelligence possessed by that exceptional boy. As\ntime went on, the schoolmaster became convinced that he could not help\nhis student; in the role of instructor he felt as the instructed.\n\nIt should also be said that schools such as that attended by Siyyid\n`Al\u00ed-Mu\u1e25ammad, which were common in those days, were one-man\naffairs and matters taught were elementary, although pupils were\ntrained to read the Qur'\u00e1n, even if they could not possibly understand\nthe meaning of the sacred text which is of course in Arabic. The B\u00e1b\ndid not go beyond this school nor the tuition of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `\u00c1bid.\nThus His schooling was meagre.\n\nThe B\u00e1b was only five years old when He was sent to receive tuition\nfrom [_Sh_]ay[_kh _] `\u00c1bid. \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e24ab\u00edbu'll\u00e1h's narrative\ncontains an account of His first day at school, related by \u00c1q\u00e1\nMu\u1e25ammad-Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm-i-Ism\u00e1`\u00edl Bag, a well-known merchant of\n[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, who was a fellow-scholar at the age of twelve. The B\u00e1b had\ntaken a seat, with great courtesy, in between this boy and another\npupil who was also much older than Himself. His head was bowed over\nthe primer put in front of Him, the first lines of which He had been\ntaught to repeat. But He would not utter a word. When asked why He did\nnot read aloud as other boys were doing He made no reply. Just then\ntwo boys, sitting near them, were heard to recite a couplet from\n\u1e24\u00e1fi\u1e93, which runs thus:\n\n From the pinnacles of Heaven they call out unto thee;\n I know not what hath thee here entrapped.[3]\n\n'That is your answer,' said the B\u00e1b, turning to \u00c1q\u00e1\nMu\u1e25ammad-Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm.\n\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e24ab\u00edbu'll\u00e1h also tells us that, apart from teaching\nboys, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `\u00c1bid had a regular class for theological\nstudents. On one occasion some of these students posed a question\nwhich after a long period of discussion remained unresolved.\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `\u00c1bid told them that he would consult some\nauthoritative works that same night and on the morrow present them\nwith the solution. Just then the B\u00e1b, who had been listening, spoke\nand with sound reasoning propounded the answer which they sought. They\nwere wonder-struck, for they had no recollection of discussing that\nparticular subject within earshot of the B\u00e1b, who might then have\nlooked up references in books and memorized them to repeat\nparrot-wise. [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `\u00c1bid asked Him where He had gained that\nknowledge. The boy replied smilingly with a couplet from \u1e24\u00e1fi\u1e93:\n\n Should the grace of the Holy Spirit once again deign to assist,\n Others will also do what Christ could perform.[3]\n\nNot only did the mental faculties of the B\u00e1b astound the schoolmaster;\nthe nobility of His character impressed him even more. Indeed all\nthose who were close or near to His person could not but yield to the\ncharm of His being. Years later, when the B\u00e1b had raised the call of a\nnew theophany, the schoolmaster casting his mind over the past told\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Jav\u00e1d-i-Karbil\u00e1'\u00ed, a learned scion of a celebrated\npriestly family (the Ba\u1e25ru'l-`Ul\u00fam[AJ]), that Siyyid\n`Al\u00ed-Mu\u1e25ammad was always dignified and serene, that He was very\nhandsome and cared little for the pastimes of other boys. Some\nmornings, the schoolmaster recalled, He was late coming to school and\nwhen asked the reason He remained silent. On occasions [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\n`\u00c1bid sent other pupils to call at His home and ask Him to come to\nschool. They would return to say that they had found Him at His\ndevotions. One day, when He had come late to school and was questioned\nby [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `\u00c1bid, the B\u00e1b said quietly that He had been in the\nhouse of His 'Grandfather'. Thus do the Siyyids refer to their\nancestor the Prophet Mu\u1e25ammad. To the schoolmaster's remonstrances\nthat He was only a child of ten from whom such rigorous attention to\ndevotions was not demanded, He replied quietly again, 'I wish to be\nlike My Grandfather'. At that time, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `\u00c1bid said, he had\ntaken the words of Siyyid `Al\u00ed-Mu\u1e25ammad as childish _na\u00efvet\u00e9_.[4]\n\n [Footnote AJ: Literally, the 'Sea of All Knowledge'.]\n\nA certain book-binder of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z named Siyyid Mu\u1e25ammad, whose\nhouse neighboured that of the B\u00e1b's, but who in later years removed to\nSar\u00e1y-i-Am\u00edr[AK] in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n to ply his trade, had heard\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `\u00c1bid relate that it was customary, when the season was\nclement, for the boys to invite their teacher and their fellow-pupils\non Fridays (the day of rest) to an outing in one of the numerous\ngardens which bordered the city of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z. At times they would\nfind that the B\u00e1b had betaken Himself to a shaded, secluded spot in a\ncorner of the orchard to pray and meditate.\n\n [Footnote AK: A well-known inn (caravanserai).]\n\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Jav\u00e1d-i-Karbil\u00e1'\u00ed had himself encountered the B\u00e1b in\nthe years of His childhood. He was normally a resident of Karbil\u00e1 and\nhad attended regularly the discourses of Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im-i-Ra[_sh_]t\u00ed,\neventually becoming one of his ardent disciples. But he was also a man\nof travel who embarked now and then on long journeys. Twice he went\non pilgrimage to Mecca and spent some time there teaching and\ndiscoursing. He visited India and stayed in Bombay for a while. One of\nhis journeys took him to [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, at a time when the B\u00e1b was about\nnine years old. Being well acquainted with \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Mu\u1e25ammad\n(one of the B\u00e1b's maternal uncles), \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Jav\u00e1d visited him\noccasionally. Decades later he recalled that on one of these visits he\ncould hear the intonations of a melodious, enraptured voice, coming\nfrom the direction of the alcove reserved for devotions. Before long a\nboy stepped out of the recess and \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid Mu\u1e25ammad\nintroduced Him as his nephew who was orphaned. Another visit coincided\nwith the B\u00e1b's return from school. \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Jav\u00e1d noticed that\nHe held a batch of papers and asked what they were. Very courteously\nthe boy replied that they were His calligraphic exercises. When\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Jav\u00e1d inspected them he marvelled at their excellence.\n\nOn yet another and later occasion, when the B\u00e1b was for a time engaged\nin trading in the port of B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Jav\u00e1d spent six\nmonths in that town, living in the same inn as the B\u00e1b. Thus they\noften met. Still later, in Karbil\u00e1, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Jav\u00e1d again met the\nB\u00e1b, who by then was in His early twenties.\n\nWhen Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00edy-i-Bas\u1e6d\u00e1m\u00ed reached `Ir\u00e1q with the tidings of the\nadvent of the B\u00e1b, the news spread rapidly among the divines and the\nstudents of theology. \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Jav\u00e1d was one of those\nparticularly attracted, and he often urged Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed to divulge the\nname of Him who had put forth such a tremendous claim. But the B\u00e1b had\nemphatically forbidden Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed to mention His name or give any clue\nto His identity. To all insistent requests Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed merely said that\nbefore long His identity would be revealed to them. No one, according\nto the testimony of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Jav\u00e1d, suspected that the B\u00e1b could\nbe the young merchant of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z who had only recently lived among\nthem. Most of the [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\u00eds believed that the B\u00e1b must be one\nof the close disciples of Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im.\n\nThen it occurred to \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Jav\u00e1d to invite Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed to his\nown home and question him more closely. Seated on the roof of the\nhouse, in the neighbourhood of the Shrine of Im\u00e1m \u1e24usayn, the two\nof them conversed at length about the 'Great Event', but no matter how\nhard he tried, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Jav\u00e1d could not induce his guest to\ndisclose the secret which he had been bidden to withhold. So\nfrustrated did he feel that, on his own admission, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid\nJav\u00e1d gripped the arms of Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed, pushed him hard against the wall\nand exclaimed: 'What am I to do with you, Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed! Kill you? Won't\nyou say who that wondrous Being is? Won't you relieve us of this\nmisery?' Gasping for breath, Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed replied: 'Siyyid Jav\u00e1d! It is\nforbidden. You yourself are a man of learning. You should know better.\nIt is forbidden.' And then quite unexpectedly and without knowing why,\nMull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed added that the B\u00e1b had specially mentioned that all His\nletters extant in `Ir\u00e1q, whoever the recipient might have been, ought\nto be sent to [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z. No sooner had Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed spoken than \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed\nSiyyid Jav\u00e1d had, in a flash, a mental picture of Siyyid\n`Al\u00ed-Mu\u1e25ammad, whom he had known and admired since His childhood.\nHe ran down the stairs to the room where he kept his papers, gathered\nup the letters he had received from Siyyid `Al\u00ed-Mu\u1e25ammad and\nhurried back to the roof. The moment Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed caught sight of the\nseal on those letters he burst into tears, and so did \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid\nJav\u00e1d. They wept for joy, and between his sobs Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed kept\nrepeating: `\u00c1q\u00e1 Siyyid Jav\u00e1d! \u00c1q\u00e1 Siyyid Jav\u00e1d! I did not mention any\nname to you. It is forbidden to mention His blessed name. Don't\nmention His name to anyone.'[5]\n\nThus did \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Jav\u00e1d-i-Karbil\u00e1'\u00ed find his new Faith, to which\nhe remained steadfastly loyal throughout his long life. We shall hear\nlater a good deal more of this remarkable man.\n\n * * * * *\n\nSiyyid `Al\u00ed-Mu\u1e25ammad had some six to seven years of schooling with\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `\u00c1bid. In all probability He left the school at the\nQahviy-i-Awl\u00edy\u00e1' before He was thirteen. According to \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1\n\u1e24ab\u00edbu'll\u00e1h's narrative, He joined \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Al\u00ed, His\nuncle-guardian, in business when He was fifteen years old,[AL] and\nshortly afterwards moved to B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr. Pages of commercial accounts\nwhich He kept put it beyond doubt that the B\u00e1b left [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z for\nB\u00fa[_sh_]ihr when He was nearly sixteen. There can be little doubt that\nat an early age the B\u00e1b took over the complete management of the\ntrading-house in B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr. His scrupulous attention to detail and His\nundeviating fairness in transactions became widely known in the region.\nA man who had consigned to Him some goods to sell was astonished to\nfind, when he received his money, that it was more than could be\nobtained at current prices. He wanted to return some of it. The B\u00e1b told\nhim that it was only fair and just that he should be given that\nparticular sum, because his goods would have fetched exactly that amount\nhad they been offered for sale when the market was at its best.\n\n [Footnote AL: Islamic law specifies fifteen as the age of\n maturity.]\n\nA.-L.-M. Nicolas maintains that the B\u00e1b was also engaged in writing\nand composing, during this period of His sojourn in B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr. He\nmentions a treatise, the _Ris\u00e1liy-i-Fiqh\u00edyyih_, as having come from\nthe pen of the B\u00e1b during those years.[6] His statement is\ncorroborated by \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e24ab\u00edbu'll\u00e1h's narrative:\n\n One day in Egypt during the time when M\u00edrz\u00e1 Abu'l-Fa\u1e0dl\n was occupied with writing his book, the _Far\u00e1'id_, we came\n to talk about the early years of the B\u00e1b, prior to His\n declaration, and the period when He was engaged in trading.\n M\u00edrz\u00e1 Abu'l-Fa\u1e0dl related the following to me: 'I myself\n heard the late \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Jav\u00e1d-i-Karbil\u00e1'\u00ed say that\n when the B\u00e1b was pursuing the career of a merchant in\n B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr, he ... because of his friendship with the\n uncles of the B\u00e1b used to stay with them whenever he visited\n either [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z or B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr. One day \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1\n Siyyid Mu\u1e25ammad came to him with a request. \"Give some\n good counsel to my nephew ... tell Him not to write certain\n things which can only arouse the jealousy of some people:\n these people cannot bear to see a young merchant of little\n schooling show such erudition, they feel envious.\" \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed\n M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid Mu\u1e25ammad had been very insistent that\n \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Jav\u00e1d should counsel the B\u00e1b to desist from\n writing. \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Jav\u00e1d had however replied with these\n lines of verse: \"The fair of face cannot put up with the\n veil; Shut him in, and out of the window will he show his\n visage,\" and had added: \"We are earth-bound and He is\n celestial. Our counsel is of no use to Him.\"'\n\nMull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-i-Zarand\u00ed, Nab\u00edl-i-A`\u1e93am, lays particular stress\non the B\u00e1b's strict regard for His devotions on Fridays. Even the\ntorrid conditions of B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr, he states, did not deter the B\u00e1b.\nWriters of such histories as the _N\u00e1si[_kh_]u't-Tav\u00e1r\u00ed[_kh_]_,[7]\nhostile to the B\u00e1b, have alleged that long exposure to the severe heat\nof the sun in that seaport, while engaged in prayers, affected His\nmind. They have gone on to assert that it was this derangement of mind\nwhich led Him to make extravagant claims. But \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 J\u00e1n\u00ed of\nK\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1n refutes any suggestion that the B\u00e1b deliberately practised\nausterities, or that He found Himself a 'mur[_sh_]id' (spiritual\nguide) to direct Him along such lines.\n\nUnfortunately records of the years that the B\u00e1b spent in B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr\nare scant. We cannot be certain as to the exact dates when He took\nover the complete management of the trading-house and when He\nretired. \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mu`\u00ednu's-Sal\u1e6danih of Tabr\u00edz states in his\nchronicle that the B\u00e1b assumed direct responsibility at the age of\ntwenty. If that statement be correct, the period during which He acted\non His own was quite brief. According to M\u00edrz\u00e1 Abu'l-Fa\u1e0dl of\nGulp\u00e1yg\u00e1n, He journeyed to the holy cities of `Ir\u00e1q in the spring of\n1841, stayed in `Ir\u00e1q for nearly seven months and returned to His\n'native province of F\u00e1rs' in the autumn of that year. \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1\n\u1e24ab\u00edbu'll\u00e1h states that the B\u00e1b's sojourn in B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr lasted six\nyears. According to him, when the B\u00e1b decided to go on pilgrimage to\nthe holy cities of `Ir\u00e1q, He wrote to His uncles in [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z asking\nthem to come and take over the business from Him. His uncles, however,\nprocrastinated, whereupon the B\u00e1b settled all the outstanding matters\nin B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr Himself, brought His books up to date, locked and\nsealed the door of the office and left the keys with the gatekeeper of\nthe caravanserai, to be handed over to any one of His uncles. He\ninformed His uncles of what He had done and explained that since they\nhad not heeded His repeated pleas He had no other alternative,\ndetermined as He was to go on pilgrimage to the holy cities.[AM]\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid Mu\u1e25ammad was greatly perturbed lest their\ncredit be damaged and their clients suffer serious loss. But \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed\nM\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Al\u00ed assured him that their nephew would never do\nanything to compromise them and that all accounts would be found in\nperfect order. \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid Mu\u1e25ammad hurried to B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr\nwhere a close inspection of the books satisfied him that nothing had\nbeen left to chance.\n\n [Footnote AM: The holy cities of `\u00cdr\u00e1q are: (1) Najaf and (2)\n Karbil\u00e1 (both already mentioned), which have within them the\n shrines of the first and the third Im\u00e1ms, respectively; (3)\n K\u00e1\u1e93imayn, in the close vicinity of Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d, which\n harbours the shrines of Im\u00e1m M\u00fas\u00e1 al-K\u00e1\u1e93im, the seventh\n Im\u00e1m, and Im\u00e1m Mu\u1e25ammad al-Taq\u00ed, the ninth Im\u00e1m; (4)\n S\u00e1marr\u00e1, where the shrines of the tenth and the eleventh\n Im\u00e1ms, `Al\u00ed an-Naq\u00ed and \u1e24asan al-`Askar\u00ed, are situated.]\n\nWhile in Karbil\u00e1 the B\u00e1b visited Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im-i-Ra[_sh_]t\u00ed and attended\nhis discourses. But these occasional visits did not and could not make\nHim a pupil or disciple of Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im. His adversaries have alleged\nthat He sat at the feet of Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im for months on end to learn from\nhim. But accounts that we have from close associates of Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im all\nindicate that the [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\u00ed leader welcomed and received Siyyid\n`Al\u00ed-Mu\u1e25ammad, on every occasion, with great reverence. Here is a long\naccount by [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e24asan-i-Zun\u00faz\u00ed:\n\n My days were spent in the service of Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im, to\n whom I was greatly attached. One day, at the hour of dawn, I\n was suddenly awakened by Mull\u00e1 Naw-r\u00faz, one of his intimate\n attendants, who, in great excitement, bade me arise and\n follow him. We went to the house of Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im, where\n we found him fully dressed, wearing his `ab\u00e1, and ready to\n leave his home. He asked me to accompany him. 'A highly\n esteemed and distinguished Person,' he said, 'has arrived. I\n feel it incumbent upon us both to visit Him.' The morning\n light had just broken when I found myself walking with him\n through the streets of Karbil\u00e1. We soon reached a house, at\n the door of which stood a Youth, as if expectant to receive\n us. He wore a green turban, and His countenance revealed an\n expression of humility and kindliness which I can never\n describe. He quietly approached us, extended His arms\n towards Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im, and lovingly embraced him. His\n affability and loving-kindness singularly contrasted with\n the sense of profound reverence that characterised the\n attitude of Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im towards Him. Speechless and with\n bowed head, he received the many expressions of affection\n and esteem with which that Youth greeted him. We were soon\n led by Him to the upper floor of that house, and entered a\n chamber bedecked with flowers and redolent of the loveliest\n perfume. He bade us be seated. We knew not, however, what\n seats we actually occupied, so overpowering was the sense\n of delight which seized us. We observed a silver cup which\n had been placed in the centre of the room, which our\n youthful Host, soon after we were seated, filled to\n overflowing, and handed to Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im, saying: 'A drink\n of a pure beverage shall their Lord give them.'[AN] Siyyid\n K\u00e1\u1e93im held the cup with both hands and quaffed it. A\n feeling of reverent joy filled his being, a feeling which he\n could not suppress. I too was presented with a cupful of\n that beverage, though no words were addressed to me. All\n that was spoken at that memorable gathering was the\n above-mentioned verse of the Qur'\u00e1n. Soon after, the Host\n arose from His seat and, accompanying us to the threshold of\n the house, bade us farewell. I was mute with wonder, and\n knew not how to express the cordiality of His welcome, the\n dignity of His bearing, the charm of that face, and the\n delicious fragrance of that beverage. How great was my\n amazement when I saw my teacher quaff without the least\n hesitation that holy draught from a silver cup, the use of\n which, according to the precepts of Isl\u00e1m, is forbidden to\n the faithful. I could not explain the motive which could\n have induced the Siyyid to manifest such profound reverence\n in the presence of that Youth--a reverence which even the\n sight of the shrine of the Siyyidu'[_sh_]-[_Sh_]uhad\u00e1'[AO]\n had failed to excite. Three days later, I saw that same\n Youth arrive and take His seat in the midst of the company\n of the assembled disciples of Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im. He sat close\n to the threshold, and with the same modesty and dignity of\n bearing listened to the discourse of the Siyyid. As soon as\n his eyes fell upon that Youth, the Siyyid discontinued his\n address and held his peace. Whereupon one of his disciples\n begged him to resume the argument which he had left\n unfinished. 'What more shall I say?' replied Siyyid\n K\u00e1\u1e93im, as he turned his face toward the B\u00e1b. 'Lo, the\n Truth is more manifest than the ray of light that has fallen\n upon that lap!' I immediately observed that the ray to which\n the Siyyid referred had fallen upon the lap of that same\n Youth whom we had recently visited. 'Why is it,' that\n questioner enquired, 'that you neither reveal His name nor\n identify His person?' To this the Siyyid replied by pointing\n with his finger to his own throat, implying that were he to\n divulge His name, they both would be put to death instantly.\n This added still further to my perplexity. I had already\n heard my teacher observe that so great is the perversity of\n this generation, that were he to point with his finger to\n the promised One and say: 'He indeed is the Beloved, the\n Desire of your hearts and mine,' they would still fail to\n recognise and acknowledge Him. I saw the Siyyid actually\n point out with his finger the ray of light that had fallen\n on that lap, and yet none among those who were present\n seemed to apprehend its meaning. I, for my part, was\n convinced that the Siyyid himself could never be the\n promised One, but that a mystery inscrutable to us all, lay\n concealed in that strange and attractive Youth. Several\n times I ventured to approach Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im and seek from\n him an elucidation of this mystery. Every time I approached\n him, I was overcome by a sense of awe which his personality\n so powerfully inspired.[8]\n\n [Footnote AN: Qur'\u00e1n lxxvi, 21.]\n\n [Footnote AO: 'Siyyidu'[_sh_]-[_Sh_]uhad\u00e1'' can be variously\n translated as the 'Head', the 'Chief', the 'Master' or\n 'Prince of the Martyrs'. It is applied to Im\u00e1m \u1e24usayn (the\n grandson of the Prophet Mu\u1e25ammad) who was the third Im\u00e1m.]\n\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e24asan-i-Zun\u00faz\u00ed has gone on to relate:\n\n I often felt the urge to seek alone the presence of that\n H\u00e1[_sh_]imite[AP] Youth and to endeavour to fathom His\n mystery. I watched Him several times as He stood in an\n attitude of prayer at the doorway of the shrine of the Im\u00e1m\n \u1e24usayn. So wrapt was He in His devotions that He seemed\n utterly oblivious of those around Him. Tears rained from His\n eyes, and from His lips fell words of glorification and\n praise of such power and beauty as even the noblest passages\n of our sacred Scriptures could not hope to surpass. The\n words 'O God, my God, my Beloved, my heart's Desire,' were\n uttered with a frequency and ardour that those of the\n visiting pilgrims who were near enough to hear Him\n instinctively interrupted the course of their devotions, and\n marvelled at the evidences of piety and veneration which\n that youthful countenance evinced. Like Him they were moved\n to tears, and from Him they learned the lesson of true\n adoration. Having completed His prayers, that Youth, without\n crossing the threshold of the shrine and without attempting\n to address any words to those around Him, would quietly\n return to His home. I felt the impulse to address Him, but\n every time I ventured an approach, a force that I could\n neither explain nor resist, detained me. My inquiries about\n Him elicited the information that He was a resident of\n [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, that He was a merchant by profession, and did\n not belong to any of the ecclesiastical orders. I was,\n moreover, informed that He, and also His uncles and\n relatives, were among the lovers and admirers of\n [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] A\u1e25mad and Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im. I learned that\n He had departed for Najaf on His way to [_Sh_]iraz. That\n Youth had set my heart aflame. The memory of that vision\n haunted me. My soul was wedded to His till the day when the\n call of a Youth from [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, proclaiming Himself to be\n the B\u00e1b, reached my ears. The thought instantly flashed\n through my mind that such a person could be none other than\n that selfsame Youth whom I had seen in Karbil\u00e1, the Youth of\n my heart's desire.[9]\n\n [Footnote AP: H\u00e1[_sh_]im was the great-grandfather of the\n Prophet Mu\u1e25ammad.]\n\nAccording to \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e24ab\u00edbu'll\u00e1h's narrative, as the sojourn of the\nB\u00e1b in the holy cities lengthened into months, His mother, anxious to\nhave her only son back in [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, asked her brother, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1\nSiyyid `Al\u00ed, to go to `Ir\u00e1q and persuade Him to return. He could not\ndeny his sister's request, but when he reached `Ir\u00e1q he found that his\nnephew, who had once been his ward, was unwilling to leave the holy\ncities. Thereupon he appealed to \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Jav\u00e1d-i-Karbil\u00e1'\u00ed for help,\nwho was at first reluctant to lend his support, not wishing to lose the\ncompany of the young [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z\u00ed Siyyid whom he had over the course of\nyears so tremendously admired. However, when he learned that His mother\nwas greatly concerned, he consented to intervene. At last the B\u00e1b\ncomplied with their request and agreed to return. After a few months in\n[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z He declared His intention of going once again to `Ir\u00e1q. His\nmother, alarmed and agitated by this decision, once more sought the aid\nof her brother. Their efforts resulted in the marriage of the B\u00e1b to\n[_Kh_]ad\u00edjih-Bagum, daughter of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 `Al\u00ed,[10] the paternal uncle\nof His mother. The marriage took place in August 1842.\n[_Kh_]ad\u00edjih-Bagum had two brothers: \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Abu'l-Q\u00e1sim and \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed\nM\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid \u1e24asan, and both of them, though not counted among His\nfollowers in His lifetime, have a place in the story of the B\u00e1b. The\ndescendants of these two brothers-in-law of the B\u00e1b, and the descendants\nof His maternal uncles, are known as the Afn\u00e1n (the Twigs).\n\nA son was born to Siyyid `Al\u00ed-Mu\u1e25ammad and [_Kh_]ad\u00edjih-Bagum in\nthe year 1843, whom they named A\u1e25mad, but he did not live long.\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e24ab\u00edbu'll\u00e1h states that the child was still-born. The\nB\u00e1b notes the birth of A\u1e25mad in the _Qayy\u00famu'l-Asm\u00e1'_, His\ncommentary on the S\u00farih of Y\u00fasuf (Joseph). Speaking of His wedding\nwith His well-beloved, who was herself descended from the Well-Beloved\n(Mu\u1e25ammad is known as \u1e24ab\u00edbu'll\u00e1h--the Well-Beloved of God), and\nrelating how He had called upon the angels of Heaven and the cohorts\nof Paradise to witness that wedding, the B\u00e1b then addresses His wife:\n\n O well-beloved! Value highly the grace of [_Dh_]ikr [the\n Bab],[11] the Greatest, for it comes from God, the Loved\n One. Thou shalt not be a woman, like other women, if thou\n obeyest God in the Cause of Truth ... and take pride in\n being the consort of the Well-Beloved, who is loved by God\n the Greatest. Sufficient unto thee is this glory which\n cometh unto thee from God, the All-Wise, the All-Praised. Be\n patient in all that God hath ordained concerning the B\u00e1b and\n His Family. Verily, thy son, A\u1e25mad, is with\n F\u00e1\u1e6dimih,[AQ] the Sublime, in the sanctified Paradise.[12]\n\n [Footnote AQ: The daughter of the Prophet Mu\u1e25ammad.]\n\nAnd there is this further reference to Ahmad in the _Qayy\u00famu'l-Asm\u00e1'_:\n\n All praise be to God Who bestowed upon the Solace of the\n Eyes,[AR] in His youth, A\u1e25mad. We did verily raise him up\n unto God.... O Solace of the Eyes! Be patient in what thy\n God hath ordained for thee. Verily He doeth whatsoever He\n willeth. He is the All-Wise in the exercise of His justice.\n He is thy Lord, the Ancient of Days, and praised be He in\n whatever He ordereth.[12]\n\n [Footnote AR: The B\u00e1b refers to Himself time and again in\n this Book as 'Qurratu'l-`Ayn'--the Solace of the Eyes.]\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER 3\n\n\u1e6cIHR\u00c1N\n\n Rejoice with great joy, for God hath made thee 'the\n Day-Spring of His light', inasmuch as within thee was born\n the Manifestation of His Glory. Be thou glad for this name\n that hath been conferred upon thee--a name through which the\n Day-Star of grace hath shed its splendour, through which\n both earth and heaven have been illumined.\n\n --Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h, addressing the city of \u1e6cihr\u00e1n\n\n ... We stand, life in hand, wholly resigned to His will;\n that perchance, through God's loving kindness and His grace,\n this revealed and manifest Letter may lay down His life as a\n sacrifice in the path of the Primal Point,[AS] the most\n exalted Word.\n\n --Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h, from the _Kit\u00e1b-i-\u00cdq\u00e1n_\n\n [Footnote AS: 'Nuq\u1e6diy-i-\u00dal\u00e1'--the B\u00e1b.]\n\n\nMull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn was sorely disappointed when he realized that he was\nnot to be the companion of the B\u00e1b, on His pilgrimage to Mecca. But\nfor the man who was the first to find Him and believe in Him the B\u00e1b\nhad marked out a task infinitely glorious. Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn was to go\nfrom [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z to \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, where the fulfilment of that task\nawaited him. He had travelled to [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z on a quest. There he had\nreached its end, had found the Q\u00e1'im of the House of Mu\u1e25ammad. Now\nhe was to undertake another quest, and he was not entirely aware of\nthe consequences that would attend its success. To him the B\u00e1b said:\n\n In this pilgrimage upon which We are soon to embark, We have\n chosen Qudd\u00fas as Our companion. We have left you behind to\n face the onslaught of a fierce and relentless enemy. Rest\n assured, however, that a bounty unspeakably glorious shall\n be conferred upon you. Follow the course of your journey\n towards the north, and visit on your way I\u1e63fah\u00e1n,\n K\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1n, Qum, and \u1e6cihr\u00e1n. Beseech almighty Providence\n that He may graciously enable you to attain, in that\n capital, the seat of true sovereignty, and to enter the\n mansion of the Beloved. A secret lies hidden in that city.\n When made manifest, it shall turn the earth into paradise.\n My hope is that you may partake of its grace and recognise\n its splendour. From \u1e6cihr\u00e1n proceed to [_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n, and\n there proclaim anew the Call. From thence return to Najaf\n and Karbil\u00e1 and there await the summons of your Lord. Be\n assured that the high mission for which you have been\n created will, in its entirety, be accomplished by you. Until\n you have consummated your work, if all the darts of an\n unbelieving world be directed against you, they will be\n powerless to hurt a single hair of your head.[1]\n\nWhen the time came for Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn to leave [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, the B\u00e1b\ntold him:\n\n Grieve not that you have not been chosen to accompany Me on\n My pilgrimage to \u1e24ij\u00e1z. I shall, instead, direct your\n steps to that city which enshrines a Mystery of such\n transcendent holiness as neither \u1e24ij\u00e1z nor [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z can\n hope to rival. My hope is that you may, by the aid of God,\n be enabled to remove the veils from the eyes of the wayward\n and to cleanse the minds of the malevolent. Visit, on your\n way, I\u1e63fah\u00e1n, K\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1n, \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, and [_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n.\n Proceed thence to `Ir\u00e1q, and there await the summons of your\n Lord, who will keep watch over you and will direct you to\n whatsoever is His will and desire. As to Myself, I shall,\n accompanied by Qudd\u00fas and My Ethiopian servant,[AT] proceed\n on My pilgrimage to \u1e24ij\u00e1z. I shall join the company of\n the pilgrims of F\u00e1rs, who will shortly be sailing for that\n land. I shall visit Mecca and Medina, and there fulfil the\n mission[AU] with which God has entrusted Me. God willing, I\n shall return hither by the way of K\u00fafih, in which place I\n hope to meet you. If it be decreed otherwise, I shall ask\n you to join Me in [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z. The hosts of the invisible\n Kingdom, be assured, will sustain and reinforce your\n efforts. The essence of power is now dwelling in you, and\n the company of His chosen angels revolves around you. His\n almighty arms will surround you, and His unfailing Spirit\n will ever continue to guide your steps. He that loves you,\n loves God; and whoever opposes you, has opposed God. Whoso\n befriends you, him will God befriend; and whoso rejects you,\n him will God reject.[2]\n\n [Footnote AT: His name was Mub\u00e1rak.]\n\n [Footnote AU: To raise the Call of the Q\u00e1'im.]\n\nMull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn was known in I\u1e63fah\u00e1n, for there he had\nobtained testimonials from the great mujtahid, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid\nMu\u1e25ammad-B\u00e1qir, in support of Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im-i-Ra[_sh_]t\u00ed. That\neminent divine was now dead, but his son, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Asadu'll\u00e1h,\nwalking in the footsteps of his illustrious father, refused to\nassociate himself with the adversaries of Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn. Another\nnoted divine, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mu\u1e25ammad-Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm-i-Kalb\u00e1s\u00ed, did likewise, and\nsternly admonished those who opposed Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn to cease their\nclamouring and investigate dispassionately whatever he was advocating.\nThe Governor, Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n, the Mu`tamidu'd-Dawlih,\nsimilarly declined to heed their strictures.\n\nThe first person in I\u1e63fah\u00e1n to embrace the new Faith was a youth, a\nsifter of wheat. The B\u00e1b immortalizes his memory in the Persian\n_Bay\u00e1n_:[3]\n\n I\u1e63fah\u00e1n, that outstanding city, is distinguished by the\n religious fervour of its [_sh_]i`ah inhabitants, by the\n learning of its divines, and by the keen expectation, shared\n by high and low alike, of the imminent coming of the\n \u1e62\u00e1\u1e25ibu'z-Zam\u00e1n.[AV] In every quarter of that city,\n religious institutions have been established. And yet, when\n the Messenger of God had been made manifest, they who\n claimed to be the repositories of learning and the\n expounders of the mysteries of the Faith of God rejected His\n Message. Of all the inhabitants of that seat of learning,\n only one person, a sifter of wheat, was found to recognise\n the Truth, and was invested with the robe of Divine\n virtue![4]\n\n [Footnote AV: The Lord of the Age.]\n\nOthers eventually followed the example of that youth,[AW]\namong them M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad `Al\u00edy-i-Nahr\u00ed and his brother,\nM\u00edrz\u00e1 H\u00e1d\u00ed, who were Siyyids and highly respected. Mull\u00e1\n\u1e62\u00e1diq-i-Muqaddas-i-[_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n\u00ed was another convert. Siyyid\nK\u00e1\u1e93im had told Mull\u00e1 \u1e62\u00e1diq to establish his residence in\nI\u1e63fah\u00e1n and pave the way for the coming of the Q\u00e1'im. That man of\niron courage (whom we shall encounter again in the course\nof this story) met Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn in the home of M\u00edrz\u00e1\nMu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00edy-i-Nahr\u00ed. Mull\u00e1 \u1e62\u00e1diq himself relates:\n\n I asked Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn to divulge the name of Him who\n claimed to be the promised Manifestation. He replied: 'To\n enquire about that name and to divulge it are alike\n forbidden.' 'Would it, then, be possible,' I asked, 'for me,\n even as the Letters of the Living, to seek independently the\n grace of the All-Merciful and, through prayer, to discover\n His identity?' 'The door of His grace,' he replied, 'is\n never closed before the face of him who seeks to find Him.'\n I immediately retired from his presence, and requested his\n host to allow me the privacy of a room in his house where,\n alone and undisturbed, I could commune with God. In the\n midst of my contemplation, I suddenly remembered the face of\n a Youth whom I had often observed while in Karbil\u00e1, standing\n in an attitude of prayer, with His face bathed in tears, at\n the entrance of the shrine of the Im\u00e1m \u1e24usayn. That same\n countenance now reappeared before my eyes. In my vision I\n seemed to behold that same face, those same features,\n expressive of such joy as I could never describe. He smiled\n as He gazed at me. I went towards Him, ready to throw myself\n at His feet. I was bending towards the ground, when, lo!\n that radiant figure vanished from before me. Overpowered\n with joy and gladness, I ran out to meet Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn,\n who with transport received me and assured me that I had, at\n last, attained the object of my desire. He bade me, however,\n repress my feelings. 'Declare not your vision to anyone,' he\n urged me; 'the time for it has not yet arrived. You have\n reaped the fruit of your patient waiting in I\u1e63fah\u00e1n. You\n should now proceed to Kirm\u00e1n, and there acquaint \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed\n M\u00edrz\u00e1 Kar\u00edm [_Kh_]\u00e1n with this Message.[AX] From that place\n you should travel to [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z and endeavour to rouse the\n people of that city from their heedlessness. I hope to join\n you in [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z and share with you the blessings of a\n joyous reunion with our Beloved.'[5]\n\n [Footnote AW: He is usually known as Gandum-P\u00e1k-Kun (the\n Sifter of Wheat); his name was Mull\u00e1 Ja`far. He was one of\n the martyrs of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e6cabars\u00ed.]\n\n [Footnote AX: \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-Kar\u00edm\n [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Kirm\u00e1n\u00ed considered himself to be the successor to\n Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im. He fostered bitter opposition to the B\u00e1b\n within the [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\u00ed school.]\n\nIn K\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1n, Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn found a responsive and eager heart in a\nwell-known merchant of that town, named \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 J\u00e1n\u00ed.[AY] He too\nfeatures prominently in the story of the B\u00e1b. The next stage in Mull\u00e1\n\u1e24usayn's journey was the city of Qum, where the shrine of\nMa'\u1e63\u00famih, the sister of Im\u00e1m Ri\u1e0d\u00e1, the eighth Im\u00e1m, is situated.\nHe found no attentive ears in Qum. Then came the crucial stage of his\njourney, when he entered the capital city of \u00cdr\u00e1n, for there lay the\n'Mystery' which the B\u00e1b had mentioned.\n\n [Footnote AY: He was the first to attempt to write a history\n of the new theophany.]\n\nIn \u1e6cihr\u00e1n Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn took a room in a theological institution\ncalled the madrisih (school) of M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e62\u00e1li\u1e25, alternatively the\nmadrisih of P\u00e1min\u00e1r.[AZ] The director of the institution, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed\nM\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-i-[_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n\u00ed, was the leading [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\u00ed in\nthe capital. He not only refused to heed what Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn\nimparted, but severely remonstrated with him and accused him of having\nbetrayed the trust of Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im. \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad made\nit clear that in his view Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn's presence in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n\nposed a threat to the [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\u00ed community. Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn\nreplied that he did not intend to stay long in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, nor had he\ndone or said anything which detracted from the position of the\nfounders of the [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\u00ed school.\n\n [Footnote AZ: P\u00e1y-i-Min\u00e1r, named after the quarter of the\n city where it was located.]\n\nAs far as he could, Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn kept away from the madrisih of\nM\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e62\u00e1li\u1e25. He went out early in the mornings and returned\nafter sunset. Mull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-i-Mu`allim,[BA] a native of the\ndistrict of N\u00far in M\u00e1zindar\u00e1n, has described how Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn\naccomplished his mission:\n\n I was in those days recognised as one of the favoured\n disciples of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad, and lived in the\n same school in which he taught. My room adjoined his room,\n and we were closely associated together. On the day that he\n was engaged in discussion with Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn, I overheard\n their conversation from beginning to end, and was deeply\n affected by the ardour, the fluency, and learning of that\n youthful stranger. I was surprised at the evasive answers,\n the arrogance, and contemptuous behaviour of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1\n Mu\u1e25ammad. That day I felt strongly attracted by the charm\n of that youth, and deeply resented the unseemly conduct of\n my teacher towards him. I concealed my feelings, however,\n and pretended to ignore his discussions with Mull\u00e1\n \u1e24usayn. I was seized with a passionate desire to meet the\n latter, and ventured, at the hour of midnight, to visit him.\n He did not expect me, but I knocked at his door, and found\n him awake seated beside his lamp. He received me\n affectionately, and spoke to me with extreme courtesy and\n tenderness. I unburdened my heart to him, and as I was\n addressing him, tears, which I could not repress, flowed\n from my eyes. 'I can now see,' he said, 'the reason why I\n have chosen to dwell in this place. Your teacher has\n contemptuously rejected this Message and despised its\n Author. My hope is that his pupil may, unlike his master,\n recognise its truth. What is your name, and which city is\n your home?' 'My name,' I replied, 'is Mull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad, and\n my surname Mu`allim. My home is N\u00far, in the province of\n M\u00e1zindar\u00e1n.' 'Tell me,' further inquired Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn,\n 'is there to-day among the family of the late M\u00edrz\u00e1\n Buzurg-i-N\u00far\u00ed, who was so renowned for his character, his\n charm, and artistic and intellectual attainments, anyone who\n has proved himself capable of maintaining the high\n traditions of that illustrious house?' 'Yea,' I replied,\n 'among his sons now living, one has distinguished Himself by\n the very traits which characterised His father. By His\n virtuous life, His high attainments, His loving-kindness and\n liberality, He has proved Himself a noble descendant of a\n noble father.' 'What is His occupation?' he asked me. 'He\n cheers the disconsolate and feeds the hungry,' I replied.\n 'What of His rank and position?' 'He has none,' I said,\n 'apart from befriending the poor and the stranger.' 'What is\n His name?' '\u1e24usayn-`Al\u00ed.' 'In which of the scripts of His\n father does He excel?'[BB] 'His favourite script is\n [_sh_]ikastih-nasta`l\u00edq.' 'How does He spend His time?' 'He\n roams the woods and delights in the beauties of the\n countryside.' 'What is His age?' 'Eight and twenty.' The\n eagerness with which Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn questioned me, and the\n sense of delight with which he welcomed every particular I\n gave him, greatly surprised me. Turning to me, with his face\n beaming with satisfaction and joy, he once more enquired: 'I\n presume you often meet Him?' 'I frequently visit His home,'\n I replied. 'Will you,' he said, 'deliver into His hands a\n trust from me?' 'Most assuredly,' was my reply. He then\n gave me a scroll wrapped in a piece of cloth, and requested\n me to hand it to Him the next day at the hour of dawn.\n 'Should He deign to answer me,' he added, 'will you be kind\n enough to acquaint me with His reply?' I received the scroll\n from him and, at break of day, arose to carry out his\n desire.\n\n As I approached the house of Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h, I recognised His\n brother M\u00edrz\u00e1 M\u00fas\u00e1, who was standing at the gate, and to\n whom I communicated the object of my visit. He went into the\n house and soon reappeared bearing a message of welcome. I\n was ushered into His presence, and presented the scroll to\n M\u00edrz\u00e1 M\u00fas\u00e1, who laid it before Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h. He bade us both\n be seated. Unfolding the scroll, He glanced at its contents\n and began to read aloud to us certain of its passages. I sat\n enraptured as I listened to the sound of His voice and the\n sweetness of its melody. He had read a page of the scroll\n when, turning to His brother, He said: 'M\u00fas\u00e1, what have you\n to say? Verily I say, whoso believes in the Qur'\u00e1n and\n recognises its Divine origin, and yet hesitates, though it\n be for a moment, to admit that these soul-stirring words are\n endowed with the same regenerating power, has most assuredly\n erred in his judgment and has strayed far from the path of\n justice.' He spoke no more. Dismissing me from His presence,\n He charged me to take to Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn, as a gift from\n Him, a loaf of Russian sugar and a package of tea, and to\n convey to him the expression of His appreciation and love.\n\n I arose and, filled with joy, hastened back to Mull\u00e1\n \u1e24usayn, and delivered to him the gift and message of\n Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h. With what joy and exultation he received them\n from me! Words fail me to describe the intensity of his\n emotion. He started to his feet, received with bowed head\n the gift from my hand, and fervently kissed it. He then took\n me in his arms, kissed my eyes, and said: 'My dearly beloved\n friend! I pray that even as you have rejoiced my heart, God\n may grant you eternal felicity and fill your heart with\n imperishable gladness.' I was amazed at the behaviour of\n Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn. What could be, I thought to myself, the\n nature of the bond that unites these two souls? What could\n have kindled so fervid a fellowship in their hearts? Why\n should Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn, in whose sight the pomp and\n circumstance of royalty were the merest trifle, have evinced\n such gladness at the sight of so inconsiderable a gift from\n the hands of Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h? I was puzzled by this thought and\n could not unravel its mystery.\n\n A few days later, Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn left for [_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n. As\n he bade me farewell, he said: 'Breathe not to anyone what\n you have heard and witnessed. Let this be a secret hidden\n within your breast. Divulge not His name, for they who envy\n His position will arise to harm Him. In your moments of\n meditation, pray that the Almighty may protect Him, that,\n through Him, He may exalt the downtrodden, enrich the poor,\n and redeem the fallen. The secret of things is concealed\n from our eyes. Ours is the duty to raise the call of the New\n Day and to proclaim this Divine Message unto all people.\n Many a soul will, in this city, shed his blood in this path.\n That blood will water the Tree of God, will cause it to\n flourish, and to overshadow all mankind.'[6]\n\n [Footnote BA: Teacher or tutor.]\n\n [Footnote BB: Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h's father was famed for his\n calligraphy.]\n\nFrom Ma[_sh_]had, the holy city that has within it the Shrine of the\neighth Im\u00e1m, Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn addressed his first letter to the B\u00e1b. He\ngave, as instructed by Him, the full details of his journey from\n[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z to [_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n. He presented the list of names of those\nwho had responded to the call of the new theophany: a list which had\nbecome further enriched in [_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n by the enrolment of M\u00edrz\u00e1\nA\u1e25mad-i-Az[_gh_]and\u00ed, the most learned of the divines of that\nrenowned province; Mull\u00e1 M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-i-Fur\u00fa[_gh_]\u00ed, another\ndivine of immense learning; M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-B\u00e1qir-i-Q\u00e1'in\u00ed, whose\nhouse in Ma[_sh_]had was to gain the distinction of being known as the\nB\u00e1b\u00edyyih, since its doors would be always open to those who sought\nMull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn and to all the B\u00e1b\u00eds; Mull\u00e1 A\u1e25mad-i-Mu`allim, who\nhad been a tutor to the sons of Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im; and Mull\u00e1\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `Al\u00ed, to whom the B\u00e1b gave the title of `A\u1e93\u00edm\n(Great). But above all, Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn recounted what had transpired\nin \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, culminating in the gracious response of the nobleman of\nN\u00far. He sent his letter, again as instructed by the B\u00e1b, to \u1e6cabas\n(a town in the province of [_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n) where agents of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1\nSiyyid `Al\u00ed received it and dispatched it to Yazd, whence it reached\n[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z. The arrival of Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn's letter and the tidings\nwhich it conveyed brought unbounded joy to the B\u00e1b. Soon after, in the\nmonth of September, He left [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, accompanied by Qudd\u00fas, and the\nfaithful Ethiopian servant, Mub\u00e1rak.\n\nFrom B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr, while waiting to take the boat to Jiddah (Jaddah),\nthe B\u00e1b wrote His first letter to His wife. It opens with these moving\nwords:\n\n 'In the Name of God, exalted is He. My sweet love, may God\n preserve thee.' 'God is my witness,' He continues, 'that\n since the time of separation sorrow has been so intense that\n it cannot be described,' and adds His hope that God, 'the\n Lord of the world,' may 'facilitate the return journey in\n the best manner.' Two days previously He had reached\n B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr, and informs His wife that 'the weather is\n exceedingly hot, but God, the Lord of the world, is the\n Protector.' The boat, it seemed, would be sailing the same\n month; 'God, the Lord of the world, will provide protection\n by His grace.' He had not been able to see His mother at the\n time of His departure, and asks His wife to give her His\n salutation (sal\u00e1m) and request her prayers. He would write\n to Bombay for the goods required. And the letter ends thus:\n 'God willing, that which is decreed will come to pass. Peace\n be upon thee and the mercy of God and His blessings.'[7]\n\nThe ship, bearing pilgrims to Jiddah, set sail on the nineteenth day\nof Rama\u1e0d\u00e1n 1260--October 2nd 1844.[8]\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER 4\n\nTHE FIRST MARTYR\n\n The world turns and the world changes,\n But one thing does not change.\n In all of my years, one thing does not change.\n However you disguise it, this thing does not change:\n The perpetual struggle of Good and Evil.\n --T. S. Eliot\n\n\nLady Sheil, whose husband was the British envoy in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n,[BC]\nstates in her book, _Glimpses of Life and Manners in Persia_, that the\nB\u00e1b declared His mission in K\u00e1\u1e93imayn, near Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d, and that\n'Incensed at this blasphemy, the Turkish authorities issued orders for\nhis execution, but he was claimed by the Persian consul as a subject\nof the Shah, and sent to his native place'.[1] Obviously Lady Sheil\nwas confused. She had heard of the arrest of Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00edy-i-Bas\u1e6d\u00e1m\u00ed\nin `Ir\u00e1q and of his imprisonment. She mistook him for the B\u00e1b.\n\n [Footnote BC: See note 6, Prologue.]\n\nMull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed, as we have seen, was directed to `Ir\u00e1q by the B\u00e1b, and took\nwith him a copy of the _Qayy\u00famu'l-Asm\u00e1'_, the commentary on the S\u00farih of\nY\u00fasuf (Joseph). The news and the message that he gave aroused eager\ninterest and ready response from his hearers. But hostile reaction was\nalso swift. It was Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed who, in Karbil\u00e1, informed Qurratu'l-`Ayn\nof the advent of the B\u00e1b. He was not at liberty to mention His Name. We\ndo not know whether, in view of the fact that Qurratu'l-`Ayn had been\nelevated to the high and honoured position of a Letter of the Living,\nMull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed gave her any information other than the tidings of the\nappearance of the B\u00e1b. The disciples of Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im were in a much\nstronger position there than in Najaf, in spite of the fact that in\nKarbil\u00e1 they had a redoubtable opponent in the person of Siyyid\nIbr\u00e1h\u00edm-i-Qazv\u00edn\u00ed. There in Karbil\u00e1, Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed remained safe. But the\nstory was different in Najaf. Nab\u00edl-i-A`\u1e93am writes:\n\n In the presence of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Mu\u1e25ammad-\u1e24asan, one\n of the most celebrated ecclesiastics of [_sh_]\u00ed`ah Isl\u00e1m,\n and in the face of a distinguished company of his disciples,\n Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed announced fearlessly the manifestation of the\n B\u00e1b, the Gate whose advent they were eagerly awaiting. 'His\n proof,' he declared, 'is His Word; His testimony, none other\n than the testimony with which Isl\u00e1m seeks to vindicate its\n truth. From the pen of this unschooled H\u00e1[_sh_]imite Youth\n of Persia there have streamed, within the space of\n forty-eight hours, as great a number of verses, of prayers,\n of homilies, and scientific treatises, as would equal in\n volume the whole of the Qur'\u00e1n, which it took Mu\u1e25ammad,\n the Prophet of God, twenty-three years to reveal!' That\n proud and fanatic leader, instead of welcoming, in an age of\n darkness and prejudice, these life-giving evidences of a\n new-born Revelation, forthwith pronounced Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed a\n heretic and expelled him from the assembly. His disciples\n and followers, even the [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\u00eds, who already\n testified to Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed's piety, sincerity, and learning,\n endorsed, unhesitatingly, the judgment against him. The\n disciples of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Mu\u1e25ammad-\u1e24asan, joining\n hands with their adversaries, heaped upon him untold\n indignities. They eventually delivered him, his hands bound\n in chains, to an official of the Ottoman government,\n arraigning him as a wrecker of Isl\u00e1m, a calumniator of the\n Prophet, an instigator of mischief, a disgrace to the Faith,\n and worthy of the penalty of death. He was taken to\n Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d under the escort of government officials, and\n was cast into prison by the governor of that city.[2]\n\n\n\u00c1q\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-Mu\u1e63\u1e6daf\u00e1y-i-Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d\u00ed,[3] in a short\nautobiography which he wrote at the instance of M\u00edrz\u00e1 Abu'l-Fa\u1e0d\u00ed,\ndescribes Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed's arrival in `Ir\u00e1q and the events which followed:\n\n The messenger, Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed al-Bas\u1e6d\u00e1m\u00ed,[BD] reached K\u00fafih\n in the year A.H. 1260 [A.D. 1844] and distributed books,\n treatises and tablets amongst the divines. Due to this a\n body of the divines in Najaf and Karbil\u00e1 were seized with\n consternation. They arose in opposition and stirred\n themselves to vociferous denunciation. The Government\n hearing of what had transpired, became concerned lest\n disorders might ensue, and deemed it politic to imprison the\n messenger, confiscate the books and tablets in his\n possession and send him to the seat of the province, that is\n Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d. The V\u00e1l\u00ed, at that time, was Naj\u00edb P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1,\n the same man who captured Karbil\u00e1....[BE]\n\n When the messenger reached Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d the V\u00e1l\u00ed kept him in\n prison and placed the books and the treatises in the\n council-chamber. My father, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Mu\u1e25ammad,\n visited the messenger every day in the prison, and heard the\n Word of God from him for three months. Whatever he heard he\n imparted to those who were seekers, so that, during this\n short time, a large number of people came to believe.\n [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Ba[_sh_]\u00edr an-Najaf\u00ed was one of them, a\n mujtahid seventy-five years old. Then there were\n [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Sul\u1e6d\u00e1n al-Karbil\u00e1'\u00ed and a group with him\n in Karbil\u00e1; Siyyid Mu\u1e25ammad-Ja`far, Siyyid \u1e24asan\n Ja`far, and Siyyid `Al\u00ed Bi[_sh_]r and a group with him in\n the town of K\u00e1\u1e93im\u00edyyah; [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Mu\u1e25ammad\n [_Sh_]ibl [the author's father], Siyyid Mu\u1e25sin\n al-K\u00e1\u1e93im\u00ed, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e62\u00e1li\u1e25 al-Kar\u00edm\u00ed and a\n group with them of villagers like [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `Abb\u00e1s,\n Mull\u00e1 Ma\u1e25m\u00fad, `Abdu'l-H\u00e1d\u00ed and Mihd\u00ed....\n\n When the Government noticed that the Cause was gaining\n ground day by day, the afore-mentioned V\u00e1l\u00ed, Naj\u00edb\n P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1, ordered the divines of all the regions to come to\n Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d....[4] They summoned my father, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\n Mu\u1e25ammad, to present himself. But my father left\n Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d in disguise, because he had learned that the\n V\u00e1l\u00ed intended to make him give witness against the Cause of\n the Day of Judgment. They brought the messenger to this\n terrible assembly and asked him who the Lord of the Cause\n was. He answered: 'The awaited Spirit of Truth hath come. He\n is the One promised in the Books of God.' Then he read them\n some verses and prayers and called upon them to believe. It\n went hard with them to accept the Cause. They arose to deny\n and to reject it, full of haughtiness. They agreed to\n denounce the messenger as a heretic and passed the sentence\n of death upon him, and thus ended that assemblage of ill\n omen. The V\u00e1l\u00ed sent the account of the proceedings to the\n Sublime Porte, whence came the orders that the messenger\n should be sent in fetters, together with his books, to the\n capital. The messenger languished for six months in the gaol\n of Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d and was then dispatched to the Sublime Porte,\n under escort, by way of Mosul. The fame of the Cause was\n noised abroad in Mosul, and when he passed Mosul nothing\n more was heard of him.[5]\n\n [Footnote BD: \u00c1q\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-Mu\u1e63\u1e6daf\u00e1 wrote in Arabic.]\n\n [Footnote BE: See Prologue I.]\n\nThe circumstances of Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed's arrest were also noted by Major\nHenry Rawlinson,[6] then British Political Agent in Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d, who,\non January 8th 1845, reported to Sir Stratford Canning, the Ambassador\nin Istanbul:\n\n I have the honor to report for Your Excellency's information\n the following circumstances which are at present causing\n much excitement at this place, and which threaten in their\n consequences to give rise to renewed misunderstanding\n between the Persian & Turkish Govts.\n\n About three months ago, an inferior priest of Shiraz\n appeared in Kerbela, bearing a copy of the Koran, which he\n stated to have been delivered to him, by the forerunner of\n the Imam Mehdi, to be exhibited in token of his approaching\n advent. The book proved on examination to have been altered\n and interpolated in many essential passages, the object\n being, to prepare the Mohammedan world for the immediate\n manifestation of the Imam, and to identify the individual to\n whom the emendations of the text were declared to have been\n revealed, as his inspired & true precursor. It was in\n consequence pronounced by a part of the Sheeah divines at\n Nejef and Kerbela, to be a blasphemous production, and the\n priest of Shiraz was warned by them of the danger; which he\n incurred in giving currency to its contents--but a\n considerable section nevertheless of the Sheeahs of Nejef,\n who under the name of _Us\u00fal\u00ed_, or 'Transcendentalists', have\n lately risen into notice as the disciples of the High Priest\n Sheikh Kazem, and who are in avowed expectation of the\n speedy advent of the Imam, adopted the proposed readings,\n and declared themselves ready to join the Precursor; as soon\n as he should appear amongst them--These parties owing to\n local dissensions, were shortly afterwards denounced to the\n Govt. by the orthodox Sheeas as heretics, and attention\n being thus drawn to the perverted copy of the Koran, upon\n which they rested their belief, the volume was seized & its\n bearer being brought to Bagdad, was cast into prison, as a\n blasphemer against Islam and a disturber of the public\n peace.[BF][7]\n\n [Footnote BF: Major Rawlinson nowhere mentions the name of\n the priest who is alleged to have been the possessor of a\n 'spurious' version of the Qur'\u00e1n. It is obvious that the\n priest, about whom he was writing, could have been none other\n than Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00edy-i-Bas\u1e6d\u00e1m\u00ed, whom he wrongly designated as\n 'Shirazee' for the simple reason that he had come from\n [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z. His frequent references to the disciples of\n Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im as '_Us\u00fal\u00ed_' indicate that his knowledge of\n the issue was meagre, for these disciples were known as\n [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\u00eds. The term could have been more appropriately\n applied to the opponents of Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im. They and their\n counterpart, the 'A[_kh_]b\u00e1r\u00eds', followed different methods\n of interpretation within the [_Sh_]\u00ed`ah fold. For a\n description of these schools of thought, see Browne, _A\n Literary History of Persia_, Vol. IV, pp. 374-6.]\n\nMull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed was the first martyr of the B\u00e1b\u00ed Faith. Though his arrest\nand sufferings lasted only a few months, he was the centre of\nconjecture, the subject of official report, and the cause of increased\nrancour between the Sunn\u00ed and [_Sh_]\u00ed`ah sects, and the Ottoman and\nIranian governments. European officials who were drawn into this\nobscure drama included Major Rawlinson, who submitted frequent and\nlengthy reports to Sir Stratford Canning in Istanbul and Lt.-Col.\nSheil in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, and received their advice and instructions; M. de\nTitow, Russian envoy in Istanbul who joined Canning in urging the\nSublime Porte to restrain Naj\u00edb P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1 from putting 'the Persian\nPriest' to death, and instead to inflict on him only 'the mildest\npunishment consistent with the public tranquillity'; and Lord\nAberdeen, the British Foreign Secretary in London, who was apprised of\nthe final outcome.\n\nAlthough the dispatches of Major Rawlinson are in certain aspects\nsubject to grave reservations, for his knowledge was sometimes meagre\nand at second hand, even inaccurate, they do portray the agitation,\nconfusion and opposition created by the claim of the B\u00e1b and the\nteaching of Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed. Thus he wrote to Canning:\n\n The Soonnee Priesthood have taken up the case in a rancorous\n spirit of bigotry, and their inveteracy has enlisted the\n sympathies of the entire Sheeah sect, in favor of the\n imprisoned Persian ... the question has now become one of\n virulent contest, between the Soonee & Sheeah sects, or\n which is the same thing in this part of the Ottoman Empire,\n between the Turkish & Persian population....[8]\n\nIt was the Governor (V\u00e1l\u00ed) of Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d, Naj\u00edb P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1, who bore\nthe responsibility of controlling these passions; but being himself a\nfanatical Sunn\u00ed, he was resolved that the [_Sh_]\u00ed`ahs should submit to\nthe Sunn\u00ed authority, and determined to bar any intrusions of the\nPersians into the affairs of his P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1lik.[BG] Nevertheless, as\nreported by Rawlinson:\n\n Nejib Pasha at the same time, to give all due formality to\n his proceedings, and to divest the affair of the appearance\n of mere sectarian persecution, has brought in the chief\n Priests from Nejef & Kerbela, to hold a solemn Court of\n Inquisition in conjunction with the heads of the Soonnee\n religion in Bagdad, but I do not anticipate much benefit\n from this compulsory & most unwilling attendance of the\n former parties--They will probably make an effort to save\n the life of their unfortunate countryman, proposing the\n banishment of the messenger and of the heads of the _Us\u00fal\u00ed_\n sect, as the simplest method of suppressing the heresy, but\n they will be intimidated & overruled....[9]\n\n [Footnote BG: His province.]\n\nIndeed, such an unwieldy court of Sunn\u00ed and [_Sh_]\u00ed`ah divines could\ncome to no agreement about Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed's punishment. On January 16th\n1845, Rawlinson wrote to Sheil, in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n:\n\n The Court of Inquisition convened for the trial of the\n Persian priest, was held on Monday last [January 13th], H.E.\n Nejib Pasha presiding, and Moola Abdool Azeez being also\n present, to afford his countenance to the accused--The\n perverted copy of the Koran being produced in Court, was\n unanimously condemned as a blasphemous production, and\n parties avowing a belief in the readings which it continued\n [sic], were declared to be liable to the punishment of\n death--It was then argued whether or not the Shirazee had\n thus avowed his belief in a blasphemous production--he\n himself distinctly repudiated the charge, and although\n witnesses were brought forward, who stated that he had in\n their presence declared his adoption of the spurious text,\n of which he was the bearer, yet as there was reason to\n suspect the fidelity of their evidence, the Sheeah divines\n were disposed to give him the benefit of his present\n disavowal--After much discussion the Soonee law-officers\n adjudged the culprit to be convicted of blasphemy & passed\n sentence of death on him accordingly, while the Sheeahs\n returned a verdict, that he was only guilty of the\n dissemination of blasphemy, & liable in consequence to no\n heavier punishment than imprisonment or banishment....\n\nTo this Rawlinson added:\n\n I understand that considerable uneasiness is beginning to\n display itself at Kerbela & Nejef, in regard to the expected\n manifestation of the Imam, and I am apprehensive that the\n measures now in progress will rather increase than allay the\n excitement.[BH][10]\n\n [Footnote BH: Rawlinson's letter to Sheil carries the\n statement that Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed abjured his faith. Apart from the\n evidence of the devotion and heroism of the disciples of the\n B\u00e1b, which history amply provides, several factors must be\n considered. Major Rawlinson was not present at that meeting\n of the divines, which he termed 'the Court of Inquisition'.\n Therefore his information was secondhand. The emergence of\n Sunn\u00ed-[_Sh_]\u00ed`ah antagonism was another factor which would\n certainly have clouded the issue. The 'advent of the Imam'\n need not, necessarily, have troubled the Sunn\u00ed conscience,\n because Sunn\u00eds have never believed in the Im\u00e1mate and the\n occultation of the Twelfth Im\u00e1m. Furthermore, that which\n Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed is supposed to have rejected, according to\n Rawlinson, was a 'perverted copy of the Koran'. Would Mull\u00e1\n `Al\u00ed ever have an interpolated copy of the Qur'\u00e1n to announce\n the message he had to give, or to prove it? And then the\n question must also be asked: if Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed, the man who\n brought the news of the advent of the B\u00e1b, had recanted, how\n was it that 'considerable uneasiness' was becoming\n perceptible in Karbil\u00e1 and Najaf, 'in regard to the expected\n manifestation of the Imam'?]\n\nThe personal intervention of Naj\u00edb P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1 had served also to\ninfluence the course of events in another way. By referring the matter\nto the Sublime Porte, he prevented the extradition of the Persian\nprisoner to his native land, as requested by the Iranian Prime\nMinister, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed.\n\nA similar request for the transfer of Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed to Persian\njurisdiction was made to Major Rawlinson by the Governor of\nKirm\u00e1n[_sh_]\u00e1h, Mu\u1e25ibb-`Al\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n, for, as he wrote:\n\n In the first place it is improper to arrest and imprison\n anyone on a mere accusation, which may be true or\n false,--and in the second place, supposing that he (the\n Shir\u00e1zee) were guilty; as a subject of the exalted Govt. of\n Persia, he ought not to be subject to arrest--if his crime\n were proved, his punishment should be that of banishment\n from the Turkish territory--I have therefore considered it\n necessary to represent this matter to you my friend, and to\n request that, as a well wisher to the preservation of\n friendship between the two Governments, You will communicate\n with H. Excy. Nejib Pasha on the subject, and will suggest\n to him, that if the guilt of the Persian be fully\n substantiated, he may be sent to Kermanshah, in order that I\n may transfer him to Tehran for punishment--and if on the\n other hand, the accusations against him prove to be\n malicious and without foundation, he may be at once released\n and set at liberty.\n\n Under any circumstances his continued imprisonment is\n unbecoming and contrary (to custom).[11]\n\nThis request was duly submitted by Rawlinson to Naj\u00edb P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1 but,\nas the Governor had already referred the matter to the Sublime Porte\nafter the religious court's examination, the prisoner remained in\nTurkish custody.\n\nIt was on April 15th that Rawlinson reported to Canning that 'Nejib\nPasha received orders by yesterday's post to transmit to Constantinople\nthe Persian priest who has been in confinement for the last 3 months at\nBagdad.... His Excy. is preparing to obey these instructions with all\navailable despatch.' He also says in the same letter:\n\n ... [the] more in fact these Mujtiheds[BI] are degraded by\n the Turkish Govt., the more complete, I think, will be their\n ascendancy over the minds of their disciples and the only\n results, therefore, which are likely to attend the\n proscription of their public duties, are the more complete\n isolation of the Persian community of this province, and an\n increase of the rancorous feeling with which the dominant\n Soonee party is regarded--[12]\n\n [Footnote BI: [_Sh_]\u00ed`ah divines.]\n\nOn the last day of April, Rawlinson wrote once more to Canning:\n\n I take this opportunity of reporting that the Persian priest\n of Shiraz so long detained in confinement at this place, was\n sent a prisoner to Constantinople in company with the\n Tartar[BJ] who conveyed the last Bagdad post.[13]\n\n [Footnote BJ: Official courier.]\n\nMeanwhile, as early as February, Major Rawlinson came to an erroneous\nconclusion about the B\u00e1b, which subsequent events belied. He wrote to\nCanning on the 18th:\n\n ... the excitement which has been for some time prevalent in\n this vicinity among the Sheeah sect in connection with the\n expected manifestation of the Imam Mehdi, is beginning\n gradually to subside, the impostor who personated the\n character of the forerunner of the Imam ... having been\n deterred by a sense of personal danger from a further\n prosecution of the agitation, which he set on foot at\n Kerbela in the Autumn on his passage from Persia to\n Mecca.[14]\n\nHe was also in error in stating to Sheil, ten days later, that 'the\nimpostor ... joined as a private individual the Caravan of pilgrims\nwhich is travelling to Persia by the route of Damascus and Aleppo'.[15]\n\nIn considering this episode of the arrest, imprisonment and banishment\nof the first B\u00e1b\u00ed martyr, there are four aspects which deserve special\nnote. First is the fact that while the B\u00e1b\u00eds in [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z were being\npunished by \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n, Governor of the province of F\u00e1rs,[BK]\nthe Persian Government was trying to rescue Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed in Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d.\nSecondly, whereas the [_Sh_]\u00ed`ah divines were demanding a light\npunishment, the Sunn\u00eds were clamouring for the death penalty. A third\npoint, important to students of the B\u00e1b\u00ed Faith, is that from the\nearliest stage of its history rumours and misinformation about the B\u00e1b\nabounded. It is also of considerable interest that this episode was\nreported to Lord Aberdeen, the British Foreign Secretary in London.\n\n [Footnote BK: Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed was before long caught up in a\n furore of agitation and oppression, was apprehended, put on\n trial and condemned to death. It has always been assumed that\n he was put to death somewhere in `Ir\u00e1q (either in Mosul or\n beyond), while being taken to Istanbul, because nothing more\n was ever heard of him after he reached Mosul. But recent\n research in official archives has established the fact that\n he arrived in the Ottoman capital, was once again put on\n trial and was condemned to hard labour in the dockyards,\n where he died towards the end of 1846. (For most of this\n information the author is much indebted to Mr Sami\n Doktoroglu.)]\n\nAs to Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed, what precisely happened to him, how and where he\ndied and where he was interred, have all remained mysteries. It has\nbeen said that he died in the prison of Kark\u00fak, but no definite proof\nexists. He was the first of the concourse of martyrs whose numbers\nwere soon to swell into hundreds and thousands.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER 5\n\nPILGRIMAGE TO MECCA: THE HOUSE OF KA`BAH\n\n Vaunt not thyself, O thou who leadeth the pilgrims on their way,\n That which thou seest is the House, and that which I see is the\n Lord of that House.\n --\u1e24\u00e1fi\u1e93\n\n\nThe B\u00e1b embarked for Jiddah, probably on an Arab sailing-boat named\n_Fut\u00fa\u1e25-ar-Ras\u00fal_--Victories of the Messenger. If so, He had as\nfellow-passenger a maternal uncle of Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h,\nMu\u1e25ammad-B\u00e1qir [_Kh_]\u00e1n, the Biglarbag\u00ed[BL] of \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, who was\nattended by [_Sh_]ukru'll\u00e1h [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-N\u00far\u00ed, a prominent official of\nthe province of F\u00e1rs. We know for certain that two of His\nfellow-townsmen on the boat were \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Abu'l-\u1e24asan, who pursued\nthe same trade as the B\u00e1b's father, and [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Ab\u00fa-H\u00e1[_sh_]im,\nbrother of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Ab\u00fa-Tur\u00e1b, the Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z.\nThe former was captivated by the charm and the sublime bearing of his\ncompatriot, the young Siyyid of whose claim he was unaware, and gave\nHim his allegiance without the slightest hesitation when he learned of\nHis claim. [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Ab\u00fa-H\u00e1[_sh_]im, however, was already jealous\nof the respect commanded by the B\u00e1b and became His implacable enemy,\neven though his brother, the Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih, served the interests of the\nB\u00e1b to the best of his ability.[1]\n\n [Footnote BL: The principal official responsible for public\n order in a town or city.]\n\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Abu'l-\u1e24asan has related[2] that during the voyage\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Ab\u00fa-H\u00e1[_sh_]im became daily more arrogant and\nquarrelsome, molesting the passengers and making the young Siyyid a\nparticular target for his invective. When the Arab captain could no\nlonger tolerate his insolent behaviour, he ordered him to be seized\nand thrown into the sea. According to \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Abu'l-\u1e24asan, it was\nthe B\u00e1b who stepped forward to intercede for him. However, the captain\nwas determined to be rid of the troublesome [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]. And when\nthe B\u00e1b noticed that the sailors were about to throw [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\nAb\u00fa-H\u00e1[_sh_]im overboard, He hurled Himself upon him, caught hold of\nhim and earnestly requested the captain to pardon the wrong-doer. The\nArab captain was astonished, because it had been the young Siyyid who\nhad suffered most from the [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]'s malice. But the B\u00e1b\nreplied that, since people who behaved in that manner harmed only\nthemselves, one should be tolerant and forgiving.\n\nThe rites of the \u1e24ajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) are to be performed on\nthe ninth and tenth days of the month of [_Dh_]i'l-\u1e24ijjah, the last\nmonth of the Muslim lunar year. On the tenth day the `\u00cdd-al-A\u1e0d\u1e25\u00e1\n(the Festival of Sacrifices) is celebrated throughout the Muslim\nworld.[BM] It commemorates the sacrifice offered by Abraham of His\nson. Whenever the `\u00cdd-al-A\u1e0d\u1e25\u00e1 falls on a Friday, the \u1e24ajj of\nthat year is termed the \u1e24ajj-i-Akbar (the Greatest \u1e24ajj). In the\nyear 1260, the tenth of [_Dh_]i'l-\u1e24ijjah was a Friday (December\n20th 1844), and therefore the number of pilgrims was commensurately\ngreater. An Islamic tradition points to the appearance of the Q\u00e1'im in\na year of the \u1e24ajj-i-Akbar.\n\n [Footnote BM: In Persia this Feast is usually called\n `\u00cdd-i-Qurb\u00e1n.]\n\nAnother particularly notable pilgrim in that year 1260 was a divine of\nhigh repute, Siyyid Ja`far-i-Ka[_sh_]f\u00ed, whose son Siyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1\n(later known as Va\u1e25\u00edd) was to become one of the most distinguished\nfollowers of the B\u00e1b.\n\nThe journey to Jiddah was long, tedious and exhausting. Seas were\nrough and storms frequent. An Arab sailing-boat did not afford much\ncomfort. 'For days we suffered from the scarcity of water. I had to\ncontent myself with the juice of sweet lemon,' the B\u00e1b writes in the\nPersian _Bay\u00e1n_.[3] \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Abu'l-\u1e24asan recounts:\n\n During the entire period of approximately two months, from\n the day we embarked at B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr to the day when we landed\n at Jaddih, the port of \u1e24ij\u00e1z, whenever by day or night I\n chanced to meet either the B\u00e1b or Qudd\u00fas, I invariably found\n them together, both absorbed in their work. The B\u00e1b seemed\n to be dictating, and Qudd\u00fas was busily engaged in taking\n down whatever fell from His lips. Even at a time when panic\n seemed to have seized the passengers of that storm-tossed\n vessel, they would be seen pursuing their labours with\n unperturbed confidence and calm. Neither the violence of the\n elements nor the tumult of the people around them could\n either ruffle the serenity of their countenance or turn them\n from their purpose.[4]\n\nAt Jiddah the B\u00e1b and His companions put on the i\u1e25r\u00e1m,[BN] the garb\nof the pilgrim. He travelled to Mecca on a camel, but Qudd\u00fas would not\nmount and walked all the way, keeping pace with it. On the tenth day\nof [_Dh_]i'l-\u1e24ijjah the B\u00e1b offered the prescribed sacrifice. The\nmeat of the nineteen lambs which He bought was all given to the poor\nand the needy; nine of the animals were sacrificed on His own behalf,\nseven on behalf of Qudd\u00fas and three for Mub\u00e1rak.[5]\n\n [Footnote BN: sheet of cloth, unstitched.]\n\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e24ab\u00edbu'll\u00e1h-i-Afn\u00e1n, quoting \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Abu'l-\u1e24asan,\nrelates in his chronicle that after the completion of the rites of the\n\u1e24ajj, at a time when the court of the House of Ka`bah and the roofs\nof adjoining houses teemed with pilgrims, the B\u00e1b stood against the\nstructure of the Ka`bah, laid hold of the ring on its door and thrice\nrepeated, in a clear voice:\n\n I am that Q\u00e1'im whose advent you have been awaiting.\n\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Abu'l-\u1e24asan recalled, many years later, that a sudden hush fell\nupon the audience. The full implication of those momentous words must,\nat the time, have eluded that vast concourse of people. But the news of\nthe claim of the young Siyyid soon spread in an ever-widening circle.\n\nOne day in Mecca, the B\u00e1b came face to face with M\u00edrz\u00e1\nMu\u1e25ammad-\u1e24usayn-i-Kirm\u00e1n\u00ed, known as Mu\u1e25\u00ed\u1e6d.[BO] They\nhappened to meet close by the sacred Black Stone (\u1e24ajar al-Aswad).\nThe B\u00e1b took Mu\u1e25\u00ed\u1e6d's hand, saying:\n\n O Mu\u1e25\u00ed\u1e6d! You regard yourself as one of the most\n outstanding figures of the [_sh_]ay[_kh_]\u00ed community and a\n distinguished exponent of its teachings. In your heart you\n even claim to be one of the direct successors and rightful\n inheritors of those twin great Lights, those Stars that have\n heralded the morn of Divine guidance. Behold, we are both\n now standing within this most sacred shrine. Within its\n hallowed precincts, He whose Spirit dwells in this place can\n cause Truth immediately to be known and distinguished from\n falsehood, and righteousness from error. Verily I declare,\n none besides Me in this day, whether in the East or in the\n West, can claim to be the Gate that leads men to the\n knowledge of God. My proof is none other than that proof\n whereby the truth of the Prophet Mu\u1e25ammad was\n established. Ask Me whatsoever you please; now, at this very\n moment, I pledge Myself to reveal such verses as can\n demonstrate the truth of My mission. You must choose either\n to submit yourself unreservedly to My Cause or to repudiate\n it entirely. You have no other alternative. If you choose to\n reject My message, I will not let go your hand until you\n pledge your word to declare publicly your repudiation of the\n Truth which I have proclaimed. Thus shall He who speaks the\n Truth be made known, and he that speaks falsely shall be\n condemned to eternal misery and shame. Then shall the way of\n Truth be revealed and made manifest to all men.\n\n [Footnote BO: He had pretensions to leadership of the\n [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\u00ed sect after the death of Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im.]\n\nMu\u1e25\u00ed\u1e6d was taken by surprise and was overwhelmed. He replied to\nthe B\u00e1b:\n\n My Lord, my Master! Ever since the day on which my eyes\n beheld You in Karbil\u00e1, I seemed at last to have found and\n recognised Him who had been the object of my quest. I\n renounce whosoever has failed to recognise You, and despise\n him in whose heart may yet linger the faintest misgivings as\n to Your purity and holiness. I pray You to overlook my\n weakness, and entreat You to answer me in my perplexity.\n Please God I may, at this very place, within the precincts\n of this hallowed shrine, swear my fealty to You, and arise\n for the triumph of Your Cause. If I be insincere in what I\n declare, if in my heart I should disbelieve what my lips\n proclaim, I would deem myself utterly unworthy of the grace\n of the Prophet of God, and regard my action as an act of\n manifest disloyalty to `Al\u00ed, His chosen successor.\n\nThe B\u00e1b knew how vacillating Mu\u1e25\u00ed\u1e6d was, and answered:\n\n Verily I say, the Truth is even now known and distinguished\n from falsehood. O shrine of the Prophet of God, and you, O\n Qudd\u00fas, who have believed in Me! I take you both, in this\n hour, as My witnesses. You have seen and heard that which\n has come to pass between Me and him. I call upon you to\n testify thereunto, and God, verily, is, beyond and above\n you, My sure and ultimate Witness. He is the All-Seeing, the\n All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O Mu\u1e25\u00ed\u1e6d! Set forth\n whatsoever perplexes your mind, and I will, by the aid of\n God, unloose My tongue and undertake to resolve your\n problems, so that you may testify to the excellence of My\n utterance and realise that no one besides Me is able to\n manifest My wisdom.[6]\n\nMu\u1e25\u00ed\u1e6d presented his questions and then departed\nhurriedly for Medina. The B\u00e1b, in answer to them, revealed the\n_\u1e62a\u1e25\u00edfiy-i-Baynu'l-\u1e24aramayn_, which, as its name 'The Epistle\nBetween the Two Shrines' indicates, was composed on the road to the\ncity of the Prophet (Medina). Mu\u1e25\u00ed\u1e6d, contrary to his promise,\ndid not remain long in Medina, but received the B\u00e1b's treatise in\nKarbil\u00e1. To the end of his days, Mu\u1e25\u00ed\u1e6d was shifty and\nirresolute, and the headship of the [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\u00ed community did not\ngo to him, but to \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mu\u1e25ammad-Kar\u00edm [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Kirm\u00e1n\u00ed.\n\nThe last act of the B\u00e1b in Mecca was to address a Tablet to the\n[_Sh_]ar\u00edf (Sherif) of Mecca, in which He proclaimed His advent and His\nDivine mandate. Qudd\u00fas delivered it together with a volume of the\nWritings of the B\u00e1b. But the [_Sh_]ar\u00edf was preoccupied and ignored the\ncommunication put in his hands. \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed N\u00edy\u00e1z-i-Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d\u00ed recounts:\n\n In the year 1267 A.H. [A.D. 1850-51], I undertook a\n pilgrimage to that holy city, where I was privileged to meet\n the Sherif. In the course of his conversation with me, he\n said: 'I recollect that in the year '60, during the season\n of pilgrimage, a youth came to visit me. He presented to me\n a sealed book which I readily accepted but was too much\n occupied at that time to read. A few days later I met again\n that same youth, who asked me whether I had any reply to\n make to his offer. Pressure of work had again detained me\n from considering the contents of that book. I was therefore\n unable to give him a satisfactory reply. When the season of\n pilgrimage was over, one day, as I was sorting out my\n letters, my eyes fell accidentally upon that book. I opened\n it and found, in its introductory pages, a moving and\n exquisitely written homily which was followed by verses the\n tone and language of which bore a striking resemblance to\n the Qur'\u00e1n. All that I gathered from the perusal of the book\n was that among the people of Persia a man of the seed of\n F\u00e1\u1e6dimih and descendant of the family of H\u00e1[_sh_]im, had\n raised a new call, and was announcing to all people the\n appearance of the promised Q\u00e1'im. I remained, however,\n ignorant of the name of the author of that book, nor was I\n informed of the circumstances attending that call.' 'A\n great commotion,' I remarked, 'has indeed seized that land\n during the last few years. A Youth, a descendant of the\n Prophet and a merchant by profession, has claimed that His\n utterance was the Voice of Divine inspiration. He has\n publicly asserted that, within the space of a few days,\n there could stream from His tongue verses of such number and\n excellence as would surpass in volume and beauty the Qur'\u00e1n\n itself--a work which it took Mu\u1e25ammad no less than\n twenty-three years to reveal. A multitude of people, both\n high and low, civil and ecclesiastical, among the\n inhabitants of Persia, have rallied round His standard and\n have willingly sacrificed themselves in His path. That Youth\n has, during the past year, in the last days of the month of\n [_Sh_]a`b\u00e1n [July 1850], suffered martyrdom in Tabr\u00edz, in\n the province of \u00c1[_dh_]irb\u00e1yj\u00e1n. They who persecuted Him\n sought by this means to extinguish the light which He\n kindled in that land. Since His martyrdom, however, His\n influence has pervaded all classes of people.' The Sherif,\n who was listening attentively, expressed his indignation at\n the behaviour of those who had persecuted the B\u00e1b. 'The\n malediction of God be upon these evil people,' he exclaimed,\n 'a people who, in days past, treated in the same manner our\n holy and illustrious ancestors!' With these words the Sherif\n concluded his conversation with me.[7]\n\nThe B\u00e1b reached Medina on the first day of the year A.H. 1261: Friday,\nJanuary 10th 1845.[8] It was the first of Mu\u1e25arram and the day of\nHis birth. From Medina He proceeded to Jiddah, where He took a boat\nbound for the port of B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER 6\n\nFORCES OF OPPOSITION ARRAYED\n\n But man, proud man,\n Drest in a little brief authority,\n Most ignorant of what he's most assured,\n His glassy essence, like an angry ape,\n Plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven\n As makes the angels weep....\n --Shakespeare\n\n\nThe London _Times_ of Wednesday, November 19th 1845, carried this item\nof news on its third page, taken from the _Literary Gazette_ of the\npreceding Saturday:\n\n MAHOMETAN SCHISM.--A new sect has lately set itself up in\n Persia, at the head of which is a merchant who had returned\n from a pilgrimage to Mecca, and proclaimed himself a\n successor of the Prophet. The way they treat such matters at\n Shiraz appears in the following account (June 23):--Four\n persons being heard repeating their profession of faith\n according to the form prescribed by the impostor, were\n apprehended, tried, and found guilty of unpardonable\n blasphemy. They were sentenced to lose their beards by fire\n being set to them. The sentence was put into execution with\n all the zeal and fanaticism becoming a true believer in\n Mahomet. Not deeming the loss of beards a sufficient\n punishment, they were further sentenced the next day, to\n have their faces blacked and exposed through the city. Each\n of them was led by a mirgazah[BP] (executioner), who had\n made a hole in his nose and passed through it a string,\n which he sometimes pulled with such violence that the\n unfortunate fellows cried out alternately for mercy from the\n executioner and for vengeance from Heaven. It is the custom\n in Persia on such occasions for the executioners to collect\n money from the spectators, and particularly from the\n shopkeepers in the bazaar. In the evening when the pockets\n of the executioners were well filled with money, they led\n the unfortunate fellows to the city gate, and there turned\n them adrift. After which the mollahs at Shiraz sent men to\n Bushire, with power to seize the impostor, and take him to\n Shiraz, where, on being tried, he very wisely denied the\n charge of apostacy laid against him, and thus escaped from\n punishment.\n\n [Footnote BP: M\u00edr-[_Gh_]a\u1e0dab.]\n\nAn American quarterly, the _Eclectic Magazine of Foreign Literature,\nScience, and Art_,[1] in its issue of January-April 1846, reproduced\nthe same item of news which was again taken in full from the _Literary\nGazette_ of London. As far as is known, these were the earliest\nreferences to the Faith of the B\u00e1b in any Western publication. British\nmerchants, who then happened to be in [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, were responsible for\nthat report, which, as we shall see, although correct in its\nessentials, was not devoid of error.\n\nThe B\u00e1b, returning from His pilgrimage to Mecca, arrived at\nB\u00fa[_sh_]ihr sometime in the month of \u1e62afar 1261 A.H.\n(February-March 1845). There He parted from Qudd\u00fas, saying:\n\n The days of your companionship with Me are drawing to a\n close. The hour of separation has struck, a separation which\n no reunion will follow except in the Kingdom of God, in the\n presence of the King of Glory.[2]\n\nQudd\u00fas left for [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z and took with him a letter from the B\u00e1b\naddressed to His uncle, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Al\u00ed. Meeting Qudd\u00fas and\nhearing all he had to impart convinced \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Al\u00ed of\nthe truth of the Cause of his Nephew, and he immediately pledged Him\nhis unqualified allegiance.\n\nMull\u00e1 \u1e62\u00e1diq-i-Muqaddas now reached [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, accompanied by Mull\u00e1\n`Al\u00ed-Akbar-i-Ardist\u00e1n\u00ed, who had once been his pupil in I\u1e63fah\u00e1n.\nMull\u00e1 \u1e62\u00e1diq established himself in a mosque known as B\u00e1qir-\u00c1b\u00e1d,\nwhere he led the congregation in prayer. But as soon as he received a\nTablet from the B\u00e1b, sent from B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr, he moved to the mosque\nadjoining His house. There he carried out the specific instruction of\nthe B\u00e1b to include in the traditional Islamic Call to Prayer--the\nA[_dh_]\u00e1n--these additional words: 'I bear witness that He whose name\nis `Al\u00ed Qabl-i-Mu\u1e25ammad [`Al\u00ed preceding Mu\u1e25ammad, the B\u00e1b] is\nthe servant of Baq\u00edyyatu'll\u00e1h [the Remnant of God, Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h].'[3]\n\nThen the storm broke. [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Ab\u00fa-H\u00e1[_sh_]im, notorious for his\nbehaviour on the pilgrim boat, had already written to his compatriots\nin [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z to arouse their fury. Now the divines of that city, led\nby [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e24usayn-i-`Arab,[BQ] \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\nMihd\u00edy-i-Kuj\u00far\u00ed and Mull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00edy-i-Ma\u1e25all\u00e1t\u00ed, were\ndemanding blood. Qudd\u00fas, Muqaddas and Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed-Akbar were arrested,\nhauled before the Governor-General, and mercilessly beaten, after\nwhich they suffered the punishments and indignities described in the\nLondon report already quoted (see p. 76). But there were three of\nthem, not four.[BR]\n\n [Footnote BQ: The N\u00e1zimu'[_sh_]-[_Sh_]ar\u00ed`ih, who universally\n earned the epithet of '\u1e92\u00e1lim', the Tyrant.]\n\n [Footnote BR: _T\u00e1r\u00ed[_kh_]-i-Jad\u00edd_ (p. 202) names a fourth\n person, a certain Mull\u00e1 Ab\u00fa-\u1e6c\u00e1lib, a friend of Mull\u00e1\n \u1e62\u00e1diq-i-Muqaddas. His identity is unknown. A letter\n exists, written by Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed-Akbar-i-Ardist\u00e1n\u00ed to the B\u00e1b,\n when he was seeking permission to visit Him. Since their\n chastisement, he says, he had been living in ruins outside\n [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z. The letter makes it absolutely certain that he\n was the only one who had remained and that both Qudd\u00fas and\n Muqaddas had gone.]\n\nThe Governor-General of the province of F\u00e1rs was \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n,\nwho was called \u00c1j\u00fad\u00e1n-B\u00e1[_sh_]\u00ed (the adjutant-major), and had also the\ntitles of \u1e62\u00e1\u1e25ib-I[_kh_]t\u00edy\u00e1r and Ni\u1e93\u00e1mu'd-Dawlih. \u1e24usayn\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n was a native of Mar\u00e1[_gh_]ih in \u00c1[_dh_]arb\u00e1yj\u00e1n, and had\nserved as Persian envoy both to London and Paris. In London, in June\n1839, Lord Palmerston was at first inclined not to meet him, but then\ndecided to receive him unofficially. At that time relations between\nBritain and \u00cdr\u00e1n had reached a low point. Captain Hennell, the British\nPolitical Agent, had been forced to withdraw from B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr, and at\nthe same time a British naval force had occupied the island of\n[_Kh_]\u00e1rg (Karrack). Palmerston thundered at \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n: 'Had\nthe Admiral on arriving on board turned his guns upon the town\n[B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr] and knocked it about their ears, in my opinion he would\nhave been justified in so doing'.[4] When the envoy returned home,\nMu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h was so displeased that he had him severely\nbastinadoed. Nor had \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n's mission to France, it would\nseem, been any more successful, although some obscurity surrounds his\ndealings with the French. In Paris he engaged a number of officers to\ntrain the Persian army, and there were irregularities in the matter of\ntheir travelling expenses. But more serious issues were involved,\nwhich are described by Sir Henry Layard[BS] in the following passage:\n\n M. Bor\u00e9,[BT] with all his learning and enlightenment, was a\n religious fanatic and profoundly intolerant of heretics.\n After residing with him for a fortnight, and having been\n treated by him with great kindness and hospitality, I found\n myself compelled, to my great sorrow, to leave his house\n [in 1840] under the following circumstances. The Embassy\n which the King of the French[BU] had sent to the Shah had\n not succeeded in obtaining the object of its mission, and\n had left Persia much irritated at its failure, which was\n mainly attributed by it and the French Government to English\n intrigues. The truth was, I believe, that they had been\n duped by Hussein Khan, who had been sent as ambassador to\n Paris. The subject was an unpleasant one for me to discuss,\n and I avoided it in conversation with my host. One day,\n however, at dinner, it was raised by M. Flandin,[5] the\n French artist, who denounced my country and countrymen in\n very offensive terms, M. Bor\u00e9 himself joining in the abuse.\n They accused the English Government and English agents of\n having had recourse to poison to prevent Frenchmen from\n establishing themselves and gaining influence in Persia, and\n of having actually engaged assassins to murder M. Outray,\n when on his way on a diplomatic mission to Tehran. I denied,\n with indignation, these ridiculous and calumnious charges,\n and high words having ensued, I moved from M. Bor\u00e9's house\n to a ruined building occupied by Mr. Burgess.[BV][6]\n\n [Footnote BS: See note 9, Prologue.]\n\n [Footnote BT: M. Bor\u00e9 resided in Julfa, I\u1e63fah\u00e1n. He was a\n layman sent by the French Government to obtain a foothold for\n the French in \u00cdr\u00e1n. Later he became a Jesuit priest, and was\n the head of a Jesuit establishment in Galata when Layard met\n him in Constantinople. It is likely he sent copious notes to\n his superiors about the B\u00e1b and the B\u00e1b\u00eds.]\n\n [Footnote BU: Louis-Philippe.]\n\n [Footnote BV: An English merchant in Tabr\u00edz.]\n\nFailure in London and tortuosity in Paris did not commend themselves\nto Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h; and so, for the next few years, \u1e24usayn\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n lived under a cloud. But in 1845 we find him riding high in\nthe province of F\u00e1rs. He had been given that governorship because he\nwas reputed to be a man stern in his judgments, and F\u00e1rs needed an\niron hand.\n\nIndeed F\u00e1rs had been in a terrifying plight. The people of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z,\nhigh and low alike, had effectively played cat and mouse with the\ngovernors sent from \u1e6cihr\u00e1n to rule over them. Firayd\u00fan M\u00edrz\u00e1, the\nFarm\u00e1n-Farm\u00e1, Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h's own brother, much favoured by\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed and much detested by the [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z\u00eds, was ousted\nby a combination of the grandees and the mob.\n\nM\u00edrz\u00e1 Nab\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Qazv\u00edn\u00ed, the Am\u00edr-i-D\u00edv\u00e1n,[7] was also forced\nout, not once, but twice. On the second occasion many leading\ncitizens--headed by \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Qav\u00e1mu'l-Mulk[8] and Mu\u1e25ammad-Qul\u00ed\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-\u00cdlbag\u00ed, a powerful chieftain of the Qa[_sh_]q\u00e1'\u00ed\ntribe--went to \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, to demand the reinstatement of Firayd\u00fan\nM\u00edrz\u00e1, whom they had previously challenged and maligned. Mu\u1e25ammad\n[_Sh_]\u00e1h kept them waiting in the capital. M\u00edrz\u00e1 Ri\u1e0d\u00e1 (Meerza\nReza), the acting British Agent in Sh\u00edr\u00e1z, reported on August 7th 1844\nto Captain Hennell in B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr:\n\n On the Evening of the 11th Rajab [July 28th] one of the\n King's Chapurs [couriers] arrived at Shiraz, bringing two\n Royal Firmans [edicts] which had been issued at the instance\n of His Excellency Colonel Sheil, to be published at Shiraz\n and Bushire....\n\n One day the people, consisting of the principal and\n respectable Inhabitants and Merchants, were assembled in the\n Mosque, in order to hear the Firman from the Pulpit, when\n the turbulent and evil [sic] disposed tumultuously rushed in\n to prevent its being read, because addressed to the Ameer\n [Am\u00edr, the Governor]; These were of the followers of the\n Hajee Kuwaum [\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Qav\u00e1m]. The Ameer then gave the Shiraz\n Firman into the hands of Resheed Khan, Surteep [Ra[_sh_]\u00edd\n [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Sart\u00edp], who took it to the New Mosque in the\n Naamutee [Ni`mat\u00ed-[_Kh_]\u00e1nih] Quarter,[9] where it was\n published from the Reading Desks to the assembled Moollahs,\n respectable Inhabitants, and Merchants.\n\n On the following day when the Ameer directed that the Firman\n should be read in the Dewan Khaneh [D\u00edv\u00e1n-[_Kh_]\u00e1nih--the\n Court], the rioters fully armed again rushed in impetuously.\n Syed Hussein Khan and Resheed Khan then assembled their\n followers and topchees [t\u00fap[_ch_]\u00ed: gunner], and complaining\n bitterly, requested permission to meet them ... nor was it\n without difficulty and much persuasion that the Ameer could\n induce them to desist pending instructions from the Capital.\n\n The several Quarters of Shiraz are for the most part at\n feud--Thieving and disturbance are on the increase--The\n Ameer has not been dismissed nor has a new Governor been\n appointed.[10]\n\nAnd matters went from bad to worse. M\u00edrz\u00e1 Ri\u1e0d\u00e1's report to his\nchief, the following November 24th, was one long catalogue of woes,\nnot totally devoid of amusing points:\n\n Last Friday, from the ten Quarters of Hyedree [\u1e24aydar\u00ed]\n and Naamutte [Ni`mat\u00ed] a Mob and Crowd was again collected\n in the open plain, which has ever been the scene of their\n conflicts, for the purpose of fighting. From Midday to\n Sunset they fought with slings and stones, sticks and\n arms.... As Meerza Mahomed Ali, the secretary of Hajee Kuwam\n [\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Qav\u00e1m], a fine intelligent youth, was leaving his\n dwelling about midday upon some business, a drunken\n lootee,[BW] without reason or previous quarrel, plunged a\n dagger into his right side ... two cousins, both young, in a\n state of Drunkenness, were disputing regarding a woman, no\n person not even the woman being present, when one struck a\n dagger into the thigh of the other, who expired two days\n after ... some men of the Fehlee[BX] Tribe were sitting\n together one night, talking over occurrences of former\n years, when ... an excellent horseman, was shot in the side\n with a pistol, and immediately yielded his life.[11]\n\n [Footnote BW: 'L\u00fa\u1e6d\u00ed': mobster, bravo.]\n\n [Footnote BX: Fayl\u00ed: a clan of the Qa[_sh_]q\u00e1'\u00eds.]\n\nQub\u00e1d [_Kh_]\u00e1n, a nephew of the \u00cdl[_kh_]\u00e1n\u00ed (the supreme head of the\nQa[_sh_]q\u00e1'\u00ed tribe), who governed F\u00edr\u00faz\u00e1b\u00e1d in the heart of the\nQa[_sh_]q\u00e1'\u00ed terrain, had, for a financial consideration, put armed\nmen at the disposal of some headmen of the village of Maymand to\nsettle a vendetta--and so the story trails on.\n\nTowards the end of the year 1844 \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n was given the\ngovernorship of F\u00e1rs, but as late as December 21st and December 24th\nM\u00edrz\u00e1 Ri\u1e0d\u00e1 was still pouring out tales of woe to Captain Hennell in\nB\u00fa[_sh_]ihr. Matters had reached such a pitch, he said, that people\nwere stripped naked in plain daylight in public thoroughfares, and if\nanyone offered resistance he was repeatedly stabbed; at night so many\nmatchlocks were fired at random that no sleep was possible, and in any\ncase people had to keep awake to guard their homes. The unpleasant yet\nhumorous experience of a physician clearly shows the breakdown of law\nin [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z at that time:\n\n ... some of the Alwat[BY] brought a horse to the door of a\n Physician's Dispensary, whose equipment and clothes were of\n the best, saying, 'We have an invalid who is very ill, take\n the trouble to come to him and we will attend you.' The Poor\n Physician starts for the sickman's [sic] dwelling, and they\n take him through two or three streets when they desire him\n to be so good as to dismount from the horse; he does so, and\n they strip him from head to foot and go their way.[12]\n\n [Footnote BY: 'Alv\u00e1\u1e6d': plural of 'L\u00fa\u1e6d\u00ed'.]\n\nDuring that period of anarchy the B\u00e1b was on pilgrimage and absent\nfrom [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z. \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n arrived at his post in the early\npart of 1845, when the B\u00e1b was about halfway back to His native land.\nThe new Governor set about with all dispatch to give the [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z\u00eds\na lesson which he was certain they would take to heart. There were\nmutilations and executions until order was finally restored. But in\nlittle more than three years when Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h died,\n[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z\u00eds, headed once again by the astute \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Qav\u00e1mu'l-Mulk\nand the headstrong Mu\u1e25ammad-Qul\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n (the \u00cdlbag\u00ed[BZ] of the\nQa[_sh_]q\u00e1'\u00eds), rebelled and forced the dismissal of \u1e24usayn\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n.\n\n [Footnote BZ: The chieftain next in rank to the \u00cdl[_kh_]\u00e1n\u00ed.\n The central government made these appointments.]\n\n * * * * *\n\n\u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n was the first official in Persia to raise his hand\nagainst the B\u00e1b and His people. Having meted out cruel punishments to\nQudd\u00fas and the other two B\u00e1b\u00eds, and having acquainted himself with the\nidentity of the B\u00e1b and ascertained that He had arrived at\nB\u00fa[_sh_]ihr, \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n commissioned a body of horsemen to go\nto that port, arrest the B\u00e1b and bring Him to [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z. In the\nmeantime the B\u00e1b had completed His arrangements to return to the city\nof His birth.\n\nAt D\u00e1lak\u00ed, some forty miles to the north-east of B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr, where\nthe coastal plain ends and the plateau begins to rise, \u1e24usayn\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n's horsemen encountered the B\u00e1b. He was the first to notice\nthem and sent His Ethiopian servant to call them to Him. They were\nreluctant to approach Him, but A\u1e63l\u00e1n [_Kh_]\u00e1n, a man senior in\ntheir ranks, accepted the invitation. However, to the B\u00e1b's query\nregarding the purpose of their mission they evasively replied that the\nGovernor had sent them to make some investigation in that\nneighbourhood. But the B\u00e1b said to them:\n\n The governor has sent you to arrest Me. Here am I; do with\n Me as you please. By coming out to meet you, I have\n curtailed the length of your march, and have made it easier\n for you to find Me.[13]\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER 7\n\nBELIEF AND DENIAL\n\n Know then thyself, presume not God to scan;\n The proper study of Mankind is Man.\n Plac'd on this isthmus of a middle state,\n A being darkly wise, and rudely great:\n * * *\n Created half to rise, and half to fall;\n Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all;\n Sole judge of Truth, in endless Error hurl'd:\n The glory, jest and riddle of the world!\n --Alexander Pope\n\n\nThe B\u00e1b was now a captive, and a captive, apart from a few short\nmonths, He remained to the very end. The escort, which should have\narrested Him and taken Him in chains to the city of His birth, was\nsubdued and reverent. He rode to [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z almost in triumph. It\nwould have been feasible to avoid \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n's horsemen and\nseek a safe retreat; but He Himself chose to reveal Himself to His\nwould-be captors. Even more, He said to their spokesman who was\nenthralled by His unrivalled act, and was entreating Him to take the\nroad to safety, to go to Ma[_sh_]had and find refuge in the shrine of\nthe eighth Im\u00e1m:\n\n May the Lord your God requite you for your magnanimity and\n noble intention. No one knows the mystery of My Cause; no\n one can fathom its secrets. Never will I turn My face away\n from the decree of God. He alone is My sure Stronghold, My\n Stay and My Refuge. Until My last hour is at hand, none dare\n assail Me, none can frustrate the plan of the Almighty. And\n when My hour is come, how great will be My joy to quaff the\n cup of martyrdom in His name! Here am I; deliver Me into the\n hands of your master. Be not afraid, for no one will blame\n you.[1]\n\nWhen the identity of the B\u00e1b became known some members of His family\nfelt concern, even alarm, lest great harm might come to Him, and they\nthemselves suffer in the process. Only one uncle, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid\n`Ali, His former guardian, who had reared Him and established Him in\nthe world of commerce, believed in His Divine Mission. So did His\nwife. But the rest, even His mother, were sceptical and one or two\nwere definitely antagonistic.\n\nWhen Mu\u1e25ammad, the Arabian Prophet, refused to bend to the dictates\nof His tribe, the elders of Quray[_sh_] went to His aged uncle,\nAb\u00fa-\u1e6c\u00e1lib, in whose home He had grown to manhood, and demanded that\nMu\u1e25ammad be put under restraint. Ab\u00fa-\u1e6c\u00e1lib urged his Nephew to\nbe moderate, but finding Mu\u1e25ammad determined to pursue His course,\nassured Him that his protection would never waver. The elders of\nQuray[_sh_] then decided on a stratagem to erode the support that\nMu\u1e25ammad received from His clan--the Ban\u00fa-H\u00e1[_sh_]im. A boycott was\nordered, but the descendants of H\u00e1[_sh_]im, with the solitary\nexception of Ab\u00fa-Lahab,[CA] one of the several uncles of the Prophet,\nmoved to a section at the edge of the town and lived for three years\nin a state of siege, in defence of Mu\u1e25ammad, although most of them\nstill worshipped their old idols.\n\n [Footnote CA: Such was the verdict of the Qur'\u00e1n (cxi) on\n Ab\u00fa-Lahab:\n\n Perish the hands of Ab\u00fa Lahab, and perish he!\n His wealth avails him not, neither what he has earned;\n he shall roast at a flaming fire\n and his wife, the carrier of the firewood,\n upon her neck a rope of palm-fibre.[2]]\n\nThe relatives of the B\u00e1b did as Mu\u1e25ammad's relatives before them.\nWhatever doubts they may have had, they stood by Him.\n\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid Mu\u1e25ammad, another maternal uncle of the B\u00e1b, did not\ncome to believe in his Nephew as the Q\u00e1'im of the House of Mu\u1e25ammad\nuntil more than a decade later, when he presented his questions and his\ndoubts to Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h and received in answer the _Kit\u00e1b-i-\u00cdq\u00e1n_--_The\nBook of Certitude_. Yet, such were the magnetic powers of the B\u00e1b that\nwhen He reached B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr and was welcomed by this uncle, the latter\nwrote in these terms to his family in [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z:\n\n It has gladdened our hearts that His Honour the \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed [the\n B\u00e1b] has arrived safely and is in good health. I am at His\n service and honoured to be in His company. It is deemed\n advisable that He should stay here for a while. God willing,\n He will, before long, honour those parts with His presence,\n be assured.... His blessed Person is our glory. Be certain\n of His Cause and do not let people's idle talk cause doubts\n to creep into your hearts. And have no fear whatsoever. The\n Lord of the world is His Protector and gives Him victory....\n\nAt the end of his letter \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid Mu\u1e25ammad sent a\nmessage, on behalf of his wife, to the mother of the wife of the B\u00e1b:\n'You have a son-in-law who is peerless in the world. All the peoples\nof the world ought to obey Him.'[3]\n\nAnd in a letter written shortly after, to \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1\nMu\u1e25ammad-`Ali, one of his sons, the same \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid\nMu\u1e25ammad quoted the B\u00e1b as saying: My proof is My Book--let him who\ncan, produce the like of these verses.\n\nSimilarly, Mu\u1e25ammad had said in the Qur'\u00e1n:[4]\n\n Say: 'Bring a Book from God that gives\n better guidance than these, and follow it,\n if you speak truly.'\n\n Then if they do not answer thee, know that\n they are only following their caprices;\n and who is further astray than he who\n follows his caprice without guidance from\n God? Surely God guides not the people\n of the evildoers.\n --xxviii, 49-50.\n\n Those are the signs of God that We recite to thee in truth;\n in what manner of discourse then, after God and His signs,\n will they believe?\n --xlv, 5.\n\nThe B\u00e1b's entry into [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z was truly majestic. It bore no\nresemblance to the condition envisaged by the Governor. He had ordered\nthe B\u00e1b to be brought to [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z in chains. Instead, there was the\nB\u00e1b riding, calm and serene, at the head of the horsemen. They went\nstraight to the citadel where the Governor resided. \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n\nreceived the B\u00e1b with overbearing insolence: 'Do you realise what a\ngreat mischief you have kindled? Are you aware what a disgrace you\nhave become to the holy Faith of Isl\u00e1m and to the august person of our\nsovereign? Are you not the man who claims to be the author of a new\nrevelation which annuls the sacred precepts of the Qur'\u00e1n?'[5] The B\u00e1b\nspoke in reply these words from the Qur'\u00e1n:[6]\n\n O believers, if an ungodly man\n comes to you with a tiding, make\n clear,[CB] lest you afflict a people\n unwittingly, and then repent of\n what you have done.\n --xlix, 6.\n\n [Footnote CB: Rodwell translates this as 'clear it up at\n once....']\n\n\u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n was beside himself with rage, and ordered an\nattendant to strike the B\u00e1b's face. His turban fell off but was\nreplaced gently by [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Ab\u00fa-Tur\u00e1b, the Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih, who\ntreated the B\u00e1b with respect and consideration. On the other hand,\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e24usayn-i-`Arab, the Tyrant, who was also present,\nfollowing the example set by the arrogant Governor of F\u00e1rs, assailed\nthe B\u00e1b vehemently both with hand and tongue. In the meantime news had\nreached the mother of the B\u00e1b of this shameless behaviour towards her\nSon. Moved by her pleadings, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Al\u00ed hurried to the\ncitadel to demand the release of his Nephew. \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n agreed\nto let the B\u00e1b go to His home, if His uncle would promise that apart\nfrom the members of His family no one else would be allowed to meet\nHim. \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Ali protested that he himself was a\nwell-known merchant of the city, with many connections and a host of\nfriends and acquaintances, all of whom would wish to visit his Nephew,\nwho had just returned from pilgrimage to the holy cities of Mecca and\nMedina. \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n, realizing that an immediate ban was not\npossible, set a time limit of three days, after which the B\u00e1b should\nbe kept incommunicado.\n\nThe months during which the B\u00e1b lived under surveillance in His native\ntown saw the birth of the B\u00e1b\u00ed community. Hitherto His identity had\nremained unrevealed, and only individuals, here and there and\nunrelated to one another, were B\u00e1b\u00eds. Apart from the first few months\nof His Ministry, when the body of the Letters of the Living was\ngradually forming, the B\u00e1b had not had a group of disciples around\nHim. Even then, because of the condition which the B\u00e1b had laid down\nfor the attainment of those who were to be the first believers,[CC]\ncohesion as one firmly-knit body was not feasible. And as soon as the\nrequisite number was enrolled, the B\u00e1b sent them out into the world\nto spread the glad tidings of the New Day. But, once again in\n[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, despite the oppressive measures of \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n, an\nappreciable number of B\u00e1b\u00eds came into the presence of the B\u00e1b,\nconsorted with Him and received instruction and Tablets from Him.\nViewed in this light, this [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z episode would seem the most\nfecund period in the short Ministry of the B\u00e1b.\n\n [Footnote CC: They were to find Him 'independently and of\n their own accord'.]\n\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Jav\u00e1d-i-Karbil\u00e1'\u00ed, who, as we have seen, had known the B\u00e1b\nfrom His childhood, now hurried to [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z; and soon after came a man\ndestined to achieve high fame in the ranks of the 'Dawn-Breakers'. He\nwas Siyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1 of D\u00e1r\u00e1b, the son of the same greatly-revered Siyyid\nJa`fari-Ka[_sh_]f\u00ed, whom we noted before as a fellow-pilgrim of the B\u00e1b.\nSiyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1 was a divine of great erudition, and he thought that he\ncould easily overcome the B\u00e1b in argument. As he lived in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, close\nto royal circles, Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h asked Siyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1 to go to\n[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z and investigate the claim of the B\u00e1b. In [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z he was\nthe guest of the Governor. \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Jav\u00e1d-i-Karbil\u00e1'\u00ed arranged a\nmeeting between the B\u00e1b and Siyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1 in the house of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1\nSiyyid `Ali. At that first encounter Siyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1, proud of his vast\nknowledge, brought out one abstruse point after another from the Qur'\u00e1n,\nfrom Traditions, from learned works. To all of them the B\u00e1b listened\ncalmly, and gave answers concise and convincing. Siyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1 was\nsubdued, but still he searched for a test which would relieve him from\nthe necessity of giving his allegiance to the B\u00e1b. He told \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid\nJav\u00e1d-i-Karbil\u00e1'\u00ed that if only the B\u00e1b would show forth a miracle, his\nlingering doubts would vanish, to which \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Jav\u00e1d replied that\nto demand the performance of a miracle, when faced with the brilliance\nof the Sun of Truth, was tantamount to seeking light from a flickering\ncandle. Siyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1 has himself related:\n\n I resolved that in my third interview with the B\u00e1b I would\n in my inmost heart request Him to reveal for me a\n commentary on the S\u00farih of Kaw[_th_]ar.[CD] I determined\n not to breathe that request in His presence. Should He,\n unasked by me, reveal this commentary in a manner that would\n immediately distinguish it in my eyes from the prevailing\n standards current among the commentators on the Qur'\u00e1n, I\n then would be convinced of the Divine character of His\n Mission, and would readily embrace His Cause. If not, I\n would refuse to acknowledge Him. As soon as I was ushered\n into His presence, a sense of fear, for which I could not\n account, suddenly seized me. My limbs quivered as I beheld\n His face. I, who on repeated occasions had been introduced\n into the presence of the [_Sh_]\u00e1h and had never discovered\n the slightest trace of timidity in myself, was now so awed\n and shaken that I could not remain standing on my feet. The\n B\u00e1b, beholding my plight, arose from His seat, advanced\n towards me, and, taking hold of my hand, seated me beside\n Him. 'Seek from Me,' He said, 'whatever is your heart's\n desire. I will readily reveal it to you.' I was speechless\n with wonder. Like a babe that can neither understand nor\n speak, I felt powerless to respond. He smiled as He gazed at\n me and said: 'Were I to reveal for you the commentary on the\n S\u00farih of Kaw[_th_]ar, would you acknowledge that My words\n are born of the Spirit of God? Would you recognise that My\n utterance can in no wise be associated with sorcery or\n magic?' Tears flowed from my eyes as I heard Him speak these\n words. All I was able to utter was this verse of the Qur'\u00e1n:\n 'O our Lord, with ourselves have we dealt unjustly: if Thou\n forgive us not and have not pity on us, we shall surely be\n of those who perish.'\n\n It was still early in the afternoon when the B\u00e1b requested\n \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Al\u00ed to bring His pen-case and some\n paper. He then started to reveal His commentary on the S\u00farih\n of Kaw[_th_]ar. How am I to describe this scene of\n inexpressible majesty? Verses streamed from His pen with a\n rapidity that was truly astounding. The incredible swiftness\n of His writing, the soft and gentle murmur of His voice,\n and the stupendous force of His style, amazed and bewildered\n me. He continued in this manner until the approach of\n sunset. He did not pause until the entire commentary of the\n S\u00farih was completed. He then laid down His pen and asked for\n tea. Soon after, He began to read it aloud in my presence.\n My heart leaped madly as I heard Him pour out, in accents of\n unutterable sweetness, those treasures enshrined in that\n sublime commentary. I was so entranced by its beauty that\n three times over I was on the verge of fainting. He sought\n to revive my failing strength with a few drops of rose-water\n which He caused to be sprinkled on my face. This restored my\n vigour and enabled me to follow His reading to the end.[7]\n\n [Footnote CD: Qur'\u00e1n, cviii. Kaw[_th_]ar is said to be a\n river in Paradise.]\n\nThe B\u00e1b's conquest of Siyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1 was total. That night and the\ntwo following nights, as instructed by the B\u00e1b, Siyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1\nremained a guest in the house of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Al\u00ed, until he\nhimself and Mull\u00e1 `Abdu'l-Kar\u00edm-i-Qazv\u00edn\u00ed, the scribe, (later known as\nM\u00edrz\u00e1 A\u1e25mad-i-K\u00e1tib), completed the transcription of the B\u00e1b's\ncommentary. Siyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1 has stated:\n\n We verified all the traditions in the text and found them to\n be entirely accurate. Such was the state of certitude to\n which I had attained that if all the powers of the earth\n were to be leagued against me they would be powerless to\n shake my confidence in the greatness of His Cause.[8]\n\nSiyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1 had stayed away for such a long time from the\nGovernor's residence that \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n's suspicions were\naroused. To his impatient queries, Siyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1 replied:\n\n No one but God, who alone can change the hearts of men, is\n able to captivate the heart of Siyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1. Whoso can\n ensnare his heart is of God, and His word unquestionably the\n voice of Truth.[9]\n\n\n\u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n was nonplussed and, for the moment, could only hold\nhis peace; but he wrote bitterly to Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h to denounce\nSiyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1. Nab\u00edl-i-A`\u1e93am states that Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h\nreprimanded his Governor, replying:\n\n It is strictly forbidden to any one of our subjects to utter\n such words as would tend to detract from the exalted rank of\n Siyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1y-i-D\u00e1r\u00e1b\u00ed. He is of noble lineage, a man of\n great learning, of perfect and consummate virtue. He will\n under no circumstances incline his ear to any cause unless\n he believes it to be conducive to the advancement of the\n best interests of our realm and to the well-being of the\n Faith of Isl\u00e1m.[10]\n\nNab\u00edl has also recorded that\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h ... was reported to have addressed\n these words to \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed: 'We have been lately\n informed that Siyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1y-i-D\u00e1r\u00e1b\u00ed has become a B\u00e1b\u00ed.\n If this be true, it behoves us to cease belittling the cause\n of that siyyid.'[10]\n\n`Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1 has stated that Siyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1\n\n wrote without fear or care a detailed account of his\n observations to M\u00edrz\u00e1 Lu\u1e6df-`Al\u00ed, the chamberlain in order\n that the latter might submit it to the notice of the late\n king, while he himself journeyed to all parts of Persia, and\n in every town and station summoned the people from the\n pulpit-tops in such wise that other learned doctors decided\n that he must be mad, accounting it a sure case of\n bewitchment.[11]\n\nAt the bidding of the B\u00e1b, Siyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1 went first to Bur\u00fajird in\nthe province of Lurist\u00e1n, where his father lived, to give that\nmuch-revered divine the tidings of the New Day. The B\u00e1b expressly\ntold him to treat his father with great gentleness. Siyyid\nJa`far-i-Ka[_sh_]f\u00ed[CE] did not wholly turn away from the Faith which\nhis illustrious son was fervently professing and advocating, but\nshowed no desire to identify himself with it. Siyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1, as\ncommanded by the B\u00e1b, did not burden his father more and went his own\nway which he had gladly chosen--the way that was to lead him to\nmartyrdom. Siyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1 is known as Va\u1e25\u00edd--the Unique One--a\ndesignation given to him by the B\u00e1b.[CF]\n\n [Footnote CE: 'The Discloser': he was called 'Ka[_sh_]f\u00ed'\n because of the powers of divination attributed to him.]\n\n [Footnote CF: A letter has survived in the handwriting of\n Va\u1e25\u00edd, addressed to \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid Mu\u1e25ammad, the\n uncle of the B\u00e1b. Therein Va\u1e25\u00edd presents proof to convince\n him of the truth of the claim of his Nephew. See Plate facing\n p. 81 for an example of Va\u1e25\u00edd's handwriting.]\n\nThe divines of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z were insistent that the B\u00e1b should attend a\nFriday gathering in one of the mosques and clarify his position. What\nthey really demanded was the complete renunciation of any claim. This\nattendance in a mosque on a Friday did take place, but the date of it\nis not known.\n\nNab\u00edl-i-A`\u1e93am thus describes the summoning of the B\u00e1b to the Mosque\nof Vak\u00edl:[12]\n\n The B\u00e1b, accompanied by \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Al\u00ed, arrived\n at the Masjid at a time when the Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih had just\n ascended the pulpit and was preparing to deliver his sermon.\n As soon as his eyes fell upon the B\u00e1b, he publicly welcomed\n Him, requested Him to ascend the pulpit, and called upon Him\n to address the congregation. The B\u00e1b, responding to his\n invitation, advanced towards him and, standing on the first\n step of the staircase, prepared to address the people. 'Come\n up higher,' interjected the Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih. Complying with his\n wish, the B\u00e1b ascended two more steps. As He was standing,\n His head hid the breast of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Ab\u00fa-Tur\u00e1b, who was\n occupying the pulpit-top. He began by prefacing His public\n declaration with an introductory discourse. No sooner had\n He uttered the opening words of 'Praise be to God, who hath\n in truth created the heavens and the earth,' than a certain\n siyyid known as Siyyid-i-[_Sh_]i[_sh_]-Par\u00ed, whose function\n was to carry the mace before the Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih, insolently\n shouted: 'Enough of this idle chatter! Declare, now and\n immediately, the thing you intend to say.' The Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih\n greatly resented the rudeness of the siyyid's remark. 'Hold\n your peace,' he rebuked him, 'and be ashamed of your\n impertinence.' He then, turning to the B\u00e1b, asked Him to be\n brief, as this, he said, would allay the excitement of the\n people. The B\u00e1b, as He faced the congregation, declared:\n 'The condemnation of God be upon him who regards me either\n as a representative of the Im\u00e1m or the gate thereof. The\n condemnation of God be also upon whosoever imputes to me the\n charge of having denied the unity of God, of having\n repudiated the prophethood of Mu\u1e25ammad, the Seal of the\n Prophets, of having rejected the truth of any of the\n messengers of old, or of having refused to recognise the\n guardianship of `Al\u00ed, the Commander of the Faithful, or of\n any of the im\u00e1ms who have succeeded him.' He then ascended\n to the top of the staircase, embraced the Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih, and,\n descending to the floor of the Masjid, joined the\n congregation for the observance of the Friday prayer. The\n Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih intervened and requested Him to retire. 'Your\n family,' he said, 'is anxiously awaiting your return. All\n are apprehensive lest any harm befall you. Repair to your\n house and there offer your prayer; of greater merit shall\n this deed be in the sight of God.' \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Al\u00ed\n also was, at the request of the Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih, asked to\n accompany his nephew to his home. This precautionary measure\n which [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Ab\u00fa-Tur\u00e1b thought it wise to observe\n was actuated by the fear lest, after the dispersion of the\n congregation, a few of the evil-minded among the crowd might\n still attempt to injure the person of the B\u00e1b or endanger\n His life. But for the sagacity, the sympathy, and the\n careful attention which the Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih so strikingly\n displayed on a number of such occasions, the infuriated mob\n would doubtless have been led to gratify its savage desire,\n and would have committed the most abominable of excesses. He\n seemed to have been the instrument of the invisible Hand\n appointed to protect both the person and the Mission of that\n Youth.[13]\n\nRegarding that gathering in the Mosque of Vak\u00edl, `Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1 has\nwritten:\n\n One day they summoned him to the mosque urging and\n constraining him to recant, but he discoursed from the\n pulpit in such wise as to silence and subdue those present\n and to stablish and strengthen his followers. It was then\n supposed that he claimed to be the medium of grace from His\n Highness the Lord of the Age[CG] (upon him be peace); but\n afterwards it became known and evident that his meaning was\n the Gate-hood [_B\u00e1biyyat_] of another city and the\n mediumship of the graces of another person whose qualities\n and attributes were contained in his books and\n treatises.[14]\n\n [Footnote CG: \u1e62a\u1e25ibu'z-Zam\u00e1n, i.e., the Q\u00e1'im, the\n Mihd\u00ed (Mahd\u00ed).]\n\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e24ab\u00edbu'll\u00e1h-i-Afn\u00e1n has this record in his chronicle:\n\n'The late \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-S\u00e1diq-i-Mu`allim [Teacher], who\nwas a man of good repute, was relating the story of that day for the\nlate `Andal\u00edb.[15] My brother, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Buzurg, and I were\npresent. This is the summary of what he said: \"I was about twenty-five\nyears old and able to judge an issue. It was noised abroad that the\nGovernor, by the request of the divines, had ordered that the people\nof [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, of all classes, should gather in the Masjid-i-Vak\u00edl, as\nthe Siyyid-i-B\u00e1b was going to renounce His claim. I too went to the\nmosque to find a place near [the pulpit] so that I might hear well\nall that He had to say. From the morning onwards, people, group by\ngroup, thronged the mosque. Three hours before sunset there was such a\npress of people in the mosque that the cloisters and the courtyard and\nthe roofs, even the minarets, were fully crowded. The Governor, the\ndivines, the merchants and the notables were sitting in the cloisters,\nnear the stone pulpit. (This is a pulpit carved out of one piece of\nmarble. It has fourteen steps.) I was also sitting near it. Voices\nwere heard in the courtyard, saying: 'He is coming.' He came through\nthe gate, accompanied by ten footmen and `Abdu'l-\u1e24am\u00edd\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-D\u00e1r\u00fa[_gh_]ih [chief of police], and approached the pulpit.\nHe had His turban on and an `ab\u00e1 on His shoulders. He displayed such\npower and dignity and His bearing was so sublime that I cannot\ndescribe it adequately. That vast gathering seemed as naught to Him.\nHe paid no heed to that assemblage of the people. He addressed\n\u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n and the divines: 'What is your intention in asking\nMe to come here?' They answered: 'The intention is that you should\nascend this pulpit and repudiate your false claim so that this\ncommotion and unrest will subside.' He said nothing and went up to the\nthird step of the pulpit. [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e24usayn, the Tyrant, said\nwith utmost vehemence: 'Go to the top of the pulpit so that all may\nsee and hear you.' The B\u00e1b ascended the pulpit and sat down at the\ntop. All of a sudden, silence fell upon that assemblage. It seemed as\nif there was not a soul in the mosque. The whole concourse of people\nstrained their ears. He began to recite at the start a homily in\nArabic on Divine Unity. It was delivered with utmost eloquence, with\nmajesty and power. It lasted about half an hour, and the concourse of\npeople, high and low, learned and illiterate alike, listened\nattentively and were fascinated. The people's silence infuriated\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e24usayn, who turned to the Governor and said: 'Did\nyou bring this Siyyid here, into the presence of all these people, to\nprove His Cause, or did you bring Him to recant and renounce His\nfalse claim? He will soon with these words win over all these people\nto His side. Tell Him to say what He has to say. What are all these\nidle tales?' \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n, the \u1e62\u00e1\u1e25ib-I[_kh_]tiy\u00e1r, told\nthe B\u00e1b: 'O Siyyid! say what you have been told to say. What is this\nidle chatter?' The B\u00e1b was silent for a moment and then He addressed\nthe crowd: 'O people! Know this well that I speak what My Grandfather,\nthe Messenger of God, spoke twelve hundred and sixty years ago, and I\ndo not speak what My Grandfather did not. \"What Mu\u1e25ammad made\nlawful remains lawful unto the Day of Resurrection and what He forbade\nremains forbidden unto the Day of Resurrection\",[CH] and according to\nthe Tradition that has come down from the Im\u00e1ms, \"Whenever the Q\u00e1'im\narises that will be the Day of Resurrection\".' The B\u00e1b, having spoken\nthose words, descended from the pulpit. Some of the people, who had\nbeen inimical and hostile, that day foreswore their antagonism. But\nwhen the B\u00e1b came face to face with [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e24usayn, that\nenemy raised his walking-stick to strike Him. The late M\u00edrz\u00e1\nAbu'l-\u1e24asan [_Kh_]\u00e1n, the Mu[_sh_]\u00edru'l-Mulk,[CI] who was then a\nyoung man, brought forward his shoulder to ward off the attack, and it\nwas his shoulder that was hit.\"\n\n [Footnote CH: The B\u00e1b was quoting a Muslim Tradition.]\n\n [Footnote CI: He and his father, M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed, the\n first Mu[_sh_]\u00edru'l-Mulk, were the Viziers of F\u00e1rs, in\n succession, over a period of forty years.]\n\n'That \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed [\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-\u1e62\u00e1diq], who was not a\nbeliever but a well-wisher, related this story to the late `Andal\u00edb.\nHis meaning was that the B\u00e1b, on that occasion, affirmed His Cause and\ncompleted His proof before the concourse of people.'\n\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Hab\u00edbu'll\u00e1h goes on to say: 'Then the divines came together\nand passed a sentence of death on the B\u00e1b. They wrote out their verdict\nand affixed their seals to it. The instigator of this move and the\nsource of all mischief was [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e24usayn, the Tyrant, who held\nthe title of N\u00e1\u1e93im'u[_sh_]-[_Sh_]ar\u00edy`ih. Their numbers included\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Ab\u00fa-H\u00e1[_sh_]im, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Asadu'll\u00e1h, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\nMihd\u00edy-i-Kuj\u00far\u00ed and Mull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00edy-i-Ma\u1e25all\u00e1t\u00ed. Next they took\nwhat they had written and sealed to the late [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Ab\u00fa-Tur\u00e1b,\nthe Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih, because he had refused to heed their pleas and had\ndeclined to attend their meeting. Now they presented their paper to the\nIm\u00e1m-Jum`ih and asked him to put his seal on it that \"we may finish off\nthis Siyyid\". [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Ab\u00fa-Tur\u00e1b, on perusing the verdict, became\nvery angry, threw that piece of paper on the ground and said, \"Have you\ngone out of your minds? I will never put my seal on this paper, because\nI have no doubts about the lineage, integrity, piety, nobility and\nhonesty of this Siyyid. I see that this young Man is possessed of all\nthe virtues of Isl\u00e1m and humanity and of all the faculties of intellect.\nThere can be only two sides to this question: He either speaks the\ntruth, or He is, as you allege, a liar. If He be truthful I cannot\nendorse such a verdict on a man of truth, and if He be a liar, as you\naver, tell me which one of us present here is so strictly truthful as to\nsit in judgment upon this Siyyid. Away with you and your false\nimaginings, away, away!\" No matter how hard they tried and how much they\ninsisted, the late [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Ab\u00fa-Tur\u00e1b did not grant them their\nwish; and because he declined to put his seal on their paper, their plan\nwas brought to naught and they did not succeed in achieving their\nobjective.'\n\nAccording to Nicolas, Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h asked Siyyid\nYa\u1e25y\u00e1y-i-D\u00e1r\u00e1b\u00ed to go to [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z and investigate the Cause of\nthe B\u00e1b, when the account of the gathering in the Mosque of Vak\u00edl was\npresented to him.[16]\n\n `Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1 tells us that when the news of the journeys of\n Siyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1y-i-D\u00e1r\u00e1b\u00ed and the anger provoked by them\n reached Zanj\u00e1n, Mull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad `Al\u00ed the divine, who was\n a man of mark possessed of penetrating speech, sent one of\n those on whom he could rely to Sh\u00edr\u00e1z to investigate this\n matter. This person, having acquainted himself with the\n details of these occurrences in such wise as was necessary\n and proper, returned with some [of the B\u00e1b's] writings. When\n the divine heard how matters were and had made himself\n acquainted with the writings, notwithstanding that he was a\n man expert in knowledge and noted for profound research, he\n went mad and became crazed as was predestined: he gathered\n up his books in the lecture-room saying, 'The season of\n spring and wine has arrived,' and uttered this\n sentence:-'_Search for knowledge after reaching the known is\n culpable._' Then from the summit of the pulpit he summoned\n and directed all his disciples [to embrace the doctrine],\n and wrote to the B\u00e1b his own declaration and confession....\n\n Although the doctors of Zanj\u00e1n arose with heart and soul to\n exhort and admonish the people they could effect nothing.\n Finally they were compelled to go to Teher\u00e1n and made their\n complaint before the late king Mu\u1e25ammad Sh\u00e1h, requesting\n that Mull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad `Al\u00ed be summoned to Teher\u00e1n.\n\n Now when he came to Teher\u00e1n they brought him before a\n conclave of the doctors ... after many controversies and\n disputations nought was effected with him in that assembly.\n The late king therefore bestowed on him a staff and fifty\n _t\u00fam\u00e1ns_ for his expenses, and gave him permission to\n return.[17]\n\nThe confidant whom Mull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed of Zanj\u00e1n, better known as \u1e24ujjat\n(the Proof),[CJ] sent to [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z to investigate the Cause of the B\u00e1b\nwas named Mull\u00e1 Iskandar. Nab\u00edl-i-A`\u1e93am describes his return:\n\n He arrived at a time when all the leading `ulam\u00e1s of the\n city had assembled in the presence of \u1e24ujjat. As soon as\n he appeared, \u1e24ujjat enquired whether he believed in, or\n rejected, the new Revelation. Mull\u00e1 Iskandar submitted the\n writings of the B\u00e1b ... and asserted that whatever should be\n the verdict of his master, the same would he deem it his\n obligation to follow. 'What!' angrily exclaimed \u1e24ujjat.\n 'But for the presence of this distinguished company, I would\n have chastised you severely. How dare you consider matters\n of belief to be dependent upon the approbation or rejection\n of others?' Receiving from the hand of his messenger the\n copy of the Qayy\u00famu'l-Asm\u00e1', he, as soon as he had perused a\n page of that book, fell prostrate upon the ground and\n exclaimed: 'I bear witness that these words which I have\n read proceed from the same Source as that of the Qur'\u00e1n.\n Whoso has recognised the truth of that sacred Book must\n needs testify to the Divine origin of these words, and must\n needs submit to the precepts inculcated by their Author. I\n take you, members of this assembly, as my witnesses: I\n pledge such allegiance to the Author of this Revelation that\n should He ever pronounce the night to be the day, and\n declare the sun to be a shadow, I would unreservedly submit\n to His judgment, and would regard His verdict as the voice\n of Truth.'[18]\n\n [Footnote CJ: He was called \u1e24ujjatu'l-Isl\u00e1m (The Proof of\n Isl\u00e1m), an appellation given to highly-placed and\n well-recognized divines. The B\u00e1b gave him the designation:\n \u1e24ujjat-i-Zanj\u00e1n\u00ed.]\n\nMull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed of Zanj\u00e1n, who, like Siyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1 of D\u00e1r\u00e1b,\nwas destined to become a brilliant star in the B\u00e1b\u00ed firmament, was a\npractitioner of the A[_kh_]b\u00e1r\u00ed school,[19] and that had placed him\noftentimes at odds with other divines of his rank and station. Beyond\nthat variance Mull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed was always very forceful and\nemphatic in the expression of his views. That forthrightness,\nsustained by his vast knowledge and lucid speech, had led to serious\ndisputations with his peers. Time and again the mediation of no less a\nperson than the monarch himself had saved the situation from\ndeterioration into violence. He had once before been summoned to\n\u1e6cihr\u00e1n, where, in the presence of Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h, he had\nworsted his opponents. As the common parlance has it, he was not a man\nto mince his words.\n\n * * * * *\n\nThere were a number of B\u00e1b\u00eds in Karbil\u00e1 eagerly awaiting the arrival\nof the B\u00e1b. The news that the B\u00e1b had changed His route shook the\nfaith of a few of them. As instructed by the B\u00e1b Himself, these B\u00e1b\u00eds\nleft Karbil\u00e1 for I\u1e63fah\u00e1n. At Kang\u00e1var, situated between\nKirm\u00e1n[_sh_]\u00e1h and Hamad\u00e1n, they encountered Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn, the\nB\u00e1bu'l-B\u00e1b, and his brother and nephew, whose destination was Karbil\u00e1.\nBut, hearing what had happened, Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn decided to accompany\nthem to I\u1e63fah\u00e1n. There he received the news from [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z that\nthe B\u00e1b was under constraint. He determined to continue on to\n[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, accompanied, as before, by his brother and nephew. He took\noff his turban and clerical robes and put on the accoutrements of a\nhorseman of the Hiz\u00e1rih tribe in [_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n. Thus he entered the\ngate of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z and reached the house of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Al\u00ed.\nSome days later M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00edy-i-Nahr\u00ed with his brother M\u00edrz\u00e1\nH\u00e1d\u00ed, and Mull\u00e1 `Abdu'l-Kar\u00edm-i-Qazv\u00edn\u00ed arrived at [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z,\nand with them were Mull\u00e1 `Abdu'l-`Al\u00edy-i-Hir\u00e1t\u00ed and Mull\u00e1\nJav\u00e1d-i-Bara[_gh_]\u00e1n\u00ed, who were fickle and deeply jealous of Mull\u00e1\n\u1e24usayn. In spite of Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn's disguise, the enemies of the\nB\u00e1b soon recognized him, and the cry went up denouncing his presence\nin [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z. Then the B\u00e1b directed Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn to Yazd, whence\nhe was to proceed to [_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n. Others He also told to leave; only\nMull\u00e1 `Abdu'l-Kar\u00edm remained to be His scribe. Those who had professed\nthe Faith of the B\u00e1b to gain their own ends, such as Mull\u00e1\n`Abdu'l-`Al\u00edy-i-Hir\u00e1t\u00ed, went to Kirm\u00e1n and attached themselves to\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mu\u1e25ammad-Kar\u00edm [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Kirm\u00e1n\u00ed, who, by this date, had\nassumed the leadership of the [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\u00ed community.\n\nA number of other B\u00e1b\u00eds, as previously mentioned, also repaired to\n[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z and attained the presence of the B\u00e1b. One of them was Mull\u00e1\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `Al\u00ed of [_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n, whom the B\u00e1b designated as\n`A\u1e93\u00edm[CK] (Great). He was still in [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z when Siyyid\nYa\u1e25y\u00e1y-i-D\u00e1r\u00e1b\u00ed came to make his investigation. [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\n\u1e24asan-i-Zun\u00faz\u00ed was another. Moreover, [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z itself had by this\ntime a group of native B\u00e1b\u00eds. \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Abu'l-\u1e24asan, the B\u00e1b's\nfellow-pilgrim, was one; another was a nephew of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\nAb\u00fa-Tur\u00e1b, the Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih, a youth named [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]-`Al\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1;\nyet another, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mu\u1e25ammad-Bis\u00e1t, a close friend of the same\nIm\u00e1m-Jum`ih; and to name a few more: M\u00edrz\u00e1-\u00c1q\u00e1y-i-Rik\u00e1b-S\u00e1z\n(Stirrup-maker), destined to fall a martyr, one of the very few who\nquaffed the cup of martyrdom in [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z itself; Lu\u1e6df-`Al\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1,\na descendant of the Af[_sh_]\u00e1r kings (1736-95), whom we shall meet in\na subsequent chapter; \u00c1q\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-Kar\u00edm, a merchant, who was\neventually compelled by continued persecution to abandon his native\ncity; M\u00edrz\u00e1 Ra\u1e25\u00edm, a baker, who became an ardent teacher of the\nFaith; M\u00edrz\u00e1 `Abdu'l-Kar\u00edm, who had the office of key-holder to the\nshrine known as [_Sh_]\u00e1h-[_Ch_]ir\u00e1[_gh_][CL] (King of the Lamp) where\nM\u00edr A\u1e25mad, a brother of the eighth Im\u00e1m, is buried; Ma[_sh_]had\u00ed\nAbu'l-Q\u00e1sim-i-Labb\u00e1f (Quilt-maker), whose son \u1e24i[_sh_]mat achieved\nfame as a poet; M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mihd\u00ed, a poet of note, whose soubriquet was\n\u1e62\u00e1bir (Patient), and his son, M\u00edrz\u00e1 `Al\u00ed-Akbar. Most of these\nnative B\u00e1b\u00eds of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z embraced the Faith after hearing the B\u00e1b\nfrom the pulpit of the Mosque of Vak\u00edl.\n\n [Footnote CK: `A\u1e93\u00edm is numerically equivalent to\n [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `Al\u00ed.]\n\n [Footnote CL: Many of the relatives of the B\u00e1b, including His\n uncle, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid Mu\u1e25ammad, were buried inside\n this shrine.]\n\nBy the summer of 1846, the B\u00e1b had cleared the way for another chapter\nin the progress of His Ministry. He bequeathed all His property\njointly to His mother and to His wife, who was to inherit subsequently\nthe whole estate.[CM] Then He took up His residence in the house of\nHis uncle, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Al\u00ed. That was the house where He was\nborn and where He had spent much of His childhood. At the time of this\nmove, He told those of His followers who had come to make their home\nin [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z to go to I\u1e63fah\u00e1n. Included in that group were Siyyid\n\u1e24usayn-i-Yazd\u00ed, one of the Letters of the Living, who later became\nthe amanuensis of the B\u00e1b, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e24asan-i-Zun\u00faz\u00ed and Mull\u00e1\n`Abdu'l-Kar\u00edm-i-Qazv\u00edn\u00ed, the scribe.\n\n [Footnote CM: See Plate facing p. 193.]\n\nOne evening it was reported to the Governor that a large number of\nB\u00e1b\u00eds had gathered in the house of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Al\u00ed.\n\u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n ordered `Abdu'l-\u1e24am\u00edd [_Kh_]\u00e1n, the D\u00e1r\u00fa[_gh_]ih\n(chief constable) of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, to rush the house of the uncle of the\nB\u00e1b, surprise its occupants and arrest everyone he found there.\nAccording to Nicolas, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed had instructed the Governor\nto put the B\u00e1b to death in secret. It was apparently \u1e24usayn\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n's intention to carry out the orders of the Grand Vizier that\nnight. However, that very night a severe cholera epidemic swept the\ncity,[CN] and \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n fled precipitately. The chief\nconstable and his men entered \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Al\u00ed's house by way\nof the roof-top, but found no one with the B\u00e1b, except His uncle and\none disciple, Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im-i-Zanj\u00e1n\u00ed. With the Governor gone, the\nchief constable decided to take the B\u00e1b to his own house. Reaching his\nhome, `Abdu'l-\u1e24am\u00edd [_Kh_]\u00e1n found, to his horror and distress,\nthat within the few hours of his absence his sons had been struck by\ncholera. He pleaded with the B\u00e1b for their recovery. It was now the\nhour of dawn and the B\u00e1b was preparing to say His morning prayer. He\ngave `Abdu'l-Ham\u00edd [_Kh_]\u00e1n some of the water with which He was making\nHis ablutions and told him to take it to his sons to drink; they would\nrecover, the B\u00e1b assured the chief constable. They recovered indeed,\nand `Abdu'l-Ham\u00edd [_Kh_]\u00e1n was so overwhelmed with joy and gratitude\nthat he sought out the Governor and begged \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n to\npermit him to release the B\u00e1b. `Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1 states in _A Traveller's\nNarrative_ that \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n consented on condition that the B\u00e1b\nagreed to depart from [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z.[20]\n\n [Footnote CN: On October 15th 1846, Major Hennell reported\n from B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr to Sheil in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n that cholera reached\n [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z about September 22nd, and that 'immediately the\n fact was ascertained' \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n left [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z and\n went well away. At the time of his writing, Hennell states,\n the Governor had come back, to B\u00e1[_gh_]-i-Ta[_kh_]t, a garden\n and palace on the northern heights overlooking [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z. On\n November 16th, Hennell reported that 'the cholera has ceased\n its ravages at Shiraz', that it had spread as far away as\n Fas\u00e1 and Jahrum, that there had been no fatal cases in\n B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr, and that Ba\u1e63rah and Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d in Turkish\n domains had suffered most, deaths numbering up to 200 a day\n in Ba\u1e63rah. (F.O. 268/113.)]\n\n\nNOTE\n\nWhen this book had reached the stage of paginated proofs, the writer\nreceived a number of very important documents, one of which is a\nhistorical find of prime importance. It is a letter from the B\u00e1b to His\nuncle, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Al\u00ed, written at Kun\u00e1r-Ta[_kh_]tih, a stage\nfurther from D\u00e1lak\u00ed, on the B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr-[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z road. It was at\nD\u00e1lak\u00ed that He encountered the horsemen sent to arrest Him. He mentions\nthe esteem shown to Him by those horsemen. But the importance of this\nletter lies in the fact that it is precisely dated: 24th of the 2nd\nJam\u00e1d\u00ed 1261, which corresponds to June 30th 1845. The date of the B\u00e1b's\ndeparture from B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr had nowhere been recorded and had remained\nunknown. It must have taken Him another week, at least, to reach\n[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z. Departing for I\u1e63fah\u00e1n in the last days of September 1846,\nHis sojurn in His native city was, thus, less than fifteen months.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER 8\n\nTHE CITY OF `ABB\u00c1S THE GREAT\n\n The garlands wither on your brow,\n Then boast no more your mighty deeds;\n Upon Death's purple altar now\n See where the victor-victim bleeds:\n Your heads must come\n To the cold tomb;\n Only the actions of the just\n Smell sweet and blossom in the dust.\n --James Shirley\n\n\nAutumn was setting in when the B\u00e1b left the house of `Abdu'l-\u1e24am\u00edd\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n, turned His back on [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z and took the road to\nI\u1e63fah\u00e1n. He was attended by Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im-i-Zanj\u00e1n\u00ed.[1] No\nopportunity had there been for Him to see His mother and His wife, and\nthey never met again. But He said farewell to His uncle, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1\nSiyyid `Al\u00ed.\n\nHis family was in great distress, and the confounded and frustrated\nGovernor turned upon them to give vent to his fury. First he seized\nand chastised the venerable \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Al\u00ed, then had his\nmen break into the house of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Abu'l-Q\u00e1sim, the\nbrother-in-law of the B\u00e1b, who was dangerously ill in bed. He was\ndragged out, carried to the Governor's residence, threatened, reviled\nand fined. Porters took him back to his house, slinging him over their\nshoulders since he was unable to walk. The people of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z were\nwarned that if a single sheet of the writings of the B\u00e1b was found in\ntheir possession, they would be severely punished. In their panic,\nscores dashed to the house of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Abu'l-Q\u00e1sim with bundles\nof the writings of the B\u00e1b, all written in His own hand, threw them\ninto the open portico of the house and dashed away, lest they might be\nseen with the incriminating material. \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Al\u00ed\nadvised the members of that household to wash away the ink and bury\nthe sodden paper.[CO]\n\n [Footnote CO: The present writer remembers hearing from his\n mother her recollections of her paternal grandmother, the\n wife of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Abu'l-Q\u00e1sim, which included an account\n of the washing away of the writings of the B\u00e1b. Huge copper\n collanders were used for the purpose. The paper was either\n buried or thrown into wells.]\n\nA day or two before the house of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Al\u00ed was raided,\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Abu'l-Q\u00e1sim wrote to \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid Mu\u1e25ammad,\nwho was still in B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr, in tones of great dismay: opposition was\nmounting, even a relative by marriage was vociferously denouncing the\nB\u00e1b (whom he names as \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 `Al\u00ed-Mu\u1e25ammad throughout his\nletter) and \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Al\u00ed. As there were certain matters\nwhich \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Al\u00ed could not manage by himself, he\ndesired \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid Mu\u1e25ammad to come as soon as possible\nfrom B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr, to do all that was needed to settle their affairs.\n'Some people may feel ashamed and keep within bounds when they see\nyou,' he wrote. He wanted to be freed of their trading engagements so\nthat he could take his family and leave [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, to avoid any\nfurther injustices.\n\n * * * * *\n\nI\u1e63fah\u00e1n, towards which the B\u00e1b set His face, was and is, _par\nexcellence_, the city of `Abb\u00e1s the Great, the most illustrious of the\n\u1e62afavid monarchs (1501-1732), who is best known in the West because\nof his association with the Sherley brothers and the East India\nCompany, with whose aid he drove the Portuguese out of the Persian\nGulf. He is 'The Great Sophy' of Shakespeare. I\u1e63fah\u00e1n had been the\ncapital of the Salj\u00faqs (Seljucids), centuries before, but it had\nsuffered neglect in the intervening years. [_Sh_]ah `Abb\u00e1s moved his\ncapital from Qazv\u00edn to I\u1e63fah\u00e1n, and began restoring the city which\nwas to be styled, erelong, Ni\u1e63f-i-Jah\u00e1n--Half-the-World.\nMagnificent mosques and colleges and pavilions, and the largest public\nsquare in the world, are prominent among that great ruler's works, and\nare there today to inspire wonder and admiration. But with the decline\nand eventual fall of the \u1e62afavids, I\u1e63fah\u00e1n, too, declined and\nmet with repeated misfortunes in the days of the Q\u00e1j\u00e1rs, who pulled\ndown or painted over \u1e62afavid buildings.\n\nIn that autumn of 1846, the Governor-General of I\u1e63fah\u00e1n was a\nGeorgian eunuch: Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n, the Mu`tamidu'd-Dawlih. He\nhad been, writes Layard,\n\n purchased in his childhood as a slave, had been brought up a\n Musulman, and reduced to his unhappy condition. Like many of\n his kind, he was employed when young in the public service,\n and had by his remarkable abilities risen to the highest\n posts. He had for many years enjoyed the confidence and the\n favour of the Shah. Considered the best administrator in the\n kingdom, he had been sent to govern the great province of\n Isfahan, which included within its limits the wild and\n lawless tribes of the Lurs and Bakhtiyari, generally in\n rebellion, and the semi-independent Arab population of the\n plains between the Luristan Mountains and the Euphrates. He\n was hated and feared for his cruelty, but it was generally\n admitted that he ruled justly, that he protected the weak\n from oppression by the strong, and that where he was able to\n enforce his authority life and property were secure.[2]\n\nLayard established a close friendship with Mu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n,\nthe chieftain of the [_Ch_]ah\u00e1r-Lang section of the Ba[_kh_]t\u00edy\u00e1r\u00eds.\nMan\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n captured this chieftain, after lengthy\nmanoeuvres, and sent him with his family to \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, where he died.\nChiefly for that reason Layard is not at all complimentary in his\ncopious writings about Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n. There is no doubt that\nthe Ba[_kh_]t\u00edy\u00e1r\u00ed chieftain was in rebellion against the central\ngovernment and even intended to take himself and his territory out of\nits jurisdiction. The proof is afforded by the fact that he sent Henry\nLayard to the island of [_Kh_]\u00e1rg, then occupied by British forces, to\nsound the British authorities for support. Hennell told Layard that\nalthough Britain was in a state bordering on war with \u00cdr\u00e1n, she would\nnot countenance or encourage insurrection or secession.\n\nDisregarding Layard's prejudices, the fact remains that historical\nevidence exists in plenty to prove that Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n had, in\nthe company of his peers, his ample share of avarice and cruelty. He\nhad been a faithful servant of Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h, had fought\nbattles for him to make his throne secure, and had, in successive\nappointments, pacified a vast area of the country, stretching from\nKirm\u00e1n[_sh_]\u00e1h in the west to I\u1e63fah\u00e1n in the central regions, and\nto the waters of the Persian Gulf in the south. When he served as the\nVizier of the province of F\u00e1rs, he put down an uprising, brought some\nseventy to eighty prisoners with him to [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, and outside the\ngate of B\u00e1[_gh_]-i-[_Sh_]\u00e1h had a tower erected with their living\nbodies, which was held firm by mortar.\n\nThe B\u00e1b, as He approached I\u1e63fah\u00e1n, wrote a letter to Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n in which he asked for shelter. Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im-i-Zanj\u00e1n\u00ed took the\nletter to the Governor, who, greatly impressed by it, sent it on to\nSiyyid Mu\u1e25ammad, the Sul\u1e6d\u00e1nu'l-`Ulam\u00e1, the Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih of I\u1e63fah\u00e1n, and\nrequested that high dignitary to open his home to the B\u00e1b. The\nIm\u00e1m-Jum`ih dispatched a number of people close to himself, amongst them\nhis brother,[CP] some distance out of the city to escort the B\u00e1b to\nI\u1e63fah\u00e1n, and at the city-limits he himself welcomed the Visitor with\nrespect and reverence. He went far beyond the usual marks of cordial\nhospitality, even to the extent of pouring water from a ewer over the\nhands of the B\u00e1b, a task normally performed by attendants.\n\n [Footnote CP: This man in future years proved so hostile,\n bloodthirsty and rapacious that Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h designated him as\n 'Raq[_sh_]\u00e1', the She-Serpent.]\n\nThere were, by this time, an appreciable number of B\u00e1b\u00eds in\nI\u1e63fah\u00e1n, many of them natives of the city and some directed there\nby the B\u00e1b Himself. Amongst the wider public the fame of the B\u00e1b\nspread rapidly. There was one occasion when people came to take away\nthe water He had used for His ablutions, so greatly did they value it.\nHis host was enthralled by the B\u00e1b. One night, after the evening meal,\nhe asked his Guest to write for him a commentary on the S\u00farih of\nV'al-`A\u1e63r (Afternoon--Qur'\u00e1n ciii), one of the shortest S\u00farihs:\n\n By the afternoon!\n Surely Man is in the way of loss,\n save those who believe, and do righteous deeds,\n and counsel each other unto the truth,\n and counsel each other to be steadfast.[3]\n\nThe B\u00e1b took up His pen and wrote His commentary, there and\nthen, to the astonishment and delight of all who were present.\nIt was past midnight when the assemblage broke up. Mull\u00e1\nMu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00edy-i-Hir\u00e1t\u00ed, one of the divines of I\u1e63fah\u00e1n, was so\novercome by the power of the B\u00e1b's pen and voice that he said with\ngreat feeling:\n\n Peerless and unique as are the words which have streamed\n from this pen, to be able to reveal, within so short a time\n and in so legible a writing, so great a number of verses as\n to equal a fourth, nay a third, of the Qur'\u00e1n, is in itself\n an achievement such as no mortal, without the intervention\n of God, could hope to perform.[4]\n\nPeople of all ranks flocked to the house of the Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih.\nMan\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n himself called there to meet the B\u00e1b. He was a\nproud man and a powerful Governor, ruling over an important section of\nthe realm. His visit to a young Siyyid, hitherto unknown, indicates the\nmeasure of change wrought in him by that one letter which he had\nreceived from the B\u00e1b. Indeed, Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n was to become a\nchanged man under the influence of the B\u00e1b, who had been a fugitive and\nan exile at his door. He now asked the B\u00e1b for a treatise on\n'Nubuvvat-i-[_Kh_]\u00e1\u1e63\u1e63ih'--the specific station and mission of the\nProphet Mu\u1e25ammad. Again surrounded by a number of the leading divines of\nI\u1e63fah\u00e1n, the B\u00e1b wrote instantaneously the treatise which the Governor\ndesired. Within two hours He produced a disquisition of fifty pages,\nsuperbly reasoned, proving unassailably the claim and the achievement of\nIsl\u00e1m, and ending His theme on the subject of the advent of the Q\u00e1'im\nand the Return of Im\u00e1m \u1e24usayn (Rij`at-i-\u1e24usayn\u00ed). Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n's immediate response was:\n\n Hear me! Members of this revered assembly, I take you as my\n witnesses. Never until this day have I in my heart been\n firmly convinced of the truth of Isl\u00e1m. I can henceforth,\n thanks to this exposition penned by this Youth, declare\n myself a firm believer in the Faith proclaimed by the\n Apostle of God. I solemnly testify to my belief in the\n reality of the superhuman power with which this Youth is\n endowed, a power which no amount of learning can ever\n impart.[5]\n\nIt was inevitable that soon the jealousy of the clergy would be\naroused. \u00c1q\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-Mihd\u00ed,[CQ] the son of the renowned \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed\nMu\u1e25ammad-Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm-i-Kalb\u00e1s\u00ed, began to use the pulpit to insult and\ndisparage the B\u00e1b. When \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed heard of the situation in\nI\u1e63fah\u00e1n, he wrote to upbraid the Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih for having harboured\nthe B\u00e1b. The Grand Vizier was afraid that Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n,\nbecause of the confidence that Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h reposed in him,\nmight succeed in arranging a meeting between the B\u00e1b and the monarch.\nThe hold which \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed had on Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h was\nchiefly due to the quasi-religious nature of their relationship. He\nwas the mur[_sh_]id (spiritual guide) and his king was the mur\u00edd\n(disciple). The Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih, still loyal, took no step in opposition,\nbut endeavoured to reduce the number of visitors.\n\n [Footnote CQ: Because of his stupidity \u00c1q\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-Mihd\u00ed\n was mockingly called Saf\u00edhu'l-`Ulam\u00e1--the Foolish One of the\n Learned.]\n\nAs the clamour of the opponents increased, Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n\nthought of a scheme to silence them. He invited the leading divines to\nmeet the B\u00e1b at his home and argue their case. \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed\nSiyyid Asadu'll\u00e1h, the son of the celebrated \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid\nMu\u1e25ammad-B\u00e1qir-i-Ra[_sh_]t\u00ed, declined the invitation and advised\nthe rest to do the same:\n\n I have sought to excuse myself and I would most certainly\n urge you to do the same. I regard it as most unwise of you\n to meet the Siyyid-i-B\u00e1b face to face. He will, no doubt,\n reassert his claim and will, in support of his argument,\n adduce whatever proof you may desire him to give, and,\n without the least hesitation, will reveal as a testimony to\n the truth he bears, verses of such a number as would equal\n half the Qur'\u00e1n. In the end he will challenge you in these\n words: 'Produce likewise, if ye are men of truth.' We can in\n no wise successfully resist him. If we disdain to answer\n him, our impotence will have been exposed. If we, on the\n other hand, submit to his claim, we shall not only be\n forfeiting our own reputation, our own prerogatives and\n rights, but will have committed ourselves to acknowledge any\n further claims that he may feel inclined to make in the\n future.[6]\n\nOnly \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mu\u1e25ammad-Ja`far-i-\u00c1b\u00e1di'\u00ed took \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid\nAsadu'll\u00e1h's advice and kept away. In the presence of Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n, M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e24asan-i-N\u00far\u00ed was the first to pose a question.\nM\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e24asan was a follower of the I[_sh_]r\u00e1q\u00ed school (Platonism),\nand his question concerned certain elements of the philosophy\nof Mull\u00e1 \u1e62adr\u00e1 contained in his celebrated work: the\n_\u1e24ikmatu'l-`Ar[_sh_]\u00edyyah_ (Celestial or Divine Philosophy).[7] The\nB\u00e1b's answers, even though couched in simple terms, were beyond the\ngrasp of M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e24asan's mind. 'The Foolish One of the Learned' was\nthe next to face the B\u00e1b, and he began to probe into points of Islamic\njurisprudence. Unable to withstand the force of the B\u00e1b's exposition\nhe started a verbal assault which the Governor quickly brought to an\nend. Sensing the mood of the audience, Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n deemed\nit prudent that the B\u00e1b should stay under the protection of his roof\nand not return to the house of the Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih, where he had been a\nguest for forty days.\n\nThe next move came from the divines. Like their compatriots in\n[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, they gathered together and passed a verdict on the B\u00e1b\nwhich carried with it the sentence of death. Both \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid\nAsadu'll\u00e1h-i-Ra[_sh_]t\u00ed and \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mu\u1e25ammad-Ja`far-i-\u00c1b\u00e1di'\u00ed\nrefused to be identified with it, but the Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih, with an eye to\nhis position, wrote:\n\n I testify that in the course of my association with this\n youth I have been unable to discover any act that would in\n any way betray his repudiation of the doctrines of Islam. On\n the contrary, I have known him as a pious and loyal observer\n of its precepts. The extravagance of his claims, however,\n and his disdainful contempt for the things of the world,\n incline me to believe that he is devoid of reason and\n judgment.[8]\n\nMu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h had already instructed Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n to\nsend the B\u00e1b to \u1e6cihr\u00e1n. The transforming power of the B\u00e1b can now\nbe discerned. Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n had served the Q\u00e1j\u00e1r monarch\nfaithfully at all times. His generalship had helped to secure\nMu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h's position. But, once conquered by the B\u00e1b and\nwon over to His Cause, Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n unhesitatingly availed\nhimself of the [_Sh_]\u00e1h's command, not to send the B\u00e1b immediately to\nthe capital which would have put Him at the mercy of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1\n\u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed, but to shield Him from His enemies. Under public gaze the B\u00e1b\nwas escorted out of I\u1e63fah\u00e1n, guarded by five hundred horsemen.\nNab\u00edl-i-A`\u1e93am writes:\n\n Imperative orders had been given that at the completion of\n each farsang[CR] one hundred of this mounted escort should\n return directly to I\u1e63fah\u00e1n. To the chief of the last\n remaining contingent, a man in whom he placed implicit\n confidence, the Mu`tamid confidentially intimated his desire\n that at every mayd\u00e1n[CS] twenty of the remaining hundred\n should likewise be ordered by him to return to the city. Of\n the twenty remaining horsemen, the Mu`tamid directed that\n ten should be despatched to Ardist\u00e1n for the purpose of\n collecting the taxes levied by the government, and that the\n rest, all of whom should be of his tried and most reliable\n men, should, by an unfrequented route, bring the B\u00e1b back in\n disguise to I\u1e63fah\u00e1n. They were, moreover, instructed so\n to regulate their march that before dawn of the ensuing day\n the B\u00e1b should have arrived at I\u1e63fah\u00e1n and should have\n been delivered into his custody.... At an unsuspected hour,\n the B\u00e1b re-entered the city, was directly conducted to the\n private residence of the Mu`tamid, known by the name of\n `Im\u00e1rat-i-[_Kh_]ur[_sh_]\u00edd [the Sun-House], and was\n introduced, through a side entrance reserved for the\n Mu`tamid himself, into his private apartments. The governor\n waited in person on the B\u00e1b, served His meals, and provided\n whatever was required for His comfort and safety.[9]\n\n [Footnote CR: Three miles roughly to a farsang or\n farsa[_kh_].]\n\n [Footnote CS: Mayd\u00e1n is a public square or an arena; as a\n measure of distance it was an indeterminate sub-division of a\n farsang.]\n\n`Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1 states in _A Traveller's Narrative_ that Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n gave secret orders for the return of the B\u00e1b when He and His\nescort had reached M\u00far[_ch_]ih-[_Kh_]\u00e1r, some thirty-five miles to the\nnorth of I\u1e63fah\u00e1n.[10]\n\nWild rumours began to circulate regarding the fate of the B\u00e1b. It was\nbelieved that He had been executed in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n. To allay the fears of\nthe B\u00e1b\u00eds of I\u1e63fah\u00e1n the B\u00e1b allowed Mull\u00e1 `Abdu'l-Kar\u00edm-i-Qazv\u00edn\u00ed,\nSiyyid \u1e24usayn-i-Yazd\u00ed and [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e24asan-i-Zun\u00faz\u00ed to be\nbrought to meet Him. He entrusted them with the task of transcribing\nHis Writings. Not long afterwards, He instructed them to tell the\nother B\u00e1b\u00eds who had moved to I\u1e63fah\u00e1n to leave the city and go\nnorthwards, to K\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1n, or Qum or \u1e6cihr\u00e1n.\n\nNot long before his death, Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n offered the B\u00e1b all\nhis immense fortune,[CT] and the resources of his army which were\nconsiderable, that they might march to \u1e6cihr\u00e1n and approach the\nperson of Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h. Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n was certain\nthat the monarch, who trusted him completely, would listen to his\nplea, recognize the truth of the Revelation of the B\u00e1b, and\nwhole-heartedly lend his support to the promotion of the new Faith.\nAnd Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n looked even beyond the frontiers of \u00cdr\u00e1n,\nfor he told the B\u00e1b: '... I hope to be enabled to incline the hearts\nof the rulers and kings of the earth to this most wondrous Cause...'\nTo this the B\u00e1b replied:\n\n May God requite you for your noble intentions. So lofty a\n purpose is to Me even more precious than the act itself.\n Your days and Mine are numbered, however; they are too short\n to enable Me to witness, and allow you to achieve, the\n realisation of your hopes. Not by the means which you fondly\n imagine will an almighty Providence accomplish the triumph\n of His Faith. Through the poor and lowly of this land, by\n the blood which these shall have shed in His path, will the\n omnipotent Sovereign ensure the preservation and consolidate\n the foundation of His Cause. That same God will, in the\n world to come, place upon your head the crown of immortal\n glory, and will shower upon you His inestimable blessings.\n Of the span of your earthly life there remain only three\n months and nine days, after which you shall, with faith and\n certitude, hasten to your eternal abode.[12]\n\n [Footnote CT: According to Nicolas, the French envoy in\n \u1e6cihr\u00e1n (M. de Bonni\u00e8re) wrote to the Ministry of Foreign\n Affairs in Paris, on March 4th 1847, that Mu`tamidu'd-Dawlih,\n the Governor of I\u1e63fah\u00e1n, had died, leaving a fortune\n estimated at 40 million francs.[11]]\n\nThe B\u00e1b, in His Tablet addressed to Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h, states that\nHe foretold, in a letter to two divines in Yazd, the date of the death\nof Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n, eighty-seven days before it occurred. And\nHe mentions that Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n had offered Him all that he\npossessed, even taking off his rings and placing them before Him.\n\nMan\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n had come to realize that his wealth was the\nproduct of oppression. The B\u00e1b accepted both his repentance and his\nwealth, then returned to him his riches for his use until his death,\nwhich occurred in the month of Rab\u00ed`u'l-Avval 1263 A.H.\n(February-March 1847 A.D.)\n\nEven though in his will Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n left all his property\nto the B\u00e1b, his nephew and successor, Gurg\u00edn [_Kh_]\u00e1n, appropriated\neverything after his death, and informed Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h that the\nB\u00e1b was in I\u1e63fah\u00e1n, having been kept, well-protected, by the late\nGovernor in the seclusion of `Im\u00e1rat-i-[_Kh_]ur[_sh_]\u00edd. Mu\u1e25ammad\n[_Sh_]\u00e1h's trust in Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n was not shaken. He felt\ncertain that that wise man and faithful servant had guarded the B\u00e1b\nagainst all possible harm until an opportune time when a meeting\nbetween himself and the B\u00e1b could be arranged. He issued orders for\nthe removal of the B\u00e1b to the capital in such wise that He should not\nbe recognized _en route_.\n\nThose four months in the private residence of the Governor of\nI\u1e63fah\u00e1n were the calmest that the B\u00e1b was to experience throughout\nHis Ministry.[13]\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER 9\n\nTHE ANTICHRIST OF THE B\u00c1B\u00cd REVELATION\n\n No! by heav'n, which He\n Holds, and the abyss and the immensity\n Of worlds and life, which I hold with Him--No!\n I have a victor, true, but no superior.\n Homage he has from all, but none from me.\n I battle it against Him, as I battled\n In highest heav'n. Through all eternity\n And the unfathomable gulfs of Hades\n And the interminable realms of space\n And the infinity of endless ages,\n All, all, will I dispute. And world by world\n And star by star and universe by universe\n Shall tremble in the balance, till the great\n Conflict shall cease, if ever it shall cease....\n --Lucifer in _Cain_ by Lord Byron\n\n\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed, the Grand Vizier and the spiritual guide of\nMu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h, has been called the Antichrist of the B\u00e1b\u00ed\nRevelation.[1] He was a man bankrupt of ideas and bereft of graces. A\nnative of \u00cdrav\u00e1n[CU] in the Caucasus, his real name was M\u00edrz\u00e1 `Abb\u00e1s.\nFrom the day he learned of the advent of the B\u00e1b, he bore Him intense\nenmity which never abated. It was he who prevented a meeting between\nthe B\u00e1b and Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h, when, by the direct order of the\n[_Sh_]\u00e1h himself, the B\u00e1b was moved from I\u1e63fah\u00e1n and it seemed that\nthe cherished hope of Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n for their meeting would\nat last be realized.\n\n [Footnote CU: Yerevan or Erivan, today the capital of the\n Armenian Socialist Soviet Republic.]\n\nFollowing the instructions of Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h, Gurg\u00edn [_Kh_]\u00e1n gave\nthe custody of the B\u00e1b to Mu\u1e25ammad Big-i-[_Ch_]\u00e1p\u00e1r[_ch_]\u00ed (the chief\ncourier). Mu\u1e25ammad Big belonged to the sect of Ahl-i-\u1e24aqq (the People of\nTruth), commonly known as the `Al\u00edyu'll\u00e1h\u00ed, who have had a long\ntradition of tolerance, liberalism and rectitude.[2] `Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1 states\nin _A Traveller's Narrative_ that the guards who escorted the B\u00e1b, on\nthis journey to the north, were Nu\u1e63ayr\u00ed horsemen. Nu\u1e63ayr\u00eds and\n`Al\u00edyu'll\u00e1h\u00eds are almost identical.\n\nThe first town on their road to the capital was K\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1n. \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed\nM\u00edrz\u00e1 J\u00e1n\u00ed, the B\u00e1b\u00ed merchant of that town, had dreamt that he beheld\nthe B\u00e1b approaching K\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1n by the `A\u1e6d\u1e6d\u00e1r (Druggist) Gate.\nKeeping watch by that gate, on the eve of Naw-R\u00faz, he saw his dream\nfulfilled, for there was the B\u00e1b on horseback coming towards\nK\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1n. As he went forward to kiss His stirrup, the B\u00e1b told him:\n'We are to be your Guest for three nights.'[3] This was exactly what\nhe had heard the B\u00e1b say to him in his dream. Mu\u1e25ammad Big,\nnoticing the warmth of their greeting, thought that the young Siyyid\nin his charge and the citizen of K\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1n were friends of long\nstanding, and he readily agreed to let the B\u00e1b stay in the house of\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 J\u00e1n\u00ed. A colleague, however, refused to give his consent;\nhe had been told, he said, not to allow the B\u00e1b to enter any city _en\nroute_. After a lengthy argument Mu\u1e25ammad Big succeeded in\npersuading this colleague to withdraw his objection. \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1\nJ\u00e1n\u00ed was prepared to invite the whole escort to be his guests, but the\nB\u00e1b did not permit it. Siyyid \u1e24usayn-i-Yazd\u00ed, who had already\nproceeded to K\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1n as bidden by the B\u00e1b, that night attained His\npresence. While the B\u00e1b was dictating a Tablet to Siyyid \u1e24usayn, in\nhonour of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 J\u00e1n\u00ed, a friend of the K\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1n\u00ed merchant was\nannounced. His name was Siyyid `Abdu'l-B\u00e1q\u00ed, and he was reputed for\nhis erudition; he sat and listened to the B\u00e1b, but failed to be moved\nby what he heard and noticed. Some days after the B\u00e1b left K\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1n\nhe learned who that young Siyyid was. He was sorrow-stricken that he\nhad not recognized the powers of the B\u00e1b and withdrew from society for\nthe rest of his life.\n\nOn the second day after Naw-R\u00faz the B\u00e1b rejoined His escort to journey\ntowards Qum,[CV] the next city on the road to \u1e6cihr\u00e1n. They did not\nenter Qum but went on to the village of Qumr\u00fad, where the entire\npopulation was `Al\u00edyu'll\u00e1h\u00ed. Nab\u00edl-i-A`\u1e93am writes:\n\n At the invitation of the headman of the village, the B\u00e1b\n tarried one night in that place and was touched by the\n warmth and spontaneity of the reception which those simple\n folk had accorded Him. Ere He resumed His journey, He\n invoked the blessings of the Almighty in their behalf and\n cheered their hearts with assurances of His appreciation and\n love.[4]\n\n [Footnote CV: Qum is the second holy city of \u00cdr\u00e1n.\n Ma[_sh_]had which holds the Shrine of Im\u00e1m Ri\u1e0d\u00e1 has pride\n of place.]\n\nTwo days later, in the afternoon of March 28th, they reached the\nfortress of Kin\u00e1r-Gird, only twenty-eight miles from \u1e6cihr\u00e1n. The\nlong journey from I\u1e63fah\u00e1n was almost over. But here \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1\n\u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed intervened and sent instructions to Mu\u1e25ammad Big to take the\nB\u00e1b to the village of Kulayn, where the great [_Sh_]\u00ed`ah jurisconsult,\nMu\u1e25ammad ibn-i-Ya`q\u00fab was born and is buried.[CW] \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1\n\u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed himself was the owner of Kulayn, and a tent which belonged to\nhim was pitched outside the village to accommodate the B\u00e1b. It was a\ndelectable spot with lush vegetation, orchards and running brooks. The\nB\u00e1b was delighted, but uncertainties of the future overshadowed Him.\nDays passed without further instruction from \u1e6cihr\u00e1n. Siyyid\n\u1e24usayn-i-Yazd\u00ed and his brother Siyyid \u1e24asan, as well as Mull\u00e1\n`Abdu'l-Kar\u00edm-i-Qazv\u00edn\u00ed and [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e24asan-i-Zun\u00faz\u00ed, came to\nKulayn to attend the B\u00e1b. And from \u1e6cihr\u00e1n came Mull\u00e1\nMihd\u00edy-i-[_Kh_]u'\u00ed accompanied by Mull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-Mihd\u00edy-i-Kind\u00ed,\nthe latter bearing a letter and presents from Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h. Receiving\nthem brought the B\u00e1b untold joy.[5]\n\n [Footnote CW: Commonly known as al-Kulayn\u00ed, he died in A.D.\n 941. He was the author of _U\u1e63\u00fal al-K\u00e1f\u00ed_ (_U\u1e63\u00fal-i-K\u00e1f\u00ed_\n in Persian usage), one of the four books that form the\n compendium of the belief and practice of\n I[_th_]n\u00e1-`A[_sh_]ar\u00eds ('Twelvers'). These are the\n [_Sh_]\u00ed`ahs who believe in the major occultation of the\n Twelfth Im\u00e1m, Mu\u1e25ammad ibn-i-\u1e24asan al-`Askar\u00ed.]\n\nAccording to _A Traveller's Narrative_ the B\u00e1b's sojourn in Kulayn was\nlengthened into twenty days.[6] During this time a remarkable incident\noccurred which Mull\u00e1 `Abdu'l-Kar\u00edm has thus related:\n\n My companions and I were fast asleep in the vicinity of the\n tent of the B\u00e1b when the trampling of horsemen suddenly\n awakened us. We were soon informed that the tent of the B\u00e1b\n was vacant and that those who had gone out in search of Him\n had failed to find Him. We heard Mu\u1e25ammad Big remonstrate\n with the guards. 'Why feel disturbed?' he pleaded. 'Are not\n His magnanimity and nobleness of soul sufficiently\n established in your eyes to convince you that He will never,\n for the sake of His own safety, consent to involve others in\n embarrassment? He, no doubt, must have retired, in the\n silence of this moonlit night, to a place where He can seek\n undisturbed communion with God. He will unquestionably\n return to His tent. He will never desert us.' In his\n eagerness to reassure his colleagues, Mu\u1e25ammad Big set\n out on foot along the road leading to \u1e6cihr\u00e1n. I, too,\n with my companions, followed him. Shortly after, the rest of\n the guards were seen, each on horseback, marching behind us.\n We had covered about a mayd\u00e1n when, by the dim light of the\n early dawn, we discerned in the distance the lonely figure\n of the B\u00e1b. He was coming towards us from the direction of\n \u1e6cihr\u00e1n. 'Did you believe Me to have escaped?' were His\n words to Mu\u1e25ammad Big as He approached him. 'Far be it\n from me,' was the instant reply as he flung himself at the\n feet of the B\u00e1b, 'to entertain such thoughts.' Mu\u1e25ammad\n Big was too much awed by the serene majesty which that\n radiant face revealed that morning to venture any further\n remark. A look of confidence had settled upon His\n countenance; His words were invested with such transcendent\n power, that a feeling of profound reverence wrapped our very\n souls. No one dared to question Him as to the course of so\n remarkable a change in His speech and demeanour. Nor did He\n Himself choose to allay our curiosity and wonder.[7]\n\nNearly three weeks had passed since His arrival at Kulayn when the B\u00e1b\nwrote to Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h to ask for a meeting. And now \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed\nM\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed made the move which consigned the B\u00e1b to prison for the\nrest of his days. According to _A Traveller's Narrative_, he\npersuasively told Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h:\n\n The royal cavalcade is on the point of starting, and to\n engage in such matters as the present will conduce to the\n disruption of the kingdom. Neither is there any doubt that\n the most notable doctors of the capital also will behave\n after the fashion of the doctors of Isfah\u00e1n, which thing\n will be the cause of a popular outbreak, or that, according\n to the religion of the immaculate Im\u00e1m, they will regard the\n blood of this Seyyid as of no account, yea, as more lawful\n than mother's milk. The imperial train is prepared for\n travel, neither is there hindrance or impediment in view.\n There is no doubt that the presence of the B\u00e1b will be the\n cause of the gravest trouble and the greatest mischief.\n Therefore, on the spur of the moment, the wisest plan is\n this:--to place this person in the Castle of M\u00e1k\u00fa during the\n period of absence of the royal train from the seat of the\n imperial throne, and to defer the obtaining of an audience\n to the time of return.[8]\n\nM\u00edrz\u00e1 Abu'l-Fa\u1e0dl states that \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed played on the\nfears of Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h by instancing in particular the\nrebellion in [_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n of Mu\u1e25ammad-\u1e24asan [_Kh_]\u00e1n, the S\u00e1l\u00e1r,\nand the earlier defiance of the central government by \u1e24asan-`Ali\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n, Aga Khan I.[CX] Whatever arguments the Grand Vizier used, he\nsucceeded in preventing a meeting between the B\u00e1b and Mu\u1e25ammad\n[_Sh_]\u00e1h in that spring of 1847. And it was never to take place.\n\n [Footnote CX: In the opinion of the present writer, the\n second revolt of the Aga Khan, in 1840, was entirely due to\n the tortuous policies and the maladroitness of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1\n \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed himself.]\n\nIn April, the [_Sh_]\u00e1h sent a reply to the letter of the B\u00e1b which,\naccording to _A Traveller's Narrative_, was couched in these terms:\n\n Since the royal train is on the verge of departure from\n Teher\u00e1n, to meet in a befitting manner is impossible. Do you\n go to M\u00e1k\u00fa and there abide and rest for a while, engaged in\n praying for our victorious state; and we have arranged that\n under all circumstances they shall shew you attention and\n respect. When we return from travel we will summon you\n specially.[9]\n\nNab\u00edl-i-A`\u1e93am, in his narrative, gives this version of the contents\nof Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h's letter:\n\n Much as we desire to meet you, we find ourself unable, in\n view of our immediate departure from our capital, to receive\n you befittingly in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n. We have signified our desire\n that you be conducted to M\u00e1h-K\u00fa, and have issued the\n necessary instructions to `Al\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n, the warden of the\n castle, to treat you with respect and consideration. It is\n our hope and intention to summon you to this place upon our\n return to the seat of our government, at which time we shall\n definitely pronounce our judgment. We trust that we have\n caused you no disappointment, and that you will at no time\n hesitate to inform us in case any grievances befall you. We\n fain would hope that you will continue to pray for our\n well-being and for the prosperity of our realm.[10]\n\n\u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n, the Governor of F\u00e1rs, was attending the [_Sh_]\u00e1h\nin the capital at the very time that \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed blocked the\npath of the B\u00e1b and prevented His entry into \u1e6cihr\u00e1n.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER 10\n\nWHERE THE ARAS FLOWS\n\n Over the banks of Aras shouldst thou, O Zephyr, pass,\n Kiss the earth of that vale and refreshen thy breath thereby.\n --\u1e24\u00e1fi\u1e93\n\n\nM\u00e1h-K\u00fa,[CY] a town of the province of \u00c1[_dh_]arb\u00e1yj\u00e1n, is in the\nextreme north-west of \u00cdr\u00e1n, close to the point where the Russo-Turkish\nfrontiers meet. Within a short distance of the town of M\u00e1h-K\u00fa and its\nbleak fortress perched on a mountain peak above, the Aras flows, the\nAraxes of the Greeks. \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed contrived to have the B\u00e1b\nbanished to this remote corner of the land, well away from the\ncapital, and well away from the areas where His Faith was born and\nnurtured. But the road to M\u00e1h-K\u00fa was through Tabr\u00edz, the second city\nof the realm and the seat of the Crown Prince.\n\n [Footnote CY: Also M\u00e1k\u00fa or M\u00e1-K\u00fah.]\n\nThe same horsemen, still under the command of Mu\u1e25ammad Big, were\ngiven the task of escorting the B\u00e1b to Tabr\u00edz. They had, by then,\nbecome greatly devoted to Him. His utter kindness coupled with His\nmajesty of bearing had totally captivated them. Two of the followers\nof the B\u00e1b were allowed to remain with Him: Siyyid \u1e24usayn-i-Yazd\u00ed\nand his brother, Siyyid \u1e24asan.\n\nOn the road north, one of the halting-places was the village of\nS\u00edy\u00e1h-Dih\u00e1n, close by Qazv\u00edn. There the B\u00e1b addressed a letter to the\nGrand Vizier, and also wrote to some of the leading divines of Qazv\u00edn,\nincluding the father and the uncle of Qurratu'l-`Ayn. A number of the\nB\u00e1b\u00eds attained His presence in the village of S\u00edy\u00e1h-Dih\u00e1n during His\none night there, and among these was Mull\u00e1 Iskandar of Zanj\u00e1n, the\nsame man who had visited [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z as \u1e24ujjat's emissary to learn\nwhat he could about the B\u00e1b. Now the B\u00e1b entrusted to him a letter for\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Sulaym\u00e1n [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Af[_sh_]\u00e1r, who happened to be in Zanj\u00e1n;\nhe had been a fervent supporter of Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im-i-Ra[_sh_]t\u00ed. To\nhim the B\u00e1b wrote:\n\n He whose virtues the late siyyid unceasingly extolled, and\n to the approach of whose Revelation he continually alluded,\n is now revealed. I am that promised One. Arise and deliver\n Me from the hand of the oppressor.[1]\n\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Sulaym\u00e1n [_Kh_]\u00e1n received the letter within three days, but\ndid not heed it and left for the capital.\n\nAt that time Hujjat[CZ] was in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, kept there under\nsurveillance. But the moment he heard of the B\u00e1b's letter to Sulaym\u00e1n\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n, he sent a message to the B\u00e1b\u00eds of Zanj\u00e1n to march out and\nrescue the B\u00e1b. A sizable number of B\u00e1b\u00eds from \u1e24ujjat's native town\nand from Qazv\u00edn and \u1e6cihr\u00e1n came together and made a concerted\neffort to carry out their daring scheme. At midnight they reached the\nspot where the B\u00e1b and His escort were bivouacked. The guards were\nasleep and there was every opportunity to escape. But the B\u00e1b told His\nwould-be rescuers that He would not run away. 'The mountains of\nA[_dh_]irb\u00e1yj\u00e1n too have their claims.'[2]\n\n [Footnote CZ: See pp. 100-102.]\n\nBefore His mission reached its end Mu\u1e25ammad Big came to believe in the\nB\u00e1b.[DA] Grief-stricken he went to the B\u00e1b and asked to be forgiven:\n'The journey from I\u1e63fah\u00e1n has been long and arduous. I have failed to do\nmy duty and to serve You as I ought. I crave Your forgiveness, and pray\nYou to vouchsafe me Your blessings.' To this the B\u00e1b replied: 'Be\nassured. I account you a member of My fold. They who embrace My Cause\nwill eternally bless and glorify you, will extol your conduct and exalt\nyour name.'[3] Later, Mu\u1e25ammad Big met \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 J\u00e1n\u00ed once again, and\nrecounted for him the story of that journey to Tabr\u00edz. The K\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1n\u00ed\nmerchant included Mu\u1e25ammad Big's story in his chronicle, and M\u00edrz\u00e1\n\u1e24usayn-i-Hamad\u00e1n\u00ed, the author of the _T\u00e1r\u00edkh-i-Jad\u00edd_ (_The New\nHistory_) in turn made use of it in his own work:\n\n ... we proceeded to M\u00edl\u00e1n,[DB] where many of the inhabitants\n came to see His Holiness, and were filled with wonder at the\n majesty and dignity of that Lord of mankind. In the morning,\n as we were setting out from M\u00edl\u00e1n, an old woman brought a\n scald-headed child, whose head was so covered with scabs\n that it was white down to the neck, and entreated His\n Holiness to heal him. The guards would have forbidden her,\n but His Holiness prevented them, and called the child to\n him. Then he drew a handkerchief over its head and repeated\n certain words; which he had no sooner done than the child\n was healed. And in that place about two hundred persons\n believed and underwent a true and sincere conversion ... on\n leaving M\u00edl\u00e1n, while we were on the road His Holiness\n suddenly urged his horse into so swift a gallop that all the\n horsemen composing the escort were filled with amazement,\n seeing that his steed was the leanest of all. We galloped\n after him as hard as we could, but were unable to come up\n with him, though the horsemen were filled with apprehension\n lest he should effect his escape. Presently he reined in his\n horse of his own accord, and, so soon as we came up to him,\n said with a smile, 'Were I desirous of escaping, you could\n not prevent me.' And indeed it was even as he said; had he\n desired in the least degree to escape, none could have\n prevented him, and under all circumstances he shewed himself\n endowed with more than human strength. For example, we were\n all practised horsemen inured to travel, yet, by reason of\n the cold and our weariness, we were at times hardly able to\n keep our saddles, while he, on the other hand, during all\n this period shewed no sign of faintness or weariness, but,\n from the time when he mounted till he alighted at the end of\n the stage, would not so much as change his posture or shift\n his seat.[4]\n\n [Footnote DA: Mu\u1e25ammad Big's son, named `Al\u00ed-Akbar Big,\n became, in future years, a follower of Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h. M\u00edrz\u00e1\n Abu'l-Fa\u1e0dl met him in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n and heard from him how it\n happened that his father came to accept the B\u00e1b.]\n\n [Footnote DB: A village in the vicinity of Tabr\u00edz.]\n\nThe stage beyond the village of M\u00edl\u00e1n was the city of Tabr\u00edz itself.\nAs the news spread that the B\u00e1b was approaching the city, the B\u00e1b\u00eds\nthere tried to go out to meet him, but they were stopped and sent\nback. Only a youth managed to break through the cordon of guards and\nsoldiers. Barefooted, he ran more than a mile till he reached the B\u00e1b\nand His escort. Such was the state of his ecstasy that he flung\nhimself forward in the path of one of the horsemen, caught the hem of\nhis cloak and eagerly and fervently kissed his stirrup. Addressing\nthem all, he cried out: 'Ye are the companions of my Well-Beloved. I\ncherish you as the apple of my eye.'[5] And when he came into the\npresence of the B\u00e1b, he fell prostrate on the ground and\nunrestrainedly wept. The B\u00e1b dismounted, raised him up, embraced him\nand wiped his tears.\n\nThe B\u00e1b's entry into Tabr\u00edz, the scene three years later of His\nmartyrdom in its public square, bears close resemblance to the entry\nof Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, less than a week before He was\nled to Golgotha to be crucified.\n\n And they that went before, and they that followed, cried,\n saying, Hosanna! Blessed _is_ he that cometh in the name of\n the Lord!\n\n Blessed _be_ the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in\n the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest![DC]\n\n [Footnote DC: Mark xi, 9-10.]\n\nThat is how St. Mark recounts the joy of the people who gave Jesus a\nregal welcome into Jerusalem.\n\nWhen the B\u00e1b was brought into Tabr\u00edz the streets were crowded, and\namongst the surging mass were B\u00e1b\u00eds who had been deprived of coming\nclose to their Master; but vast numbers were there who were not His\nfollowers. Those narrow thoroughfares echoed with the cry of\n`All\u00e1h-u-Akbar'--God is the Greatest--the opening line of the\nA[_dh_]\u00e1n, the call to prayer which every devout Muslim repeats time\nand again in the course of his devotions. Officials were alarmed by\nthis wonderful and unprecedented reception, and sent town criers to\nwarn the people against attempting to gain access to the Siyyid-i-B\u00e1b.\n\n`Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1 states that the B\u00e1b was kept for forty days in Tabr\u00edz.[6]\nDuring that time He was strictly secluded, and His only visitors were\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00edy-i-M\u00edl\u00e1n\u00ed, a well-known merchant, and \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed\n`Al\u00ed-`Askar.[DD] When they first approached the house where the B\u00e1b\nwas lodged, guards stopped them, but Siyyid Hasan asserted the\nauthority of the B\u00e1b and gained them admittance. After that no one\never tried to bar their way, and they attained the presence of the B\u00e1b\nseveral times.\n\n [Footnote DD: Persecution forced him to abandon Tabr\u00edz. With\n his family he went to Adrianople and was exiled in the\n company of Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h to `Akk\u00e1. He features in the\n _Memorials of the Faithful_ by `Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1 (pp. 161-4).]\n\nAt last came the orders for the removal of the B\u00e1b to M\u00e1h-K\u00fa. That\ntown was the birthplace of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed, although he is\ngenerally known as \u00cdrav\u00e1n\u00ed[DE] because his family originated there.\nThe vast majority of the inhabitants of M\u00e1h-K\u00fa and its environs were\nKurds who were Sunn\u00ed by persuasion. `Al\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n, the warden of the\ncastle, was a Kurd, simple, rough and uncouth. He was arrogantly\nunbending at the start of the B\u00e1b's incarceration, and would not allow\nany follower of the B\u00e1b to stay in the town, even for one night. When\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e24asan-i-Zun\u00faz\u00ed reached M\u00e1h-K\u00fa he found that the only\nshelter available to him was a mosque outside the town. But he was\nable to meet and exchange letters and messages with Siyyid \u1e24asan,\nwho came into the town each day with a guard to buy provisions, and\nthus for a while he maintained a link between the B\u00e1b and His people.\n\n [Footnote DE: From \u00cdrav\u00e1n. See p. 117 and note.]\n\nBut one day the B\u00e1b advised Siyyid \u1e24asan that these secret contacts\nwith [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e24asan were to end; He Himself would tell `Ali\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n to permit visitors to come and go in peace. Both men were\ngreatly astonished, since they knew well the character and attitude of\nthe warden, who had even tried to prevent the people of M\u00e1h-K\u00fa from\ncoming to the foot of the mountain to obtain a glimpse of the B\u00e1b. By\nnow the B\u00e1b had won the love and esteem of these hardened\nfrontiersmen, who had shown such marked hostility when He was first\nbrought to their fortress, nor could `Ali [_Kh_]\u00e1n prevent their\ngathering daily at the mountain's base to gaze upwards in the hope of\nreceiving His blessing.\n\nAt an early hour on the morning following the B\u00e1b's advice to Siyyid\n\u1e24asan, the inmates of the castle were startled by an incessant and\nagitated knocking. It was `Ali [_Kh_]\u00e1n, peremptorily pounding the gate\nand shouting at the guardsmen for admittance. A guard rushed in to say\nthat the warden wished to come immediately into the presence of the B\u00e1b.\nSiyyid \u1e24usayn presented the request, and the B\u00e1b replied that He would\nreceive `Ali [_Kh_]\u00e1n at once. The warden was visibly shaking, obviously\ncaught up by some tremendous emotion. He threw himself at the feet of\nthe B\u00e1b and begged to be relieved of his misery:\n\n 'Deliver me from my perplexity. I adjure You, by the Prophet\n of God, Your illustrious Ancestor, to dissipate my doubts,\n for their weight has well-nigh crushed my heart. I was\n riding through the wilderness and was approaching the gate\n of the town, when, it being the hour of dawn, my eyes\n suddenly beheld You standing by the side of the river\n engaged in offering Your prayer. With outstretched arms and\n upraised eyes, You were invoking the name of God. I stood\n still and watched You. I was waiting for You to terminate\n Your devotions that I might approach and rebuke You for\n having ventured to leave the castle without my leave. In\n Your communion with God, You seemed so wrapt in worship that\n You were utterly forgetful of Yourself. I quietly approached\n You; in Your state of rapture, You remained wholly unaware\n of my presence. I was suddenly seized with great fear and\n recoiled at the thought of awakening You from Your ecstasy.\n I decided to leave You, to proceed to the guards and to\n reprove them for their negligent conduct. I soon found out,\n to my amazement, that both the outer and inner gates were\n closed. They were opened at my request, I was ushered into\n Your presence, and now find You, to my wonder, seated before\n me. I am utterly confounded. I know not whether my reason\n has deserted me.' The B\u00e1b answered and said: 'What you have\n witnessed is true and undeniable. You belittled this\n Revelation and have contemptuously disdained its Author.\n God, the All-Merciful, desiring not to afflict you with His\n punishment, has willed to reveal to your eyes the Truth. By\n His Divine interposition, He has instilled into your heart\n the love of His chosen One, and caused you to recognise the\n unconquerable power of His Faith.'[7]\n\nAll the arrogance of the warden left him. He was totally conquered. He\nbecame humble. The first words that he uttered were:\n\n A poor man, a [_sh_]ay[_kh_], is yearning to attain Your\n presence. He lives in a masjid [mosque] outside the gate of\n M\u00e1h-K\u00fa. I pray You that I myself be allowed to bring him to\n this place that he may meet You. By this act I hope that my\n evil deeds may be forgiven, that I may be enabled to wash\n away the stains of my cruel behaviour toward Your\n friends.[8]\n\nHe went away and returned with [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e24asan-i-Zun\u00faz\u00ed.\n\n`Al\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n's change of heart and attitude radically altered the\nsituation. The prison gates no longer barred the B\u00e1b from His\nfollowers. B\u00e1b\u00eds came from everywhere to attain the presence of their\nLord, among them Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn, the B\u00e1bu'l-B\u00e1b. The B\u00e1b received him\nat the gate of the castle and celebrated the Feast of Naw-R\u00faz with\nhim. Ere his departure, the B\u00e1b directed him to visit Tabr\u00edz and other\ntowns of the province of \u00c1[_dh_]arb\u00e1yj\u00e1n, and then proceed to Zanj\u00e1n,\nQazv\u00edn, \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, and finally to the province of M\u00e1zindar\u00e1n.\n\n`Al\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n's devotion to the person of the B\u00e1b increased day by\nday. He did everything possible to mitigate the rigours of prison\nlife. Every Friday he came up the mountain to offer his homage.\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed was alarmed by the news reaching him from M\u00e1h-K\u00fa,\nand so was the Russian Minister in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, Prince Dimitri Ivanovich\nDolgorukov. In dispatches to Count Nesselrode, the Minister of Foreign\nAffairs, dated February 4th and December 24th 1848, he mentions that,\nin the previous year, the B\u00e1b had been removed from the vicinity of\nthe Russian border by his demand.[9] This assertion is borne out by a\nletter of Mull\u00e1 A\u1e25mad-i-Ibd\u00e1l, one of the Letters of the Living,\nwritten when he was in K\u00e1\u1e93imayn, close to Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d. It is not\nclear to whom the letter is addressed, most probably to one of the\nuncles of the B\u00e1b.[10] Mull\u00e1 A\u1e25mad writes:\n\n These days, God willing, I intend to go and attain the\n presence of my Lord.... These days pilgrims arrived here\n from Ur\u00fam\u00edyyih. I sought the news of my Lord from them. They\n said that He was in a district of Ur\u00fam\u00edyyih, called\n [_Ch_]ihr\u00fam [[_Ch_]ihr\u00edq?]. The Governor of Ur\u00fam\u00edyyih\n wished, at first, to keep Him in the town itself, but the\n clerics had taken fright lest disturbances might arise, and\n had refused their consent; curses of God rest upon them. It\n is said that the Governor is acting with kindness, and from\n the towns of A[_dh_]arb\u00e1yj\u00e1n people come in large groups,\n attain His presence and return believers. According to what\n has been related there is a tremendous upsurge, that is to\n say, many, many people have become devoted to Him.... And as\n to the reason for the departure of [_Dh_]ikr, on Him be\n peace from M\u00e1h-K\u00fa, it is this, that the Russian Envoy had\n heard that He was in M\u00e1h-K\u00fa, and, being afraid of\n disturbance, told the Vizier, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed: 'Send the\n [_Dh_]ikr, on whom be peace, to some other area of your\n realms, because M\u00e1h-K\u00fa is on the frontier and close to our\n territory, and we are afraid of disturbances; a few years\n ago, a certain Mull\u00e1 \u1e62\u00e1diq claimed to be the deputy [of\n the Im\u00e1m] and within a month gathered 30,000 followers round\n him.' Russians had witnessed that and had taken fright.\n\n`Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1 states that the B\u00e1b's incarceration in the castle of\nM\u00e1h-K\u00fa lasted nine months. According to Nab\u00edl-i-A`\u1e93am, on the\ntwentieth day after Naw-R\u00faz (April 9th 1848), He left that mountain\nfastness on the Russian and Turkish frontiers.[11]\n\nAt M\u00e1h-K\u00fa the B\u00e1b revealed the _Dal\u00e1'il-i-Sab`ih_ (The Seven Proofs)\nand began the composition of the Persian _Bay\u00e1n_[DF] (Exposition or\nUtterance). Nab\u00edl-i-A`\u1e93am writes:\n\n I have heard [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e24asan-i-Zun\u00faz\u00ed bear witness\n to the following: 'The voice of the B\u00e1b, as He dictated the\n teachings and principles of His Faith, could be clearly\n heard by those who were dwelling at the foot of the\n mountain. The melody of His chanting, the rhythmic flow of\n the verses which streamed from His lips caught our ears and\n penetrated into our very souls. Mountain and valley\n re-echoed the majesty of His voice. Our hearts vibrated in\n their depths to the appeal of His utterance.'[12]\n\n [Footnote DF: A copy of the Persian _Bay\u00e1n_, in the\n handwriting of Siyyid \u1e24usayn-i-Yazd\u00ed, to whom He dictated\n it, exists in the International Archives of the Bah\u00e1'\u00ed\n Faith.]\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER 11\n\nTHE GRIEVOUS MOUNTAIN\n\n Our little systems have their day;\n They have their day and cease to be:\n They are but broken lights of thee,\n And thou, O Lord, art more than they.\n --Alfred, Lord Tennyson\n\n\nThe man chosen by \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed to take the B\u00e1b away from the\ncastle of M\u00e1h-K\u00fa was Ri\u1e0d\u00e1-Qul\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Af[_sh_]\u00e1r, an officer\nwith the rank of Sart\u00edp (brigadier, in today's usage). He was the son\nof \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Sulaym\u00e1n [_Kh_]\u00e1n, the official who, in Zanj\u00e1n, failed to\nheed the B\u00e1b's message to him. \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Sulaym\u00e1n [_Kh_]\u00e1n was intensely\ndevoted to Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im-i-Ra[_sh_]t\u00ed, who had told him that he\nwould live to see the advent of the Q\u00e1'im; he often expressed surprise\nthat the Q\u00e1'im had not appeared for him to recognize, despite this\nunequivocal promise. Although he met the B\u00e1b in Mecca, he attached\nhimself to \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mu\u1e25ammad-Kar\u00edm [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Kirm\u00e1n\u00ed and refused to\nlisten to the B\u00e1b\u00eds. His devotion to Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im was of such a\ncharacter that, having obtained the hand of a daughter of Siyyid\nK\u00e1\u1e93im for his son, he began his day by paying his respects in\nperson to his daughter-in-law. It was this son who was entrusted with\nthe task of moving the B\u00e1b from M\u00e1h-K\u00fa to Ur\u00fam\u00edyyih and\n[_Ch_]ihr\u00edq.[DG] And soon he too became captivated by the Prisoner in\nhis charge. Eventually, Ri\u1e0d\u00e1-Qul\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n became an avowed,\nzealous B\u00e1b\u00ed, and broke away from his father, who persisted in his\nhostility to the B\u00e1b.\n\n [Footnote DG: The B\u00e1b named [_Ch_]ihr\u00edq\n `Jabal-i-[_Sh_]ad\u00edd'--the Grievous Mountain. '[_Sh_]ad\u00edd' is\n numerically equal to [_Ch_]ihr\u00edq. He called M\u00e1h-K\u00fa\n 'Jabal-i-B\u00e1si\u1e6d'--the Open Mountain. 'B\u00e1si\u1e6d' is\n numerically equal to M\u00e1h-K\u00fa.]\n\nThe castle of [_Ch_]ihr\u00edq is in the neighbourhood of Ur\u00fam\u00edyyih, known\ntoday as Ri\u1e0d\u00e1'\u00edyyih. Its warden, Ya\u1e25y\u00e1 [_Kh_]\u00e1n, was a Kurdish\nchieftain, whose sister was married to Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h. The son of\nthis union was called `Abb\u00e1s M\u00edrz\u00e1, after the [_Sh_]\u00e1h's own father, and\nbore also his title, N\u00e1yibu's-Sal\u1e6danih (Viceroy or Regent). Because this\nchild was such a favourite of Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h, the mother of the heir\nto the throne, N\u00e1\u1e63iri'd-D\u00edn M\u00edrz\u00e1, was exceedingly jealous of him. Her\njealousy put his life in jeopardy after the death of his father, but\nColonel Farrant's intervention saved him.[DH] He was exiled to Qum, but\neven then he was not secure, for he was accused of being in league with\nthe B\u00e1b\u00eds. M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e24usayn-i-Mutavall\u00ed (Custodian) of Qum was forced, under\ntorture, to sign a confession implicating `Abb\u00e1s M\u00edrz\u00e1 in faked B\u00e1b\u00ed\nplots.[DI] This unfortunate prince spent many years of his life in\nexile, mostly in `Ir\u00e1q. He was eventually allowed to return to \u00cdr\u00e1n and\nwas given the title of Mulk-\u00c1r\u00e1; but he was always close to misfortune\nand danger.\n\n [Footnote DH: `Abb\u00e1s M\u00edrz\u00e1 was then nine years old. Farrant\n was the British charg\u00e9 d'affaires in the absence of Sheil.]\n\n [Footnote DI: This man was in the fortress of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\n \u1e6cabars\u00ed and betrayed his fellow-believers. Some years\n later in Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d he fell on evil days and Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h\n gave him a monthly allowance.]\n\nYa\u1e25y\u00e1 [_Kh_]\u00e1n, the warden of [_Ch_]ihr\u00edq, was harsh and unpredictable,\nbut before long he too felt unable to keep the gates of his castle\nclosed against the B\u00e1b\u00eds. The same power, which had held `Al\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n\nof M\u00e1h-K\u00fa spellbound, captured the heart of Ya\u1e25y\u00e1 [_Kh_]\u00e1n. So many\nB\u00e1b\u00eds came to [_Ch_]ihr\u00edq that it was impossible to house them and rooms\nhad to be found for them in Isk\u00ed-[_Sh_]ahr, which was not far away. Food\nand all other necessities were purchased in Isk\u00ed-[_Sh_]ahr. Once some\nhoney was bought there for the B\u00e1b, but He found the quality to be\ninferior and the price exorbitant and had it returned.\n\n Honey of a superior quality [He said] could no doubt have\n been purchased at a lower price. I who am your example have\n been a merchant by profession. It behoves you in all your\n transactions to follow in My way. You must neither defraud\n your neighbour nor allow him to defraud you. Such was the\n way of your Master. The shrewdest and ablest of men were\n unable to deceive Him, nor did He on His part choose to act\n ungenerously towards the meanest and most helpless of\n creatures.[1]\n\n[_Kh_]uy was another town of \u00c1[_dh_]arb\u00e1yj\u00e1n which was not far from\n[_Ch_]ihr\u00edq. Not long had passed since the B\u00e1b's arrival at\n[_Ch_]ihr\u00edq when [_Kh_]uy became aware that a number of its prominent\ncitizens among the siyyids, divines and officials had become B\u00e1b\u00eds.\nM\u00edrz\u00e1 Asadu'll\u00e1h, on whom the B\u00e1b conferred the designation of\nDayy\u00e1n,[2] was one of them. Dayy\u00e1n means the conqueror or the judge.\nM\u00edrz\u00e1 Asadu'll\u00e1h, a proud man, high in the service of the government,\nand a man of vast learning who wielded a fluent pen,[DJ] had for long\nwithstood the attempts of the B\u00e1b\u00eds to convert him. Not only did he\nrefuse to yield any ground to them, he also proved a vociferous\nantagonist. Then he had a dream which induced him to write to the B\u00e1b.\nAnd when he received the answer to his letter he gave the B\u00e1b his\nallegiance with a zeal and fervour that thoroughly alarmed his father,\nwho was a personal friend of the Grand Vizier. He wrote to \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed\nM\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed, expatiating on his son's bewitchment and deploring his\ngrave aberrations.[DK]\n\n [Footnote DJ: He was a master of Persian, Arabic, Turkish,\n Hebrew and Syriac.]\n\n [Footnote DK: The B\u00e1b revealed the _Law\u1e25-i-\u1e24ur\u00faf\u00e1t_\n (Tablet of the Letters) in honour of M\u00edrz\u00e1 Asadu'll\u00e1h. 'Had\n the Point of the Bay\u00e1n [Nuq\u1e6diy-i-Bay\u00e1n] no other testimony\n with which to establish His truth,' He states, 'this were\n sufficient--that He revealed a Tablet such as this, a Tablet\n such as no amount of learning could produce.'[3]]\n\nOnce again \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed found himself thwarted. The Faith of\nthe B\u00e1b was spreading and he could not contain it. And now the Grand\nVizier had the additional anxiety of watching the rapid deterioration\nof Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h's health. The monarch was only forty years\nold, but as a sufferer from gout his malady was wearing him down.\n\nAt [_Ch_]ihr\u00edq itself a dervish arrived from India. Who he truly was,\nno one knew and no one knows even now. The B\u00e1b gave him the name\nQahru'll\u00e1h (the Wrath of God). All that this dervish would say about\nhimself was:\n\n In the days when I occupied the exalted position of a navv\u00e1b\n in India, the B\u00e1b appeared to me in a vision. He gazed at me\n and won my heart completely. I arose, and had started to\n follow Him, when He looked at me intently and said: 'Divest\n yourself of your gorgeous attire, depart from your native\n land, and hasten on foot to meet Me in \u00c1[_dh_]irb\u00e1yj\u00e1n. In\n [_Ch_]ihr\u00edq you will attain your heart's desire.' I followed\n His directions and have now reached my goal.[4]\n\nThe B\u00e1b instructed him to go back to his native land, the same way he\nhad come, as a dervish and on foot. Qahru'll\u00e1h would have no companion\non that long journey back. His fate remains a mystery, just as does\nthe fate of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Sa`\u00edd, the Indian Letter of the Living.\n\nThe B\u00e1b had been in [_Ch_]ihr\u00edq for three months when \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed\ndecided He should be taken, once more, to Tabr\u00edz. Before the summons\ncame, the B\u00e1b sent away those B\u00e1b\u00eds who had congregated in and around\n[_Ch_]ihr\u00edq; among them was the redoubtable `A\u1e93\u00edm.[DL] At the same time,\nHe commissioned [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e24asan-i-Zun\u00faz\u00ed to collect the Writings\nHe had revealed in the two castles, and hand them for safe-keeping to\nSiyyid Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm-i-[_Kh_]al\u00edl, who resided in Tabr\u00edz.\n\n [Footnote DL: See p. 103.]\n\nWhen the B\u00e1b reached Ur\u00fam\u00edyyih, on his way to Tabr\u00edz, the Governor,\nMalik Q\u00e1sim M\u00edrz\u00e1, a descendant of Fa\u1e6dh-`Al\u00ed [_Sh_]\u00e1h, received Him\nreverently. Nevertheless, he decided to pose a test for his Guest. On\na Friday, when the B\u00e1b planned to go to the public bath, he directed\nthat a particularly unruly horse be brought to convey Him. Those who\nknew of his plan awaited the outcome with bated breath. Miraculously,\nthe horse stood quietly for the B\u00e1b, who mounted and rode it to the\nbath with perfect control. The Prince-Governor, ashamed and abashed,\nwalked on foot beside the B\u00e1b's steed nearly to His destination, until\nthe B\u00e1b asked him to return to his house. The news spread and stunned\nthe town. When the B\u00e1b came out of the bath and mounted the same horse\nagain, men, women and children rushed in to take away every drop of\nthe water He had used.\n\nFrom now on the Governor's residence was thronged daily by people who\nwished to meet the B\u00e1b or just to catch a glimpse of Him. During this\ntime, \u00c1q\u00e1-B\u00e1l\u00e1 Big, the Naqq\u00e1[_sh_]-B\u00e1[_sh_]\u00ed (Chief Painter) made a\nportrait of the B\u00e1b, the only one ever drawn of Him; its story is of\ntremendous interest.\n\n\u00c1q\u00e1-B\u00e1l\u00e1 Big was a native of [_Sh_]\u00edshv\u00e1n, a village on the banks of\nLake Ur\u00fam\u00edyyih. Like scores of others, he was attracted to Government\nHouse to see the B\u00e1b. Years later he related his experience to Varq\u00e1,\nthe Bah\u00e1'\u00ed martyr-poet. He had noticed that as soon as the B\u00e1b's eyes\nalighted on him He arranged His `ab\u00e1 neatly and looked at him\nintently. This happened again the next day, and \u00c1q\u00e1-B\u00e1l\u00e1 Big realized\nthat the B\u00e1b was giving him a sign that he might draw His portrait.\nThe painter made a rough sketch there and then. Later, he composed the\nportrait in black and white. When Varq\u00e1 informed Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h of this,\nhe was instructed to ask the painter to make two copies of the\nportrait in water colour, one to be sent to the Holy Land and one to\nbe kept by Varq\u00e1 himself. The copy taken to the Holy Land is in the\nInternational Archives of the Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Faith. The copy which the\nmartyr-poet held was among his possessions, looted at the time of his\narrest. The original black and white portrait was discovered years\nlater by Siyyid Asadu'll\u00e1h-i-Qum\u00ed, who conveyed it to the Holy Land\nand presented it to `Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1.[DM]\n\n [Footnote DM: The present writer heard this account from\n Val\u00edyu'll\u00e1h Varq\u00e1, the son of the martyr-poet, who had the\n rank of a Hand of the Cause by appointment of the Guardian of\n the Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Faith.]\n\nThe B\u00e1b must have reached Tabr\u00edz in the last week of July 1848.\nMu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h's illness was, by then, giving concern to \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed\nM\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed, and the wily old Grand Vizier, conscious of his\napproaching downfall, was already seeking ways and means of softening\nthe blow. Over the course of years he had grown to be a very rich man,\nowning villages and farmlands and urban property. He knew that with\nthe death of Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h he would lose not only his position\nand power, but also his enormous wealth. When Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h was\ndying, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed was no longer to be seen within the\nprecincts of the palace, for his powerful enemies in the Court, whom\nhe had not been able to destroy,[DN] were ready to pounce on him. He\nretired to his village of `Abb\u00e1s\u00e1b\u00e1d. There his body-guard, recruited\nfrom his home town of M\u00e1h-K\u00fa, disintegrated. The people of \u1e6cihr\u00e1n\nwho had suffered so much at their hands now found opportunities to\navenge themselves, and \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed found himself in such\nstraits that he felt constrained to write to the boy-prince, `Abb\u00e1s\nM\u00edrz\u00e1, and a number of prominent courtiers, to plead for harmony and\nfriendship. As no response was forthcoming from these quarters, he\nput on a bold face and tried to regain his residence in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n. But\nthe artillery General, who commanded the royal guard at the citadel,\nlet him know that his stay in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n was undesirable. So he tried\nto reach \u00c1[_dh_]arb\u00e1yj\u00e1n, the province to which he had exiled the B\u00e1b,\nto take refuge with the inhabitants of his native town. He had not\ngone far from the capital when he was turned back. Deserted and\nmocked, he had no course open but to seek sanctuary in the shrine of\n[_Sh_]\u00e1h `Abdu'l-`A\u1e93\u00edm. Such was the end of all power for \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed\nM\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed, the Antichrist of the B\u00e1b\u00ed Revelation.\n\n [Footnote DN: They included men such as M\u00edrz\u00e1 Y\u00fasuf, the\n Mustawf\u00edu'l-Mam\u00e1lik and `Abb\u00e1s-Qul\u00ed\n [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Jav\u00e1n[_sh_]\u00edr.]\n\nIn Tabr\u00edz the B\u00e1b was brought before the Crown Prince, N\u00e1\u1e63iri'd-D\u00edn\nM\u00edrz\u00e1, who was only seventeen years old and had recently been given\nthe governorship of \u00c1[_dh_]arb\u00e1yj\u00e1n. A panel of the prominent divines\nof Tabr\u00edz gathered to examine the B\u00e1b. The leading men of that panel\nwere: \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Ma\u1e25m\u00fad, the Ni\u1e93\u00e1mu'l-`Ulam\u00e1, who was the\nchief tutor of the Crown Prince; Mull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-i-M\u00e1maq\u00e1n\u00ed, a\ndisciple of Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im and an outstanding figure among\nthe [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\u00eds; \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Murti\u1e0d\u00e1-Qul\u00edy-i-Marand\u00ed,\nthe `Alamu'l-Hud\u00e1; \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 `Al\u00ed-A\u1e63[_gh_]ar, the\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_]u'l-Isl\u00e1m;[DO] and M\u00edrz\u00e1 A\u1e25mad, the Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih. The\nprocedures of that high tribunal were frivolous from beginning to end.\nHere were the shining lights of the religious hierarchy of Tabr\u00edz,\nassembled to learn from a young Siyyid, who claimed to be the bearer\nof a Message from God, what the nature of His claim was and what\nproofs He could adduce to substantiate it. That they failed miserably\nto be just and to apply themselves to the problem before them need not\nbe sought in the evidence of the followers of the B\u00e1b. Two of the best\nknown Persian histories of the time plentifully provide that\nevidence. These are the _N\u00e1si[_kh_]u't-Tav\u00e1r\u00ed[_kh_]_ by\nMu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n of K\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1n[5] and the Supplement to the\n_Raw\u1e0datu'\u1e63-\u1e62af\u00e1_ of M\u00edr[_kh_]und[DP] by Ri\u1e0d\u00e1-Qul\u00ed\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Hid\u00e1yat; both works were written during the reign of\nN\u00e1\u1e63iri'd-D\u00edn [_Sh_]\u00e1h. From these two histories, Edward Granville\nBrowne prepared a version of the proc\u00e8s-verbal of that infamous\ntribunal for the Appendices to his translation of _A Traveller's\nNarrative_. He also used another book, the _Qi\u1e63a\u1e63u'l-`Ulam\u00e1_\n(Chronicles of the Divines) written in 1873. Typical are these two\nquestions, said to have been put to the B\u00e1b by Ni\u1e93\u00e1mu'l-`Ulam\u00e1:\n\n 'As the Prophet or some other wise man hath said \"Knowledge\n is twofold--knowledge of bodies, and knowledge of\n religions\"; I ask, then, in Medicine, what occurs in the\n stomach when a person suffers from indigestion? Why are some\n cases amenable to treatment? And why do some go on to\n permanent dyspepsia or syncope [swooning], or terminate in\n hypochondriasis?'\n\n * * * * *\n\n 'The science of \"Applications\" is elucidated from the Book\n and the Code, and the understanding of the Book and the Code\n [the Qur'\u00e1n and the Traditions] depends on many sciences,\n such as Grammar, Rhetoric, and Logic. Do you who are the B\u00e1b\n conjugate _\u1e32\u00e1la_?'[DQ]\n\n [Footnote DO: Like the Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih, the\n [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]u'l-Isl\u00e1m was a leading divine of a city, who\n enjoyed certain privileges. Although the sovereign appointed\n the [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]u'l-Isl\u00e1m, there were many instances when\n the position passed from father to son.]\n\n [Footnote DP: Also, M\u00edr[_kh_]wand. He died A.H. 903, A.D.\n 1497-8.]\n\n [Footnote DQ: Q\u00e1la, the third person singular of 'to say'.]\n\nThe B\u00e1b is alleged to have replied that He had learned to conjugate\nArabic words in His childhood, but had forgotten the rules. This is\nsupposed to have been the answer of a Person who had revealed the\n_Qayy\u00famu'l-Asm\u00e1'_, the _Commentary on the S\u00farih of Kaw[_th_]ar_, the\n_Commentary on the S\u00farih of V'al-`A\u1e63r_--all in Arabic.\n\nWhen the B\u00e1b stated clearly: 'I am that person for whose appearance\nye have waited a thousand years,' Niz\u00e1mu'l-`Ulam\u00e1 retorted:\n\n'That is to say you are the Mahd\u00ed, the Lord of Religion?'\n\n'Yes,' answered the B\u00e1b.\n\n'The same in person, or generically?'\n\n'In person.'\n\n'What is your name, and what are the names of your father and mother?\nWhere is your birthplace? And how old are you?'\n\n'My name is `Al\u00ed Mu\u1e25ammad,' answered the B\u00e1b. 'My mother was named\nKhad\u00edja and my father M\u00edrz\u00e1 Ri\u1e93\u00e1 the cloth-seller; my birth-place is\nSh\u00edr\u00e1z; and of my life, behold, thirty-five years have elapsed.'[DR]\n\n [Footnote DR: Critics such as M\u00edrz\u00e1 K\u00e1\u1e93im Big (Kazem-Beg)\n have observed that giving the age of the B\u00e1b as thirty-five\n indicates that the whole account is spurious. Furthermore, it\n was not the mother of the B\u00e1b who was named [_Kh_]ad\u00edjih, but\n His wife.]\n\n'The name of the Lord of Religion is Mu\u1e25ammad; his father was named\n\u1e24asan and his mother Narjis; his birthplace was Surra-man-Ra'a; and\nhis age is more than a thousand years. There is the most complete\nvariance. And besides I did not send you.'\n\n'Do you claim to be God?' asked the B\u00e1b.\n\n'Such an Im\u00e1m is worthy of such a God,' replied Ni\u1e93\u00e1mu'l-`Ulam\u00e1.\n\n'I can in one day write two thousand verses. Who else can do this?'\n\n'When I resided at the Supreme Shrines I had a secretary who used to\nwrite two thousand verses a day. Eventually he became blind. You must\ncertainly give up this occupation, or else you too will go blind.'[6]\n\nEven from these few quotations the absurdity of the trial may be seen.\n\nThe authors of _N\u00e1si[_kh_]u't-Tav\u00e1r\u00ed[_kh_]_, the Supplement to\n_Raw\u1e0datu'\u1e63-\u1e62af\u00e1 and Qi\u1e63a\u1e63u'l-`Ulam\u00e1_ took their\nmaterial from a tract written by the same Ni\u1e93\u00e1mu'l-`Ulam\u00e1 who\npresided over the tribunal in Tabr\u00edz. But [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\nMu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00ed, the son of Mull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-i-M\u00e1maq\u00e1n\u00ed, and no less\nan opponent of the Faith of the B\u00e1b than his father, in a book written\nspecifically to refute that Faith, took Ni\u1e93\u00e1mu'l-`Ulam\u00e1 to task for\nhaving perverted the truth. [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Mu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00ed was\nhimself present at the tribunal; in his book he underlined, one by\none, Ni\u1e93\u00e1mu'l-`Ulam\u00e1's misrepresentations. His testimony to\nthe powers of the B\u00e1b, which he recorded despite his avowed,\nunrelenting antagonism, has recently been reprinted. Eventually,\nNi\u1e93\u00e1mu'l-`Ulam\u00e1 collected as many copies as he could of his own\ntract and destroyed them.\n\nNab\u00edl-i-A`\u1e93am states, on the authority of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e24asan-i-Zun\u00faz\u00ed,\nthat the person most insolent in the course of that mock trial was Mull\u00e1\nMu\u1e25ammad-i-M\u00e1maq\u00e1n\u00ed.[DS] The B\u00e1b was sitting between him and the Crown\nPrince, and when He affirmed that He was the Q\u00e1'im, whose advent they\nexpected, Mull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad called out in anger:\n\n [Footnote DS: It is of interest that another son of Mull\u00e1\n Mu\u1e25ammad, named M\u00edrz\u00e1 Ism\u00e1`\u00edl, embraced the new\n Revelation.]\n\n'You wretched and immature lad of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z! You have already\nconvulsed and subverted `Ir\u00e1q; do you now wish to arouse a like\nturmoil in \u00c1[_dh_]irb\u00e1yj\u00e1n?'\n\nThe B\u00e1b's answer to his outburst was only this: 'Your Honour, I have\nnot come hither of My own accord. I have been summoned to this place.'\n\nMull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad, yet more haughty and disdainful, shouted back:\n'Hold your peace, you perverse and contemptible follower of Satan!'\n\nAnd the B\u00e1b replied serenely: 'Your Honour, I maintain what I have\nalready declared.'\n\nThen, according to Nab\u00edl-i-A`\u1e93am, Ni\u1e93\u00e1mu'l-`Ulam\u00e1 posed this\nchallenge:\n\n'The claim which you have advanced is a stupendous one; it must needs\nbe supported by the most incontrovertible evidence.'\n\n'His own word,' said the B\u00e1b, 'is the most convincing evidence of the\ntruth of the Mission of the Prophet of God.' And He quoted from the\nQur'\u00e1n a verse in support of His argument: '\"Is it not enough for them\nthat We have sent down to Thee the Book?\"'[DT]\n\n [Footnote DT: Qur'\u00e1n xxix, 51.]\n\nNi\u1e93\u00e1mu'l-`Ulam\u00e1 rejoined: 'Describe orally, if you speak the truth,\nthe proceedings of this gathering in language that will resemble the\nphraseology of the verses of the Qur'\u00e1n so that the Val\u00ed-`Ahd [Crown\nPrince] and the assembled divines may bear witness to the truth of\nyour claim.'\n\nThe B\u00e1b had spoken no more than a few words in response to this\nrequest when Mull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad rudely intervened:\n\n'This self-appointed Q\u00e1'im of ours has at the very start of his\naddress betrayed his ignorance of the most rudimentary rules of\ngrammar!'\n\n'The Qur'\u00e1n itself does in no wise accord with the rules and\nconventions current amongst men,' said the B\u00e1b. 'The Word of God can\nnever be subject to the limitations of His creatures. Nay, the rules\nand canons which men have adopted have been deduced from the text of\nthe Word of God and are based upon it. These men have, in the very\ntexts of that holy Book, discovered no less than three hundred\ninstances of grammatical error, such as the one you now criticise.\nInasmuch as it was the Word of God, they had no other alternative\nexcept to resign themselves to His will.'\n\nBut Mull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad turned a deaf ear to the B\u00e1b, and another divine\ninterrupted with an absurd question about the tense of a verb. Then the\nB\u00e1b spoke this verse of the Qur'\u00e1n: 'Far be the glory of thy Lord, the\nLord of all greatness, from what they impute to Him, and peace be upon\nHis Apostles!' And He rose up from His seat and walked out.[DU][7]\n\n [Footnote DU: An undated letter has come to light in the\n handwriting of N\u00e1\u1e63iri'd-D\u00edn [_Sh_]\u00e1h, written during the\n Ministry of Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h, and addressed to `Al\u00e1u'd-Dawlih, a\n governor of \u1e6cihr\u00e1n. The [_Sh_]\u00e1h instructed the Governor\n to put certain questions to the 'B\u00e1b\u00eds' arrested by\n Am\u00ednu's-Sul\u1e6d\u00e1n, including \u00c1q\u00e1 Jam\u00e1l-i-Bur\u00fajird\u00ed, the only\n one he mentions by name. Only Am\u00ednu's-Sul\u1e6d\u00e1n and \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed\n \u00c1q\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad, a divine, should be present for the\n questioning, he instructed, and the replies of the B\u00e1b\u00eds were\n to be recorded and presented to him. He himself, he said,\n might then have to meet these 'B\u00e1b\u00eds', to determine exactly\n what their aims and purposes were.\n\n N\u00e1\u1e63iri'd-D\u00edn [_Sh_]\u00e1h's language was abusive, but two\n points are particularly worth noting in this long tirade:\n first, his admission that, before the tribunal in Tabr\u00edz, the\n B\u00e1b stood firmly by His claim that He was the Q\u00e1'im; second,\n his insistence that he wanted to know what were the beliefs\n and intentions of the 'B\u00e1b\u00eds'.\n\n During the governorship of `Al\u00e1u'd-Dawlih, \u00c1q\u00e1 Najaf-`Al\u00ed, a\n Bah\u00e1'\u00ed of Tabr\u00edz, was arrested, resulting in the apprehension\n of a number of Bah\u00e1'\u00eds in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n. \u00c1q\u00e1 Najaf-`Al\u00ed had\n recently returned from `Akk\u00e1 and was the bearer of a number\n of Tablets. He lost his life but the other Bah\u00e1'\u00eds were\n eventually freed.]\n\nShortly after these proceedings, it was decided to inflict corporal\npunishment upon the B\u00e1b, and He was taken to the house of\nMu\u1e25ammad-K\u00e1\u1e93im [_Kh_]\u00e1n, the farr\u00e1[_sh_]-b\u00e1[_sh_]\u00ed.[DV] As the\nguards refused to carry out the sentence, M\u00edrz\u00e1 `Al\u00ed-A\u1e63[_gh_]ar,\nthe [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]u'l-Isl\u00e1m, personally administered the bastinado.\nWhen the news reached Ur\u00fam\u00edyyih that the B\u00e1b had been subjected to\nsuch indignity, many of those who had been attracted to His Faith\nabandoned it. In Tabr\u00edz, the B\u00e1b was seen by Dr. Cormick, an English\nphysician, the only Westerner ever to have met Him. The Reverend\nBenjamin Labaree, D.D., of the American Presbyterian Mission at\nUr\u00fam\u00edyyih, asked Dr. Cormick for the particulars of his visit. The\nEnglish physician wrote in answer:\n\n You ask me for some particulars of my interview with the\n founder of the sect known as B\u00e1b\u00eds. Nothing of any\n importance transpired in this interview, as the B\u00e1b was\n aware of my having been sent with two other Persian doctors\n to see whether he was of sane mind or merely a madman, to\n decide the question whether to put him to death or not. With\n this knowledge he was loth to answer any questions put to\n him. To all enquiries he merely regarded us with a mild\n look, chanting in a low melodious voice some hymns, I\n suppose. Two other _Sayyids_, his intimate friends, were\n also present, who subsequently were put to death with\n him,[DW] besides a couple of government officials. He only\n once deigned to answer me, on my saying that I was not a\n Musulm\u00e1n and was willing to know something about his\n religion, as I might perhaps be inclined to adopt it. He\n regarded me very intently on my saying this, and replied\n that he had no doubt of all Europeans coming over to his\n religion. Our report to the [_Sh_]\u00e1h at that time was of a\n nature to spare his life. He was put to death some time\n after by the order of the _Am\u00edr-i-Ni\u1e93\u00e1m_ M\u00edrz\u00e1 Taq\u00ed Kh\u00e1n.\n On our report he merely got the bastinado, in which\n operation a _farr\u00e1sh_, whether intentionally or not, struck\n him across the face with the stick destined for his feet,\n which produced a great wound and swelling of the face. On\n being asked whether a Persian surgeon should be brought to\n treat him, he expressed a desire that I should be sent for,\n and I accordingly treated him for a few days, but in the\n interviews consequent on this I could never get him to have\n a confidential chat with me, as some Government people were\n always present, he being a prisoner.\n\n He was very thankful for my attentions to him. He was a\n very mild and delicate-looking man, rather small in stature\n and very fair for a Persian, with a melodious soft voice,\n which struck me much. Being a Sayyid, he was dressed in the\n habits of that sect, as were also his two companions. In\n fact his whole look and deportment went far to dispose one\n in his favour. Of his doctrine I heard nothing from his own\n lips, although the idea was that there existed in his\n religion a certain approach to Christianity. He was seen by\n some Armenian carpenters, who were sent to make some repairs\n in his prison, reading the Bible, and he took no pains to\n conceal it, but on the contrary told them of it. Most\n assuredly the Musulm\u00e1n fanaticism does not exist in his\n religion, as applied to Christians, nor is there that\n restraint of females that now exists.[8]\n\n [Footnote DV: Literally, 'chief-lictor', a Roman officer who\n executed sentences on offenders.]\n\n [Footnote DW: This is a mistake. The two brothers, Siyyid\n \u1e24asan and Siyyid \u1e24usayn, were not put to death with the\n B\u00e1b, contrary to Browne's note accompanying this account.]\n\nIt must have been sometime in the first days of August 1848 that the\nB\u00e1b was restored to [_Ch_]ihr\u00edq. From there, He addressed a letter to\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed:\n\n O thou who hast disbelieved in God, and hast turned thy face\n away from His signs![9]\n\nThat letter, stern and unsparing, is known as the\n_[_Kh_]u\u1e6dbiy-i-Qahr\u00edyyih_ (Sermon of Wrath). The B\u00e1b sent it to\n\u1e24ujjat, who was still in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n unable to return to his native\ntown, to give it in person to the Grand Vizier. Hujjat carried out the\ntask entrusted to him. By then \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed had fallen from\npower, to end his days in obscurity in `Ir\u00e1q.\n\nMu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h died on September 4th 1848.[DX] Less than a year\nlater, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed followed him to the grave.\n\n [Footnote DX: There was a certain \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Ri\u1e0d\u00e1y-i-Q\u00e1s\u00ed[10]\n in [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, always ready to start a riot or head a revolt.\n The present writer recalls being told by his paternal\n grandmother that one day, at dawn, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Q\u00e1s\u00ed came\n galloping past their door, rattling a long stick (or a lance)\n in a hole in the wall, shouting: 'O house of the Siyyids, may\n you rest in safety, Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h has gone to hell.'\n She remembered that incident very well, although at the time\n she was no more than seven or eight years old.]\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER 12\n\nTHAT MIDSUMMER NOON\n\n Transcendent Star, past mortal ken\n The glory of your Life through all the spheres\n Bathes the unending vista of the years.\n The radiance of the Light you brought to men\n Has purified the planet's heart anew!\n Your blood was poured upon its dearth like dew,\n Ichor of God's decree, let each drop shed\n Raise up the nations, and the living dead,\n Revive the vision of the spirit's youth:\n Auroral is the fountain of your Truth.\n --Beatrice Irwin\n\n\nThe death of Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h and the downfall of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1\n\u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed were events of far-reaching consequence. The new monarch was\nvery young and inexperienced, while the man who now occupied the seat\nleft vacant by the disappearance of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed was capable\nand uncorrupted, but self-willed and headstrong. M\u00edrz\u00e1 Taq\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n,\nthe Am\u00edr-Ni\u1e93\u00e1m (better known by his later title Am\u00edr-i-Kab\u00edr) had\nby sheer force of his abilities raised himself from humble origins to\na position of power. His father had been a cook in the employment of\nthe illustrious Q\u00e1'im-Maq\u00e1m. And it had been that great minister who\nhad first noticed high promise in the young Taq\u00ed. Although\nN\u00e1\u1e63iri'd-D\u00edn [_Sh_]\u00e1h now reigned over \u00cdr\u00e1n, it was M\u00edrz\u00e1 Taq\u00ed\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n who ruled it.\n\n * * * * *\n\nOnce again, within the confines of [_Ch_]ihr\u00edq, the B\u00e1b had\nuninterrupted communication with His followers. Mull\u00e1 \u00c1d\u00ed Guzal, a\nnative of Mar\u00e1[_gh_]ih (\u00c1[_dh_]-rb\u00e1yj\u00e1n), acted as a courier, often\ntraversing vast distances on foot. Decades later `Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1 recalled\na day when this indefatigable man arrived at \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, dressed as a\ndervish and much travel-stained. Va\u1e25\u00edd, on learning who he was and\nfrom whence he had come, bent low and kissed the mud-encrusted feet of\nthe courier, for he had been in the presence of the Beloved.\n\nOne of this courier's journeys took him to Qudd\u00fas, with the gift of a\nvaluable pen-case and a silk turban sent by the B\u00e1b. And when Qudd\u00fas\nand Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn and their companions died as martyrs in\nM\u00e1zindar\u00e1n, the B\u00e1b chose this same faithful courier to go on\npilgrimage in His stead to the land drenched with their blood. Thus\nMull\u00e1 \u00c1d\u00ed Guzal was the first B\u00e1b\u00ed to set eyes on the scenes of that\ncarnage. He was also, for two months, the B\u00e1b's personal attendant in\nthe castle of [_Ch_]ihr\u00edq.[1]\n\nSulaym\u00e1n [_Kh_]\u00e1n, the son of Ya\u1e25y\u00e1 [_Kh_]\u00e1n of Tabr\u00edz, was one of\nthe prominent followers of the B\u00e1b who attained His presence in this\ncastle, after making the journey in disguise.[DY] He had no liking for\nservice at court, and had gone to `Ir\u00e1q, to live under the shadow of\nthe Shrine of Im\u00e1m \u1e24usayn. There he found himself attracted to the\nteachings of Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im and, hearing later of the advent of the\nB\u00e1b, gave Him his allegiance. The news of the plight of his\nfellow-believers, who were hounded and besieged in M\u00e1zindar\u00e1n, drew\nhim back to his native land. He reached \u1e6cihr\u00e1n dressed as a cleric.\nM\u00edrz\u00e1 Taq\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n, however, made him discard his turban and long\ncloak, and forced him to wear a military uniform. But he could not\nprevail upon him to enter the service of the Government. Sulaym\u00e1n\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n's primary purpose remained unfulfilled: to give aid to Qudd\u00fas\nand the B\u00e1bu'l-B\u00e1b proved impossible, but his sudden departure from\nKarbil\u00e1 was not to be in vain, or barren of significant result.\n\n [Footnote DY: The father of Sulaym\u00e1n [_Kh_]\u00e1n was an\n attendant of `Abb\u00e1s M\u00edrz\u00e1, and then of his son, Mu\u1e25ammad\n [_Sh_]\u00e1h.]\n\nAnother visitor to [_Ch_]ihr\u00edq during the closing months of the life\nof the B\u00e1b was His uncle, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Al\u00ed. His life too was\nnearing its end, to be laid down in the path of his Nephew. Two years\nhad passed since the day his Nephew bade him farewell in [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z,\nand \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Al\u00ed could no longer bear the pangs of\nseparation. He settled his accounts, closed his books and took the\nroad to \u00c1[_dh_]arb\u00e1yj\u00e1n. Having attained his heart's desire, he wrote\nto his brother, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid Mu\u1e25ammad, to help him see the\ntruth of their Nephew's mission. His letter was written on the fifth\nday of Jam\u00e1d\u00edu'l-\u00dal\u00e1--the anniversary of the Declaration of the B\u00e1b.\n'On such a day,' he told his brother, 'the resplendent Light of God\nshone forth.... This is the day of Resurrection ... the day to behold\nthe Visage of God.'[2] The One promised, expected and awaited had\nindeed come, he asserted, and come with verses constituting the primal\nproof of all the Manifestations of God. He desired all the members of\nhis family to see his letter. One cannot but marvel at the quality of\ndevotion and certainty that this letter reveals.\n\nTo meet, after such a long interval, the uncle who had stood _in loco\nparentis_ to Him when He was orphaned, must have given the B\u00e1b intense\njoy. But within a few months[DZ] of His uncle's visit, news came that\nbrought Him unbearable sorrow. At [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e6cabars\u00ed in\nM\u00e1zindar\u00e1n a large number of His followers had been massacred,\nincluding nine of His first disciples, the Letters of the Living;\namongst them were the B\u00e1bu'l-B\u00e1b who had first believed in Him, and\nQudd\u00fas, His companion on the journey to \u1e24ij\u00e1z, the beloved disciple\nwhose primacy was unquestioned.\n\n [Footnote DZ: Towards the end of June 1849.]\n\nAccording to His amanuensis:\n\n The B\u00e1b was heart-broken at the receipt of this unexpected\n intelligence. He was crushed with grief, a grief that\n stilled His voice and silenced His pen. For nine days He\n refused to meet any of His friends. I myself, though His\n close and constant attendant, was refused admittance.\n Whatever meat or drink we offered Him, He was disinclined to\n touch. Tears rained continually from His eyes, and\n expressions of anguish dropped unceasingly from His lips. I\n could hear Him, from behind the curtain, give vent to His\n feelings of sadness as He communed, in the privacy of His\n cell, with His Beloved. I attempted to jot down the\n effusions of His sorrow as they poured forth from His\n wounded heart. Suspecting that I was attempting to preserve\n the lamentations He uttered, He bade me destroy whatever I\n had recorded. Nothing remains of the moans and cries with\n which that heavy-laden heart sought to relieve itself of the\n pangs that had seized it. For a period of five months He\n languished, immersed in an ocean of despondency and\n sorrow.[3]\n\nConscious that His own life was fast approaching its end, the B\u00e1b put\nall His Writings, His pen-case, His seals and rings in a box which He\nentrusted to Mull\u00e1 B\u00e1qir-i-Tabr\u00edz\u00ed, one of the Letters of the Living,\nwith instructions to deliver it, together with a letter, to M\u00edrz\u00e1\nA\u1e25mad-i-K\u00e1tib (Mull\u00e1 `Abdu'l-Kar\u00edm-i-Qazv\u00edn\u00ed). Nab\u00edl-i-A`\u1e93am writes:\n\n Mull\u00e1 B\u00e1qir departed forthwith for Qazv\u00edn. Within eighteen\n days he reached that town and was informed that M\u00edrz\u00e1\n A\u1e25mad had departed for Qum. He left immediately for that\n destination and arrived towards the middle of the month of\n [_Sh_]a`b\u00e1n.[EA] I was then in Qum.... I was living in the\n same house with M\u00edrz\u00e1 A\u1e25mad.... In those days\n [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `A\u1e93\u00edm, Siyyid Ism\u00e1`\u00edl, and a number of\n other companions likewise were dwelling with us. Mull\u00e1 B\u00e1qir\n delivered the trust into the hands of M\u00edrz\u00e1 A\u1e25mad, who,\n at the insistence of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `A\u1e93\u00edm, opened it\n before us. We marvelled when we beheld, among the things\n which that coffer contained, a scroll of blue paper, of the\n most delicate texture, on which the B\u00e1b, in His own\n exquisite handwriting, which was a fine [_sh_]ikastih\n script, had penned, in the form of a pentacle, what numbered\n about five hundred verses, all consisting of derivatives\n from the word 'Bah\u00e1'.[EB] That scroll was in a state of\n perfect preservation, was spotlessly clean.... So fine and\n intricate was the penmanship that, viewed at a distance, the\n writing appeared as a single wash of ink on the paper. We\n were overcome with admiration as we gazed upon a masterpiece\n which no calligraphist, we believed, could rival. That\n scroll was replaced in the coffer and handed back to M\u00edrz\u00e1\n A\u1e25mad, who, on the very day he received it, proceeded to\n \u1e6cihr\u00e1n. Ere he departed, he informed us that all he could\n divulge of that letter was the injunction that the trust was\n to be delivered into the hands of Jin\u00e1b-i-Bah\u00e1[EC] in\n \u1e6cihr\u00e1n.[4]\n\n [Footnote EA: Towards the end of June 1850.]\n\n [Footnote EB: There were 360 derivatives. (Browne, ed., _A\n Traveller's Narrative_, Vol. II, p. 42.)]\n\n [Footnote EC: Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h.]\n\nIt was also during the last few months of His life that the B\u00e1b\ncomposed the Arabic _Bay\u00e1n_, which, in the estimation of Nicolas, is\nthe epitome of the teachings of the B\u00e1b.\n\n * * * * *\n\nThe man who took the decision to have the B\u00e1b executed was M\u00edrz\u00e1 Taq\u00ed\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n, the Grand Vizier of N\u00e1\u1e63iri'd-D\u00edn [_Sh_]\u00e1h. His obdurate\nnature brooked no opposition. M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1 [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-N\u00far\u00ed, who had a\nministerial post, made a faint protest, but his voice went unheeded.\nOrders were sent to \u1e24amzih M\u00edrz\u00e1, the \u1e24i[_sh_]matu'd-Dawlih,\nGovernor-General of \u00c1[_dh_]arb\u00e1yj\u00e1n, to bring the B\u00e1b to Tabr\u00edz. When\nthese were carried out further orders came from the Grand Vizier,\nbrought by no less a person than his brother, M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e24asan\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n, the Vaz\u00edr Niz\u00e1m. They were to the effect that the B\u00e1b\nshould be executed by a firing squad, in full public view.\n\u1e24i[_sh_]matu'd-Dawlih refused absolutely to be associated in any\nway with such a dastardly action. His response was: 'I am neither\nIbn-i-Z\u00edy\u00e1d nor Ibn-i-Sa`d[ED] that he should call upon me to slay an\ninnocent descendant of the Prophet of God.'[5]\n\n [Footnote ED: Men responsible for the tragedy of Karbil\u00e1, and\n the martyrdom of Im\u00e1m \u1e24usayn.]\n\nThe Grand Vizier, on being informed by M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e24asan [_Kh_]\u00e1n of this\nrefusal, instructed his brother to carry out the orders under his own\nauthority. Divested of His turban and sash which indicated His lineage,\nthe B\u00e1b and His attendants were taken on foot to the barracks, from the\nhouse which the Governor had put at their disposal. On the way to the\ncitadel, a youth, barefoot and dishevelled, threw himself at the feet of\nthe B\u00e1b, beseeching Him: 'Send me not from Thee, O Master. Wherever Thou\ngoest, suffer me to follow Thee.' To this the B\u00e1b replied:\n'Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed, arise, and rest assured that you will be with Me.\nTomorrow you shall witness what God has decreed.'[6]\n\nThis youth, M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00edy-i-Zun\u00faz\u00ed, had long been devoted to the\nB\u00e1b, but his stepfather[EE] had used every subterfuge to prevent him\nfrom meeting the B\u00e1b and voicing his allegiance, even going to the\nlength of locking him up in his own house. [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e24asan-i-Zun\u00faz\u00ed\nwas related to the family, and thus had access to M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed.\nVisiting him one day, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e24asan found the youth transformed,\nno longer wretched and bemoaning his fate, but happy and at peace. 'The\neyes of my Beloved,' he told [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e24asan, 'have beheld this\nface, and these eyes have gazed upon His countenance.' He then recounted\nan experience he had had:\n\n Let me tell you the secret of my happiness. After the B\u00e1b\n had been taken back to [_Ch_]ihr\u00edq,[EF] one day, as I lay\n confined in my cell, I turned my heart to Him and besought\n Him in these words: 'Thou beholdest, O my Best-Beloved, my\n captivity and helplessness, and knowest how eagerly I yearn\n to look upon Thy face. Dispel the gloom that oppresses my\n heart, with the light of Thy countenance.' What tears of\n agonising pain I shed that hour! I was so overcome with\n emotion that I seemed to have lost consciousness. Suddenly I\n heard the voice of the B\u00e1b, and, lo! He was calling me. He\n bade me arise. I beheld the majesty of His countenance as He\n appeared before me. He smiled as He looked into my eyes. I\n rushed forward and flung myself at His feet. 'Rejoice,' He\n said; 'the hour is approaching when, in this very city, I\n shall be suspended before the eyes of the multitude and\n shall fall a victim to the fire of the enemy. I shall choose\n no one except you to share with Me the cup of martyrdom.\n Rest assured that this promise which I give you shall be\n fulfilled.'[7]\n\n [Footnote EE: Siyyid `Al\u00edy-i-Zun\u00faz\u00ed.]\n\n [Footnote EF: Following his examination in the summer of\n 1848.]\n\nNow, two years later, in a thoroughfare of Tabr\u00edz, M\u00edrz\u00e1\nMu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00edy-i-Zun\u00faz\u00ed received the same promise and assurance\nfrom the B\u00e1b.\n\nThat night the B\u00e1b was joyous. He knew that on the following day He\nwould quaff the cup of martyrdom. He also knew that His Mission on\nthis earth was totally accomplished, despite fierce opposition mounted\nby the divines and rulers of the land, and despite the tyrannies and\nindignities to which He had been mercilessly subjected. No power had\nsucceeded in quenching the flame of faith which His Word had set\nablaze. He had knowingly sacrificed His life for the sake of the\nRedeemer promised unto all Faiths. The near advent of 'Him Whom God\nshall make manifest' (Man-Yu\u1e93hiruhu'll\u00e1h) had been His constant\ntheme. He had made the acceptance of His own Book--the mighty\n_Bay\u00e1n_--dependent upon the good pleasure of 'Him Whom God shall make\nmanifest', Whom He had addressed in the early days of His Ministry:\n\n O Thou Remnant of God! I have sacrificed myself wholly for\n Thee; I have accepted curses for Thy sake, and have yearned\n for naught but martyrdom in the path of Thy love.[8]\n\nAnd now on this night--His last on earth--He was happy and contented. He\ntold the faithful disciples who were with Him that He preferred to meet\nHis death at the hand of a friend rather than at the hands of enemies,\nand invited them to fulfil His wish. Among those men who so dearly loved\nHim, only M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed dared to undertake that fearsome task, but\nhis companions restrained him. 'This same youth who has risen to comply\nwith My wish,' the B\u00e1b said, 'will, together with Me, suffer martyrdom.\nHim will I choose to share with Me its crown.' And He added: 'Verily\nMu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed will be with Us in Paradise.'[9]\n\nJesus was crucified with two criminals, and St. Luke tells us:\n\n And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him,\n saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.\n\n But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou\n fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?\n\n And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our\n deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.\n\n And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest\n into thy kingdom.\n\n And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day\n shalt thou be with me in paradise.[EG]\n\n [Footnote EG: xxiii, 39-43.]\n\nIn the morning they took the B\u00e1b to the homes of the leading divines:\nMull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-i-M\u00e1maq\u00e1n\u00ed, Mull\u00e1 Murti\u1e0d\u00e1-Qul\u00edy-i-Marand\u00ed and\nM\u00edrz\u00e1 B\u00e1qir, to obtain the death-warrants. These men needed no\ninducement: they had the warrants written, signed and sealed, ready\nto deliver to the farr\u00e1[_sh_]-b\u00e1[_sh_]\u00ed, and did not even deign to\nshow their faces to the Prisoner.\n\nAgain we are reminded of St. Luke:\n\n And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote _him_.\n\n And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the\n face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote\n thee?\n\n And many other things blasphemously spake they against him.\n\n And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the\n chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him\n into their council, saying,\n\n Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I\n tell you, ye will not believe:\n\n And if I also ask _you_, ye will not answer me, nor let _me_\n go.\n\n Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the\n power of God.\n\n Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he\n said unto them, Ye say that I am.\n\n And they said, What need we any further witness? for we\n ourselves have heard of his own mouth.[EH]\n\n [Footnote EH: xxii, 63-71.]\n\nThe stepfather of M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed now made an attempt to save\nhim. Siyyid \u1e24usayn-i-Yazd\u00ed and his brother, at the instructions of\nthe B\u00e1b Himself, had recanted so that they could take to the followers\nof the B\u00e1b His last words and wishes. M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed refused\nall blandishments, declared his desire to die with his Master, and\ntold Mull\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-i-M\u00e1maq\u00e1n\u00ed to his face: 'I am not mad. Such a\ncharge should rather be brought against you who have sentenced to\ndeath a man no less holy than the promised Q\u00e1'im. He is not a fool who\nhas embraced His Faith and is longing to shed his blood in His\npath.'[10] His young child was brought to him. They thought that,\nperchance, the sight of the boy might soften his heart. But M\u00edrz\u00e1\nMu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed's resolve remained unshaken. God would provide for\nhis child and protect him.\n\nSo at noon they led the B\u00e1b and His disciple to the square in front of\nthe citadel of Tabr\u00edz. S\u00e1m [_Kh_]\u00e1n, the commander of the Armenian\nregiment detailed to execute them, was ill at ease. The Prisoner looked\nkind and compassionate. For what crime was He to be put to death? Unable\nto still the voice of his conscience, S\u00e1m [_Kh_]\u00e1n approached the B\u00e1b:\n'I profess the Christian Faith and entertain no ill will against you. If\nyour Cause be the Cause of Truth, enable me to free myself from the\nobligation to shed your blood.' To this the B\u00e1b replied: 'Follow your\ninstructions, and if your intention be sincere, the Almighty is surely\nable to relieve you from your perplexity.'[11]\n\nThe B\u00e1b and His disciple were suspended by ropes from a nail in the\nwall, the head of M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed resting on the breast of the\nB\u00e1b. Seven hundred and fifty soldiers were positioned in three files.\nRoofs of the buildings around teemed with spectators.\n\nEach row of soldiers fired in turn. The smoke from so many rifles\nclouded the scene. When it lifted the B\u00e1b was not there. Only His\ndisciple could be seen, standing under the nail in the wall, smiling\nand unconcerned. Bullets had only severed the ropes with which they\nwere suspended. Cries rang out from the onlookers: 'The Siyyid-i-B\u00e1b\nhas gone from our sight!'\n\nA frantic search followed. The B\u00e1b was found, sitting in the same room\nwhere He had been lodged the night before, in conversation with His\namanuensis. That conversation had been interrupted earlier in the day.\nNow it was finished and He told the farr\u00e1[_sh_]-b\u00e1[_sh_]\u00ed to carry out\nhis duty. But the farr\u00e1[_sh_]-b\u00e1[_sh_]\u00ed was terror-stricken and ran\naway, nor did he ever return to his post. S\u00e1m [_Kh_]\u00e1n, for his part,\ntold his superiors that he had carried out the task given to him; he\nwould not attempt it a second time. So \u00c1q\u00e1 J\u00e1n [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-[_Kh_]amsih\nand his N\u00e1\u1e63ir\u00ed regiment replaced the Armenians, and the B\u00e1b and His\ndisciple were suspended once again at the same spot.\n\nNow the B\u00e1b addressed the multitude gathered to see Him die:\n\n Had you believed in Me, O wayward generation, every one of\n you would have followed the example of this youth, who stood\n in rank above most of you, and willingly would have\n sacrificed himself in My path. The day will come when you\n will have recognised Me; that day I shall have ceased to be\n with you.[12]\n\nAnd St. Luke relates:\n\n And there followed him a great company of people, and of\n women, which also bewailed and lamented him.\n\n But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem,\n weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your\n children.\n\n For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall\n say, Blessed _are_ the barren, and the wombs that never\n bare, and the paps which never gave suck.\n\n Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us;\n and to the hills, Cover us.[EI]\n\n [Footnote EI: xxiii, 27-30.]\n\nThe N\u00e1\u1e63ir\u00ed regiment fired. The bodies of the B\u00e1b and His disciple\nwere shattered, and their flesh was united. But the face of the B\u00e1b\nwas untouched. Then a storm descended upon Tabr\u00edz. Tempestuous winds\nblew and dust darkened the skies, and the skies remained dark, until\nthe darkness of the day merged into the darkness of the night.\n\n And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness\n over all the earth until the ninth hour.\n\n And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was\n rent in the midst.\n\n And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father,\n into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he\n gave up the ghost.[EJ]\n\n [Footnote EJ: Luke xxiii, 44-6.]\n\nThus at noon, one midsummer day--Sunday July 9th 1850[EK]--they put to\ndeath a Manifestation of God, just as at noon, centuries before,\nanother Manifestation of God was slain.\n\n [Footnote EK: [_Sh_]a`b\u00e1n 28th, 1266 A.H.]\n\nWhen night fell, they dragged the bodies through the streets of\nTabr\u00edz, and threw them on the edge of the moat surrounding the city.\nSoldiers were stationed there to guard over them, lest the B\u00e1b\u00eds\nattempt to retrieve the precious remains. Not far away, two B\u00e1b\u00eds,\nfeigning madness, kept vigil throughout the night.\n\nNext morning the Russian Consul took an artist with him to make a\ndrawing of the remains of the B\u00e1b.\n\n * * * * *\n\nSulaym\u00e1n [_Kh_]\u00e1n, that loyal disciple who attained the presence of\nthe B\u00e1b in [_Ch_]ihr\u00edq, reached Tabr\u00edz the day after His martyrdom. He\nhad intended to rescue his Master. But that was not to be. Now, he\nwent straightway to \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mihd\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n, the Kal\u00e1ntar (Mayor)\nof Tabr\u00edz, who was a friend of long standing, and told him that he had\ndecided to dare everything that very night and carry the bodies away\nby a surprise attack on the soldiers guarding them on the edge of the\nmoat. The Kal\u00e1ntar told Sulaym\u00e1n [_Kh_]\u00e1n to withdraw for the moment\nand assured him that there was a much safer and more reliable way to\nachieve his purpose.\n\nThere was in Tabr\u00edz a certain \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed All\u00e1h-Y\u00e1r, a confidant of the\nKal\u00e1ntar, well-known for his exploits. Instructed by the Kal\u00e1ntar,\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed All\u00e1h-Y\u00e1r used such means as he knew best to take the bodies\naway from under the eyes of the soldiers. He delivered the remains to\nSulaym\u00e1n [_Kh_]\u00e1n, who had them moved to the silk factory of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed\nA\u1e25mad, a B\u00e1b\u00ed of M\u00edl\u00e1n. There they were enshrouded and hidden under\nthe bales of silk. Next day a casket was made to contain them, and\nthey were sent away to safety. \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed All\u00e1h-Y\u00e1r refused to accept any\nreward for his service.[13]\n\nSoldiers reported the disappearance of the bodies. Wild beasts had\ndevoured the remains, they alleged, while they slept. And the divines\ngave credence to that story and shouted for joy. What better proof\ncould there be to show how false the Siyyid-i-B\u00e1b was? Beasts do not,\ncannot consume the remains of the Im\u00e1m.[EL]\n\n [Footnote EL: See Appendix 2 for extracts from British\n official documents which report the execution and the\n disposition of the bodies.]\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER 13\n\nTHE DAWN-BREAKERS\n\n Knowest thou what the seekers of life should seek?\n Death--and submitting cast their lives at the\n Beloved's feet.\n He who towards Ka`bah his steps directs\n Should not heed the wounding thorn in deserts forlorn.\n --`Az\u00edzu'll\u00e1h Mi\u1e63b\u00e1\u1e25\n\n\nThe B\u00e1b appeared in a country renowned for a glorious and envied past;\nbut since the beginning of the nineteenth century \u00cdr\u00e1n had declined\nrapidly. The structure of the State had begun to falter under the\n\u1e62afavid dynasty (1501-1732), enjoying only a brief revival in the\nnext two reigns.[EM] But by the middle of the nineteenth century,\nPersia was materially impoverished, intellectually stagnant,\nspiritually moribund. The condition of the peasantry was appalling.\nCorruption had eaten deep into the vitals of the nation and oppression\nand tyranny were widespread. It is said that every man has his price;\nthe adage was particularly true of the Persians of the mid-nineteenth\ncentury. Offices of State and governorships were shamelessly bought\nand sold. Taxes and customs revenues were farmed. Bribery, peculation\nand extortion were legitimized under the respectable name of\nMad\u00e1[_kh_]il (Perquisites). Historic cities and buildings were falling\ninto ruin. Many a traveller has remarked on the magnificent aspect of\nfamous cities, towns and villages when seen from afar, with their\ndomes and minarets, citadels and gateways, groves and orchards; but\nhow miserable and dilapidated they were found to be when one entered\nthem. The toll of disease and neglect and insecurity had reduced the\npopulation of a country with an area the size of Western Europe to\nwell below ten million.\n\n [Footnote EM: Af[_sh_]\u00e1rid N\u00e1dir [_Sh_]\u00e1h (1736-47) and the\n Zand ruler, Kar\u00edm [_Kh_]\u00e1n (1750-79).]\n\nThe burden of a semi-feudal state was indeed onerous, and no less so was\nthe burden of the dominance established by the divines. Certainly, they\nhad in their ranks men of the calibre and quality of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\nA\u1e25mad-i-A\u1e25s\u00e1'\u00ed, Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im-i-Ra[_sh_]t\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid\nMu\u1e25ammad-B\u00e1qir-i-Ra[_sh_]t\u00ed[EN] and [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Murti\u1e0d\u00e1y-i-An\u1e63\u00e1r\u00ed,\nmen who had high regard for truth and righteousness; just as there were\nin the service of the State men of enlightened vision and shining\nintegrity. But collectively the divines abused the power they had\nobtained with the advent of the \u1e62afavid dynasty.\n\n [Footnote EN: Known both as Ra[_sh_]t\u00ed and [_Sh_]aft\u00ed.]\n\nThe fall of a nation from the pinnacle of achievement is more marked\nthan the decline from lesser heights.\n\n\nThe Call to a New Day\n\nThe Call of the B\u00e1b was a call to awakening, a claim that a New Day had\ndawned. But the magnitude of this claim was not easily realized; one of\nthe first to do so was Qurratu'l-`Ayn. When Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00edy-i-Bas\u1e6d\u00e1m\u00ed was\ncondemned and imprisoned in Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d, she was still at Karbil\u00e1.\nBecause of complaints by the [_Sh_]\u00ed`ah divines, the Government sent her\nback to Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d, where she lodged in the house of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\nMu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]ibl, the father of \u00c1q\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad Mu\u1e63\u1e6daf\u00e1y-i-Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d\u00ed,\nuntil the Government moved her to the house of the Muft\u00ed of\nBa[_gh_]d\u00e1d.[EO] So outspoken was she in her public statements that some\nof her fellow-believers from K\u00e1\u1e93imayn were alarmed and, according to \u00c1q\u00e1\nMu\u1e25ammad-Mu\u1e63\u1e6daf\u00e1, agitated against her. Siyyid `Al\u00ed Bi[_sh_]r, the most\nlearned of them, wrote a letter on their behalf to the B\u00e1b, which\nNawr\u00faz-`Al\u00ed, once an attendant of Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im, took to Him in M\u00e1h-K\u00fa,\nreturning with His answer which rang with high praise of Qurratu'l-`Ayn.\nIt caused Siyyid `Al\u00ed Bi[_sh_]r and his party from K\u00e1\u1e93imayn[EP] to\nwithdraw from the Faith they had previously espoused with enthusiasm.\nThe B\u00e1b described Qurratu'l-`Ayn, in that Epistle, as \u1e6c\u00e1hirih, the Pure,\nand \u1e62idd\u00edqih, the Truthful, and laid an injunction on His followers in\n`Ir\u00e1q to accept without question whatever she might pronounce, for they\nwere not in a position to understand and appreciate her station. By this\ntime a large number of B\u00e1b\u00eds had assembled in Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d, and\nQurratu'l-`Ayn was constantly and openly teaching the Faith. She had\nreceived a copy of the _Commentary on the S\u00farih of Kaw[_th_]ar_, which\nthe B\u00e1b had revealed for Va\u1e25\u00edd, and she made full use of it, driving the\nopposing divines to desperation. When she threw down a challenge to them\nto debate the issue with her, their only reply was vehement\ndenunciation.\n\n [Footnote EO: In a book which the Muft\u00ed, Ma\u1e25m\u00fad al-\u00c1l\u00fas\u00ed,\n wrote, he spoke of Qurratu'l-`Ayn with great admiration.]\n\n [Footnote EP: These included Siyyid \u1e6c\u00e1h\u00e1 and Siyyid\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Ja`far.]\n\nNaj\u00edb P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1 was still at his post as V\u00e1l\u00ed of Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d, but he was\nnow a chastened man. Moreover, the opponents of Qurratu'l-`Ayn were the\n[_Sh_]\u00ed`ah divines and Naj\u00edb P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1, being a Sunn\u00ed, would take no\naction to please them, but he reported to the Sublime Porte that\nQurratu'l-`Ayn had challenged them. The authorities in Constantinople\nwere also not prepared to give comfort to [_Sh_]\u00ed`ahs by making a martyr\nof Qurratu'l-`Ayn. At the same time they had no wish to champion her\ncause. They told Naj\u00edb P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1 that, as Qurratu'l-`Ayn was Persian,\nshe should confine her challenge to the divines of her native land; she\nshould be sent to Persia.[EQ] So Qurratu'l-`Ayn (or \u1e6c\u00e1hirih as we shall\ncall her), accompanied by a number of ardent and prominent B\u00e1b\u00eds,[1]\nquitted Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d and was escorted to the frontier by Mu\u1e25ammad \u00c1q\u00e1\nY\u00e1var, an officer in the service of Naj\u00edb P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1, who became\nattracted to the Cause she was advocating.\n\n [Footnote EQ: Yet only two years before they had refused to\n hand over Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed to the Persian Government, that he might\n reach safety.]\n\nVarious eventful stops were made by \u1e6c\u00e1hirih and her companions in\ntheir journey across Persia to Qazv\u00edn. In the small town of Kirand,\nher eloquence and the clarity of her disquisition so impressed the\nchiefs of that area that they offered to place twelve thousand men\nunder her command, to follow her wherever she went. The great majority\n(if not all) of the inhabitants of Kirand and its neighbourhood were\n`Al\u00edyu'll\u00e1h\u00eds. \u1e6c\u00e1hirih gave them her blessing, told them to keep to\ntheir homes, and moved on to Kirm\u00e1n[_sh_]\u00e1h. The challenge she\npresented to \u00c1q\u00e1 `Abdu'll\u00e1h-i-Bihbih\u00e1n\u00ed, the leading divine of that\ntown, thoroughly discomfited him. With the populace clamouring for a\npositive answer, and the Governor treating \u1e6c\u00e1hirih with great\nrespect, the cornered divine sought to free himself from his\ndilemma by writing to her father in Qazv\u00edn, asking him to send\nsome of his close relatives to remove her from Kirm\u00e1n[_sh_]\u00e1h. \u00c1q\u00e1\nMu\u1e25ammad-Mu\u1e63\u1e6daf\u00e1, himself an eye-witness, vividly describes\nhow four men came from Qazv\u00edn, joined forces with a Qazv\u00edn\u00ed officer\nstationed in Kirm\u00e1n[_sh_]\u00e1h, invaded the house where \u1e6c\u00e1hirih's\ncompanions resided, and beat and robbed them of all they possessed.\nWhen the Governor learned what had happened, he ordered the arrest of\nthe culprits and restored to the B\u00e1b\u00eds their property. It was soon\nknown that \u00c1q\u00e1 `Abdu'll\u00e1h had conspired to bring about this situation.\n\nFrom Kirm\u00e1n[_sh_]\u00e1h, \u1e6c\u00e1hirih and her companions moved on to fresh scenes\nof triumph in the small town of \u1e62a\u1e25nih, before reaching Hamad\u00e1n. Here\nher brothers arrived from Qazv\u00edn to beg her to return with them to their\nnative place. She agreed on condition that she should stay in Hamad\u00e1n\nlong enough to make the public cognizant of the Faith of the B\u00e1b. During\nher days in Hamad\u00e1n, she issued a challenge to Ra'\u00edsu'l-`Ulam\u00e1, the\nleading divine of the city, whose response was to have the bearer of her\ntreatise, Mull\u00e1 Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm-i-Ma\u1e25all\u00e1t\u00ed, himself a distinguished divine,\nbeaten and thrown out of his house. Mull\u00e1 Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm lingered between life\nand death for some days, and although he recovered, his martyrdom was\nnot far off. This reverse was outweighed by \u1e6c\u00e1hirih's success in\nconverting two ladies of the Royal Family, married to scions of the\naristocracy of Hamad\u00e1n, and even more significant were her talks with\ntwo of the most learned Jewish rabbis,[ER] which led to attracting\nmembers of the Jewish Faith to the B\u00e1b\u00ed fold.[ES] Hamad\u00e1n, flourishing\non the site of ancient Ecbatana, is the city where the tombs of Esther\nand Mordecai are situated.\n\n [Footnote ER: Mull\u00e1 Ily\u00e1h\u00fa and Mull\u00e1 L\u00e1liz\u00e1r.]\n\n [Footnote ES: The first Jewish Bah\u00e1'\u00ed was \u1e24ak\u00edm Mas\u00ed\u1e25,\n a doctor (later to become court physician to Muhammad\n [_Sh_]\u00e1h) who met \u1e6c\u00e1hirih in Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d, and was deeply\n impressed by her eloquence and masterly exposition. Years\n later, while attending his son, he met Mull\u00e1\n \u1e62\u00e1diq-i-Muqaddas, a survivor of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e6cabars\u00ed,\n to whom Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h had given the designation of\n Ismu'll\u00e1hu'l-A\u1e63daq (the Name of God, the Most Truthful).\n This encounter led \u1e24ak\u00edm Mas\u00ed\u1e25 to embrace the Bah\u00e1'\u00ed\n Faith. He was the grandfather of Dr. Lu\u1e6dfu'll\u00e1h \u1e24ak\u00edm.\n (See Balyuzi, _`Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1_, p. 78n.)]\n\nAs promised, \u1e6c\u00e1hirih then left for Qazv\u00edn in the company of her\nbrothers. Before departing, she asked most of the Arab B\u00e1b\u00eds, who were\nwith her, to return to `Ir\u00e1q. Only a few stayed behind, to join her\nlater in Qazv\u00edn, but within a month she requested all of her\nfellow-believers, Arab and Persian alike, who had travelled with her,\nto leave her native town. Of the large company who had come from\n`Ir\u00e1q, attending and supporting her, only Mull\u00e1 Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm-i-Ma\u1e25all\u00e1t\u00ed\nand [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e62\u00e1li\u1e25-al-Kar\u00edm\u00ed remained with her in Qazv\u00edn.\n\n\nThree of the others[ET] went on to \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, where they met the\nB\u00e1bu'l-B\u00e1b. In April 1890, Edward Granville Browne, returning from\n`Akk\u00e1, met one of them, \u00c1q\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-Mu\u1e63\u1e6daf\u00e1, in Beirut and\ninquired about that meeting and the appearance of Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn. He\nlearned that the B\u00e1bu'l-B\u00e1b was\n\n Lean and fragile to look at, but keen and bright as the\n sword which never left his side.[EU] For the rest, he was\n not more than thirty or thirty-five years old, and his\n raiment was white.[2]\n\n [Footnote ET: They were [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]ibl\n and his son, \u00c1q\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-Mu\u1e63\u1e6daf\u00e1, and\n [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Sul\u1e6d\u00e1n-i-Karbil\u00e1'\u00ed.]\n\n [Footnote EU: Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn's sword is in the International\n Archives of the Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Faith.]\n\nAt Qazv\u00edn, \u1e6c\u00e1hirih refused to be reunited with her husband and went\nto her father's house. Her impetuous uncle, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mull\u00e1 Taq\u00ed, felt\ngreatly insulted and his wrath knew no bounds. His denunciation of\nthose whom he considered to be responsible for his daughter-in-law's\nwaywardness became fiercer than ever before. [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] A\u1e25mad\nand Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im were the particular targets of his vilification.\nThen, one morning at dawn, he was found in the mosque, fatally\nstabbed. Immediately the B\u00e1b\u00eds were accused of his murder, and even\n\u1e6c\u00e1hirih was considered guilty, was kept under close watch, and her\nlife was in danger. Although a [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z\u00ed[3] confessed that he had\nslain \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mull\u00e1 Taq\u00ed because of his rabid animosity towards\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] A\u1e25mad and Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im, three B\u00e1b\u00eds, totally\ninnocent of the crime, were put to death--[_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\n\u1e62\u00e1li\u1e25-al-Kar\u00edm\u00ed in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, and Mull\u00e1 Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm-i-Ma\u1e25allat\u00ed\nand Mull\u00e1 \u1e6c\u00e1hir in Qazv\u00edn. These three were the first martyrs of\nthe B\u00e1b\u00ed Faith in Persia itself, and their deaths constituted the\nfirst public execution of B\u00e1b\u00eds.[EV] \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Asadu'll\u00e1h, a well-known\nmerchant of the Farh\u00e1d\u00ed family, was also martyred, while in prison, by\npartisans of \u1e6c\u00e1hirih's husband, the Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih of Qazv\u00edn, and a\nreport was circulated that he had died from natural causes.\n\n [Footnote EV: It is of interest that [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\n \u1e62\u00e1li\u1e25, martyred in Persia, was a native of `Ir\u00e1q, while\n the first martyr of the B\u00e1b\u00ed Faith, Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00edy-i-Bas\u1e6d\u00e1m\u00ed,\n was a Persian who met his death in `Ir\u00e1q.]\n\n\u1e6c\u00e1hirih was now totally isolated. Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h gave the task of rescuing\nher to M\u00edrz\u00e1 H\u00e1d\u00ed, the nephew of the martyred \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Asadu'll\u00e1h. This\nyoung man, who had left Qazv\u00edn at the outset of agitation against the\nB\u00e1b\u00eds, returned at the risk of his life and successfully carried out his\nmission. \u1e6c\u00e1hirih reached \u1e6cihr\u00e1n in safety. Thus it was that she could be\nat the conference of Bada[_sh_]t, where she rendered her most signal\nservice to the Faith of the B\u00e1b.\n\n\nThe Conference of Bada[_sh_]t\n\nThe gathering of the B\u00e1b\u00eds at Bada[_sh_]t coincided with the removal of\nthe B\u00e1b, from the castle of [_Ch_]ihr\u00edq to Tabr\u00edz, for His public\nexamination. Contrary to certain allegations, the B\u00e1b\u00eds did not\ncongregate in Bada[_sh_]t to concert plans to rescue Him. They came\nthere, guided by Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h, to settle a vital and cardinal issue: was\nthis persuasion of theirs just an offshoot of Isl\u00e1m, or was it an\nindependent Faith? Until then no public claim had been made that the\nB\u00e1b, as the Q\u00e1'im of the House of Mu\u1e25ammad, was an Inaugurator of a new\ntheophany. Strange it seems, in perspective, that about the time when a\ndecision was being reached in a tiny hamlet on the edge of [_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n,\nhundreds of miles away in the city of Tabr\u00edz, the B\u00e1b was announcing His\nstation before a tribunal summoned to question Him.[EW]\n\n [Footnote EW: The station of the B\u00e1b is discussed and defined\n by Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Faith, in _The\n Dispensation of Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h_, reprinted in the collection of\n his writings entitled _The World Order of Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h_, to\n which the reader is referred.]\n\n`Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1 states that Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h and Qudd\u00fas had agreed that the\ntime had come to declare the advent of a new Dispensation.[4] However,\nthere were faint hearts in the B\u00e1b\u00ed ranks, as events were to prove.\n\u1e6c\u00e1hirih had met opposition from fellow-B\u00e1b\u00eds because she had always\nbeen bold enough to assert that this was indeed a new day. Any\nannouncement at Bada[_sh_]t would have to be emphatic and unhedged, to\nmake a persuasive impact. And this it was, in a most dramatic way.\n\nBah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h had rented three gardens in Bada[_sh_]t: Qudd\u00fas lived in\none, \u1e6c\u00e1hirih in the second, and Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h had a tent pitched in\nthe third. Other B\u00e1b\u00eds, among whom were a number of the Letters of the\nLiving such as M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed, the brother-in-law of\n\u1e6c\u00e1hirih, and Mull\u00e1 B\u00e1qir-i-Tabr\u00edz\u00ed, lived under tents in the\ngrounds facing the three gardens.[EX]\n\n [Footnote EX: Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn was prevented from reaching\n Bada[_sh_]t.]\n\nDuring the three weeks of the conference, argument and\ncounter-argument were put forward, and differences of view and\napproach arose between Qudd\u00fas and \u1e6c\u00e1hirih. At last it was\n\u1e6c\u00e1hirih's unheard-of gesture, courageous beyond belief and\ndescription, followed by Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h's decisive intervention, which\nmade clear to all that a new Dispensation had begun. \u1e6c\u00e1hirih's\nbrave act was to cast aside her veil. Men were shaken to the depths of\ntheir being to see her thus. Some fled with horror from the scene.\nOne, in desperation, tried to cut his throat. When the uproar\nsubsided, Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h called for a copy of the Qur'\u00e1n and directed a\nreciter to read the fifty-sixth s\u00farih, 'al-W\u00e1qi`a':[EY]\n\n When the inevitable day of judgment shall suddenly come, no\n soul shall charge the prediction of its coming with\n falsehood: it will abase some, and exalt others. When the\n earth shall be shaken with a violent shock; and the\n mountains shall be dashed in pieces, and shall become as\n dust scattered abroad; and ye shall be separated into three\n distinct classes: the companions of the right hand (how\n happy shall the companions of the right hand be!), and the\n companions of the left hand (how miserable shall the\n companions of the left hand be!), and those who have\n preceded others in the faith shall precede them to paradise.\n These are they who shall approach near unto God: they shall\n dwell in gardens of delight.\n\n [Footnote EY: Literally, 'The Event'; Professor Arberry has\n translated it as 'Terror' and George Sale as 'The\n Inevitable'. The present writer prefers in this instance\n Sale's rendering of the whole s\u00farih to Arberry's; verses 1-12\n are quoted. The incident is taken from `Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1, _The\n Memorials of The Faithful_, p. 201, and Cheyne, _The\n Reconciliation of Races and Religions_, pp. 101-3.]\n\nAt Bada[_sh_]t the faint-hearted fell away. And when those who had\nremained steadfast left the hamlet it was to go out into a world, for\nthem, greatly changed. That change was in a sense a reflection of the\ntransformation they had experienced. They were determined to assert\ntheir freedom from the fetters of the past. In a country tightly\nwedded to blind, rigid orthodoxy, the deportment of the B\u00e1b\u00eds would\narouse bitter hostility. There were B\u00e1b\u00eds, undoubtedly, who in their\nnewly-found consciousness of emancipation, committed repellent\nexcesses, and they deserved rejection by their fellow-countrymen. But\nfor the majority, the animosity now directed against them created a\nsituation which was new, and in turn required counter-measures to\nensure their very existence. The opposition they had met in the past\nwas sporadic, and not nation-wide, depending on the character,\ninfluence and power of the leaders, directors and instigators of such\nopposition, in any particular locality. The open welcome which the Bab\nhad received when He reached I\u1e63fah\u00e1n, following the barbaric\ntreatment He had suffered at the hands of the Governor-General and the\ndivines of F\u00e1rs; the enthusiasm and eagerness with which the people\nhad, at first, greeted Him both in Tabr\u00edz and Ur\u00fam\u00edyyih; the friendly\nreception which Qudd\u00fas had found in Kirm\u00e1n, after being humiliated in\n[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z; the reverence shown conspicuously to \u1e6c\u00e1hirih in Kirand\nand Kirm\u00e1n[_sh_]\u00e1h; the respect and kindly attention accorded\nto the B\u00e1bu'l-B\u00e1b by \u1e24amzih M\u00edrz\u00e1, the Governor-General of\n[_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n[EZ]--all were to become only memories, sadly lacking\ncounterparts in the era whose opening was marked by the B\u00e1b's public\ndeclaration of His station as the promised Q\u00e1'im during His\nexamination at Tabr\u00edz, the echoing affirmation of the dawning of a new\nand independent religious Dispensation at the conference of\nBada[_sh_]t, and by the death of Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h.\n\n [Footnote EZ: Also known as \u1e24i[_sh_]matu'd-Dawlih, the\n brother of Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h, who, at a later date, was\n the Governor-General of \u00c1[_dh_]arb\u00e1yj\u00e1n, and refused to\n superintend the execution of the Bab.]\n\nHardly had the conference of Bada[_sh_]t ended when the people of the\nvillage of N\u00edy\u00e1l\u00e1 attacked the B\u00e1b\u00eds. Nab\u00edl-i-A`\u1e93am heard the story\nfrom Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h Himself:\n\n We were all gathered in the village of N\u00edy\u00e1l\u00e1 and were\n resting at the foot of a mountain, when, at the hour of\n dawn, we were suddenly awakened by the stones which the\n people of the neighbourhood were hurling upon us from the\n top of the mountain. The fierceness of their attack induced\n our companions to flee in terror and consternation. I\n clothed Qudd\u00fas in my own garments and despatched him to a\n place of safety, where I intended to join him. When I\n arrived, I found that he had gone. None of our companions\n had remained in N\u00edy\u00e1l\u00e1 except \u1e6c\u00e1hirih and a young man\n from [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, M\u00edrz\u00e1 `Abdu'll\u00e1h. The violence with which\n we were assailed had brought desolation into our camp. I\n found no one into whose custody I could deliver \u1e6c\u00e1hirih\n except that young man, who displayed on that occasion a\n courage and determination that were truly surprising. Sword\n in hand, undaunted by the savage assault of the inhabitants\n of the village, who had rushed to plunder our property, he\n sprang forward to stay the hand of the assailants. Though\n himself wounded in several parts of his body, he risked his\n life to protect our property. I bade him desist from his\n act. When the tumult had subsided, I approached a number of\n the inhabitants of the village and was able to convince them\n of the cruelty and shamefulness of their behaviour. I\n subsequently succeeded in restoring a part of our plundered\n property.[5]\n\n\nThe Episode of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e6cabars\u00ed\n\nIt was mid-July 1848 when the B\u00e1b\u00eds were scattered by the assault of\nthe villagers of N\u00edy\u00e1l\u00e1. They took different routes, but many of them\ncame together again. Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h travelled to N\u00far, His home in\nM\u00e1zindar\u00e1n. Qudd\u00fas was arrested and taken to the town of S\u00e1r\u00ed, also in\nM\u00e1zindar\u00e1n, where he was lodged, under restraint, in the home of M\u00edrz\u00e1\nMu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00ed, the leading divine. \u1e6c\u00e1hirih also went to the same\nprovince, and she too was arrested. Later, she was sent to the capital\nand was given into the charge of Ma\u1e25m\u00fad [_Kh_]\u00e1n, the Kal\u00e1ntar\n(Mayor) of \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, who detained her until the hour of her martyrdom\nin August 1852.\n\nMull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn, whose visit to the camp of \u1e24amzih M\u00edrz\u00e1 had\nprevented him from attending the conference of Bada[_sh_]t, had in the\nmeantime returned to Ma[_sh_]had, and intended to go to Karbil\u00e1. But\nan emissary of the B\u00e1b overtook him with an urgent message. The B\u00e1b\nhad conferred on him the name of Siyyid `Al\u00ed, had sent him a green\nturban of His own to wear, and had instructed him to go to the aid of\nQudd\u00fas with the Black Standard unfurled before him--the Standard of\nwhich the Prophet Mu\u1e25ammad had said:\n\n Should your eyes behold the Black Standards proceeding from\n [_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n, hasten ye towards them, even though ye should\n have to crawl over the snow, inasmuch as they proclaim the\n advent of the promised Mihd\u00ed, the Vicegerent of God.[6]\n\nMull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn began his long march to M\u00e1zindar\u00e1n to rescue Qudd\u00fas,\naccompanied by many of the B\u00e1b\u00eds who had scattered after the incident\nin N\u00edy\u00e1l\u00e1, and some of the newly-converted who ranged themselves\nbehind the Black Standard. Their numbers, on that journey, swelled\ninto hundreds. On their way they raised the call of the New Day,\nfinding eager supporters, but also such venomous hostility that they\ncould not take residence in any town or village. Yet they did not\nintend to engage in combat with anyone, let alone the forces of the\nState. They were only demonstrating their belief and their vision.\n\nAs they approached B\u00e1rfur\u00fa[_sh_], its leading divine, Sa`\u00eddu'l-`Ulam\u00e1,\nwas so vituperative in denouncing Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn that the whole town\nrose up to oppose the B\u00e1b\u00eds. Clashes and casualties were inevitable.\nMull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn himself, in the fray, cut through the trunk of a tree\nand the barrel of a gun, in one stroke of his sword, to fell an\nadversary.[FA] The people of B\u00e1rfur\u00fa[_sh_] were worsted and asked for\na truce, and because of their unrest, their leaders begged\nMull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn to leave on the morrow for \u00c1mul. `Abb\u00e1s-Qul\u00ed\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-L\u00e1r\u00edj\u00e1n\u00ed, whom Nicolas names as 'the chief military\npersonage of the province,'[7] gave Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn a solemn promise,\nfortified by an oath on the Qur'\u00e1n, that [_Kh_]usraw-i-Q\u00e1d\u00ed-Kal\u00e1'\u00ed and\nhis horsemen would escort the B\u00e1b\u00eds to safety through the forests.\nThis military chief impressed on [_Kh_]usraw the need to do his duty\nby Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn, and to show him respect and consideration. But\nSa`\u00eddu'l-`Ulam\u00e1 corrupted [_Kh_]usraw by telling him that he\npersonally would accept responsibility before God and man for any\ninjury, or even death, that might be inflicted on the B\u00e1b\u00eds. Once in\nthe depths of the forest, [_Kh_]usraw and his hundred men\ntreacherously attacked the B\u00e1b\u00eds. He received his desert at the hands\nof a man[FB] of learning, not a hardened trooper, who at the first\nopportunity stabbed and killed [_Kh_]usraw with a dagger.\n\n [Footnote FA: The fame of this feat spread far and wide.\n Later, when the Grand Vizier reprimanded Prince Mihd\u00ed-Qul\u00ed\n M\u00edrz\u00e1, commander of an army sent against the defenders of\n [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e6cabars\u00ed, because he had fled before them,\n the Prince sent him pieces of the musket-barrel smashed by\n the sword of Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn, with this message: 'Such is the\n contemptible strength of an adversary who, with a single\n stroke of his sword, has shattered into six pieces the tree,\n the musket, and its holder.'[8]]\n\n [Footnote FB: M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00edy-i-Juvayn\u00ed.]\n\nThe Grand Vizier was particularly irked and infuriated that the B\u00e1b\u00eds\ncould defeat and put to flight his force, although, for the most part,\nthey were untrained in the arts of war. True, one could find in their\nranks men such as Ri\u1e0d\u00e1 [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Turkam\u00e1n,[FC] an accomplished\nyoung courtier, whose father was the Master of the Horse in the royal\nestablishment. But these were exceptions. The vast majority were\nartisans, small traders, merchants, students of theology, divines.\n\n [Footnote FC: A martyr of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e6cabars\u00ed.]\n\n[_Kh_]usraw's treachery and death, and raids by hostile villagers on\nthe exposed flanks of the B\u00e1b\u00ed camp, forced Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn to\nseek a place where the B\u00e1b\u00eds could be safely lodged. Arriving\non October 12th 1848 at the shrine of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] A\u1e25mad\nibn-i-Ab\u00ed-\u1e6c\u00e1lib-i-\u1e6cabars\u00ed, about fourteen miles south-east of\nB\u00e1rfur\u00fa[_sh_], he gave orders for the construction of a fortress round\nthe shrine, under the supervision of the builder of the B\u00e1b\u00edyyih in\nMa[_sh_]had (see p. 56). They were harassed at every stage by\nneighbouring villagers and had often to defend themselves. No sooner\nwas their work finished than they received a visit from Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h,\nwho advised Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn to seek the release of Qudd\u00fas, that he\nmight be with them. This mission was soon accomplished and, towards\nthe end of that year, Qudd\u00fas joined them in the newly-built fortress,\nto be acknowledged by Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn as above him in rank.\n\nOn January 30th 1849, Lt.-Col. Farrant, then charg\u00e9 d'affaires in\n\u1e6cihr\u00e1n, reported to Lord Palmerston that some five hundred persons,\n'disciples of a Fanatic, who calls himself the door, or gate of the\ntrue Mahomedan Religion', had assembled in M\u00e1zindar\u00e1n, that fighting\nhad broken out, and that `Abb\u00e1s-Qul\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-L\u00e1r\u00edj\u00e1n\u00ed had been\nordered to proceed to that province and arrest the leaders.[9]\n\nThe B\u00e1b\u00eds would gladly have lived peacefully within the four walls\nthey had erected around the shrine of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e6cabars\u00ed. But\nthe continuous clamouring of the divines, led by Sa`\u00eddu'l-`Ulam\u00e1 of\nB\u00e1rfur\u00fa[_sh_], and the despotic, obstinate and haughty nature of the\nGrand Vizier, combined to deny them peace and security. One army after\nanother was sent to reduce them. In sorties from their fortress they\ninflicted heavy losses on the besieging forces, causing commanders to\nflee for their lives. Some of the commanders[FD] died on the\nbattlefield, while Qudd\u00fas, during one of the sorties, received a\nbullet wound in his mouth.\n\n [Footnote FD: Such as `Abdu'll\u00e1h [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Turkam\u00e1n and\n \u1e24ab\u00edbu'll\u00e1h [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Af[_gh_]\u00e1n.]\n\nBah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h, accompanied by His brother M\u00edrz\u00e1 Ya\u1e25y\u00e1, with \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed\nM\u00edrz\u00e1 J\u00e1n\u00ed of K\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1n, and Mull\u00e1 B\u00e1qir of Tabr\u00edz (one of the\nLetters of the Living), set out from \u1e6cihr\u00e1n to join the defenders\nof [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e6cabars\u00ed, but they were intercepted and taken to\n\u00c1mul. Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h offered to bear the punishment intended for the\nothers, and was bastinadoed.\n\nAt dawn of February 2nd 1849, Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn led his last sortie.\n`Abb\u00e1s-Qul\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n, in joint command of the Government forces, had\nclimbed a tree and, picking out the figure of Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn on\nhorseback, shot him in the chest. He did not know whom he had mortally\nwounded, until a timorous siyyid from Qum[FE] turned traitor and\ninformed him. Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn was carried by his companions to\nthe fort, where he died and was buried inside the shrine. He\nwas thirty-five years old. Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h wrote of him in the\n_Kit\u00e1b-i-\u00cdq\u00e1n--The Book of Certitude_:--'But for him, God would not\nhave been established upon the seat of His mercy, nor ascended the\nthrone of eternal glory.'[10]\n\n [Footnote FE: M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e24usayn-i-Mutavall\u00ed.]\n\nNow M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-B\u00e1qir-i-Q\u00e1'in\u00ed replaced Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn in\nleading the companions. But the end could not be far off. Of the three\nhundred and thirteen defenders of the fortress, a number had died,\nmany were wounded, and a few wavered in their resolve. The pressure of\nthe forces arrayed against them increased. Cannon were levelled at\nthem. Food became scarce and they ate grass, leaves of trees, the skin\nand ground bone of their slaughtered horses, the boiled leather of\ntheir saddles. `Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1 speaks of their sufferings in the\n_Memorials of the Faithful_:\n\n For eighteen days they remained without food. They lived on\n the leather of their shoes. This too was soon consumed, and\n they had nothing left but water. They drank a mouthful every\n morning, and lay famished and exhausted in their fort. When\n attacked, however, they would instantly spring to their\n feet, and manifest in the face of the enemy a magnificent\n courage and astonishing resistance.... Under such\n circumstances to maintain an unwavering faith and patience\n is extremely difficult, and to endure such dire afflictions\n a rare phenomenon.[11]\n\nThe end came not through abject surrender, but through the perfidy of\nthe foe. Prince Mihd\u00ed-Qul\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1, brother of Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h, took a\nsolemn oath on the Qur'\u00e1n that their lives and property would be\ninviolate should they come out of the fortress and disperse in peace. A\nhorse was sent for Qudd\u00fas to take him to the camp of the Prince. But\nonce the companions had been lured out of the fortress, the oath was\nconveniently forgotten. The B\u00e1b\u00eds were massacred, the fortress was\npillaged and razed to the ground. Hideous outrages were committed upon\nthe corpses of the slain, and a vast area of the forest was strewn with\ntheir remains: disembowelled, hacked to pieces, burned. Survivors were\nfew. No more than three or four were kept to be heavily ransomed. A few\nwho were left for dead recovered. Still a few others were sold into\nslavery and eventually found their way back to the company of their\nfellow-believers. All the dead were Persians except two Arabs of\nBa[_gh_]d\u00e1d who had come out with \u1e6c\u00e1hirih from `Ir\u00e1q.[12]\n\nQudd\u00fas was taken to B\u00e1rfur\u00fa[_sh_], his native town, where\nSa`\u00eddu'l-`Ulam\u00e1, his pitiless foe, awaited him. Prince Mihd\u00ed-Qul\u00ed\nM\u00edrz\u00e1, oblivious to his pledge, forsook Qudd\u00fas and gave him into the\nhands of that bloodthirsty priest. Imprecations were heaped upon the\nhead of the captive. He was made to suffer refined tortures and\nsearing agonies which an insanely jealous adversary had devised for\nhim. At the height of his torments he was heard to say:\n\n Forgive, O my God, the trespasses of this people. Deal with\n them in Thy mercy, for they know not what we already have\n discovered and cherish.[13]\n\nIn the public square of B\u00e1rfur\u00fa[_sh_] (the Sabzih-Mayd\u00e1n),\nSa`\u00eddu'l-`Ulam\u00e1 struck Qudd\u00fas down with an axe, and any instrument which\na frenzied mob could lay its hands on was used to tear his flesh and\ndismember him. Then they threw his shattered, mutilated body onto a\nblazing fire lit in the square. That night, when all were gone, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed\nMu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00edy-i-\u1e24amzih, a divine, humane and compassionate, universally\nacclaimed for his integrity, collected from the dying embers what\nremained of the body of the martyr, and reverently buried it.\n\nThe martyrdom of Qudd\u00fas took place in the month of May 1849, seven\nmonths after his fellow-B\u00e1b\u00eds had first taken refuge in the fort of\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e6cabars\u00ed.[14] It marked the end of an episode which\nhad begun, eleven months before, with the raising of the Black\nStandard on the plain of [_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n; during which deeds of\nincredible heroism by some three hundred B\u00e1b\u00eds had stunned and\nhumiliated opposition forces vastly outnumbering them; which had\nwitnessed the deaths of half the Letters of the Living, including the\nfirst, the B\u00e1bu'l-B\u00e1b, and Qudd\u00fas, the last and greatest; and which\nclosed with acts of treachery and atrocious cruelty. Words which\nQudd\u00fas spoke during their occupation of the fort are a fitting\ncommentary upon the spirit of those who defended it:\n\n Never ... have we under any circumstances attempted to\n direct any offensive against our opponents. Not until they\n unchained their attack upon us did we arise to defend our\n lives. Had we cherished the ambition of waging holy war\n against them, had we harboured the least intention of\n achieving ascendancy through the power of our arms over the\n unbelievers, we should not, until this day, have remained\n besieged within these walls. The force of our arms would\n have by now, as was the case with the companions of\n Mu\u1e25ammad in days past, convulsed the nations of the earth\n and prepared them for the acceptance of our Message. Such is\n not our way, however, which we have chosen to tread. Ever\n since we repaired to this fort, our sole, our unalterable\n purpose has been the vindication, by our deeds and by our\n readiness to shed our blood in the path of our Faith, of the\n exalted character of our mission. The hour is fast\n approaching when we shall be able to consummate this\n task.[15]\n\n\nThe Year 1850\n\nWhile Qudd\u00fas and his companions were defending themselves at\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e6cabars\u00ed, B\u00e1b\u00eds in other parts of Persia were\nincreasingly the victims of an intense and systematic persecution on\nthe part of both civil and ecclesiastical authorities. The reason was\nnot far to seek and was stated by Sheil, once more at his post in\n\u1e6cihr\u00e1n after a long period of absence, when he addressed Lord\nPalmerston on February 12th 1850:\n\n ... unluckily the proselytes are all of the Mahommedan\n faith, which is inflexible in the punishment of a relapsed\n Mussulman. Thus both the temporal and religious authorities\n have an interest in the extermination of this sect.\n\n It is conjectured that in Teheran this religion has acquired\n votaries in every class, not even excluding the artillery\n and regular Infantry--Their numbers in this city, it is\n supposed, may amount to about two thousand.[16]\n\nSheil's dispatches took note of four occurrences in particular, in the\nyear 1850: the execution of the B\u00e1b,[FF] the episodes of Nayr\u00edz and\nZanj\u00e1n, and the public martyrdom of seven B\u00e1b\u00eds in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n.\n\n [Footnote FF: See ch. 12.]\n\n\nThe Episode of Nayr\u00edz\n\nThe incomparable Va\u1e25\u00edd--Siyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1y-i-D\u00e1r\u00e1b\u00ed--the trusted emissary\nwhom Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h had sent to investigate the claims of the B\u00e1b and\nwho had returned His devoted supporter--was in Yazd in the early weeks\nof 1850, fearlessly proclaiming the advent of the Q\u00e1'im in the person of\nthe B\u00e1b. Unwise acts by a purported fellow-believer put his life in\ndanger in that city, and he was forced to leave secretly for Nayr\u00edz in\nthe province of F\u00e1rs.[FG] On hearing of his approach, the people of his\nnative quarter of [_Ch_]in\u00e1r S\u00fa[_kh_]tih who loved and honoured Va\u1e25\u00edd,\ntogether with a number of the notables of Nayr\u00edz, went out to meet him,\nthus bringing on their families threats of dire punishment by the\nGovernor of Nayr\u00edz, Zaynu'l-`\u00c1bid\u00edn [_Kh_]\u00e1n, who was fearful and\ndesired to prevent Va\u1e25\u00edd's entry to the town.[17] But these warnings\nwent unheeded; Va\u1e25\u00edd continued his journey and on arrival at his native\nquarter, went straight to the Masjid-i-Jum`ih where, ascending the\npulpit, he addressed a congregation estimated to have numbered fifteen\nhundred. He said:\n\n My sole purpose in coming to Nayr\u00edz is to proclaim the Cause\n of God. I thank and glorify Him for having enabled me to\n touch your hearts with His Message. No need for me to tarry\n any longer in your midst, for if I prolong my stay, I fear\n that the governor will ill-treat you because of me. He may\n seek reinforcement from [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z and destroy your homes\n and subject you to untold indignities.[18]\n\n [Footnote FG: See Appendix 3. Va\u1e25\u00edd, as a man of\n influence, possessed houses in Yazd, Nayr\u00edz, and his native\n town of D\u00e1r\u00e1b.]\n\nBut the people refused to let him go, for they were willing and\nprepared, they assured him, to meet any misfortune and hardship that\nmight overtake them.\n\nZaynu'l-`\u00c1bid\u00edn [_Kh_]\u00e1n, thwarted in his efforts to prevent Va\u1e25\u00edd's\nentrance into Nayr\u00edz, and aroused to fury by the influence he was\nexerting on the populace, schemed to entrap and arrest him. For this\npurpose he recruited a thousand trained soldiers. Some of those who had\njoined Va\u1e25\u00edd now broke away and forsook him, thus adding to the strength\nof his opponents. The menace posed by the Governor became so severe that\nVa\u1e25\u00edd could find no way to secure the safety of his people and himself,\nother than by taking refuge with seventy-two of his companions in the\nfort of [_Kh_]\u00e1jih outside Nayr\u00edz. The Governor sent his brother,\n`Al\u00ed-A\u1e63[_gh_]ar [_Kh_]\u00e1n, to attack this small band with the force he\nhad gathered. They did not succeed, but his brother was killed in the\nengagement. The B\u00e1b\u00eds now lived under conditions of siege, and their\nwater supply was cut off. They built a water-cistern, strengthened their\nfort, and were reinforced by additional residents of Nayr\u00edz. Meanwhile,\nappeals were being made by Zaynu'l-`\u00c1bid\u00edn [_Kh_]\u00e1n for assistance from\n[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, until the Governor-General of F\u00e1rs, Prince F\u00edr\u00faz M\u00edrz\u00e1 (the\nNu\u1e63ratu'd-Dawlih), who had ordered the extermination of the besieged\nB\u00e1b\u00eds, sent an army to conclude the affair.[19] Even this large force\ncould not overcome the resistance of the defenders of the fortress. Not\nonly did victory elude it, but heavy losses were suffered.[FH]\n\n [Footnote FH: Sheil, reporting to Lord Palmerston on July\n 22nd 1850, stated that the defenders 'twice repulsed the\n Shah's troops.' (F.O. 60/152.)]\n\nWhat had happened at [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e6cabars\u00ed was now reenacted in\nNayr\u00edz. Zaynu'l-`\u00c1bid\u00edn [_Kh_]\u00e1n and his associates resorted to fraud\nto overcome the B\u00e1b\u00eds. They suspended their attack and sent a written\nmessage to Va\u1e25\u00edd, which said, in effect:\n\n Hitherto, as we were ignorant of the true character of your\n Faith, we have allowed the mischief-makers to induce us to\n believe that every one of you has violated the sacred\n precepts of Isl\u00e1m. Therefore did we arise against you, and\n have endeavoured to extirpate your Faith. During the last\n few days, we have been made aware of the fact that your\n activities are untinged by any political motive, that none\n of you cherish any inclination to subvert the foundations of\n the State. We also have been convinced of the fact that your\n teachings do not involve any grave departure from the\n fundamental teachings of Isl\u00e1m. All that you seem to uphold\n is the claim that a man has appeared whose words are\n inspired and whose testimony is certain, and whom all the\n followers of Isl\u00e1m must recognise and support. We can in no\n wise be convinced of the validity of this claim unless you\n consent to repose the utmost confidence in our sincerity,\n and accept our request to allow certain of your\n representatives to emerge from the fort and meet us in this\n camp, where we can, within the space of a few days,\n ascertain the character of your belief. If you prove\n yourselves able to demonstrate the true claims of your\n Faith, we too will readily embrace it, for we are not the\n enemies of Truth, and none of us wish to deny it. Your\n leader we have always recognised as one of the ablest\n champions of Isl\u00e1m, and we regard him as our example and\n guide. This Qur'\u00e1n, to which we affix our seals, is the\n witness to the integrity of our purpose. Let that holy Book\n decide whether the claim you advance is true or false. The\n malediction of God and His Prophet rest upon us if we should\n attempt to deceive you. Your acceptance of our invitation\n will save a whole army from destruction, whilst your refusal\n will leave them in suspense and doubt. We pledge our word\n that as soon as we are convinced of the truth of your\n Message, we shall strive to display the same zeal and\n devotion you already have so strikingly manifested. Your\n friends will be our friends, and your enemies our enemies.\n Whatever your leader may choose to command, the same we\n pledge ourselves to obey. On the other hand, if we fail to\n be convinced of the truth of your claim, we solemnly promise\n that we shall in no wise interfere with your safe return to\n the fort, and shall be willing to resume our contest against\n you. We entreat you to refuse to shed more blood before\n attempting to establish the truth of your Cause.[20]\n\nVa\u1e25\u00edd was well aware of the dishonesty of this message;\nnevertheless, he walked out in person, with five attendants, into the\ncamp of his enemies, where he was received for three days with great\nceremony. But all the while they were planning a stratagem to overcome\nthe occupants of the fort. Under duress, they compelled Va\u1e25\u00edd to\nwrite a letter to his people, assuring them that a settlement had been\nreached, and that they should abandon the fortress and return to their\nhomes. Va\u1e25\u00edd attempted to caution his companions against this\ntreachery in a second letter which was never delivered to them. Thus,\nwithin a month, did the defenders of the fort of [_Kh_]\u00e1jih meet the\nsame fate as the defenders of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e6cabars\u00ed.\n\nFour years later, a divine of Nayr\u00edz,[FI] a man who was just and\ntruthful and courageous, wrote the whole story of that episode high on\nan inner wall of the Masjid-i-Jum`ih in the B\u00e1z\u00e1r quarter. Although he\nhad to write with circumspection to avoid being denounced, he composed\nhis narrative in such a way that one can, without difficulty, read\nmore of it between the lines. His account bears out the fact that\nVa\u1e25\u00edd was given solemn assurances, that he was received with great\nesteem and reverence, that those who had pledged their word broke\ntheir pledges, that the quarter of [_Ch_]in\u00e1r-S\u00fa[_kh_]tih, which was\nthen a stronghold of the B\u00e1b\u00eds of Nayr\u00edz,[FJ] and the quarter of the\nB\u00e1z\u00e1r were sacked, that houses were demolished, huge sums of money\nextorted, and Nayr\u00edz was reduced to a state of desolation.\n\n [Footnote FI: Siyyid Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm, the son of Siyyid \u1e24usayn.]\n\n [Footnote FJ: It is populated today by Bah\u00e1'\u00eds.]\n\nThe circumstances of Va\u1e25\u00edd's martyrdom recall the tragedy of\nKarbil\u00e1. All alone, he was assailed in the streets of Nayr\u00edz, as Im\u00e1m\n\u1e24usayn, whose descendant he was, had been assailed on the Euphrates\nplain. There the body of the Im\u00e1m had been trampled into the dust by\nthe hooves of horses, and in Nayr\u00edz the corpse of Va\u1e25\u00edd suffered\nsimilar indignities. When the victorious army marched back to\n[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, it took as prisoners women and children, with the heads of\nthe martyrs of Nayr\u00edz raised aloft on lances. Damascus had witnessed a\nsimilar scene centuries before, when the family of the martyred\n\u1e24usayn, which included his only surviving son, was paraded in its\nstreets, to be led into the court of the tyrant Yaz\u00edd, preceded by the\nhead of the Im\u00e1m and those of his sons and brothers and nephews--the\nflower of the House of Mu\u1e25ammad.\n\n\nThe Seven Martyrs of \u1e6cihr\u00e1n\n\nAt the beginning of 1850, seven B\u00e1b\u00eds were arrested in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n,\ncharged with plotting to assassinate the Grand Vizier. They are known\nas the Seven Martyrs of \u1e6cihr\u00e1n. The accusation was palpably false.\nThere were many B\u00e1b\u00eds in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n better equipped to engage in such\nan exercise. But more significant, all seven were men of outstanding\ncharacter and repute, and respected by their countrymen. The real\nreason for their arrest was their espousal of the Faith of the B\u00e1b.\nAlthough efforts were made by men high in the professions they\nrepresented, to persuade them to give lip-denial to their most sacred\nbeliefs, they steadfastly refused and were beheaded.\n\nThe Guardian of the Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Faith has vividly described this terrible\nscene, which was enacted in a public square of \u1e6cihr\u00e1n (the\nSabzih-Mayd\u00e1n):\n\n The defiant answers which they flung at their persecutors;\n the ecstatic joy which seized them as they drew near the\n scene of their death; the jubilant shouts they raised as\n they faced their executioner; the poignancy of the verses\n which, in their last moments, some of them recited; the\n appeals and challenges they addressed to the multitude of\n onlookers who gazed with stupefaction upon them; the\n eagerness with which the last three victims strove to\n precede one another in sealing their faith with their blood;\n and lastly, the atrocities which a bloodthirsty foe degraded\n itself by inflicting upon their dead bodies which lay\n unburied for three days and three nights in the\n Sabzih-Mayd\u00e1n, during which time thousands of so-called\n devout [_Sh_]\u00ed`ahs kicked their corpses, spat upon their\n faces, pelted, cursed, derided, and heaped refuse upon\n them--these were the chief features of the tragedy of the\n Seven Martyrs of \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, a tragedy which stands out as\n one of the grimmest scenes witnessed in the course of the\n early unfoldment of the Faith of Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h.[21]\n\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid `Al\u00ed, the uncle of the B\u00e1b, was one of these\nmartyrs. He had recently returned from his visit to the B\u00e1b in\n[_Ch_]ihr\u00edq (see p. 150) and could easily have left the capital, when\nrumours were rife following the events of M\u00e1zindar\u00e1n and Yazd. But he\nfearlessly stayed on, spurned all efforts made to induce him to\nrecant, and met death gladly in the path of his Nephew.\n\nThe other six were: M\u00edrz\u00e1 Qurb\u00e1n-`Al\u00ed of B\u00e1rfur\u00fa[_sh_], \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mull\u00e1\nIsm\u00e1`\u00edl-i-Qum\u00ed, Siyyid \u1e24usayn-i-Tur[_sh_]\u00edz\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed\nMu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00edy-i-Kirm\u00e1n\u00ed, Siyyid Murta\u1e0d\u00e1y-i-Zanj\u00e1n\u00ed and \u00c1q\u00e1\nMu\u1e25ammad-\u1e24usayn-i-Mar\u00e1[_gh_]i'\u00ed.\n\nM\u00edrz\u00e1 Qurb\u00e1n-`Al\u00ed had been a Ni`matu'll\u00e1h\u00ed dervish, and a leading figure\nof that mystic order. He was well-known in the ruling circles of the\ncapital and greatly respected. M\u00edrz\u00e1 Taq\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n (the Grand Vizier)\nparticularly wished to save him, but the faith of the dervish remained\nunshakable. At his execution, the first blow of the executioner's sword\nonly knocked his turban off his head, whereupon he recited aloud:\n\n Happy he whom love's intoxication\n So hath overcome that scarce he knows\n Whether at the feet of the Beloved\n It be head or turban which he throws![22]\n\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mull\u00e1 Ism\u00e1`\u00edl had been a disciple of Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im. Even at\nthe moment of his execution, someone came up to him with a message\nfrom a friend, pleading with him to recant, but his answer was:\n\n Zephyr, prythee bear for me a message\n To that Ishmael[FK] who was not slain,\n 'Living from the street of the Beloved\n Love permits not to return again.'[23]\n\n [Footnote FK: Ishmael (Ism\u00e1`\u00edl), the son of Abraham, by\n Hagar.]\n\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00ed and Siyyid Murta\u1e0d\u00e1 were merchants of note,\nand Siyyid \u1e24usayn had been a divine famed for his piety. Siyyid\nMurta\u1e0d\u00e1 was a brother of that Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im-i-Zanj\u00e1n\u00ed who\nattended the B\u00e1b during His journey to I\u1e63fah\u00e1n and later fell a\nmartyr at [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e6cabars\u00ed. \u00c1q\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-\u1e24usayn had\nbeen tortured to betray his companions, but he would not implicate\ninnocent men in fictitious plots.\n\nThe B\u00e1b, from his remote prison in [_Ch_]ihr\u00edq and already overwhelmed\nby calamity, eulogized these heroic men as the 'Seven Goats' of\nIslamic tradition, who would precede the promised Q\u00e1'im, their true\nShepherd, to His own martyrdom.[FL]\n\n [Footnote FL: See Appendix 4.]\n\n\nThe Episode of Zanj\u00e1n\n\nThe fiercest and most devastating of the three military actions\nagainst the B\u00e1b\u00eds began in Zanj\u00e1n, in May 1850, after the return of\n\u1e24ujjat from his detention in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n. (See p. 125.) Although he\nhad enjoyed the protection of Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h in his defence of\nthe Faith of the B\u00e1b, he was feared and hated as an infidel by the\ndivines of Zanj\u00e1n. With the death of the [_Sh_]\u00e1h and the accession to\npower of M\u00edrz\u00e1 Taq\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n under the succeeding reign, he was the\nobject of a concealed hostility on the part of the authorities, while\nenjoying the devoted loyalty and affection of countless men and women\nof his native town.\n\nA small quarrel between children, in which \u1e24ujjat intervened to\nsave the B\u00e1b\u00ed child, sparked into flame the smouldering animosity\nagainst \u1e24ujjat and a plan was made to seize and bring him before\nthe Governor. Failing in this, his opponents subjected one of his\ncompanions to painful injury and death. Then, by the Governor's\ndecree, Zanj\u00e1n was split into two opposing camps, a large number of\nmen were recruited from surrounding villages, and \u1e24ujjat and his\ncompanions were forced to seek safety in the nearby fort of\n`Al\u00ed-Mard\u00e1n [_Kh_]\u00e1n. Counting women and children, about three\nthousand of \u1e24ujjat's supporters entered the fort, which they held\nagainst repeated attack and siege for almost nine months.\n\nEdward Granville Browne, who visited Zanj\u00e1n nearly forty years later,\ncould find no natural advantages in the fort to account for the\n'desperate resistance offered by the B\u00e1b\u00eds', and concluded that their\nsuccess in holding off the vastly superior regiments of the [_Sh_]\u00e1h\nshould 'be attributed less to the strength of the position which they\noccupied than to the extraordinary valour with which they defended\nthemselves'.[24] They were sustained in their cruel ordeal by the\nindomitable \u1e24ujjat, whom no calamity could overcome, and by the tenacity\nof their own devotion to the B\u00e1b, their promised Q\u00e1'im. A British\nobserver in the 'Persian camp before Zenjan' reported to Sheil in\n\u1e6cihr\u00e1n:\n\n They [the B\u00e1b\u00eds] fight in the most obstinate and spirited\n manner, the women even, of whom several have been killed,\n engaging in the strife--and they are such excellent marksmen\n that up to this time a good many have fallen of the\n Government troops.[25]\n\nThe most celebrated of the women was a village girl, Zaynab, who\ndressed as a man and, for five months until her death in the struggle,\nguarded the ramparts with the men. \u1e24ujjat gave her the name of\nRustam-`Al\u00ed.\n\nFinding that all efforts to defeat the B\u00e1b\u00eds were fruitless, the\ncommander determined to adopt the same treacherous tactics as had\nsucceeded at \u1e6cabars\u00ed and Nayr\u00edz. He drew up a proposal for peace,\nassuring the defenders of the forgiveness of the [_Sh_]\u00e1h and pledging\nwith a sealed copy of the Qur'\u00e1n the safety of all who would leave the\nfort. \u1e24ujjat, fully conscious of their intentions but honouring the\nQur'\u00e1n, sent a delegation of nine young children and men over eighty to\nthe camp of the commander. They were insolently received and most were\nthrown into a dungeon. It was the signal for a final month-long siege,\nin which some eighteen regiments were brought into action, subjecting\nthe now famished and depleted B\u00e1b\u00eds to a constant bombardment of cannon.\nWith the wounding of \u1e24ujjat, the fort was captured, but its occupants\ncontinued their struggle from nearby houses, throwing the opposing army\ninto despair. Then \u1e24ujjat's wife and baby son were killed, and a few\ndays later he himself died of his wounds. There were left of the B\u00e1b\u00eds\nonly two hundred able-bodied men who were struck down in a fierce\nattack. When the survivors had been inhumanly tortured, killed and their\nbodies mutilated, the body of \u1e24ujjat was discovered and exposed for\nthree days to dishonour in the public square. Hands unknown rescued and\ncarried it away. Already \u1e24ujjat's eight-year-old son had been 'literally\ncut into small pieces', and the wives and daughters of the B\u00e1b\u00eds were\nhanded over to the soldiers.[26][FM]\n\n [Footnote FM: See Appendix 5.]\n\nYet never had the martyrs of Zanj\u00e1n sought a holy war, nor\ncontemplated disloyalty to their country and sovereign. Assailed by\nenemies who purposed only their destruction, they had courageously\ndefended themselves. The spirit of their defence shines in these words\nof \u1e24ujjat in his last days:\n\n The day whereon I found Thy beloved One, O my God, and\n recognised in Him the Manifestation of Thy eternal Spirit, I\n foresaw the woes that I should suffer for Thee.... Would\n that a myriad lives were mine, would that I possessed the\n riches of the whole earth and its glory, that I might resign\n them all freely and joyously in Thy path.[27]\n\nOn January 6th 1851 Sheil closed his reports on Zanj\u00e1n:\n\n For the present, the doctrines of B\u00e2b have received a\n check--In every part of Persia his disciples have been\n crushed or scattered--But though there is a cessation of\n the open promulgation of his tenets, it is believed that in\n secret they are not the less cherished....[28]\n\nThe Dawn-Breakers had paid dearly with their lives that the Faith of\nthe B\u00e1b might live on. And it did live on, to attain its efflorescence\nin the Revelation of Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h.\n\n\n\n\nEPILOGUE\n\n _I am the Primal Point from which have been generated all\n created things.... I am the Countenance of God Whose\n splendour can never be obscured, the Light of God Whose\n radiance can never fade.... I am one of the sustaining\n pillars of the Primal Word of God. Whosoever hath recognised\n Me, hath known all that is true and right, and hath attained\n all that is good and seemly._\n --The B\u00e1b\n\n\nOn the third day after the martyrdom of the B\u00e1b, His remains,\ninextricably united with those of His heroic, faithful disciple, were\nplaced in a casket and taken to a locality which was safe and secure.\n\nWhat happened, during the next fifty years, to the remains of the B\u00e1b\ncannot be better summarized than in the words of Shoghi Effendi, the\nGuardian of the Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Faith:\n\n Subsequently, according to Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h's instructions, they\n were transported to \u1e6cihr\u00e1n and placed in the shrine of\n Im\u00e1m-Z\u00e1dih \u1e24asan. They were later removed to the\n residence of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Sulaym\u00e1n [_Kh_]\u00e1n[FN] himself in the\n Sar-[_Ch_]a[_sh_]mih quarter of the city, and from his house\n were taken to the shrine of Im\u00e1m-Z\u00e1dih Ma`\u1e63\u00fam, where they\n remained concealed until the year 1284 A.H. (1867-1868),\n when a Tablet, revealed by Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h in Adrianople,\n directed Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed-Akbar-i-[_Sh_]ahm\u00edrz\u00e1d\u00ed[FO] and\n Jam\u00e1l-i-Bur\u00fajird\u00ed to transfer them without delay to some\n other spot, an instruction which, in view of the subsequent\n reconstruction of that shrine, proved to have been\n providential.\n\n Unable to find a suitable place in the suburb of [_Sh_]\u00e1h\n `Abdu'l-`A\u1e93\u00edm, Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed-Akbar and his companion\n continued their search until, on the road leading to\n [_Ch_]a[_sh_]mih-`Al\u00ed [the `Al\u00ed Springs], they came upon the\n abandoned and dilapidated Masj\u00edd-i-Ma[_sh_]\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h, where\n they deposited, within one of its walls, after dark, their\n precious burden, having first re-wrapt the remains in a\n silken shroud brought by them for that purpose. Finding the\n next day to their consternation that the hiding-place had\n been discovered,[FP] they clandestinely carried the casket\n through the gate of the capital direct to the house of M\u00edrz\u00e1\n \u1e24asan-i-Vaz\u00edr, a believer and son-in-law of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1\n Siyyid `Al\u00edy-i-Tafri[_sh_]\u00ed, the Majdu'l-A[_sh_]r\u00e1f, where\n it remained for no less than fourteen months.[FQ] The\n long-guarded secret of its whereabouts becoming known to the\n believers, they began to visit the house in such numbers\n that a communication had to be addressed by Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed-Akbar\n to Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h, begging for guidance in the matter. \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed\n [_Sh_]\u00e1h Mu\u1e25ammad-i-Man[_sh_]\u00e1d\u00ed, surnamed Am\u00ednu'l-Bay\u00e1n,\n was accordingly commissioned to receive the Trust from him,\n and bidden to exercise the utmost secrecy as to its\n disposal.\n\n Assisted by another believer, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed [_Sh_]\u00e1h Mu\u1e25ammad\n buried the casket beneath the floor of the inner sanctuary\n of the shrine of Im\u00e1m-Z\u00e1dih Zayd, where it lay undetected\n until M\u00edrz\u00e1 Asadu'll\u00e1h-i-I\u1e63fah\u00e1n\u00ed was informed of its\n exact location through a chart forwarded to him by\n Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h. Instructed by Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h to conceal it\n elsewhere, he first removed the remains to his own house in\n \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, after which they were deposited in several other\n localities such as the house of\n \u1e24usayn-`Al\u00edy-i-I\u1e63fah\u00e1n\u00ed and that of\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Kar\u00edm-i-`A\u1e6d\u1e6d\u00e1r, where they remained hidden\n until the year 1316 (1899) A.H., when, in pursuance of\n directions issued by `Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1, this same M\u00edrz\u00e1\n Asadu'll\u00e1h, together with a number of other believers,\n transported them by way of I\u1e63fah\u00e1n, Kirm\u00e1n[_sh_]\u00e1h,\n Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d and Damascus, to Beirut and thence by sea to\n `Akk\u00e1, arriving at their destination on the 19th of the\n month of Rama\u1e0d\u00e1n 1316 A.H. (January 31, 1899), fifty\n lunar years after the B\u00e1b's execution in Tabr\u00edz.[1]\n\n [Footnote FN: He was, as we have seen, instrumental in\n rescuing the remains of the B\u00e1b.]\n\n [Footnote FO: Also known generally as \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed \u00c1[_kh_]und. He\n was a Hand of the Cause, appointed by Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h.]\n\n [Footnote FP: Thieves must have seen \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed \u00c1[_kh_]und and\n Jam\u00e1l-i-Bur\u00fajird\u00ed place the casket in a niche and brick it\n up. Whoever they were, they moved some of the bricks and\n broke open the casket, but finding that it did not contain\n any valuables they left it alone.]\n\n [Footnote FQ: In the house of M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e24asan-i-Vaz\u00edr, the\n remains were either deposited in a new casket, or the\n original broken casket was put inside a larger one. Some\n pieces of blood-stained and torn linen must have fallen out,\n when the remains were being secured. Many years later, Dr.\n Y\u00fanis [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Afr\u00fa[_kh_]tih, in the course of professional\n attendance upon the family of Majdu'l-A[_sh_]r\u00e1f, learned\n that they had in their possession pieces of linen soaked with\n the blood of the B\u00e1b. Dr. Afr\u00fa[_kh_]tih persuaded them to\n part with those precious relics. They are now in the\n International Archives of the Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Faith.]\n\nForty years after the martyrdom of the B\u00e1b, on a day in spring,\nBah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h was standing under the shade of a cluster of cypress trees\non the slopes of Mount Carmel. In front of Him stretched the curve of\nthe Bay of Haifa, beyond which loomed a sinister sight, the grim\ncitadel of `Akk\u00e1--His first abode when He was brought, a Prisoner and\nan Exile, to the Holy Land. In darkest days He had told His people not\nto grieve, the prison gates would open and He would raise His tent on\nthe fair mountain across the bay.\n\nHe it was Whose advent the B\u00e1b had come to herald. For Him--He Whom\nGod shall make manifest--the young Martyr-Prophet had suffered\ntribulations, had sacrificed His life. In His Dispensation, the\nDispensation of His Forerunner had found its fulfilment, regained its\nsplendour. And now as Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h--the Lord of Hosts--looked at the\nexpanse of rock below those cypress trees (which today still stand,\nfirm and proud), He told His Son, `Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1, who would shortly\nwield authority in His Name, that a mausoleum should be raised on\nthat mountain-mass to receive the remains of the B\u00e1b.\n\nA decade went by before `Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1 could carry out that command. The\nsons of Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h, who had strayed away from His Covenant, strove\nhard to block the enterprise. But at last the land was secured, the\naccess route was obtained, the foundation-stone was laid, and\nconstruction work had begun. Then the mischief wrought by those\nviolators of the Covenant of Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h led to the incarceration of\n`Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1 within the walls of `Akk\u00e1. His life was in peril, but\nthough, for a while, all His activities were either curtailed or\nstopped, the work of constructing that mausoleum on Mount Carmel was\nnever allowed to lapse.\n\nIn the year 1908, the despotism of the Ottoman rulers came to an end,\nand `Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1 found His freedom. The next year on Naw-R\u00faz\nDay--March 21st--in a vault beneath the building which He had raised\nwith undaunted resolution and with heart-ache, He deposited the casket\ncontaining the remains of the B\u00e1b within a marble sarcophagus, the\ngift of the Bah\u00e1'\u00eds of Rangoon. Nearly forty years later, Shoghi\nEffendi, the Guardian of the Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Faith, undertook to adorn the\nShrine of the B\u00e1b with a superstructure, both strong and beautiful,\ncrowned with a golden dome. Today it shines dazzlingly in the heart of\nMount Carmel--the Mountain of God--a spiritual home for a flourishing\nworld community and a beacon of hope for the whole of mankind.\n\n\n\n\nAPPENDIX I\n\nTHE SIEGE OF KARBIL\u00c1\n\n\nThe best and fullest account of the upheavals in Karbil\u00e1 is contained\nin a sixty-six-page dispatch from Lt.-Col. Farrant, the British\nSpecial Commissioner, to Sir Stratford Canning (later Viscount\nStratford de Redcliffe), the British Ambassador in Istanbul.[1] His\ndescription of the position and the condition of Karbil\u00e1 is\nparticularly worthy of note:\n\n'The town of Kerbella is situated about four hours distance from the\nright bank of the Euphrates on the confines of the Syrian desert, south\nsouth west of Bagdad about 55 miles distant, and is about 1-3/4 miles in\ncircumference, surrounded by a brick wall about 24 feet high with twenty\nnine bastions each of which is capable of containing one gun--it\ncontains 3400 houses of a very inferior description; the houses closely\ncrowded together approach within three yards of the wall--the streets\nare very narrow, the tops of the houses are surrounded by a brick\nparapet and can be fired from without exposure, it has six gates three\nof which are very small--The tomb of Imaum Hossein is a fine building\nand stands nearly in the centre of the town, that of his brother Abbas\nin the South East quarter about two hundred and fifty yards from the\nNajif gate. The town is surrounded by gardens which approach close to\nthe walls, leaving only a small footpath. The gardens are filled with\nhuge date trees, intersected with numerous ditches, and extend to some\ndistance from the town which is not perceptible until you are close\nunder the walls. Its strength consists in its situation, but it\nappeared to me that a few good troops ought to be able to take it in a\nshort time. The houses mostly belonged to Persians who have left their\ncountry and settled there for generations. Many of the rich men in\nPersia have houses and land there, that in time of need they may have a\nsafe place of refuge, or wishing in their old age to retire to a place\nheld in such veneration by them--\n\n'The population varies from ten thousand to twenty thousand and eighty\nthousand, it is always fluctuating, and I was informed that during the\ntime the pilgrims arrive, the streets are almost impassable--The\nhouses are mostly divided into several small courts, occasionally one\nhundred persons are crowded into one of these houses, which to outward\nappearance could with difficulty contain half that number--The poorer\npilgrims take up their abodes in the Courts of the Mosques--\n\n'The working classes at Kerbella viz Bakers small shopkeepers day\nlabourers &c were all Persians.'\n\nNaj\u00edb P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1 had warned the Persian, the British and the French\nAgents that he intended to attack Karbil\u00e1. In a long letter addressed\nto the Persian Agent in Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d dated [_Sh_]avv\u00e1l 16th 1258\n(November 18th 1842), he had, after detailing the history of the\nrebellion in Karbil\u00e1 and its consequences, uttered this clear warning:\n\n'Being, however, near the shrines of Ali & Hoosein [\u1e24usayn] I\nthought it my duty to visit them; with this auspicious determination I\nproceeded thither, when the rebel above named [Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm Za`far\u00e1n\u00ed][FR]\ndeclared that if I came with troops he would not permit my entrance;\nand I ascertained that he had also prepared the means of opposition.\nTo withdraw in this position of affairs from my publickly announced\npurpose was a difficult step; & should the report of it spread abroad,\nit might, God forbid, affect the whole order of government, the\nrejection, too, of the petitions of loyal & suffering subjects, who\nare the most sacred charge of the deity to us, is contrary to all the\nrules & requirements of justice; I therefore, determined to proceed,\nunder the Imperial shadow, and the aid of the Almighty to the\npunishment of the rebels, as a warning example to his equals; & if, as\nI hear, he is prepared for resistance he shall submit to my entrance\nby force. There are many subjects of Iran in the town alluded to; let\nthere hereafter be no claims, on the part of that high power, in\nbehalf of these persons; let them come out with their children,\nfamilies and property ... in fact they must not be in that town in the\nhour of hostility, as this is quite inconsistent with the state of the\ntown & place. You must therefore in compliance with your duty in such\ncases, without delay, inform, all those whom it may concern, of these\nfacts; for which friendly aid this letter is written and despatched;\nand, please God you will doubtless thus act on the receipt thereof, &\nwithout delay favour me with a reply to the same.'[2]\n\n [Footnote FR: In the dispatch, his name is spelt Ibrahim\n Zaffranee.]\n\nHowever, no warning was given to the Persians to quit Karbil\u00e1 as\nFarrant's report makes clear: 'The Mollahs also excited the religious\nfeelings of the peoples, making them believe it was a common cause, a\nreligious war, a Persian seyd who was present, stated to me that many\nof the Persians fought or gave assistance, that he amongst many did\nnot leave the town, thinking it would not be taken, and rumours were\nspread that the Shah was sending a large force to their assistance, he\nalso stated that those Persians who were unfitted or refused to bear\narms were obliged to give money ... likewise they considered\nthemselves safe, as their Consul did not come to order them away.'\n\nInstead, Farrant reports: 'The Persian Consul in reply to the Pacha\nbegged him to postpone his intended attack, that if the town was taken\nby assault many innocent people (Persian subjects) would suffer, who\nat present were unable to come away ... that if he would delay his\nexpedition for four or six months to give the Persians time to arrange\ntheir affairs, he would proceed to Kerbella, and bring the Persians\naway, and arrange everything for him.\n\n'Three days before receiving the Pacha's letter, the Consul asserts he\nwrote privately to the Chief Priest Hajee Seid Kausem saying \"we hear\nthe Pacha will move on Kerbella, and if he is determined, he will\ncertainly come, he is not an Ali Pacha--tell the Persians they had\nbetter come out--\" After the receipt of the Pacha's official letter he\nagain wrote to the Chief Priest [Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im] of the Pacha's fixed\ndetermination, and requested him to tell all the Persians to quit the\ntown--This letter he sent by a confidential person, but it appears it\nnever reached, as the Chief Priest declares he never wrote to him,\nalthough he requested him to come to Kerbella--'\n\nFarrant goes on to say: 'The Pacha would not listen to the\npropositions of the Consul--H.R.H. The Zel-i Sultan (son of the late\nShah of Persia, a refugee) accompanied by Hajee Seid Kausem Chief\nPriest, Seid Wahab Governor[FS] of Kerbella, Seid Hossainee and Seid\nNasseroola [Siyyid Na\u1e63ru'll\u00e1h], influential people of Kerbella,\ncame to the Pacha's camp at Mossaib and remained four days--The Pacha\ntold them he did not wish to injure the people, that Kerbella was in\nrebellion and belonged to the Sultan...' However, he was willing to\nmake concessions, should the people of Karbil\u00e1 submit to his rule and\nlet soldiers be stationed in their city.\n\n [Footnote FS: The nominal Governor. He was either willingly\n or by force of circumstances allied to the rebels.]\n\nFarrant further relates: 'The Pacha told His R.H. the Zel i Sultan and\nChief Priest before leaving his camp to warn all Persians to separate\nthemselves from the Geramees (and gave the Prince a paper to that\neffect) that if they could not leave the town, they should retire\naltogether to one quarter of it, or else with their families and\nproperty seek protection in the Courts of the tombs of Hoossein and\nAbbas, for he was determined to proceed to extremities if the\nKerbellai's refused to submit to his orders...'\n\nFarrant reports a second excursion by \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im and\n`Al\u00ed-[_Sh_]\u00e1h, the \u1e92illu's-Sul\u1e6d\u00e1n, on behalf of the people of\nKarbil\u00e1, this time to the camp of Sa`du'll\u00e1h P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1, the Colonel\ncommissioned by Naj\u00edb P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1 to invest the city. 'About the 1st\nJanuary [1843],' writes Farrant, 'the Persian Consul accompanied by\nSeid Ibrahim Kasveenee[FT] arrived at Najib Pacha's camp at Mossaib\nfrom Bagdad--The army had now been eleven days before Kerbella and\nmuch fighting had taken place, and many on both sides had been\nkilled.' The talks which Mull\u00e1 `Abdu'l-`Az\u00edz (Persian Consul) and\nSiyyid Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm had with Naj\u00edb P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1 bore no result, and as Farrant\nreports: 'The Consul and Chief Priest returned to Bagdad, they had\nbeen four or five days in the Pacha's camp--The Chief Priest in\nKerbella Hajee Seid Kausem it is said (he told me also the same thing)\nwrote to the Persian Consul and Seid Ibrahim Kasveenee begging the\nformer to come on to Kerbella, that \"his presence was necessary, it\nwas the hour of danger\"--This letter was received by them after they\nhad quitted the Pacha's camp about two hours. Rumours in the town were\nvery prevalent, that the Shah of Persia was sending an army of twenty\nthousand men to their assistance, which gave great confidence to the\nPersians inside--Persians have informed me that they heard these\nreports and many believed them, also they have most positively assured\nme that their Consul never wrote or communicated with them, and on\nlearning, that he had returned to Bagdad, did not consider there was\nany danger. The Consul asserts he wrote to the Chief Priest Hajee Seid\nKausem, which the latter most positively denies....\n\n [Footnote FT: Siyyid Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm-i-Qazv\u00edn\u00ed, the adversary of\n Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im, who had left Karbil\u00e1 altogether during this\n turbulent period.]\n\n'... The walls were daily crowded,' Farrant writes, 'by the\ninhabitants who vented the grossest abuse on the Sultan, and cursed\nthe soldiers and their religion. The chief people in Kerbella did all\nin their power to excite the religious feelings of the Sheeahs against\nthe Soonies, the Priests also were most active, I have been told, and\nas they could not fight, repaired any damages the walls might receive.\nThey prayed also in the Mosques encouraging and exciting the people by\ntelling them it was a religious war.'\n\nAnd then came the final assault. Farrant reports: 'Before daylight on\nthe 13 January the storming party moved from Camp accompanied by the\nmain body which halted at the battery, a soldier advanced and clambered\nup the breach, observing that the guards had left their posts, and the\nfew who remained were asleep at the bottom of the wall round a fire--he\nreturned to the Seraskier and reported what he had seen--\n\n'The storming party was then ordered to move forward...'\n\nThere was panic and slaughter. Farrant states that the sanctuary of the\ntomb of `Abb\u00e1s was violated, but Sa`du'll\u00e1h P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1 personally\nintervened to prevent the desecration of the Shrine of Im\u00e1m \u1e24usayn. The\nboastful leaders fled the city and as Farrant puts it: 'The principal\ncause of the late affair at Kerbella may be ascribed to the chiefs of\nthat place who supported the Geramees in opposition to the Government,\nand in the time of danger withdrew from the contest and left the\ninnocent and helpless to the fury of the soldiers.' 'Many flung\nthemselves over the walls and were dashed to pieces,' Farrant reports,\n'whilst others sought shelter in the houses of H.R.H. The Zil i Sultan\nand Hajee Seid Kausem [Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im] Chief Priest, the latter shewed me\na court in his house where 66 persons of all ages and sexes were\nsuffocated, or crushed to death flying from the fury of the\nsoldiers...'\n\nFarrant further reports: 'No Prince of the Royal blood nor any Persian\nof rank were [sic] killed, the sufferers were all of the poorer\nclasses, small shopkeepers and labourers, also a few learned men--The\nwife of Prince Holakoo Meerza [Hul\u00e1k\u00fa M\u00edrz\u00e1] was severely wounded by a\nsoldier (she is closely connected with the Shah of Persia being a\ndaughter of the late Hoossein Ali Meerza Prince Governor of Fars)....\nThe Secretary of Seid Ibrahim Kasveenee Chief Priest; Seid Mahomed Ali\nMoosvee [Siyyid Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00edy-i-M\u00fasav\u00ed] was seized by the soldiers\nand forced to carry outside the walls some plunder for them, he stated\nwho he was, but it was of no avail, on arriving outside the gate, they\ncut off his head and took it to the cashier of the Seraskier Pacha for\na reward--he was a young man much respected.... The house of Alee\nWerdee Khan [`Al\u00ed-Vird\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n] (an uncle of the present Shah) was\nalso entered by the soldiers, this house was defended by the Arabs.\nThe Khan jumped into a well to save his life, one of his servants went\nand informed the Seraskier who immediately sent some men to his\nrelief--The Khan was taken to the Seraskier nearly dead with cold, who\nsent him into the haram [Shrine] of Hoossein for safety--Why the Khan\ndid not leave the town before the siege is a mystery, it is said that\nhe was very active in advising the Persians to remain in the town--'\n\nThe exaggerated reports from Mull\u00e1 `Abdu'l-`Az\u00edz, the Persian Agent in\nBa[_gh_]d\u00e1d, had served to heighten the crisis. He had apparently been\nslack in the exercise of his duties and when the siege was over,\nalarmed by the magnitude of the disaster, he endeavoured to make a\nquick getaway from Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d. Although the following report which he\nmade to the Prime Minister of \u00cdr\u00e1n, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed, is unreliable\nand highly-coloured, it is of sufficient interest to reproduce.\n\n'In short,' he wrote, 'there is no one left in Kerbelah, and of those\nwho are alive, they are either wounded, naked or destitute of\nproperty. According to what is described, about 5,000 persons were\nkilled in the shrine of Abbass,[FU] and property pillaged is beyond\nestimate--no one has anything left. Whatever the people of Persia\npossessed was brought to this place; afterwards it will become known,\nwhat quantity of Persian property was there.... Whatever Ali Nakee\nMeerza [`Al\u00ed-Naq\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1] and Imam Verdee Meerza [Im\u00e1m-Vird\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1]\n(sons of Fatteh Ali Shah [Fat\u1e25-`Al\u00ed [_Sh_]\u00e1h]) possessed was\nplundered even to the stripping naked their wives.... The wives of the\npeople who were not killed were made captives.... Moollah Ali a person\nbelonging to Ali Pasha, who is at present in the service of Mahomed\nNejeeb Pasha, interceded for the women--Sadoollah Pasha (Colonel)\nreplied, that \"the troops being without women, they must remain some\nnights with them, after which we will dismiss them\"...\n\n [Footnote FU: `Abb\u00e1s was a brother of Im\u00e1m \u1e24usayn.]\n\n'Besides what I have related, the two shrines were converted into\nbarracks, and all the troops which are in Kerbelah have been quartered\nin the two shrines with their horses and cattle--They have tied their\ncattle in the apartments of the shrine and the college, and the troops\nhave made their own quarters in the corridor and private apartments,\nand twice a day their drums and band play within the shrine--On\nwhatever persons they wish to inflict punishment, it is done within\nthe shrine of Imam Hoossein.... The remainder of the Sheeahs, who are\nin Nejeff, Hillah, Kazimeyn and Bagdad are dispirited to such a\ndegree, that they have not the courage to weep at this calamity--\n\n'All those who were in the private apartments of Hajee Syed Kazim\n(Chief Priest) and in the house of Ali Shah (Zil.e.Sultan) remained in\nsafety--at the most about 200 persons were killed in the outer\napartments of Hajee Syed Kazim....\n\n'From the commencement to the close of the siege occupied 24 days--and\nfrom the day that the Pasha informed me, he would send troops against\nKerbelah until they arrived there occupied 15 days, and\nnotwithstanding my wishes that he would delay, until the people of\nPersia should quit Kerbelah, he neither gave any delay nor opportunity\nfor their doing so....\n\n'On account of these circumstances, the stay of your devoted servant in\nBagdad is needless--As yet I have received no money from Kermanshah, if\nyou were graciously pleased to grant it, and wrote to the Shoojah ood.\ndowleh [[_Sh_]uj\u00e1`u'd-Dawlih], to send some money speedily to me your\ndevoted servant, to pay some of my debts,[FV] it is possible that I\nmight be able to bring the Zil.i.Sultan[FW] along with me.'[3]\n\n [Footnote FV: Mull\u00e1 `Abdu'l-`Az\u00edz dared not go to Karbil\u00e1\n because he feared his creditors. Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im had urged\n him to visit the holy city.]\n\n [Footnote FW: \u1e92illu's-Sul\u1e6d\u00e1n was not in a distressed\n condition, and his presence in \u00cdr\u00e1n was not welcomed.]\n\n * * * * *\n\n'The latest accounts from Kerbella,' wrote Lt.-Col. Farrant at the end\nof his long report on the siege, 'state the town to be perfectly quiet\nand its population daily increasing.'\n\n\n\n\nAPPENDIX 2\n\nTHE MARTYRDOM OF THE B\u00c1B\n\n\nThe martyrdom of the B\u00e1b was reported by Lt.-Col. Sheil to Lord\nPalmerston, the British Foreign Secretary, on July 22nd 1850:\n\n'The founder of this sect has been executed at Tabreez--He was killed by\na volley of musketry, and his death was on the point of giving his\nreligion a lustre which would have largely increased its proselytes.\nWhen the smoke and dust cleared away after the volley, B\u00e1b was not to be\nseen, and the populace proclaimed that he had ascended to the skies--The\nballs had broken the ropes by which he was bound, but he was dragged\nfrom the recess where after some search, he was discovered, and shot.\n\n'His death according to the belief of his disciples will make no\ndifference, as B\u00e2b must always exist.'[1]\n\nAt the time of the martyrdom of the B\u00e1b, R. W. Stevens, the British\nConsul, was absent from Tabr\u00edz, and his brother, George, was left in\ncharge of the Consulate. The latter had failed to report the event to\nSheil. On July 24th, R. W. Stevens, back at his post, rectified that\nomission and added that the body of the B\u00e1b and His disciple had been\n'thrown into the Town ditch where they were devoured by dogs.'[2] Sheil\nwrote to Palmerston, on August 15th, that 'Although the advice and\nopinions of foreign agents are generally unpalatable to the Persian\nMinister, I nevertheless think it my duty to bring under his observation\nany flagrant abuse or outrage that reaches my knowledge. I persuade\nmyself that on such occasions notwithstanding the absence of\nacknowledgement on the part of the Ameer-i-Nizam [M\u00edrz\u00e1 Taq\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n,\nthe Grand Vizier], he may perhaps privately take steps for applying a\nremedy.' He went on to say that the Consul at Tabr\u00edz had reported that\nthe body of the B\u00e1b, 'by order of the Ameer-i-Nizam's brother, was\nthrown into the ditch of the town to be devoured by dogs, which actually\nhappened.'[3] He enclosed the copy of the letter he had written to the\nGrand Vizier on this subject. This is what he wrote to M\u00edrz\u00e1 Taq\u00ed\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n:\n\n'Your Excellency is aware of the warm interest taken by the British\nGovernment in all that concerns the honor, respectability and credit of\nthis Government, and it is on this account I make you acquainted with a\nrecent occurrence in Tabreez which perhaps has not been brought to Your\nExcellency's knowledge--The execution of the Pretender Bab in that city\nwas accompanied by a circumstance which if published in the Gazettes of\nEurope would throw the utmost discredit on the Persian Ministers. After\nthat person was put to death, his body by orders of the Vezeer.i.Nizam\nwas thrown into the ditch of the town to be devoured by dogs, which\nactually happened--This act resembles the deeds of bye gone ages, and\ncould not I believe now occur in any country between China and\nEngland--Feeling satisfied that it did not receive Your Excellency's\nsanction, and knowing what sentiments it would excite in Europe, I have\nthought it proper to write this friendly communication, not to let you\nremain in ignorance of the occurrence.'[4]\n\nPalmerston wrote back on October 8th: '... Her Majesty's Government\napprove of your having called the attention of the Ameer-i-Nizam ...\nto the manner in which the corpse of the Pretender B\u00e2b was treated\nafter his execution at Tabreez.'[5]\n\n\n\n\nAPPENDIX 3\n\nPRELUDE TO THE EPISODE OF NAYR\u00cdZ\n\n\nOn February 12th 1850, Lt.-Col. Sheil, back at his post in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n\nafter a long leave of absence, reported to Lord Palmerston:\n\n'... a serious outbreak lately took place at Yezd, which however the\nGovernor of that city with the assistance of the priesthood succeeded\nin quelling--\n\n'The exciters of the insurrection were the partizans of the new Sect\ncalled Babee, who assembled in such numbers as to force the Governor to\ntake refuge in the citadel, to which they laid siege--The Moollas\nconscious that the progress of Babeeism is the decay of their own\nsupremacy determined to rescue the Governor, and summoning the populace\nin the name of religion to attack this new Sect of infidels, the Babees\nwere overthrown and forced to take flight to the adjoining province of\nKerman....\n\n'The tenets of this new religion seem to be spreading in Persia--Bab\nthe founder, a native of Sheeraz, who has assumed this fictitious\nname, is imprisoned in Azerbijan, but in every large town he has\ndisciples, who with the fanaticism or fortitude so often seen among\nthe adherents of new doctrines, are ready to meet death.... Bab\ndeclares himself to be Imam Mehdee, the last Imam, who disappeared\nfrom human sight but is to reappear on earth--His decrees supersede\nthe Koran among his disciples, who not only revere him as the head of\ntheir faith, but also obey him as the temporal Sovereign of the world,\nto whom all other monarchs must submit--Besides this inconvenient\ndoctrine, they have adopted other tenets pernicious to society....\n\n'Conversion by the sword is not yet avowed, argument and inspiration\nfrom heaven being the present means of instilling or attaining faith\nin the Mission of Bab--If left to their own merits the not novel\ndoctrines of this Preacher will doubtless sink into insignificancy, it\nis persecution only which can save them from neglect and contempt, and\nunluckily the proselytes are all of the Mahommedan faith, which is\ninflexible in the punishment of a relapsed Mussulman--Thus both the\ntemporal and religious authorities have an interest in the\nextermination of this Sect.\n\n'It is conjectured that in Teheran this religion has acquired votaries\nin every class, not even excluding the artillery and regular\nInfantry--Their numbers in this city, it is supposed, may amount to\nabout two thousand.'[1][FX]\n\n [Footnote FX: Part of this passage is also quoted on p. 178.]\n\nThe incident at Yazd, which the British Minister was reporting to the\nForeign Secretary, concerned the activities of a man named\nMu\u1e25ammad-`Abdu'll\u00e1h, who professed belief in the new Revelation.\nVa\u1e25\u00edd was in Yazd at the time, fearlessly proclaiming the advent of\nthe Q\u00e1'im. Navv\u00e1b-i-Ra\u1e0dav\u00ed, an influential man of the city, who\nhated Va\u1e25\u00edd as much as Sa`\u00eddu'l-`Ulam\u00e1 had hated Qudd\u00fas,[FY] was\nplotting to destroy him. Despite Va\u1e25\u00edd's injunction,\nMu\u1e25ammad-`Abdu'll\u00e1h went ahead with his own schemes which resulted\nin clashes with the civil authority, and his own death. Va\u1e25\u00edd was\nforced to leave Yazd in the dead of night, on foot. His house in Yazd\nwas pillaged, and his servant \u1e24asan was seized and put to death.\nWhile horsemen sent by his adversaries were searching for him, he hid\nin the mountains; and by mountain tracks made his way to Bav\u00e1n\u00e1t in\nthe province of F\u00e1rs. There were many in that area who gave him\nwhole-hearted support, among them the renowned \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid Ism\u00e1`\u00edl,\nthe [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]u'l-Isl\u00e1m of Bav\u00e1n\u00e1t. Then by way of Fas\u00e1 he\napproached the city of Nayr\u00edz.\n\n [Footnote FY: See p. 176.]\n\n\n\n\nAPPENDIX 4\n\nTHE SEVEN MARTYRS OF \u1e6cIHR\u00c1N\n\n\nIn the course of 1849, Prince Dolgorukov, the Russian Minister in\n\u1e6cihr\u00e1n, had protested to the Persian Government that while going\ninto the presence of the [_Sh_]\u00e1h he had been forced to witness the\ndragging away of the writhing corpses of eight criminals, executed in\nfront of the [_Sh_]\u00e1h. Dolgorukov considered it an affront to him, the\nenvoy of the Tsar, to be presented with such a spectacle. Sheil had\nbacked Dolgorukov's protest.[1] Palmerston had, in turn, approved\nSheil's action. On February 12th 1850, Prince Dolgorukov sent this\nreport to Count Nesselrode in St. Petersburg:\n\n'Minds are in an extraordinarily excited state due to the execution\nwhich has just taken place in the great square of Tihran. I have\nalready once expressed my opinion that the method by which last year\nthe troops of the Shah under the command of Prince Mahdi Quli Mirza\nexterminated the Babis will not lessen their fanaticism.\n\n'From that time on the Government has learned that Tihran is full of\nthese dangerous sectaries who do not recognize civil statutes and\npreach the partitioning of the property of those who do not join their\ndoctrine. Becoming fearful for the social peace, the ministers of\nPersia decided to arrest some of these sectaries and, according to the\ncommon version, having received during the interrogation their\nconfession of their faith, executed them. These persons, numbering\nseven, and arrested at random, since the Babis are counted already by\nthousands within the very capital, would by no means deny their faith\nand met death with an exultation which could only be explained as\nfanaticism brought to its extreme limit. The Assistant Minister of\nForeign Affairs, Mirza Muhammad Ali, on the contrary affirms that\nthose people have confessed nothing and that their silence was\ninterpreted as a sufficient proof of their guilt.\n\n'One can only regret the blindness of the Shah's authorities who\nimagine that such measures could extinguish religious fanaticism, as\nwell as the injustice which guides their actions when examples of\ncruelty, with which they are trying to frighten the people, are\ncommitted without distinction against the first passer-by who falls\ninto their hands...'[2]\n\nTen days later (February 22nd 1850), Sheil wrote to Palmerston that\napparently the advice tendered by Her Majesty's Government that\ncriminals should not be executed in the presence of the Sovereign had\nhad some effect, because a few days before, seven B\u00e1b\u00eds, accused of\nconspiring to assassinate the Grand Vizier, had been put to death in\npublic with no untoward incident. Sheil asserted that this fact proved\nthe feasibility of public executions. M\u00edrz\u00e1 Taq\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n had earlier\nstated that with executions in public there was the risk of a\nmalefactor being snatched and spirited away. Sheil felt, however, that\non this occasion there was sympathy for the executed, because the\nstory of a conspiracy to murder the Grand Vizier was not generally\nbelieved. He further observed that the B\u00e1b\u00eds had been offered their\nlives, were they to recant, and they had firmly refused to do so. His\nown comment to the Grand Vizier had been that executing the B\u00e1b\u00eds was\nthe surest way of propagating their doctrines.[3]\n\nLord Palmerston in answer to Sheil stated that Her Majesty's Government\nwas pleased to learn that N\u00e1\u1e63iri'd-D\u00edn [_Sh_]\u00e1h had agreed with the\nadvice not to have executions carried out in his presence, but added,\n'the punishment of men for religious belief, besides being unjust and\ncruel, is also an erroneous practice, and tends to encourage and\npropagate the belief which it is intended to suppress.'[4]\n\n\n\n\nAPPENDIX 5\n\nTHE EPISODE OF ZANJ\u00c1N\n\n\nThe episode of Zanj\u00e1n covered the period from May to December 1850,\nand much engaged the attention of the British and Russian envoys. On\nMay 25th Sheil reported to Palmerston: 'At Zenjan ... an attempt at\ninsurrection was made by the Sect of the Babees whose leader is the\nchief priest of the town--Five hours after the receipt of this\nintelligence a Battalion of Infantry 400 horse and three guns marched\ntowards Zenjan--This is an instance unexampled in Persia of military\ncelerity, which perhaps would not be surpassed in many countries of\nEurope.'[1] A month later, Sheil reported: 'The insurrection at Zenjan\nhas not yet been quelled. The B\u00e2bees of that city continue to defend\nthemselves with the zeal of proselytes and the contempt of life\ninculcated by their faith...'[2]\n\nPrince Dolgorukov, the Russian Minister, commented on July 31st: 'The\nGovernment has exhausted all possible means to compel the Babis to\nsubmit voluntarily. Muhammad Ali who heads the two or three hundred of\nthese fanatics in Zanjan, has fortified himself in one of the quarters\nof the said town and terrifies the inhabitants. The Amir was finally\nforced to take energetic measures, and the former beglerbegi of\nTabriz, Muhammad Khan, has just been sent against them with an army of\n2000 men and four cannons.'[3] Dolgorukov had grossly underestimated\nthe number of the B\u00e1b\u00eds. (See pp. 185-6.)\n\nSheil wrote on August 22nd: 'The B\u00e2bees of Zenjan still continue to\nmaintain that nearly defenceless city against the Shah's troops.'[4]\nOn September 5th he reported: '... these fanatics are reduced to a few\nhundred fighting men, they continue to maintain a hopeless contest,\nwith undaunted resolution, refusing submission on any terms...'[5]\n\nDolgorukov reported on September 14th: 'The Babis, who are engaged\nthere in a life and death struggle against the troops of the Shah, are\nstill resisting the attacks of Muhammad Khan, and one can only wonder\nat the fierceness with which they meet the danger of their situation.\nTheir leader Mulla Muhammad Ali, has appealed to the Turkish Minister,\nSami Effendi, and also to Colonel Sheil for their mediation. However,\nmy English colleague is of the opinion that it would be very difficult\nto force the Persian Government to consent to foreign intervention in\nfavor of the above mentioned sectaries.'[6] On October 6th, the\nRussian Minister was in a petulant mood: 'I think it would have been\nbetter if they [the Persian Government] had given more serious\nattention to the affairs of Zanjan. The Babis have been fighting\nagainst 6000 of the Shah's best troops for almost five months now, and\nMuhammad Khan, who is already master of three quarters of the city,\ncannot take the quarter which they have fortified themselves and are\ndefending ... with a heroism and a fury worthy of a better\napplication.'[7] In his dispatch of November 9th, Dolgorukov wrote:\n'New military units have just been dispatched against the Babis of\nZanjan. This time the Governor of that city, a brother of the Shah's\nmother, Amir Aslan Khan, is accused of provoking the resistance, which\nthe Babis offer the Shah's army, by his incautious behavior.'[8] And,\nat last, on December 26th Dolgorukov could report: 'The Zanjan\ndisturbances have ended. After a siege which lasted for almost six\nmonths the Shah's troops have destroyed the center of the rebellion.\nThe Babis who defended themselves to the last, and whose numbers were\nfinally reduced to twenty men, who sought refuge in a cellar, were\ntorn to pieces. In addition to monetary expenditures, this struggle\nhas cost Persia 1500 in killed and disabled.'[9]\n\nMeanwhile Sheil had been reporting on September 25th: 'The disciples\nof B\u00e2b have barricaded a portion of that town, from which they cannot\nbe expelled without a greater loss of life than the assailants seem\nwilling to encounter.'[10] And he wrote on October 25th: 'Contrary to\nall rational expectation the small portion of Zenjan occupied by the\nB\u00e2bees continues to set at defiance the efforts of the Shah's troops\nto expel that sect from the City.' In the same dispatch he stated that\n'General Sir Henry Bethune who visited the scene of operations,\nexpressed a conviction that three hours with ordinary troops would\nfinish the affair...'[11] Bethune was the man who had helped\nMu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h to his throne. Sheil seems to have become wearied\nof reporting on Zanj\u00e1n, for on November 23rd he wrote: 'I continue\nunable to make any variation in my reports relative to Zenjan--The\nsame feeble ineffectual attempts at assault, the same repulses still\nmark the progress of the siege.' Then he made the extraordinary\nassertion that it had been affirmed that the defenders of Zanj\u00e1n were\nnot B\u00e1b\u00eds at all, that they had been heard to 'proclaim from the walls\nin hearing of the troops, the creed that \"there is no God but God, and\nMahomed is his prophet.\"' Those men were fighting, it was said,\nbecause of the enormities perpetrated by the troops. Even more\nextraordinary is this fantastic and incredibly false statement in that\nsame dispatch of November 23rd: 'Moolla Mahomed Ali, their chief, has\nthe reputation of having proclaimed himself to be the true B\u00e2b, and\nhis predecessor to have been an impostor.'[12] On December 16th Sheil\nwrote to Palmerston: 'Her Majesty's Consul at Tabreez having informed\nme that great atrocities are committed at Zenjan by the soldiery\nparticularly by their shocking treatment of such women as have been\ncaptured, I brought the circumstances to the knowledge of the Persian\nMinister--The Ameer-i.Nizam thanked me for the information, and said\nhe would take immediate steps for preventing such barbarous\nproceedings, which are entirely opposed to his sentiments and\nfeelings--' '... the mode in which my communication was received by\nthe Ameer. i. Nizam shows an improvement in his tone, and in the\ntemper with which he listens to suggestions of the above nature.'[13]\n\nOn December 24th, Sheil reported to Palmerston: 'This protracted siege,\nif siege it can be called, is inexplicable--An English gentleman who\nlately passed through Zenjan informed me a few days ago that the portion\nof the town occupied by the B\u00e2bees is confined to three or four houses,\nand that their numbers are utterly insignificant--They have adopted a\nmode of defence which seems to exceed the military skill of the Persian\ncommanders--The entire of the space included within these houses is\nmined or excavated and connected by passages. Here the B\u00e2bees live in\nsafety from the shot and shells of the assailants, who evidently have no\npredilection for underground warfare.'[14]\n\nLord Palmerston on February 11th 1851 wrote to Sheil that '... Her\nMajesty's Government approve of your having called the attention of\nthe Ameer-i-Nizam ... to the acts of violence committed by the Persian\nTroops against Zenjan.'[15]\n\nAnd finally, here is the last report of Sheil on the episode of Zanj\u00e1n.\nIt is dated January 6th 1851. 'I have the honor to report to Your\nLordship that Zenjan has been at length captured--Moolla Mahomed Ali,\nthe leader of the insurgents, had received a wound in the arm, which\nterminated in his death--His followers dismayed by the loss of their\nchief, yielded to an assault which their relaxation in the energy of\ntheir defence encouraged the commander of the Shah's troops to\nmake--This success was followed by a great atrocity--The pusillanimity\nof the troops, which the events of this siege had rendered so notorious,\nwas equalled by their ferocity--All the captives were bayonetted by the\nsoldiers in cold blood, to avenge ... the slaughter of their\ncomrades--Religious hatred may have conspired with the feelings excited\nby a blood feud, which among the tribes are very strong, to cause this\nruthless act--Four hundred persons are said to have perished in this\nway, among whom it is believed were some women and children--Of the fact\nitself there can be no doubt, as it is admitted by the Government in its\nnotification of the reduction of the city, though it may be presumed\nthat in the number there is exaggeration.'[16]\n\n\n\n\nAPPENDIX 6\n\nLORD PALMERSTON'S ENQUIRY\n\n\nLord Palmerston wrote to Sheil on May 2nd 1850:\n\n'I have to instruct you to furnish me with a more detailed account\nthan that contained in your despatch No. 20, of the 12th of February,\nof the difference between the tenets of the new sect of Bab, and those\nof the established religion of Persia.'[1]\n\nSheil answered Lord Palmerston on June 21st:\n\n'In conformity with Your Lordship's instructions I have the honor to\nenclose an account of the new Sect of Bab--The statement contained in\nthe enclosure numbered No. 1 is taken from an account given to me by a\ndisciple of Bab, and which I have no doubt is correct. The other is\nextracted from a letter from a chief Priest in Yezd, and cannot be\ntrusted--\n\n'This is the simplest of religions. Its tenets are summed up in\nmaterialism, communism, and the absolute indifference of good and\nevil, and of all human actions.'[2]\n\nUnfortunately both accounts sent to Palmerston are highly inaccurate.\nMoreover, Sheil's own comments indicate that he himself did not have\nan open mind. Plainly the account given to him, as he had stated, 'by\na disciple of Bab', was not a verbatim rendering into English, but a\nreconstruction with interpolations, as witnessed by these two\nsentences: 'They believe in Mahomed as a Prophet and in the divine\norigin of the Koran: but B\u00e2b contends that until this moment only the\napparent meaning of the Koran was understood and that he has come to\nexplain the real secret and divine essence of God's word. But it will\nbe seen in a subsequent part of this account that the words _Prophet_\nand _Divine origin_ have no signification.' Further evidence is\nprovided by Sheil's rough notes with marginal additions[3] from which\nthe account by a B\u00e1b\u00ed is drawn.\n\nWhat disciple of the B\u00e1b would say: 'The intercourse of the sexes is\nvery nearly promiscuous--There is no form of marriage; a man and woman\nlive together as long as they please and no longer, and if another man\ndesires to have possession of that woman, it rests with her, not with\nthe man who has been her husband, if he can be so termed:--A man may\nhave wives without limit; a woman has a similar licence.' This B\u00e1b\u00ed,\nunless his account was garnished, was either a nihilist of sorts, or\ntotally ignorant of what the teaching of the B\u00e1b was.\n\nEqually extraordinary, confused and contrary to the Writings of the\nB\u00e1b in the Persian and Arabic _Bay\u00e1n_ are the following lines in that\naccount by a B\u00e1b\u00ed: 'There is no hell or heaven, therefore there is no\nhereafter--annihilation is man's doom in fact--he with every living\nand vegetable thing, in short everything whatever, will be absorbed in\nthe Divinity--Everything is God, and therefore _absorbed_, which is\nthe phrase of the Soofees, who consider every thing is a reflection of\nGod--Hell is suffered and heaven is enjoyed in this world; but there\nis no such thing as crime, nor of course virtue, only as they concern\nthe relations of man and man in this world. A man's will is his Law in\nall things....\n\n'The most absolute materialism seems to form the essence of their\nbelief--God is one--Every individual substance and particle, living or\nnot, is God, and the whole is God--and every individual thing, always\nwas, always is, and always will be.'[4]\n\nThe account by the Chief Priest of Yazd, which was a vitriolic attack\non the B\u00e1b and Va\u1e25\u00edd, and which Sheil had ruled out in his letter\nto the Foreign Secretary as 'cannot be trusted', was not dissimilar,\nin some respects, to the account by 'a disciple of Bab'.\n\nThese extracts make it clear how misinformed was Lord Palmerston, the\nBritish Foreign Secretary, by the reports of his representative in\n\u1e6cihr\u00e1n.\n\n\n\n\nAPPENDIX 7\n\nMYTH-MAKING\n\n\nThe volume of writing in the West about the B\u00e1b\u00ed and Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Faiths is\nnot insignificant. There are copious scholarly works on the subject in\nRussian, French and English. We have the works of Alexander Toumansky,\nBaron Rosen, M\u00edrz\u00e1 Kazem-Beg, Count Gobineau, A.-L.-M. Nicolas, and\nEdward Granville Browne. We also have attacks and refutations, but\nthese latter categories belong to more recent years, when the Bah\u00e1'\u00ed\nFaith has been making considerable headway in the Western world.\n\nThere is another genre of writing which merits attention, if only for a\nnegative reason. These writings do not enlighten; they create myths.\nGenerally speaking, remarks by travellers and casual visitors to \u00cdr\u00e1n\nfall within this category, but are by no means confined to such writers.\n\nA sizable book could be compiled of the remarks and observations which\nare myth-making. Here we must be content with only a few extracts.\nSome of these solemn pronunciations are highly amusing, as with the\nfollowing which is taken from a book by Arthur Arnold:[FZ]\n\n [Footnote FZ: 1833-1902, a radical politician and writer.\n M.P. for Salford and editor of _Echo_.]\n\n'The measure of injustice and oppression which these courts of the\nKoran inflict upon the Christians may seem mild, in comparison with\nthe treatment by which they suppress nonconformity within the pale of\ntheir own community. We have seen an example in the sentence\nof \"a hundred sticks\", which the incautious expression of\nliberal views brought upon the friend of the Zil-i-Sultan\n[\u1e92illu's-Sul\u1e6d\u00e1n],[GA] who added to free speech the wickedness of\nwearing trousers of European cut. There is, however, in Ispahan a\nsurviving heresy, the most notable in Persia, which, when proved\nagainst a man, is almost a death warrant.[GB]\n\n [Footnote GA: Prince Sul\u1e6d\u00e1n Mas`\u00fad M\u00edrz\u00e1, the eldest son\n of N\u00e1\u1e63iri'd-D\u00edn [_Sh_]\u00e1h, Governor-General of I\u1e63fah\u00e1n\n and the adjoining provinces.]\n\n [Footnote GB: At the time of Arnold's visit, M\u00edrz\u00e1 Asadu'll\u00e1h\n [_Kh_]\u00e1n, a Bah\u00e1'\u00ed, was the Vizier of I\u1e63fah\u00e1n.]\n\n'Early in the present century, a boy was born at Shiraz, the son of a\ngrocer, whose name has not been preserved. Arrived at manhood, this\ngrocer's son expounded his idea of a religion even more indulgent than\nthat of Mahommed. He is known by the name of B\u0101b (the gate), and\nhis followers are called B\u0101bis. In 1850, B\u0101b had established\nsome reputation as a prophet, and was surrounded by followers as ready\nto shed their blood in his defence as any who formed the body-guard of\nMahommed in those early days at Medina, when he had gained no fame in\nbattle, and had not conceived the plan of the Koran. B\u0101b was\nattacked as an enemy of God and man, and at last taken prisoner by the\nPersian Government, and sentenced to death. He was to be shot. Tied to\na stake in Tabriz, he confronted the firing party and awaited death.\nThe report of the muskets was heard, and B\u0101b felt himself wounded,\nbut at liberty. He was not seriously hurt, and the bullets had cut the\ncord which bound him. Clouds of smoke hung about the spot where he\nstood, and probably he felt a gleam of hope that he might escape when\nhe rushed from the stake into a neighbouring guardhouse. He had a\ngreat reputation, and very little was necessary to make soldiers and\npeople believe that his life had been spared by a genuine miracle.\nHalf the population of Persia would perhaps have become B\u0101bis, had\nthat guardhouse contained the entrance to a safe hiding place. But\nthere was nothing of the sort. The poor wretch was only a man, and the\nsoldiers saw he had no supernatural powers whatever. He was dragged\nagain to the firing place and killed. But dissent is not to be\nsuppressed by punishment, and of course B\u0101bism did not die with\nhim. Two years afterwards, when the present Shah was enjoying his\nfavourite sport, and was somewhat in advance of his followers, three\nmen rushed upon his Majesty and wounded him in an attempted\nassassination. The life of Nazr-ed-deen [N\u00e1\u1e63iri'd-D\u00edn] Shah, Kajar,\nwas saved by his own quickness and by the arrival of his followers,\nwho made prisoners of the assassins. They declared themselves\nB\u0101bis, and gloried in their attempt to avenge the death of their\nleader and to propagate their doctrines by the murder of the Shah. The\nbaffled criminals were put to death with the cruelty which the\noffences of this sect always meet with. Lighted candles were inserted\nin slits cut in their living bodies, and, after lingering long in\nagony, their tortured frames were hewn in pieces with hatchets.\n\n'In most countries, the theory of punishment is, that the State, on\nbehalf of the community, must take vengeance upon the offender. But in\nPersia it is otherwise. There, in accordance with the teaching of the\nKoran, the theory and basis of punishment is, that the relations of\nthe victim must take revenge upon the actual or would-be murderers. In\nconformity with this idea, the Shah's chamberlain executed on his\nMajesty's behalf, and with his own hand, one of the conspirators. Yet\nthe B\u0101bis remain the terror and trouble of the Government of\nIspahan, where the sect is reputed to number more followers than\nanywhere else in Persia. But many of them have, in the present day,\ntransferred their allegiance from B\u0101b to Behar, a man who was\nlately, and may be at present, imprisoned at Acca, in Arabia, by the\nTurkish Government. Behar represents himself as God the Father in\nhuman form, and declares that B\u0101b occupies the same position, in\nregard to himself, that John the Baptist held to Jesus Christ. We were\nassured that there were respectable families in Ispahan who worship\nthis imprisoned fanatic, who endanger their property and their lives\nby a secret devotion, which, if known, would bring them to\ndestitution, and probably to a cruel death.'[1]\n\n * * * * *\n\nOur second extract is from a much weightier book written by an\nAmerican diplomat, Mr. S. G. W. Benjamin, the first United States\nMinister accredited to \u00cdr\u00e1n:[GC]\n\n [Footnote GC: 'In the winter of 1882-1883 the author was\n appointed by President Arthur to the Legation in Persia, just\n created by Act of Congress. In 1885, with the accession of\n the Democratic party to power, he returned to private life,\n in accordance with the practice of the diplomatic service of\n the United States.'[2]]\n\n'But the most remarkable sect now in Persia is probably that of the\nB\u00e2bees, or followers of the B\u00e2b. Their importance is not so much due\nto their numbers or political influence, as to the fact that the sect\nis of recent origin, full of proselyting zeal, and gaining converts\nevery day in all parts of Persia, and latterly also in Turkey. The\nB\u00e2bees present one of the most important religious phenomena of the\nage. It must be admitted, however, that they very strongly resemble in\ntheir communistic views the doctrines enounced [sic] by the famous\nMazd\u00e2k [Mazdak], who was executed by Chosroes I after bringing the\nempire to the verge of destruction by the spread of his anarchical\ntenets.\n\n'In 1810 was born Seyed Alee Mohammed, at Shir\u00e2z.... Like all the\nfounders of oriental religions, he began his career with a period of\nseclusion and meditation. He accepted Mahomet and Alee in the creed\nwhich he considered himself predestined to proclaim; but he added to\nthis the declaration that their spirits had in turn entered into his\nown soul, and that he was therefore a great prophet,--the B\u00e2b, who was\nto bring their gospel to a legitimate conclusion. It became his\nmission, therefore, to announce that all things were divine, and that\nhe, the B\u00e2b, was the incarnate presentment of the universal life. To\nthis doctrine was added a socialism which formulated the equality of\nall, sweeping away social classes and distinctions, and ordaining a\ncommunity of property, and also, at first, of wives. The new doctrines\ntook hold of the heart of the masses; men and women of all ranks\nhastened to proclaim their yearning for something that promised to\nbetter their condition, by embracing the wild teachings of the B\u00e2b ...\nthe Government could not long remain blind to the possible results if\nthe movement were allowed to spread unchecked. Therefore, after\nseveral serious tumults, the B\u00e2b was seized and executed at Tabreez.\nThis only served to add fuel to the fire. A fierce persecution broke\nforth; but the B\u00e2bees were not willing to submit tamely to\nsuppression.... The B\u00e2bees are now obliged to practise their faith in\nsecret, all of those in Persia being outwardly of the She\u00e4h sect. But\ntheir activity does not cease, and their numbers are increasing\nrapidly. The sect has also extended to Turkey. The leader of the\nTurkish branch resides at Constantinople.\n\n'In Persia the title of the present head of the sect is Sob-e-Az\u00eal\n[\u1e62ub\u1e25-i-Azal]. As his belief in the B\u00e2b is a secret, his name is\nnot mentioned in this connection.... Just now there seems to be\nunusual activity among the B\u00e2bees, emissaries or missionaries are\nsecretly pervading the country, not only seeking to make proselytes\nbut also presenting modifications in belief. The community in wives is\nno longer a practised tenet of the B\u00e2b sect, while it is proclaimed\nwith increasing emphasis that the B\u00e2b is none other than God himself\nmade manifest in the flesh.'[3]\n\n * * * * *\n\nThe next extract is by another diplomat, General Sir Thomas Edward\nGordon, who had once been the Military Attach\u00e9 and Oriental Secretary\nof Queen Victoria's Legation in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, and wrote his book after a\nsecond visit to \u00cdr\u00e1n:\n\n'The Babi sect of Mohammedans, regarded as seceders from Islam, but who\nassert their claim to be only the advocates for Mohammedan Church\nreform, are at last better understood and more leniently\ntreated--certainly at Tehran. They have long been persecuted and\npunished in the cruellest fashion, even to torture and death, under the\nbelief that they were a dangerous body which aimed at the subversion of\nthe State as well as the Church. But better counsels now prevail, to\nshow that the time has come to cease from persecuting these sectarians,\nwho, at all events in the present day, show no hostility to the\nGovernment; and the Government has probably discovered the truth of the\nBabi saying, that one martyr makes many proselytes....\n\n'An acknowledged authority on the Bab, the founder of this creed, has\nwritten that he \"directed the thoughts and hopes of his disciples to\nthis world, not to an unseen world.\" From this it was inferred he did\nnot believe in a future state, nor in anything beyond this life. Of\ncourse, among the followers of a new faith, liberal and broad in its\nviews, continued fresh developments of belief must be expected; and\nwith reference to the idea that the Babis think not of a hereafter, I\nwas told that they believe in the reincarnation of the soul, the good\nafter death returning to life and happiness, the bad to unhappiness. A\nBabi, in speaking of individual pre-existence, said to me, \"You\nbelieve in a future state; why, then, should you not believe in a\npre-existent state? Eternity is without beginning and without end.\"\nThis idea of re-incarnation, generally affecting all Babis, is, of\ncourse, an extension of the original belief regarding the\nre-incarnation of the Bab, and the eighteen disciple-prophets who\ncompose the sacred college of the sect....\n\n'The Babi reform manifests an important advance upon all previous\nmodern Oriental systems in its treatment of woman. Polygamy and\nconcubinage are forbidden, the use of the veil is discouraged, and the\nequality of the sexes is so thoroughly recognised that one, at least,\nof the nineteen sovereign prophets must always be a female. This is a\nreturn to the position of woman in early Persia, of which Malcolm\nspeaks when he says that Quintus Curtius told of Alexander not seating\nhimself in the presence of Sisygambis till told to do so by that\nmatron, because it was not the custom in Persia for sons to sit in\npresence of their mother.'[4]\n\nIt must be said that Sir Thomas Gordon's long account of the B\u00e1b\u00eds\n(from which only a few passages are taken) is good in many respects;\nnevertheless, it perpetuates myths.\n\n * * * * *\n\nFinally, here are two extracts from a book[GD] so highly rated that,\nwhen it was published in 1915, it was put on the 'Secret List' of the\nBritish Foreign Office, and kept there for more than a decade:\n\n [Footnote GD: Lorimer, _Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf_.\n Gordon Lorimer was one of the ablest members of the Indian\n Political Department, and held various posts in the area of\n the Persian Gulf. In 1904, he was commissioned by the\n Government of India to prepare the Gazetteer. At the end of\n 1913, Lorimer replaced Sir Percy Z. Cox as Consul-General in\n B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr and Political Resident in the Persian Gulf. In\n February a mishap with a revolver caused his untimely death.\n The present writer well remembers the event. The Gazetteer\n was made ready for publication by Capt. R. L. Birdwood.]\n\n'A religious heresy which was destined to produce serious political\nconsequences in Persia made its appearance during the later years of\nMuhammad Sh\u0101h: this was B\u0101bism, the creed of the B\u0101bis or\nfollowers of the B\u0101b. The founder was Saiyid `Ali Muhammad, the son\nof a grocer of Sh\u012br\u0101z, who, being sent as a youth to represent\nhis father at B\u016bshehr, soon left that place on pilgrimage to Makkah\nand afterwards sat as a student at the feet of H\u0101ji Saiyid\nK\u0101zim, the greatest Mujtahid of the day at Karbala. On the death\nof his teacher he returned to B\u016bshehr, where he proclaimed himself\na prophet, the 23rd May 1844 being accounted the date of his\nmanifestation in that character.\n\n'\"He now assumed the title of the _B\u0101b_, or gate, through whom\nknowledge of the Twelfth Imam Mahdi could alone be attained. His\npretensions undoubtedly became more extravagant as time proceeded, and\nhe successfully announced himself as the Mahdi, as a re-incarnation of\nthe prophet, and as a Revelation or Incarnation of God himself.\"[GE]\nThe B\u0101bi faith was ecclesiastically proscribed throughout Persia;\nand massacres of its adherents, with counter-assassinations of leading\npersecutors, became the order of the day.'\n\n [Footnote GE: Curzon, _Persia and the Persian Question_, Vol.\n I, p. 497.]\n\n * * * * *\n\n'The new B\u0101bi religion in Persia, of which the institution may be dated\nfrom 1844, the year in which M\u012brza `Ali Muhammad, commonly known as the\nB\u0101b, declared his mission, does not appear to have obtained as yet much\nhold on the coast of the Persian Gulf, notwithstanding that the B\u0101b\nvisited B\u016bshehr at an early stage in his public career. It was reported\nthat at B\u016bshehr there were in 1905 only about 50 B\u0101bis, chiefly employed\nin the Customs Department or in the Artillery; a very few others were\nfound at the ports of Bandar `Abbas and Lingeh, and possibly at\nShehr-i-V\u012br\u0101n in the L\u012br\u0101vi district; but at Baghd\u0101d, which was the\nheadquarters of the B\u0101bi religion from 1853 to 1864, it did not appear\nthat there are any. It is probable, however, that B\u0101bis are to be found\nin places where their existence has not been ascertained.'[5]\n\n\n\n\nBIBLIOGRAPHY\n\n `ABDU'L-BAH\u00c1. _Memorials of the Faithful._ Translated from the\n original Persian text and annotated by Marzieh Gail.\n Wilmette, Illinois: Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Publishing Trust, 1971.\n\n ARBERRY, ARTHUR J. _The Koran Interpreted._ Vol. One, Suras\n I-XX; Vol. Two, Suras XXI-CXIV. London: George Allen & Unwin\n Ltd., 1955; 2nd imp. 1963.\n\n ARNOLD, ARTHUR. _Through Persia by Caravan._ Vol. II. London:\n Tinsley Brothers, 1877.\n\n _Bah\u00e1'\u00ed World, The._ An International Record. Vol. VIII,\n 1938-1940. Wilmette, Illinois: Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Publishing Committee,\n 1942.\n\n BAH\u00c1'U'LL\u00c1H. _Gleanings from the Writings of Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h._\n Trans, by Shoghi Effendi. Wilmette, Illinois: Bah\u00e1'\u00ed\n Publishing Trust, 1935; rev. ed. 1952; repr. 1969. London:\n Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Publishing Trust, 1949.\n\n ---- _The Kit\u00e1b-i-\u00cdq\u00e1n. The Book of Certitude._ Trans. by\n Shoghi Effendi. Wilmette, Illinois: Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Publishing Trust,\n 1931; 2nd ed. 1950; 3rd repr. 1960. London: Bah\u00e1'\u00ed\n Publishing Trust, 2nd ed. 1961.\n\n BALYUZI, H. M. _`Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1._ The Centre of the Covenant of\n Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h. London: George Ronald, 1971; 2nd repr. 1972\n (Oxford).\n\n ---- _Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h_, a brief life, followed by an essay entitled\n The Word Made Flesh. London: George Ronald, 1963; 4th repr.\n 1973 (Oxford).\n\n ---- _Edward Granville Browne and the Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Faith._ London:\n George Ronald, 1970.\n\n BENJAMIN, S. G. W. _Persia and the Persians._ London: John\n Murray, 1887.\n\n BROWNE, E. G. _A Literary History of Persia._ In four volumes.\n Vol. IV: _Persian Literature in Modern Times._ Cambridge\n University Press, 1924.\n\n ---- (ed.) _Materials for the Study of the B\u00e1b\u00ed Religion._\n Cambridge University Press, 1918; repr. 1961.\n\n ---- (ed.) _The T\u00e1r\u00edkh-i-Jad\u00edd or New History of M\u00edrz\u00e1 `Al\u00ed\n Mu\u1e25ammad the B\u00e1b_, by M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e24useyn of Hamad\u00e1n, trans.\n from the Persian, with an Introduction, Illustrations, and\n Appendices. Cambridge University Press, 1893.\n\n ---- (ed.) _A Traveller's Narrative written to illustrate the\n Episode of the B\u00e1b._ Edited in the original Persian, and\n translated into English, with an Introduction and\n Explanatory Notes. Vol. I, Persian Text. Vol. II, English\n Translation and Notes. Cambridge University Press, 1891.\n\n ---- _A Year Amongst the Persians_: Impressions as to the Life,\n Character and Thought of the People of Persia, received\n during twelve months' residence in that country in the years\n 1887-8. London: A. & C. Black, 1893. 2nd ed. Cambridge\n University Press, 1926. 3rd ed. London: A. & C. Black, 1959.\n\n CHEYNE, T. K. _The Reconciliation of Races and Religions._\n London: Adam & Charles Black, 1914.\n\n CURZON, G. N. _Persia and the Persian Question._ In two\n volumes. London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1892. Frank Cass &\n Co. Ltd., 1966.\n\n FLANDIN, EUG\u00c8NE-NAPOL\u00c9ON and COSTE, PASCAL. _Voyage en Perse_\n pendant les ann\u00e9es 1840 et 1841. Paris, 1851.\n\n GOBINEAU, M. LE COMTE DE. _Les Religions et les Philosophies\n dans l'Asie Centrale._ Paris, 1865 and 1866.\n\n GORDON, SIR THOMAS EDWARD. _Persia Revisited (1895)._ London:\n Edward Arnold, 1896.\n\n KAZEMZADEH, FIRUZ. _Russia and Britain in Persia, 1864-1914._\n New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1968.\n\n KELLY, J. B. _Britain and the Persian Gulf._ 1795-1880. Oxford:\n The Clarendon Press, 1968.\n\n LAYARD, SIR HENRY. _Early Adventures in Persia, Susiana, and\n Babylonia._ In two volumes. London: John Murray, 1887.\n\n LORIMER, J. G. _Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, 'Oman, and\n Central Arabia._ In two volumes. Calcutta, 1915 and 1908.\n Repr. Farnborough, Hants. and Shannon, Ireland: Gregg\n International Publishers Ltd and Irish University Press,\n 1970.\n\n NAB\u00cdL-I-A`\u1e92AM (Mu\u1e25ammad-i-Zarand\u00ed). _The Dawn-Breakers._\n Nab\u00edl's Narrative of the Early Days of the Bah\u00e1'\u00ed\n Revelation. Wilmette, Illinois: Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Publishing Trust,\n 1932; Repr. 1953. London: Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Publishing Trust, 1953.\n\n NICOLAS, A.-L.-M. _Seyy\u00e8d Ali Mohammed dit le B\u00e2b._ Paris:\n Dujarric & Cie., 1905.\n\n SALE, GEORGE (ed.) _The Kor\u00e2n._ Trans. into English from the\n Original Arabic, with Explanatory Notes. London: Frederick\n Warne and Co. Ltd., 1927.\n\n SHEIL, LADY MARY LEONORA. _Glimpses of Life and Manners in\n Persia._ London: John Murray, 1856.\n\n SHOGHI EFFENDI. _God Passes By._ Wilmette, Illinois: Bah\u00e1'\u00ed\n Publishing Trust, 1944; 5th repr. 1965.\n\n ---- _The World Order of Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h._ Wilmette, Illinois:\n Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Publishing Trust, 1938; rev. 1955; 2nd imp. 1965.\n\n SOHR\u00c1B, A\u1e24MAD. _Ris\u00e1liy-i-Tis`a-`A[_sh_]ar\u00edyyih._ Nineteen\n Discourses on the B\u00e1b and His two heralds: [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\n A\u1e25mad-i-A\u1e25s\u00e1'\u00ed and Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im-i-Ra[_sh_]t\u00ed.\n Cairo, 1919.\n\nThe reader is also referred to bibliographies contained in the\nfollowing works (listed above):\n\n Balyuzi, _Edward Granville Browne and the Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Faith_, pp.\n 123-5.\n\n Browne, _Materials for the Study of the B\u00e1b\u00ed Religion_, Sec.\n III, pp. 175-243.\n\n Browne (ed.), _A Traveller's Narrative_, Vol. II, Note A, pp.\n 173-211.\n\n Nab\u00edl-i-A`\u1e93am, _The Dawn-Breakers_, pp. 491-3 (Brit.), pp.\n 669-71 (U.S.).\n\n\n\n\nNOTES\n\n\nFull details of authors and titles are given in the bibliography. Page\nnumbers are given for the American and British editions of\nNab\u00edl-i-A`\u1e93am, _The Dawn-Breakers_. All Foreign Office documents\n(reference F.O.) are held by the Public Record Office, London. They\nare Crown copyright and appear verbatim by kind permission of the\nController of Her Majesty's Stationery Office.\n\n\nPROLOGUE I AND II\n\n[1] See Sohr\u00e1b, _Ris\u00e1liy-i-Tis`a-`A[_sh_]ar\u00edyyih_, p. 13, for an\naccount of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] A\u1e25mad's discourses. (This source is\ndiscussed in Balyuzi, _`Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1_, p. 417.)\n\n[2] _ibid._, p. 14.\n\n[3] See note 1 above, pp. 19-20.\n\n[4] F.O. 248/108 of May 15th 1843, enclosed in letter of May 20th 1843\nto Sheil.\n\n[5] _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 33 (Brit.), p. 45 (U.S.).\n\n[6] Sheil served as the British Minister in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n from August 1842\nto February 1853, except for a period of leave from October 1847 to\nNovember 1849, when Col. Farrant deputised for him. Sheil was knighted\nin 1855.\n\n[7] F.O. 248/113.\n\n[8] The other pretenders were \u1e24usayn-`Al\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1, the\nFarm\u00e1n-Farm\u00e1, Governor-General of F\u00e1rs, and \u1e24asan-`Al\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1, the\n[_Sh_]uj\u00e1`u's-Sal\u1e6danih, Governor General of Kirm\u00e1n, both sons of\nFat\u1e25-`Al\u00ed [_Sh_]\u00e1h. Three of the sons of the Farm\u00e1n-Farm\u00e1 managed\nto take themselves to London.\n\n[9] Sir Henry Layard (1817-1894) was the discoverer of the ancient\ncity of Nineveh. He was elected to the British parliament as a\nLiberal, and served a term as the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign\nAffairs. In 1877 he was appointed Ambassador in Constantinople. His\naccount is taken from _Early Adventures in Persia, Susiana, and\nBabylonia_, Vol. I, pp. 257-61.\n\n[10] The Ambassador recalled was Sir John MacNeill and the quarrel\nbetween \u00cdr\u00e1n and Britain was over the city of Hir\u00e1t. This beautiful\ncity had always been considered an integral part of the province of\n[_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n, but since the assassination of N\u00e1dir [_Sh_]\u00e1h, the\nAf[_sh_]\u00e1r king, in 1747, Hir\u00e1t had passed into possession of\nAf[_gh_]\u00e1n rulers. Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h was intent on regaining\n\u1e24ir\u00e1t, but Anglo-Russian rivalry and the British fear of Russian\ndesigns on India, hitherto almost non-existent, had become dominant\nfactors in the international scene, bound to shadow the destiny\nof \u00cdr\u00e1n; the British believed that the acquisition of Hir\u00e1t by\nthe Persians would, in the main, benefit Russia. They took\ncounter-measures in the Persian Gulf and occupied the island of\n[_Kh_]\u00e1rg, close to B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr.\n\n[11] F.O. 60/95 of February 14th 1843.\n\n[12] _ibid._\n\n\nCHAPTER 1: ALL HAIL [_SH_]\u00cdR\u00c1Z\n\nOpening quotation: Gertrude Lowthian Bell (1868-1926), _Poems from the\nDivan of Hafiz_, Wm. Heinemann Ltd., London, 1897, No. xxx.\n\n[1] Browne, _A Year Amongst the Persians_, (1926 ed.), p. 284.\n\n[2] Curzon, _Persia and the Persian Question_, Vol. I, p. 497, n. 2.\n\n[3] Browne (ed.), _A Traveller's Narrative_, Vol. II, p. 309.\n\n[4] Since they originated from the small town of Bara[_gh_]\u00e1n, they\nwere known as Bara[_gh_]\u00e1n\u00ed.\n\n[5] Qurratu'l-`Ayn's words are quoted in _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 56\n(Brit.), pp. 81-2 (U.S.); and in verse form in _A Persian Anthology_,\ntrans. by E. G. Browne, ed. by E. Denison Ross, Methuen & Co., London,\n1927, p. 72.\n\n\nCHAPTER 2: HE WHOM THEY SOUGHT\n\nOpening quotation: T. K. Cheyne, _The Reconciliation of Races and\nReligions_, p. 74.\n\n[1] M\u00edr Mu\u1e25ammad-Ri\u1e0d\u00e1's father was named M\u00edr Na\u1e63ru'll\u00e1h, his\ngrandfather M\u00edr Fat\u1e25u'll\u00e1h, and his great-grandfather M\u00edr Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm.\n\n[2] For details of this unedifying transaction, see Kazemzadeh,\n_Russia and Britain in Persia, 1864-1914_, ch. 4. The contract was\nsigned on March 8th 1890.\n\n[3] Translated by H. M. Balyuzi.\n\n[4] [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Mu\u1e25ammad was known as [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `\u00c1bid, and\nalso as [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]un\u00e1 and [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]-i-An\u00e1m. That his real\nname was Mu\u1e25ammad is attested by this verse in the Arabic _Bay\u00e1n_,\none of the last works of the B\u00e1b: 'Say O Mu\u1e25ammad, My teacher, do\nnot beat me ere my years have gone beyond five.'\n\nHis school was in the quarter called B\u00e1z\u00e1r-i-Mur[_gh_] (Poultry\nMarket), housed in a mosque-like structure which went by the name of\nQahviy-i-Awl\u00edy\u00e1'. It was close to the house of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid\n`Al\u00ed, the uncle-guardian of the B\u00e1b. In its courtyard were a number of\ngraves: three were particularly revered as those of saintly\npersonages, one of whom was called Awl\u00edy\u00e1'--though no one really knew\nwhose were the graves.\n\nIt is known that [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `\u00c1bid wrote a monograph on the\nchildhood of the B\u00e1b, but the manuscript has always been in the\npossession of people not well-disposed to the Faith of the B\u00e1b and\nBah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h, and they have persistently refused to give it up or to\ndivulge its contents. [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `\u00c1bid was also destined in later\nyears to accept the Faith proclaimed by his former Pupil.\n\n[5] Account taken from M\u00edrz\u00e1 Abu'l Fa\u1e0dl's unpublished writings.\n\n[6] Nicolas, _Seyy\u00e8d Ali Mohammed Dit le B\u00e2b_, pp. 189-90.\n\n[7] Written in several volumes during the reign of N\u00e1\u1e63iri'd-D\u00edn\n[_Sh_]\u00e1h by Lis\u00e1nu'l-Mulk of K\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1n, whose soubriquet was Sipihr.\n\n[8] _The Dawn-Breakers_, pp. 20-2 (Brit.), pp. 25-9 (U.S.).\n\n[9] _ibid._, pp. 22-3 (Brit.), p. 30 (U.S.).\n\n[10] \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 `Al\u00ed's father was named M\u00edrz\u00e1 `\u00c1bid.\n\n[11] By [_Dh_]ikr, he means Himself. Repeatedly in the\n_Qayy\u00famu'l-Asm\u00e1'_, the B\u00e1b refers to Himself as [_Dh_]ikr, and was\nknown to His followers as [_Dh_]ikru'll\u00e1h-al-A`\u1e93am (Mention of God,\nthe Most Great), or [_Dh_]ikru'll\u00e1h-al-Akbar (Mention of God, the\nGreatest), and sometimes as \u1e24a\u1e0drat-i-[_Dh_]ikr. '\u1e24a\u1e0drat'\nprefixed to the name of a Manifestation of God has been translated as\n'His Holiness'. But this English rendering is totally inadequate, for\n'\u1e24a\u1e0drat' has no English equivalent when placed prior to the name\nof a Manifestation of God. It conveys also the sense of His Honour,\nHis Eminence, His Excellency, and the like.\n\n[12] From the _Qayy\u00famu'l-Asm\u00e1'_, translated by H. M. Balyuzi.\n\n\nCHAPTER 3: \u1e6cIHR\u00c1N\n\nOpening quotations: Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h, (1) _Gleanings_, LVI (2)\n_Kit\u00e1b-i-\u00cdq\u00e1n_, p. 161 (Brit.), p. 252 (U.S.).\n\n[1] _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 58 (Brit.), pp. 86-7 (U.S.).\n\n[2] _ibid._, p. 66 (Brit.), p. 96 (U.S.).\n\n[3] Two works of the B\u00e1b are entitled _Bay\u00e1n_ (Utterance): the larger\none is in Persian, and the other which is much shorter is in Arabic.\n\n[4] _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 69 (Brit.), p. 99 (U.S.).\n\n[5] _ibid._, p. 70 (Brit.), pp. 100-1 (U.S.).\n\n[6] _ibid._, pp. 71-4 (Brit.), pp. 104-8 (U.S.).\n\n[7] See Foreword, paragraph 4.\n\n[8] Shoghi Effendi, _God Passes By_, p. 9.\n\n\nCHAPTER 4: THE FIRST MARTYR\n\nOpening quotation: T. S. Eliot, 'Choruses from _The Rock_', I. 'The\nEagle soars in the summit of Heaven'. _Collected Poems 1909-1962_,\nFaber & Faber Ltd., London, 1963.\n\n[1] London 1856, p. 177.\n\n[2] _The Dawn-Breakers_, pp. 61-2 (Brit.), pp. 90-1 (U.S.).\n\n[3] Throughout his life \u00c1q\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-Mu\u1e63\u1e6daf\u00e1 served the Faith which he\nhad embraced, with zeal and distinction. He spent many years in Beirut\nwhere he attended to the needs and requirements of pilgrims. His son,\n\u00c1q\u00e1 \u1e24usayn Iqb\u00e1l, did the same in subsequent years, with great devotion.\nAnother son, Dr. Zia Bagdadi (Dr. \u1e0c\u00edy\u00e1 Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d\u00ed) resided in the\nUnited States, where his services were inestimable.\n\n[4] 'There gathered [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Najaf, the son of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\nJa`far, and [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] M\u00fas\u00e1 from Najaf; Siyyid Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm al-Qazv\u00edn\u00ed\nfrom Karbil\u00e1; [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Mu\u1e25ammad-\u1e24asan Y\u00e1s\u00edn and\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e24asan Asadu'll\u00e1h from K\u00e1\u1e93im\u00edyyah; Siyyid\nMu\u1e25ammad al-\u00c1l\u00fas\u00ed and Siyyid `Al\u00ed, the Naq\u00edb-al-A[_sh_]r\u00e1f, and\nMu\u1e25ammad-Am\u00edn al-W\u00e1`iz and [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Mu\u1e25ammad-Sa`\u00edd, the\n[_Sh_]\u00e1fi`\u00ed Muft\u00ed from Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d. There were others also besides\nthese.' (\u00c1q\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-Mu\u1e63\u1e6daf\u00e1y-i-Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d\u00ed.)\n\n[5] Translated by H. M. Balyuzi. \u00c1q\u00e1\nMu\u1e25ammad-Mu\u1e63\u1e6daf\u00e1y-i-Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d\u00ed's autobiography is no more\nthan 24 pages long. It is the second of two booklets printed together\nin Cairo. There is no publication date.\n\n[6] Major-General Sir Henry Rawlinson (1810-95) was one of the\noutstanding European figures in the nineteenth century. It was he who\ntranscribed the cuneiform inscriptions on the rocks of B\u00edsit\u00fan in\nWestern \u00cdr\u00e1n, which record the achievements of the great Darius. He\ndiscovered the key to decipher them. Like Sir John Malcolm, he\nentered the service of the East India Company at the age of seventeen.\nSix years later, he went with two other British officers to train the\nPersian army, but after two years he was dismissed because Mu\u1e25ammad\n[_Sh_]\u00e1h had begun to quarrel with the British. Next he served in\nQandah\u00e1r. By his own wish he was transferred to `Ir\u00e1q, because he\nwanted to be close to Western \u00cdr\u00e1n and continue his research. He also\ncontinued the unfinished work of Layard at Nineveh. The British Museum\nhas a wealth of archaeological finds donated by him. From 1859-60, he\nbriefly occupied the post of British Minister in \u1e6cihr\u00e1n. Then to\nthe end of his life he served on the India Council in London and\ndevoted his time to writing and to scientific pursuits. From 1870-84,\nthe Trustees of the British Museum issued four volumes of cuneiform\ninscriptions under his close supervision.\n\n[7] F.O. 248/114 of January 8th 1845, enclosed in Rawlinson's letter\nto Sheil of January 16th 1845.\n\n[8] _ibid._\n\n[9] _ibid._\n\n[10] F.O. 248/114 of January 16th 1845.\n\n[11] F.O. 248/114 (undated). Translation by Rawlinson, enclosed in his\nletter to Sheil of January 16th 1845.\n\n[12] F.O. 195/237 of April 15th 1845.\n\n[13] F.O. 195/237 of April 30th 1845.\n\n[14] F.O. 195/237 of February 18th 1845.\n\n[15] F.O. 248/114 of February 28th 1845.\n\n\nCHAPTER 5: PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA\n\nOpening quotation: translation by H. M. Balyuzi.\n\n[1] His son, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Ya\u1e25y\u00e1, succeeded him as\nIm\u00e1m-Jum`ih, and lived till 1919 to an advanced age. He extended his\nprotection to the Bah\u00e1'\u00eds on every possible occasion.\n\n[2] \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e24ab\u00edbu'll\u00e1h's narrative.\n\n[3] _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 91 (Brit.), p. 131 (U.S.).\n\n[4] _ibid._, pp. 90-1 (Brit.), p. 130 (U.S.).\n\n[5] _ibid._, p. 92 (Brit.), pp. 132-3 (U.S.).\n\n[6] _ibid._, pp. 93-5 (Brit.), pp. 134-6 (U.S.).\n\n[7] _ibid._, pp. 96-7 (Brit.), pp. 138-40 (U.S.).\n\n[8] _ibid._, p. 97 (Brit.), p. 140 (U.S.).\n\n\nCHAPTER 6: FORCES OF OPPOSITION ARRAYED\n\nOpening quotation: Isabella in _Measure for Measure_, Act II, sc. ii.\n\n[1] Published by Leavitt, Trow & Co., New York & Philadelphia.\n\n[2] _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 99 (Brit.), p. 142 (U.S.).\n\n[3] _ibid._, pp. 100-1 (Brit.), p. 144 (U.S.).\n\n[4] Cited Kelly, _Britain and the Persian Gulf_, p. 310.\n\n[5] Eug\u00e8ne-Napol\u00e9on Flandin (1809-76) was an archaeologist and\npainter of note. He and Coste, an architect, were members of the\nsuite of M. de Sercey, Louis-Philippe's envoy to the Court of\nMu\u1e25ammad-[_Sh_]\u00e1h. They stayed in \u00cdr\u00e1n, after the envoy's\ndeparture, to draw her ancient monuments. The result of their labours,\n_Voyage en Perse_, was published in 1851 by the French Government.\n\n[6] _Early Adventures in Persia_, Vol. I, pp. 326-8.\n\n[7] Father of M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n, the Mu[_sh_]\u00edru'd-Dawlih and\nSipahs\u00e1l\u00e1r, who was the Persian ambassador in Constantinople in 1863,\nat the time of Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h's exile to Adrianople. M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e24usayn\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n later rose to be the \u1e62adr-i-A`\u1e93am (Grand Vizier).\n\n[8] \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 `Al\u00ed-Akbar, the Qav\u00e1mu'l-Mulk, was a younger son of\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm [_Kh_]\u00e1n, the Grand Vizier who concluded a treaty with\nSir John Malcolm, and later fell into disgrace and was barbarously put\nto death by Fat\u1e25-`Al\u00ed [_Sh_]\u00e1h. Most of his family perished with\nhim. However, the young M\u00edrz\u00e1 `Al\u00ed-Akbar survived to be restored to\nfavour in later years and given the title of Qav\u00e1mu'l-Mulk. He and his\ndescendants, over several generations, greatly influenced the\ndestinies of the inhabitants of F\u00e1rs.\n\n[9] Sart\u00edp was a high rank in those days both in the civil and the\nmilitary establishment; today it means brigadier. The Farm\u00e1n (Firman)\nwas to be read in the Masjid-i-Naw. Quarters of a city either belonged\nto the Ni`mat\u00ed-[_Kh_]\u00e1nih or the Haydar\u00ed-[_Kh_]\u00e1nih.\n\n[10] F.O. 248/113 of August 7th 1844, enclosed in a letter of August\n14th 1844, from Hennell to Sheil.\n\n[11] F.O. 248/113 of November 24th 1844, enclosed in Hennell's letter\nto Sheil of December 11th 1844.\n\n[12] F.O. 248/113 of December 24th 1844, enclosed in Hennell's letter\nto Sheil of January 4th 1845.\n\n[13] _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 104 (Brit.), pp. 148-9 (U.S.).\n\n\nCHAPTER 7: BELIEF AND DENIAL\n\nOpening quotation: _An Essay on Man_, Epistle II.\n\n[1] _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 105 (Brit.), pp. 149-50 (U.S.).\n\n[2] Arberry (ed.), _The Koran Interpreted_.\n\n[3] See Foreword, paragraph 4.\n\n[4] Arberry (ed.), _The Koran Interpreted_. Verse numbers for the\nfirst extract are 49-50, although Arberry gives 50-1.\n\n[5] _The Dawn-Breakers_, pp. 105-6 (Brit.), p. 150 (U.S.).\n\n[6] Arberry (ed.), _The Koran Interpreted_.\n\n[7] _The Dawn-Breakers_, pp. 125-6 (Brit.), pp. 174-6 (U.S.).\n\n[8] _ibid._, p. 126 (Brit.), p. 176 (U.S.).\n\n[9] _ibid._, pp. 126-7 (Brit.), p. 176 (U.S.).\n\n[10] _ibid._, p. 127 (Brit.), p. 177 (U.S.).\n\n[11] Browne (ed.), _A Traveller's Narrative_, Vol. II, p. 8.\n\n[12] Masjid-i-Vak\u00edl: built by Kar\u00edm [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Vak\u00edl, the founder of\nthe Zand dynasty.\n\n[13] _The Dawn-Breakers_, pp. 107-9 (Brit.), pp. 153-4 (U.S.).\n\n[14] Browne (ed.), _A Traveller's Narrative_, Vol. II, p. 7.\n\n[15] `Andal\u00edb (Nightingale) was the soubriquet of M\u00edrz\u00e1\n`Al\u00ed-A[_sh_]raf of L\u00e1h\u00edj\u00e1n in the Caspian province of G\u00edl\u00e1n. `Andal\u00edb\nwas a poet of superb accomplishment and an eloquent teacher. He met\nEdward Granville Browne in Yazd in the year 1888. A very long letter\nexists, in his handwriting, addressed to Edward Browne, in which he\ncites proofs from the Bible, in support of the Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Faith, and\nencourages Browne to visit Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h in `Akk\u00e1. It is not known\nwhether a copy of the letter ever reached Browne.\n\n[16] Nicolas, _Seyy\u00e8d Ali Mohammed dit le B\u00e2b_, p. 233.\n\n[17] Browne (ed.), _A Traveller's Narrative_, Vol. II, pp. 9-10.\n\n[18] _The Dawn-Breakers_, pp. 128-9 (Brit.), p. 179 (U.S.).\n\n[19] See footnote ch. 4, p. 62.\n\n[20] Browne (ed.), _A Traveller's Narrative_, Vol. II, p. 11.\n\n\nCHAPTER 8: THE CITY OF `ABB\u00c1S THE GREAT\n\nOpening quotation: _The Contention of Ajax and Ulysses_, 1659.\n\n[1] It has been stated by one writer that \u00c1q\u00e1\nMu\u1e25ammad-\u1e24usayn-i-Ardist\u00e1n\u00ed was also with the B\u00e1b on this journey.\n\n[2] Layard, _Early Adventures in Persia_, Vol. I, pp. 311-12.\n\n[3] Arberry (ed.), _The Koran Interpreted_.\n\n[4] _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 145 (Brit.), p. 202 (U.S.).\n\n[5] _ibid._, p. 146 (Brit.), p. 204 (U.S.).\n\n[6] _ibid._, p. 148 (Brit.), pp. 205-7 (U.S.).\n\n[7] \u1e62adru'd-D\u00edn Mu\u1e25ammad of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, who died in the year\nA.H. 1050 (A.D. 1640-1) is generally known as Mull\u00e1 \u1e62adr\u00e1.\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] A\u1e25mad-i-A\u1e25s\u00e1'\u00ed wrote commentaries on two of his\nworks: _\u1e24ikmatu'l-`Ar[_sh_]\u00edyyah_ (Divine Philosophy) and\n_Ma[_sh_]\u00e1`ir_ (Faculties).\n\n[8] _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 150 (Brit.), p. 209 (U.S.).\n\n[9] _ibid._, pp. 150-1 (Brit.), pp. 209-11 (U.S.).\n\n[10] Browne (ed.), _A Traveller's Narrative_, Vol. II, p. 13.\n\n[11] Nicolas, _Seyy\u00e8d Ali Mohammed Dit le B\u00e2b_, p. 242, n. 192.\n\n[12] _The Dawn-Breakers_, pp. 152-3 (Brit.), p. 213 (U.S.).\n\n[13] `Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1 states in _A Traveller's Narrative_, Vol. II, p. 13,\nthat the B\u00e1b's sojourn in the private residence of Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr\n[_Kh_]\u00e1n lasted four months.\n\n\nCHAPTER 9: THE ANTICHRIST OF THE B\u00c1B\u00cd REVELATION\n\nOpening quotation: Act II, sc. ii.\n\n[1] See Shoghi Effendi, _God Passes By_, p. 164.\n\n[2] In the early days of Isl\u00e1m, these people were ranked with those\ngroups of zealots who had earned the generic term of [_Gh_]ul\u00e1t\n(Extremists, or 'those who exaggerate'). They identified `Al\u00ed, the\nfirst Im\u00e1m, with the Godhead. `Abdu'll\u00e1h Ibn-Sab\u00e1, a Jewish convert to\nIsl\u00e1m who originated this doctrine, was put to death by `Al\u00ed himself.\n'`Al\u00ed is not God but is not separate from Him either' is the statement\nattributed to them today.\n\n[3] _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 156 (Brit.), p. 217 (U.S.).\n\n[4] _ibid._, p. 161 (Brit.), pp. 224-5 (U.S.).\n\n[5] The account of this journey is given in _The Dawn-Breakers_, pp.\n156-62 (Brit.), pp. 217-27 (U.S.).\n\n[6] Browne (ed.), _A Traveller's Narrative_, Vol. II, p. 14.\n\n[7] _The Dawn-Breakers_, pp. 162-3 (Brit.), pp. 228-9 (U.S.).\n\n[8] Browne (ed.), _A Traveller's Narrative_, Vol. II, pp. 14-15.\n\n[9] _ibid._, pp. 15-16.\n\n[10] _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 163 (Brit.), pp. 230-1 (U.S.).\n\n\nCHAPTER 10: WHERE THE ARAS FLOWS\n\nOpening quotation: translation by H. M. Balyuzi.\n\n[1] _The Dawn-Breakers_, pp. 165-6 (Brit.), p. 235 (U.S.).\n\n[2] _ibid._, p. 166 (Brit.), p. 236 (U.S.).\n\n[3] _ibid._\n\n[4] Browne (ed.), _The T\u00e1r\u00edkh-i-Jad\u00edd_, pp. 220-1.\n\n[5] _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 167 (Brit.), p. 238 (U.S.).\n\n[6] Browne (ed.), _A Traveller's Narrative_, Vol. II, p. 16.\n\n[7] _The Dawn-Breakers_, pp. 173-4 (Brit.), p. 247 (U.S.).\n\n[8] _ibid._, p. 174 (Brit.), pp. 247-8 (U.S.).\n\n[9] Dossier No. 177, \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, 1848, pp. 49-50 and p. 360. See\nAppendix 5, n. 2.\n\n[10] See Foreword, paragraph 4.\n\n[11] Browne (ed.), _A Traveller's Narrative_, Vol. II, p. 16.\n\n[12] _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 175 (Brit.), p. 249 (U.S.).\n\n\nCHAPTER 11: THE GRIEVOUS MOUNTAIN\n\nOpening quotation: _In Memoriam A.H.H._ (Prologue, v. 5.)\n\n[1] _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 219 (Brit.), p. 303 (U.S.).\n\n[2] After the martyrdom of the B\u00e1b, a number of His followers turned to\nDayy\u00e1n for guidance. They were known as 'Dayy\u00e1n\u00edyyih'. Most of them\nlived in the provinces of \u00c1[_dh_]arb\u00e1yj\u00e1n and G\u00edl\u00e1n. It has been thought\nthat Dayy\u00e1n claimed to be 'He Whom God shall make manifest', but\nBah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h refuted this in his _Kit\u00e1b-i-Bad\u00ed`_. When Dayy\u00e1n came into\nthe presence of Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h in `Ir\u00e1q, He fully recognized His station.\n\n[3] _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 220 (Brit.), p. 304 (U.S.).\n\n[4] _ibid._, pp. 21-2 (Brit.), p. 305 (U.S.).\n\n[5] See ch. 2, n. 7.\n\n[6] Browne (ed.), _A Traveller's Narrative_, Vol. II, pp. 278-89. The\nquestions and replies are extracted from this much longer report of\nthe trial.\n\n[7] _The Dawn-Breakers_, pp. 230-1 (Brit.), pp. 316-19 (U.S.). The\nquotations are taken from these pages; one reply of the B\u00e1b is\nparaphrased.\n\n[8] Browne, _Materials for the Study of the B\u00e1b\u00ed Religion_, pp. 260-2.\n\n[9] _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 234 (Brit.), p. 323 (U.S.).\n\n[10] \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Q\u00e1s\u00ed's end was sad. Some seventeen years later, in spite\nof assurances given to him, he was strangled on the platform of\nPersepolis, and his corpse was left dangling there, by the orders of\nan uncle of N\u00e1\u1e63iri'd-D\u00edn [_Sh_]\u00e1h, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Sul\u1e6d\u00e1n Mur\u00e1d M\u00edrz\u00e1,\nthe \u1e24is\u00e1mu's-Sal\u1e6danih, who was on his way to take up the reins\nof governorship in [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z.\n\n\nCHAPTER 12: THAT MIDSUMMER NOON\n\nOpening quotation: 'The B\u00e1b' in _The Bah\u00e1'\u00ed World_, Vol. VIII, p. 945.\nBeatrice Irwin (1877-1956) was a British Bah\u00e1'\u00ed of Irish descent, who\nlived a good part of her life in the United States, but travelled both\nin her work and as a Bah\u00e1'\u00ed teacher to many parts of the world.\nEducated at Cheltenham College and Oxford, she was a pioneer in the\nfield of lighting engineering, and also devoted much of her life to\nadvancing the cause of world peace. Her writings include _The Gates of\nLight_, _The New Science of Colour_, and _Heralds of Peace_.\n\n[1] In later years he became known as M\u00edrz\u00e1 `Al\u00edy-i-Sayya\u1e25\n(Traveller), married a daughter of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e24asan-i-Zun\u00faz\u00ed\nand made his home in Karbil\u00e1. He was one of the four Bah\u00e1'\u00eds sent with\n\u1e62ub\u1e25-i-Azal to Cyprus, by the Ottoman Government. He died there\non August 4th 1871.\n\n[2] See Foreword, paragraph 4.\n\n[3] _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 314 (Brit.), pp. 430-1 (U.S.). Account of\nSiyyid \u1e24usayn-i-Yazd\u00ed (or `Az\u00edz).\n\n[4] _ibid._, pp. 370-1 (Brit.), p. 505 (U.S.).\n\n[5] _ibid._, p. 371 (Brit.), p. 506 (U.S.).\n\n[6] _ibid._, p. 372 (Brit.), p. 507 (U.S.).\n\n[7] _ibid._, pp. 223-4 (Brit.), pp. 307-8 (U.S.).\n\n[8] Cited Shoghi Effendi, _The World Order of Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h_, p. 101.\n\n[9] _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 373 (Brit.), p. 508 (U.S.), and Sohr\u00e1b,\n_Ris\u00e1liy-i-Tis`a-`A[_sh_]ar\u00edyyih_, p. 74.\n\n[10] _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 374 (Brit.), pp. 509-10 (U.S.).\n\n[11] _ibid._, p. 375 (Brit.), p. 512 (U.S.).\n\n[12] _ibid._, p. 376 (Brit.), p. 514 (U.S.).\n\n[13] _ibid._, p. 378 (Brit.), pp. 518-19 (U.S.).\n\n\nCHAPTER 13: THE DAWN-BREAKERS\n\nOpening quotation: _D\u00edv\u00e1n-i-Mi\u1e63b\u00e1\u1e25_. `Az\u00edzu'll\u00e1h Mi\u1e63b\u00e1\u1e25 (1876-1945),\npoet, educationalist, master of _belles-lettres_, was an eminent Bah\u00e1'\u00ed\nof \u00cdr\u00e1n. A book of his prose: _Mun[_sh_]i'\u00e1t-i-Mi\u1e63b\u00e1\u1e25_, reprinted many\ntimes, became a textbook, for use in schools.\n\n[1] [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]ibl and his son, \u00c1q\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-Mu\u1e63\u1e6daf\u00e1\n(then about ten years old); [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Sul\u1e6d\u00e1n-i-Karbil\u00e1'\u00ed; Siyyid\nA\u1e25mad-i-Yazd\u00ed, the father of Siyyid \u1e24usayn (the amanuensis of the B\u00e1b);\n[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e62ali\u1e25-i-Kar\u00edm\u00ed and Mull\u00e1 Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm-i-Ma\u1e25all\u00e1t\u00ed were of that\nnumber.\n\n[2] Browne (ed.), _A Traveller's Narrative_, Vol. II, xliii.\n\n[3] He was variously named as Mull\u00e1 `Abdu'll\u00e1h, M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e62\u00e1lih, and\nM\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e6c\u00e1hir, the Baker.\n\n[4] `Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1, _Memorials of the Faithful_, p. 201.\n\n[5] _The Dawn-Breakers_, pp. 215-16 (Brit.), p. 299 (U.S.).\n\n[6] _ibid._, p. 253 (Brit.), p. 351 (U.S.).\n\n[7] Nicolas, _Seyy\u00e8d Ali Mohammed dit le B\u00e2b_, p. 296.\n\n[8] _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 240 (Brit.), p. 332 (U.S.).\n\n[9] F.O. 60/144.\n\n[10] Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h, _Kit\u00e1b-i-\u00cdq\u00e1n_, p. 142 (Brit.), p. 223 (U.S.).\n\n[11] Cited _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 284n (Brit.), p. 395n. (U.S.). Also\nin another translation in `Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1's _Memorials of the Faithful_,\np. 7.\n\n[12] They were al-\u1e24\u00e1j Mu\u1e25ammad al-Karrad\u00ed and Sa`\u00edd al-Jabb\u00e1w\u00ed.\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mu\u1e25ammad was nearly eighty years old. In his younger days,\nhe had led a hundred men in the war between the Ottomans and Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm\nP\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1, son of the celebrated Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1 of Egypt.\n\n[13] _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 298 (Brit.), p. 411 (U.S.).\n\n[14] In 1970, the present writer received, through the good offices of\nhis cousin, Abu'l-Q\u00e1sim Afn\u00e1n, the photostatically-produced copy of a\nmanuscript describing this episode in B\u00e1b\u00ed history. It is in the\nhandwriting of \u00c1q\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-B\u00e1qir-i-\u1e6cihr\u00e1n\u00ed, a merchant, whose\nbrother, Mu[_sh_]iru't-Tujj\u00e1r, was one of the 'Five Martyrs' of S\u00e1r\u00ed.\n(These five were murdered in the early years of the Constitutional\nMovement in Persia: see Balyuzi, _Edward Granville Browne and the\nBah\u00e1'\u00ed Faith_.) \u00c1q\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad-B\u00e1qir states, in a short introduction,\nthat he visited B\u00e1rfur\u00fa[_sh_] sometime in the year 1319 A.H. (April\n20th 1901-April 9th 1902), where he chanced upon a manuscript of the\nhistory of the B\u00e1b\u00eds at [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e6cabars\u00ed, written by one of\nthem, which he copied for himself and the benefit of others. He does\nnot mention the name of the owner of the original. This history begins\nwith an account of the author joining Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn; by this he can\nbe identified, although he nowhere names himself. There is no doubt\nthat he was M\u00edrz\u00e1 Lu\u1e6df-`Al\u00ed or Lu\u1e6df-`Al\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, a\ndescendant of the Af[_sh_]\u00e1rid monarchs of the 18th century A.D. He\nwas one of the few survivors of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e6cabars\u00ed, who managed\nto escape in the company of Mull\u00e1 \u1e62\u00e1diq-i-Muqaddas-i-[_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n\u00ed,\nbut in the holocaust of August 1852 (see Balyuzi, _Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h_, p.\n18) he died a martyr's death.\n\nOn receiving and examining this chronicle, the present writer recalled\nthat E. G. Browne mentions, in his _Materials for the Study of the B\u00e1b\u00ed\nReligion_, a manuscript history of the episode of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e6cabars\u00ed\nby Lu\u1e6df-`Al\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1, sent to him by M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mu\u1e63\u1e6daf\u00e1, the Azal\u00ed scribe. As\nthis manuscript is now in Cambridge University Library, a photostatic\nreproduction was obtained by the kindness of the Librarian. According to\nthe scribe (whose real name was Ism\u00e1`\u00edl-i-\u1e62abb\u00e1[_gh_]-i-Sidih\u00ed), the\nmanuscript which he copied for Prof. Browne was faulty, but he could\nfind no other for comparison.\n\nLu\u1e6df-`Al\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1's chronicle ends abruptly, and \u00c1q\u00e1\nMu\u1e25ammad-B\u00e1qir, the copyist, incorrectly concludes that the author\nmust have died of starvation, since the last lines of his chronicle\ndescribe the state of famine caused by the siege.\n\nThe present writer is currently engaged in collating the two\nmanuscripts.\n\n[15] _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 285 (Brit.), p. 396 (U.S.).\n\n[16] F.O. 60/150, See Appendix 3.\n\n[17] Mull\u00e1 B\u00e1qir, the im\u00e1m of the [_Ch_]in\u00e1r-S\u00fa[_kh_]tih quarter; M\u00edrz\u00e1\n\u1e24usayn-i-Qutb, the Kad [_Kh_]ud\u00e1 (Headman) of the B\u00e1z\u00e1r quarter; and\n\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00ed, a prominent and wealthy merchant, who later earned\nthe surname of Ayy\u00fab (Job) from Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h, because of his intense\nsufferings, his patience in tribulation and his steadfastness--these\nwere among the notables who went out to the village of Run\u00edz in the\ndistrict of Fas\u00e1 to meet Va\u1e25\u00edd.\n\n[18] _The Dawn-Breakers_, pp. 353-4 (Brit.), pp. 479-80 (U.S.).\n\n[19] They were commanded by Mihr-`Al\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-N\u00far\u00ed, the\n[_Sh_]uj\u00e1`u'l-Mulk, and Mu\u1e63\u1e6daf\u00e1-Qul\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Qar\u00e1guzl\u00fa, the\nI`timadu's-Sal\u1e6danih.\n\n[20] _The Dawn-Breakers_, pp. 361-2 (Brit.), pp. 488-9 (U.S.).\n\n[21] Shoghi Effendi, _God Passes By_, p. 47.\n\n[22] Browne (ed.), _The T\u00e1r\u00edkh-i-Jad\u00edd_, p. 255.\n\n[23] _ibid._, p. 253.\n\n[24] Browne, _A Year Amongst the Persians_, p. 81. (1926 ed.).\n\n[25] F. O. 60/153. K. W. Abbott's dispatch of August 30th 1850,\nenclosed with Sheil's report of September 5th 1850 to Palmerston.\n\n[26] F. O. 248/142 of December 9th 1850, R. W. Stevens, Consul at\nTabr\u00edz to Sheil.\n\n[27] _The Dawn-Breakers_, p. 419 (Brit.), p. 572 (U.S.).\n\n[28] F.O. 60/158 of January 6th 1851.\n\n\nEPILOGUE\n\n[1] Shoghi Effendi, _God Passes By_, pp. 273-4.\n\n\nAPPENDIX 1: THE SIEGE OF KARBIL\u00c1\n\n[1] F.O. 248/108, of May 15th 1843, enclosed in Farrant's letter to\nSheil of May 20th 1843. All quotations unidentified by a number in\nthis Appendix are taken from this document.\n\n[2] F.O. 248/108, of November 18th 1842, enclosed in Farrant's letter\nto Sheil of May 2nd 1843.\n\n[3] F.O. 60/95 (undated), enclosed in Sheil's letter to Aberdeen of\nFebruary 4th 1843.\n\n\nAPPENDIX 2: THE MARTYRDOM OF THE B\u00c1B\n\n[1] F.O. 60/152.\n\n[2] F.O. 248/142, of July 24th 1850.\n\n[3] F.O. 60/153.\n\n[4] F.O. 60/153, of August 3rd 1850, translated by Taylour Thomson.\n\n[5] F.O. 248/140.\n\n\nAPPENDIX 3: PRELUDE TO THE EPISODE OF NAYR\u00cdZ\n\n[1] F.O. 60/150, of February 12th 1850.\n\n\nAPPENDIX 4: THE SEVEN MARTYRS OF \u1e6cIHR\u00c1N\n\n[1] F.O. 60/145, of July 27th 1849.\n\n[2] Dossier No. 133, \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, 1850; pp. 100-5. Translation by Dr.\nFiruz Kazemzadeh in 'Excerpts from Dispatches Written During\n1848-1852' by Prince Dolgorukov, Russian Minister to Persia; quoted by\nkind permission of _World Order_, A Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Magazine, Vol. I, No. 1,\n1966. The dispatches were published as an appendix to M. S. Ivanov's\nbook, _The Babi Uprisings in Iran_.\n\n[3] F.O. 60/150. See Appendix 3.\n\n[4] F.O. 248/140, of May 2nd 1850.\n\n\nAPPENDIX 5: THE EPISODE OF ZANJ\u00c1N\n\n[1] F.O. 60/151, of May 25th 1850.\n\n[2] F.O. 60/152, of June 25th 1850.\n\n[3] Dossier No. 133, \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, 1850; pp. 470-1. See Appendix 4, note\n2, for details.\n\n[4] F.O. 60/153.\n\n[5] _ibid._\n\n[6] Dossier No. 134, \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, 1850; p. 562. See Appendix 4, note 2,\nfor details.\n\n[7] Dossier No. 133, \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, 1850; p. 582. _op. cit._\n\n[8] Dossier No. 134, \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, 1850; p. 99. _op. cit._\n\n[9] Dossier No. 134, \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, 1851; p. 156. _op. cit._\n\n[10] F.O. 60/153.\n\n[11] _ibid._\n\n[12] F.O. 60/154.\n\n[13] _ibid._, of December 16th 1850.\n\n[14] _ibid._, of December 24th 1850.\n\n[15] F.O. 248/143.\n\n[16] F.O. 60/158.\n\n\nAPPENDIX 6: LORD PALMERSTON'S ENQUIRY\n\n[1] F.O. 248/140.\n\n[2] F.O. 60/152.\n\n[3] F.O. 248/141.\n\n[4] F.O. 60/152, enclosed with Sheil's letter to Palmerston.\n\n\nAPPENDIX 7: MYTH-MAKING\n\n[1] Arnold, _Through Persia by Caravan_, Vol. II, pp. 32-5.\n\n[2] Benjamin, _Persia and the Persians_, Preface.\n\n[3] _ibid._, pp. 353-5.\n\n[4] Gordon, _Persia Revisited_, pp. 81-91.\n\n[5] Lorimer, _Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf_, Vol. I, part 2, pp.\n1966-7 and 2384.\n\n\n\n\nINDEX\n\n\n `Ab\u00e1, 5, 138\n\n `Abbas (`Abb\u00e1s), brother of Im\u00e1m \u1e24usayn, 193, 197, 198, 200\n\n `Abb\u00e1s the Great, [_Sh_]\u00e1h, 106, 107\n\n `Abb\u00e1s, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_], of `Ir\u00e1q, 60\n\n `Abb\u00e1s Effendi, _see_ `Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1\n\n `Abb\u00e1s M\u00edrz\u00e1, Prince (the N\u00e1yibu's-Sal\u1e6danih), 8, 9, 10, 149\n\n `Abb\u00e1s M\u00edrz\u00e1 Mulk-\u00c1r\u00e1 (the N\u00e1yibu's-Sal\u1e6danih), 135, 139\n\n `Abb\u00e1s-Qul\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-L\u00e1r\u00edj\u00e1n\u00ed, 172, 174\n\n `Abb\u00e1s\u00e1b\u00e1d, 139\n\n `Abdu'l-`Al\u00edy-i-Hir\u00e1t\u00ed, Mull\u00e1, 102\n\n `Abdu'l-`Az\u00edz, Mull\u00e1, 64, 197, 199, 201\n\n `Abdu'l-Bah\u00e1 (`Abb\u00e1s Effendi), 5, 32, 93, 95, 96, 99, 105, 114, 118,\n 128, 132, 139, 149, 167, 168, 175, 191, 192\n\n `Abdu'l-B\u00e1q\u00ed, Siyyid, 118\n\n `Abdu'l-H\u00e1d\u00ed, of `Ir\u00e1q, 60\n\n `Abdu'l-\u1e24am\u00edd [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-D\u00e1r\u00fa[_gh_]ih, 97, 104, 105\n\n `Abdu'l-Kar\u00edm, M\u00edrz\u00e1, of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, 103\n\n `Abdu'l-Kar\u00edm-i-Qazv\u00edn\u00ed, Mull\u00e1 (M\u00edrz\u00e1 A\u1e25mad-i-K\u00e1tib), 92, 102, 104,\n 115, 120, 151, 152\n\n `Abdu'l-Vahh\u00e1b, H\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1, 27\n\n `Abdu'll\u00e1h, M\u00edrz\u00e1, of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, 170\n\n `Abdu'll\u00e1h Ibn-Sab\u00e1, 236\n\n `Abdu'll\u00e1h [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Turkaman, 174\n\n `Abdu'll\u00e1h-i-Bihbih\u00e1n\u00ed, \u00c1q\u00e1, 164\n\n Aberdeen, the Earl of, xi, 12, 63, 68\n\n `\u00c1bid, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (grandfather of the B\u00e1b's wife), 231\n\n `\u00c1bid, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_], 34, 35, 36, 230, 231\n\n Abraham, 31, 70, 184\n\n Ab\u00fa-H\u00e1[_sh_]im, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_], 69, 70, 78, 99\n\n Ab\u00fa-Lahab, 86\n\n Ab\u00fa-\u1e6c\u00e1lib (uncle of the Prophet Mu\u1e25ammad), 86\n\n Ab\u00fa-\u1e6calib, Mull\u00e1, 78\n\n Ab\u00fa-Tur\u00e1b, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] (Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih, of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z), 69, 89, 94,\n 95, 99, 103\n\n Abu'l-Fa\u1e0dl-i-Gulp\u00e1yg\u00e1n\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1, 32, 39, 125, 231\n\n Abu'l-\u1e24asan, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed, 69, 70, 71, 103\n\n Abu'l-\u1e24asan [_Kh_]\u00e1n, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (the 2nd Mu[_sh_]\u00edru'l-Mulk), 98\n\n Abu'l-Q\u00e1sim, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 (brother-in-law of the B\u00e1b), 46, 106, 107\n\n Abu'l-Q\u00e1sim, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (Q\u00e1'im-Maq\u00e1m-i-Far\u00e1h\u00e1n\u00ed), _see_ Q\u00e1'im-Maq\u00e1m\n\n Abu'l-Q\u00e1sim-i-Labb\u00e1f, Ma[_sh_]had\u00ed, 103\n\n A[_dh_]\u00e1n, 78, 128\n\n \u00c1[_dh_]arb\u00e1yj\u00e1n, 79, 124, 125, 131, 132, 136, 137, 140, 143, 149, 152,\n 170, 204, 237\n\n \u00c1d\u00ed Guzal, Mull\u00e1 (M\u00edrz\u00e1 `Al\u00edy-i-Sayy\u00e1\u1e25), 149, 238\n\n `\u00c1dil [_Sh_]\u00e1h, _see_ `Al\u00ed-[_Sh_]\u00e1h\n\n Adrianople, 128, 189, 234\n\n Af[_gh_]\u00e1n, 230\n\n Afn\u00e1n, 46\n\n Af[_sh_]\u00e1r, Af[_sh_]\u00e1rid (kings), 103, 161, 230, 239\n\n Aga Khan I (Ha\u1e63an-`Al\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n), 122\n\n Ahl-i-\u1e24aqq, 118\n\n A\u1e25mad (son of the B\u00e1b), 46, 47\n\n A\u1e25mad, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed, of M\u00edl\u00e1n, 160\n\n A\u1e25mad, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih, of Tabr\u00edz), 140\n\n A\u1e25mad, Siyyid M\u00edr (brother of 8th Im\u00e1m), 103\n\n A\u1e25mad-i-A\u1e25s\u00e1'\u00ed, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] (founder of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]i sect):\n early years, 1;\n pilgrimage and death, 2;\n teaching, 19, 162, 166, 229, 236\n\n A\u1e25mad-i-Az[_gh_]and\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1, 56\n\n A\u1e25mad-i-Ibd\u00e1l-i-Mar\u00e1[_gh_]i'\u00ed, Mull\u00e1 (Letter of the Living), 26, 131\n\n A\u1e25mad-i-K\u00e1tib, M\u00edrz\u00e1, _see_ Abdu'l-Kar\u00edm-i-Qazv\u00edn\u00ed, Mull\u00e1\n\n A\u1e25mad-i-Mu`allim, Mull\u00e1, 56\n\n A\u1e25s\u00e1, 1\n\n \u00c1j\u00fad\u00e1n-B\u00e1[_sh_]\u00ed, _see_ \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n\n\n A[_kh_]b\u00e1r\u00ed, 62, 101\n\n A[_kh_]und, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed, 189, 190\n\n `Akk\u00e1, 128, 145, 166, 191, 192, 219, 235\n\n `Al\u00e1u'd-Dawlih, 145\n\n Aleppo, 68\n\n Alexander, 223\n\n Alexander I, Tsar, 8\n\n `Al\u00ed (`Al\u00ed ibn Ab\u00ed \u1e6calib, the first Im\u00e1m), 18, 95, 194, 200, 236\n\n `Al\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 (father of the B\u00e1b's wife), 46\n\n `Al\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid (uncle of the B\u00e1b), 33, 105, 150, 183-4, 231\n\n `Al\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mull\u00e1, 25\n\n `Al\u00ed an-Naq\u00ed, Im\u00e1m, 41\n\n `Al\u00ed Bi[_sh_]r, Siyyid, 60, 162, 163\n\n `Al\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n (warden of M\u00e1h-K\u00fa), 122, 128, 129, 131, 135\n\n Ali Pasha, 200\n\n `Al\u00ed-Qabl-i-Mu\u1e25ammad (the B\u00e1b), 78\n\n `Al\u00ed-Akbar, M\u00edrz\u00e1, of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, 103\n\n `Al\u00ed-Akbar Big, 125\n\n `Al\u00ed-Akbar-i-Ardist\u00e1n\u00ed, Mull\u00e1, 78\n\n `Al\u00ed-Akbar-i-[_Sh_]ahm\u00edrz\u00e1d\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mull\u00e1 (\u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed \u00c1[_kh_]und), 189, 190\n\n `Al\u00ed-A\u1e63[_gh_]ar, M\u00edrz\u00e1 ([_Sh_]ay[_kh_]u'l-Isl\u00e1m, of Tabr\u00edz), 140, 145\n\n `Al\u00ed-A\u1e63[_gh_]ar [_Kh_]\u00e1n, of Nayr\u00edz, 179\n\n `Al\u00ed-A[_sh_]raf, M\u00edrz\u00e1, _see_ `Andal\u00edb\n\n `Al\u00ed-`Askar, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed, 128\n\n `Al\u00ed-Mard\u00e1n [_Kh_]\u00e1n, fort of, 185\n\n `Al\u00ed-Naq\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1, 200\n\n `Al\u00ed-[_Sh_]\u00e1h (the \u1e92illu's-Sul\u1e6d\u00e1n), 5, 10, 12, 196-8, 200, 201, 218\n\n `Al\u00ed Vird\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n, 199\n\n `Al\u00edy-i-Bas\u1e6d\u00e1m\u00ed, Mull\u00e1 (Letter of the Living), 27, 28, 37-8, ch. 4,\n 162, 166, 232\n\n `Al\u00edy-i-R\u00e1z\u00ed, Mull\u00e1, _see_ [_Kh_]ud\u00e1-Ba[_kh_][_sh_]-i-Q\u00fa[_ch_]\u00e1n\u00ed, Mull\u00e1\n\n `Al\u00edy-i-Sayy\u00e1\u1e25, M\u00edrz\u00e1, _see_ \u00c1d\u00ed Guzal, Mull\u00e1\n\n `Al\u00edy-i-Tafri[_sh_]\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid (the Majdu'l-A[_sh_]r\u00e1f), 190\n\n `Al\u00edy-i-Zun\u00faz\u00ed, Siyyid, 153\n\n `Al\u00edyu'll\u00e1h\u00eds, 118, 164\n\n All\u00e1h-u-Akbar, pass of, 16;\n invocation, 128\n\n All\u00e1h-Y\u00e1r, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed, 159\n\n All\u00e1h-Y\u00e1r [_Kh_]\u00e1n (\u00c1\u1e63afu'd-Dawlih), 9\n\n Alv\u00e1\u1e6d (pl. of L\u00fa\u1e6d\u00ed), 83\n\n America, American, 1, 77, 145, 220\n\n Am\u00ednu's-Sul\u1e6d\u00e1n, 145\n\n Am\u00edr Ni\u1e93\u00e1m, _see_ Taq\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n, M\u00edrz\u00e1\n\n Am\u00edr-i-D\u00edv\u00e1n, _see_ Nab\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Qazv\u00edn\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1\n\n Am\u00edr-i-Kab\u00edr, _see_ Taq\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n, M\u00edrz\u00e1\n\n \u00c1mul, 172, 174\n\n `Andal\u00edb (M\u00edrz\u00e1 `Al\u00ed-A[_sh_]raf of L\u00e1h\u00edj\u00e1n, poet), 96, 235\n\n Antichrist, of the B\u00e1b\u00ed Revelation, 117, 140;\n _see also_ \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1\n\n Applications, science of, 141\n\n \u00c1q\u00e1 J\u00e1n [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-[_Kh_]amsih, 158\n\n \u00c1q\u00e1 Mu\u1e25ammad [_Kh_]\u00e1n, 7\n\n \u00c1q\u00e1-B\u00e1l\u00e1 Big (the Naqq\u00e1[_sh_]-B\u00e1[_sh_]\u00ed), 138\n\n \u00c1q\u00e1y-i-Kal\u00edm, _see_ M\u00fas\u00e1, M\u00edrz\u00e1\n\n \u00c1q\u00e1s\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 (Grand Vizier), 11-12, 13, 93, 111-112, 114, 117,\n 119, 121-3, 128, 131, 132, 136, 137, 139-40, 147, 148, 199\n\n Arab, Arabic, 108, 136, 141, 165, 176\n\n Arabia, 219\n\n Aras (Araxes, river), 9, 124\n\n Arberry, Prof. A. J., 3\n\n Archives, _see_ International Archives\n\n Ardist\u00e1n, 114\n\n Armenians, 147, 158\n\n Armenian Socialist Soviet Republic, 117\n\n Arnold, Arthur, 217, 218\n\n Arthur, President, of the U.S.A., 220\n\n Asadu'll\u00e1h, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed, 167\n\n Asadu'll\u00e1h [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Vaz\u00edr, M\u00edrz\u00e1, 218\n\n Asadu'll\u00e1h, M\u00edrz\u00e1, of [_Kh_]uy, _see_ Dayy\u00e1n\n\n Asadu'll\u00e1h, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_], of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, 99\n\n Asadu'll\u00e1h-i-I\u1e63fah\u00e1n\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1, 191\n\n Asadu'll\u00e1h-i-Qum\u00ed, Siyyid, 139\n\n Asadu'll\u00e1h-i-Ra[_sh_]t\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid, 50, 112, 113\n\n A\u1e63l\u00e1n [_Kh_]\u00e1n, 84\n\n `A\u1e6d\u1e6d\u00e1r, gate, 118\n\n Azal\u00ed scribe, 240\n\n `A\u1e93\u00edm, _see_ [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `Al\u00ed, Mull\u00e1, of [_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n\n\n\n B\u00e1b, The (Siyyid `Al\u00ed-Mu\u1e25ammad):\n meeting with Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn and declaration, 17-22;\n arrival of Qudd\u00fas, 23-4;\n accepts Qurratu'l-`Ayn, 24-6;\n His disciples, 24, 26-7;\n sends Mull\u00e1 `Al\u00ed to `Ir\u00e1q, 28;\n addresses Letters of Living, 28-31;\n family, youth, education, 32-7;\n merchant in Bu[_sh_]ihr, 37, 39-41;\n journey to holy cities and meeting with Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im, 41-6;\n marriage and son, 46-7;\n sends Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn to Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h, 48-50, 52-7;\n letter to wife, 57;\n pilgrimage to Mecca, 57, 69-71;\n declaration in Mecca, 71;\n challenge to Mu\u1e25it, 72-4;\n Tablet to [_Sh_]arif of Mecca, 74-5;\n returns to Ir\u00e1n, 77;\n advance contacts with [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, 77-8;\n arrest at D\u00e1lak\u00ed, 84, 105;\n returns to [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, 85, 88-9;\n birth of B\u00e1b\u00ed community, 89-90, 103;\n Va\u1e25h\u00edd accepts, 90-4;\n at Vak\u00edl mosque, 94-8;\n \u1e24ujjat accepts, 100-1;\n leaves [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, 104-6;\n resides at I\u1e63fah\u00e1n, 109-16;\n [_Sh_]\u00e1h calls to \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, 116, 118;\n stops at K\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1n, 118-19,\n Qumr\u00fad, 119,\n Kulayn, 119-21;\n receives communication from Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h, 120;\n meeting with [_Sh_]\u00e1h prevented, 121-3;\n consigned to M\u00e1h-K\u00fa, 122, 124, 128;\n arrives M\u00edl\u00e1n, 126-7;\n stays at Tabr\u00edz, 127-8;\n events at M\u00e1h-K\u00fa, 128-33;\n removal to [_Ch_]ihr\u00edq, 131-2, 134-7;\n summoned to Tabr\u00edz, 137;\n stops in Ur\u00fam\u00edyyih, 138;\n His portrait, 138-9;\n examination at Tabr\u00edz, 140-5;\n bastinadoed, 145-7;\n returned to [_Ch_]ihr\u00edq, 147-8;\n followers visit, 148-50;\n receives news of persecutions, 150-1;\n sends Writings, etc., to Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h, 151-2;\n composes Arabic _Bay\u00e1n_, 152;\n martyrdom, 152-9, 202;\n remains rescued, concealed, 159-60, 189-91;\n final mission to Mull\u00e1 \u1e24usayn, 171;\n anticipates 'Seven Martyrs', 185;\n His Shrine, 191-2;\n inaccurate reports of life, teachings, 203, 204-5, 214-16,\n appendix 7;\n claim and station, 18-19, 71, 141-2, 143-4, 167, 189;\n Writings, 20, 39, 73, 91-2, 110, 132, 136, 141, 147, 163, _see_\n index for _Bay\u00e1n_, _Qayy\u00famu'l-Asm\u00e1'_\n\n B\u00e1b\u00eds, 26-7, 89-90, 134-6, 145, 146, 159, 164-7, 169-78, 180-7\n _passim_, 204-12 _passim_, 215, 219-24, 239\n\n B\u00e1b\u00ed Faith, 224\n\n B\u00e1b\u00edyyat (Gatehood), 96\n\n B\u00e1b\u00edyyih, 56, 173\n\n B\u00e1bul, _see_ B\u00e1rfur\u00fa[_sh_]\n\n B\u00e1bu'l-B\u00e1b, _see_ \u1e24usayn-i-Bu[_sh_]r\u00fa'\u00ed, Mull\u00e1\n\n Bada[_sh_]t, conference of, 167-71\n\n Bagdadi, Dr. Zia (Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d\u00ed, \u1e0c\u00edy\u00e1), 232\n\n Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d, 41, 59, 60-1, 63, 64, 66, 67, 68, 131, 135, 162, 163,\n 164, 176, 191, 193, 197, 199-201, 224, 232\n\n B\u00e1[_gh_]-i-[_Sh_]\u00e1h, gate, 109\n\n B\u00e1[_gh_]-i-Ta[_kh_]t, palace, 104\n\n Bah\u00e1, 152;\n _see also_ Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h\n\n Bah\u00e1'\u00ed, Bah\u00e1'\u00eds, 138, 145, 182, 192, 218, 233, 238\n\n Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Faith, 235\n\n Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h (M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e24usayn `Al\u00ed):\n receives communication from B\u00e1b, 55, 152;\n sends message to B\u00e1b, 120;\n rescues \u1e6c\u00e1hirih, 167;\n arranges Bada[_sh_]t conference, 167-8;\n attacked at N\u00edy\u00e1l\u00e1, 170-1;\n goes to N\u00far, 171;\n visits [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e6cabars\u00ed, 173;\n attempts to join defenders, 174;\n protects remains of B\u00e1b, 189-91;\n chooses site for Shrine of B\u00e1b, 191-2;\n quotations from, 48, 174-5;\n mentioned, 9, 27, 56, 78, 109, 120, 125, 128, 135, 138, 145, 154,\n 165, 183, 188, 235, 237, 240;\n _see also_ 'He Whom God shall manifest'\n\n Ba\u1e25rayn, 1\n\n Ba\u1e25ru'l-`Ul\u00fam, 36\n\n Ba[_kh_]t\u00edy\u00e1r\u00ed, 108, 109\n\n Bandar-`Abb\u00e1s, 224\n\n Ban\u00fa-Sa[_kh_]r, 1\n\n B\u00e1qir-\u00c1b\u00e1d, mosque, 78\n\n B\u00e1qir, M\u00edrz\u00e1, of Tabr\u00edz, 155\n\n B\u00e1qir, Mull\u00e1, im\u00e1m, 240\n\n B\u00e1qir-i-Tabr\u00edz\u00ed, Mull\u00e1 (Letter of the Living), 27, 151, 168, 174\n\n Baq\u00edyatu'll\u00e1h (Remnant of God), 78, 155\n\n Bara[_gh_]\u00e1n, 230\n\n B\u00e1rfur\u00fa[_sh_] (B\u00e1bul), 23, 172, 173, 176, 184, 239\n\n Ba[_sh_]\u00edr an-Najaf\u00ed, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_], 60\n\n Ba\u1e63rah, 104\n\n Bav\u00e1n\u00e1t, 205\n\n _Bay\u00e1n_: Arabic, 152, 215, 231, 232;\n Persian, 50, 71, 132, 154, 215, 232\n\n B\u00e1z\u00e1r-i-Mur[_gh_], 231\n\n B\u00e1z\u00e1r quarter, of Nayr\u00edz, 182\n\n Beirut, 166, 191\n\n Bell, Gertrude Lowthian, 230\n\n Benjamin, S. G. W., 220\n\n Bethune, Sir Henry Lindesay, 10, 211\n\n Bible, 147, 235;\n New Testament quoted, 127, 155, 156, 158-9\n\n Birdwood, Capt. R. L., 223\n\n B\u00edsit\u00fan, 232\n\n Black Standard, 171, 172, 176\n\n Bombay, 37, 57\n\n Bonaparte (Napoleon I), 7, 8\n\n Bonni\u00e8re, M. de, 115\n\n Bor\u00e9, M., 79, 80\n\n British Museum, 233\n\n Britain, British, 1, 8-10, 12, 58, 61, 63, 77, 79, 109, 186, 193, 194,\n 202, 203, 205, 209, 216, 223, 230, 233;\n _see also_ England\n\n Browne, Edward Granville, 16, 141, 146, 152, 166, 186, 217, 235, 239,\n 240\n\n Burgess, Mr., 80\n\n Bur\u00fajird, 93\n\n B\u00fa[_sh_]ihr (Bushire), 2, 15, 16, 37, 39-41, 57, 71, 75, 77, 78, 79,\n 81, 83, 84, 87, 104, 105, 107, 223, 224, 230\n\n Bu[_sh_]r\u00fayih, 4\n\n Buzurg, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1, 96\n\n Buzurg-i-N\u00far\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (M\u00edrz\u00e1 `Abb\u00e1s, father of Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h), 54\n\n Byron, Lord, 117\n\n\n _Cain_ (by Byron), 117\n\n Campbell, Sir John, 10\n\n Canning, Sir Stratford (first Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe), 6, 61,\n 63, 66, 67, 193\n\n Carmel, Mount, 191, 192\n\n Caspian Sea, 3, 9\n\n Caucasus, 9, 117\n\n [_Ch_]ah\u00e1r-Lang, 108\n\n [_Ch_]a[_sh_]mih-`Al\u00ed (tribe), 190\n\n Cheltenham College, 238\n\n Cheyne, T. K., 32, 168, 230\n\n [_Ch_]ihr\u00edq, 132, 134-7, 147-50, 153, 159, 167, 183, 185\n\n China, 203\n\n [_Ch_]in\u00e1r S\u00fa[_kh_]tih (quarter of Nayr\u00edz), 178, 182\n\n Cholera, 104, 105\n\n Chosroes I, 220\n\n Christ, _see_ Jesus\n\n Christian, 147, 217\n\n Communism (-istic), 214, 220\n\n Congress, Act of (U.S.A.), 220\n\n Constantinople (Istanbul), 5, 63, 66, 67, 79, 163, 193, 221, 234\n\n Cormick, Dr., 145\n\n Cox, Sir Percy Z., 223\n\n Cyprus, 238\n\n\n _Dal\u00e1'il-i-Sab`ib_ (The Seven Proofs), 132\n\n D\u00e1lak\u00ed, 84, 105\n\n Damascus, 68, 182, 191\n\n D\u00e1r\u00e1b, 90, 101, 178\n\n Darius, 232\n\n David, 127\n\n Dawn-Breakers (followers of the B\u00e1b), 90, 161, 188\n\n Dayy\u00e1n (Asadu'll\u00e1h, M\u00edrz\u00e1, of [_Kh_]uy), 136, 237\n\n Dayy\u00e1n\u00edyyih, 237\n\n Declaration, of the B\u00e1b (anniversary), 20, 150\n\n 'Deliverer of the Latter Days', 3\n\n Democratic Party (U.S.A.), 220\n\n [_Dh_]ikr (the B\u00e1b, also [_Dh_]ikru'll\u00e1h-al-A`\u1e93am,\n [_Dh_]ikru'll\u00e1h-al-Akbar, \u1e24a\u1e0drat-i-[_Dh_]ikr), 46, 132, 231\n\n [_Dh_]i'l-\u1e24ijjah, month of, 70, 71\n\n _Dispensation of Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h, The_, 167\n\n D\u00edv\u00e1n-[_Kh_]\u00e1nih (the Court), 81\n\n Divine origin, Divinity, 215\n\n Dolgorukov, Prince Dimitri Ivanovich, 131, 206, 209, 210, 241\n\n\n East India Company, 233\n\n Ecbatana, _see_ \u1e24amad\u00e1n\n\n _Echo_ (English publication), 217\n\n _Eclectic Magazine of Foreign Literature, Science and Art_, 77\n\n Eliot, T. S., 58\n\n England, English, 80, 145, 203, 210, 214, 217;\n _see also_ Britain\n\n Erivan, _see_ \u00cdrav\u00e1n\n\n Esther, 165\n\n Ethiopian servant, of the B\u00e1b, 17, 49, 57, 71, 84\n\n Euphrates, 108, 182, 193\n\n Europe, European, 146, 209, 217\n\n\n _Far\u00e1'id_ (by M\u00edrz\u00e1 Abu'l-Fa\u1e0dl), 39\n\n Farm\u00e1n-Farm\u00e1, _see_ Firayd\u00fan M\u00edrz\u00e1 and \u1e24usayn-`Al\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1\n\n Farrant, Lt.-Col. T., 5, 135, 173, 193, 195-9, 201, 229\n\n Farr\u00e1[_sh_] (farr\u00e1[_sh_]-b\u00e1[_sh_]\u00ed, lictor), 145, 146, 156, 157\n\n F\u00e1rs, 49, 109, 169, 178, 199, 205, 234\n\n Farsa[_kh_] (farsang), 114\n\n Fas\u00e1, 104, 205, 240\n\n Fat\u1e25-`Al\u00ed [_Sh_]\u00e1h, 7, 8, 9, 138, 200, 229, 234\n\n Fat\u1e25u'll\u00e1h, M\u00edr (great-grandfather of the B\u00e1b), 230\n\n F\u00e1\u1e6dimih (daughter of the Prophet Mu\u1e25ammad), 47, 74\n\n F\u00e1\u1e6dimih-Bagum (mother of the B\u00e1b), 33, 103\n\n Fayl\u00ed (a clan), 82\n\n Finkenstein, treaty of, 8\n\n Firayd\u00fan M\u00edrz\u00e1 (the Farm\u00e1n-Farm\u00e1), 80, 81\n\n Firman (royal edict), 81, 234\n\n F\u00edr\u00faz M\u00edrz\u00e1, Prince (the Nu\u1e63ratu'd-Dawlih), 180\n\n F\u00edr\u00faz\u00e1b\u00e1d, 82\n\n 'Five Martyrs', of S\u00e1r\u00ed, 239\n\n Flandin, M., 80, 234\n\n Foreign Ministers, British, _see_ Aberdeen, Palmerston\n\n France, French, 1, 7, 8, 79, 80, 194, 217, 234\n\n _Fut\u00fa\u1e25-ar-Ras\u00fal_ (boat), 69\n\n\n Galata, 79\n\n Gandum-P\u00e1k-Kun, _see_ Ja`far, Mull\u00e1\n\n Gardanne, General, 7, 8\n\n _Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf_, 223\n\n George III, 8\n\n Georgian, 108\n\n 'Geramees', 6, 196, 198\n\n [_Gh_]ul\u00e1t, 236\n\n G\u00edl\u00e1n, 237\n\n Gobineau, Count, 217\n\n Golgotha, 127\n\n Gordon, Sir Thomas Edward, 221, 223\n\n 'Great Sophy', 107\n\n Greeks, 124\n\n Guardian of the Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Faith, _see_ Shoghi Effendi\n\n Gulist\u00e1n, treaty of, 8\n\n Gulp\u00e1yg\u00e1n, 4\n\n Gurg\u00edn [_Kh_]\u00e1n, 116, 117\n\n\n \u1e24ab\u00edbu'll\u00e1h (the Prophet Mu\u1e25ammad), 46\n\n \u1e24ab\u00edbu'll\u00e1h [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Af[_gh_]\u00e1n, 174\n\n \u1e24ab\u00edbu'll\u00e1h-i-Afn\u00e1n, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1, 32, 34, 35, 39, 41, 45, 71, 96, 98\n\n H\u00e1d\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1, 167\n\n H\u00e1d\u00edy-i-Nahr\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1, 51, 102\n\n H\u00e1d\u00edy-i-Qazv\u00edn\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (Letter of the Living), 27\n\n \u1e24a\u1e0drat, 231\n\n \u1e24\u00e1fi\u1e93, 15, 16, 35, 69, 124\n\n Hagar, 184\n\n Haifa, 191\n\n \u1e24ajar al-Aswad (The Black Stone), 72\n\n \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed (the B\u00e1b), 87\n\n \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed-B\u00e1b\u00e1y-i-Af[_sh_]\u00e1r, M\u00edrz (\u1e24\u00e1\u00e1\u00edj B\u00e1b\u00e1, M\u00edrz\u00e1), 9\n\n \u1e24ajj, 70, 71\n\n \u1e24ajj-i-Akbar, 70\n\n \u1e24ak\u00edm, Dr. Lutfu'll\u00e1h, 165\n\n \u1e24ak\u00edm Mas\u00ed\u1e25, 165\n\n Hamad\u00e1n, 12, 102, 164, 165\n\n \u1e24amzih M\u00edrz\u00e1 (the \u1e24i[_sh_]matu'd-Dawlih), 152, 153, 170, 171, 172\n\n \u1e24anaf\u00ed, 13\n\n \u1e24anbal\u00ed, 13\n\n Hand of the Cause, 139, 189\n\n \u1e24aram, _see_ Masjid\n\n \u1e24asan, servant of Va\u1e25\u00edd, 205\n\n \u1e24asan, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid (brother-in-law of the B\u00e1b), 46\n\n \u1e24asan, Siyyid, 124, 128, 129, 146, 156\n\n \u1e24asan al-`Askar\u00ed, Im\u00e1m, 41, 119, 142\n\n \u1e24asan Ja`far, Siyyid, 60\n\n \u1e24asan-`Al\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 (uncle of the B\u00e1b), 33\n\n \u1e24asan-`Al\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n (Aga Khan I), 122\n\n \u1e24asan-`Al\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 (the [_Sh_]uja`u's-Sal\u1e6danih), 229\n\n \u1e24asan-i-Bajist\u00e1n\u00ed, Mull\u00e1 (Letter of the Living), 27\n\n \u1e24asan-i-N\u00far\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1, 112\n\n \u1e24asan-i-Vaz\u00edr, M\u00edrz\u00e1, 190\n\n \u1e24asan-i-Zun\u00faz\u00ed, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_], 103, 104, 115, 120, 129, 132, 137,\n 143, 153\n\n H\u00e1[_sh_]im, H\u00e1[_sh_]imite, 44, 59, 74, 86\n\n \u1e24aydar\u00ed (\u1e24aydar\u00ed-[_Kh_]\u00e1nih), 82, 234\n\n 'He (Him) Whom God shall make manifest' (Man-Yu\u1e93hiruhu'll\u00e1h), 154,\n 191, 237;\n _see also_ Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h\n\n Hebrew, 136\n\n Hennell, Captain (later Colonel) Samuel, 79, 81, 83, 104, 109\n\n \u1e24ij\u00e1z, 49\n\n _\u1e24ikmatu'l-`Ar[_sh_]\u00edyyah_, 113, 236\n\n \u1e24illah, 200\n\n Hir\u00e1t, 230\n\n \u1e24i[_sh_]mat, poet, 103\n\n Hiz\u00e1rih, tribe, 102\n\n Holy Land, 139, 191\n\n \u1e24ujjat (\u1e24ujjat-i-Zanj\u00e1n\u00ed, \u1e24ujjatu'l-Isl\u00e1m), 100, 125, 147, 185-7,\n 209-12\n\n Hul\u00e1k\u00fa M\u00edrz\u00e1, Prince, 199\n\n \u1e24ur\u00faf-i-\u1e24ayy (Letters of the Living), 24;\n _see also_ Letters of the Living\n\n \u1e24usayn, Im\u00e1m, 1, 6, 32, 41, 43, 111, 182, 193, 194, 197-200\n\n \u1e24usayn, Siyyid, of Nayr\u00edz, 182\n\n \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n (\u00c1j\u00fad\u00e1n-B\u00e1[_sh_]\u00ed, Ni\u1e93amu'd-Dawlih,\n \u1e62a\u1e25ib-I[_kh_]t\u00edy\u00e1r), 68, 79, 83, 85, 88, 89, 90, 92, 93, 97,\n 98, 104, 105, 123\n\n \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (the Mu[_sh_]\u00edru'd-Dawlih), 234\n\n \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n, Siyyid (Syed Hussein Khan), 81\n\n \u1e24usayn-`Al\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1, _see_ Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h\n\n \u1e24usayn-`Al\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 (Hoosein Ali Meerza, the Farm\u00e1n-Farm\u00e1), 199, 229\n\n \u1e24usayn-`Al\u00edy-i-I\u1e63fah\u00e1n\u00ed, 191\n\n \u1e24usayn-i-`Arab, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] (the N\u00e1\u1e93i-mu'[_sh_]-[_Sh_]\u00e1r\u00ed`ih,\n \u1e92\u00e1lim), 78, 89, 97, 98, 99\n\n \u1e24usayn-i-Bu[_sh_]r\u00fa'\u00ed, Mull\u00e1 (B\u00e1bu'l-B\u00e1b):\n mission from Siyyid K\u00e1\u1e93im, 4, 7, 13, 15, 16;\n meeting with B\u00e1b and His declaration, 17-22;\n encounters Qudd\u00fas, 23-4;\n Letter of the Living, 26;\n mission to Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h, ch. 3;\n returns to [_Sh_]ir\u00e1z, 102;\n visits M\u00e1h-K\u00fa, 131;\n description of, 166;\n B\u00e1b sends to rescue Qudd\u00fas, 171-3;\n besieged at [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e6cabars\u00ed, 173-4;\n death and Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h's tribute, 174-5;\n mentioned, 149, 150, 168, 170, 239\n\n \u1e24usayn-i-Hamad\u00e1n\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1, 126\n\n \u1e24usayn-i-Mutavall\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1, of Qum, 135, 174\n\n \u1e24usayn-i-Qutb, Mull\u00e1, of Nayr\u00edz, 240\n\n \u1e24usayn-i-Tur[_sh_]\u00edz\u00ed, Siyyid, 184\n\n \u1e24usayn-i-Yazd\u00ed, Siyyid (also K\u00e1tib, `Az\u00edz; Letter of the Living),\n 27, 115, 118, 124, 129, 132, 146, 156\n\n \u1e24usayn\u00ed, Siyyid (Seid Hossainee), 196\n\n\n Ibn-i-Sa`d, 153\n\n Ibn-i-Z\u00edy\u00e1d, 153\n\n Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm, M\u00edr (great-great-grandfather of the B\u00e1b), 230\n\n Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm, Siyyid, of Nayr\u00edz, 182\n\n Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm [_Kh_]an, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed (the I`tim\u00e1du'd-Dawlih), 8, 234\n\n Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1, 239\n\n Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm-i-[_Kh_]al\u00edl, Siyyid, 138\n\n Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm-i-Ma\u1e25all\u00e1t\u00ed, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_], 165, 166\n\n Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm-i-Qazv\u00edn\u00ed, Siyyid, 6, 59, 197, 199\n\n `\u00cdd-al-A\u1e0d\u1e25\u00e1 (`\u00cdd-i-Qurb\u00e1n), 70\n\n I\u1e25r\u00e1m, 71\n\n Ijtih\u00e1d, 13\n\n \u00cdlbag\u00ed, 84\n\n \u00cdl[_kh_]\u00e1n\u00ed, 82, 84\n\n Ily\u00e1h\u00fa, Mull\u00e1, 165\n\n Im\u00e1m(s), 11, 13, 41, 62, 65, 95, 98, 119, 121, 132, 142, 160, 194,\n 200, 236;\n _see also_ \u1e24usayn, Ri\u1e0d\u00e1, Im\u00e1ms\n\n Im\u00e1mate, 65\n\n Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih:\n of I\u1e63fah\u00e1n, 109-13 _passim_;\n of Kirm\u00e1n, 33;\n of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, 233, _see_ Ab\u00fa-Tur\u00e1b, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_];\n of Tabr\u00edz, 140\n\n Im\u00e1m Mehdi (Mihd\u00ed), 67;\n _see also_ Mihd\u00ed\n\n Im\u00e1m-Vird\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1, 200\n\n Im\u00e1m-Z\u00e1dih \u1e24asan, shrine of, 189\n\n Im\u00e1m-Z\u00e1dih Ma`\u1e63um, shrine of, 189\n\n Im\u00e1m-Z\u00e1dih Zayd, shrine of, 191\n\n `Im\u00e1rat-i-[_Kh_]ur[_sh_]\u00edd, 116\n\n India, 27, 37, 137, 223, 230\n\n International Archives, of the Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Faith, 132, 139, 166, 190\n\n Iqb\u00e1l, \u00c1q\u00e1 \u1e24usayn, 232\n\n \u00cdr\u00e1n, 3, 113, 161, 166, 194, 199, 201, 204, 206, 209, 217-21, 223,\n 224, 230, 233, 238\n\n `Ir\u00e1q, 1, 4, 27, 28, 37, 41, 45, 58, 60, 135, 147, 163, 165, 166, 176,\n 237\n\n \u00cdrav\u00e1n (Erivan), 117, 128\n\n Irish, 238\n\n Irwin, Beatrice, 148, 238\n\n I\u1e63fah\u00e1n (Ispahan), 49, 50, 105, 106-11, 114-17 _passim_, 169, 191,\n 218-20 _passim_\n\n Ishmael (Ism\u00e1`\u00edl), 184\n\n I[_sh_]r\u00e1q\u00ed School (Platonism), 112\n\n Iskandar, Mull\u00e1, 100, 101, 125\n\n Isk\u00ed-[_Sh_]ahr, 135\n\n Isl\u00e1m, Islamic, 13, 78, 88, 93, 99, 111, 167, 180, 181, 182, 185, 236\n\n Ism\u00e1`\u00edl, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid ([_Sh_]ay[_kh_]u'l-Isl\u00e1m of Bav\u00e1n\u00e1t), 205\n\n Ism\u00e1`\u00edl, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (M\u00e1maq\u00e1n\u00ed), 143\n\n Ism\u00e1`\u00edl, Siyyid, 151\n\n Ism\u00e1`\u00edl-i-Qum\u00ed, H\u00e1j\u00ed Mull\u00e1, 184\n\n Ism\u00e1`\u00edl-i-Sabba[_gh_]-i-Sidih\u00ed (Mu\u1e63\u1e6daf\u00e1, M\u00edrz\u00e1), 240\n\n Ismu'll\u00e1hu'l-A\u1e63daq, _see_ \u1e62\u00e1diq-i-Muqaddas, Mull\u00e1\n\n Istanbul, _see_ Constantinople\n\n I[_th_]n\u00e1-`A[_sh_]ar\u00eds (Twelvers), 119\n\n\n Jabal-i-B\u00e1si\u1e6d (M\u00e1h-K\u00fa), 134\n\n Jabal-i-[_Sh_]ad\u00edd ([_Ch_]ihr\u00edq), 134\n\n al-Jabb\u00e1w\u00ed, Sa`\u00edd, 239\n\n Jacob, 19\n\n Jaddih, _see_ Jiddah\n\n Ja`far, Mull\u00e1 (Gandum-P\u00e1k-Kun, the 'Sifter of Wheat'), 51\n\n Ja`far-i-Ka[_sh_]f\u00ed, Siyyid, 70, 90, 94\n\n Jal\u00edl-i-Ur\u00fam\u00ed, Mull\u00e1 (Letter of the Living), 27\n\n Jam\u00e1d\u00edu'l-\u00dal\u00e1, month of, 150\n\n Jam\u00e1l-i-Bur\u00fajird\u00ed, \u00c1q\u00e1, 145, 189, 190\n\n J\u00e1n\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1, 40, 52, 118, 126, 174\n\n Jav\u00e1d, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid (Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih of Kirm\u00e1n), 33\n\n Jav\u00e1d, Mull\u00e1 (cousin of \u1e6c\u00e1hirih), 25\n\n Jav\u00e1d-i-Bara[_gh_]\u00e1n\u00ed, Mull\u00e1, 102\n\n Jav\u00e1d-i-Karbil\u00e1'\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid, 35-40 _passim_, 46, 90\n\n Jav\u00e1n[_sh_]\u00edr, `Abb\u00e1s-Qul\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-, 139\n\n Jerusalem, 3, 127, 128, 158\n\n Jesuit, 79\n\n Jesus, 31, 35, 127, 128, 155, 156, 158, 159, 220\n\n Jewish, 31, 165\n\n Jiddah (Jaddih), 57, 69, 75\n\n John, the Baptist, 220\n\n Jones, Sir Harford, 8\n\n Joseph, S\u00farih of, _see_ _Qayy\u00famu'l-Asm\u00e1'_\n\n Julfa, 79\n\n\n Ka`bih (Ka`bah), 69, 71\n\n Kal\u00e1ntar, Ma\u1e25m\u00fad [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-, 171\n\n Kang\u00e1var, 102\n\n Karbil\u00e1, 1-7 _passim_, 12, 15, 23, 25, 26, 36, 37, 41, 42, 51, 58-65\n _passim_, 73, 74, 102, 150, 162, 171, 224, 238;\n siege of, 193-201;\n tragedy of (martyrdom of Im\u00e1m \u1e24usayn), 153, 182\n\n Kar\u00edm [_Kh_]\u00e1n. Zand ruler, 161\n\n Kark\u00fak, 68\n\n al-Karr\u00e1d\u00ed, al-\u1e24\u00e1j Mu\u1e25ammad, 239\n\n K\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1n, 49, 52, 118\n\n Ka[_sh_]f\u00ed, _see_ Ja`far-i-, Siyyid\n\n K\u00e1tib, _see_ \u1e24usayn-i-Yazd\u00ed, Siyyid\n\n _Kaw[_th_]ar, S\u00farih of_, the B\u00e1b's commentary on, 91-2, 141, 163\n\n K\u00e1\u1e93im Big, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (Kazem-Beg), 142\n\n K\u00e1\u1e93im-i-Ra[_sh_]t\u00ed, Siyyid:\n joins [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Ahmad and succeeds him, 2, 3;\n role in siege of Karbil\u00e1, and death, 4-7;\n anticipates Promised One, 15, 18, 19, 23, 134;\n Qurratu'l-`Ayn contacts, 25-6;\n mentioned, 13, 36, 50, 59, 140, 162, 166, 184, 201, 223-4\n\n K\u00e1\u1e93im-i-Zanj\u00e1n\u00ed, Siyyid, 104, 106, 109, 185\n\n K\u00e1\u1e93imayn (K\u00e1\u1e93im\u00edyyah), 41, 58, 60, 131, 162, 200\n\n [_Kh_]ad\u00edjih-Bagum (wife of the B\u00e1b), 46, 103, 142\n\n [_Kh_]\u00e1jih, fort of, 179, 181\n\n [_Kh_]\u00e1rg (Karrack), 79, 109, 230\n\n [_Kh_]ud\u00e1-Ba[_kh_][_sh_]-i-Q\u00fa[_ch_]\u00e1n\u00ed, Mull\u00e1 (`Al\u00edy-i-R\u00e1z\u00ed, Mull\u00e1,\n Letter of the Living), 27\n\n [_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n, 4, 49, 56, 122, 167, 170, 171, 176, 230\n\n [_Kh_]usraw-i-Q\u00e1d\u00ed-Kal\u00e1'\u00ed, 172, 173\n\n _[_Kh_]u\u1e6dbiy-i-Qahr\u00edyyih_ (Sermon of Wrath), 147\n\n [_Kh_]uy, 136\n\n Kin\u00e1r-Gird, 119\n\n Kirand, 164, 169\n\n Kirm\u00e1n, 33, 169, 204\n\n Kirm\u00e1n[_sh_]\u00e1h, 2, 102, 164, 169, 191, 201\n\n _Kit\u00e1b-i-\u00cdq\u00e1n_ (The Book of Certitude), 48, 87, 174\n\n Koran, _see_ Qur'\u00e1n\n\n K\u00fafih, 16, 50, 60\n\n Kulayn, 119, 120, 121\n\n al-Kulayn\u00ed, Muhammad ibn Ya`q\u00fab, 119\n\n Kun\u00e1r-Ta[_kh_]tih, 105\n\n Kurds, Kurdish, 11, 128, 135\n\n\n Labaree, Rev. Benjamin, 145\n\n L\u00e1liz\u00e1r, Mull\u00e1, 165\n\n _Law\u1e25-i-\u1e24ur\u00faf\u00e1t_ (Tablet of the Letters), 136\n\n Layard, Sir Henry, 11, 79, 108, 109, 230, 233\n\n Letters of the Living (\u1e24ur\u00faf-i-\u1e24ayy):\n meaning, 24;\n list of names, 26-7;\n _also_ 51, 89, 104, 131, 150, 151, 168, 174, 177\n\n Lingeh (Lingih), 224\n\n L\u00edr\u00e1v\u00ed, district, 224\n\n _Literary Gazette, The_, 76, 77\n\n London, 68, 79\n\n Lord of Hosts, 191;\n of the Age, or Religion, _see_ \u1e62\u00e1\u1e25ibu'z-Zam\u00e1n\n\n Lorimer, Gordon, 223\n\n Louis-Philippe, French king, 80, 234\n\n Lucifer, 117\n\n Luke, St., 155, 156, 158, 159\n\n Lurist\u00e1n, 93, 108\n\n Lu\u1e6df-`Al\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (chamberlain), 93\n\n Lu\u1e6df-`Al\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n, Zand ruler, 7\n\n Lu\u1e6df-`Al\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1, 103, 239, 240\n\n L\u00fa\u1e6d\u00ed, 82\n\n\n Macneill, Sir John, 230\n\n Mad\u00e1[_kh_]il (perquisites), 161\n\n Madrisih (school), of P\u00e1min\u00e1r, 53;\n of M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u1e62\u00e1lih, 52\n\n M\u00e1h-K\u00fa (M\u00e1k\u00fa), 121, 122, 124, 128-35 _passim_, 139, 163\n\n Ma\u1e25m\u00fad, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mull\u00e1 (the Ni\u1e93\u00e1mu'l-`Ulam\u00e1), 140-44 _passim_\n\n Ma\u1e25m\u00fad, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (uncle of the B\u00e1b's father), 33\n\n Ma\u1e25m\u00fad, Mull\u00e1, of `Ir\u00e1q, 60\n\n Ma\u1e25m\u00fad al-\u00c1l\u00fas\u00ed (Muft\u00ed of Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d), 162\n\n Ma\u1e25m\u00fad-i-[_Kh_]u'\u00ed, Mull\u00e1 (Letter of the Living), 27\n\n Mahomet, _see_ Mu\u1e25ammad\n\n 'Mahometan schism', 76\n\n Makkah, _see_ Mecca\n\n Malcolm, Sir John, 8, 223, 233, 234\n\n Malik Q\u00e1sim M\u00edrz\u00e1, 138\n\n M\u00e1lik\u00ed, 13\n\n Man-Yu\u1e93hiruhu'll\u00e1h, _see_ 'He Whom God shall manifest'\n\n Manifestations of God, 150\n\n Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n (the Mu`tamidu'd-Dawlih), 50, 108-17 _passim_\n\n Mar\u00e1[_gh_]ih, 79, 149\n\n Mar\u1e0d\u00edyyih (sister of \u1e6c\u00e1hirih), 26\n\n Mark, St., 127, 128\n\n _Ma[_sh_]\u00e1`ir_ (by Mull\u00e1 \u1e62adr\u00e1), 236\n\n Ma[_sh_]had (Meshed), 2, 56, 85, 119, 171\n\n Ma[_sh_]\u00edyyatu'll\u00e1h (martyr), 27\n\n Masjid:\n al-Aq\u1e63\u00e1, 3;\n al-\u1e24ar\u00e1m, 3;\n i-\u00cdl[_kh_]\u00e1n\u00ed, 18;\n i-Jum`ih (of Nayr\u00edz), 179, 182;\n i-M\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h, 190;\n i-Naw, 234;\n i-Vak\u00edl (of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z), 94, 96, 99\n\n Mas`\u00fad M\u00edrz\u00e1, Prince Sul\u1e6d\u00e1n (\u1e92illu's-Sul\u1e6d\u00e1n), 10, 218\n\n Ma`\u1e63\u00famih (sister of Im\u00e1m Ri\u1e0d\u00e1), 52\n\n Materialism, 214\n\n Mayd\u00e1n, 114\n\n Maymand, 83\n\n Mazdak, 220\n\n M\u00e1zindar\u00e1n, 27, 131, 149, 150, 171, 174, 184\n\n Mecca, 2, 21, 69, 70, 71, 72, 74, 77, 89, 134, 223\n\n Medina, 2, 21, 73, 74, 75, 89, 218\n\n _Memorials of the Faithful_, 128, 168, 175\n\n Menchikov, Prince, 9\n\n Messenger of God (Ras\u00falu'll\u00e1h), _see_\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad (The Prophet)\n\n Mihd\u00ed (Mahd\u00ed), 3, 61, 67, 96, 142, 171, 204, 224\n\n Mihd\u00ed (B\u00e1b\u00ed of `Ir\u00e1q), 60\n\n Mihd\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (\u1e62\u00e1bir, the poet), 103\n\n Mihd\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1, 159, 160\n\n Mihd\u00edy-i-[_Kh_]u'\u00ed, Mull\u00e1, 120\n\n Mihd\u00edy-i-Kuj\u00far\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed [_Sh_]ay[_kh_], 78, 99\n\n Mihd\u00ed-Qul\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1, Prince, 172, 175, 176, 206\n\n Mihr-`Al\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-N\u00far\u00ed (the [_Sh_]uja`u'l-Mulk), 240\n\n M\u00edl\u00e1n, 126, 127\n\n M\u00edr-[_Gh_]a\u1e0dab (executioner), 76\n\n Mi`r\u00e1j, 3\n\n M\u00edr[_kh_]und (M\u00edr[_kh_]wand), 141\n\n M\u00edrz\u00e1 \u00c1q\u00e1 [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-N\u00far\u00ed, 152\n\n M\u00edrz\u00e1-\u00c1q\u00e1, \u00c1q\u00e1 (nephew of wife of the B\u00e1b), 32\n\n M\u00edrz\u00e1-\u00c1q\u00e1y-i-Rik\u00e1b-S\u00e1z, 103\n\n M\u00edrz\u00e1y-i-[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z\u00ed, _see_ Mu\u1e25ammad-\u1e24asan, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1\n\n Mi\u1e63b\u00e1h, `Az\u00edzu'll\u00e1h, 161, 238\n\n Mohammedans, _see_ Muslims\n\n Mordecai, 165\n\n Morier, James, 9\n\n Moses, 31\n\n Mosul, 61\n\n Mub\u00e1rak, _see_ Ethiopian servant\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad, the Prophet, 3, 44-8 _passim_, 86, 95, 98, 111, 167, 171,\n 177, 181, 182, 211, 214, 218, 220\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed \u00c1q\u00e1, 145\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 Siyyid (uncle of the B\u00e1b), 33, 40, 107\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad, Mull\u00e1 (husband of \u1e6c\u00e1hirih), 25\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_], _see_ [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `\u00c1bid\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad, Siyyid, of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, 36\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad, Siyyid (Sul\u1e6d\u00e1nu'l-`Ulam\u00e1), _see_ Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih, of I\u1e63fah\u00e1n\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-`Abdu'll\u00e1h, 205\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad Ali, Mirza (Persian minister), 207\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 (cousin of the B\u00e1b), 87\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (1st Mu[_sh_]\u00edru'l-Mulk), 98\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (secretary of \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Qav\u00e1m), 82\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed, Mull\u00e1, of Zanj\u00e1n, _see_ \u1e24ujjat\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00edy-i-B\u00e1rfur\u00fa[_sh_]\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mull\u00e1, _see_ Qudd\u00fas\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00edy-i-\u1e24amzih, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed, 176\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00edy-i-Ma\u1e25all\u00e1t\u00ed, Mull\u00e1, 78, 99\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 (Rukni'd-Dawlih), 2\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00edy-i-M\u00fas\u00e1v\u00ed, Siyyid, 199\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00edy-i-Nahr\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1, 51, 102\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1, 239\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00edy-i-Qazv\u00edn\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (Letter of the Living), 26, 168\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00edy-i-Zun\u00faz\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1, 153-8\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad \u00c1q\u00e1 Y\u00e1var, 164\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-B\u00e1qir, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (Letter of the Living), 26\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-B\u00e1qir [_Kh_]\u00e1n (the Biglarbag\u00ed), 69\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-B\u00e1qir-i-Q\u00e1'in\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1, 56, 173, 175\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-B\u00e1qir-i-Ra[_sh_]t\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Siyyid, 4, 13, 50, 162\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-B\u00e1qir-i-\u1e6cihr\u00e1n\u00ed, \u00c1q\u00e1, 239, 240\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad Big-i-[_Ch_]\u00e1p\u00e1r[_ch_]\u00ed, 118, 120, 121, 124-6\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Bis\u00e1\u1e6d, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed, 103\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-i-Fur\u00fa[_gh_]\u00ed, Mull\u00e1 M\u00edrz\u00e1, 56\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-\u1e24asan, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1 (M\u00edrz\u00e1y-i-[_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z\u00ed), 33\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad ibn-i \u1e24asan al-`Askar\u00ed, _see_ Twelfth Im\u00e1m\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-\u1e24asan-i-Bu[_sh_]r\u00fa'\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (Letter of the Living), 26\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-\u1e24asan [_Kh_]\u00e1n (the S\u00e1l\u00e1r), 122\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-\u1e24asan-i-Najaf\u00ed, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_], 59\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-\u1e24usayn, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (father of the B\u00e1b's mother), 33\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-\u1e24usayn-i-Ardist\u00e1n\u00ed, \u00c1q\u00e1, 235\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-\u1e24usayn-i-Kirm\u00e1n\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1, _see_ Mu\u1e25\u00edt-i-Kirm\u00e1n\u00ed\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-\u1e24usayn-i-Mar\u00e1[_gh_]i'\u00ed, \u00c1q\u00e1, 184, 185\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm-i-Ism\u00e1`\u00edl Bag, \u00c1q\u00e1, 34, 35\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm-i-Kalb\u00e1s\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed, 50\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Ism\u00e1`\u00edl-i-Gulp\u00e1yg\u00e1n\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed, 3\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Ja`far, Siyyid, 60, 163\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Ja`far-i-\u00c1b\u00e1di'\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed, 112, 113\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Kar\u00edm, \u00c1q\u00e1, of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, 103\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Kar\u00edm-i-`A\u1e6d\u1e6d\u00e1r, 191\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Kar\u00edm [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Kirm\u00e1n\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1, 52, 102, 134\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-K\u00e1\u1e93im [_Kh_]\u00e1n (farr\u00e1[_sh_]-b\u00e1[_sh_]\u00ed), 145\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad [_Kh_]\u00e1n (former Biglarbag\u00ed of Tabr\u00edz), 209, 210\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-i-[_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1, 53\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-i-M\u00e1maq\u00e1n\u00ed, Mull\u00e1, 140, 143, 144, 155, 156\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Mihd\u00ed, \u00c1q\u00e1, 111\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Mihd\u00edy-i-Kind\u00ed, Mull\u00e1, 120\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad Mu`allim-i-N\u00far\u00ed, Mull\u00e1, 53\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Mu\u1e63\u1e6daf\u00e1y-i-Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d\u00ed, \u00c1q\u00e1, 60, 162, 166, 232\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Qul\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-\u00cdlbag\u00ed, 81, 84\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad Raw\u1e0dih-[_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Yazd\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (Letter of the Living), 27\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Ri\u1e0d\u00e1, Siyyid (or M\u00edr, father of the B\u00e1b), 32, 33, 142, 230\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-\u1e62\u00e1diq-i-Mu`allim, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1, 96, 98\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-\u1e62\u00e1li\u1e25, \u00c1q\u00e1, 23\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]\u00e1h, 10, 12, 80, 81, 83, 90, 93, 99, 100, 102, 109,\n 112, 113, 115, 117, 121, 122-3 (letter to the B\u00e1b), 135, 137, 139,\n 147, 148, 149, 165, 170, 175, 178, 185, 211, 221, 230, 233\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad [_Sh_]ibl, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_], 60, 162, 166\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mull\u00e1 (uncle of \u1e6c\u00e1hirih), 25, 166\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad at-Taq\u00ed, Im\u00e1m, 41\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1, of S\u00e1r\u00ed, 171\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00ed, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] (M\u00e1maq\u00e1n\u00ed), 143\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00edy-i-Ayy\u00fab, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed, 240\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00edy-i-Hir\u00e1t\u00ed, Mull\u00e1, 110\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00edy-i-Juvayn\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1, 173\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n (Ba[_kh_]t\u00edy\u00e1r\u00ed chief), 108\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n (Lis\u00e1nu'l-Mulk-i-Sipihr), 141, 231\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00edy-i-Kirm\u00e1n\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed, 184\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00edy-i-M\u00edl\u00e1n\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed, 128\n\n Mu\u1e25ammad-i-Zarand\u00ed, Mull\u00e1 (Nab\u00edl-i-A`\u1e93am), 40, 93, 94, 100, 114,\n 119, 122, 132\n\n Mu\u1e25arram, month of, 32, 71\n\n Mu\u1e25ibb-`Al\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n, 66\n\n Mu\u1e25\u00edt-i-Kirm\u00e1n\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (Mu\u1e25ammad-\u1e24usayn, M\u00edrz\u00e1), 72, 73, 74\n\n Mu\u1e25sin al-K\u00e1\u1e93im\u00ed, Siyyid, 60\n\n Mu`\u00ednu's-Sal\u1e6danih, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed, 41\n\n Mujtahid, 1, 50, 60, 67, 224\n\n _Mulk, S\u00farih of_, 20\n\n Mulk-\u00c1r\u00e1, _see_ `Abb\u00e1s M\u00edrz\u00e1\n\n Muqaddas, _see_ \u1e62\u00e1diq-i-Muqaddas-i-[_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n\u00ed, Mull\u00e1\n\n Mur\u00e1d M\u00edrz\u00e1, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Sul\u1e6d\u00e1n (\u1e24is\u00e1mu's-Sal\u1e6danih), 237\n\n M\u00far[_ch_]ih-[_Kh_]\u00e1r, 115\n\n Mur\u00edd (disciple), 112\n\n Mur[_sh_]id (guide), 40, 112\n\n Murta\u1e0d\u00e1y-i-Zanj\u00e1n\u00ed, Siyyid, 184, 185\n\n Murti\u1e0d\u00e1y-i-An\u1e63\u00e1r\u00ed, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_], 162\n\n Murti\u1e0d\u00e1-Qul\u00edy-i-Marand\u00ed, Mull\u00e1 (`Alamu'l-Hud\u00e1), 140, 155\n\n M\u00fas\u00e1, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (\u00c1q\u00e1y-i-Kal\u00edm, brother of Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h), 55\n\n M\u00fas\u00e1 al-K\u00e1\u1e93im, Im\u00e1m, 41\n\n Musayyib, 4, 196, 197\n\n Mu[_sh_]\u00edru'l-Mulk, 98\n\n Mu[_sh_]\u00edru't-Tujj\u00e1r, 239\n\n Muslim (Musulman), 98, 108, 146, 147, 178, 205, 222\n\n Mu\u1e63\u1e6daf\u00e1, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (Ism\u00e1`\u00edl-i-Sabb\u00e1[_gh_]-i-Sidih\u00ed), 240\n\n Mu\u1e63\u1e6daf\u00e1-Qul\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Qar\u00e1guzl\u00fa (I`timadu's-Sal\u1e6danih), 240\n\n Mu`tamid, _see_ Man\u00fa[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]\u00e1n\n\n\n Nab\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Qazv\u00edn\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (Am\u00edr-i-D\u00edv\u00e1n), 81, 82\n\n Nab\u00edl-i-A`\u1e93am, _see_ Mu\u1e25ammad-i-Zarand\u00ed, Mull\u00e1\n\n N\u00e1dir [_Sh_]\u00e1h, 161, 230\n\n Najaf, 1, 41, 45, 49, 59, 60, 64, 65, 193, 200\n\n Najaf-`Al\u00ed, \u00c1q\u00e1, 145\n\n Naj\u00edb P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1, 4, 5, 12, 60, 63, 64, 66, 163, 194, 196, 197, 200\n\n Narjis (mother of 12th Im\u00e1m), 142\n\n _N\u00e1si[_kh_]u't-Tav\u00e1r\u00ed[_kh_]_, 40, 141, 142\n\n N\u00e1\u1e63ir\u00ed regiment, 158\n\n N\u00e1\u1e63iri'd-D\u00edn [_Sh_]\u00e1h, 9, 33, 135, 140, 141, 145, 148, 152, 207,\n 218, 219, 237\n\n Na\u1e63ru'll\u00e1h, M\u00edr (grandfather of the B\u00e1b), 230\n\n Na\u1e63ru'll\u00e1h, Siyyid, 196\n\n Navv\u00e1b-i-Ra\u1e0dav\u00ed, 205\n\n Naw-R\u00faz, 118, 119, 131, 132, 192\n\n Nawr\u00faz-`Al\u00ed, 163\n\n N\u00e1yibu's-Sal\u1e6danih, _see_ `Abb\u00e1s M\u00edrz\u00e1, Prince, and `Abb\u00e1s M\u00edrz\u00e1\n Mulk-\u00c1r\u00e1\n\n Nayr\u00edz, 178-82, 186, 204-5\n\n N\u00e1zimu'[_sh_]-[_Sh_]ar\u00ed`ih, _see_ \u1e24usayn-i-`Arab, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\n\n Nesselrode, Count, 131, 206\n\n New Day, Dispensation, 20, 90, 162, 172\n\n Nicolas, A.-L.-M., 39, 99, 104, 115, 152, 172, 217\n\n Ni`mat\u00ed-[_Kh_]\u00e1nih, 81, 234\n\n Ni`matu'll\u00e1h\u00ed dervish, 184\n\n Nimrod, 31\n\n Nineveh, 229, 233\n\n Ni\u1e63f-i-Jah\u00e1n, 108;\n _see also_ I\u1e63fah\u00e1n N\u00edy\u00e1l\u00e1, 170-2 _passim_\n\n N\u00edy\u00e1z-i-Ba[_gh_]d\u00e1d\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed, 74\n\n Ni\u1e93\u00e1mu'd-Dawlih, _see_ \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n\n\n Ni\u1e93\u00e1mu'l-`Ulam\u00e1, _see_ Ma\u1e25m\u00fad, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mull\u00e1\n\n Nubuvvat-i-[_Kh_]\u00e1\u1e63\u1e63ih, 111\n\n Nuq\u1e6diy-i-Bay\u00e1n, 137;\n -i-\u00dal\u00e1, 48 (The B\u00e1b)\n\n N\u00far, 53, 171\n\n Nu\u1e63ayr\u00ed, 118\n\n\n Ottoman, 12, 59, 63, 238, 239\n\n Outray, M., 80\n\n Oxford, 238\n\n\n Palm Sunday, 127\n\n Palmerston, Viscount, xi, 12, 79, 173, 178, 180, 202, 204, 206, 207,\n 209, 211, 212, 214, 216\n\n P\u00e1min\u00e1r (P\u00e1y-i-Min\u00e1r), 53\n\n Paris, 79, 80\n\n Peel, Sir Robert, xi\n\n Persepolis, 237\n\n Persia, _see_ \u00cdr\u00e1n\n\n Persian(s), 136, 140, 146, 147, 163, 165, 176, 194-7, 199, 206,\n 210-12, 218, 230, 234\n\n Persian Gulf, 109, 223, 230\n\n Platonism, 113\n\n Polygamy, 223\n\n Pope, Alexander, 85\n\n Portuguese, 107\n\n Presbyterian Mission, American, 145\n\n Primal Point (The B\u00e1b), 189\n\n\n Qahru'll\u00e1h (a dervish), 137\n\n Qahviy-i-Awl\u00edy\u00e1', 39, 231\n\n Q\u00e1'im, 3, 18, 33, 48, 50, 51, 70, 71 (B\u00e1b's declaration in Mecca), 74,\n 87, 96, 98, 111, 134, 143, 144, 145, 156, 167, 170, 178, 185, 186,\n 205\n\n Q\u00e1'im-Maq\u00e1m (Abu'l-Q\u00e1sim, M\u00edrz\u00e1), 8-9, 10, 148\n\n Q\u00e1j\u00e1r, 7, 108, 113, 219\n\n Qandah\u00e1r, 233\n\n Qa[_sh_]q\u00e1'\u00ed, tribe, 81, 82, 84\n\n Q\u00e1sim, Siyyid, of Ra[_sh_]t, 3\n\n Qav\u00e1mu'l-Mulk, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed, 81, 82, 84, 234\n\n _Qayy\u00famu'l-Asm\u00e1'_ (Commentary on S\u00farih of Joseph), 19, 20, 21, 46, 47,\n 58, 99, 101, 141, 211\n\n Qazv\u00edn, 108, 124, 125, 131, 164-7\n\n _Qi\u1e63a\u1e63u'l-`Ulam\u00e1_ (Chronicles of the Divines), 141, 142\n\n Qub\u00e1d [_Kh_]\u00e1n, 82\n\n Qudd\u00fas (Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00edy-i-B\u00e1rfur\u00fa[_sh_]\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed Mull\u00e1), Letter of\n the Living: recognises the B\u00e1b, 23-4, 26, 33;\n accompanies Him to Mecca, 48-9, 71, 74;\n is separated from Him, 77, 78, 149, 150;\n at Bada[_sh_]t, 167-70;\n arrest, 171;\n at [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] \u1e6cabars\u00ed, 173, 175, 177;\n martyrdom, 150, 176, 205\n\n Quintus Curtius, 223\n\n Qum, 49, 51, 119, 135, 151, 174\n\n Qumr\u00fad, 119\n\n Qur'\u00e1n (Koran), 13, 28, 29, 30, 61, 62, 64, 65, 74, 75, 87, 88, 90,\n 91, 101, 110, 141, 144, 172, 175, 181, 186, 204, 214, 217, 218,\n 219\n\n Quray[_sh_], 86\n\n Qurb\u00e1n-`Al\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1, 184\n\n Qurratu'l-`Ayn (the B\u00e1b), 47\n\n Qurratu'l-`Ayn, _see_ \u1e6c\u00e1hirih\n\n\n Rab\u00ed`u'l-Avval, month of, 116\n\n Ra\u1e25\u00edm, M\u00edrz\u00e1, of [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, 103\n\n Ra'\u00edsu'l-`Ulam\u00e1, of Hamad\u00e1n, 165\n\n Rama\u1e0d\u00e1n, month of, 57, 191\n\n Rangoon, 192\n\n Raq[_sh_]\u00e1' ('She-Serpent'), 109\n\n Ra[_sh_]\u00edd [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Sart\u00edp, 81\n\n Ra[_sh_]t, Ra[_sh_]t\u00ed, 3, 162\n\n _Raw\u1e0datu'\u1e63-\u1e62af\u00e1_, Supplement to, 141, 142\n\n Rawlinson, Sir Henry, 61-7, 232\n\n 'Remnant of God', _see_ Baq\u00edyatu'll\u00e1h\n\n Resurrection, Day of, 98, 150\n\n Ri\u1e0d\u00e1, Im\u00e1m, 52, 56, 85, 103, 119\n\n Ri\u1e0d\u00e1, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (British Agent), 81, 82, 83\n\n Ri\u1e0d\u00e1 [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Turkam\u00e1n, 173\n\n Ri\u1e0d\u00e1y-i-Q\u00e1s\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed, 147, 237\n\n Ri\u1e0d\u00e1-Qul\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Af[_sh_]\u00e1r, 134\n\n Ri\u1e0d\u00e1-Qul\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Hid\u00e1yat, 141\n\n Ri\u1e0d\u00e1'\u00edyyih, 135;\n _see_ Ur\u00fam\u00edyyih\n\n _Ris\u00e1liy-i-Fiqh\u00edyyih_, 39\n\n _Ris\u00e1liy-i-Tis`a-`A[_sh_]ar\u00edyyih_ (Nineteen Discourses), 229, 238\n\n Rodwell, J. M., 88\n\n Rosen, Baron, 217\n\n Rukn\u00e1b\u00e1d (fountain overlooking [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z), 15\n\n Rukni'd-Dawlih (Mu\u1e25ammad-`Al\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1), 2\n\n Run\u00edz (F\u00e1rs), 240\n\n Russell, Lord John, xi\n\n Russia, Russian, 7-10, 124, 131, 132, 159, 206, 209, 210, 217, 230\n\n Rustam-`Al\u00ed _see_ Zaynab\n\n\n \u1e62\u00e1bir, _see_ Mihd\u00ed, M\u00edrz\u00e1\n\n Sabzih-Mayd\u00e1n, of B\u00e1rfur\u00fa[_sh_], 176;\n of \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, 183\n\n Sa`d\u00ed, 16\n\n \u1e62\u00e1diq, Mull\u00e1 (a pretender), 132\n\n \u1e62\u00e1diq-i-Muqaddas-i-[_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n\u00ed, Mull\u00e1, 51, 78, 165, 239\n\n \u1e62adr\u00e1, Mull\u00e1, 113, 236\n\n \u1e62adr-i-A`\u1e93am, _see_ \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n\n\n Sa`du'll\u00e1h P\u00e1[_sh_]\u00e1, Sar`askar, 4, 5, 197-200\n\n \u1e62afar, month of, 77\n\n \u1e62afavid, 107, 108, 161, 162\n\n Saf\u00edhu'l-`Ulam\u00e1, _see_ Mu\u1e25ammad-Mihd\u00ed, \u00c1q\u00e1\n\n \u1e62\u00e1hib-I[_kh_]t\u00edy\u00e1r, _see_ \u1e24usayn [_Kh_]\u00e1n\n\n \u1e62\u00e1hibu'z-Zam\u00e1n (Lord of the Age, or Religion), 13, 15, 18, 24, 50,\n 96, 142\n\n _\u1e62a\u1e25\u00edfiy-i-Baynu'l-\u1e24aramayn_ (Epistle between the Two Shrines), 73\n\n \u1e62a\u1e25nih, 164\n\n Sa`\u00edd-i-Hind\u00ed, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] (Letter of the Living), 27, 137\n\n Sa`\u00eddu'l-`Ulam\u00e1, of B\u00e1rfur\u00fa[_sh_], 172, 174, 176\n\n St. Petersburg (Leningrad), 9\n\n Sale, George, 168\n\n Salford, 217\n\n \u1e62\u00e1li\u1e25, H\u00e1j\u00ed Mull\u00e1, 25\n\n \u1e62\u00e1li\u1e25, M\u00edrz\u00e1, 239\n\n \u1e62\u00e1li\u1e25-al-Kar\u00edm\u00ed, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_], 60, 165, 166\n\n Salj\u00faqs (Seljucids), 107\n\n S\u00e1m [_Kh_]\u00e1n, 157\n\n S\u00e1marr\u00e1, 41, 142\n\n Sami Effendi (Turkish minister), 210\n\n Sar-[_Ch_]i[_sh_]mih, 189\n\n Sar\u00e1y-i-Am\u00edr (a caravanserai), 36\n\n S\u00e1r\u00ed, 171\n\n Sart\u00edp, 134, 234\n\n 'Seal of the Prophets' (Mu\u1e25ammad), 95\n\n Sercey, M. de, 234\n\n 'Seven Goats', _see_ 'Seven Martyrs'\n\n 'Seven Martyrs of \u1e6cihr\u00e1n', 182-5, 206-8\n\n [_Sh_]a`b\u00e1n, month of, 75, 151\n\n [_Sh_]\u00e1fi`\u00ed, 13\n\n [_Sh_]aft\u00ed, 162\n\n [_Sh_]\u00e1h `Abdu'l-`A\u1e93\u00edm, 140, 190\n\n [_Sh_]\u00e1h [_Ch_]ir\u00e1[_gh_] (a shrine), 103\n\n [_Sh_]\u00e1h Mu\u1e25ammad-i-Man[_sh_]\u00e1d\u00ed, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed (Am\u00ednu'l-Bay\u00e1n), 190, 191\n\n [_Sh_]ahr (Shehr)-i-V\u00edr\u00e1n, 224\n\n Shakespeare, 76, 107\n\n [_Sh_]ar\u00edf (Sherif), of Mecca, 21, 74, 75\n\n [_Sh_]avv\u00e1l, month of, 194\n\n [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `Al\u00ed, Mull\u00e1, of [_Kh_]ur\u00e1s\u00e1n (`A\u1e93\u00edm), 57, 103, 137, 151\n\n [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]-`Al\u00ed M\u00edrz\u00e1, 103\n\n [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]-i-An\u00e1m, _see_ `\u00c1bid, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]; 231\n\n [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\u00ed, 1, 5, 38, 42, 53, 59, 62, 72, 74, 140\n\n [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]u'l-Isl\u00e1m, of Tabr\u00edz, 140\n\n [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]un\u00e1, _see_ `\u00c1bid, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]; 231\n\n Sheil, Lady, 58\n\n Sheil, Lt.-Col. (later Sir Justin), 63, 64, 81, 135, 177, 180, 186,\n 187, 202-15 _passim_, 229\n\n Sherley brothers, 107\n\n [_Sh_]i`ah, 1, 12, 13, 33, 50, 59, 62-8 _passim_, 162, 163, 198, 200,\n 221\n\n [_Sh_]ikastih Nasta`l\u00edq (a script), 54\n\n [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z, [_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z\u00ed, 2, 16-18 _passim_, 22, 23, 32-40 _passim_,\n 45, 46, 48-52 _passim_, 56, 57, 61, 62, 67-9 _passim_, 76-88\n _passim_, 90, 94, 99-107 _passim_, 143, 147, 150, 166, 169, 170,\n 179, 182, 204, 220, 223, 237, 239\n\n Shirley, James, 106\n\n [_Sh_]i[_sh_]-Par\u00ed, Siyyid-i-, 95\n\n [_Sh_]\u00ed[_sh_]v\u00e1n, 138\n\n Shoghi Effendi (Guardian of the Bah\u00e1'\u00ed Faith), 139, 167, 183, 189, 192\n\n [_Sh_]uj\u00e1`u'd-Dawlih, 201\n\n [_Sh_]ukru'll\u00e1h [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-N\u00far\u00ed, 69\n\n \u1e62idd\u00edqih (the Truthful), 163;\n _see also_ \u1e6c\u00e1hirih\n\n Sipihr, _see_ Mu\u1e25ammad-Taq\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n\n\n Sisygambis, 223\n\n S\u00edy\u00e1h-Dah\u00e1n, 124\n\n Siyyid, 17, 23, 51, 70, 72, 99, 121, 136, 140, 146, 147\n\n Siyyid `Al\u00ed, 171;\n _see also_ \u1e24usayn-i-Bu[_sh_]r\u00fa'\u00ed, Mull\u00e1\n\n Siyyidu'[_sh_]-[_Sh_]uhad\u00e1, _see_ \u1e24usayn, Im\u00e1m\n\n Stevens, R. W., 202\n\n \u1e62ub\u1e25-i-Azal, _see_ Ya\u1e25y\u00e1, M\u00edrz\u00e1\n\n Sublime Porte, 61, 63, 66, 163\n\n \u1e62\u00faf\u00ed, 215\n\n Sulaym\u00e1n [_Kh_]\u00e1n, of Tabr\u00edz, 149, 159, 160, 189\n\n Sulaym\u00e1n [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Af[_sh_]\u00e1r, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed, 125, 134\n\n Sul\u1e6d\u00e1n al-Karbil\u00e1'\u00ed, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_], 60, 166\n\n Sul\u1e6d\u00e1nu'l-`Ulam\u00e1, _see_ Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih, of I\u1e63fah\u00e1n\n\n Sunn\u00ed, 12, 13, 63, 64, 65, 68, 163, 198\n\n Surra-man-Ra'a, _see_ S\u00e1marr\u00e1\n\n S\u00farih (S\u00farah), 19;\n _see also_ (S\u00farihs of) Joseph, Kaw[_th_]ar, V'al-`A\u1e63r, `al-W\u00e1qi`ah\n\n Syria, Syrians, 8, 193\n\n Syriac, 136\n\n\n \u1e6cabars\u00ed, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_], 29, 51, 135, 150, 165, 171-7, 180, 185,\n 186, 239\n\n \u1e6cabas, 57\n\n Tabr\u00edz, 10, 124, 126-8, 138, 140, 145, 152, 154, 157-9, 167, 169, 202,\n 203, 209, 211, 218, 221\n\n \u1e6cah\u00e1, Siyyid, 163\n\n \u1e6c\u00e1hir, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (the Baker), 239\n\n \u1e6c\u00e1hir, Mull\u00e1, 166\n\n \u1e6c\u00e1hirih (Qurratu'l-`Ayn, Letter of the Living), 24-7, 58, 124,\n 162-71, 176, 230\n\n Talbot, Major Gerald F., 33\n\n Taq\u00ed [_Kh_]\u00e1n, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (Am\u00edr Ni\u1e93\u00e1m, Am\u00edr-i-Kab\u00edr), 146, 148, 152,\n 184, 185, 203, 207, 209, 212\n\n _T\u00e1r\u00edkh-i-Jad\u00edd_ (New History of the B\u00e1b), 78, 126\n\n Tennyson, Alfred, Lord, 134\n\n \u1e6cihr\u00e1n, 26, 36, ch. 3, 63, 66, 69, 81, 90, 102, 104, 113, 115,\n 119-25 _passim_, 131, 140, 145, 147, 149, 152, 166, 167, 177, 178,\n 183, 185, 189, 205, 222, 233\n\n Tilsit, 8\n\n _Times, The_ (London), 77\n\n Titow, M. de, 63\n\n Tobacco R\u00e9gie, 33\n\n Toumansky, Alexander, 217\n\n Traditions, of Isl\u00e1m, 13, 90, 98, 141\n\n _Traveller's Narrative, A_, 105, 114, 118, 120, 121, 141, 152\n\n Tsar, of Russia, 8, 10, 206\n\n T\u00fap[_ch_]\u00ed (gunner), 81\n\n Turkuman[_ch_]\u00e1y, treaty of, 9\n\n Turkey, Turkish, 63, 104, 124, 132, 136, 210, 219-21 _passim_;\n _see also_ Ottoman\n\n Twelfth Im\u00e1m, 65, 119\n\n\n Umm-Salamih, _see_ \u1e6c\u00e1hirih\n\n United States, 220, 238\n\n Ur\u00fam\u00edyyih (Ri\u1e0d\u00e1'\u00edyyih), 131-5 _passim_, 138, 145, 169\n\n U\u1e63\u00fal-i(al)-K\u00e1f\u00ed, 119\n\n U\u1e63\u00fal\u00eds, 62, 64\n\n\n Va\u1e25\u00edd (Siyyid Ya\u1e25y\u00e1y-i-D\u00e1r\u00e1b\u00ed), 70, 90-4, 99, 101, 103, 178-82,\n 205, 215, 240\n\n Vak\u00edl, mosque of ([_Sh_]\u00edr\u00e1z), 94, 96, 99, 103\n\n _V'al-`A\u1e63r, S\u00farih of_, Commentary on, 110, 141\n\n Val\u00ed-`Ahd (Crown Prince), 144;\n _see also_ N\u00e1\u1e63iri'd-D\u00edn [_Sh_]\u00e1h\n\n Varq\u00e1 (martyr-poet), 138\n\n Varq\u00e1, Val\u00edyu'll\u00e1h, 139\n\n Vaz\u00edr Niz\u00e1m (M\u00edrz\u00e1 Hasan [_Kh_]\u00e1n), 152, 153, 203\n\n Vicegerent of God, 21\n\n Victoria, Queen, 221\n\n\n Wahab, Siyyid (Seid Wahab), 196\n\n _`al-W\u00e1qi`ah, S\u00farih of_ (The Event), 168\n\n Wellesley, Marquis of, 8\n\n _World Order of Bah\u00e1'u'll\u00e1h, The_, 167\n\n\n Ya\u1e25y\u00e1, \u1e24\u00e1j\u00ed [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] (Im\u00e1m-Jum`ih, of [_Sh_]ir\u00e1z), 233\n\n Ya\u1e25y\u00e1, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (\u1e62ub\u1e25-i-Azal), 174, 238\n\n Ya\u1e25y\u00e1 [_Kh_]\u00e1n (warden of [_Ch_]ihr\u00edq), 135\n\n Ya\u1e25y\u00e1 [_Kh_]\u00e1n, of Tabr\u00edz, 149\n\n Ya\u1e25y\u00e1y-i-D\u00e1r\u00e1b\u00ed, Siyyid, _see_ Va\u1e25\u00edd\n\n Yazd, 4, 102, 116, 178, 184, 205, 214, 215\n\n Yaz\u00edd, 182\n\n Y\u00fanis [_Kh_]\u00e1n-i-Afr\u00fa[_kh_]tih, Dr., 190\n\n Y\u00fasuf, M\u00edrz\u00e1 (the Mustawf\u00edu'l-Mam\u00e1lik), 139\n\n Y\u00fasuf-i-Ardib\u00edl\u00ed, Mull\u00e1 (Letter of the Living), 27\n\n _Y\u00fasuf, S\u00farih of_, see _Qayy\u00famu'l-Asm\u00e1'_\n\n\n Za`far\u00e1n\u00ed, Ibr\u00e1h\u00edm, 194\n\n \u1e92\u00e1lim, _see_ \u1e24usayn-i-`Arab, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]\n\n Zand, 7, 161\n\n Zanj\u00e1n, 100, 101, 125, 131, 134, 178, 185-8, 209-13\n\n Zarr\u00edn-T\u00e1j, _see_ \u1e6c\u00e1hirih\n\n Zaynab (Rustam-`Al\u00ed), 186\n\n Zayni'd-D\u00edn, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_], 1\n\n Zaynu'l-`\u00c1bid\u00edn, \u00c1q\u00e1 M\u00edrz\u00e1 (cousin of the B\u00e1b's father), 32\n\n Zaynu'l-`\u00c1bid\u00edn [_Kh_]\u00e1n, 178-80\n\n \u1e92illu's-Sul\u1e6d\u00e1n, _see_ `Ali-[_Sh_]\u00e1h and Mas`\u00fad M\u00edrz\u00e1, Prince Sul\u1e6d\u00e1n\n\n\nThe writer is very grateful to Farhang Afnan for his valuable help in\ncompiling the index.\n\n\n\n\nTranscriber's Notes:\n\n\nThe following conventions are used in this e-text:\n - Words surrounded by underscores are italicized, e.g. _text_;\n - Words surrounded by square brackets and underscores are underlined,\n e.g. [_text_];\n - Small capitals are presented as all capitals;\n\nObvious printer's errors have been repaired, other inconsistent\nspellings have been kept, including inconsistent use of hyphen (e.g.\n\"above mentioned\" and \"above-mentioned\"), diacritical marks (e.g.\n\"Shiraz\" and \"Sh\u00edr\u00e1z\"), and proper name (e.g. \"Zil.i.Sultan\" and\n\"Zil.e.Sultan\").","title":"The B\u00e1b: The Herald of the Day of Days","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":79586}