From Hand of the Cause Mr Faizi

From Hand of the Cause Mr. Faizi....

...Then we come across one sentence which I believe is the most important in the
whole of The Hidden Words. He says,

"Rejoice with the joy of your own heart."

It is  something that we have utterly forgotten. The western world has 
forgotten this for centuries. The art of meditation, the art of  contemplation,
the art of dreaming within oneself, and Bahá'u'lláh wants  us to start doing
this again. First, it means that there is nothing in  world to make you happy,
outside of your own heart. If you possess the  whole world, the treasures of the
world, the pleasures of the world,  they may be momentary pleasures, but they
will be bitter sadness  throughout your life. They will never bring you any
happiness. People  are wrong to change the places of their entertainment and
enjoyments  from New York to Paris, to Rome, to Africa, to Australia.  They are
searching for it, while they are carrying it along with  themselves. He says,
"Go deep into thy heart." There is a realm in your  heart. There it will spring
up with the water of joy, a constant stream  of joy will be  flowing from your
own heart. Nothing will stop it and nothing will be  able to give it except
yourselves. This is done by spiritual exercise.  'Abdu'l-Bahá tells the story of
one of the prisoner in 'Akká, who had  been with Bahá'u'lláh in the Most Great
Prison. He said that he had a  small rug, a samovar, one cup and a teapot. He
said that every afternoon  he would sprinkle water somewhere and sweep and then
spread this rug,  bring his samovar and let the water boil. He would say,
"Listen to it.  How it boils. It's better than anything, better than anything
else in  the world. The weather is most pleasant. (referring to the weather of 
'Akká, which was the most stinking in the whole world)." Then he would  pour tea
for himself. 'Abdu'l-Bahá said that he held the cup, looked at  its color and
said that never was there any tea as beautiful. Every day  his tea was better
than the previous one. And he would drink it with all  sorts of happiness and
gratitude and  praise to God for one cup of tea, which he had made. And he was
full of  prayer as he was drinking, full of praise, of joy and happiness, 
because it was something springing up from his own soul.

Shoghi Effendi was more akin physically to his great-grandfather, Bahá'u'lláh

Shoghi Effendi was more akin physically to his great-grandfather, Bahá'u'lláh

Fine-boned, even as a mature man, shorter than his grandfather had been, Shoghi Effendi was more akin physically to his great-grandfather, Bahá'u'lláh. He told me himself that 'Abdu'l-Bahá's sister, the Greatest Holy Leaf, would sometimes take his hand in hers and say "These are like the hands of my father". They were what I call intellectual hands, more square than tapering, strong, nervous, the veins standing out, very expressive in their gestures, very assured in their motions. (Ruhiyyih Khanum, The Priceless Pearl, p. 6)

The kindness of Shoghi Effendi

The Kindness of Shoghi Effendi

"Shoghi Effendi was of an infinitely kind and loving nature.  Before meeting him, many Bahá'ís, sensitive to his station in the Cause, were fearful.  But they were immediately put at ease by his warmth and affection, and shortly, as Leroy noted, one simply loved him and wanted to be near him.  It was a moving experience, Leroy recalled, to see the love and tenderness expressed by the Guardian for others.  He was constantly encouraging and complimenting people for what they did, were it the gardeners working on the properties, or the pilgrims, trying to make them happy as `Abdu'l-Baháwished them to be..."
("Leroy Ioas, Hand of the Cause of God," by Anita Ioas Chapman, p. 288, available here)
 
Mrs. Violette Nakhjavání has written a marvelous book entitled “A Tribute to Amatu'l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum” which can be purchased here. It contains scores of never-before published photographs of Khánum, taken at all ages of her noble life, (none of which are shown here) and describes important aspects of the whole sweep of her extraordinary life.  It describes her birth in the City of the Covenant in 1910, and contains a verse revealed for her by `Abdu'l- Bahá when she was seven months old, in a Tablet revealed for her mother.  In this verse, `Abdu'l-Bahá describes her as a “rose” that had “bloomed with the utmost freshness, fragrance and beauty.” In addition to her historic services as the wife of Shoghi Effendi and a Hand of the Cause of God, this wonderful book gives many personal glimpses into her life, describing her time as a Bahá'í child and youth growing up; as a young Bahá'í teacher at Green Acre; her days as a pilgrim during the early years of the ministry of Shoghi Effendi; the manner of Shoghi Effendi's proposal of marriage to her; and their wedding day.  All of these are taken from accounts written by May Maxwell, and told by Khánum herself, to Mrs.Nakhjavání.

The great kindness that was such a prominent feature of Shoghi Effendi's character is shown in the manner in which he conveyed to Khánum the news of the death of her beloved mother, May Maxwell, as here recounted by Mrs. Nakhjavání (pp. 37-38):

“The devastating news of May Maxwell's passing in Argentina was a terrible shock to  Rúḥíyyih Khánum.  She often repeated the story of how she received this sad news from the Guardian.  Four cables had arrived that day and she took them to Shoghi Effendi in his study. He opened each one and then looked up at  Rúḥíyyih Khánum with a mixture of shock, love and compassion on his face.  She said the look frightened her, and she started backing away until she reached the wall. She said she wanted to sink into the wall so deep was the fear engendered in her by that look. Shoghi Effendi went over to her, held her in his arms and broke the news to her with great tenderness. He told her 'Now I will be your mother'. Then he spoke of the high station of May Maxwell in the Abhá Kingdom, of her joy in at long last having reached her heart's desire, of her nearness to her beloved Lord and Master, `Abdu'l-Bahá. Then gently, in order to dispel her shaking grief, he began to talk to Amatu'l-Bahá in a lighter mood, to describe her mother's activities in the next world, where she was going and what she was doing in that sublime company. She would have been ushered immediately into the presence of Bahá'u'lláh first, of course, he assured her. And no sooner had she come there than she naturally asked permission to tell Him about her precious daughter. But she talked so much that Bahá'u'lláh had finally become tired and had passed her on to `Abdu'l-Bahá. Here again she did nothing but talk about her beautiful daughter, until at length, exhausted, `Abdu'l-Bahá passed her on to the Greatest Holy Leaf. And there she is still, said Shoghi Effendi laughing, there she is still talking about her beloved daughter, stopping every passing member of the Concourse with her opening lines, 'Do let me tell you about my daughter ... !' By the time he reached this point in his narrative, Rúḥíyyih Khánum was laughing through her tears. And so with infinite compassion and patience, he comforted her.”

 Amatu'l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum

Photograph Copyright 2010 Bahá'í National Archives, Wilmette

Used with permission 
Please click photo for larger image

Khánum herself wrote:

“I cannot conceive that any human being ever received such pure kindness as I did from the Guardian during that period of shock and grief. His praises of her sacrifice, his descriptions of her state of joy in the next world, where, as he said in his cable to the Iraq National Assembly informing the friends of her death, 'the heavenly souls seek blessings from her in the midmost paradise,' his vivid depiction of her as she wandered about the Abhá Kingdom making a thorough nuisance of herself because all she wanted to talk about was her beloved daughter on earth! - all combined to lift me into a state of such happiness that many times I would find myself laughing with him over the things he seemed to be actually divining.”    
(The Priceless Pearl, p. 154-155)

May Maxwell, new mother, with her baby Mary, in 1910

 Photograph Copyright 2010 Bahá'í National Archives, Wilmette

Used with permission 
Please click photo for larger image

The vigor of Shoghi Effendi

The Vigor of Shoghi Effendi

A number of times during his life, particularly in the years immediately following the Ascension of Abdu'l-Baha, Shoghi Effendi retired to Switzerland to regain health, energy and self-confidence.  He lived a very physically rigorous life here.  Ruhiyyih Khanum wrote of "the Bernese Alps, where he had spent so many months of his life walking and climbing." (Ruhiyyih Khanum, The Priceless Pearl, p. 134)

Shoghi Effendi as a young man

Copyright © 2010 Baha'i National Archives, Wilmette

Used by permission

Please click photo for larger image

She continues:

"Interlaken is in the heart of the Bernese Oberland and the starting point for innumerable excursions into the surrounding mountains and valleys. Often long before sunrise Shoghi Effendi would start out, dressed in knee breeches, a Norfolk jacket and black wool puttees on his legs, sturdy mountain boots, and a small cheap canvas rucksack on his back and carrying a cane. He would take a train to the foot of some mountain or pass and begin his excursion, walking often ten to sixteen hours, usually alone, but sometimes accompanied by whichever young relative was with him; they could seldom stand the pace and after a few days would start making their excuses. From here he also climbed some of the higher mountains, roped to a guide. These expeditions lasted practically up to the time of his marriage...Shoghi Effendi often told me these stories of his early years in the mountains and showed this or that peak he had climbed, this or that pass he had been over on foot. His longest walk, he said, was forty-two kilometres over two passes. Often he would be caught by the rain and walk on until his clothes dried on him. ... Shoghi Effendi would tell me of how he practically never ate anything until he got back at night, how he would go to a small hotel (he sometimes took me there to the same simple restaurant) and order pommes sautees, fried eggs and salad as these were cheap and filling, go home to his little room under the eaves and fall into bed exhausted and sleep, waking to drink a carafe of the cold mountain water, and sleep again, until, driven by this terrible soul-restlessness, he arose and set out again before daybreak."
(Ruhiyyih Khanum, The Priceless Pearl, p. 60)

There are a number of photographs of Shoghi Effendi climbing ice-covered Alps and glaciers in Ruhiyyih Khanum's second book about Shoghi Effendi "The Guardian of the Baha'i Faith."  Regrettably, this book is out of print.  In this book there are two photographs showing him with bicycles at the top of high Alpine passes, well above the tree line.  These were not modern high-tech equipment--just simple bicycles. Khanum wrote in the Priceless Pearl, p. 61, "During one or two of those summers early in Shoghi Effendi's ministry he told me he had bought a bicycle and cycled over many passes." Khanum's caption under one photograph in her second book reads: "ON TOP OF THE WORLD. His bicycle--the poor man's car--became a favourite of Shoghi Effendi.  He sometimes climbed the highest passes in Switzerland, pushing it up and riding down."("The Guardian of the Baha'i Faith," between pages 154-155) 

When Shoghi Effendi completed the construction of the Shrine of the Bab on Mount Carmel, he decided to place a piece of plaster from the cell in which the Bab had been imprisoned in the Castle of Mah-Ku, where he had been denied even a lamp, underneath one of the tiles in the dome of the Shrine.  The Hand of the Cause Leroy Ioas, with the assistance of a workman, prepared a place for the silver case containing the plaster. Shoghi Effendi approached the Shrine, and Mr. Ioas wished to precede him in climbing up the scaffolding, to test its strength, but the Guardian said, "You forget, I am a mountaineer." (Leroy Ioas, p. 224)

Leroy It's champion of the charters of the Bahá'í Faith

Leroy Ioas, Champion of the Charters of the Baha'i Faith

The Hand of the Cause of God Leroy Ioas

Photograph Courtesy Baha'i National Archives, Wilmette

One of the most important figures in the history of the Baha'i Faith is Leroy Ioas.  A wonderful book about him and his wife Sylvia has been written by his daughter, Anita Ioas Chapman, available fromGeorge Ronald Publishers.  A substantial book, it is thorough, inspiring, and enjoyable to read.

Even an outline of Mr. Ioas' services to the Baha'i Faith would go for several pages. I will mention only a few here.

When Mr. Ioas was a boy in his teen years, Abdu'l-Baha came to America, and Leroy saw Him a number of times.  A number of beautiful stories come from these days, one of them is told here.

Mr. Ioas' decades of service in America were followed by his extraordinary services in the Holy Land.  Mr. Ioas was capable, vigorous, and well-organized, and served as an executive for a railway company.  In 1951, Shoghi Effendi called Mr. Ioas to come and assist him in the Holy Land.  Finally, Shoghi Effendi had capable help.  At one point, the Guardian had reportedly told Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum that the local baker had more capable help than he did.  Mr. Ioas became known as “the Guardian's Hercules” for the magnitude of services he rendered to Shoghi Effendi.  During the course of Mr. Ioas' earlier services in America, Shoghi Effendi had personally written to him:

“I admire the spirit that animates you, marvel at your stupendous efforts, and greatly rejoice at the success you and your collaborators in the teaching field are achieving.”
(Letter dated March 28, 1943, quoted on page 113, “Leroy Ioas, Hand of the Cause of God")

If Shoghi Effendi marvelled at Mr. Ioas' efforts—they must have really been something!

Shoghi Effendi sent Mr. Ioas as his representative to the Intercontinental Conference in Kampala in February, 1953.  Shoghi Effendi told him to, on his behalf, shake the hands of every woman believer, and give a hug to every man.  There is a beautiful photograph of Mr. Ioas giving the Guardian's love to a man on page 129 of Volume XII of The Baha'i World. The photo caption reads, “Leroy Ioas greeting African Baha'is on behalf of the Guardian, Kampala, Uganda, Africa, February, 1953.” In this photograph you can see Mr. Ioas giving a man the Guardian's hug, and the impact on the man's soul is visible. The same photograph is in Mrs. Chapman's book “Leroy Ioas.”

Here is a photograph, perhaps taken at the same event, of Mr. Ioas shaking hands with African believers:

Courtesy Baha'i National Archives, Wilmette

In the Holy Land, Mr. Ioas assisted Shoghi Effendi as one of his secretaries. As a member of the International Baha'i Council, he performed diplomatic service; there are photographs of him meeting with Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, for example, in Mrs. Chapman's book about her father. He also rendered unique service to the Guardian by supervising the construction of the sacred edifices of the Faith on Mount Carmel. 

Photograph Courtesy Baha'i National Archives, Wilmette

Mr. Ioas was instrumental in the accomplishment of the purposes of all three of what Shoghi Effendi termed Charters of the Faith:

It is indeed my fervent and constant prayer that the members of this firmly-knit, intensely alive, world-embracing Community, spurred on by the triple impulse generated through the revelation of the Tablet of Carmel by Bahá'u'lláh and the Will and Testament as well as the Tablets of the Divine Plan bequeathed by the Center of His Covenant -- the three Charters which have set in motion three distinct processes, the first operating in the Holy Land for the development of the institutions of the Faith at its World Center and the other two, throughout the rest of the Bahá'í world, for its propagation and the establishment of its Administrative Order -- may advance from strength to strength and victory to victory.
(Shoghi Effendi, Messages to the Baha'i World - 1950-1957, p. 84)

Mr. Ioas played a key role in the accomplishment of Shoghi Effendi's work in furtherance of all three of these Charters.  As a member of the National Teaching Committee in the United States, he played a central role in winning the goals of the Seven Year Plans, in furtherance of the Tablets of the Divine Plan. He supervised construction of the Shrine of the Bab and the International Archives Building on Mount Carmel, in fulfilment of the Tablet of Carmel.  And he was a member of an institution established in the Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Baha, the Hands of the Cause of God, as well as being a member of the International Baha'i Council, forerunner to the Universal House of Justice. He was a great defender of the Covenant of Abdu'l-Baha.

The International Archives Building with the Dome of the Shrine of the Bab

Copyright © 2006 Baha'i International Community

Used with permission

In honor of his services, Mr. Ioas was given the inestimable gift of having a door of the Shrine of the Bab named after him by Shoghi Effendi.  There is a wonderful photograph of Mr. Ioas standing next to that door, the Bab-i-Ioas, in the book “Leroy Ioas.”  The Bab-i-Ioas, the door named after Mr. Ioas, can be seen in this photograph of the Shrine of the Bab. It is the brown door seen behind the circle of trees where Baha'u'llah sat when He directed the place for the Shrine of the Bab to be built.

It seems almost inconceivable that Mr. Ioas could render any more extraordinary services, but he did.  There was one service that meant more than any other, to Shoghi Effendi.

An apartment building in which the Covenant-breakers lived, was positioned immediately in front of the Shrine of Baha'u'llah and the Mansion of Bahji.  Every time Abdu'l-Baha visited the Shrine of His Father, every time Shoghi Effendi visited the Shrine, the Covenant-breakers were there.  Their poisonous presence had polluted the Most Holy Spot for more than six decades.  An early photograph of Bahji shows this two-story building, on the left between the trees.

The pines of Bahji on the land of the Jamal brothers, site of the dinner which signaled that Baha'u'llah could leave the boundaries of the walled city

Copyright © 2006 Baha'i International Community

Used with permission

Please click image for larger photo

Following the establishment of the state of Israel, the government proceeded to identify the holy places of all of the religions in the Holy Land, and to officially recognize them.  The Shrine of Baha'u'llah was one of these officially-designated Holy Places. I heard, though I do not recall from whom, that Mr. Ioas learned that the government of Israel had passed a law prohibiting residential dwellings within a certain number of meters from a designated holy place.  He informed Shoghi Effendi of this, and stated that perhaps the Covenant-breaker dwelling could be removed.  The Guardian asked, (paraphrasing, not his exact words), “Leroy, do you really think you could do this?”  Mr. Ioas answered that he could not; however, he knew that God assisted everything Shoghi Effendi wanted done, and if Shoghi Effendi told Mr. Ioas to do it, he knew that it could be accomplished.  Shoghi Effendi then told him to proceed, and said that it would be a miracle to get the Covenant-breakers out.

“When Leroy was given this assignment, the Guardian said to him, 'Everything you have done up to now, including your work on the Shrine of the Bab, is as silver, whereas removing the Covenant-breakers from Bahji, and securing the buildings and lands for the Faith, will be as gold.'  (Leroy Ioas, p. 194)


This was not merely removal of an ugly building from otherwise beautiful gardens, nor merely the eviction of undesirables.  This represented the death-blow to the violators of the Covenant.  Their violation of the Ark of the Testament -- the Will and Testament of Baha'u'llah establishing His Covenant-- was prophesied in the Bible, as explained by Abdu'l-Baha here.  It was also, in my personal view, as explained by Mirza Abu'l-Fadl, prophesied in Qur'an 2:30, the verse regarding the quarreling of the angels with God upon His appointing a Vicegerent on earth. (See page 23 of the Kalimat Press book "Miracles and Metaphors," by Mirza Abu'l-Fad'l, translated by Juan Ricardo Cole)

The joy of Shoghi Effendi at the successful accomplishment of this is evident in his message to the Baha'i world:

“With feelings of profound joy, exultation and thankfulness, announce on morrow of sixty-fifth Anniversary of Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh, signal, epoch-making victory won over the ignoble band of breakers of His Covenant which, in the course of over six decades, has entrenched itself in the precincts of the Most Holy Shrine of the Bahá'í world...” 
Shoghi Effendi, Messages to the Baha'i World - 1950-1957, p. 120)

The Covenant-breakers appealed the dispossession order, and they were not finally evicted until just a few weeks before Shoghi Effendi's passing. He was in London at the time, and Mr. Ioas cabled him, informing him that the Covenant-breakers had finally been evicted, and asking the Guardian if he wished him to proceed with the demolition of the building.  Shoghi Effendi cabled back that he would supervise it himself, upon his return. However, Shoghi Effendi passed away shortly thereafter, and never returned to the Holy Land.  The Hands of the Cause proceeded with this demolition immediately after their First Conclave:

“Following the historic inaugural Conclave in Bahji from November 18th to the 25th, 1957, one of the first acts of the Custodians was to fulfil what had been a cherished plan of Shoghi Effendi himself, namely, to tear down the long, two-storey house occupied by a remnant of the Covenant-breakers, a building which abutted on the garden wall of the Mansion of Bahá'u'lláh in Bahji towards the north, the legal possession of which he had acquired, after years of effort, shortly before his passing. We accomplished this in December 1957 not only in a spirit of fidelity to his wishes, but, in our deep sorrow, longing to please him by fulfilling one of his last cherished plans for the beautification of the precincts of our Most Holy Shrine, the Qiblih of our Faith. As the clouds of dust arose from the demolition of this ugly building, in some strange way it assuaged our aching hearts. It was a revelation to me, when we extended the pattern of Shoghi Effendi's garden into the space the demolished building had occupied, to see how, within half a metre, the large symmetrical design of the existing gardens he had made was completed.”
(Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum, Ministry of the Custodians, p. 11)
 

Shoghi Effendi consummated his ministry.  He raised up and delivered the Cause of God, intact and vibrant, into the hands of his Lord, in complete fulfillment of his intercessory prayer to the Greatest Holy Leaf:

“Whatever betide us, however distressing the vicissitudes which the nascent Faith of God may yet experience, we pledge ourselves, before the mercy-seat of thy glorious Father, to hand on, unimpaired and undivided, to generations yet unborn, the glory of that tradition of which thou hast been its most brilliant exemplar.”
(Shoghi Effendi, Baha'i Administration, p. 196)

To me, this cleansing of the sanctuary which Shoghi Effendi accomplished through his divinely-guided spirit and through his Hands of the Cause of God, is a symbol of the elevated position and sanctity of the Cause of God at the conclusion of his ministry.  He had purified the sanctuary, and the Cause was safely delivered into the hands of the Universal House of Justice.

Here is a more recent photograph of the Shrine of Baha'u'llah, showing the same area where the Covenant-breaker house had previously stood:

The Shrine of Baha'u'llah

Copyright © 2006 Baha'i International Community

Used with permission

Please click image for larger photo

Other than Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum, it is hard to imagine any other believer who so effectively served Shoghi Effendi in the accomplishment of the work set before him in all three of these great Charters of the Faith.

Where is God

Sutherland Maxwell’s Conversation with Abdu’l-Baha about God

In 1909, May and Sutherland Maxwell made a pilgrimage together to the Prison City of 'Akka, to visit 'Abdu'l-Baha. Sutherland was not yet a convinced Baha’i. One day at table, he said to 'Abdu'l-Baha: "The Christians worship God through Christ; my wife worships God through You; but I worship Him direct." 'Abdu'l-Baha smiled and said: "Where is He?" "Why, God is everywhere," replied Sutherland. "Everywhere is nowhere," said 'Abdu'l-Baha. He then went on to demonstrate that such worship was worship of a figment of the imagination and had no reality; we must worship God through something tangible and real to us, hence the role of the Manifestations. Sutherland bowed his head in acceptance. The real seed of his faith germinated from that hour… (The Baha’i World 1950-1954)

Reaction of Some Government Officials Seeing Baha’u’llah for the First Time

Reaction of Some Government Officials Seeing Baha’u’llah for the First Time

Haji Mirza Haydar-'Ali has recounted a brief story in which he describes the reaction of some government officials in 'Akka when they saw Baha'u'llah for the first time. He writes in his book, the Bihjatu’s-Sudur:

... It was the festival of Ridvan, which was celebrated in the home of Jinab-i-Kalim (Mirza Musa, the faithful brother of Baha’u'llah). I was staying in the outer apartment of his house. There were other apartments occupied by non-Baha’is; one was the residence of a certain 'Big' or ' Pasha' who had arrived in 'Akka as the head of customs and excise.

In the afternoon of the first day of Ridvan Baha'u'llah came out of the inner apartment to the place where the head of the customs and his officers were seated. As soon as He arrived, they arose spontaneously and, although it was not their way, they bowed. Lost in bewilderment and filled with wonder, they remained standing. Their hearts were enamoured of His peerless and beauteous countenance. Baha’u’llah went to them and spoke words of loving kindness. He then went back to the inner section. Bewildered and perplexed, the officer asked, 'Who was this distinguished personage? Is He the Holy Spirit or the King of Kings?' We answered, 'He is the father of 'Abbas Effendi' ('Abdu'l-Baha). (Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha’u’llah volume 2, p. 11; also in Stories of Baha’u’llah and Some Notable Believers by Kiser Barnes, pp. 71-72)

The Amazing Story of Mulla Husayn Finding the Mystery of God (Baha’u’llah) in Tihran

The Amazing Story of Mulla Husayn Finding the Mystery of God (Baha’u’llah) in Tihran

The story of Mulla Husayn as he tries to find a trace of His Beloved in Tihran is fascinating. The hand of providence brought him into close contact with a certain Mulla Muhammad who became immensely attracted to Mulla Husayn and the Message of the Báb. The story, recorded in the words of this Mulla Muhammad in The Dawn-Breakers, is as follows:

"'What is your name, and which city is your home?' 'My name,' I replied, 'is Mulla Muhammad, and my surname Mu'allim. My home is Nur, in the province of Mazindaran.' 'Tell me,' further enquired Mulla Husayn, 'is there to-day among the family of the late Mirza Buzurg-i-Nuri,[Baha’u’llah’s father] who was so renowned for his character, his charm, and artistic and intellectual attainments, anyone who has proved himself capable of maintaining the high traditions of that illustrious house?' 'Yea,' I replied, 'among his sons now living, one has distinguished Himself by the very traits which characterised His father. By His virtuous life, His high attainments, His loving-kindness and liberality, He has proved Himself a noble descendent of a noble father.' 'What is His occupation?' he asked me. 'He cheers the disconsolate and feeds the hungry,' I replied. 'What of His rank and position?' 'He has none,' I said, 'apart from befriending the poor and the stranger.' 'What is His name?' 'Husayn-'Ali.' 'In which of the scripts of His father does He excel?' 'His favourite script is shikastih-nasta'liq.' [an artistice style of handwriting] 'How does He spend His time?' 'He roams the woods and delights in the beauties of the countryside.' 'What is His age?' 'Eight and twenty.' The eagerness with which Mulla Husayn questioned me, and the sense of delight with which he welcomed every particular I gave him, greatly surprised me. Turning to me, with his face beaming with satisfaction and joy, he once more enquired: 'I presume you often meet Him?' 'I frequently visit His home,' I replied. 'Will you,' he said, 'deliver into His hands a trust from me?' 'Most assuredly,' was my reply. He then gave me a scroll wrapped in a piece of cloth, and requested me to hand it to Him the next day at the hour of dawn. 'Should He deign to answer me,' he added, 'will you be kind enough to acquaint me with His reply?' I received the scroll from him and, at break of day, arose to carry out his desire.

"As I approached the house of Bahá'u'lláh, I recognised His brother Mirza Musa, who was standing at the gate, and to whom I communicated the object of my visit. He went into the house and soon reappeared bearing a message of welcome. I was ushered into His presence, and presented the scroll to Mirza Musa, who laid it before Bahá'u'lláh. He bade us both be seated. Unfolding the scroll, He glanced at its contents and began to read aloud to us certain of its passages. I sat enraptured as I listened to the sound of His voice and the sweetness of its melody. He had read a page of the scroll when, turning to His brother, He said: 'Musa, what have you to say? Verily I say, whoso believes in the Qur'án and recognises its Divine origin, and yet hesitates, though it be for a moment, to admit that these soul-stirring words are endowed with the same regenerating power, has most assuredly erred in his judgment and has strayed far from the path of justice.' He spoke no more. Dismissing me from His presence, He charged me to take to Mulla Husayn, as a gift from Him, a loaf of Russian sugar and a package of tea,[1] and to convey to him the expression of His appreciation and love.

"I arose, and, filled with joy, hastened back to Mulla Husayn, and delivered to him the gift and message of Bahá'u'lláh. With what joy and exultation he received them from me! Words fail me to describe the intensity of his emotion. He started to his feet, received with bowed head the gift from my hand, and fervently kissed it. He then took me in his arms, kissed my eyes, and said: 'My dearly beloved friend! I pray that even as you have rejoiced my heart, God may grant you eternal felicity and fill your heart with imperishable gladness.' I was amazed at the behaviour of Mulla Husayn. What could be, I thought to myself, the nature of the bond that unites these two souls? What could have kindled so fervid a fellowship in their hearts? Why should Mulla Husayn, in whose sight the pomp and circumstance of royalty were the merest trifle, have evinced such gladness at the sight of so inconsiderable a gift from the hands of Bahá'u'lláh? I was puzzled by this thought and could not unravel its mystery.

"A few days later, Mulla Husayn left for Khurasan. As he bade me farewell, he said: 'Breathe not to anyone what you have heard and witnessed. Let this be a secret hidden within your breast. Divulge not His name, for they who envy His position will arise to harm Him. In your moments of meditation, pray that the Almighty may protect Him, that, through Him, He may exalt the downtrodden, enrich the poor, and redeem the fallen. The secret of things is concealed from our eyes. Ours is the duty to raise the call of the New Day and to proclaim this Divine Message unto all people. Many a soul will, in this city, shed his blood in this path. That blood will water the Tree of God, will cause it to flourish, and to overshadow all mankind.'"

The Báb had directed Mulla Husayn to send Him a letter and inform Him of that great Mystery which he was to discover in Tihran. That letter arrived on the night preceding 10 October 1844 when Quddus was present, with whom the Báb shared a number of its passages. Nabil-i-A'zam continues the story in these words:

"He sent his letter by way of Yazd, through the trustworthy partners of the Báb's maternal uncle who were at that time residing in Tabas. That letter reached the Báb on the night preceding the twenty-seventh day of Ramadan,[2] a night held in great reverence by all the sects of Islam and regarded by many as rivalling in sacredness the Laylatu'l-Qadr itself, the night which, in the words of the Qur'án, 'excelleth a thousand months'.[3] The only companion of the Báb, when that letter reached Him that night, was Quddus, with whom He shared a number of its passages.

"I have heard Mirza Ahmad[4] relate the following: 'The Báb's maternal uncle himself described to me the circumstances attending the receipt of Mulla Husayn's letter by the Bab: "That night I saw such evidences of joy and gladness on the faces of the Báb and of Quddus as I am unable to describe. I often heard the Báb, in those days, exultingly repeat the words, 'How marvellous, how exceedingly marvellous, is that which has occurred between the months of Jamadi and Rajab!' As He was reading the communication addressed to Him by Mulla Husayn, He turned to Quddus and, showing him certain passages of that letter, explained the reason for His joyous expressions of surprise. I, for my part, remained completely unaware of the nature of that explanation."'

"Mirza Ahmad, upon whom the account of this incident had produced a profound impression, was determined to fathom its mystery. 'Not until I met Mulla Husayn in Shiraz,' he told me, 'was I able to satisfy my curiosity. When I repeated to him the account described to me by the Báb's uncle, he smiled and said how well he remembered that between the months of Jamadi and Rajab he chanced to be in Tihran. He gave no further explanation, and contented himself with this brief remark. This was sufficient, however, to convince me that in the city of Tihran there lay hidden a Mystery which, when revealed to the world, would bring unspeakable joy to the hearts of both the Báb and Quddus.'"

The story of Bahá'u'lláh's immediate acknowledgement of the truth of the Message of the Báb, when He read a few lines of the Báb's newly-revealed Writings, may lead some to an erroneous conclusion that Bahá'u'lláh had no prior knowledge of the Báb's Revelation and that He was converted through reading a page of that historic scroll. Such a belief is contrary to many statements of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh themselves. For the Báb has made it very clear in His Writings that every word revealed by Him had originated from 'Him Whom God shall make manifest', [Baha’u’llah] Whose station was exalted beyond any description. The spiritual link of divine revelation existed between the two. The only link which needed to be established was a physical one, and this was achieved by the visit of Mulla Husayn. In the Persian Bayan, the Báb states:

"And know thou of a certainty that every letter revealed in the Bayan is solely intended to evoke submission unto Him Whom God shall make manifest, for it is He Who hath revealed the Bayan prior to His Own manifestation.

There are many passages in the Writings of the Báb similar to the above. Bahá'u'lláh also refers to the Revelation of the Báb as 'My Own previous Revelation'. The perusal of the Writings of the Báb will make it abundantly clear that His relationship with Bahá'u'lláh, Whom He designated as 'Him Whom God shall make manifest', was similar to that of Christ with the 'Heavenly Father' Who is reported in the Gospels as the Source of Christ's Revelation. (Adib Taherzadeh, The Covenant of Baha'u'llah, p. 34)

Bahá'u'lláh vindicating the Miracles of all the prophets

Baha’u’llah Vindicating the Miracles of All the Prophets

One of Baha’u’llah’s bitterest enemies by the name of Shaykh 'Abdu'l-Husayn was sent by the Shah of Persia to Karbila (near Baghdad) to carry out the repair of the Muslim holy sites. He invited all ranks of clergy to a conference held at his home. There he forcefully condemned Baha'u'llah's activities, accused Him of destroying the Faith of Islam, and demanded that holy war should be proclaimed against the Babis of ‘Iraq. The body of the divines approved. However, the leading mujtahid [1] of the Shi’ah community, Shaykh Murtiday-i-Ansari, a man of justice and piety, refused to sanction their evil plans and arose and abruptly left the meeting.

Some time before this, Baha'u'llah had invited Shaykh 'Abdu'l-Husayn [the one who had called the conference of the divines] to meet Him face to face so that the truth of His Cause might be established. But the Shaykh, who had accepted the invitation at first, was afraid to meet the challenge and did not appear at the appointed place.

The conference of the divines decided to send a representative to Baha'u'llah to put certain questions to Him, designed to establish the truth of His Mission. The person they chose for this mission was a devout and high-minded cleric by the name of Haji Mulla Hasan-i-'Ammu. This Haji requested the assistance of a Prince in Baghdad, who was a friend and admirer of Baha'u'llah and had visited His home, to arrange for an interview with Baha’u’llah. When the appointed day came, the prince took Haji Mulla Hasan personally to the house of Baha'u'llah.

No sooner had Haji Mulla Hasan presented himself to Baha'u'llah than he discovered the ocean of His utterance surging before him and saw himself as a mere drop compared to the vastness of Baha’u'llah's knowledge. Having had his questions answered with brilliance and simplicity, he then ventured to inform Baha'u'llah that "The 'ulama recognize without hesitation and confess the knowledge and virtue of Bahá'u'lláh, and they are unanimously convinced that in all learning he has no peer or equal; and it is also evident that he has never studied or acquired this learning; but still the 'ulama say, 'We are not contented with this; we do not acknowledge the reality of his mission by virtue of his wisdom and righteousness. Therefore, we ask him to show us a miracle in order to satisfy and tranquilize our hearts.'" (Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 28)

Bahá'u'lláh replied, "Although you have no right to ask this, for God should test His creatures, and they should not test God, still I allow and accept this request. But the Cause of God is not a theatrical display that is presented every hour, of which some new diversion may be asked for every day. If it were thus, the Cause of God would become mere child's play. (ibid)

"The ulamas must, therefore, assemble, and, with one accord, choose one miracle, and write that, after the performance of this miracle they will no longer entertain doubts about Me, and that all will acknowledge and confess the truth of My Cause. Let them seal this paper, and bring it to Me. This must be the accepted criterion: if the miracle is performed, no doubt will remain for them; and if not, We shall be convicted of imposture." (ibid)

The learned man, Hasan 'Amu, rose and replied, "There is no more to be said"; he then kissed the knee of the Blessed One although he was not a believer, and went. He gathered the 'ulama and gave them the sacred message. They consulted together and said, "This man is an enchanter; perhaps he will perform an enchantment, and then we shall have nothing more to say." Acting on this belief, they did not dare to push the matter further. (ibid, p. 29)

Haji Mulla Hasan conveyed this decision to Baha'u'llah through the Prince who had arranged his meeting with Him. Upon hearing this news, Baha'u'llah is reported to have said:

“We have, bough this all-satisfying, all-embracing message which We sent, revealed and vindicated the miracles of all the Prophets, inasmuch as We left the choice to the 'ulamas themselves, undertaking to reveal whatever they would decide upon.”

(Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 144) (Adapted from The Revelation of Baha’u’llah, by Adib Taherzadeh volume 1, p. 45 and Stories of Baha’u’llah and Some Notable Believers by Kiser Barnes, pp. 29-31)
[1] A Muslim Doctor of Law. The highest rank of divine within Shi’ah Islam. One who has the power to make authoritative decisions on points of law in the name of the Hidden Imam]

An Example of Baha’u’llah’s High Sense of Justice

An Example of Baha’u’llah’s High Sense of Justice

When Baha’u’llah along with His family and a number of His companions were travelling from Baghdad to Constantinople an incident took place near the city of Mardin which provides us with a wonderful example of Baha'u'llah's high sense of justice, a principle greatly stressed in His Revelation.

The caravan had encamped for the night at a small village below the town. “There, during the night, two mules, belonging to an Arab travelling with the caravan, were stolen. The owner was beside himself with grief. Baha'u'llah asked the official who accompanied the caravan to try and find the missing animals. Other officials were called in, but no animal was forthcoming. As the caravan was on the point of departing, the poor Arab went crying to Baha'u'llah. ‘You are leaving,’ he moaned, ‘and I shall never get back my beasts.’ Baha'u'llah immediately called off the resumption of the journey. ‘We will go to Firdaws [a nearby estate] and stay there’, He said, ‘until this man's mules are found and restored to him.’ (King of Glory, by Hasan Balyuzi, pp. 187-8)

“. . . The Mutasarrif [local Governor] threatened the headman of the village, where the mules had been stolen, with imprisonment if the animals were not found. The headman offered a sum of money in lieu of the mules. But Baha'u'llah insisted that the Arab was entitled to have his beasts restored to him. On the second day the headman came with a promissory note guaranteed by higher officials, offering to pay 60 pounds within a month, the value of the two mules. But Baha'u'llah refused this offer too. Then the headman realized that the game was up, sent for the animals and gave them to their distraught owner. People were amazed, for such a thing had never happened before. No stolen property had ever been retrieved, nor restitution made to the rightful owner. Aqa Husayn-i-Ashchi, in his reminiscences some four decades later, recalled that various officials went to Baha'u'llah to speak of the part they had played in retrieving the beasts and received suitable rewards. The Mutasarrif was given a costly cashmere shawl, the Mufti an illuminated copy of the Qur'an, the head of the horsemen a sword with bejewelled scabbard.” (ibid)

“The purpose of the halt at Firdaws achieved, Baha’u'llah ordered the resumption of the journey on the third day. And what was seen then was also an event of rare splendour. The road lay through the main street of the city of Mardin. Government cavalry with flags flying and drums beating preceded the caravan; then came the caravan escorted by the Mutsarrif himself with other high officials and notables. And the whole town had come out, thronging the streets to hail and see the passage of the caravan. It was a slow descent from the mountain-top, and then Baha'u'llah bade farewell to the escort and told the men to go back to their town; while the caravan went on its way, moving all day long through copses and over lush meadows, until a halt was called at the end of the day, in a verdant spot beside running water." (ibid)

As apparent from the above incident, other travellers would join the caravan from time to time, either for protection or companionship or both. (Adapted from Baha’u’llah the Prince of Peace, A Portrait, by David Hofman)

Abdu'l Baha among the street children of Paris

Abdu’l-Baha Among the Street Children of Paris

After a morning talk given by Abdu’l-Baha at his apartment No. 4 Ave. de Camoens on October 15, 1911, all those present were invited that Sunday afternoon to meet him at four o'clock at 22 rue Seeden Rollin pre Saint Gernais (Seine) outside the walls of Paris, where a real Baha’i settlement work is carried on by Mons. V. Ponsonaille and his good wife. They are poor people. He is employed as a collector for one of the large department stores in Paris. Having received the Message, he felt his work for the Cause of God was among the very poor children, waifs and those who had no parents; so with his wife, some years ago settled his home here and by going without their noon day meal (which to the French means much) they could give it to these little ones. They started in an old car where they met together to read the Tablets and hear the Word of Baha’u’llah. It wasn’t long before many came and it grew so that the clergy of many sects desired to have it consolidated under them. Mons. Ponsonaille did not consider this the way to serve best and he declined all these offers. At last, they grew so very jealous that they, with the help of the priests, took the car from him. The Baha’i friends in Paris offered to build a place for his work and Mons. Ponsonaille told them if they would furnish him the boards and nails that he would build it himself, which he did, and it was here that we went, and after three months spent going around Paris every day, I assure you I had never seen such a dirty, miserable quarter.

After leaving the train on the main street, we walked down to the end of a narrow lane or street without sidewalks, on which doors opened to places where soldiers and women were drinking and screaming, while from the small windows bedclothes were hanging out, and women and children could be seen. It was with joy we at last saw a familiar face and Mous. De Scott, the artist, pointed to the small gate through which we passed and by the discarded car into a small board cabin about 20x25 feet. At one end was a raised platform and desk of rough boards. I can only say as my eyes fell first upon The Greatest Name hanging in a frame from this desk and I saw the crowd of miserably poor, dear little ones gathered there, and as my ears caught the music of their voices (for they were singing), tears filled my eyes and a great lump choked me. Then I looked and saw we mere but a half dozen who had come as guests, and all, like myself, were deeply affected. It was Madam

Ponsonaille, a woman with a strong, kind and most intelligent face, who evidently had taught the children to sing and who with her whole heart was leading and keeping time for them, for they had no instrument. After the song, Mons. Ponsonaille read a Tablet sent by the Master, for he called ‘Abdu’l-Baha "The Master," and it was quite evident that they all know him as the Master. Mons. Ponsonaille, who has a delicate, most refined face – that of a gentleman in its fullest sense -- talked for a time; they sang again, and then all their little heads were turned towards the entrance and it was evident that their hearts were full of expectancy and they longed to see the One who had promised to come to visit them. The oldest of these children were not over fifteen -- from that down to babies in the arms -- all ages and kinds, clothed cleanly in clothes that had no fit, or were misfits rather.

At last there was a silence. Then all arose to their feet as ‘Abdu’l-Baha quickly entered and walked up the narrow center passage to the front and stood. Mons. Dreyfus-Barney and Tammadon-ul-Molk took their places on the side. Mons. Dreyfus-Barney acted as interpreter. Abdu’l-Baha said: "I am very glad to be here with you. I am very glad to see you all here. I love you very much! I have been in many beautiful houses, but this is more beautiful to me than any of the others, for the spirit of the love of Baha’u’llah is here. You ale all receiving the teachings of God and learning how to act and live and some day you will be great and wise for having learned the truth. I have seen many beautiful rich children, but to me you are more beautiful. And I love you all (as Christ loved little children) here. Monsieur and Madam Ponsonaille are your spiritual teachers. They give you food and understanding eternal of God, while your parents are giving yon your material food and care for your bodies. You must love these good friends." Turning to Monsieur and Madam Ponsonaille he said: "This is a great work you are doing for the love of God in this great day, through the power of Baha’u’llah. Your station is great. Your names will go through all ages. Kings and Queens have never been talked of and remembered as yon will be. You are workers in the Kingdom of Abha and I am very happy and love you very much." Then with his head upturned and the palms of his hands upturned together, as if to receive in them the pouring down of the Holy Spirit, he chanted a prayer and blessing, and coming down from the small elevation, on which he was standing, to where the children were, all crowded close around him, and laying his hands caressingly upon some of their heads and taking the hands of others with a loving smile to all, with difficultyhe passed down the aisle to the door. Near me were some rough hoys whom I was often obliged to quiet before ‘Abdu’l-Baha entered the hall. But after he came they never moved nor spoke and when he passed out they fell over each other in their great desire to have him take their hands.

Outside the door stood Mons. Ponsonaille, and Abdu’l-Baha, putting his hand inside his gown, took out many gold pieces and gave to him as he bade him good-bye. He walked down the street toward the carriage so quickly that our little party was at least twenty feet behind. Oh! what a sight. In every doorway and window were people -- and such people! A very poor man held the carriage door open as ‘Abdu’l-Baha entered with his little party, Mons. and Madam Dreyfus-Barney and Tammadon-ul-Molk. The crowd was fighting and calling names but a gendarme and Mons. De Scott protected us as we passed on safely.

So ended a never-to-be-forgotten day, having seen ‘Abdu’l-Baha among the children of the poor of the streets of Paris and I thought again of the light I saw twice on Fridays in Acca and wondered if they mere missing him and longing for his return and loving help. The thought comes to me now of what the world’s poverty will be after his departure and to us who have been fed from his hand on the Bread of Life. (Alice R. Beede, Star of the West, vol. 2, no. 18, Feb. 1912

The First American Baha’i, Thornton Chase Meets ‘Abdu’l-Baha in Akka

The First American Baha’i, Thornton Chase Meets ‘Abdu’l-Baha in Akka

Some one said, "The Master!"—and he came into the room with a free, striding step, welcomed us in a clear, ringing voice—"Marhabba! Marhabba!" (Welcome! Welcome!)—and embraced us with kisses as would a father his son, or as would brothers after a long absence. It is no wonder that some have thought that the Master loved them more than all others, because he hesitates not to express his love and he truly "loves all humanity in each one." He is the great Humanitarian and each friend is to him the representative of all mankind.

He bade us be seated on the little divan; he sat on the high, narrow bed at one side of the room, drew up one foot under him, asked after our health, our trip, bade us be happy, and expressed his happiness that we had safely arrived. Then, after a few minutes, he again grasped our hands and abruptly left us. The friends also went out and left us alone. We looked at each other. I think we had not spoken at all except to answer "yes" or "no." We could not. We knew not what to say. But our hearts were full of joyful tears, because we were "at home." His welcoming spirit banished strangeness, as though we had always known him. It was as if, after long journeyings, weariness, trials and searching, we had at last reached home. The world of wanderings was left at the outer gate, we had entered into peace, joy, love, home. Those were moments of deep happiness; yet I could not fully realize the great blessedness of that meeting, which was the goal of my hope; but now its remembrance has become my joy and the treasure of my heart. I was filled with wonder at his simplicity, with admiration for his strength and dignity and love for his tenderness; these, mingled with delight and thankfulness, possessed me. (In Galilee, by Thornton Chase, p. 28)

Shoghi Effendi was an Intensely active child

Shoghi Effendi was an Intensely Active Child

Shoghi Effendi was a small, sensitive, intensely active and mischievous child. He was not very strong in his early years and his mother often had cause to worry over his health. However, he grew up to have an iron constitution, which, coupled with the phenomenal force of his nature and will-power, enabled him in later years to overcome every obstacle in his path. ….

It may sound disrespectful to say the Guardian was a mischievous child, but he himself told me he was the acknowledged ringleader of all the other children. Bubbling with high spirits, enthusiasm and daring, full of laughter and wit, the small boy lead the way in many pranks; whenever something was afoot, behind it would be found Shoghi Effendi! This boundless energy was often a source of anxiety as he would rush madly up and down the long flight of high steps to the upper story of the house, to the consternation of the pilgrims below, waiting to meet the Master. His exuberance was irrepressible and was in the child the same force that was to make the man such an untiring and unflinching commander-in-chief of the forces of Bahá'u'lláh, leading them to victory after victory, indeed, to the spiritual conquest of the entire globe. We have a very reliable witness to this characteristic of the Guardian, 'Abdu'l-Bahá Himself, Who wrote on a used envelope a short sentence to please His little grandson: "Shoghi Effendi is a wise man - but he runs about very much!"

It must not be inferred, however, that Shoghi Effendi was mannerless. Children in the East - how much more the children of 'Abdu'l-Bahá - were taught courtesy and manners from the cradle. Bahá'u'lláh's family was descended from kings and the family tradition, entirely apart from His divine teachings which enjoin courtesy as obligatory, ensured that a noble conduct and politeness would distinguish Shoghi Effendi from his babyhood. (Ruhiyyih Khanum, The Priceless Pearl, p. 6-7)

Prisoner in the Siyáh-Chál

Prisoner in the Siyah-Chal

Having been forced to walk before royal horsemen and at their pace from Niyavaran to Tihran, a distance of about fifteen miles, in the burning heat of a summer day, barefoot, in chains and without His hat, which in those days was the very symbol of a man's dignity, Baha’u’llah was cast together with some eighty Babis into the capital’s infamous Siyah Chal – the Black Pit of Tehran.

The Siyah-Chal (Black Pit) was no ordinary prison, but a huge underground pit which no ray of sunlight ever penetrated. It once had served as a reservoir for one of the public baths of the city and had only one entrance. It was situated in the heart of Tihran close to a palace of the Shah and adjacent to the Sabzih-Maydan, the scene of execution of the Seven Babi Martyrs of Tihran. This dungeon was occupied by many prisoners, some of whom were without clothes or bedding. Its atmosphere was humid and dark, its air fetid and filled with a loathsome smell, its ground damp and littered with filth, and these conditions were matched by the brutality of the guards and officials towards the Bábí victims who were chained together in that dismal place.

Many years later, Baha’u’llah recalled His experience in the Siyah-Chal:
“Upon our arrival We were first conducted along a pitch-black corridor, from whence We descended three steep flights of stairs to the place of confinement assigned to Us. The dungeon was wrapped in thick darkness, and Our fellow-prisoners numbered nearly a hundred and fifty souls: thieves, assassins and highwaymen. Though crowded, it had no other outlet than the passage by which We entered. No pen can depict that place, nor any tongue describe its loathsome smell. Most of these men had neither clothes nor bedding to lie on. God alone knoweth what befell Us in that most foul-smelling and gloomy place!”(Baha’u’llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, pp. 20-1)

This prison prized highly and was famous for two of its chief instruments, the dreaded chains known as Salbil and Qara-Guhar. Qara-Guhar, which was heavier than Salasil, weighed about fifty-one kilograms, about 112 pounds! One of these two chains was placed around Bahá'u'lláh's neck at all times. The weight of the chains cut through Baha’u’llah’s flesh and left their marks on His blessed body till the end of His life. They were so heavy that a special wooden fork was provided to support their weight. Baha'u'llah declared that for four months He was 'tormented and chained by one or the other of them'. (Baha’u’llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 77)

The prisoners were placed in two rows, facing each other over the stocks in which their feet were held. The air they breathed was foul; the stone floor was covered with filth and infested with vermin and no warmth relieved the dungeon's icy gloom, and these conditions were matched by the brutality of the guards and officials towards the Bábí victims who were chained together in that dismal place. Baha’u’llah’s chains were tied to His nephew, Mirza Mahmud.

Every day one of the Babi prisoners was released from his stocks and chains and taken to the gallows. Baha'u'llah related how He taught the facing lines to sing verses in response to each other. One row would sing, 'God is sufficient unto me; He verily is the All-Sufficing!', and the other would reply, 'In Him let the trusting trust." (Nabil-i-A’zam, the Dawn-Breakers, p. 461)

Through the kindness of one of the prison officials who was friendly towards Bahá'u'lláh, His eldest son 'Abdu'l-Bahá, then eight years old, was taken one day to visit His Father at the Siyah-Chal. ‘Abdu’l-Baha related that half-way down the steps to the cell it became so dark that He could not see anything. He heard Baha'u'llah call out, 'Take him away.' He was taken out and permitted to wait in the prison yard until noon when the prisoners were allowed to come out of the Pit for an hour of fresh air.

The Master recalled:

“I saw Baha'u'llah's neck in chains, and another [Baha’u’llah’s nephew], both chained to the same links, a link about His neck and another about the person who was chained with Him. The weight of the chain was so excessive that His neck was bent; He walked with great difficulty, and He was in a very sad condition. His clothes were tattered and battered; even the hat on His head was torn. He was in the most severe ordeal and His health was quite visibly failing. They brought me and seated me, and they took Him to the place where there was a pond in order that He might wash His face. After that they took Him back to the dungeon and, although I was a child, I was so overcome ..” (Talk given by ‘Abdu’l-Baha in Los Angeles, 19 October 1912, Star of the West vol. VII)

On witnessing this sight 'Abdu'l-Bahá fainted and was carried home, unconscious.

While breathing the foul air of the Siyah-Chal, with His feet in stocks and His head weighed down by the mighty chain, Bahá'u'lláh received, as attested by Him in His Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, the first intimations of His station as the Supreme Manifestation of God -- He Whose appearance had been foretold by the Prophets of old in such terms as the 'reincarnation of Krishna', the 'fifth Buddha', the 'Shah Bahram', the 'Lord of Hosts', the Christ returned 'in the glory of the Father', the 'Spirit of God', and by the Báb as 'Him Whom God shall make manifest'.

‘Abdu’l-Baha explained many years later in a gathering in Paris that “A prison official made an attempt to poison Him [Baha’u’llah] but, beyond causing Him great suffering, this poison had no effect.” (‘Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 76)

Although most of the Bábís were taken from the prison, one by one, and martyred in the adjoining market square of Sabzih-Maydan, Bahá'u'lláh's life was providentially spared. After four months He was released, but was ordered to leave Persia within a month.

When Bahá'u'lláh came out of prison, stripped of His possessions, His back bent by the weight of the fetters, His neck swollen and injured and His health impaired, He did not intimate to anyone His experience of Divine Revelation. Yet those who were close to Him could not fail to witness a transformation of spirit, a power and a radiance never seen in Him before.

The following is an extract from the spoken chronicle of the Greatest Holy Leaf, the daughter of Bahá'u'lláh, recounting her impressions of Him at the time of His release from the Siyah-Chal:

“Jamal-i-Mubarak [literally, the Blessed Beauty, referring to Bahá'u'lláh] had a marvellous divine experience whilst in that prison. We saw a new radiance seeming to enfold him like a shining vesture, its significance we were to learn years later. At that time we were only aware of the wonder of it, without understanding, or even being told the details of the sacred event. (Bahiyyih Khanum, quoted by Adib Taherzadeh, in The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 1, pp. 8-9)

(Adapted from ‘Baha’u’llah the Prince of Peace’, by David Hofman, pp. 53-56 and ‘The Revelation of Baha’u’llah’, by Adib Taherzadeh, Vol. 1, pp. 8-9)