A visit with `Abdu'l-Bahá

You are all familiar with the Persian flag and the lion on it. One of the Persian poets says: "We are all lions but we are lions on the flag, we are moved by the breeze otherwise we would be motionless." The lion of the flag has no life of itself, it is powerless; the existence of the flag depends on the wind. Our attainment is through the wind but the wind is invisible. May our lives be a sacrifice to that wind — that life which is invisible. Although we feel this condition of evanescence and non-existence most of the time, but when we take steps and enter into the arena of service we feel it all the more. The spiritual effect that we observe in our life, the divine and sanctified deeds which we express in our daily lives and the power and grandeur which manifest themselves through our beings all owe their origin to the holy bounty of `Abdu'l-Bahá. Our existence is exactly like that lion on the flag, as long as the wind blows the lion is animated, but when the wind stops and the flag is motionless there is no sign of life whatever. You have read repeatedly in the Words of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá that the confirmations and assistance of God will ever uninterruptedly descend upon you. While I was in Haifa visiting the Master there was one of the Oriental Bahá'ís who came and he was invoking and supplicating `Abdu'l-Bahá to give him confirmation and assistance. `Abdu'l-Bahá asked him: what is your mental picture, what is your conception regarding the confirmations of God? Do you think that the confirmations and assistance are objects which would be placed in a case or in a bag and sent down from heaven? This air, the infinite atmosphere with which we are surrounded is filled with invisible, innumerable hosts of confirmation. This expanse of the universe is overflowing with the spirit of God. These invisible armies of God are waiting file after file, rank after rank to see which soul will come into the arena of service, so that they may rush forward and reinforce him. No sooner a man arises, whether he lives in the east or the west or north or south, if he arises with sincerity, and steadfast attention and hope to spread the Cause of love to promote principles which are for the betterment of humanity, then those armies will descend upon his head. This man that you see serving, although outwardly he is alone and single, yet behind him there are invisible hosts of the Kingdom. You observe that a teacher, a Bahá'í, arises to teach, and apparently all the doors are closed before him, but suddenly the master key will be put into his hand and by these hosts all the doors will be opened. Outwardly he is ignorant but these invisible armies inspire him. `Abdu'l-Bahá has often encouraged and invited souls that apparently were not learned and intellectual, telling them to arise and teach, telling them that they are not ignorant and alone, that the invisible armies of the Kingdom will come and serve them. The signs and effects which appeared from the short trip of eleven days never crossed before the retina of our eye. How could we ever think that the Words of God will affect the hearts of these people? These spiritualists, many of which are narrow and bound with in their own ideas. We could never really think that the Cause would have such a tremendous effect on those souls, so that the president would arise and say "these teachings are universal, we must arise and teach them." Another would say "these are 100 years ahead of our teachings." We never thought that the Chautauqua directors, which is a very strong Methodist organization, would allow us to speak about the Bahá'í Cause before these people. But His Holiness `Abdu'l-Bahá opened the doors and these people came forward and invited us to their gathering and made us make speeches about the Bahá'í Cause. They were made happy, we were made happy and God was made happy. In the writings of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá you find a very interesting expression "the heavenly and earthly appearances, the heavenly and earthly means." So that God has both means. His heavenly means are the spiritual powers and forces, but His earthly means are these who proclaim the Bahá'í Cause amongst the people of the world. That is those means and those affairs through which the Cause is heralded and effective in contingent beings. And one of those earthly means, also heavenly means that affected this trip and facilitated many things was Miss Martha Root. We must mention the services of those who have arisen whole heartedly to serve the Cause, because that will encourage them and encourage others. During the few days that she was with us she was restless, she was always thinking "I will go to this one or that one and open a door". All the time she was in motion. We wouldn't like to embarrass Mr. Randall, he would be embarrassed if we said something about him. Again the same poet says: "all these songs and melodies which you hear are from the throat of the singer, of the artist, although this visible artist is singing and filling the air with melody, the supreme artist is higher, and all these songs and melodies are from `Abdu'l-Bahá, although we hear the people speaking and singing."
In fact you do not find any sincere ones who will conscientiously deny the validity and universality of this Cause. To what could they object? Could they say we want hatred? Or could they say, no, what is the use of having peace, let us have war and bloodshed, or, no, it is better for us to have bloodshed and warfare instead of peace. But the teachings are such that no man can deny. If we arise with pure intention in the promotion of the Cause of God such confirmations will descend that we will be amazed and wonderstruck.

Jináb-i-Fádil Mazandarání in the United States

17

The ring the pin

The Ring, the Pin and the Photographs

      In January 1976, Marie and I were working on a Bahá'í exhibit depicting Progressive Revelation to be installed in our neighborhood Public Library and we needed pictures of ancient temples. Chris Filstrup, a Bahá'í friend, was head of the Oriental Dept. of The New York Public Library and was to introduce us to the Ancient Photographs Dept.

      The Oriental Dept. has in its collection unique original 19th cent. Bahá'í books, and on appointment day, January 2, Chris said to have just received some Bahá'í books he didn't have time to check yet. While he went with Marie to the photographs room, I looked at the books.

      Three of them dated @ 1930 were not significant. But there was beautiful leather bound Arabic edition @1898. I opened it, snapshots and letters were inserted between pages. These pictures had informally caught 'Abdu'l-Bahá in various attitudes and walking in Haifa. The letters were dated 1909/1910, one of them seemed to contain something. I opened delicately and there was a rose, still fresh of colors, pink and green and faintly smelling. The letter said: "Dear Asa, I picked up this rose this morning in the garden of 'Abdu'l-Bahá after the Master inhaled its perfume." Hooo! I was ready to put the whole thing in my purse!… Chris said this was "personal property," the Library would keep the book but he had to send the rest to our National Archives in Wilmette. The book was a gift to Asa Cochran, New York 1910.

      The name rang a bell. The first Bahá'í book given to me when I first met Bahá'ís in Tacoma, Wash., in 1962, was Not Every Sea Hath Pearls by Loulie Mathews. In the first chapter called "The Photograph," the author relates being a student of Asa Cochran in 1914, when one day she was told to wait in a small room sparsely furnished with chairs around the photograph of an old gentleman whose stare overpowered her soul.

      The following month, our Spiritual Assembly asked us to check weekly on a Bahá'í exhibit celebrating the American Bicentennial installed by the National Spiritual Assembly in the rotunda of Penn Station. On the last Sunday, Michel, Marie's son, then 12 years old, was with us as we planned to visit an antique show on the second floor. Marie went to antique shows searching for old Bahá'í books and Michel was looking for old comics. This was a "bicentennial" show of not much interest to us.

      Looking at the last exhibit of jewelry, Michel who was around the display case said: "Hey! There is a Bahá'í ring!" We could not see it and had to bend toward Michel's height to see a tiny gold ring with a brown stone: sure it was!… I asked for the price, crossing my fingers that I could afford it… The lady dealer said that this was a 200 years old ring. "It cannot be, this is a Bahá'í ring and the Faith started in 1844." "Are you Bahá'í? The stone may be Bahá'í, but the setting is older with that carving- one owl on each side, wings spread out toward the stone. The owl is an Indian symbol of wisdom in Washington State and this ring belonged to the Cochran family." We were stunned!

      Mrs. Reiner, explained the mystery. The Cochrans were part of the American lore in Washington State where they made their fortune. They moved to New York circa 1896 and Mrs. Cochran traveled around the world with their two young daughters who gave concerts as "musical prodigies". They lost their fortune during the Depression. The younger daughter, Olea, had died penniless this past December. The City of New York auctioned her house and estate. Books went to the Main Public Library, where we found their Bahá'í books, and antic dealers bought the rest by lots.

      Mrs. Reiner had bought boxes of letters bearing the name "Abd… Abd…," "'Abdu'l- Bahá?" "Yes." As a Jewish person, she had been interested to read some of these letters from the Holy Land and she had kept one box with photographs that she would be glad to give to us as Bahá'ís, we would only pay a nominal price for the frames. She sold me the ring "at a discount" and gave us her New Jersey address.

      This was a very moving encounter. The photographs in that box were taken during 'Abdu'l-Bahá's visit to New York in 1912. One of them, an original had the Master's signature and another was the work of renowned Gertrude Käsebier with a full sentence in Persian written by 'Abdu'l-Bahá. There was also a radiant gold pin which Marie could buy. It was engraved with the Greatest Name and a Persian writing on the back. The box contained some letters, translations of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's tablets. Three of them, dated 1909, were addressed to Mrs. Cochran asking her to travel to India for the Faith.

      Our Bahá'í friends were all excited by this amazing treasure-trove. We learned the translation of the Master's handwriting on the photograph: "O Lord, this handmaiden is working in Thy service, make her victorious." This was probably addressed to Mrs. Cochran who had traveled for the Faith. The engraving on the back of the pin: "Khátam Awliya" means "Symbol of the Saints," and may be associated with the name "Olea".

      When living in Los Angeles, in 1965, at a time of trial, after praying 'Abdu'l-Bahá for guidance, I had a dream in which a veiled Being, surrounded by light, was giving me this tiny brown ring. But, now we were not sure we should keep these precious objects.

      We showed the whole treasure to Hand of the Cause Mr. Khádem, who was very moved. He raised the ring, the pin and the photographs to his brow, praying. He confirmed that the small brown stone was one of the cornelians 'Abdu'l-Bahá had engraved to His specifications to give to friends for their services to the Faith. The inscriptions on the pin were also from the Master. We were deeply grateful for these gifts from beyond the grave, but what shall we do now? Mr. Khádem assured us: "You found them, 'Abdu'l-Bahá wanted you to have them for some reason, they are yours to keep."

      We thought that it was tragic we never learned of the plight of this family. Yet, our "finding" of these precious heirlooms may mean that these friends found peace and reward in the Abhá Kingdom.

      The photograph commented upon in Mrs. Mathews' book was of Juliet Thompson's portrait of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. We have it now, in its ebony frame, as shown in the picture of a makeshift altar as described in the book.

      Since 1972, when I first read the typescript of Juliet Thompson's diaries, I was making researches and gathering material on 'Abdu'l-Bahá's 1912 visit to New York for teaching purpose. The finding of this treasure, confirmed my resolve to write a book. These 1912 photographs are now in this book, perhaps the reason we found them was for us to give them back to the community of the City of the Covenant.

Eliane Lacroix-Hopson, with her
daughter, Marie-Danielle Samuel,
and her grandson, Michel G. Samuel

The ring

The Ring, the Pin and the Photographs

      In January 1976, Marie and I were working on a Bahá'í exhibit depicting Progressive Revelation to be installed in our neighborhood Public Library and we needed pictures of ancient temples. Chris Filstrup, a Bahá'í friend, was head of the Oriental Dept. of The New York Public Library and was to introduce us to the Ancient Photographs Dept.

      The Oriental Dept. has in its collection unique original 19th cent. Bahá'í books, and on appointment day, January 2, Chris said to have just received some Bahá'í books he didn't have time to check yet. While he went with Marie to the photographs room, I looked at the books.

      Three of them dated @ 1930 were not significant. But there was beautiful leather bound Arabic edition @1898. I opened it, snapshots and letters were inserted between pages. These pictures had informally caught 'Abdu'l-Bahá in various attitudes and walking in Haifa. The letters were dated 1909/1910, one of them seemed to contain something. I opened delicately and there was a rose, still fresh of colors, pink and green and faintly smelling. The letter said: "Dear Asa, I picked up this rose this morning in the garden of 'Abdu'l-Bahá after the Master inhaled its perfume." Hooo! I was ready to put the whole thing in my purse!… Chris said this was "personal property," the Library would keep the book but he had to send the rest to our National Archives in Wilmette. The book was a gift to Asa Cochran, New York 1910.

      The name rang a bell. The first Bahá'í book given to me when I first met Bahá'ís in Tacoma, Wash., in 1962, was Not Every Sea Hath Pearls by Loulie Mathews. In the first chapter called "The Photograph," the author relates being a student of Asa Cochran in 1914, when one day she was told to wait in a small room sparsely furnished with chairs around the photograph of an old gentleman whose stare overpowered her soul.

      The following month, our Spiritual Assembly asked us to check weekly on a Bahá'í exhibit celebrating the American Bicentennial installed by the National Spiritual Assembly in the rotunda of Penn Station. On the last Sunday, Michel, Marie's son, then 12 years old, was with us as we planned to visit an antique show on the second floor. Marie went to antique shows searching for old Bahá'í books and Michel was looking for old comics. This was a "bicentennial" show of not much interest to us.

      Looking at the last exhibit of jewelry, Michel who was around the display case said: "Hey! There is a Bahá'í ring!" We could not see it and had to bend toward Michel's height to see a tiny gold ring with a brown stone: sure it was!… I asked for the price, crossing my fingers that I could afford it… The lady dealer said that this was a 200 years old ring. "It cannot be, this is a Bahá'í ring and the Faith started in 1844." "Are you Bahá'í? The stone may be Bahá'í, but the setting is older with that carving- one owl on each side, wings spread out toward the stone. The owl is an Indian symbol of wisdom in Washington State and this ring belonged to the Cochran family." We were stunned!

      Mrs. Reiner, explained the mystery. The Cochrans were part of the American lore in Washington State where they made their fortune. They moved to New York circa 1896 and Mrs. Cochran traveled around the world with their two young daughters who gave concerts as "musical prodigies". They lost their fortune during the Depression. The younger daughter, Olea, had died penniless this past December. The City of New York auctioned her house and estate. Books went to the Main Public Library, where we found their Bahá'í books, and antic dealers bought the rest by lots.

      Mrs. Reiner had bought boxes of letters bearing the name "Abd… Abd…," "'Abdu'l- Bahá?" "Yes." As a Jewish person, she had been interested to read some of these letters from the Holy Land and she had kept one box with photographs that she would be glad to give to us as Bahá'ís, we would only pay a nominal price for the frames. She sold me the ring "at a discount" and gave us her New Jersey address.

      This was a very moving encounter. The photographs in that box were taken during 'Abdu'l-Bahá's visit to New York in 1912. One of them, an original had the Master's signature and another was the work of renowned Gertrude Käsebier with a full sentence in Persian written by 'Abdu'l-Bahá. There was also a radiant gold pin which Marie could buy. It was engraved with the Greatest Name and a Persian writing on the back. The box contained some letters, translations of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's tablets. Three of them, dated 1909, were addressed to Mrs. Cochran asking her to travel to India for the Faith.

      Our Bahá'í friends were all excited by this amazing treasure-trove. We learned the translation of the Master's handwriting on the photograph: "O Lord, this handmaiden is working in Thy service, make her victorious." This was probably addressed to Mrs. Cochran who had traveled for the Faith. The engraving on the back of the pin: "Khátam Awliya" means "Symbol of the Saints," and may be associated with the name "Olea".

      When living in Los Angeles, in 1965, at a time of trial, after praying 'Abdu'l-Bahá for guidance, I had a dream in which a veiled Being, surrounded by light, was giving me this tiny brown ring. But, now we were not sure we should keep these precious objects.

      We showed the whole treasure to Hand of the Cause Mr. Khádem, who was very moved. He raised the ring, the pin and the photographs to his brow, praying. He confirmed that the small brown stone was one of the cornelians 'Abdu'l-Bahá had engraved to His specifications to give to friends for their services to the Faith. The inscriptions on the pin were also from the Master. We were deeply grateful for these gifts from beyond the grave, but what shall we do now? Mr. Khádem assured us: "You found them, 'Abdu'l-Bahá wanted you to have them for some reason, they are yours to keep."

      We thought that it was tragic we never learned of the plight of this family. Yet, our "finding" of these precious heirlooms may mean that these friends found peace and reward in the Abhá Kingdom.

      The photograph commented upon in Mrs. Mathews' book was of Juliet Thompson's portrait of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. We have it now, in its ebony frame, as shown in the picture of a makeshift altar as described in the book.

      Since 1972, when I first read the typescript of Juliet Thompson's diaries, I was making researches and gathering material on 'Abdu'l-Bahá's 1912 visit to New York for teaching purpose. The finding of this treasure, confirmed my resolve to write a book. These 1912 photographs are now in this book, perhaps the reason we found them was for us to give them back to the community of the City of the Covenant.

Eliane Lacroix-Hopson, with her
daughter, Marie-Danielle Samuel,
and her grandson, Michel G. Samuel

SERVICE:

There are many stories about beloved Grace Robarts Ober who, for so very many years, dedicated every moment of her life to the service of our glorious Cause. And this experience, she felt, was the 'first small step' - to use her words, that set her feet on the path.

Grace had been introduced to the Cause by that early dedicated soul, Lua Getzinger, and Grace had, at once, recognized Bahá'u'lláh and become a Bahá'í. Not long afterward, Lua came to Grace and told her that very soon Abdu'l-Bahá was to arrive in New York and she, Lua, had been asked by Him to go to Chicago and prepare a place there in which he might stay when he arrived in that city. Would Grace like to go to Chicago with Lua and help with this preparation? Of course Grace would! So, together, they went to Chicago from Los Angeles, found a suitable apartment, prepared it and, eventually, Abdu'l-Bahá came to live in it.

When His stay in Chicago was nearly over, suddenly one morning Grace realized what it would mean to go back to the dead stuffiness of her former life and leave this clear and radiant glory in which she'd been living while she helped Lua keep house for the Master. So she went to Abdu'l-Bahá and begged that, when he returned to New York, she might help with that household too, as she had been privileged to do in Chicago. Abdu'l-Bahá looked at her very searchingly and said, "Greece (His loving nickname for Grace) Greece, are you SURE you wish to serve ME?" Grace said, with great enthusiasm, "Oh, YES! More than anything else in the world!" Abdu'l-Bahá made no answer but walked away. The next morning this scene was repeated. On the third morning, Grace, frantic at the realization that this was the last morning before He was leaving to go farther West, went to Him a third time - and this time He became very stern. Are you VERY SURE you wish to SERVE ME? Grace was startled at the sternness but she didn't waver. "YES I am VERY SURE." So then he nodded. "Very well go, settle up your affairs, and we will meet in New York." Jubilant and radiant, Grace settled up her 'affairs' - which consisted of subletting a cottage she had taken at Greenacre for the summer and doing a few other things. Then, with wings on her feet, she went to New York. Lua was already there and together they prepared for Abdu'l-Bahá's return. The day came. Many Bahá'ís had gone to meet Him, though Lua and Grace had remained at the house to welcome Him. The door opened, He came in. He welcomed Lua warmly, glanced at Grace as at a complete stranger, and turned away. Grace was appalled, shocked. Hadn't He recognized her? Had He forgotten her? Had she misunderstood the permission to come to New York? Or had she displeased Him and was this punishment?

Whatever it was, it continued with no let-up. During all the days that followed Abdu'l-Bahá never showed by word or glance that He recognized her in any way - except to put her to work. Whenever she relaxed at all throughout any day, word would come at once, through Lua, setting her to work harder at some new task. She worked in that household until long after midnight - cleaning, cooking, scrubbing, and then she would rise at five in the morning to begin all over again. She worked as she had never worked before in all her life and Abdu'l-Bahá ignored her completely. If they ever chanced to meet he would draw aside His robe for her to pass and his glance would go through her as if she were not there.

At last came the day when the movies of Abdu'l-Bahá were to be taken over in Brooklyn at the home of Howard MacNutt. And Grace thought, wearily, "at least I will be included in THIS since EVERYONE in the household is to go." But, an hour before the several carloads of people were scheduled to leave, Lua came to Grace to say that Abdu'l-Bahá felt that someone should remain at the house to welcome two ladies who were expected that morning, and Grace was to be the one to stay behind. So when the cars left - Grace stood at the top of the flight of brownstone steps and watched them all roll away. Then, she turned and went into the empty house. For a moment she stood there, fighting the feeling of desolation and abandonment and loneliness, and then she thought of the white roses that had been delivered that morning, as they were daily, for Abdu'l- Bahá's room. The one bright spot in these dreadful days for Grace had been that she was the one to arrange these roses each morning. So, with the long florists' box in her arms, she climbed up to Abdu'l-Bahá's room at the top of the house, where He had wished to be. She reached the top of the third flight - and found the door not only closed, but locked against her. And always before it had stood wide open! This, for Grace, was the last straw. Overwhelmed by all the hurt and bewilderment of all these days, she sank down on the floor and wept with the fallen roses scattered around her. At last, the sobs faded, her tears spent themselves, and, exhausted, she gathered up the roses and went back downstairs.

The expected ladies had not arrived, nor did they ever arrive. But Grace - it was now past noon - was hungry. So, she went down to the kitchen to get something to eat. And in that house that fed, each day, so many dozens of people, there was nothing to eat but one egg and a small piece of leftover bread in Abdu'l-Bahá's bread-box. (this bread was especially baked for Him by a Persian believer who had begged to come on this journey just so he might cook Abdu'l-Bahá's food). So Grace boiled her one egg and put her small portion of bread on a plate. Putting the egg in an egg cup, she chipped the shell - and the egg, as bad as an egg can get, exploded in her face. She cleaned up the mess and returned to her bit of leftover bread. And, as she crumbled the bread, eating it crumb by crumb she realized, suddenly, exactly what she was doing - she was, blessedly, eating the crumbs of the bread of life from Abdu'l-Bahá's table. She began to eat even more slowly as the spirit of prayer came to possess her.

Not long after this the household returned from Brooklyn - and that evening Lua came to Grace and said, "The Master has asked me to tell you that He knows you wept." And this was the first time it had occurred to Grace that all this dreadful experience might have a reason, a pattern. And - if this were true she must find out what the reason could be. So she went up to her room to pray about it. To pray for illumination and wisdom and the selflessness to understand. And as she prayed she heard a small voice saying 'Are you as happy scrubbing the garbage pails as you are arranging the roses?' And she suddenly realized what the spirit of true service was. It was to rise to selfless joy in offering the service, no matter what form that service might take.

And as this truth swept over her, suffusing her, illuminating her, the door opened, and Abdu'l-Bahá walked into the room. His arms were outstretched; His dear face was glorified. "Welcome!" He cried to Grace, "Welcome to the Kingdom!" And he held her close, embracing her deeply. And never did He withdraw Himself from her again.

Told to me by Grace Robarts Ober at Green Acre c. 1933

Grace Ober is the aunt of Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts.

What one of the early believers experienced when he attained the presence of Bahá’u’lláh

Every time I attained His [Bahá’u’lláh’s] presence, I would find the portals of His grace and revelation open before my eyes. Each of them was a mighty proof and a precious gift. All those supernatural acts that I witnessed in His blessed presence and the immense joy which flooded my soul as I sat before Him are indescribable and cannot be recorded here... In the gatherings of the friends, if the Blessed Beauty turned his face to a person, that individual was unable to gaze upon His countenance and see the effulgent rays of the Sun of Truth. It was therefore Bahá'u'lláh's practice to look to the right side as He spoke, so that the friends might find it easier to look at His face. And if He ever turned His face towards the friends, He would close His eyes and speak... 
Once I entered into the presence of Bahá'u'lláh at a time that He was reciting the verses of the Tablet of Visitation of Imam Husayn. [Bahá'u'lláh revealed a Tablet of Visitation for Imam Husayn which is very moving] At times, He would interrupt and utter some words, or receive the friends as they arrived. Eventually the number reached about forty-five. At this time I began to think of the friends in 'Ishqabad... I decided to remember them in His presence and dedicate my pilgrimage to them. I thought of Mirza Abu'l-Fadl and five others... As soon as I remembered them, He promptly turned His face towards me and smiled. He then mentioned the names of Mirza Abu'l-Fadl and the other five and said to me: Your remembrance of these people and your pilgrimage on their behalf is accepted by us. He repeated it twice. And so He revealed everything that was in my heart.

I was staggered by this revelation. My sight became blurred and I was close to collapsing. As soon as He saw me in this state, he ordered His servant [Mirza Aqa Jan, Bahá'u'lláh's amanuensis, acted as His servant. Bahá'u'lláh usually called him 'Abd-i-Hadir (Servant in Waiting)] to bring in some sweetmeats. He brought a plateful and placed it in front of Bahá'u'lláh who handed one sweet to each person. But to me He gave two. After this we were all dismissed from His presence. But I was so overwhelmed by this experience that when I left I was not in control of my faculties and halfway down the steps I collapsed... (Aqa Riday-i-Sa'adati, a native of Yazd; quoted by Adib Taherzadeh in ‘The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 3’, p. 302)

An example of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s amazing patience, love and understanding …And, Myron Phelps’ book: The Master in ‘Akka

Among the early Western visitors who received permission to come were “Madame de Canavarro and Mr. [Myron] Phelps, who had been in the company of Dr. Arastu Khan on the last leg of their journey from Beirut to 'Akka. At the time of their arrival, the house which had been the residence of Baha’u’llah was fortunately unoccupied and available, and so the late doctor was taken to the pilgrim house and the two Western friends were housed in that residence. The American Mme. De Canavarro had previously been attracted to the Buddhist Faith, had become one of its ardent teachers and had spent large sums over the years in propagation of her views. She had sacrificed much in order to attain mastery of the Buddhist philosophy, and in the process had won distinction and renown. Sister Sanghamitta, as she was known, was an accomplished and well-respected member of her Faith and had a long-standing acquaintance with Western philosophy and a deep knowledge of Indian mysticism. She had translated and published the book of Buddha, in both English and French, under the title ‘The Gospel o f Buddha, and had now found the Baha’i Faith through the Buddhist Faith. She seemed to be about forty-five or fifty years old, and although suffering from physical infirmity was yet spiritually radiant and joyful. Mr. Phelps, on the other hand might be considered to be Sister Sanghamitta's spiritual brother. He professed belief in Buddhism, had literary ability, had journeyed to 'Akka with his spiritual sister and was keeping a journal of his observations and experiences. As she entered, she humbly kissed 'Abdu'l-Baha's hand. The Master treated her with the utmost consideration and tenderness as she was led to the andaruni of the Master's residence. The dinner-table discussions began next day.

This lady … had a multitude of questions, and as the answers came Mr. Phelps took them down rapidly. The problem, though, was that the ideas and beliefs of the sister and brother were not in harmony, and since the record of the conversation obviously had to reflect the understanding of both of them, this created undue stress on 'Abdu'l-Baha as He had to explain matters twice. The lady asked the question, I translated it and returned the response, and Mr. Phelps swiftly recorded it. But since the enquirer and the recorder had different views, they disagreed as to the meaning of the replies, and the frequent repetition of the concepts made the task that much more arduous for 'Abdu'l-Baha.

The part that pertained to Buddha and other prophets was reasonably straightforward. The difficulty arose with the concept of reincarnation. Here the recorder [i.e., Myron Phelps] insisted on including his own views in the journal, or at least wished to reflect the discussion in such a light as to make the future publication and sale of the book of interest to those Europeans who believed in reincarnation. This problem remained unresolved for the duration of the interview.

On the second or the third day of the interview, as fresh and complicated issues began to emerge, there suddenly arose a fracas. The reason was that a subject that is considered to be one of the principal concepts of the Baha'i Faith had proven too complex for the lady to grasp; she required repeated explanations. Suddenly, bursting out in furious objection, she addressed me angrily in harsh and unintelligible words. She was so irate that she was unable to speak clearly. At the same time, the Master kept asking, ''What is she saying?' - while the lady was not giving me the opportunity to understand the cause of her distress so that I could apprise 'Abdu'l-Baha.

At last, when the commotion subsided, what I understood from her protests, addressed directly to me was: "Why is it that you Easterners must always be the pioneers and standard-bearers in the field of religion, although you obviously do not possess any particular qualifications or accomplishments to justify that status? In turn, we Westerners must become dependent on you to share such knowledge with us secondhand. First, you obviously have no erudition to qualify you to understand such spiritual concepts. We are the ones who introduce the subject matter and share with you the guidance to understand the issue. Then we must wait for your response. If it weren't for us Westerners, how could you hope to understand such issues? The problem is, once you comprehend the subject matter, you get the answer first and then I have to receive the answer from you. Worse still, you receive the mysteries of the Kingdom and the divine realities directly from the Master without any intermediary (meaning that you drink from the fountain head) whereas we have to obtain our knowledge from you (meaning that we drink stagnant water). Why should I focus my eyes and ears on your mouth and wait for the answer to my query?"

As soon as I understood the problem I informed 'Abdu'l-Baha.

Yea, at such times the even-tempered, serene bearing of the Master, and His loving glances of understanding and sympathy, could transform the world. With a kindly smile He spoke:

"Tell her that the effects and influences of the mysteries of the Kingdom are spiritual, not material. Ear and tongue are material faculties. If the soul is not susceptible to receiving the divine favours, of what use are ears and tongues? These spiritual concepts are directed to your heart. I speak to you with the power of spirit and you receive these heavenly concepts with your whole being, with pure intentions and a radiant heart. The essential requirement is true, sincere and heartfelt communication. Praised be God, that spiritual connection is established. Whatever you have heard so far are the blessings of the Holy Spirit. My connection with you is direct. The tongue of the translator is only a material and physical faculty."

Then He gave further examples of those believers who had accepted and devoted their lives to the message of Christ, and demonstrated that in this wondrous age, too, people deprived of the physical faculties of hearing and sight had attained the honour of faith and reunion and become beacons of guidance to other souls.

In short, the lady was satisfied, and expressed her happiness and contentment. Peace and tranquility were established between the two of us at last. They stayed for over a month.

Many significant philosophical and religious problems were resolved, some of which Mr. Phelps recorded in his journal; others the lady committed to memory. The first part of Mr. Phelps's book [The Master in ‘Akka], which described his emotions and observations, was delightful, enchanting, and tenderly and effectively presented. The later chapters dealt with the description of Baha’u’llah and His family's journey in exile from Tehran to Baghdad, Adrianople, Constantinople and ‘Akka. This part was written quite accurately, for the lady had received that information, properly translated into English by one of 'Abdu'l-Baha's daughters, directly from the Greatest Holy Leaf, and then had passed it on to Mr. Phelps. But the chapter dealing with the concept of reincarnation and other similar issues contained a great many errors.

I translated half the book from English to Persian and presented it to 'Abdu'l-Baha for His perusal. I subsequently made multiple retranslations of His comments and corrections into English or explained them verbally to Mr. Phelps. Despite all these efforts, the published book contained sections that were contrary to 'Abdu'l-Baha's statements. Sister Sanghamitta understood the issues, but Mr. Phelps wrote as he wished.

Their happy stay came to an end at last, and they received permission to depart. For some time afterwards, letters from the Sister containing expressions of her heartfelt regard for 'Abdu'l-Baha and a description of her many acts of service were received in the Holy Land." (Dr. Youness Afroukhteh [one of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s secretaries], Memories of Nine Years in 'Akka, translated by Riaz Masrour, pp. 144-148)

Pilgrim note by Ali kuli khan

The faith and assurance of the author's wife, and in those accompanying Bahá'u'lláh's exile, and those that complained

One night at dinner, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke joyfully of my wife as one endowed with great Faith. He testified to her sincerity, faithfulness and assurance in the most impressive tone of voice. He ended by saying: "This is the meaning of Faith! This is but true Faith. She is indeed possessed with perfect assurance. She shall indeed rest, she shall enjoy perfect peace."

Speaking at length concerning true faith, 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke thus: "When man has faith, even the mountains of the world can not oppose him, nay, he bears every trial and calamity, and nothing can conduce to his weakness. But one who is not a true believer, and does not possess real faith will lament over the least disappointment and complain of the slightest thing which may mar his peace and pleasure. When in company with the Blessed Perfection we arrived in Constantinople as exiles, we were all filled with joy and gladness and enjoyed great peace of mind. Then when we were removed to Adrianople we still continued in the same spirit in our new place of exile. None among us offered any complaint, except three persons: Mirza Yahya (Azal) who was extremely downhearted and confused: Siyyid Muhammad of Isfahan; and Haji Mirza Ahmad of Kashan. (* The latter two also finally denied Bahá'u'lláh and became Azalis. *) These three constantly complained of the hardships and bothered and troubled the believers. At least Mirza Yahya and <41> Haji Siyyid Muhammad of Isfahan appeared morbid and sullen without complaining openly to others; they only seemed dissatisfied and lost in melancholy. But Haji Mirza Ahmad, though a brother of Jinabi Zabih (one of the great Bahá'í Martyrs) constantly troubled the believers with fits of impatience, complained of the violence of the cold weather, and the severity of the snow and frost, often saying sarcastically: 'Though I often said at Baghdad that this Shaykh Abdul Husayn Mujtahid is busily engaged in making trouble for us, in company with the Persian Consul, working for our exile, no one listened or headed my warnings. Now you all see how they brought about our exile to this wretched place, and afflicted us with great calamities in these cold countries. And now we are God's faithful servants and must need suffer these trials! etc.

"To be brief, He so constantly found fault with everything and showed impatience, that on several occasions the believers were provoked to the point of beating him, so that he might perhaps abandon us and leave the place. But each time I prevented them from so doing. But the rest of us, who were over fifteen in number and yet were obliged to live in one single room, were nevertheless filled with joy and composure, for we were blessed with exile for the sake of the Cause of God. And in order to pass the time, each day one of us cooked a certain dish for the rest to enjoy. So the severe winter went by and in the course of a few months the snow and cold passed away and the famous delectable spring-time of Rumelia came on. Then the weather was so delightful, that even the above Haji Mirza Ahmed began to praise the glorious air of Rumelia. <42>

"To be brief; as he had no faith, he could not endure the winter or restrain himself from complaining and remain patient until the cold weather would be superseded by fine weather.

"Now this is the difference between a man of Faith and one without Faith. A man of Faith endures every hardship and suffering with patience and self-restraint. But one without Faith bewails and mourns, and utters complaint. He has no power to endure hardships and fails to think of the future when better times will come as a substitute for present hardships. (* In these utterances we later saw a prophetic vision into the suffering my wife was to endure in Persia, during her long illness, the perfect patience she showed during that period and the coming of spring-time which brought on sufficient change for the better in the invalid, to allow our return to this country, where once again she was restored to perfect health. These words of 'Abdu'l-Bahá proved my chief stand-by during the many weeks when I was in constant attendance in my wife's sick-room. For nothing but the prophetic nature of these words spoken months before, could convince me that my wife would survive what seemed to be unfailing signs of an imminent death! *)

1906 Pilgrim Notes of Ali Kuli Khan

by Ali Kuli Khan

Story of a Pilgrimage during _Bahá'u'lláh time

Story of a pilgrimage during Bahá'u'lláh's time in Baghdad and consulting the Qur'an

"During the years of (Bahá'u'lláh's residence at) Baghdad, word was brought that Mirza Yahya Khan, the Governor of Mazindaran, a nephew of Mirza Aqa Khan of Nur, the Prime Minister, had come to perform the pilgrimage of the Shrines (at Karbila and Najaf, etc.), and that he was now in Kazimayn. (* A city within three miles of Baghdad, where two of the twelve Imams are buried. *) Because of former acquaintance the Blessed Perfection bade me go and call upon him. On arriving at his house, I found Siyyid Ibrahim, a Muhammadan Mujtahid, was calling on the Persian Grandee, and was engaged in various conversations. Among other things, he asked the Khan as to the destination of his journey. In answer he named it to be Najaf (where the Tomb of Ali is situated). The Siyyid said, 'Oh no! Now that you have come this far, it is well that you go also to Mecca and have me also in your company to the pilgrimage of that Sacred Spot.' The Khan answered, that as manifold occupations awaited him in Persia, he was bound to be back in that country within three or four months, but that after returning thither and transacting his business, he hoped, God willing, he would start for the pilgrimage of Mecca in the following year, etc. The Mujtahid again persisted in his attempt to persuade the Khan by saying how many people had come this far and returned In hope of coming back at a future time and proceeding toward Mecca, and how they either had died or were unable to return and were finally deprived of visiting the House of God! etc etc.

"To be brief: He finally succeeded to the point of persuading <36> the Khan to 'Consult the Quran' and then to act accordingly. (* This means taking omen from the verse appearing at the top of the page, when opened at random. This form of taking omen is frequently practised by Muslims in Persia. *)

The Khan consented and ordered the Quran to be brought. The Mujtahid, himself performing the ablution of the face and hands, took the Quran and opened it for consultation. But to the utter amazement of the Siyyid, the verse at the top of the page, on which depended the whole decision, was a prohibitive verse, that is, a verse which seriously advised against the proposed undertaking. For a whole quarter of an hour, the Siyyid was lost in meditation, wondering what to say and what to do. Finally he said the verse was subject also to a different interpretation and he explained it in such a way as to mean a decisive command. Nevertheless, the Khan protested while astonished at the liberty taken by the Siyyid in controverting the meaning of the verse. In reply, the Siyyid, intent upon proving his own position, offered to cite an illustration. He began by saying: 'When Siyyid Ali Muhammad the Bab...' No sooner had he mentioned the name Bab than Mirza Yahya Khan realized that the Siyyid did not know me, and that he might offend me if allowed to continue talking against the Cause. In order to avoid such an awkward dilemma, the Khan seemed determined to make a sign to the Siyyid in order to stop him. As I wished to hear what the Siyyid would say in regard to the Bab, I so fastened my eyes upon the Khan that he found it impossible to use a gesture to the Siyyid without my noticing it. So he was obliged to remain <37> silent, and the Siyyid continued: 'When the Bab appeared, and his followers were on their way to the fortress of Shaykh Tabarsi, there was a man in Karbila (* In Iraq. *) called Haji Muhammad Taqi of Kirman who was also one of the Bab's followers. He was, however, a man of lofty character, and showed forth all the high attributes of the people of faith. That is, he was well known for faithfulness, rectitude, trustworthiness, sincerity, generosity, charity and obedience to the Divine Laws. As he was also a man of means, he greatly assisted poor religious students with funds. In short, he was so perfect in his life and deeds, that no one could find the least flaw or defect in his character. But alas! such a noble soul was a Babi, and was intent upon traveling to the fortress of Shaykh Tabarsi to join the rank of his co-religionists. The Muslem Doctors and the Mullas in Karbila who knew him to be such a good man, did their utmost to prevent him from the error of following the Cause of the Bab and traveling to Persia. But he would bring many proofs as the truth of the Bab's claim and persisted in going to Persia to help His followers. The Mullas who were extremely anxious for his salvation, vainly endeavoured to prove to him his ignorance and his error. Finally they persuaded him to accompany them to the Shrine of Husayn and stand with all humility before the Imam's Tomb, and after earnest prayer, to open the Sacred Volume and ask for guidance in the matter. They agreed, that if the verse should contain a command, the Haji would be convinced of the righteousness of the Cause and proceed on his journey, without any further <38> interference on their part.

"To be brief: At dawn a body of the Mullas, accompanied by the Haji, proceeded to the Holy Shrine, and after chanting the visiting Tablet, and performing the morning prayer, they made the following wish: "O Holy Imam: We pray that thou make clear to us through the verse in the Sacred Volume that we are about to consult, if this Bab is in error or his claim is true and sanctioned by God."

"'Then they took the Quran and opened it with all reverence, when, lo! the verse in their answer was the following: "Whoever turns aside from my Admonition, verily, he shall lead a miserable life." (K. 8. 20) This verse astounded all the Mullas present. For they had all heard that in those days the Bab had already declared himself to be "The Admonition (i.e., Dhikr) of God." (* The above verse is pronounced by many of the past commentators of the Quran to be a clear reference to the Manifestation of Qa'im. *) Great uproar and agitation arose among them, and they knew not what course to pursue. At last, they attempted to offer an explanation. They said: "The Quranic verses are of two kinds: 'Perspicuous Verses' and 'Ambiguous Verses.' And now this verse is not to be taken in its literal sense. Nay, we should interpret the word, 'Admonition', to be the 'Holy Religion of Muhammad' and not a reference to the Bab."' The Siyyid resumed: 'To be brief, Haji Muhammad Taqi would not listen to any further explanation, for the verse had added to his conviction. He, therefore, started for Persia to join the Babis at Shaykh Tabarsi. He, however, did <39> not reach his destination, for upon his arrival in Tihran he was arrested and put to death as a Babi!'"

Then 'Abdu'l-Bahá continued: "I turned to the Siyyid and said, 'O, eminent Sir! What is your authority in considering the above verse as being "an ambiguous verse," needing an allegorical interpretation? Do you not know that all authoritative commentators of both the Shi'ah and Suni Schools have considered this a "perspicuous verse?"' The Siyyid answered haughtily, "We have the authority and the right to interpret the last verse as an ambiguous one, and we also have the right to interpret the present verse dealing with the Khan's pilgrimage to Mecca, in a similar way ' I answered: 'You are plainly wrong in your interpretation of both verses. For by ambiguous verses is meant those whose literal sense is not in accord with the fundamental principles of the Law. Such verses are therefore liable to an allegorical interpretation. By perspicuous verses is meant those whose literal sense is plainly in accord with the general laws and fundamental rules of Faith. Such verses are therefore taken literally.' This explanation admonished the Siyyid to some extent.

"Sometime after, this Siyyid Ibrahim attained to the Presence of the Blessed Perfection. During subsequent years, I heard Siyyid Muhammad of Isfahan say that this Siyyid finally became devoted to the Cause of Karbela. For when Siyyid Muhammad had called on him, he had returned the call and expressed his love for the Truth. This story was cited to illustrate the fact that although Siyyid Ibrahim considered Hoji Mirza Muhammad Taqi of Kirman a man of error religiously, yet he fully testified to his lofty character and noble life. <40> Thus the Bahá'ís must live such a perfect life among men, that even those who will not see this Truth or believe in it, would not fail to be impressed by the noble life they live as Bahá'ís."

1906 Pilgrim Notes of Ali Kuli Khan

by Ali Kuli Khan

A memorial to Lady Bromfield

A MEMORIAL TO LADY BLOMFIELD

A very special goal was achieved for the Bahá¹ís of the United Kingdom in early 2003. After several years of painstaking negotiation and planning, a befitting memorial has been erected at the grave in north London of Sara Louisa, Lady Blomfield, one of the most distinguished of the Faith¹s early western believers.

Lady Blomfield was one of the most remarkable women of her age. Born in Ireland to a Catholic father and Protestant mother whose marriage broke down owing to religious tensions, she achieved considerable renown as a London society hostess, the second wife of the distinguished architect Sir Arthur Blomfield. While many women of her generation and position occupied themselves primarily with polite society, Lady Blomfield spent her life in social and humanitarian activity. She was a fearless supporter of the suffragettes and a protector of the rights of women, children, prisoners and animals, a defender of the oppressed and an ardent promoter of peace and inter-religious understanding. She is perhaps best-known now for her involvement in the establishment of the Save the Children Fund in the aftermath of World War I and as an active early promoter and defender of the Faith.

Lady Blomfield's acceptance of the Bahá'í teachings in 1907 marked the turning point in a lifelong quest for spiritual truth. Through her identification with the Cause came an increased desire to see justice and equality established in the world, a concern expressed in her selfless involvement in all manner of philanthropic causes as well as in direct service to the needy or oppressed, including her intimate involvement with the League of Nations and the welfare of the world¹s children.

Lady Blomfield's services to the Faith were extensive. She spent invaluable time with 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris and her copious notes of his many talks and conversations formed the substance of the book, Paris Talks. She established a Bahá¹í centre in Geneva and promoted the Bahá¹í teachings amongst the establishers of the League of Nations. She actively called upon her friends in the British parliament to defend the persecuted Bahá¹ís of Persia. She acted in loco parentis for Shoghi Effendi when he was studying in Oxford and accompanied him back to Haifa on the passing of 'Abdu¹l-Bahá. She was one of the distinguished western believers invited to consult with Shoghi Effendi about the future of the Cause following his discovery that he was now the Guardian of the Bahá¹í Faith. When Queen Marie of Romania was expected to visit Haifa, Shoghi Effendi called on Lady Blomfield to join him and the Greatest Holy Leaf in the Holy Land to welcome her. The Queen¹s itinerary was diverted by her interfering advisers, but Lady Blomfield spent the time interviewing members of the Holy Family about their memories - stories which formed the basis of her timeless book, The Chosen Highway. The book also provides an inspiring account of the period when she gave up her home to 'Abdu¹l-Bahá on his historic visits to Britain in 1911 and 1913. It was He who gave her the name ‘Sítárih’, meaning ‘star.

In addition to all these activities, Lady Blomfield served many years on the London Spiritual Assembly and the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles. She spoke at the first Summer Schools in this country, hosted Firesides, Holy Days and ‘at home’ meetings, supported artistic activities in the community including a Bahá¹í Theatre Group in London, and maintained correspondence with Bahá¹ís all over the world.

Lady Blomfield¹s passing on the last day of 1939 was widely mourned. Reflecting on her mother's final moments, her daughter Mary Basil Hall wrote that 'in the overwhelming sorrow of parting from a wonderful personality and a deeply loved mother, it is hard to rejoice in the gladness that is hers....From the earliest days her valiant spirit meeting sadness and difficulties with radiant acquiescence and invincible faith. It was as if she knew what rare privilege awaited her, since she it was who welcomed 'Abdu'l-Bahá to her her home when he came to England.

Lady Blomfield was buried at the Hampstead Municipal Cemetery. Later, in 1950, the mortal remains of her daughter, Mary - herself a devoted Bahá¹í and member of the National Spiritual Assembly for five years - were also interred in the same grave. Mary was given the name ‘Parvine’ by OAbdu¹l-Bahá. It was partly thanks to a generous contribution to the National Fund from her will that the National Spiritual Assembly was able to purchase 27 Rutland Gate, hence the Drawing Room being known originally as the Parvine Room.

Over the years, the grave of Lady Blomfield and her daughter had fallen into considerable disrepair through the absence of any direct family members, so much so that when members of the Camden Bahá¹í Community went to find it, it was only identifiable once thick clods of earth and grass were pulled away to reveal the names. Approaches were made to the cemetery authorities to see if the Bahá¹ís could put up a new gravestone. To comply with the law, advertisements were placed to find out if any surviving members of the family had any objection to the restoration taking place. There was no response and the work proceeded. Now the grave of Sítárih and Parvine will become a cherished visiting place for Bahá¹ís from all over the world, and a centre of inspiration for the British Bahá¹ís in particular.

Visiting the grave

Visiting the final resting places of our spiritual forebears can be a great source of grace and bounty. In a tablet addressed to Lady Blomfield¹s co-worker Ethel Rosenberg, 'Abdu'l-Bahá comments, ‘...as to the other resting places of martyrs and holy souls, it is pleasing and acceptable in the sight of God if a person desires to draw nigh unto Him by visiting them’ Elsewhere, the Master stated, ‘I long to visit the graves of the friends of God, could this be possible. These are the servants of the Blessed Beauty; in His path they were afflicted; they met with toil and sorrow; they sustained injuries and suffered harm. Upon them be the glory of God, the All-Glorious. Upon them be salutation and praise, Upon them be God's tender mercy and forgiveness.’

Hampstead Municipal Cemetery is to be found just off Fortune Green Road as it joins Finchley Road. The nearst Underground station is West Hampstead on the Jubilee Line. Lady Blomfield's grave is to be found by entering through the main gates, turning right at the first avenue and then immediately left onto a gravel path running parallel to the main drive. After about 100 yards there is a black marble headstone with the name Helena Narkowicz on it. Enter the section at that point and Lady Blomfield's grave is in the sixth line of graves and one grave to the right. The National Spiritual Assembly wishes to record its deep appreciation to Mr David Lewis, Mr Ron Batchelor and Michelle Wilburn for their dedication to and successful completion of this project.

Written by Rob Weinberg and orinally published in Bahá'í Journal UK

From memory of Ustad Muhammad-'Aliy-i Salmini

From the memoirs of Ustad Muhammad-'Aliy-i Salmani

We remained about fifteen days at the inn in Istanbul, and then rented another place and moved there. It was a stately house. In Istanbul Bahá'u'lláh called on no one, and He told Aqay-i Kalim: "I will go nowhere. You go wherever you think best." And so, Aqay-i Kalim would visit the house of such leaders of state as he felt advisable. The Ottoman Government furnished our expenses in whatever amounts were suggested to them by Shamsi Bey.

In Istanbul, every day at noon Bahá'u'lláh would go to the Mosque of Sultan Muhammad and there recite the prayer in the manner of Islam, and He would chant communes as well. During this period, every seven or eight days, He would frequent the bathhouse, and on occasion I would be with Him. There was another mosque known as Khirqiy-i Sharif [the Mosque of the Prophets's Cloak], and He would visit there, too.

There in Istanbul people would come to visit, and Bahá'u'lláh would converse with them. Finally, word was brought that by government order He must leave for Edirne.

Azal was his usual self: to Shamsi Bey he had not made himself known as Bahá'u'lláh's brother, but had presented himself as a servant of the Darvish Mirza 'Ali Khan of Khurasan. Most days he would come to see Bahá'u'lláh, and one day, contrary to his custom, he brought in some news, saying: "There is talk that You will be obliged to leave for Edirne."                                                      Photo: A portrait of Mirza Musa

Then Shamsi Bey paid an official call and declared on behalf of the government: "You are ordered to Edirne."

Bahá'u'lláh categorically stated: "We refuse."

After Shamsi Bey had gone, Bahá'u'lláh came out and said to the friends "Be confident. Nothing bad will happen." Smiling, He added: "And anyway, what could be the harm of it if I should give them two or three of you no-goods to put to death?" And then He left. Later, into the biruni came Azal and Siyyid Muhammad and Haji Mirza Ahmad of Kashan. They sat together, and Azal said, "If you want to cross a stream, which is better, that half your satchel should get wet, or all of it?"  

"Obviously, half of it," was their answer.

Afterward we reported to Bahá'u'lláh what Azal had said. He replied: "I stand by my statement."

Mirza Safa of Khurasan came in, and said among other things: "By the government's edict, you must go to Edirne. None can refuse to obey the government's edict."

Bahá'u'lláh replied, "Mirza Safa, are you trying to frighten me with this government? Even if all the inhabitants of the world should come against me with drawn swords, I will still fear no man."

Azal sent in word: "They will trample down our wives and children! They will put us all to death! We will go."

And Bahá'u'lláh answered: "It makes no difference if they kill us. As for our families, we can arrange things in such a way that they will not be held. What could be better for us than to be slain by them in the path of God?" Then very firmly He said, "We will not go."

However, Azal and Siyyid Muhammad and Haji Mirza Ahmad and his wife and children kept at it, constantly repeating: "We will go."

And people from the government came again, and still they received the identical reply from Bahá'u'lláh: "I stand by what I have already said. No matter that some others are saying we will go, no matter that they are consenting to depart, my answer is the same as before."

At a later time He commented: "That fellow [Azal] thwarted us. Otherwise the Faith would have been widely proclaimed -- and now this will not come to pass." And another time he said, "If, in Istanbul, Azal had allowed it to happen, there would have been a wonderful proclamation of the Cause of God. Had they killed us, this would have spread the Faith far and wide, and had they not killed us -- and they would not have -- this too would have widely proclaimed, it." He said this with great regret.

Finally, what with the others' insistence, entreaties, supplications, and tears, He bade them prepare for the departure to Edirne, Mirza Musa went wherever he thought best to bid people good-bye. They rented a number of ox-drawn carts. The Master rode on a horse. Mirza Yahya was on a donkey Nothing new happened along the way, except that Bahá'u'lláh would say: "Why did we come?"

IN EDIRNE

At last we reached Edirne,[1] and Bahá'u'lláh chose to stop at a caravanserai. With Him from Constantinople had come a Turkish captain -- a yuz-bashi -- with a number of soldiers, and this captain made a request of Bahá'u'lláh. He said, "I wish to be promoted to major -- bin-bashi." He went back to Istanbul, and he was. An excellent man, and a grateful one too."

[1 On December 12, 1863]

He rented a house for Bahá'u'lláh, another for the friends, and third for Mirza Musa. The house assigned to the friends had a stable room, and the horses were brought there. The house of Mirza Musa had a bathhouse and they fired it up -- for we had reached Edirne at that beginning of winter and it was bitterly cold. None of us, not even Bahá'u'lláh, had proper clothing, since we had come from an Arab country. It was so cold that all the town's springs were frozen over. The house of Bahá'u'lláh was near the takyih [lodge house] of the Mawlavi's.[1]

[1 A sufi order of dervishes founded by Jalalu'd-Din Rumi in the thirteenth century -- the so-called dancing dervishes.]

As for the bathhouse: Azal would usually be sent there first. One day I went to the bath at Mirza Musa's. Now Azal was very hairy -- so much so that from the back of his head to his feet, he seemed to be one sweep of hair. After he was bathed I was attending to him when, at that moment, Bahá'u'lláh came in. Azal moved, and, out of respect, he placed his hands one upon the other and stood up. Bahá'u'lláh said, "His shoulders are bushy. You shave them." I came forward to shave them.

Azal covered his shoulders with both hands and said "Don't!"

Bahá'u'lláh said, "Let him have his way. It doesn't matter."

Bahá'u'lláh stayed in this house all winter. When the weather turned beautiful and we were on the threshold of spring, He came to the believers' lodging one day to express His consideration of us, and His loving care. That day, a bird was singing in our tree, and He commented: "Better get him something for his throat -- he isn't doing too well."

Well, in this house Siyyid Muhammad and Haji Ahmad of Kashan and I and the other friends were all living together, though we had our separate rooms. The upstairs was reserved for Siyyid Muhammad and Haji Ahmad, and I too lived upstairs with them. Every day the Master would come to us at noontime and leave around that time. One day he told us that the Blessed Beauty had directed us to find another lodging so that we could all be together. The friends searched high and low until they located a house opposite the Mosque of Sultan Salim. It was very spacious, and in all, outside and inside it required forty keys. The name of this residence was Bayt-i Amru'llah.[1]

[1 The name can be translated as "House of God's Command" or "House of the Cause of God."]  

In this house a Tablet was revealed and was sent to Mirza Yahya through Mirza Aqa Jan. This Tablet is known as the Tablet of the Summons to Azal, and it calls upon Azal to believe in Bahá'u'lláh. Seeing it, Azal repudiated the Tablet at once, and remarked to Mirza Aqa Jan, "He has even written it in Arabic."

The house of Azal was a few steps away from that of Bahá'u'lláh, and Mirza Musa had a separate residence opposite. The other friends, the Branches[1]and Mirza Muhammad-Quli, the Consort,[2] and Bahá'u'lláh, Himself, and the rest of us, were all in the House of God's Command.

[1 That is, the sons of Bahá'u'lláh.]

[2 Bahá'u'lláh's wife, Asiyih Khanum, Navvab.]

Siyyid Muhammad and Haji Mirza Ahmad had a room to themselves. The Master would go to the andarun only to sleep. Usually he would have lunch                         Photo: House of Bahá'u'lláh in Adrianople and dinner with Siyyid Muhammad. Most of the time, Haji Mirza
Ahmad would be present as well.   

PLOTTINGS OF COVENANT-BREAKERS

Azal would come to the bath every week, that is, to the bathhouse in the House of God's Command. At this time no one had even an inkling of his being a violator, a breaker of the Covenant, but he had become somewhat lukewarm. When he visited the bath, he would carry on a conversation with me about this and that (this period was during the third year after our arrival in Edirne [1866]), and, in his own way, he was trying to convert me, but I pretended not to understand what he was after.

Siyyid Muhammad and Haji Ahmad had only recently become acquainted with Azal and they took to one another. Every day Siyyid Muhammad would go to the Mosque of Sultan Salim where he was working on a book he called "A Summary of the Bayan." Haji Ahmad, Aqa Riday-i Qannad, the confectioner, and Aqa Mirza Mahmud would also copy out Tablets and send them about. The Master, too, would be writing most of the time.

In Istanbul was revealed the Tablet that begins:

All praise be to Thee,

O Thou Who art He that is He.

After a time, Siyyid Muhammad had taken himself to the takyih of the Mawlavis and told the leader: "I will come to you and instruct you in the Mathnavi of Rumi."[1] Thus he had struck up an acquaintance with him, and little by little he had begun to converse with him in an unseemly way. He would read the Mathnavi all the time. Once he said to me, "What are these verses?" I quoted him back a few lines from Rumi, and he commented on them. Then he went to Mirza Musa and praised my intelligence. At this time Siyyid Muhammad was about sixty years old.

[1 A six-volume classical epic of mystic poems by Jalalu'd-Din Rumi.]

Once when the Master was present, I said: "That Nabil certainly has strange things to say. One night in Istanbul, when you, Siyyid Muhammad, were speaking, Nabil commented: 'That Siyyid Muhammad talks like an atheist.'"

The siyyid was very angry at this, but from fear of the Master, he could say nothing. Well, that night passed by, and in the morning when he was going to the Mawlavis to give his lesson, he said to me: 'Ustad Muhammad-'Ali you and I come from the same city, and wherever I go I sing your praises...(and so on and so on). Now what, what did you mean at the meeting last night? How was it that you said to me that I, according to Nabil, had said thus and so?'

"How should I know?" I shrugged.

He went on: 'You should have whispered all that in my ear."

I answered: "This place is not the thieves' court of Husayn the Kurd, where everybody does as he pleases."[1]

[1 Husayn the Kurd was a legendary outlaw who become so powerful and brazen that he would hold court at night in the bazaar of Isfahan.]

Anyway, Siyyid Muhammad would go to that place and give lessons, and most days Mirza Musa would come to the apartment of Siyyid Muhammad an Master. Here he would smoke his water pipe and then take his leave.  

One day when the Master was present, Siyyid Muhammad was carrying on a conversation with Haji Ahmad, and I was standing there. At that moment, in the street below, a cart went by. Siyyid Muhammad said, "His Holiness the Báb, the Remembrance of God, was like that cart: even as the next man, He came, He went."

Mirza Musa was indignant. "You shameless fellow!" he said. "Remember that this place is directly behind the house of Bahá'u'lláh." Angrily, he rose and left the room.

Siyyid Muhammad was in a rage. Later he betook himself to Mirza Musa, to plead his case with him, and said, "You made me lose face."

Mirza Musa became angry all over again.

Siyyid Muhammad complained to him: "Ustad Muhammad-'Ali has said thus and so about me."

Mirza Musa said, "This Muhammad-'Ali is the same man you used to praise so highly. How is it that you are against him now?" The matter was also reported to Bahá'u'lláh.

And so, after an interval of three or four days, Siyyid Muhammad went back to the same takyih of the Mawlavis, and he stayed there. As the saying goes, he was sulking. Two or three nights went by. There was a certain Ibrahim, a former steward of Bahá'u'lláh who later became a Covenant-breaker and still lives and now claims to be a firm believer. This Ibrahim was summoned by Mirza Aqa Jan and given money and a parcel of clothing to take to Siyyid Muhammad. Two days or so afterward, Siyyid Muhammad wrote a letter to the mother of the Greater Branch [Mirza Muhammad-'Ali] saying that he was in the takyih of the Mawlavis and so hungry that he was reduced to eating the leaves of the trees. This, although only three days before, money and clothing had been sent to him, in addition to which the Mawlavis paid his expenses.

The following day was the day when Bahá'u'lláh was accustomed to frequent the bath. I went there, and Azal came in first. Up to now, for quite a while, he had secretly, stealthily, been trying to make me his disciple. I applied his henna and he began talking to me. "Last night," he said, "I had a dream. I saw a person with a broom in his hand, and he was sweeping up all around me." He managed to convey the idea that it was Bahá'u'lláh who was plying the broom around him in the dream. And so, I understood that this worthless fellow wanted me to do something for him. But he said nothing more, and went away.

Then the Blessed Beauty entered the bath. There was a mirror fastened to the wall and I ld see Him in the mirror. He said to me, "You are great and your image will not        Photo: Bahhiyeh Khanum and  'Abdu'l-Bahá - Photo: Ivan Lloyd
fit in a little mirror."[1]

[1 Azal was known as one of the "Mirrors" of the Bábí Revelation. See God Passes By, p. 114]

I pondered what Azal had said. I kept asking myself what his purpose was, telling me by indirection and in code that "Bahá'u'lláh was sweeping up all around me." It was clear, however, that he had some special plan with regard to me.

Furthermore, Haji Mirza Ahmad kept trying to convert me to Azal. I noticed in particular that over a period of several days he repeatedly tried most urgently to pull me his way. One day I told him: "Haji, you have been teaching people about the invisible Lord. Do you yourself believe in that Lord?"

He said, "Yes."

I said, "Down your throat with the Lord that you imagine!" And so we quarreled.

Haji Mirza Ahmad took the matter to Bahá'u'lláh and complained. "Ustad Muhammad," he said, "has denied the Invisible of the Invisibles."

On the following day, Mirza Aqa Jan came and sat down; we all gathered around and he read the Tablet of the Sermon on the Unity of God. He also read the Persian Tablet of Ahmad,[1] revealed for Haji Mirza Ahmad. In Edirne, the Blessed Beauty was continually revealing Tablets.

[1 This is not the Arabic Tablet of the same name so widely known in the West.]

When the bath day arrived, Azal came in first. He washed his head and body and used the henna. I sat beside him to help. He began to talk, and to give me advice. He said: "There was at one time a Mirza Na'im who was the governor of Nayriz. He persecuted the believers, and killed them, and greatly harmed the Cause." Next, he began to extol the virtues of boldness and courage. He said that some are courageous by nature, and that when the moment came, they would prove themselves brave. Then he went back to the story of Mirza Na'im: he said that of all the Nayriz believers' children, one had survived -- a boy of eleven or twelve. One day Mirza Na'im went into the bath and this boy went there as well, and had brought along a knife with a handle made of horn. When the governor started to come up out of the water tank, the boy plunged the knife into his stomach and ripped it open. Mirza Na'im cried aloud. His servants ran in from outside and saw the knife in the boys's hand. They beat the boy within an inch of his life, and then went to see how their master was faring. Wounded as he was, the child got to his feet and once again drove his knife into Mirza Na'im.

Having said this, Azal started in again, praising the virtue of courage. "How fine a thing it is," he said, "for a man to be brave. Now see what they are doing to the Cause of God! Every one harming the Faith. Every one risen up against me! Even my own brother! And I, never allowed a moment's peace! Never a tranquil breath!"

He managed his tones in such a way as to say: "I, the appointee; I, the helpless victim -- and my brother (God forgive me for repeating this!) a tyrant, a usurper!"

"How wonderful is courage," he went on. "How much needed now, to save the Cause of God!"

Taken all together -- the tone of his voice, the story of Mirza Na'im, the praise of courage, the urging me onward -- all this meant only one thing: "Kill my brother!" That is, kill the Blessed Beauty.

When these words were uttered I was overcome by nausea, and sicker than I had ever been in my whole life. I felt as if the walls of he bath were falling in on me. I was unhinged. Not able to speak, I went away outside the bath, and sat down on a bench. And in my awful inward turmoil, I thought to myself, I will go back into the bath, and I will cut off his head. Then let whatever happens, happen. Then I thought: It would be easy enough to kill him. But suppose when I stood before the Blessed Beauty I should be condemned? Coming before Him in that condition? I went on, thinking it out: After murdering this fellow, if I should go and stand in the presence of Bahá'u'lláh, and if He should say to me, "Why did you kill him?" what answer could I give? It was this thought that stopped me.

Well, I reentered the bath, and violently angry, raging, I said to him, "Get up and get out. God send you to hell!"

"Pour water over me," he wailed as he approached me. I poured one container of water on him and, washed or not washed, in a panic, he went; and I have never laid eyes on him since, from that day to this.

I was in a terrible state and nothing could calm me down. It happened that the Blessed Beauty did not come to the bath that day, but Mirza Musa did, and I told him: "Today Azal made a bonfire of me," and I repeated what he had said.

Mirza Musa replied, "He has had such a plan for many years. Pay no attention to him. The fellow has always had this in mind." He counseled me, and left.

Well, I finished with the bath, and I closed it up, and went to see the Master, and said, "Today Azal said thus and so. I was in a fury and wanted to kill him. But in the end, I did nothing."

The Master replied, "You discovered this matter for yourself. Do not make any mention of it. Best that it should remain hidden."

Then I went and told the story to Mirza Aqa Jan, and asked him to report it to Bahá'u'lláh. He soon came back. Bahá'u'lláh had said to him: "Go and advise my devoted Usta Muhammad-'Ali to say nothing of this anywhere."  

I went and gathered up all of Azal's letters and other writings, and that night I took them to the coffee room in Bahá'u'lláh's house and burned them all in the charcoal brazier. But first I showed them around to everyone, so they could see that they were the writings of Azal. There were seven or eight of the friends present, and they all strongly objected and said, "What have you done? Why this?"

(Ustad Muhammad-'Aliy-i Salmani, My Memories of Baha'u'llah, p. 52)