This was providential, because one of the most interesting episodes of Nabíl's life took place as a result.
We remember that Bahá'u'lláh ordered Nabíl to go to Egypt. He obeyed, and went there, but after some time he was arrested and put in prison. There he met a certain Christian physician and priest, Fárís Effendi, imprisoned on a charge of an offense in a financial transaction. Nabíl taught him the Faith and in a short while he became a very ardent and enthusiastic follower of Bahá'u'lláh. Because of this the sorrow of being in prison was changed into joy and both felt extremely happy. Sometimes they would sit at the window of their cell watching the people passing by, and one day when Nabíl was alone at his window, he was astounded to see Muhammad Ibrahím passing by. He called to him. When Muhammad Ibrahím saw Nabíl he was even more surprised. Nabíl asked him what had brought him there. Ibrahím related the story of Bahá'u'lláh's banishment and pointed out the steamer carrying the Blessed Perfection. Nabíl's sorrows knew no bounds. To be so near and yet so cruelly deprived from beholding the Countenance of the One Who was the point of his adoration! This was unbelievable!
After a little while, Fáris Effendi came to the cell and found the happy Nabíl drowned in oceans of sorrow. When he heard the reason, he felt even sadder than Nabíl. He longed for a single glance of Him, but this was utterly impossible. There was only one thing for them to do: to send Him a message of love and loyalty.
This was immediately written; but how to send it was the main problem. God has always His own ways for those who supplicate Him with all their hearts. He will never abandon them. There passed by the window of the cell a young man by the name of Constantine who was known to Farís Effendi, who at once asked him if he could take a letter to someone on board the Austrian steamer. This was an unexpected and rather arduous task to demand. But the young man agreed to do it, took the letters and made for the steamer.
Nabíl and Fáris were watching intently from their prison cell. They even saw the young man get in a small boat and go out to reach the steamer. But to their utter dismay and grief they heard the siren and saw the steamer sailing away before the small boat at reached her.
What a disappointment to the two prisoners whose letters would not even reach their Beloved!
Then that which seemed utterly impossible took place. After proceeding for some distance, the steamer stopped. The small boat reached her. In the afternoon Constantine returned to the prison shouting: "By God! My eyes fells on the face of the Father!" Saying these words in great excitement, he gave a small parcel to Nabíl and Fáris Effendi.
Afterwards the companions of Bahá'u'lláh related that although they witnessed many extraordinary events while in His Presence, the incident of the steamer in Alexandria was the most astonishing. When the steamer was sailing away the Captain noticed a sailing boat hastening toward the ship. He immediately anchored. All were astonished at the unexpected halt for such a cause. The passengers stood in a state of bewilderment. They saw a young m an climb the companionway and, according to the indications given to him by Nabíl, go directly to the place occupied by Bahá'u'lláh and His retinue.
After the perusal of the letter, a Tablet was immediately dictated by Bahá'u'lláh and, as there was not time to transcribe it, it was sent in the rough penmanship of the amanuensis. The Master and the Purest Branch sent handkerchiefs, flowers and perfume as gifts for Nabíl and he co-prisoner.
When Constantine returned, the steamer resumed its journey.
In his letter Fáris Effendi had begged Bahá'u'lláh to accept him as one of His devoted servants and confirm him to teach the Faith of God.
The receipt of this letter so pleased Bahá'u'lláh that He has related this story in one of His Tablets to the friends and at the end He has quoted the letter of Fáris Effendi. The perusal of such words teaches us to read and study the Writings with the discerning eye of the spirit. Let us ponder the situation of the Ancient Beauty when He received this communication. Though captive in the hands of oppressors, He proclaimed in this Tablet that His banishment had marked the dawn of the day when the divine fragrances wafted throughout East and West, and the pearls of wisdom had been deposited under every stone and in the fullness of time would proclaim: "He is the Beloved of the world." He then states that when the ship touched the harbor, one of the followers of the Son brought Him a letter from which the fragrance of sanctity could be inhaled, as its writer had been ignited with the fire of the love of his Lord. Anyone who reads his letter will realize how the Almighty God changes the hearts of men. Here are some fragments of the letter:
"O Thou Glory of the All Glorious, and the Exalted One of the Most Exalted...! I am honored to write and send this supplication to Thy Presence. . . They did to Thee what they did to Jesus, the Manifestation of His Wisdom. . . They became the scattered and lost sheep of the herd . . . May I entreat Thee to include my people and myself amongst those who are saturated by the bounties of the oceans of Thy grace. .. . Thou art the Ever-Abiding, Ever-Flowing Fountain of Purity and Holiness. . . I supplicate Thee by Thy innermost Secret, by Thy Kalím (Interlocutor),[6] by Thy Son,[7] by Thy Habib (Beloved),[8] and by Thy Forerunner Who embraced the Cross for the sake of His love for Thee. . . that Thou may not deprive me and my poor family from beholding the light of Thy Countenance. . . Make our faith complete, choose us to serve the chosen ones amongst Thy servants, and accept us as martyrs, who offered their blood for the sake of Thy love. . . We are weak, ignorant and unworthy, do not make us of the losers. . . Give us the bounty of love, faith and hope and enable us to tear away from our hearts that which pleaseth Thee not. . . make us forget ourselves. We demand no comfort except in that which pleaseth Thee. Thou art the Searcher of hearts. . . a wooden vessel is carrying Thee. How intensely do I long to be in Thy company!. . . O Sea! What hath befallen thee? I see thee disturbed. Is it because of the fear of thy Lord, the Most Great? O, Alexandria! I see thee sad because of the departure of thy Lord, the Living, the Most Patient. The dilapidated city of `Akká is clapping its hands to welcome Thee with great joy. It is rejoicing because it can welcome the Greatest of all Glories."
=====
French version
"Ô toi, gloire des gloires et le plus exalté des exaltés ! J'écris cette lettre et l'adresse à celui qui a été soumis aux mêmes souffrances que Jésus-Christ... Je te supplie par le mystère de ton Être très joyeux, par ton Prophète qui discuta avec toi (Moïse), par ton Fils (Jésus), par ton Ami (Muhammad) et par ton Précurseur (le Bab) qui sacrifia sa vie par amour pour toi dans ton sentier, de ne pas m'empêcher, moi et ma pauvre famille, de voir la splendeur de ton visage. Ô toi qui as enduré tant de souffrances et de tribulations par amour pour nous ! Fortifie notre foi, choisis-nous pour ton service et accepte-nous comme martyres dans ton sentier afin que nous puissions verser notre sang par amour pour toi. Nous sommes faibles et ignorants, accorde-nous ta gloire afin que nous ne soyons pas parmi les perdants. Accorde-nous de nous distinguer par notre amour et notre foi, et purifie nos coeurs de tout ce qui va à l'encontre de ton bon plaisir. Aide-nous à oublier notre ego pour que nous ne cherchions aucun repos dans ton service sauf avec ton accord. Ô toi qui connais les secrets des coeurs ! Vogues-tu dans une arche en bois ? Ô que je languis de faire partie de ce vaisseau béni, car il porte son Seigneur. Ô mer houleuse ! Ton agitation, est-elle suscitée par ta crainte du Seigneur glorieux ? Ô Alexandrie ! Es-tu accablée de chagrin parce que celui qui est l'Éternel, le Très Sage, quitte tes rivages ? Ô ville déserte de Saint-Jean-d'Acre ! Tu applaudis, emportée par la joie et tu t'extasies, car le Seigneur dans sa grande gloire bénira ton sol de ses pieds." (voir "Épître aux Chrétiens" de Baha'u'llah)
C'est en réponse à cette lettre que Baha'u'llah révéla la Très Sainte Tablette, connue également sous le titre d'Épître aux Chrétiens.
C'est en réponse à cette lettre que Baha'u'llah révéla la Très Sainte Tablette, connue également sous le titre d'Épître aux Chrétiens.
No comments:
Post a Comment