3.
BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
BY H. M. BALYUZI
The humanitarian and spiritual principles enunciated decades ago in the darkest East by Bahá’u’lláh and moulded by Him into a coherent scheme are one after the other being taken by a world unconscious of their source as the marks of progressive civilization. And the sense that mankind has broken with the past and that the old guidance will not carry it through the emergencies of the present has filled with uncertainty and dismay all thoughtful men save those who have learned to find in the story of Bahá’u’lláh the meaning of all the prodigies and portents of our time.—SHOGHI EFFENDI.
THE towering grandeur and the tender beauty of the life of a Divine Manifestation cannot be comprehended by events usually associated with a saintly life. Its immensity presents itself in that mysterious influence which it exerts over countless lives —an influence which functions not through a vehicle of social status and prestige, wealth, secular power and worldly dominion; indeed, even not through a medium of mere superior knowledge and intellectual achievement.
The Divine Manifestation is the Archetype, and His life is the Supreme Pattern. His vision, not arrested by time and space, encompasses the future as well as the past. He is the only and the necessary link between one period of social evolution and the other. Without Him co-ordination is impossible. Furthermore, the Divine Manifestation quickens the forces latent in humanity, and releases sweeping reservoirs of spiritual power.
In every respect, the nineteenth century is one of the most outstanding periods in the history of mankind. Science, in this span of one hundred years, achieved tasks of stupendous consequences. Democracy and nationalism, ruthlessly suppressed by the statesmen of Europe in 1815, vindicated their claims in one country after another. Modes of thought underwent considerable change. The general outlook of human kind was transformed. We believe that this outburst of revolution in every sphere of activity was caused by the dawn of springtime in the world of spirit. Through the vibrations of their spiritual power, Bahá’u’lláh and his martyred predecessor, the youthful Báb, imparted fresh energy and new impulse to the material plane.
Mírzá Ḥusayn ‘Alí, later surnamed Bahá’u’lláh, first saw light on November 12th, 1817. He was born in a family of noble rank. His father, Mírzá Buzurg of Núr, held a responsible post in the ministerial circle of the Sháh’s Court. As a child, He showed remarkable faculties which endeared Him not only to His kinsmen and immediate entourage, but to strangers as well. At His father’s death, Mírzá Ḥusayn ‘Alí was offered the post left vacant in the Court, but he preferred to steer clear of the affairs of the State. The Grand Vizier, we are told, said that Mírzá Ḥusayn ‘Alí was intended for a work of greater magnitude, and the arena of government was too small a field for His capacities.
In those days, the nobility of Írán cared little for the sciences and the arts of the learned. Beyond excellent calligraphy, a knowledge of the sacred scriptures of Islám, and acquaintance with the works of such prominent figures in Persian literature as Rúmí, Sa‘adí and Háfiz, they generally knew but little. There were notable exceptions of course, but that would not invalidate our statement. Mírzá Ḥusayn ‘Alí was
Library and reading room of the recently inaugurated Bahá’í Center in Mexico City, Mexico, 1939.
more than an exception. Although untutored, He plunged freely and naturally into such discussions and talks that were earmarked for the theologian and the scholar. Time and again He astounded the doctors of religion and the learned of the land by His clear reasoning and His irrefutable logic. Oftentimes, a person encroaching upon precincts reserved to others becomes presumptuous, arrogant and haughty. Mírzá Ḥusayn ‘Alí was modest, genial and forbearing.
This youthful scion of a house of nobility had an overwhelming passion for justice. No human association could be claimed to rest on a sound basis, were justice non-existent in its foundations, as well as in its fabric. Mírzá Ḥusayn ‘Alí deserted the Court to tend the oppressed and the aggrieved. Not for once did He hesitate to champion the cause of the poor and the fallen who turned to Him for protection and support. None who deserved were refused. Thus passed His days of youth, until the very virtues that made Him a haven and a refuge, and raised Him in the esteem of His fellow men, convinced the bearer of a letter from the Báb that this was the Exalted Person intended to receive that Message.
On May 23rd, 1844, a young merchant of Shíráz, revealed Himself to a seeker, as that Deliverer whom the world of Islám anxiously awaited—an independent Manifestation of God, and the harbinger of a Greater Manifestation. He took upon Himself
Lecture room of the recently inaugurated Bahá’í Center in Mexico City, Mexico, 1939.
the title of ‘Báb,’ meaning ‘Gate.’ His primary mission was to awaken the slumbering people of Írán and warn the heedless followers of the Faith of Muḥammad, then, alas, laden with abuses. The Báb sent the same first believer, Mullá Ḥusayn, to the capital, entrusting him with a letter for an unnamed person high in heavenly rank. This emissary arrived at Ṭihrán with the determination to let Providence guide him to his goal. For a while he searched indomitably, but in vain. At last a visitor gave him the news of Mírzá Ḥusayn ‘Alí of Núr. He knew instantly that he had realized the object of his quest. Mírzá Ḥusayn ‘Alí received the Báb’s epistle in due course, and accepted the Truth that it contained. Thus, at the age of twenty-seven, the son of the minister, who had abandoned the Court and its vanities, the brilliant nobleman whose knowledge, eloquence, and lovable nature were exemplary, arrayed Himself on the side of a religious renaissance that was bound to excite the hatred and the enmity of the ruling classes of the realm—the corrupted clergy and the degenerate officialdom. Mírzá Ḥusayn ‘Alí never met the Prophet of Shíráz, yet the Báb had the implicit assurance that the Nobleman of Núr would ultimately wield the sceptre of supreme authority. It was the Báb who assigned Him the designation of Bahá’u’lláh—the Glory of God. One cannot fail to mark and underline the affection, the respect and the attachment which the Báb evinced towards Bahá’u’lláh, sentiments which found no
The Invitation issued by the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Mexico City, Mexico, to be present at the inauguration of the Bahá’í Center, the first of its kind in the Latin American Republics.
parallel in His regard for the rest of His able and devout followers.
Soon after His conversion, Bahá’u’lláh travelled to His native province on the shores of the Caspian Sea, to promote the Message of the Báb. He was highly esteemed in Mázindarán, and therefore apt to arouse controversy in orthodox camps. He challenged a clergyman of considerable local standing to refute His proofs, but the latter, finding himself unequal to the task, evaded the issue.
Then occurred the Conference of Badasht in the middle part of 1848. The followers of the Báb, harassed and persecuted, witnessing their Master in prison and cruel detention, came to meet in a secluded part of Khrásán, and examine the problems facing them as a community. There were the learned and confident Quddús, the silver tongued and courageous poetess Qurratu‘l‘Ayn, heralds of a new order. Bahá’u’lláh, too, was there. He arrived with dignified silence, and when the conference was at an end, His was the decisive and the indisputable word.
The Bábís had not yet fully grasped the
significance of the Báb’s Revelation.
Qurratu‘l-‘Ayn discarded her veil as a
token of new birth, and raised her voice
in defiance of superstition, prejudice
and inertia.
Quddús, deeply versed in theology, and firm
in his beliefs, could not sanction the
advanced measures advocated by Quarratu‘l‘Ayn.
Now, Bahá’u’lláh threw the weight
of His innate wisdom into the balance. The
Báb, he told the assemblage, was the Founder
of a new Dispensation, and stood in the same
heavenly lineage as Muḥammad, Jesus and
Moses. A few half-hearted souls left
[Page 783]
disgustedly, but the great
majority were confirmed in their faith. When
the Báb heard of the outcome of the
Conference of Badasht, His
delight was immense.
From Badasht, Bahá’u’lláh returned to Ṭihrán. Later He visited Mullá Ḥusayn who had, with more than three hundred Bábís, sought refuge in the shrine of Shaykh Tabarsí in Mázindarán. Mullá Ḥusayn built a fortress around the shrine, and was eventually joined by Quddús. Now the infuriated clergy of Mázindarán stormed the Government to dispatch a punitive expedition against that hounded band of innocent and God-fearing men. Troops marched and laid siege to the fortress which sheltered the Bábís. Hearing the news, Bahá’u’lláh departed promptly for the Fort of Tabarsí, wishing to share the calamities of His brethren in faith. Providence had deemed that the heroic defenders of Shaykh Tabarsí should seal the covenant of the Báb with their blood, and that Bahá’u’lláh should be preserved for a far greater purpose in days to come. He was stopped on His way by the Governor’s men, and carried to the town of Amul. The clergy preached death to the Bábís, and the mob thirsted for violence. In order to appease the feelings of the populace, the deputy-governor decided to inflict some kind of punishment on the members of Bahá’u’lláh’s retinue. Bahá’u’lláh offered Himself in lieu of His friends, and voluntarily drew the wrath of the mob upon His own Person. He was bastinadoed.
On July 9th, 1850, the gracious and gentle Báb was shot to death at Tabríz. His chest that heaved not but in adoration of God, was made the target of bullets. Not only did the Báb quaff of the cup of martyrdom, but His able and selfless lieutenants were one by one hunted down with brutal hatred—Mullá Ḥusayn, Quddús, Vaḥíd of Dáráb, the indomitable Ḥujjat, all murdered and gone. In the length and the breadth of Írán the Bábís had no peace, no security, no right to life itself. How long can a mutilated and agonized community bear and sustain the severe impact of continuous shocks! Bahá’u’lláh’s arduous task had already begun. In Him were centred all those highest qualities, human and divine, that went to make the Báb and Quddús. On Him, and Him alone, depended the fate of the Bábís. It was to Him that the Báb had sent His seals, pen and papers, a symbolic act of untold significance.
In June 1851, Bahá’u’lláh left Ṭihrán on a journey to Mesopotamia. There the Bábís lived in comparative safety, but were distracted and forlorn. Bahá’u’lláh refortified their faith and gave them fresh hope. Then He returned to Ṭihrán. The Bábís presented, indeed, a sad spectacle in this period of their short and eventful history. Their morale was impaired, and their energy sapped. The fickle and the timid among them could see no redeeming hand, no prospect of emancipation. Two young men, driven to despair, decided to avenge their Master and their martyred brethren. To them the source of persecution and tyranny seemed no other than the Sovereign—the Sháh, in whose hand was the power to give them justice. The Sháh, they argued in their tormented minds, had not exercised his sovereign authority in favour of their community, and therefore he had to pay the supreme penalty. So deranged were their faculties that they did not put in their pistols the proper bullets for killing a man. On August 12th, 1852, they made their mad attempt, and, naturally, failed. The Sháh received only superficial injuries. The would-be murderers were not given the chance of a trial, and were summarily dealt with. But the matter did not end there. The occasion was made an excuse for exterminating the followers of the Báb. Here at last, the Court and the clergy frenziedly declaimed, were the proofs of a deadly menace to the State.
Bahá’u’lláh was, at this moment, staying in a summer residence in the vicinity of the capital. His friends warned Him of the engulfing tide. They offered to hide Him from the fury of His opponents. But He remained calm and composed, and the next day He rode towards the camp of the Sháh. Let us hear the rest in His own words:
"We had nothing to do with this odious
deed, and Our innocence was indisputably
proved before the tribunals. Nevertheless
they arrested Us, and brought Us to the
prison in Ṭihrán . . . on foot, in chains,
and with bare head and feet, for a brutal
[Page 784]
fellow who was accompanying
Us on horseback, snatched the hat from
Our head, and many executioners and
farráshes hurried Us
along with great speed and put Us for four
months in a place the like of which has not
been seen. In reality, a dark and narrow
cell were far better than the place where
this Wronged One and His companions
were confined. When We entered the
prisons, on arrival they conducted Us along
a dismal corridor, and thence We descended
three steep stairs to the dungeon appointed
for Us. The place was dark, and its inmates
numbered nearly a hundred and fifty
—thieves, assassins and highway robbers.
Holding such a crowd as this, it had yet no
outlet, but the passage through which we
entered. The pen fails to describe this place
and its putrid stench. Most of the company
had neither clothes to wear, nor mat
to lie on. God knows what We endured in
that gloomy and loathesome place! By day
and by night, in this prison We reflected on
the condition of the Bábís and their doings
and affairs, wondering how, notwithstanding
their greatness of soul, nobility, and
intelligence, they could be capable of
such a deed as this audacious attempt
on the life of the
Sovereign. Then did this Wronged One
determine that, on leaving this prison, He
would arise with the utmost endeavour for
the regeneration of these souls. One night,
in a dream, this all-glorious word was heard
from all sides: 'Verily We will aid Thee to
triumph by Thyself and Thy pen. Grieve
not for that which hath befallen Thee, and
have no fear. Truly Thou art of them that
are secure. Ere long shall the Lord send
forth and reveal the treasures of the earth,
men who shall give Thee the victory by
Thyself and by Thy Name wherewith the
Lord hath revived the hearts of them that
know’.” (The Epistle to the Son of the Wolf.)
It was in the dungeon-prison of Ṭihrán that Bahá’u’lláh came to be the recipient of Divine Revelation. God, in His infinite Grace, gave the world a Universal Manifestation of His Absolute Qualities and Attributes. The promise of the Báb, nay, the promise of all the Prophets of the past, was fulfilled. The time, however, was not yet ripe for a public declaration. Eleven more years had to elapse before Bahá’u’lláh would announce His Manifestation to human kind.
After four months of unspeakable sufferings, Bahá’u’lláh was released from prison, and exiled from Írán. His property was confiscated. Nothing was left to Him of His worldly wealth. Those four months were a terrible nightmare. Hundreds of Bábís were done to death, after being subjected to excruciating tortures. The beautiful poetess, Qurratu‘l-‘Ayn was one of the victims. Another martyr was that gallant and zealous youth, Sulaymán Khán. They bored holes in his body and filled them with burning candles. Thus they paraded him in the streets, with a howling mob jeering at his heels. Yet he showed no signs of distress. Reviled by one of his tormentors, he answered with these lines:
"Clasping in one hand the wine-cup, in
- one hand the Loved One’s hair;
Thus my doom would I envisage
- dancing through the market-square.”
Such was the fortitude of the Bábís and such was the magnitude of their sacrifice.
On January 12th, 1853, Bahá’u’lláh left Ṭihrán, never to return. The Russian minister had invited Him to go to Russia where he would be assured of a free and unmolested life. Bahá’u’lláh declined the invitation, and chose Mesopotamia, the present-day ‘Iráq, as His destination. With Him were the members of His family. The winter was severe, the route was over high mountains covered with deep snow, and the means of comfort were scant. Deprived of His earthly goods, Bahá’u’lláh could not provide such facilities as would lessen the toils and hardships of that long and arduous journey. Travelling under those adverse conditions was agony, and the pace was necessarily slow.
As Bahá’u’lláh neared the frontier, a
period drew to its close. Were the people of
Írán aware of the great loss they sustained?
Steeped in ignorance, sunk in bigotry, and
blinded by prejudice, theirs was not to see
and know. And thus Bahá’u’lláh passed out
of their midst. He who was once loved and
respected, by rich and poor, high and low,
prince and peasant alike, was now deserted
[Page 785]
and exiled by the same
people on whom He
had lavished mercy, love, justice and charity
at all times. Persia lost the presence of
Bahá’u’lláh, but could His spirit ever be
absent from that or any other land?
In the “Epilogue” to Nabil’s Narative,1 Shoghi Effendi thus describes those tempestuous days culminating in Bahá’u’lláh’s exile: "Never had the fortunes of the Faith proclaimed by the Báb sunk to a lower ebb than when Bahá’u’lláh was banished from His native land to ‘Iráq. The cause for which the Báb had given His life, for which Bahá’u’lláh had toiled and suffered, seemed to be on the very verge of extinction. Its force appeared to have been spent, its resistance irretrievably broken. Discouragements and disasters, each more devastating in its effect than the preceding one, had succeeded one another with bewildering rapidity, sapping its vitality and dimming the hopes of its stoutest supporters.”
Bahá’u’lláh arrived at Baghdád in March 1853. His physical strength was momentarily shattered. To a casual observer He might have looked a man approaching His end. Indeed, the Sháh and the clergy were confident that Bahá’u’lláh was doomed to a lingering death and oblivion. Stunned by the staggering blows of their enemies, and disintegrated by factional strifes, the Bábís could not, for the moment, observe His guiding hand. Yet, unknown to friend and foe, He was the repository of Divine Revelation, robed with the mantel of Prophethood. He Himself gives us a vivid and overpowering account of those hours when He became conscious of His Heavenly Mission:
“During the days when I was imprisoned in the land of Tá (Ṭihrán), although the galling weight of chains and the loathesome atmosphere of the prison allowed Me little sleep, yet occasionally in My moments of slumber, I felt as if something were pouring forth over My breast, even as a mighty torrent, which descending from the summit of a lofty mountain, precipitates itself over the earth. All My limbs seemed to have been set aflame. At such moments My tongue recited what mortal ears could not hear.” (The Epistle to the Son of the Wolf.)
The Báb had clearly and in a most emphatic language foretold the proximity of the advent of “Him Whom God Will Make Manifest,” that World Educator who was to rear and lead humanity in the "Day of Days.” At this period many an adventurer forwarded a claim to that Station. Thus a number of the Bábís were divided into numerous parties, each supporting one of these self-appointed Messiahs. The nominal head of the Bábí Community, Bahá’u’lláh’s half-brother, Mírzá Yahyá, entitled Subh-i-Azal or the "Morning of Eternity,” was incompetent to cope with the forces of disruption. At the time when Bahá’u’lláh was in chains, Subh-i-Azal roamed the countryside, in disguise. In the garb of a dervish, he reached Baghdád, after the arrival of Bahá’u’lláh, having not raised so much as a finger in vindication of the Cause. It was Bahá’u’lláh who had exposed Himself to the fury of the court and the clergy.
Having recovered from the effects of His harsh imprisonment and painful journey, Bahá’u’lláh arose to consolidate the shattered Community of the Báb, but Subh-i-Azal chose to obstruct His benevolent lead. So fierce became the opposition engineered by Azal, that Bahá’u’lláh decided to retire from the scene of contention. One morning His household awoke to find Him gone. He sought an abode in the mountains of Kurdistán. Such an incident is common to the lives of almost all of the Manifestations of God. Buddha left His palace to commune with the eternal in the forests and caves of India. Jesus Christ went into the wilderness. Muḥammad made His way to the desert and the burning hills of Arabia.
Bahá’u’lláh’s self-imposed exile was a test. Were He to be the only Guide capable of pointing the right path to the Bábís, the passage of time would prove it conclusively. And time did demonstrate that fact. This is how He writes of those days: “As this servant upon His arrival in this land (Baghdád) became aware in part of events which would subsequently happen, We took our departure . . . to deserts of solitude and spent two years in the wilderness of isolation. Many a night We were destitute of
————————
1A history of the early days of the Cause, written by Nabil of Zarand, and translated by Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith.
[Page 786]
food, and many a day
the body found no
rest. Notwithstanding these showering
afflictions and successive calamities . . . We
continued in perfect happiness and
exceeding joy. Our only purpose was
to avoid being a cause of disagreement
among the beloved ones, a source of
disturbance among
the friends, the means of injury to anyone.
We had no other intention or
object whatever.” (The Book of Certitude.)
Gradually the fame of Bahá’u’lláh spread around the district of Sulaymáníyyih. None in the neighbourhood knew His identity, but all were charmed by His kindliness and wisdom. Some mistook Him for an adherent of a Súfí Order. Later, at Baghdád, a prominent Súfí asked Him to compose a treatise on the journey of Man towards his Creator. Bahá’u’lláh wrote The Seven Valleys. In that small book He describes the stages that a seeker will have to traverse before reaching his destination, which is the recognition of the Manifestation of God. It is a gem of mystical prose, unsurpassed in its beauty, simplicity and profundity.
In a widening circle, Baghdád came to hear of the wise hermit who had appeared in the northern confines of the country. They spoke of His knowledge, piety and astonishing insight. The Bábís, bereft of the counsels of Bahá’u’lláh, and sinking ever deeper into the mires of conflict and disorder, longed for His Guidance, but knew not where to seek Him. No sooner had some of them heard of the Sage of Sulaymáníyyih, than they saw behind that veil, the very person of Bahá’u’lláh, and dispatched emissaries to find Him and implore His return. Bahá’u’lláh was surprised to see that small band of Bábís, but He knew that He had to answer the call. This was the voice of God, the plan of Providence. Time had shown His indispensability to the Community of the Báb.
His absence from Baghdád had lasted two years. This was the year 1856. Henceforth His power, His word, and His command were gladly welcomed by the Bábís. They had gone through a severe ordeal and had learned their lesson in the school of adversity. No doubt opposition was still rife. Azal, himself a man of weak will, was held aloft by a handful of the ambitious and the self-seeking, as a puppet leader. Bahá’u’lláh exerted His utmost to protect His half-brother from the seditious devices of these agitators, but Azal was of an inferior type. He disregarded the sound advice of the One who was his true friend, and become more and more implicated in vain plottings.
Hitherto the believers in the Báb were recruited from the Shí‘ih sect of Islám. Now, under the aegis of Bahá’u’lláh, others came to enlist. He recreated the withered lives of the Bábís. They were told not to resist by violence any encroachment made on their liberties. In this manner He stemmed the tide of lawlessness that at one time seriously menaced the integrity of the Bábí Community.
It was in this period that Bahá’u’lláh revealed The Hidden Words. Walking on the banks of the Tigris, He reflected on the nearness of God, and the remoteness of Man; on the outpourings of God’s Grace and Love, and Man’s obstinate refusal to drink of that never-ending fountain. The result was The Hidden Words written in a lucid and captivating prose. In The Hidden Words the basic structure of Religion is disclosed—that everlasting foundation common to all faiths.
It was also during His sojourn in Baghdád that Bahá’u’lláh penned the most momentous of His Writings, Kitab-i-Íqán, or the Book of Certitude. In this work Bahá’u’lláh offers a logical, illuminating and irrefutable explanation of the enigmatic texts of the Scriptures of the past. Many have derided at revealed religion, because certain statements in the holy books have seemed ludicrous and untenable. Some others have advocated a literal interpretation of these symbolic writings, which has only fostered superstition and bigotry. Bahá’u’lláh breaks the seal and presents the prophecies and symbolisms of the Scriptures in their true light.
The Cause of the Báb was once more
alive and healthy. The gloom of drift and
anarchy had dispersed. From far and wide
the Bábís came to bask in the sunshine of
Bahá’u’lláh’s love and guidance. Savants
and learned men brought their intricate
[Page 787]
problems and received
solutions to their
satisfaction. But the renown attending
upon the name of Bahá’u’lláh, stirred anew
the feelings of envy and hatred. A number
of the Shí‘ih clergy assembled
to determine a plan of action
against the Faith of the
Báb and its revered Exponent. One should
take note of the fact that
Shaykh-i-Ansárí,
the most prominent of them all, refused to
participate in their deliberations. They
commissioned one of their members to wait
upon Bahá’u’lláh and demand convincing
proofs. This man did as he was bidden, and
went back with a definite offer—Bahá’u’lláh
would bring forth any proof that the clergy
might require, on condition that they would
on their part pledge themselves to accept
His authority thereafter. Their emissary told
them that he had witnessed nothing but
truth and righteousness in the words and the
deeds of the Bábí Leader. Those men had
come together, not to find truth,
but to oppose it. They rejected the offer,
and brought
pressure upon the Government of the Sháh
to adopt repressive measures. So insistent
became their pleading, cajoling and finally
intimidating, that the Sháh took fright and
instructed his envoy at Constantinople to
approach the Turkish Government, and
demand the removal of Bahá’u’lláh to
a locality far from the frontiers of Írán.
Negotiations were carried on for some time between the two States, and at last the Sulṭán ordered the Governor of Baghdád to dispatch Bahá’u’lláh to Constantinople. His enemies were jubilant, and His friends horrified and depressed. Can we stretch our imaginations far enough to visualize the despondency and the heartaches of the Bábís in that month of April 1863? Can we contemplate their sorrow?
Bahá’u’lláh moved to the garden of Riḍván, outside the gates of Baghdád. The Bábís thronged there to see the last of their Beloved, so cruelly torn from their midst. It was the twenty-first day of April. With tears in their eyes they gathered around Him. He was calm, serene and unruffled. The hour had struck. To that company Bahá’u’lláh revealed Himself—He was the Promised One in Whose path the Báb had sacrificed His life, “Him Whom God Will Make Manifest,” the Sháh Bahrám, the Fifth Buddha, the Lord of Hosts, the Return of Christ, the Master of the Day of Judgement. A deep silence fell upon the audience. Heads were bent as the immensity of that Declaration touched the consciousness of men. Not a breath of dissent—one and all they threw themselves at His feet. Sadness had vanished; joy, celestial joy, prevailed.
Bahá’u’lláh left for Constantinople on May 2nd, 1863, and arrived there three months later.
Why was He taken to the capital of the Ottoman Empire? Was He to stand a trial, was the Sulṭán to investigate His Cause in person? Was He to be led to prison and confinement? Such questions did undoubtedly assail the minds of His people. Although they could find no convincing answer, and although the future looked dark and perilous, many of His followers shared His exile with willing hearts.
From the Sublime Porte, Bahá’u’lláh solicited no favour. His only protest was His silence and calm resignation. Several of the dignitaries of the capital called upon Him. To none He uttered a word of accusation. Around an oriental court in the last century thrived malcontents and intriguers. While living in Baghdád, Bahá’u’lláh was approached by a number of such persons who hoped to win the affection of the Bábís. He refused to meet them, and the few who gained admittance into His presence, received no encouragement. In Constantinople, Bahá’u’lláh adhered to the same rule. His Cause had not the remotest connection with sedition and plots, in fact the whole urge of His Teachings was absolutely otherwise.
After four months at Constantinople came a further exile, this time to Adrianople. Again He and His companions had to undergo the hardships of a winter journey without adequate means and provisions. Bahá’u’lláh was now a prisoner of the Government of Turkey. It had no charge to level against Him, and yet it restrained the freedom of His movements.
At Adrianople Bahá’u’lláh issued an open
and public announcement of His Revelation,
and the Bábís, wherever they were,
[Page 788]
submitted to His
God-given Authority. Henceforth
they were styled Bahá’ís. Azal,
however, though outwardly subdued, was
secretly engaged in opposition. The account
of his intrigues and base dealings makes sorry
reading. He imagined that he was
undermining Bahá’u’lláh’s position;
in fact he was
bringing ruin upon himself. Time,
that unfaltering test of right and
wrong, eventually
exposed the hollowness of his contention,
and the misery of his purpose. He
introduced poison into Bahá’u’lláh’s
food. Bahá’u’lláh’s life was saved,
but the effects of that
deadly substance remained with Him to the
end of His days. Having failed in his
dastardly attempt, Azal turned round and
pointed an accusing finger at Bahá’u’lláh. It
was his Brother, he alleged, who had poisoned
the food, and then accidentally partaken of
it. To-day, at the remove of more than
half a century, we can pity the malefactor,
and feel amused by his calumnies
and presumptions. At its time
such vile conduct served to
increase the rigors of Bahá’u’lláh’s
life.
From Adrianople, and later from ‘Akká, Bahá’u’lláh addressed the rulers of the world in a series of Letters. To them He declared His Divine Mission, and called them to serve peace and righteousness. The majestic sweep of His counsel and admonition revealed in these Letters arrests the deepest attention of every earnest student of the Bahá’í Faith.
Here is a Prisoner judged and condemned by a conspiracy of tyrants, facing the concourse of sovereigns, nay, the generality of mankind. Undaunted, He throws a bold challenge, not alone to His oppressors, not alone to ephemeral shadows of earthly might and dominion, but principally to those dark passions and motives which dare to intervene between man and the goal destined for him by his Maker. Here, an Exile, wronged and betrayed, appears as the True and the Only Judge. Thus He writes to the Sulṭán of Turkey:
“Hearken, O King, to the speech of Him that speaketh the Truth, Him that doth not ask thee to recompense Him with the things God hath chosen to bestow upon thee, Him who unerringly treadeth the straight Path. He it is Who summoneth thee unto God, thy Lord, Who showeth thee the right course, the way that leadeth to true felicity, that haply thou mayest be of them with whom it shall be well. . . . Allow not the abject to rule over and dominate them who are noble and worthy of honour, and suffer not the high-minded to be at the mercy of the contemptible and worthless, for this is what We observed upon Our arrival at the city (Constantinople), and to it We bear witness. We found among its inhabitants some who were possessed of an affluent fortune, and lived in the midst of excessive riches, while others were in dire want and abject poverty. This ill beseemeth thy sovereignty, and is unworthy of thy rank.”
He foresaw the calamities that awaited the Ottoman Empire: “The day is approaching when the Land of Mystery (Adrianople) and what is beside it shall be changed, and shall pass out of the hands of the King, and commotions shall appear, and the voice of lamentation shall be raised, and the evidences of mischief shall be revealed on all sides, and confusion shall spread by reason of that which hath befallen these captives at the hands of the hosts of oppression. The course of things shall be altered, and conditions shall wax so grievous, that the sands on the desolate hills will moan, and the trees on the mountain will weep, and blood will flow out of all things. Then wilt thou behold the people in sore distress.”
In the Tablet to the Sháh He makes a weighty pronouncement on the absorbing question of the knowledge of the Prophet: “O King, verily I was as any one amongst mankind, slumbering upon My couch. The gales of the All-Glorious passed by Me, and taught Me the knowledge of what hath been. This thing is not from Me but from One Who is mighty and All-Knowing. And He bade Me proclaim betwixt the earth and the heaven, and for this hath there befallen Me that whereat the eyes of those who know overflow with tears. I have not studied those sciences which men possess, nor have I entered the colleges; inquire of the city wherein I was, that thou mayest be assured that I am not of those who speak falsely.”
Napoleon III gave the Letter sent to him
a reception far from courteous. In a second
Tablet revealed at ‘Akká in 1869,
[Page 789]
Bahá’u’lláh warned
him of his impending downfall:
“Thy doings shall throw thy kingdom
into confusion, sovereignty shall pass from
thy hands, to requite thee for thy deeds,
and thus thou shalt find thyself in grievous
loss. Convulsions shall seize all people in
yonder land, unless thou dost arise in this
Cause and in this straight path follow the
Spirit. Hath thy pomp made thee
vainglorious? By My life! It shall not
endure, nay, it shall pass away, unless
thou dost cling unto this strong cord.
We behold abasement hastening upon
thy heels and thou
art yet of them that are heedless.” In the
same Tablet, Bahá’u’lláh tells him, "O King
of Paris! Tell the priests not to ring the
bells. By God, the True One, the most
glorious Bell hath appeared in the Temple of
the most glorious Name, and the fingers of
the Will of thy Lord, the High, the Supreme,
ring it in the world of eternal power through
His most splendid Name.” Soon after,
Napoleon suffered defeat and captivity,
and his Empire tottered to dust.
The Tablet to the Pope is of particular interest and concern to the Christian World: "Rend asunder the veils,” Bahá’u’lláh writes to the Pontiff at Rome, “the Lord of Lords hath come in the shadow of the clouds, and the matter hath been decided on the part of God, the Powerful, the Unconstrained. Disclose the splendours of the authority of Thy Lord; then ascend into the Kingdom of names and attributes; thus doth the Supreme Pen command thee, on the part of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Most Powerful. Verily He hath come from heaven another time, as He came from it the first time; beware lest thou oppose Him as the Pharisees opposed (Him) without evidence or proof.” He proceeds to recall the denial and the fierce rejection with which Jesus was hailed by the very people who prayed to God to hasten the advent of the Messiah, and states the parallel in His own Revelation: “Look likewise at this time; how many monks secluded themselves in churches in My Name; and when the appointed time was completed and We disclosed to them perfection they did not know Me, while they called unto Me at eventide and at dawn. We see them veiled from Myself by My Name. Verily this is naught but a marvel; say, beware lest celebration preventeth you from the Celebrated, and worship from the Worshipped.”
To the Czar of Russia He writes: “Say, verily, I have not intended the mention of Myself, but that of God, were ye of the just; nothing could be seen in Me but God and His Commands, were ye of those who reflect. Say, verily, I am the One, Whom the tongue of Isaiah hath extolled, the One with Whose name both the Torah and the Evangel were adorned. Verily He hath testified for Me, and I testify for Him, and God is witness to what I say.”
The German Emperor is exhorted to ponder over the fate of Napoleon III: “Do thou remember the one whose power transcended thy power and whose station excelled thy station. Where is he? Whither are gone the things he possessed. Take warning and be not of them that are fast asleep. He it was who cast the Tablet of God behind him, when We made known unto him what the hosts of tyranny had caused Us to suffer. Wherefore, disgrace assailed him from all sides, and he went down to dust in great loss. Think deeply, O King, concerning him, and concerning them who, like unto thee, have conquered cities and ruled over men.”
In Kitáb-i-Aqdas (The Most Holy Book), He prophesied the ordeals of the German Empire: “O banks of the Rhine! We have seen you covered with gore, inasmuch as the swords of retribution were drawn against you; and so you shall have another turn. And We hear the lamentations of Berlin, though she be to-day in conspicuous glory.”
Francis Joseph of Austria is reminded of his journey to the Holy Land: "O thou Emperor of Austria! The Day-Spring of the light of Primal Unity was in the Prison of ‘Akká when thou didst visit Al-Masjid-Al-Aqsá (Temple in Jerusalem), but thou hast passed by without even inquiries about Him by Whom every house is honoured and exalted and every high door is opened. We have been with thee under all aspects and found thee clinging to the branch and heedless of the Root. Verily, thy Lord is a witness to what I say—We were overtaken by sorrows at seeing thee journeying for the sake of Our Name and knowing Us not while We were before thy face.”
[Page 790]
To the Americas
He declares: “O rulers
of America, and Presidents of the Republics!
Hearken to the strains of the Dove, on the
branch of eternity, singing the melody
‘There is no God but Me, the Everlasting,
the Forgiver, the Generous.’ Adorn the
temple of dominion with the embroidered
garment of justice and virtue, and crown its
head with the diadem of the celebration of
your Lord, the creator of heaven and earth.
The Promised One has appeared in
this exalted station, whereat
all creation, both seen
and unseen, smiled and rejoiced.
O concourse of statesmen! Hearken to that which
is raised from the Day-Spring of Greatness
that ‘There is no God but Me, the Speaker,
the All-Knowing.’ Assist with the hands of
justice the broken-hearted, and crush the
great oppressors with the scourges of the
commands of your Lord, the Powerful, the
Wise.”
The Tablet to Queen Victoria epitomizes the Message lying at the core of His letters to the sovereigns of the world. Those—and legions they are—who are confused and bewildered by the ferocity of the present-day political strife and international discord, cannot afford to overlook this invaluable Document. To them it brings the answer which in vain they search for in all directions.
Addressing the Queen, Bahá’u’lláh writes: “And we have heard that thou hast entrusted the reins of deliberation into the hands of the commonwealth. Thou hast done well, for thereby the basis of the edifices of all affairs are made firm, and the hearts of those who are under thy shadow, both of high and low, become tranquil. But it behooves them to be as trustees amongst the servants of God, and to regard themselves as guardians over whosoever is in all the earth. This is that whereby they are admonished in this Tablet on the part of One Who is the Overseer and the Wise. When anyone turns towards the assembly, let him turn his glance to the Supreme Horizon, and say, ‘O God, I ask Thee by Thy most splendid Name, to assist me unto that whereby the affairs of Thy servants may prosper, and Thy countries may flourish; verily, Thou art powerful over all things.’ Blessed is he who entereth the assembly in the regard of God, and judgeth betwixt man with pure justice; is he not of those who prosper? O ye leaders of assemblies, whether there or in some other country, think of results and speak of that whereby the world and its conditions may be reformed, were ye of those who deliberate. Regard the world as the human body which, though created whole and perfect, has been afflicted, through divers causes, with grave ills and maladies. Not for one day did it rest, nay its sickness waxed more severe, as it fell under the treatment of unskilled physicians who have spurred on the steed of their worldly desires and have erred grievously. And if at one time, through the care of an able physician, a member of that body was healed, the rest remained afflicted as before. Thus informeth you the All Knowing, the All-Wise. And to-day We see it under the hands of those who are taken by the intoxication of the wine of deceits in such manner that they do not know what is best for themselves, how much more, then, for this arduous and grave matter! And if one of them endeavour to better its health, his intention will not be but to profit himself thereof, whether by name or effect, therefore he will not be able to heal it save to a certain extent. And that which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world, is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one Common Faith. This can in no wise be achieved except through the power of a skilled, an all-powerful and inspired Physician. This, verily, is the truth, and all else naught but error. And whenever this most great Physician hath come and the light hath shone forth from the ancient Dawning-place, these false physicians have striven to hinder and prevent Him, and become as clouds between Him and the world.”
After this clear analysis of the causes of
unrest and affliction, Bahá’u’lláh speaks of
the attempts made to frustrate His.
Divinely-ordained task of regeneration,
points at the
ever-mounting burdens of armament, pleads
the cause of the poor and the oppressed, and
utters a final warning to the rulers of men:
“Now that ye have refused the Most Great
Peace, hold ye fast unto this the Lesser
Peace, that haply ye may in some degree
better your own condition and that of your
[Page 791]
dependents. Be
reconciled among yourselves,
that ye may need no more armaments save
in a measure to safeguard your territories
and dominions. . . . Be united, O Kings of
the earth, for thereby will the tempest of
discord be stilled amongst you, and your
peoples find rest, if ye be of them that
comprehend. Should any one among you take up
arms against another, rise ye all against him,
for this is naught but manifest justice.”
The years of Bahá’u’lláh’s sojourn in Adrianople offer a vast field of historical research. In the fifth volume of the biennial publication, THE BAHÁ’Í WORLD, one can read an original and fascinating article on Adrianople and its connections with Bahá’u’lláh, written by Miss Martha Root, the well-known international Bahá’í teacher. Miss Root went to Adrianople to search for records of Bahá’u’lláh’s forced exile. She met individuals who remembered the days of the great “Bahá’í Beg,”1 and recalled His generosity and benevolence. Furthermore, she located the ruins and the sites of the houses in which Bahá’u’lláh dwelt. Miss Root’s excellent article is informative to a point, but studies of the subject in greater detail still await undertaking.
Mention has already been made of the opposition moulded and directed by Azal and a few adventurers gathered around him. He resorted to many a tortuous device, and repeatedly failed to shake the allegiance which the Bábís had given to Bahá’u’lláh. Incensed by his ill success, Azal determined to accuse his Half-Brother and life-long Benefactor of treacherous designs against the security of the Ottoman Caliphate. His efforts bore him bitter fruit, for not only were Bahá’u’lláh and His people condemned to imprisonment in the desolate barracks of ‘Akká, but Azal too was banished, to Cyprus —to oblivion. He outlived Bahá’u’lláh, dragging on existence until the year 1912, impenitent to the end, a broken man, the victim of his passions and selfish pursuits.
‘Akká, St. Jean D’Acre of the Crusades that resisted the siege of Richard I of England, the city which defied Napoleon at a later age, had fallen into disrepute at this period of its checkered history. Its air and water were foul and disease-laden. Proverb had it that a bird flying over ‘Akká would fall dead. To its forbidding barracks were consigned the dangerous criminals of the Sulṭán’s dominions—there to perish. ‘Abdu’l‘Azíz of Turkey decreed the incarceration of Bahá’u’lláh, His family, and His entourage, in the citadel of ‘Akká. They were moved out of Adrianople on August 12th, 1868, and arrived at ‘Akká on the last day of the same month.
Bahá’u’lláh’s exile to Palestine, the Holy Land, was intended by His adversaries to be the final blow which, in their calculation, would shatter His Faith and fortune. How significant will his exile seem, if we recall certain prophecies uttered in the past. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Son of Bahá’u’lláh, and the Expounder of His Message, thus speaks of this stupendous event: “When Bahá’u’lláh came to His prison in the Holy Land, the wise men realized that the glad tidings which God gave through the tongue of the Prophets two or three thousand years before, were again manifested, and that God was faithful to His promise; for to some of the Prophets He had revealed and given the good news that "The Lord of Hosts should be manifested in the Holy Land.” All these promises were fulfilled; and it is difficult to understand how Bahá’u’lláh could have been obliged to leave Persia, and to pitch His tent in this Holy Land, but for the persecution of His enemies, His banishment and exile.”
The prisoners were about eighty in number: men, women and children, huddled in a few dirty and meagrely protected rooms. The food provided by the authorities was inedible, and the water was polluted. Before long disease raged among them. All but five, who later succumbed, were ill and helpless. Those five, among whom was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, tended the rest, and pleaded in vain with the Governor of the prison for medical succour. Four died, and their bodies could not be removed, because the soldiers required money to induce them to carry out their duty. Bahá’u’lláh handed a carpet on which He slept to the wardens to sell and defray the expenses. Yet, the remains of the dead did not receive a proper burial. Amidst their afflictions, the prisoners retained their
————————
1Bahá’u’lláh.
[Page 792]
serenity. They were happy
because they were co-sharers in the
sufferings of their Lord.
Another tragic event was the death of Mírzá Mihdí, entitled The Purest Branch, a younger son of Bahá’u’lláh.
For a long while the Bahá’ís in Írán and elsewhere possessed no news of Bahá’u’lláh. Later it was made possible to establish communications, and a number came to ‘Akká. to find prison walls intervening between them and the One whose presence they sought. Some had journeyed on foot over the mountains of Western Írán and the deserts of ‘Iráq and Syria. All that they were allowed to see was the figure of Bahá’u’lláh behind the bars from a distance beyond the third moat; only a wave of His hands, and they turned homewards, grateful for the bounty conferred upon them. Others came in their wake, and took back the memory of that figure appearing at the window—a treasure which they valued above everything in their varied lives.
Close confinement in the barracks lasted until October 1870. Military reinforcements had been sent to that part of the Empire, and the Citadel of ‘Akká was in demand for their accommodation. Bahá’u’lláh and His family were conducted to a small house within the city walls, and others were permitted to take residence in a caravanserai. One might imagine that release from strict bondage spelled relief. However that was not the case. Enclosed within the barracks, Bahá’u’lláh and His followers had few contacts with the inhabitants of ‘Akká, but rumors of the ugliest kind regarding them had spread abroad. Ignorant of the real identity of Bahá’u’lláh, the townsmen relegated Him and His people to the same category as the regular inmates of the prison of ‘Akká. Even worse, in their imagination, they laid every odious act to the charge of the Bahá’ís, whom they described as renegades from the True Faith, traitors to the august person of the Sulṭán, plotters against the security of the land, ruffians who deserved the censure of the righteous. The Bahá’ís were ushered into such a charged atmosphere of undisguised hostility. Their task of conciliation was indeed herculean.
Notwithstanding the fierce prejudices which hailed them on every side, the Bahá’ís succeeded before long in subduing the hatred of the populace. Here was a war waged between the force of character and integrity, and turbulent passions born of ignorance. At the end victory went to the side which had risen above the plane of conflict, and in submitting its will to a Higher Will, could free itself of fear and distrust. It gradually dawned upon the officials and the leaders of religion that their Chief Prisoner was not an ordinary man, that they had in their custody a Personage of superior gifts and powers. They became enamoured of His majestic bearing, of His amazing knowledge of human affairs, of His disarming charity and forbearing nature. Their prisoner He was, but a time came when it was almost impossible to realize the fact.
During the years of confinement in ‘Akká, besides many other Tablets, Bahá’u’lláh wrote Kitáb-i-Aqdas (The Most Holy Book), and the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf. The latter was addressed to a clergyman of Iṣfáhán, an inveterate enemy of the Faith, whose schemings resulted in murder and persecution. Therein Bahá’u’lláh reiterates His challenge to His detractors. His Call is from God, His trust is in God, and no earthly power can deter Him in his purpose. Kitáb-i-Aqdas contains laws, exhortations and admonitions. There are laws that concern the individual, and laws that guard the well-being of society; laws that find immediate application, and laws that await the establishment of the World Order.
Nine years elapsed before Bahá’u’lláh left the confines of the city walls. Although still a virtual prisoner, He moved out of ‘Akká, and no obstacles were laid in His path. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gives us a graphic account of the circumstances of that significant event. Significant indeed it was, as it verified a promise uttered by Bahá’u’lláh long before, while still incarcerated in the barracks. “Fear not,” He had written, “these doors shall be opened, My tent shall be pitched on Mount Carmel, and the utmost joy shall be realized.”
Bahá’u’lláh was very fond of the countryside,
The first Mexican Bahá’ís to visit their American co-workers. Taken at the Bahá’í Temple, Wilmette, Illinois, 1939, on the occasion of the annual Convention.
[Page 794]
but, detained
within the cheerless walls
of ‘Akká, He was barred from the beauties
of nature. A day came when He said, “I
have not gazed on verdure for nine years.
The country is the world of the soul, the
city is the world of bodies.” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
heard of these words and understood that the
time had arrived when it would be possible
to end the spell of imprisonment.
Accordingly He went in search of a house in the
plains, and having at last secured one, He
approached His Father and begged Him to
take residence there. Bahá’u’lláh did not
agree to leave ‘Akká. He was a prisoner, He
maintained, and not entitled to the freedom
of His movements. A second and a third
time ‘Abdu’l-Bahá repeated His request to
receive the same answer. Next, a prominent
Arab Shaykh, who was very
devoted to Bahá’u’lláh, pleaded with Him:
“God forbid! Who has the power to make you a
prisoner? You have kept yourself in prison.”
At the end the Shaykh
obtained His consent.
After two years at Mazra’ih, which was some four miles northwards of ‘Akká, He took His abode in the neighboring Mansion of Bahjí, and there He lived the remaining years of His life. Bahjí, meaning “Delight,” was a charming and palatial house near the coast, and far enough from the drab surroundings of ‘Akká to be invested with rural beauty. From the window of His room Bahá’u’lláh could watch the pure blue of the Mediterranean, the distant minarets of the prison-city, and even further, beyond the bay, He could see the dim outline of the gentle slope of Mount Carmel. The Mansion stands guard to-day over the adjoining shrine which harbors the mortal remains of Bahá’u’lláh. In its radius one can experience that peace for which one’s soul has ever yearned.
Dr. J. E. Esslemont, the author of that immortal work, Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, thus describes the life at Bahjí: “Having in His earlier years of hardship shown how to glorify God in a state of poverty and ignominy, Bahá’u’lláh in His later years at Bahjí showed how to glorify God in a state of honor and affluence. The offerings of hundreds of thousands of devoted followers placed at His disposal large funds which He was called upon to administer. Although His life at Bahjí has been described as truly regal, in the highest sense of the word, yet it must not be imagined that it was characterized by material splendor or extravagance. The Blessed Perfection1 and His family lived in very simple and modest fashion, and expenditure on selfish luxury was a thing unknown in that household. Near His home the believers prepared a beautiful garden called Riḍván, in which He spent many consecutive days or even weeks sleeping at night in a little cottage in the garden. Occasionally He went further afield. He made several visits to ‘Akká and Haifa, and on more than one occasion pitched His tent on Mount Carmel, as He had predicted when imprisoned in the barracks at ‘Akká.”
Edward Granville Browne, of the University of Cambridge, visited Bahjí in April 1890. Back at home, he committed to paper the impressions he had received: “So here at Bahjí I was installed as a guest, in the very midst of all that Bábíism accounts most noble and most holy; and here did I spend five most memorable days, during which I enjoyed unparalleled and unhoped-for opportunities of holding intercourse with those who are the very fountain-heads of that mighty and wondrous spirit which works with invisible but ever-increasing force for the transformation and quickening of a people who slumber in a sleep like unto death. It was, in truth, a strange and moving experience, but one whereof I despair of conveying any save the feeblest impression. I might, indeed, strive to describe in greater detail the faces and forms which surrounded me, the conversations to which I was privileged to listen, the solemn melodious reading of the sacred books, the general sense of harmony and content which pervaded the place, and the fragrant shady gardens whither in the afternoon we sometimes repaired; but all this was as naught in comparison with the spiritual atmosphere with which I was encompassed. . . . The spirit which pervades the Bábís is such that it can hardly fail to affect most powerfully all subjected to its influence. It may appall or attract. It cannot be ignored or disregarded. Let those who have not seen disbelieve me if they will; but should that spirit once reveal itself to them, they will experience an
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1Bahá’u’lláh.
[Page 795]
emotion which they
are not likely to forget.1
Edward Browne has left us a pen-portrait of Bahá’u’lláh. It is the only one of its kind in existence, and. therefore of tremendous value to the student of the Bahá’í Faith. To-day the visitor to Bahjí can read this document, before venturing into Bahá’u’lláh’s chamber, as it is exhibited on the wall. Thus one can try to recreate in one’s mind the interview granted to the English Orientalist:
“My conductor paused for a moment while I removed my shoes. Then, with a quick movement of the hand, he withdrew, and, as I passed, replaced the curtain; and I found myself in a large apartment, along the upper end of which ran a low divan, while on the side opposite to the door were placed two or three chairs. Though I dimly suspected whither I was going, and whom I was to behold (for no distinct intimation had been given to me), a second or two elapsed ere, with a throb of wonder and awe, I became definitely conscious that the room was not untenanted. In the corner, where the divan met the wall, sat a wondrous and venerable figure, crowned with a felt headdress of the kind called táj by dervishes (but of unusual height and make), round the base of which was wound a small white turban. The face of him on whom I gazed I can never forget, though I cannot describe it. Those piercing eyes seemed to read one’s very soul; power and authority sat on that ample brow; while the deep lines on the forehead and face implied an age which the jet-black hair and beard flowing down in indistinguishable luxuriance almost to the waist seemed to belie. No need to ask in whose presence I stood, as I bowed myself before one who is the object of a devotion and love which kings might envy and emperors sigh for in vain!
"A mild dignified voice bade me be seated, and then continued: ‘Praise be to God that thou has attained! . . . Thou hast come to see a prisoner and an exile. . . . We desire but the good of the world and the happiness of the nations; yet they deem us a stirrer-up of strife and sedition worthy of bondage and banishment. . . . That all nations should become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men should be strengthened; that diversity of religion should cease, and differences of race be annulled—what harm is there in this? . . . Yet so it shall be; these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and ‘The Most Great Peace’ shall come. . . . Do not you in Europe need this also? Is not this that which Christ foretold? . . . Yet do we see your kings and rulers lavishing their treasures more freely on means for the destruction of the human race than on that which would conduce to the happiness of mankind? These strifes and this bloodshed and discord must cease, and all men be as one kindred and one family. Let not a man glory in this, that he loves his country; let him rather glory in this, that he loves his kind.’
“Such, so far as I can recall them, were the words which, besides many others, I heard from Bahá. Let those who read them consider well with themselves whether such doctrines merit death and bonds, and whether the world is more likely to gain or lose by their diffusion.”2
The last years of Bahá’u’lláh’s life were devoted to writing and revealing innumerable Tablets, Epistles and Treatises on many and varied subjects of spiritual and educative purport. He was relieved of such cares as His Supreme Station entailed, by the able administration of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who shielded Him from the interference of the outside world and met and conversed with the officials of the Government, inquirers and the learned, admitting into the presence of Bahá’u’lláh only those who had genuine problems to resolve. Thus Bahá’u’lláh could direct His time entirely to the spiritual nurture of His followers and of earnest souls who sought His counsel and unfailing guidance.
Here we should pause to examine in brief the Writings which flowed unceasingly from the creative pen of Bahá’u’lláh. That erudite Bahá’í scholar and teacher, Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl3 of Gulpágán4 classifies them
————————
1From the Introduction to A Traveller’s Narrative. 2 Ibid. 31844-1914. 4Town in Írán.
[Page 796]
into four categories,
namely, laws and ordinances; meditations,
communes and prayers;
interpretations of the sacred scriptures of
the past; and, finally, discourses and
exordiums. Of the first category he writes:
“Some of them contain laws and regulations
whereby the rights and interests of all the
nations of the world can be perpetuated, for
these statutes are so enacted that they meet
the necessities of every land and country,
and are acceptable to every man of
intelligence. In this universality
they resemble the
laws of nature, which secure the progress
and development of all peoples; and they will
bring about universal union and
harmony.”1
Some of the principal Works of the Author
of the Bahá’í Faith have been mentioned in
previous pages, and it is impossible
to tabulate the rest in this limited
account of His
life. Bahá’u’lláh states that the volume of
His revealed word totals the scriptures of
the Manifestations preceding Him. We
ought to remember the incalculable
advantage which the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh
possess in relation to the Holy Books of
former times. Their originals are extant and
well preserved, and future generations will
be spared the crushing responsibility
of deciding the authenticity of Works ascribed
to the Prophet.
Bahá’u’lláh left His human temple on the 28th of May, 1892. A telegram bore the news to the Sulṭán of Turkey: “The Sun of Bahá has set.” Yet It shines dazzlingly in the full meridian. Its energizing and life-bestowing rays continue to revivify the hearts and minds of men, to penetrate the dark clouds of superstition, bigotry and prejudice, to disperse the heavy and oppressive fogs of despair and disillusionment, to shed light upon the baffling problems which bewilder a fatigued and storm-tossed humanity. Man has essayed to dim Its brilliance, to deny Its potency, to abjure Its gifts, to disparage Its claims—futile and bootless attempts, for the signal proof of the Sun remains the Sun itself.
More than forty years separate us from the days when Bahá’u’lláh lived amongst men. The Faith which He proclaimed marches from triumph to triumph, and the resplendent Edifice which He raised stands to offer certitude and peace to a distracted world.
In His Will and Testament, Bahá’u’lláh made His eldest son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Center of His Covenant with all men, and the authorized Expounder of His Text.
“Although the Supreme Horizon is devoid of the vanities of the world, yet in the Treasury of Trust and Resignation, We have placed a priceless and unequalled inheritance for the heirs. We have not placed (therein) a treasure, neither have We added to the pain. . . . O, people of the world! I enjoin you to that which is the means of the elevation of your station. Hold to the virtue of God and grasp the hem of that which is just . . . say: O servants, make not the cause of order to be the cause of confusion, and make not the reason of union to be the occasion of discord! It is hoped that the people of Bahá will look towards the blessed Word: ‘Say, all are from the Presence of God’; and this exalted Word resembles water for extinguishing the fire of hatred and animosity which is deposited in all minds and hearts. The different creeds will attain the light of real union through this simple Word.”
This is an attempt to catch the Ocean in a diminutive cup, to gaze at the Orb through plain glass. Far, very far from man’s effort, must be an adequate portrayal of a Manifestation of the qualities and attributes of Almighty God. And here we deal with the Life of One Whose advent implies the "Coming of age of the entire human race,” and under Whose dominion the earth will become one fatherland.
1The Bahá’í Proofs.
