The Chosen Highway/The Passing of Bahá’u’lláh

CHAPTER IV

The Passing of Bahd’wllah

And now a very sad day dawned for us all.

My mother, my Aunt Khanum, my three sisters, and I lived in the bigger house at ‘Akka with our beloved Father; Baha’u’llah lived at Bahji.

At this time the people of the place greatly respected and honoured Him and the Master, and we were as happy as was possible in the unhealthy atmosphere of ‘Akka.

On this day of sadness a servant rode in from Bahji with a tablet for the Master from Baha’u’llah: “I am not well, come to Me and bring Khanum.”

The servant, having brought horses for them, my Father and my aunt set off immediately for Bahji; we children stayed at home with my mother, full of anxiety. Each day the news came that our adored Baha’u’llah’s fever had not abated. He had a kind of malaria.

After five days we all went to Bahji; we were very distressed that the illness had become serious.

On the fifteenth day of the illness the Persian pilgrims and Baha'i friends from ‘Akka were admitted to His presence.

Mirza ‘Andalib from Shiraz, Mirza Bassar, the blind poet, were there. They, weeping, circled round and round His bed, praying and beseeching Baha’u’lla4h to permit them to be a sacrifice for the saving of His precious life for the world, if only for a short time longer.*

Baha’u’llah spoke loving words of peace and calm to them, exhorting them to be faithful to the Cause of God, to be loyal, true, and steadfast, letting their characters speak to the world.

“T am very pleased with you all. My hope is that your deeds

It is a Persian custom that a lamb should be sacrificed to prolong a greatly

beloved life—and these friends wished to take the place of the sacrificial lamb— for their Lord’s life.

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will be examples worthy of the Baha’i Faith—that you may ever be true followers of the Light of God’s Law.”

Two lambs were brought into His room, then the Master went into ‘Akka to arrange various matters, to see the friends, giving the good news that His Father was slightly better. He then superintended the distribution of the two sacrificial lambs amongst the poor prisoners of ‘Akka.

In the evening He came back to Bahji.

Baha’u'llah asked for us, the ladies and children, to go to Him. He told us that He had left in His will directions for our future guidance; that the Greatest Branch, ‘Abbas Effendi, would arrange everything for the family, the friends, and the Cause.

“The loving devotion of ‘Andalib has touched me very much, also the love of them all. I hope they will every one be true and faithful servants.”

On the nineteenth day of His illness He left us at dawn.

Immediately a horseman galloped into ‘Akka to carry the news to the Mufti.

Forthwith from the seven minarets of the mosque the event was proclaimed:

“Gop 1s GREAT. He Givers Lire! He Taxetu ir Aca! He Dretu Not, put LiveTru ror EVERMORE

This proclamation from the minarets is a custom of Islam at the passing of a very greatly honoured, learned, and holy man.

The tidings spread throughout the land, and were proclaimed from the minarets of every mosque. People from all the villages of the country-side crowded to Bahji to show their respect, and to join in the mourning. Many Shaykhs brought lambs, rice, sugar and salt. This is an Arab custom: the idea is, that as these gifts are distributed to the poor, they will, in return, pray for the soul of the departed.

Muslim friends, the Mufti, mullds, Governor and officials, Christian priests, Latin and Greek, Druses from Abu-Sinan, and surrounding villages, and many other friends gathered together in great numbers in honour of the Beloved One.

Marthiyih, songs in His praise, were chanted by poets. Laments and prayers were chanted by Shaykhs. Funeral

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orations were spoken, describing His wonderful life of selfsacrifice.

Many of the guests encamped under the trees round the Palace of Bahji, where more than five hundred were entertained for nine days.

This hospitality entailed much trouble on the Master, Who made all the arrangements and superintended every detail; money also was given by Him on each of the nine days to the poor.

At dawn on these days the “Call to Prayer” and some of the ““Munajats” (prayers chanted) of Baha’u’ll4h were chanted from the balcony of the palace.

Very touching and impressive it was to hear the beautiful voice of our Arabian Baha’i friend, chanting the call to prayer. At its sound the Master arose, and we all followed Him to the tomb-shrine, where He chanted the funeral prayer and the

TABLET OF VISITATION

(The following is a translation by Shoghi Effendi, guardian of the Baha’i Faith.)

The praise which hath dawned from Thy most august Self, and the glory which hath shone forth from Thy most effulgent Beauty, rest upon Thee, O Thou Who art the Manifestation of Grandeur, and the King of Eternity, and the Lord of all who are in Heaven and on earth. I testify that through Thee the sovereignty of God and His dominion, and the majesty of God and His grandeur, were revealed, and the Day-Stars of ancient splendour have shed their radiance in the Heaven of Thine irrevocable decree, and the Beauty of the Unseen hath shone forth above the horizon of creation. I testify, moreover, that with but a movement of Thy pen Thine injunction “Be Thou” hath been enforced, and God’s hidden Secret hath been divulged, and all created things have been called into being, and all the Revelations have been sent down.

T bear witness, moreover, that through Thy beauty the beauty of the Adored One hath been unveiled, and through Thy face the face of the Desired One hath shone forth, and that through a word from Thee Thou hast decided between all created things, causing them who are devoted to Thee to ascend unto

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the summit of glory, and the infidels to fall into the lowest abyss.

I bear witness that he who hath known Thee hath known God, and he who hath attained Thy presence hath attained unto the presence of God. Great, therefore, is the blessedness of him who hath believed in Thee, and in Thy signs, and hath humbled himself before Thy sovereignty, and hath been honoured with meeting Thee, and hath attained the good pleasure of Thy will, and circled around Thee, and stood before Thy throne. Woe betide him that hath transgressed against Thee, and hath denied Thee, and repudiated Thy signs, and gainsaid Thy sovereignty, and risen up against Thee, and waxed proud before Thy face, and hath disputed Thy testimonies, and fled from Thy rule and Thy dominion, and been numbered with the infidels whose names have been inscribed by the fingers of Thy behest upon Thy holy Tablets.

Waft then, unto me, O my God and my Beloved, from the right hand of Thy mercy and Thy loving-kindness, the holy breaths of Thy favours, that they may draw me away from myself and from the world unto the courts of Thy nearness and Thy presence. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou, truly, hast been supreme over all things.

The remembrance of God and His praise, and the glory of God and His splendour, rest upon Thee, O Thou Who art His Beauty! I bear witness that the eye of creation hath never gazed upon one wronged like Thee. Thou wast immersed all the days of Thy life beneath an ocean of tribulations. At one time Thou wast in chains and fetters; at another Thou wast threatened by the sword of Thine enemies. Yet, despite all this, Thou didst enjoin upon all men to observe what hath been prescribed unto Thee by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

May my spirit be a sacrifice to the wrongs Thou didst suffer, and my soul be a ransom for the adversities Thou didst sustain. I beseech God by Thee and by them whose faces have been illumined with the splendours of the light of Thy countenance, and who, for love of Thee, have observed all whereunto they were bidden, to remove the veils that have come between Thee and Thy creatures and to supply me with the good of this

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world and the world to come. Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.

Bless Thou, O Lord my God, the Divine Lote-Tree and its leaves, and its boughs, and its branches, and its stems, and its offshoots, as long as Thy most excellent titles will endure and Thy most august attributes will last. Protect it, then, from the mischief of the aggressor and the hosts of tyranny. Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the Most Powerful. Bless Thou, also, O Lord my God, Thy servants and Thy handmaidens who have attained unto Thee. Thou, truly, art the All-Bountiful, Whose grace is infinite. No God is there save Thee, the EverForgiving, the Most Generous.

The Master sent to ‘Akka for the box in which the Will of Baha’u’ll4h had been locked up for two years. On the ninth day after the passing of Baha’u’llah the Will was read by Mirza Majdi’d-Din* to all the men friends, in the presence of the Master.

The friends showed great joy that their beloved Master had been appointed by Jamal-i-Mubarak to be their Protector, their Leader, their Guide.

The Master then came to see us, the ladies of the household. We called together the servitors, and, when we were all assembled, the Will was read to us by Majdid-Din, at the request of the Master.

The mother of Muhammad-‘Ali expressed herself, at that time, as being pleased at the appointment of the eldest son.

Whilst we were all at Bahji there was a serious outbreak of cholera in the town of ‘Akka. Now it was the custom that members of the family should remain in the house of the departed one for a period of forty days. But the mother of Muhammad-‘Ali, and her other sons, showed us by many discourtesies that they did not wish us to remain.

The son of Baha’u’lléh’s brother, Mirz4 Misa.

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Accordingly, in spite of the raging cholera, we all, Sarkar-iAqa, Khanum, my mother, my sisters, and I, left Bahji and returned to our house at ‘Akka, trusting in the protection of God.

We were almost the only family left in ‘Akka. Most of the people had fled in fear of the terror; others had died in great numbers. We children were much frightened, the sight of the poor dead people being carried out for burial appalled us.

We heard that Sarkdr-i-Aqd asked for those Tablets of Baha’u’llah which He had revealed for many of the friends, and for others, concerning the Cause. Muhammad-‘Ali replied: “There are no such papers.”

After bringing us back to ‘Akka, the Master went back to the shrine at Bahji, returning to us next day very sad; the two younger half-brothers were with Him. My mother asked them to stay and help Sarkdr-i-Aq4 with the numberless matters needing to be done. They refused, saying that they were too busy. There was no man of the family to assist our beloved Father in all the work of that difficult time.

After nine days Sarkdar-i-Aq4 wrote a Tablet telling the sad news, directing that it be copied and sent to all the friends in Persia.

The first message of ‘Abdu’l-Baha to His friends throughout the world after the ascension of Baha’u’llah.*

He Is tae Ati-GLorious

The world’s great Light, once resplendent upon all mankind has set, to shine everlastingly from the Abha Horizon, His Kingdom of fadeless glory, shedding splendour upon His loved ones from on high, and breathing into their hearts and souls the breath of eternal life.

O ye beloved of the Lord! Beware, beware lest ye hesitate and waver. Let not fear fall upon you, neither be troubled nor

Translated by Shoghi Effendi, and sent for this book.

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dismayed. Take ye good heed lest this calamitous day slacken the flames of your ardour, and quench your tender hopes. To-day is the day for steadfastness and constancy. Blessed are they that stand firm and immovable as the rock, and brave the storm and stress of this tempestuous hour. They, verily, shall be the recipients of God’s grace, shall receive His divine assistance, and shall be truly victorious.

The Sun of Truth, that most great Light, has set upon the horizon of the world to rise with deathless splendour over the Realm of the Limitless. In His Most Holy Book He calleth the firm and steadfast of His friends: ‘“O peoples of the world! Should the radiance of My beauty be veiled, and the temple of My body be hidden, feel not perturbed, nay arise and bestir yourselves, that My Cause may triumph, and My Word be heard by all mankind.”’