The Chosen Highway/The Waiting Servants

The WaiTInG SERVANTS

It has been said that in the “Latter Days,” ‘““The Great Day of God,” which is understood to be the Day of the Universal Manifestation, He Who should link all the religions and races

• 7th of Dhi’l-Hijjih, aH. 1262, last month of the Muhammadan year (Lunar).

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of the world together in a vast bond of honour and love, free from self-seeking, hatred, and prejudice, would appear.

It has been said, and by many believed, that in His Day the Lord God would send to the earth ten thousand thousand of His Saints.

These Saints, referred to as “the Waiting Servants,” would be manifested in every religion, in every race, every tongue, every colour, and every nation in the world.

These ‘Waiting Servants” would, many of them, gather round the Forerunner, and in due time would hasten to that One “Whom God shall make Manifest,” to be Their Apostles and Their Disciples. They would, wherever their abode, be the first to recognise the lessons of the Divine Educator, would be as leaven in the lethargic mass of the people, and, arising to set about their Father’s work, would be as pure “‘life blood in the arteries of the sick body of the world.”

It is believed that a number of these “Waiting Servants” were already manifested in Persia, and therefore were ready to recognise the Bab as the Promised One, the Imam, their Expected Leader, Whose ultimate mission was to herald the Great Universal Manifestation.

One of the most devoted of these “Waiting Servants’? was the beautiful poetess of Qazvin, Zarrin-Taj (Crown of Gold), Fatimih Khanum, to whom the revered Siyyid Kazim gave the name of Qurratu’l-‘Ayn (Consolation of the Eyes), so rare was her loveliness of body and soul.* The story of her fearless devotion and cruel martyrdom is elsewhere told.

Many others, in defiance of torture and death, arose to serve the Cause of the Bab. Shaykh Salih, Siyyid Yahyay-i-Darabi, Mulla Husayn, Quddus, Mirza Jani, and Mirza Isma‘il, the brothers of Kashan, and many, many others. Not only were they steadfast unto death, but some of them even prayed to be permitted the honour of shedding their life blood for the watering of the Tree of Life. In their high devotion they counted the greatest gift of God to be that of martyrdom, which to them was the Crown of Life.

• She received the title of Tahirih, the Pure One, from the Bab.

+ By practically all historians of The Episode of the Bab, but notably Nabfl and Professor E. G. Browne. Lady Blomfield, too, has written an account.—Eb.

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Mirza Jani and Mirza Isma‘il went with Baha’u’llah to carry help to the Babis who were defending themselves in Shaykh Tabarsi. On the way they were arrested. Baha’u’llah was set free through some friends of the royal circle, and the two brothers were bought as slaves by a fellow-townsman and promptly set free.

Trial after trial of the Bab took place, for the most part in the strictest secrecy, no friend being present, none but implacable, cruel enemies surrounding Him.

At these mock trials, with their false accusations, He is said to have either spoken so wisely that He could not be condemned, or again to have answered not one word to their subtle questions, holding His peace.

When it became known that the friends of the Bab had succeeded in finding out the castle in which He was imprisoned, and that large numbers of them were flocking to the prison gate, the enemies caused Him to be taken to some other more remote fastness; these changes usually took place in the darkness of night, so that the brave followers should not deliver Him from their hands.

Persistently the ‘“‘Waiting Servants” gathered round Him, gallant and fearless, increasing in numbers, and in disregard of the danger of bonds, imprisonments, torture, and death, of which the shadow was always near these devoted ones, who refused to forsake Him, Whom they recognised as their Lord.

Thus the amazing six years passed (1844 to 1850).

The authorities, instigated by the religious enemies, who feared the increasing numbers of His adherents and their determined steadfastness, which threatened their own influence and power, decided upon the bold step of putting the Bab to death, hoping thereby to end His “troubling of the land.”

“Let us kill this man, then see where his followers will be.”

Accordingly, the Bdb and His devoted disciple, Aqa Muhammad-‘Ali Zunuzi, were taken to Tabriz, there to be done to death.

The night before this took place, the Bab said to him who so loved Him:

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“Wilt thou not send me to the other world? It is surely better to go by the hand of a friend than of a foe.”

This He said to test the love and faith of him.

The answer came:

“Thy body is human, but Thy word is the word of God, I am ready to obey.”

“It is well, thou shalt not be required to do this thing, O My companion, but I say unto thee, that never shalt thou be separated from me, thou shalt be for ever with me.”

On the next day the Bab was brought out from His prison into the public square. His green turban was taken off, so that He should not be recognized as a descendant of Muhammad; the people would not have permitted the sacrilege of putting a Siyyid to death. As to the mark on His forehead, the sacred sign, only the learned would be likely to see that, knowing its significance, and it was these very learned ones who had encompassed His death, in spite of this sign.*

The Bab and His friend were bound with ropes, and hung upon a wall, with their arms extended in the form of a cross. A company of soldiers stood ready, and the word of command was given to fire!

When the smoke had cleared, the Bab was seen to be seated in an adjoining room unharmed. Only the ropes,» by which He was suspended, were severed. He was calmly writing. He looked up as officials rushed in, then continued His work. Soon He laid down His pen, saying:

“It is finished. I am ready.”

He was then conducted to the place of martyrdom.

The officials, in terror and amazement, gave the word to fire once more.

The soldiers laid down their arms saying: ‘“This thing is of God, we refuse to obey.”

Another company was hastily brought, and the heroic young Herald allowed Himself to be sent forth into the other world by the bullets of His enemies.

The Martyrdom of the Bab and of His friend took place on oth July in the year a.p. 1850.

His Holiness the Bab had accomplished His Mission, under

• The above details were told to the writer by Haji ‘Alf Yazdf.

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difficulties inexpressible, in bonds and imprisonment, steadfastly facing scorn, contempt, revilings. He had succeeded in establishing the conditions of purity of heart in many “Waiting Servants,’ who had become His devoted followers; this condition of heart being necessary in order to be able to recognize “Him Whom God shall make Manifest.”

“Blessed are they whose hearts are pure, for they shall see God.”

As His Holiness the. Spirit (the Lord Christ) hath said aforetime.

So the Bab said to the believers:

“The pure of heart shall see, that is with eyes of the spirit they shall recognize God, in His Great Manifestation now about to arise, as the glorious Sun on a dark and weary world.”

And the “Gate” was thrown wide open into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Through this “Gate” the “Waiting Servants” should pass, drawing with them the despairing, the humble and lowly of heart, those whose heads are adorned with the Crown of Severance from all things of earth, and those pure and holy ones, whose lives are made perfect through love.

For of such are the dwellers in the new Heaven, and the new earth.