Yet another Hand of the Cause was the revered Mulla 'Ali-Akbar, upon him
be the glory of God, the All-Glorious. Early in life, this illustrious man
attended institutions of higher learning and labored diligently, by day
and night, until he became thoroughly conversant with the learning of the
day, with secular studies, philosophy, and religious jurisprudence. He
frequented the gatherings of philosophers, mystics, and _Sh_ay_kh_is,
thoughtfully traversing those areas of knowledge, intuitive wisdom, and
illumination; but he thirsted after the wellspring of truth, and hungered
for the bread that comes down from Heaven. No matter how he strove to
perfect himself in those regions of the mind, he was never satisfied; he
never reached the goal of his desires; his lips stayed parched; he was
confused, perplexed, and felt that he had wandered from his path. The
reason was that in all those circles he had found no passion; no joy, no
ecstasy; no faintest scent of love. And as he went deeper into the core of
those manifold beliefs, he discovered that from the day of the Prophet
Muhammad's advent until our own times, innumerable sects have arisen:
creeds differing among themselves; disparate opinions, divergent goals,
uncounted roads and ways. And he found each one, under some plea or other,
claiming to reveal spiritual truth; each one believing that it alone
followed the true path--this although the Muhammedic sea could rise in one
great tide, and carry all those sects away to the ocean floor. "No cry
shalt thou hear from them, nor a whisper even."(3)
Whoso ponders the lessons of history will learn that this sea has lifted
up innumerable waves, yet in the end each has dissolved and vanished, like
a shadow drifting by. The waves have perished, but the sea lives on. This
is why 'Ali Qabl-i-Akbar could never quench his thirst, till the day when
he stood on the shore of Truth and cried:
Here is a sea with treasure to the brim;
Its waves toss pearls under the great wind's thong.
Throw off your robe and plunge, nor try to swim,
Pride not yourself on swimming--dive headlong.
Like a fountain, his heart welled and jetted forth; meaning and truth,
like soft-flowing crystal waters, began to stream from his lips. At first,
with humility, with spiritual poverty, he garnered the new light, and only
then he proceeded to shed it abroad. For how well has it been said,
Shall he the gift of life to others bear
Who of life's gift has never had a share?
A teacher must proceed in this way: he must first teach himself, and then
others. If he himself still walks the path of carnal appetites and lusts,
how can he guide another to the "evident signs"(4) of God?
This honored man was successful in converting a multitude. For the sake of
God he cast all caution aside, as he hastened along the ways of love. He
became as one frenzied, as a vagrant and one known to be mad. Because of
his new Faith, he was mocked at in Tihran by high and low. When he walked
through the streets and bazars, the people pointed their fingers at him,
calling him a Baha'i. Whenever trouble broke out, he was the one to be
arrested first. He was always ready and waiting for this, since it never
failed.
Again and again he was bound with chains, jailed, and threatened with the
sword. The photograph of this blessed individual, together with that of
the great Amin, taken of them in their chains, will serve as an example to
whoever has eyes to see. There they sit, those two distinguished men, hung
with chains, shackled, yet composed, acquiescent, undisturbed.
Things came to such a pass that in the end whenever there was an uproar
Mulla 'Ali would put on his turban, wrap himself in his 'aba and sit
waiting, for his enemies to rouse and the farra_sh_es to break in and the
guards to carry him off to prison. But observe the power of God! In spite
of all this, he was kept safe. "The sign of a knower and lover is this,
that you will find him dry in the sea." That is how he was. His life hung
by a thread from one moment to the next; the malevolent lay in wait for
him; he was known everywhere as a Baha'i--and still he was protected from
all harm. He stayed dry in the depths of the sea, cool and safe in the
heart of the fire, until the day he died.
After the ascension of Baha'u'llah, Mulla 'Ali continued on, loyal to the
Testament of the Light of the World, staunch in the Covenant which he
served and heralded. During the lifetime of the Manifestation, his
yearning made him hasten to Baha'u'llah, Who received him with grace and
favor, and showered blessings upon him. He returned, then, to Iran, where
he devoted all his time to serving the Cause. Openly at odds with his
tyrannical oppressors, no matter how often they threatened him, he defied
them. He was never vanquished. Whatever he had to say, he said. He was one
of the Hands of the Cause of God, steadfast, unshakable, not to be moved.
I loved him very much, for he was delightful to converse with, and as a
companion second to none. One night, not long ago, I saw him in the world
of dreams. Although his frame had always been massive, in the dream world
he appeared larger and more corpulent than ever. It seemed as if he had
returned from a journey. I said to him, "Jinab, you have grown good and
stout." "Yes," he answered, "praise be to God! I have been in places where
the air was fresh and sweet, and the water crystal pure; the landscapes
were beautiful to look upon, the foods delectable. It all agreed with me,
of course, so I am stronger than ever now, and I have recovered the zest
of my early youth. The breaths of the All-Merciful blew over me and all my
time was spent in telling of God. I have been setting forth His proofs,
and teaching His Faith." (The meaning of teaching the Faith in the next
world is spreading the sweet savors of holiness; that action is the same
as teaching.) We spoke together a little more, and then some people
arrived and he disappeared.
His last resting-place is in Tihran. Although his body lies under the
earth, his pure spirit lives on, "in the seat of truth, in the presence of
the potent King."(5) I long to visit the graves of the friends of God,
could this be possible. These are the servants of the Blessed Beauty; in
His path they were afflicted; they met with toil and sorrow; they
sustained injuries and suffered harm. Upon them be the glory of God, the
All-Glorious. Unto them be salutation and praise. Upon them be God's
tender mercy, and forgiveness.