These two blessed souls, Mirza Mahmud of Ka_sh_an and Aqa Rida of
_Sh_iraz, were like two lamps lit with God's love from the oil of His
knowledge. Encompassed by Divine bestowals from childhood on, they
succeeded in rendering every kind of service for fifty-five years. Their
services were countless, beyond recording.
When the retinue of Baha'u'llah left Ba_gh_dad for Constantinople, He was
accompanied by a great crowd of people. Along the way, they met with
famine conditions. These two souls strode along on foot, ahead of the
howdah in which Baha'u'llah was riding, and covered a distance of seven or
eight farsa_kh_s every day. Wayworn and faint, they would reach the
halting-place; and yet, weary as they were, they would immediately set
about preparing and cooking the food, and seeing to the comfort of the
believers. The efforts they made were truly more than flesh can bear.
There were times when they had not more than two or three hours sleep out
of the twenty-four; because, once the friends had eaten their meal, these
two would be busy collecting and washing up the dishes and cooking
utensils; this would take them till midnight, and only then would they
rest. At daybreak they would rise, pack everything, and set out again, in
front of the howdah of Baha'u'llah. See what a vital service they were
able to render, and for what bounty they were singled out: from the start
of the journey, at Ba_gh_dad, to the arrival in Constantinople, they
walked close beside Baha'u'llah; they made every one of the friends happy;
they brought rest and comfort to all; they prepared whatever anyone asked.
Aqa Rida and Mirza Mahmud were the very essence of God's love, utterly
detached from all but God. In all that time no one ever heard either of
them raise his voice. They never hurt nor offended anyone. They were
trustworthy, loyal, true. Baha'u'llah showered blessings upon them. They
were continually entering His presence and He would be expressing His
satisfaction with them.
Mirza Mahmud was a youth when he arrived in Ba_gh_dad from Ka_sh_an. Aqa
Rida became a believer in Ba_gh_dad. The spiritual condition of the two
was indescribable. There was in Ba_gh_dad a company of seven leading
believers who lived in a single, small room, because they were destitute.
They could hardly keep body and soul together, but they were so spiritual,
so blissful, that they thought themselves in Heaven. Sometimes they would
chant prayers all night long, until the day broke. Days, they would go out
to work, and by nightfall one would have earned ten paras, another perhaps
twenty paras, others forty or fifty. These sums would be spent for the
evening meal. On a certain day one of them made twenty paras, while the
rest had nothing at all. The one with the money bought some dates, and
shared them with the others; that was dinner, for seven people. They were
perfectly content with their frugal life, supremely happy.
These two honored men devoted their days to all that is best in human
life: they had seeing eyes; they were mindful and aware; they had hearing
ears, and were fair of speech. Their sole desire was to please
Baha'u'llah. To them, nothing was a bounty at all, except service at His
Holy Threshold. After the time of the Supreme Affliction, they were
consumed with sorrow, like candles flickering away; they longed for death,
and stayed firm in the Covenant and labored hard and well to spread that
Daystar's Faith. They were close and trusted companions of 'Abdu'l-Baha,
and could be relied on in all things. They were always lowly, humble,
unassuming, evanescent. In all that long period, they never uttered a word
which had to do with self.
And at the last, during the absence of 'Abdu'l-Baha, they took their
flight to the Kingdom of unfading glory. I sorrowed much because I was not
with them when they died. Although absent in body, I was there in my
heart, and mourning over them; but to outward seeming I did not bid them
good-by; this is why I grieve.
Unto them both be salutations and praise; upon them be compassion and
glory. May God give them a home in Paradise, under the Lote-Tree's shade.
May they be immersed in tiers of light, close beside their Lord, the
Mighty, the All-Powerful.