This youth of God was from Isfahan, and from an early age was known to its
leading divines for his excellent mind. He was of gentle birth, his family
was known and respected, and he was an accomplished scholar. He had
profited from philosophy and history alike, from sciences and arts, but he
thirsted after the secret of reality, and longed for knowledge of God. His
feverish thirst was not allayed by the arts and sciences, however limpid
those waters. He kept on seeking, seeking, carrying on debates in
gatherings of learned men until at last he discovered the meaning of his
longing dream, and the enigma, the inviolable secret, lay open before him.
Suddenly he caught the scent of fresh flowers from the gardens of the
splendor of God, and his heart was ashine with a ray from the Sun of
Truth. Whereas before, he was like a fish taken from the water, now he had
come to the wellspring of eternal life; before, he was a questing moth;
now he had found the candle flame. A true seeker after truth, he was
instantly revived by the supreme Glad Tidings; his heart's eye was
brightened by the new dawn of guidance. So blinding was the fire of Divine
love that he turned his face away from his life, its peace, its blessings,
and set out for the Most Great Prison.
In Isfahan he had enjoyed every comfort, and the world was good to him.
Now his yearning for Baha'u'llah freed him from all other bonds. He passed
over the long miles, suffered intense hardships, exchanged a palace for a
prison, and in the Akka fortress assisted the believers and attended upon
and served Baha'u'llah. He who had been waited upon, now waited on others;
he who had been the master was now the servant, he who had once been a
leader was now a captive. He had no rest, no leisure, day or night. To the
travelers he was a trusted refuge; to the settlers, a companion without
peer. He served beyond his strength, for he was filled with love of the
friends. The travelers were devoted to him, and the settlers grateful. And
because he was continuously busy, he kept silent at all times.
Then the Supreme Affliction came upon us and the absence of Baha'u'llah
was not to be endured. Mirza Muhammad could not stay quiet, day or night.
He wasted away, like a candle burning down; from the fiery anguish, his
liver and heart were inflamed, and his body could bear no more. He wept
and supplicated day and night, yearning to soar away to that undiscovered
country. "Lord, free me, free me from this absence," he would cry, "let me
drink of reunion's cup, find me a lodging in the shelter of Thy mercy,
Lord of Lords!"
At last he quit this dust heap, the earth, and took his flight to the
world that has no end. May it do him good, that cup brimming with the
grace of God, may he eat with healthy relish of that food which gives life
to heart and soul. May God lead him to that happy journey's end and grant
him an abundant share in the gifts which shall then be bestowed.(65)