Yet another of the emigrants and settlers was the valiant
Jam_sh_id-i-Gurji, who came from Georgia, but grew up in the city of
Ka_sh_an. He was a fine youth, faithful, trustworthy, with a high sense of
honor. When he heard of a new Faith dawning, and awoke to the tidings that
on Persia's horizons the Sun of Truth had risen, he was filled with holy
ecstasy, and he longed and loved. The new fire burned away those veils of
uncertainty and doubt that had closed him round; the light of Truth shed
down its rays, the lamp of guidance burned before him.
He remained in Persia for a time, then left for Rumelia, which was Ottoman
territory, and in the Land of Mystery, Adrianople, won the honor of
entering the presence of Baha'u'llah; it was there that his meeting took
place. His joy and fervor were boundless. Later, at Baha'u'llah's command
he made a journey to Constantinople, with Aqa Muhammad-Baqir and Aqa
'Abdu'l-_Gh_affar. In that city, the tyrannous imprisoned him and put him
in chains.
The Persian ambassador informed against Jam_sh_id and Ustad
Muhammad-'Ali-i-Dallak as enemy leaders and fighters. Jam_sh_id he
described as a latter-day Rustam(70) while Muhammad-'Ali, according to the
envoy, was a ravening lion. These two respected men were first imprisoned
and caged; then they were sent out of Turkish territory, under guard to
the Persian frontier. They were to be delivered over to the Persian
Government and crucified, and the guards were threatened with terrible
punishments should they once relax their vigilance and let the prisoners
escape. For this reason, at every stopping place the victims were kept in
some almost inaccessible spot. Once they were thrown into a pit, a kind of
well, and suffered agonies all through the night. The next morning
Jam_sh_id cried out: "O you who oppress us! Are we Joseph the Prophet that
you have thrown us in this well? Remember how He rose out of the well as
high as the full moon? We too walk the pathway of God, we too are down
here for His sake, and we know that these depths are the heights of the
Lord."
Once arrived at the Persian frontier, Jam_sh_id and Muhammad-'Ali were
handed over to Kurdish chiefs to be sent on to Tihran. The Kurdish chiefs
could see that the prisoners were innocent men, kindly and well-disposed,
who had fallen a prey to their enemies. Instead of dispatching them to the
capital, they set them free. Joyfully, the two hastened away on foot, went
back to Baha'u'llah and found a home close by Him in the Most Great
Prison.
Jam_sh_id spent some time in utter bliss, receiving the grace and favor of
Baha'u'llah and ever and again being admitted to His presence. He was
tranquil and at peace. The believers were well-pleased with him, and he
was well-pleased with God. It was in this condition that he hearkened to
the celestial bidding: "O thou soul who art well-assured, return unto thy
Lord, well-pleased with Him, and well-pleasing unto Him."(71) And to God's
cry: "Return!" he replied, "Yea, verily!" He rose out of the Most Great
Prison to the highest Heaven; he soared away to a pure and gleaming
Kingdom, out of this world of dust. May God succor him in the celestial
company,(72) bring him into the Paradise of Splendors, and safe in the
Divine gardens, make him to live forevermore.
Salutations be unto him, and praise. His grave, sweet as musk, is in Akka.