ṬIHRÁN
Rejoice with great joy, for God hath made thee 'the
Day-Spring of His light', inasmuch as within thee was born
the Manifestation of His Glory. Be thou glad for this name
that hath been conferred upon thee--a name through which the
Day-Star of grace hath shed its splendour, through which
both earth and heaven have been illumined.
--Bahá'u'lláh, addressing the city of Ṭihrán
... We stand, life in hand, wholly resigned to His will;
that perchance, through God's loving kindness and His grace,
this revealed and manifest Letter may lay down His life as a
sacrifice in the path of the Primal Point,[AS] the most
exalted Word.
--Bahá'u'lláh, from the _Kitáb-i-Íqán_
[Footnote AS: 'Nuqṭiy-i-Úlá'--the Báb.]
Mullá Ḥusayn was sorely disappointed when he realized that he was
not to be the companion of the Báb, on His pilgrimage to Mecca. But
for the man who was the first to find Him and believe in Him the Báb
had marked out a task infinitely glorious. Mullá Ḥusayn was to go
from [_Sh_]íráz to Ṭihrán, where the fulfilment of that task
awaited him. He had travelled to [_Sh_]íráz on a quest. There he had
reached its end, had found the Qá'im of the House of Muḥammad. Now
he was to undertake another quest, and he was not entirely aware of
the consequences that would attend its success. To him the Báb said:
In this pilgrimage upon which We are soon to embark, We have
chosen Quddús as Our companion. We have left you behind to
face the onslaught of a fierce and relentless enemy. Rest
assured, however, that a bounty unspeakably glorious shall
be conferred upon you. Follow the course of your journey
towards the north, and visit on your way Iṣfahán,
Ká[_sh_]án, Qum, and Ṭihrán. Beseech almighty Providence
that He may graciously enable you to attain, in that
capital, the seat of true sovereignty, and to enter the
mansion of the Beloved. A secret lies hidden in that city.
When made manifest, it shall turn the earth into paradise.
My hope is that you may partake of its grace and recognise
its splendour. From Ṭihrán proceed to [_Kh_]urásán, and
there proclaim anew the Call. From thence return to Najaf
and Karbilá and there await the summons of your Lord. Be
assured that the high mission for which you have been
created will, in its entirety, be accomplished by you. Until
you have consummated your work, if all the darts of an
unbelieving world be directed against you, they will be
powerless to hurt a single hair of your head.[1]
When the time came for Mullá Ḥusayn to leave [_Sh_]íráz, the Báb
told him:
Grieve not that you have not been chosen to accompany Me on
My pilgrimage to Ḥijáz. I shall, instead, direct your
steps to that city which enshrines a Mystery of such
transcendent holiness as neither Ḥijáz nor [_Sh_]íráz can
hope to rival. My hope is that you may, by the aid of God,
be enabled to remove the veils from the eyes of the wayward
and to cleanse the minds of the malevolent. Visit, on your
way, Iṣfahán, Ká[_sh_]án, Ṭihrán, and [_Kh_]urásán.
Proceed thence to `Iráq, and there await the summons of your
Lord, who will keep watch over you and will direct you to
whatsoever is His will and desire. As to Myself, I shall,
accompanied by Quddús and My Ethiopian servant,[AT] proceed
on My pilgrimage to Ḥijáz. I shall join the company of
the pilgrims of Fárs, who will shortly be sailing for that
land. I shall visit Mecca and Medina, and there fulfil the
mission[AU] with which God has entrusted Me. God willing, I
shall return hither by the way of Kúfih, in which place I
hope to meet you. If it be decreed otherwise, I shall ask
you to join Me in [_Sh_]íráz. The hosts of the invisible
Kingdom, be assured, will sustain and reinforce your
efforts. The essence of power is now dwelling in you, and
the company of His chosen angels revolves around you. His
almighty arms will surround you, and His unfailing Spirit
will ever continue to guide your steps. He that loves you,
loves God; and whoever opposes you, has opposed God. Whoso
befriends you, him will God befriend; and whoso rejects you,
him will God reject.[2]
[Footnote AT: His name was Mubárak.]
[Footnote AU: To raise the Call of the Qá'im.]
Mullá Ḥusayn was known in Iṣfahán, for there he had
obtained testimonials from the great mujtahid, Ḥájí Siyyid
Muḥammad-Báqir, in support of Siyyid Káẓim-i-Ra[_sh_]tí. That
eminent divine was now dead, but his son, Ḥájí Siyyid Asadu'lláh,
walking in the footsteps of his illustrious father, refused to
associate himself with the adversaries of Mullá Ḥusayn. Another
noted divine, Ḥájí Muḥammad-Ibráhím-i-Kalbásí, did likewise, and
sternly admonished those who opposed Mullá Ḥusayn to cease their
clamouring and investigate dispassionately whatever he was advocating.
The Governor, Manú[_ch_]ihr [_Kh_]án, the Mu`tamidu'd-Dawlih,
similarly declined to heed their strictures.
The first person in Iṣfahán to embrace the new Faith was a youth, a
sifter of wheat. The Báb immortalizes his memory in the Persian
_Bayán_:[3]
Iṣfahán, that outstanding city, is distinguished by the
religious fervour of its [_sh_]i`ah inhabitants, by the
learning of its divines, and by the keen expectation, shared
by high and low alike, of the imminent coming of the
Ṣáḥibu'z-Zamán.[AV] In every quarter of that city,
religious institutions have been established. And yet, when
the Messenger of God had been made manifest, they who
claimed to be the repositories of learning and the
expounders of the mysteries of the Faith of God rejected His
Message. Of all the inhabitants of that seat of learning,
only one person, a sifter of wheat, was found to recognise
the Truth, and was invested with the robe of Divine
virtue![4]
[Footnote AV: The Lord of the Age.]
Others eventually followed the example of that youth,[AW]
among them Mírzá Muḥammad `Alíy-i-Nahrí and his brother,
Mírzá Hádí, who were Siyyids and highly respected. Mullá
Ṣádiq-i-Muqaddas-i-[_Kh_]urásání was another convert. Siyyid
Káẓim had told Mullá Ṣádiq to establish his residence in
Iṣfahán and pave the way for the coming of the Qá'im. That man of
iron courage (whom we shall encounter again in the course
of this story) met Mullá Ḥusayn in the home of Mírzá
Muḥammad-`Alíy-i-Nahrí. Mullá Ṣádiq himself relates:
I asked Mullá Ḥusayn to divulge the name of Him who
claimed to be the promised Manifestation. He replied: 'To
enquire about that name and to divulge it are alike
forbidden.' 'Would it, then, be possible,' I asked, 'for me,
even as the Letters of the Living, to seek independently the
grace of the All-Merciful and, through prayer, to discover
His identity?' 'The door of His grace,' he replied, 'is
never closed before the face of him who seeks to find Him.'
I immediately retired from his presence, and requested his
host to allow me the privacy of a room in his house where,
alone and undisturbed, I could commune with God. In the
midst of my contemplation, I suddenly remembered the face of
a Youth whom I had often observed while in Karbilá, standing
in an attitude of prayer, with His face bathed in tears, at
the entrance of the shrine of the Imám Ḥusayn. That same
countenance now reappeared before my eyes. In my vision I
seemed to behold that same face, those same features,
expressive of such joy as I could never describe. He smiled
as He gazed at me. I went towards Him, ready to throw myself
at His feet. I was bending towards the ground, when, lo!
that radiant figure vanished from before me. Overpowered
with joy and gladness, I ran out to meet Mullá Ḥusayn,
who with transport received me and assured me that I had, at
last, attained the object of my desire. He bade me, however,
repress my feelings. 'Declare not your vision to anyone,' he
urged me; 'the time for it has not yet arrived. You have
reaped the fruit of your patient waiting in Iṣfahán. You
should now proceed to Kirmán, and there acquaint Ḥájí
Mírzá Karím [_Kh_]án with this Message.[AX] From that place
you should travel to [_Sh_]íráz and endeavour to rouse the
people of that city from their heedlessness. I hope to join
you in [_Sh_]íráz and share with you the blessings of a
joyous reunion with our Beloved.'[5]
[Footnote AW: He is usually known as Gandum-Pák-Kun (the
Sifter of Wheat); his name was Mullá Ja`far. He was one of
the martyrs of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Ṭabarsí.]
[Footnote AX: Ḥájí Mírzá Muḥammad-Karím
[_Kh_]án-i-Kirmání considered himself to be the successor to
Siyyid Káẓim. He fostered bitter opposition to the Báb
within the [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]í school.]
In Ká[_sh_]án, Mullá Ḥusayn found a responsive and eager heart in a
well-known merchant of that town, named Ḥájí Mírzá Jání.[AY] He too
features prominently in the story of the Báb. The next stage in Mullá
Ḥusayn's journey was the city of Qum, where the shrine of
Ma'ṣúmih, the sister of Imám Riḍá, the eighth Imám, is situated.
He found no attentive ears in Qum. Then came the crucial stage of his
journey, when he entered the capital city of Írán, for there lay the
'Mystery' which the Báb had mentioned.
[Footnote AY: He was the first to attempt to write a history
of the new theophany.]
In Ṭihrán Mullá Ḥusayn took a room in a theological institution
called the madrisih (school) of Mírzá Ṣáliḥ, alternatively the
madrisih of Páminár.[AZ] The director of the institution, Ḥájí
Mírzá Muḥammad-i-[_Kh_]urásání, was the leading [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]í in
the capital. He not only refused to heed what Mullá Ḥusayn
imparted, but severely remonstrated with him and accused him of having
betrayed the trust of Siyyid Káẓim. Ḥájí Mírzá Muḥammad made
it clear that in his view Mullá Ḥusayn's presence in Ṭihrán
posed a threat to the [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]í community. Mullá Ḥusayn
replied that he did not intend to stay long in Ṭihrán, nor had he
done or said anything which detracted from the position of the
founders of the [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]í school.
[Footnote AZ: Páy-i-Minár, named after the quarter of the
city where it was located.]
As far as he could, Mullá Ḥusayn kept away from the madrisih of
Mírzá Ṣáliḥ. He went out early in the mornings and returned
after sunset. Mullá Muḥammad-i-Mu`allim,[BA] a native of the
district of Núr in Mázindarán, has described how Mullá Ḥusayn
accomplished his mission:
I was in those days recognised as one of the favoured
disciples of Ḥájí Mírzá Muḥammad, and lived in the
same school in which he taught. My room adjoined his room,
and we were closely associated together. On the day that he
was engaged in discussion with Mullá Ḥusayn, I overheard
their conversation from beginning to end, and was deeply
affected by the ardour, the fluency, and learning of that
youthful stranger. I was surprised at the evasive answers,
the arrogance, and contemptuous behaviour of Ḥájí Mírzá
Muḥammad. That day I felt strongly attracted by the charm
of that youth, and deeply resented the unseemly conduct of
my teacher towards him. I concealed my feelings, however,
and pretended to ignore his discussions with Mullá
Ḥusayn. I was seized with a passionate desire to meet the
latter, and ventured, at the hour of midnight, to visit him.
He did not expect me, but I knocked at his door, and found
him awake seated beside his lamp. He received me
affectionately, and spoke to me with extreme courtesy and
tenderness. I unburdened my heart to him, and as I was
addressing him, tears, which I could not repress, flowed
from my eyes. 'I can now see,' he said, 'the reason why I
have chosen to dwell in this place. Your teacher has
contemptuously rejected this Message and despised its
Author. My hope is that his pupil may, unlike his master,
recognise its truth. What is your name, and which city is
your home?' 'My name,' I replied, 'is Mullá Muḥammad, and
my surname Mu`allim. My home is Núr, in the province of
Mázindarán.' 'Tell me,' further inquired Mullá Ḥusayn,
'is there to-day among the family of the late Mírzá
Buzurg-i-Núrí, who was so renowned for his character, his
charm, and artistic and intellectual attainments, anyone who
has proved himself capable of maintaining the high
traditions of that illustrious house?' 'Yea,' I replied,
'among his sons now living, one has distinguished Himself by
the very traits which characterised His father. By His
virtuous life, His high attainments, His loving-kindness and
liberality, He has proved Himself a noble descendant of a
noble father.' 'What is His occupation?' he asked me. 'He
cheers the disconsolate and feeds the hungry,' I replied.
'What of His rank and position?' 'He has none,' I said,
'apart from befriending the poor and the stranger.' 'What is
His name?' 'Ḥusayn-`Alí.' 'In which of the scripts of His
father does He excel?'[BB] 'His favourite script is
[_sh_]ikastih-nasta`líq.' 'How does He spend His time?' 'He
roams the woods and delights in the beauties of the
countryside.' 'What is His age?' 'Eight and twenty.' The
eagerness with which Mullá Ḥusayn questioned me, and the
sense of delight with which he welcomed every particular I
gave him, greatly surprised me. Turning to me, with his face
beaming with satisfaction and joy, he once more enquired: 'I
presume you often meet Him?' 'I frequently visit His home,'
I replied. 'Will you,' he said, 'deliver into His hands a
trust from me?' 'Most assuredly,' was my reply. He then
gave me a scroll wrapped in a piece of cloth, and requested
me to hand it to Him the next day at the hour of dawn.
'Should He deign to answer me,' he added, 'will you be kind
enough to acquaint me with His reply?' I received the scroll
from him and, at break of day, arose to carry out his
desire.
As I approached the house of Bahá'u'lláh, I recognised His
brother Mírzá Músá, who was standing at the gate, and to
whom I communicated the object of my visit. He went into the
house and soon reappeared bearing a message of welcome. I
was ushered into His presence, and presented the scroll to
Mírzá Músá, who laid it before Bahá'u'lláh. He bade us both
be seated. Unfolding the scroll, He glanced at its contents
and began to read aloud to us certain of its passages. I sat
enraptured as I listened to the sound of His voice and the
sweetness of its melody. He had read a page of the scroll
when, turning to His brother, He said: 'Músá, what have you
to say? Verily I say, whoso believes in the Qur'án and
recognises its Divine origin, and yet hesitates, though it
be for a moment, to admit that these soul-stirring words are
endowed with the same regenerating power, has most assuredly
erred in his judgment and has strayed far from the path of
justice.' He spoke no more. Dismissing me from His presence,
He charged me to take to Mullá Ḥusayn, as a gift from
Him, a loaf of Russian sugar and a package of tea, and to
convey to him the expression of His appreciation and love.
I arose and, filled with joy, hastened back to Mullá
Ḥusayn, and delivered to him the gift and message of
Bahá'u'lláh. With what joy and exultation he received them
from me! Words fail me to describe the intensity of his
emotion. He started to his feet, received with bowed head
the gift from my hand, and fervently kissed it. He then took
me in his arms, kissed my eyes, and said: 'My dearly beloved
friend! I pray that even as you have rejoiced my heart, God
may grant you eternal felicity and fill your heart with
imperishable gladness.' I was amazed at the behaviour of
Mullá Ḥusayn. What could be, I thought to myself, the
nature of the bond that unites these two souls? What could
have kindled so fervid a fellowship in their hearts? Why
should Mullá Ḥusayn, in whose sight the pomp and
circumstance of royalty were the merest trifle, have evinced
such gladness at the sight of so inconsiderable a gift from
the hands of Bahá'u'lláh? I was puzzled by this thought and
could not unravel its mystery.
A few days later, Mullá Ḥusayn left for [_Kh_]urásán. As
he bade me farewell, he said: 'Breathe not to anyone what
you have heard and witnessed. Let this be a secret hidden
within your breast. Divulge not His name, for they who envy
His position will arise to harm Him. In your moments of
meditation, pray that the Almighty may protect Him, that,
through Him, He may exalt the downtrodden, enrich the poor,
and redeem the fallen. The secret of things is concealed
from our eyes. Ours is the duty to raise the call of the New
Day and to proclaim this Divine Message unto all people.
Many a soul will, in this city, shed his blood in this path.
That blood will water the Tree of God, will cause it to
flourish, and to overshadow all mankind.'[6]
[Footnote BA: Teacher or tutor.]
[Footnote BB: Bahá'u'lláh's father was famed for his
calligraphy.]
From Ma[_sh_]had, the holy city that has within it the Shrine of the
eighth Imám, Mullá Ḥusayn addressed his first letter to the Báb. He
gave, as instructed by Him, the full details of his journey from
[_Sh_]íráz to [_Kh_]urásán. He presented the list of names of those
who had responded to the call of the new theophany: a list which had
become further enriched in [_Kh_]urásán by the enrolment of Mírzá
Aḥmad-i-Az[_gh_]andí, the most learned of the divines of that
renowned province; Mullá Mírzá Muḥammad-i-Furú[_gh_]í, another
divine of immense learning; Mírzá Muḥammad-Báqir-i-Qá'iní, whose
house in Ma[_sh_]had was to gain the distinction of being known as the
Bábíyyih, since its doors would be always open to those who sought
Mullá Ḥusayn and to all the Bábís; Mullá Aḥmad-i-Mu`allim, who
had been a tutor to the sons of Siyyid Káẓim; and Mullá
[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `Alí, to whom the Báb gave the title of `Aẓím
(Great). But above all, Mullá Ḥusayn recounted what had transpired
in Ṭihrán, culminating in the gracious response of the nobleman of
Núr. He sent his letter, again as instructed by the Báb, to Ṭabas
(a town in the province of [_Kh_]urásán) where agents of Ḥájí Mírzá
Siyyid `Alí received it and dispatched it to Yazd, whence it reached
[_Sh_]íráz. The arrival of Mullá Ḥusayn's letter and the tidings
which it conveyed brought unbounded joy to the Báb. Soon after, in the
month of September, He left [_Sh_]íráz, accompanied by Quddús, and the
faithful Ethiopian servant, Mubárak.
From Bú[_sh_]ihr, while waiting to take the boat to Jiddah (Jaddah),
the Báb wrote His first letter to His wife. It opens with these moving
words:
'In the Name of God, exalted is He. My sweet love, may God
preserve thee.' 'God is my witness,' He continues, 'that
since the time of separation sorrow has been so intense that
it cannot be described,' and adds His hope that God, 'the
Lord of the world,' may 'facilitate the return journey in
the best manner.' Two days previously He had reached
Bú[_sh_]ihr, and informs His wife that 'the weather is
exceedingly hot, but God, the Lord of the world, is the
Protector.' The boat, it seemed, would be sailing the same
month; 'God, the Lord of the world, will provide protection
by His grace.' He had not been able to see His mother at the
time of His departure, and asks His wife to give her His
salutation (salám) and request her prayers. He would write
to Bombay for the goods required. And the letter ends thus:
'God willing, that which is decreed will come to pass. Peace
be upon thee and the mercy of God and His blessings.'[7]
The ship, bearing pilgrims to Jiddah, set sail on the nineteenth day
of Ramaḍán 1260--October 2nd 1844.[8]