BELIEF AND DENIAL
Know then thyself, presume not God to scan;
The proper study of Mankind is Man.
Plac'd on this isthmus of a middle state,
A being darkly wise, and rudely great:
* * *
Created half to rise, and half to fall;
Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all;
Sole judge of Truth, in endless Error hurl'd:
The glory, jest and riddle of the world!
--Alexander Pope
The Báb was now a captive, and a captive, apart from a few short
months, He remained to the very end. The escort, which should have
arrested Him and taken Him in chains to the city of His birth, was
subdued and reverent. He rode to [_Sh_]íráz almost in triumph. It
would have been feasible to avoid Ḥusayn [_Kh_]án's horsemen and
seek a safe retreat; but He Himself chose to reveal Himself to His
would-be captors. Even more, He said to their spokesman who was
enthralled by His unrivalled act, and was entreating Him to take the
road to safety, to go to Ma[_sh_]had and find refuge in the shrine of
the eighth Imám:
May the Lord your God requite you for your magnanimity and
noble intention. No one knows the mystery of My Cause; no
one can fathom its secrets. Never will I turn My face away
from the decree of God. He alone is My sure Stronghold, My
Stay and My Refuge. Until My last hour is at hand, none dare
assail Me, none can frustrate the plan of the Almighty. And
when My hour is come, how great will be My joy to quaff the
cup of martyrdom in His name! Here am I; deliver Me into the
hands of your master. Be not afraid, for no one will blame
you.[1]
When the identity of the Báb became known some members of His family
felt concern, even alarm, lest great harm might come to Him, and they
themselves suffer in the process. Only one uncle, Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid
`Ali, His former guardian, who had reared Him and established Him in
the world of commerce, believed in His Divine Mission. So did His
wife. But the rest, even His mother, were sceptical and one or two
were definitely antagonistic.
When Muḥammad, the Arabian Prophet, refused to bend to the dictates
of His tribe, the elders of Quray[_sh_] went to His aged uncle,
Abú-Ṭálib, in whose home He had grown to manhood, and demanded that
Muḥammad be put under restraint. Abú-Ṭálib urged his Nephew to
be moderate, but finding Muḥammad determined to pursue His course,
assured Him that his protection would never waver. The elders of
Quray[_sh_] then decided on a stratagem to erode the support that
Muḥammad received from His clan--the Banú-Há[_sh_]im. A boycott was
ordered, but the descendants of Há[_sh_]im, with the solitary
exception of Abú-Lahab,[CA] one of the several uncles of the Prophet,
moved to a section at the edge of the town and lived for three years
in a state of siege, in defence of Muḥammad, although most of them
still worshipped their old idols.
[Footnote CA: Such was the verdict of the Qur'án (cxi) on
Abú-Lahab:
Perish the hands of Abú Lahab, and perish he!
His wealth avails him not, neither what he has earned;
he shall roast at a flaming fire
and his wife, the carrier of the firewood,
upon her neck a rope of palm-fibre.[2]]
The relatives of the Báb did as Muḥammad's relatives before them.
Whatever doubts they may have had, they stood by Him.
Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid Muḥammad, another maternal uncle of the Báb, did not
come to believe in his Nephew as the Qá'im of the House of Muḥammad
until more than a decade later, when he presented his questions and his
doubts to Bahá'u'lláh and received in answer the _Kitáb-i-Íqán_--_The
Book of Certitude_. Yet, such were the magnetic powers of the Báb that
when He reached Bú[_sh_]ihr and was welcomed by this uncle, the latter
wrote in these terms to his family in [_Sh_]íráz:
It has gladdened our hearts that His Honour the Ḥájí [the
Báb] has arrived safely and is in good health. I am at His
service and honoured to be in His company. It is deemed
advisable that He should stay here for a while. God willing,
He will, before long, honour those parts with His presence,
be assured.... His blessed Person is our glory. Be certain
of His Cause and do not let people's idle talk cause doubts
to creep into your hearts. And have no fear whatsoever. The
Lord of the world is His Protector and gives Him victory....
At the end of his letter Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid Muḥammad sent a
message, on behalf of his wife, to the mother of the wife of the Báb:
'You have a son-in-law who is peerless in the world. All the peoples
of the world ought to obey Him.'[3]
And in a letter written shortly after, to Ḥájí Mírzá
Muḥammad-`Ali, one of his sons, the same Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid
Muḥammad quoted the Báb as saying: My proof is My Book--let him who
can, produce the like of these verses.
Similarly, Muḥammad had said in the Qur'án:[4]
Say: 'Bring a Book from God that gives
better guidance than these, and follow it,
if you speak truly.'
Then if they do not answer thee, know that
they are only following their caprices;
and who is further astray than he who
follows his caprice without guidance from
God? Surely God guides not the people
of the evildoers.
--xxviii, 49-50.
Those are the signs of God that We recite to thee in truth;
in what manner of discourse then, after God and His signs,
will they believe?
--xlv, 5.
The Báb's entry into [_Sh_]íráz was truly majestic. It bore no
resemblance to the condition envisaged by the Governor. He had ordered
the Báb to be brought to [_Sh_]íráz in chains. Instead, there was the
Báb riding, calm and serene, at the head of the horsemen. They went
straight to the citadel where the Governor resided. Ḥusayn [_Kh_]án
received the Báb with overbearing insolence: 'Do you realise what a
great mischief you have kindled? Are you aware what a disgrace you
have become to the holy Faith of Islám and to the august person of our
sovereign? Are you not the man who claims to be the author of a new
revelation which annuls the sacred precepts of the Qur'án?'[5] The Báb
spoke in reply these words from the Qur'án:[6]
O believers, if an ungodly man
comes to you with a tiding, make
clear,[CB] lest you afflict a people
unwittingly, and then repent of
what you have done.
--xlix, 6.
[Footnote CB: Rodwell translates this as 'clear it up at
once....']
Ḥusayn [_Kh_]án was beside himself with rage, and ordered an
attendant to strike the Báb's face. His turban fell off but was
replaced gently by [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Abú-Turáb, the Imám-Jum`ih, who
treated the Báb with respect and consideration. On the other hand,
[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Ḥusayn-i-`Arab, the Tyrant, who was also present,
following the example set by the arrogant Governor of Fárs, assailed
the Báb vehemently both with hand and tongue. In the meantime news had
reached the mother of the Báb of this shameless behaviour towards her
Son. Moved by her pleadings, Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid `Alí hurried to the
citadel to demand the release of his Nephew. Ḥusayn [_Kh_]án agreed
to let the Báb go to His home, if His uncle would promise that apart
from the members of His family no one else would be allowed to meet
Him. Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid `Ali protested that he himself was a
well-known merchant of the city, with many connections and a host of
friends and acquaintances, all of whom would wish to visit his Nephew,
who had just returned from pilgrimage to the holy cities of Mecca and
Medina. Ḥusayn [_Kh_]án, realizing that an immediate ban was not
possible, set a time limit of three days, after which the Báb should
be kept incommunicado.
The months during which the Báb lived under surveillance in His native
town saw the birth of the Bábí community. Hitherto His identity had
remained unrevealed, and only individuals, here and there and
unrelated to one another, were Bábís. Apart from the first few months
of His Ministry, when the body of the Letters of the Living was
gradually forming, the Báb had not had a group of disciples around
Him. Even then, because of the condition which the Báb had laid down
for the attainment of those who were to be the first believers,[CC]
cohesion as one firmly-knit body was not feasible. And as soon as the
requisite number was enrolled, the Báb sent them out into the world
to spread the glad tidings of the New Day. But, once again in
[_Sh_]íráz, despite the oppressive measures of Ḥusayn [_Kh_]án, an
appreciable number of Bábís came into the presence of the Báb,
consorted with Him and received instruction and Tablets from Him.
Viewed in this light, this [_Sh_]íráz episode would seem the most
fecund period in the short Ministry of the Báb.
[Footnote CC: They were to find Him 'independently and of
their own accord'.]
Ḥájí Siyyid Javád-i-Karbilá'í, who, as we have seen, had known the Báb
from His childhood, now hurried to [_Sh_]íráz; and soon after came a man
destined to achieve high fame in the ranks of the 'Dawn-Breakers'. He
was Siyyid Yaḥyá of Dáráb, the son of the same greatly-revered Siyyid
Ja`fari-Ka[_sh_]fí, whom we noted before as a fellow-pilgrim of the Báb.
Siyyid Yaḥyá was a divine of great erudition, and he thought that he
could easily overcome the Báb in argument. As he lived in Ṭihrán, close
to royal circles, Muḥammad [_Sh_]áh asked Siyyid Yaḥyá to go to
[_Sh_]íráz and investigate the claim of the Báb. In [_Sh_]íráz he was
the guest of the Governor. Ḥájí Siyyid Javád-i-Karbilá'í arranged a
meeting between the Báb and Siyyid Yaḥyá in the house of Ḥájí Mírzá
Siyyid `Ali. At that first encounter Siyyid Yaḥyá, proud of his vast
knowledge, brought out one abstruse point after another from the Qur'án,
from Traditions, from learned works. To all of them the Báb listened
calmly, and gave answers concise and convincing. Siyyid Yaḥyá was
subdued, but still he searched for a test which would relieve him from
the necessity of giving his allegiance to the Báb. He told Ḥájí Siyyid
Javád-i-Karbilá'í that if only the Báb would show forth a miracle, his
lingering doubts would vanish, to which Ḥájí Siyyid Javád replied that
to demand the performance of a miracle, when faced with the brilliance
of the Sun of Truth, was tantamount to seeking light from a flickering
candle. Siyyid Yaḥyá has himself related:
I resolved that in my third interview with the Báb I would
in my inmost heart request Him to reveal for me a
commentary on the Súrih of Kaw[_th_]ar.[CD] I determined
not to breathe that request in His presence. Should He,
unasked by me, reveal this commentary in a manner that would
immediately distinguish it in my eyes from the prevailing
standards current among the commentators on the Qur'án, I
then would be convinced of the Divine character of His
Mission, and would readily embrace His Cause. If not, I
would refuse to acknowledge Him. As soon as I was ushered
into His presence, a sense of fear, for which I could not
account, suddenly seized me. My limbs quivered as I beheld
His face. I, who on repeated occasions had been introduced
into the presence of the [_Sh_]áh and had never discovered
the slightest trace of timidity in myself, was now so awed
and shaken that I could not remain standing on my feet. The
Báb, beholding my plight, arose from His seat, advanced
towards me, and, taking hold of my hand, seated me beside
Him. 'Seek from Me,' He said, 'whatever is your heart's
desire. I will readily reveal it to you.' I was speechless
with wonder. Like a babe that can neither understand nor
speak, I felt powerless to respond. He smiled as He gazed at
me and said: 'Were I to reveal for you the commentary on the
Súrih of Kaw[_th_]ar, would you acknowledge that My words
are born of the Spirit of God? Would you recognise that My
utterance can in no wise be associated with sorcery or
magic?' Tears flowed from my eyes as I heard Him speak these
words. All I was able to utter was this verse of the Qur'án:
'O our Lord, with ourselves have we dealt unjustly: if Thou
forgive us not and have not pity on us, we shall surely be
of those who perish.'
It was still early in the afternoon when the Báb requested
Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid `Alí to bring His pen-case and some
paper. He then started to reveal His commentary on the Súrih
of Kaw[_th_]ar. How am I to describe this scene of
inexpressible majesty? Verses streamed from His pen with a
rapidity that was truly astounding. The incredible swiftness
of His writing, the soft and gentle murmur of His voice,
and the stupendous force of His style, amazed and bewildered
me. He continued in this manner until the approach of
sunset. He did not pause until the entire commentary of the
Súrih was completed. He then laid down His pen and asked for
tea. Soon after, He began to read it aloud in my presence.
My heart leaped madly as I heard Him pour out, in accents of
unutterable sweetness, those treasures enshrined in that
sublime commentary. I was so entranced by its beauty that
three times over I was on the verge of fainting. He sought
to revive my failing strength with a few drops of rose-water
which He caused to be sprinkled on my face. This restored my
vigour and enabled me to follow His reading to the end.[7]
[Footnote CD: Qur'án, cviii. Kaw[_th_]ar is said to be a
river in Paradise.]
The Báb's conquest of Siyyid Yaḥyá was total. That night and the
two following nights, as instructed by the Báb, Siyyid Yaḥyá
remained a guest in the house of Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid `Alí, until he
himself and Mullá `Abdu'l-Karím-i-Qazvíní, the scribe, (later known as
Mírzá Aḥmad-i-Kátib), completed the transcription of the Báb's
commentary. Siyyid Yaḥyá has stated:
We verified all the traditions in the text and found them to
be entirely accurate. Such was the state of certitude to
which I had attained that if all the powers of the earth
were to be leagued against me they would be powerless to
shake my confidence in the greatness of His Cause.[8]
Siyyid Yaḥyá had stayed away for such a long time from the
Governor's residence that Ḥusayn [_Kh_]án's suspicions were
aroused. To his impatient queries, Siyyid Yaḥyá replied:
No one but God, who alone can change the hearts of men, is
able to captivate the heart of Siyyid Yaḥyá. Whoso can
ensnare his heart is of God, and His word unquestionably the
voice of Truth.[9]
Ḥusayn [_Kh_]án was nonplussed and, for the moment, could only hold
his peace; but he wrote bitterly to Muḥammad [_Sh_]áh to denounce
Siyyid Yaḥyá. Nabíl-i-A`ẓam states that Muḥammad [_Sh_]áh
reprimanded his Governor, replying:
It is strictly forbidden to any one of our subjects to utter
such words as would tend to detract from the exalted rank of
Siyyid Yaḥyáy-i-Dárábí. He is of noble lineage, a man of
great learning, of perfect and consummate virtue. He will
under no circumstances incline his ear to any cause unless
he believes it to be conducive to the advancement of the
best interests of our realm and to the well-being of the
Faith of Islám.[10]
Nabíl has also recorded that
Muḥammad [_Sh_]áh ... was reported to have addressed
these words to Ḥájí Mírzá Áqásí: 'We have been lately
informed that Siyyid Yaḥyáy-i-Dárábí has become a Bábí.
If this be true, it behoves us to cease belittling the cause
of that siyyid.'[10]
`Abdu'l-Bahá has stated that Siyyid Yaḥyá
wrote without fear or care a detailed account of his
observations to Mírzá Luṭf-`Alí, the chamberlain in order
that the latter might submit it to the notice of the late
king, while he himself journeyed to all parts of Persia, and
in every town and station summoned the people from the
pulpit-tops in such wise that other learned doctors decided
that he must be mad, accounting it a sure case of
bewitchment.[11]
At the bidding of the Báb, Siyyid Yaḥyá went first to Burújird in
the province of Luristán, where his father lived, to give that
much-revered divine the tidings of the New Day. The Báb expressly
told him to treat his father with great gentleness. Siyyid
Ja`far-i-Ka[_sh_]fí[CE] did not wholly turn away from the Faith which
his illustrious son was fervently professing and advocating, but
showed no desire to identify himself with it. Siyyid Yaḥyá, as
commanded by the Báb, did not burden his father more and went his own
way which he had gladly chosen--the way that was to lead him to
martyrdom. Siyyid Yaḥyá is known as Vaḥíd--the Unique One--a
designation given to him by the Báb.[CF]
[Footnote CE: 'The Discloser': he was called 'Ka[_sh_]fí'
because of the powers of divination attributed to him.]
[Footnote CF: A letter has survived in the handwriting of
Vaḥíd, addressed to Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid Muḥammad, the
uncle of the Báb. Therein Vaḥíd presents proof to convince
him of the truth of the claim of his Nephew. See Plate facing
p. 81 for an example of Vaḥíd's handwriting.]
The divines of [_Sh_]íráz were insistent that the Báb should attend a
Friday gathering in one of the mosques and clarify his position. What
they really demanded was the complete renunciation of any claim. This
attendance in a mosque on a Friday did take place, but the date of it
is not known.
Nabíl-i-A`ẓam thus describes the summoning of the Báb to the Mosque
of Vakíl:[12]
The Báb, accompanied by Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid `Alí, arrived
at the Masjid at a time when the Imám-Jum`ih had just
ascended the pulpit and was preparing to deliver his sermon.
As soon as his eyes fell upon the Báb, he publicly welcomed
Him, requested Him to ascend the pulpit, and called upon Him
to address the congregation. The Báb, responding to his
invitation, advanced towards him and, standing on the first
step of the staircase, prepared to address the people. 'Come
up higher,' interjected the Imám-Jum`ih. Complying with his
wish, the Báb ascended two more steps. As He was standing,
His head hid the breast of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Abú-Turáb, who was
occupying the pulpit-top. He began by prefacing His public
declaration with an introductory discourse. No sooner had
He uttered the opening words of 'Praise be to God, who hath
in truth created the heavens and the earth,' than a certain
siyyid known as Siyyid-i-[_Sh_]i[_sh_]-Parí, whose function
was to carry the mace before the Imám-Jum`ih, insolently
shouted: 'Enough of this idle chatter! Declare, now and
immediately, the thing you intend to say.' The Imám-Jum`ih
greatly resented the rudeness of the siyyid's remark. 'Hold
your peace,' he rebuked him, 'and be ashamed of your
impertinence.' He then, turning to the Báb, asked Him to be
brief, as this, he said, would allay the excitement of the
people. The Báb, as He faced the congregation, declared:
'The condemnation of God be upon him who regards me either
as a representative of the Imám or the gate thereof. The
condemnation of God be also upon whosoever imputes to me the
charge of having denied the unity of God, of having
repudiated the prophethood of Muḥammad, the Seal of the
Prophets, of having rejected the truth of any of the
messengers of old, or of having refused to recognise the
guardianship of `Alí, the Commander of the Faithful, or of
any of the imáms who have succeeded him.' He then ascended
to the top of the staircase, embraced the Imám-Jum`ih, and,
descending to the floor of the Masjid, joined the
congregation for the observance of the Friday prayer. The
Imám-Jum`ih intervened and requested Him to retire. 'Your
family,' he said, 'is anxiously awaiting your return. All
are apprehensive lest any harm befall you. Repair to your
house and there offer your prayer; of greater merit shall
this deed be in the sight of God.' Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid `Alí
also was, at the request of the Imám-Jum`ih, asked to
accompany his nephew to his home. This precautionary measure
which [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Abú-Turáb thought it wise to observe
was actuated by the fear lest, after the dispersion of the
congregation, a few of the evil-minded among the crowd might
still attempt to injure the person of the Báb or endanger
His life. But for the sagacity, the sympathy, and the
careful attention which the Imám-Jum`ih so strikingly
displayed on a number of such occasions, the infuriated mob
would doubtless have been led to gratify its savage desire,
and would have committed the most abominable of excesses. He
seemed to have been the instrument of the invisible Hand
appointed to protect both the person and the Mission of that
Youth.[13]
Regarding that gathering in the Mosque of Vakíl, `Abdu'l-Bahá has
written:
One day they summoned him to the mosque urging and
constraining him to recant, but he discoursed from the
pulpit in such wise as to silence and subdue those present
and to stablish and strengthen his followers. It was then
supposed that he claimed to be the medium of grace from His
Highness the Lord of the Age[CG] (upon him be peace); but
afterwards it became known and evident that his meaning was
the Gate-hood [_Bábiyyat_] of another city and the
mediumship of the graces of another person whose qualities
and attributes were contained in his books and
treatises.[14]
[Footnote CG: Ṣaḥibu'z-Zamán, i.e., the Qá'im, the
Mihdí (Mahdí).]
Ḥájí Mírzá Ḥabíbu'lláh-i-Afnán has this record in his chronicle:
'The late Ḥájí Mírzá Muḥammad-Sádiq-i-Mu`allim [Teacher], who
was a man of good repute, was relating the story of that day for the
late `Andalíb.[15] My brother, Ḥájí Mírzá Buzurg, and I were
present. This is the summary of what he said: "I was about twenty-five
years old and able to judge an issue. It was noised abroad that the
Governor, by the request of the divines, had ordered that the people
of [_Sh_]íráz, of all classes, should gather in the Masjid-i-Vakíl, as
the Siyyid-i-Báb was going to renounce His claim. I too went to the
mosque to find a place near [the pulpit] so that I might hear well
all that He had to say. From the morning onwards, people, group by
group, thronged the mosque. Three hours before sunset there was such a
press of people in the mosque that the cloisters and the courtyard and
the roofs, even the minarets, were fully crowded. The Governor, the
divines, the merchants and the notables were sitting in the cloisters,
near the stone pulpit. (This is a pulpit carved out of one piece of
marble. It has fourteen steps.) I was also sitting near it. Voices
were heard in the courtyard, saying: 'He is coming.' He came through
the gate, accompanied by ten footmen and `Abdu'l-Ḥamíd
[_Kh_]án-i-Dárú[_gh_]ih [chief of police], and approached the pulpit.
He had His turban on and an `abá on His shoulders. He displayed such
power and dignity and His bearing was so sublime that I cannot
describe it adequately. That vast gathering seemed as naught to Him.
He paid no heed to that assemblage of the people. He addressed
Ḥusayn [_Kh_]án and the divines: 'What is your intention in asking
Me to come here?' They answered: 'The intention is that you should
ascend this pulpit and repudiate your false claim so that this
commotion and unrest will subside.' He said nothing and went up to the
third step of the pulpit. [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Ḥusayn, the Tyrant, said
with utmost vehemence: 'Go to the top of the pulpit so that all may
see and hear you.' The Báb ascended the pulpit and sat down at the
top. All of a sudden, silence fell upon that assemblage. It seemed as
if there was not a soul in the mosque. The whole concourse of people
strained their ears. He began to recite at the start a homily in
Arabic on Divine Unity. It was delivered with utmost eloquence, with
majesty and power. It lasted about half an hour, and the concourse of
people, high and low, learned and illiterate alike, listened
attentively and were fascinated. The people's silence infuriated
[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Ḥusayn, who turned to the Governor and said: 'Did
you bring this Siyyid here, into the presence of all these people, to
prove His Cause, or did you bring Him to recant and renounce His
false claim? He will soon with these words win over all these people
to His side. Tell Him to say what He has to say. What are all these
idle tales?' Ḥusayn [_Kh_]án, the Ṣáḥib-I[_kh_]tiyár, told
the Báb: 'O Siyyid! say what you have been told to say. What is this
idle chatter?' The Báb was silent for a moment and then He addressed
the crowd: 'O people! Know this well that I speak what My Grandfather,
the Messenger of God, spoke twelve hundred and sixty years ago, and I
do not speak what My Grandfather did not. "What Muḥammad made
lawful remains lawful unto the Day of Resurrection and what He forbade
remains forbidden unto the Day of Resurrection",[CH] and according to
the Tradition that has come down from the Imáms, "Whenever the Qá'im
arises that will be the Day of Resurrection".' The Báb, having spoken
those words, descended from the pulpit. Some of the people, who had
been inimical and hostile, that day foreswore their antagonism. But
when the Báb came face to face with [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Ḥusayn, that
enemy raised his walking-stick to strike Him. The late Mírzá
Abu'l-Ḥasan [_Kh_]án, the Mu[_sh_]íru'l-Mulk,[CI] who was then a
young man, brought forward his shoulder to ward off the attack, and it
was his shoulder that was hit."
[Footnote CH: The Báb was quoting a Muslim Tradition.]
[Footnote CI: He and his father, Mírzá Muḥammad-`Alí, the
first Mu[_sh_]íru'l-Mulk, were the Viziers of Fárs, in
succession, over a period of forty years.]
'That Ḥájí [Ḥájí Mírzá Muḥammad-Ṣádiq], who was not a
believer but a well-wisher, related this story to the late `Andalíb.
His meaning was that the Báb, on that occasion, affirmed His Cause and
completed His proof before the concourse of people.'
Ḥájí Mírzá Habíbu'lláh goes on to say: 'Then the divines came together
and passed a sentence of death on the Báb. They wrote out their verdict
and affixed their seals to it. The instigator of this move and the
source of all mischief was [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Ḥusayn, the Tyrant, who held
the title of Náẓim'u[_sh_]-[_Sh_]aríy`ih. Their numbers included
[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Abú-Há[_sh_]im, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Asadu'lláh, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]
Mihdíy-i-Kujúrí and Mullá Muḥammad-`Alíy-i-Maḥallátí. Next they took
what they had written and sealed to the late [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Abú-Turáb,
the Imám-Jum`ih, because he had refused to heed their pleas and had
declined to attend their meeting. Now they presented their paper to the
Imám-Jum`ih and asked him to put his seal on it that "we may finish off
this Siyyid". [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Abú-Turáb, on perusing the verdict, became
very angry, threw that piece of paper on the ground and said, "Have you
gone out of your minds? I will never put my seal on this paper, because
I have no doubts about the lineage, integrity, piety, nobility and
honesty of this Siyyid. I see that this young Man is possessed of all
the virtues of Islám and humanity and of all the faculties of intellect.
There can be only two sides to this question: He either speaks the
truth, or He is, as you allege, a liar. If He be truthful I cannot
endorse such a verdict on a man of truth, and if He be a liar, as you
aver, tell me which one of us present here is so strictly truthful as to
sit in judgment upon this Siyyid. Away with you and your false
imaginings, away, away!" No matter how hard they tried and how much they
insisted, the late [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Abú-Turáb did not grant them their
wish; and because he declined to put his seal on their paper, their plan
was brought to naught and they did not succeed in achieving their
objective.'
According to Nicolas, Muḥammad [_Sh_]áh asked Siyyid
Yaḥyáy-i-Dárábí to go to [_Sh_]íráz and investigate the Cause of
the Báb, when the account of the gathering in the Mosque of Vakíl was
presented to him.[16]
`Abdu'l-Bahá tells us that when the news of the journeys of
Siyyid Yaḥyáy-i-Dárábí and the anger provoked by them
reached Zanján, Mullá Muḥammad `Alí the divine, who was
a man of mark possessed of penetrating speech, sent one of
those on whom he could rely to Shíráz to investigate this
matter. This person, having acquainted himself with the
details of these occurrences in such wise as was necessary
and proper, returned with some [of the Báb's] writings. When
the divine heard how matters were and had made himself
acquainted with the writings, notwithstanding that he was a
man expert in knowledge and noted for profound research, he
went mad and became crazed as was predestined: he gathered
up his books in the lecture-room saying, 'The season of
spring and wine has arrived,' and uttered this
sentence:-'_Search for knowledge after reaching the known is
culpable._' Then from the summit of the pulpit he summoned
and directed all his disciples [to embrace the doctrine],
and wrote to the Báb his own declaration and confession....
Although the doctors of Zanján arose with heart and soul to
exhort and admonish the people they could effect nothing.
Finally they were compelled to go to Teherán and made their
complaint before the late king Muḥammad Sháh, requesting
that Mullá Muḥammad `Alí be summoned to Teherán.
Now when he came to Teherán they brought him before a
conclave of the doctors ... after many controversies and
disputations nought was effected with him in that assembly.
The late king therefore bestowed on him a staff and fifty
_túmáns_ for his expenses, and gave him permission to
return.[17]
The confidant whom Mullá Muḥammad-`Alí of Zanján, better known as Ḥujjat
(the Proof),[CJ] sent to [_Sh_]íráz to investigate the Cause of the Báb
was named Mullá Iskandar. Nabíl-i-A`ẓam describes his return:
He arrived at a time when all the leading `ulamás of the
city had assembled in the presence of Ḥujjat. As soon as
he appeared, Ḥujjat enquired whether he believed in, or
rejected, the new Revelation. Mullá Iskandar submitted the
writings of the Báb ... and asserted that whatever should be
the verdict of his master, the same would he deem it his
obligation to follow. 'What!' angrily exclaimed Ḥujjat.
'But for the presence of this distinguished company, I would
have chastised you severely. How dare you consider matters
of belief to be dependent upon the approbation or rejection
of others?' Receiving from the hand of his messenger the
copy of the Qayyúmu'l-Asmá', he, as soon as he had perused a
page of that book, fell prostrate upon the ground and
exclaimed: 'I bear witness that these words which I have
read proceed from the same Source as that of the Qur'án.
Whoso has recognised the truth of that sacred Book must
needs testify to the Divine origin of these words, and must
needs submit to the precepts inculcated by their Author. I
take you, members of this assembly, as my witnesses: I
pledge such allegiance to the Author of this Revelation that
should He ever pronounce the night to be the day, and
declare the sun to be a shadow, I would unreservedly submit
to His judgment, and would regard His verdict as the voice
of Truth.'[18]
[Footnote CJ: He was called Ḥujjatu'l-Islám (The Proof of
Islám), an appellation given to highly-placed and
well-recognized divines. The Báb gave him the designation:
Ḥujjat-i-Zanjání.]
Mullá Muḥammad-`Alí of Zanján, who, like Siyyid Yaḥyá of Dáráb,
was destined to become a brilliant star in the Bábí firmament, was a
practitioner of the A[_kh_]bárí school,[19] and that had placed him
oftentimes at odds with other divines of his rank and station. Beyond
that variance Mullá Muḥammad-`Alí was always very forceful and
emphatic in the expression of his views. That forthrightness,
sustained by his vast knowledge and lucid speech, had led to serious
disputations with his peers. Time and again the mediation of no less a
person than the monarch himself had saved the situation from
deterioration into violence. He had once before been summoned to
Ṭihrán, where, in the presence of Muḥammad [_Sh_]áh, he had
worsted his opponents. As the common parlance has it, he was not a man
to mince his words.
* * * * *
There were a number of Bábís in Karbilá eagerly awaiting the arrival
of the Báb. The news that the Báb had changed His route shook the
faith of a few of them. As instructed by the Báb Himself, these Bábís
left Karbilá for Iṣfahán. At Kangávar, situated between
Kirmán[_sh_]áh and Hamadán, they encountered Mullá Ḥusayn, the
Bábu'l-Báb, and his brother and nephew, whose destination was Karbilá.
But, hearing what had happened, Mullá Ḥusayn decided to accompany
them to Iṣfahán. There he received the news from [_Sh_]íráz that
the Báb was under constraint. He determined to continue on to
[_Sh_]íráz, accompanied, as before, by his brother and nephew. He took
off his turban and clerical robes and put on the accoutrements of a
horseman of the Hizárih tribe in [_Kh_]urásán. Thus he entered the
gate of [_Sh_]íráz and reached the house of Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid `Alí.
Some days later Mírzá Muḥammad-`Alíy-i-Nahrí with his brother Mírzá
Hádí, and Mullá `Abdu'l-Karím-i-Qazvíní arrived at [_Sh_]íráz,
and with them were Mullá `Abdu'l-`Alíy-i-Hirátí and Mullá
Javád-i-Bara[_gh_]ání, who were fickle and deeply jealous of Mullá
Ḥusayn. In spite of Mullá Ḥusayn's disguise, the enemies of the
Báb soon recognized him, and the cry went up denouncing his presence
in [_Sh_]íráz. Then the Báb directed Mullá Ḥusayn to Yazd, whence
he was to proceed to [_Kh_]urásán. Others He also told to leave; only
Mullá `Abdu'l-Karím remained to be His scribe. Those who had professed
the Faith of the Báb to gain their own ends, such as Mullá
`Abdu'l-`Alíy-i-Hirátí, went to Kirmán and attached themselves to
Ḥájí Muḥammad-Karím [_Kh_]án-i-Kirmání, who, by this date, had
assumed the leadership of the [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]í community.
A number of other Bábís, as previously mentioned, also repaired to
[_Sh_]íráz and attained the presence of the Báb. One of them was Mullá
[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `Alí of [_Kh_]urásán, whom the Báb designated as
`Aẓím[CK] (Great). He was still in [_Sh_]íráz when Siyyid
Yaḥyáy-i-Dárábí came to make his investigation. [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]
Ḥasan-i-Zunúzí was another. Moreover, [_Sh_]íráz itself had by this
time a group of native Bábís. Ḥájí Abu'l-Ḥasan, the Báb's
fellow-pilgrim, was one; another was a nephew of [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]
Abú-Turáb, the Imám-Jum`ih, a youth named [_Sh_]ay[_kh_]-`Alí Mírzá;
yet another, Ḥájí Muḥammad-Bisát, a close friend of the same
Imám-Jum`ih; and to name a few more: Mírzá-Áqáy-i-Rikáb-Sáz
(Stirrup-maker), destined to fall a martyr, one of the very few who
quaffed the cup of martyrdom in [_Sh_]íráz itself; Luṭf-`Alí Mírzá,
a descendant of the Af[_sh_]ár kings (1736-95), whom we shall meet in
a subsequent chapter; Áqá Muḥammad-Karím, a merchant, who was
eventually compelled by continued persecution to abandon his native
city; Mírzá Raḥím, a baker, who became an ardent teacher of the
Faith; Mírzá `Abdu'l-Karím, who had the office of key-holder to the
shrine known as [_Sh_]áh-[_Ch_]irá[_gh_][CL] (King of the Lamp) where
Mír Aḥmad, a brother of the eighth Imám, is buried; Ma[_sh_]hadí
Abu'l-Qásim-i-Labbáf (Quilt-maker), whose son Ḥi[_sh_]mat achieved
fame as a poet; Mírzá Mihdí, a poet of note, whose soubriquet was
Ṣábir (Patient), and his son, Mírzá `Alí-Akbar. Most of these
native Bábís of [_Sh_]íráz embraced the Faith after hearing the Báb
from the pulpit of the Mosque of Vakíl.
[Footnote CK: `Aẓím is numerically equivalent to
[_Sh_]ay[_kh_] `Alí.]
[Footnote CL: Many of the relatives of the Báb, including His
uncle, Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid Muḥammad, were buried inside
this shrine.]
By the summer of 1846, the Báb had cleared the way for another chapter
in the progress of His Ministry. He bequeathed all His property
jointly to His mother and to His wife, who was to inherit subsequently
the whole estate.[CM] Then He took up His residence in the house of
His uncle, Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid `Alí. That was the house where He was
born and where He had spent much of His childhood. At the time of this
move, He told those of His followers who had come to make their home
in [_Sh_]íráz to go to Iṣfahán. Included in that group were Siyyid
Ḥusayn-i-Yazdí, one of the Letters of the Living, who later became
the amanuensis of the Báb, [_Sh_]ay[_kh_] Ḥasan-i-Zunúzí and Mullá
`Abdu'l-Karím-i-Qazvíní, the scribe.
[Footnote CM: See Plate facing p. 193.]
One evening it was reported to the Governor that a large number of
Bábís had gathered in the house of Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid `Alí.
Ḥusayn [_Kh_]án ordered `Abdu'l-Ḥamíd [_Kh_]án, the Dárú[_gh_]ih
(chief constable) of [_Sh_]íráz, to rush the house of the uncle of the
Báb, surprise its occupants and arrest everyone he found there.
According to Nicolas, Ḥájí Mírzá Áqásí had instructed the Governor
to put the Báb to death in secret. It was apparently Ḥusayn
[_Kh_]án's intention to carry out the orders of the Grand Vizier that
night. However, that very night a severe cholera epidemic swept the
city,[CN] and Ḥusayn [_Kh_]án fled precipitately. The chief
constable and his men entered Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid `Alí's house by way
of the roof-top, but found no one with the Báb, except His uncle and
one disciple, Siyyid Káẓim-i-Zanjání. With the Governor gone, the
chief constable decided to take the Báb to his own house. Reaching his
home, `Abdu'l-Ḥamíd [_Kh_]án found, to his horror and distress,
that within the few hours of his absence his sons had been struck by
cholera. He pleaded with the Báb for their recovery. It was now the
hour of dawn and the Báb was preparing to say His morning prayer. He
gave `Abdu'l-Hamíd [_Kh_]án some of the water with which He was making
His ablutions and told him to take it to his sons to drink; they would
recover, the Báb assured the chief constable. They recovered indeed,
and `Abdu'l-Hamíd [_Kh_]án was so overwhelmed with joy and gratitude
that he sought out the Governor and begged Ḥusayn [_Kh_]án to
permit him to release the Báb. `Abdu'l-Bahá states in _A Traveller's
Narrative_ that Ḥusayn [_Kh_]án consented on condition that the Báb
agreed to depart from [_Sh_]íráz.[20]
[Footnote CN: On October 15th 1846, Major Hennell reported
from Bú[_sh_]ihr to Sheil in Ṭihrán that cholera reached
[_Sh_]íráz about September 22nd, and that 'immediately the
fact was ascertained' Ḥusayn [_Kh_]án left [_Sh_]íráz and
went well away. At the time of his writing, Hennell states,
the Governor had come back, to Bá[_gh_]-i-Ta[_kh_]t, a garden
and palace on the northern heights overlooking [_Sh_]íráz. On
November 16th, Hennell reported that 'the cholera has ceased
its ravages at Shiraz', that it had spread as far away as
Fasá and Jahrum, that there had been no fatal cases in
Bú[_sh_]ihr, and that Baṣrah and Ba[_gh_]dád in Turkish
domains had suffered most, deaths numbering up to 200 a day
in Baṣrah. (F.O. 268/113.)]
NOTE
When this book had reached the stage of paginated proofs, the writer
received a number of very important documents, one of which is a
historical find of prime importance. It is a letter from the Báb to His
uncle, Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid `Alí, written at Kunár-Ta[_kh_]tih, a stage
further from Dálakí, on the Bú[_sh_]ihr-[_Sh_]íráz road. It was at
Dálakí that He encountered the horsemen sent to arrest Him. He mentions
the esteem shown to Him by those horsemen. But the importance of this
letter lies in the fact that it is precisely dated: 24th of the 2nd
Jamádí 1261, which corresponds to June 30th 1845. The date of the Báb's
departure from Bú[_sh_]ihr had nowhere been recorded and had remained
unknown. It must have taken Him another week, at least, to reach
[_Sh_]íráz. Departing for Iṣfahán in the last days of September 1846,
His sojurn in His native city was, thus, less than fifteen months.