Chapter 4

Love smoldered in his heart, so that he had no peace; and when he could bear the absence of the Beloved One no more, he left his native home, the province of Yazd. He found the desert sands like silk under his feet; light as the wind's breath, he passed over the mountains and across the endless plains, until he stood at the door of his Love. He had freed himself from the snare of separation, and in 'Iraq, he entered the presence of Baha'u'llah.

Once he made his way into the home of the Darling of mankind, he was emptied of every thought, released from every concern, and became the recipient of boundless favor and grace. He passed some days in 'Iraq and was directed to return to Persia. There he remained for a time, frequenting the believers; and his pure breathings stirred each one of them anew, so that each one yearned over the Faith, and became more restless, more impatient than before.

Later he arrived at the Most Great Prison with Mirza Abu'l-Hasan, the second Amin. On this journey he met with severe hardships, for it was extremely difficult to find a way into the prison. Finally he was received by Baha'u'llah in the public baths. Mirza Abu'l-Hasan was so overwhelmed at the majestic presence of his Lord that he shook, stumbled, and fell to the floor; his head was injured and the blood flowed out.

Amin, that is _Sh_ah-Muhammad, was honored with the title of the Trusted One, and bounties were showered upon him. Full of eagerness and love, taking with him Tablets from Baha'u'llah, he hastened back to Persia, where, at all times worthy of trust, he labored for the Cause. His services were outstanding, and he was a consolation to the believers' hearts. There was none to compare with him for energy, enthusiasm and zeal, and no man's services could equal his. He was a haven amidst the people, known everywhere for devotion to the Holy Threshold, widely acclaimed by the friends.

He never rested for a moment. Not one night did he spend on a bed of ease, never did he lay down his head on comfort's pillow. He was continuously in flight, soaring as the birds do, running like a deer, guesting in the desert of oneness, alone and swift. He brought joy to all the believers; to all, his coming was good news; to every seeker, he was a sign and token. He was enamored of God, a vagrant in the desert of God's love. Like the wind, he traveled over the face of the plains, and he was restive on the heights of the hills. He was in a different country every day, and in yet another land by nightfall. Never did he rest, never was he still. He was forever rising up to serve.

But then they took him prisoner in A_dh_irbayjan, in the town of Miyandu'ab. He fell a prey to some ruthless Kurds, a hostile band who asked no questions of the innocent, defenseless man. Believing that this stranger, like other foreigners, wished ill to the Kurdish people, and taking him for worthless, they killed him.

When news of his martyrdom reached the Prison, all the captives grieved, and they shed tears for him, resigned to God and undefended as he was in his last hour. Even on the countenance of Baha'u'llah, there were visible tokens of grief. A Tablet, infinitely tender, was revealed by the Supreme Pen, commemorating the man who died on that calamitous plain, and many other Tablets were sent down concerning him.

Today, under the shadowing mercy of God, he dwells in the bright Heavens. He communes with the birds of holiness, and in the assemblage of splendors he is immersed in light. The memory and praise of him shall remain, till the end of time, in the pages of books and on the tongues and lips of men.

Unto him be salutations and praise; upon him be the glory of the All-Glorious; upon him be the most great mercy of God.

MASHHADI FATTAH

Ma_sh_hadi Fattah was personified spirit. He was devotion itself. Brother to Haji 'Ali-'Askar--of the same pure lineage--through the latter he came into the Faith. Like the twins, Castor and Pollux, the two kept together in one spot, and both were illumined with the light of belief.

In all things, the two were united as a pair; they shared the same certitude and faith, the same conscience, and made their way out of A_dh_irbayjan to Adrianople, emigrating at the same time. In every circumstance of their life, they lived as one individual; their disposition, their aims, their religion, character, behavior, faith, certitude, knowledge--all were one. Even in the Most Great Prison, they were constantly together.

Ma_sh_hadi Fattah possessed some merchandise; this was all he owned in the world. He had entrusted it to persons in Adrianople, and later on those unrighteous people did away with the goods. Thus, in the pathway of God, he lost whatever he possessed. He passed his days, perfectly content, in the Most Great Prison. He was utter selflessness; from him, no one ever heard a syllable to indicate that he existed. He was always in a certain corner of the prison, silently meditating, occupied with the remembrance of God; at all times spiritually alert and mindful, in a state of supplication.

Then came the Supreme Affliction. He could not tolerate the anguish of parting with Baha'u'llah, and after Baha'u'llah's passing, he died of grief. Blessed is he; again, blessed is he. Glad tidings to him; again, glad tidings to him. Upon him be the glory of the All-Glorious.

NABIL OF QA'IN

This distinguished man, Mulla Muhammad-'Ali,(28) was one of those whose hearts were drawn to Baha'u'llah before the Declaration of the Bab; it was then that he drank the red wine of knowledge from the hands of the Cupbearer of grace. It happened that a prince, who was the son of Mir Asadu'llah _Kh_an, prince of Qa'in, was commanded to remain as a political hostage in Tihran. He was young, far away from his loving father, and Mulla Muhammad-'Ali was his tutor and guardian. Since the youth was a stranger in Tihran, the Blessed Beauty showed him special kindness. Many a night the young prince was Baha'u'llah's guest at the mansion, and Mulla Muhammad-'Ali would accompany him. This was prior to the Declaration of the Bab.

It was then that this chief of all trusted friends was captivated by Baha'u'llah, and wherever he went, spread loving praise of Him. After the way of Islam, he also related the great miracles which he had, with his own eyes, seen Baha'u'llah perform, and the marvels he had heard. He was in ecstasy, burning up with love. In that condition, he returned to Qa'in with the prince.

Later on that eminent scholar, Aqa Muhammad of Qa'in (whose title was Nabil-i-Akbar) was made a mujtahid, a doctor of religious law, by the late _Sh_ay_kh_ Murtada; he left, then, for Ba_gh_dad, became an ardent follower of Baha'u'llah, and hastened back to Persia. The leading divines and mujtahids were well aware of and acknowledged his vast scholarly accomplishments, the breadth of his learning, and his high rank. When he reached Qa'in, he began openly to spread the new Faith. The moment Mulla Muhammad-'Ali heard the name of the Blessed Beauty, he immediately accepted the Bab. "I had the honor," he said, "of meeting the Blessed Beauty in Tihran. The instant I saw Him, I became His slave."

In his village of Sar-_Ch_ah, this gifted, high-minded man began to teach the Faith. He guided in his own family and saw to the others as well, bringing a great multitude under the law of the love of God, leading each one to the path of salvation.

Up to that time he had always been a close companion of Mir Alam _Kh_an, the Governor of Qa'in, had rendered him important services, and had enjoyed the Governor's respect and trust. Now that shameless prince turned against him in a rage on account of his religion, seized his property and plundered it; for the Amir was terrified of Nasiri'd-Din _Sh_ah. He banished Nabil-i-Akbar and ruined Nabil of Qa'in. After throwing him in prison and torturing him, he drove him out as a homeless vagrant.

To Nabil, the sudden calamity was a blessing, the sacking of his earthly goods, the expulsion into the desert, was a kingly crown and the greatest favor God could grant him. For some time he remained in Tihran, to outward seeming a pauper of no fixed abode, but inwardly rejoicing; for this is the characteristic of every soul who is firm in the Covenant.

He had access to the society of the great and knew the condition of the various princes. He would, therefore, frequent some of them and give them the message. He was a consolation to the hearts of the believers and as a drawn sword to the enemies of Baha'u'llah. He was one of those of whom we read in the Qur'an: "For the Cause of God shall they strive hard; the blame of the blamer shall they not fear."(29) Day and night he toiled to promote the Faith, and with all his might to spread abroad the clear signs of God. He would drink and drink again of the wine of God's love, was clamorous as the storm clouds, restless as the waves of the sea.

Permission came, then, for him to visit the Most Great Prison; for in Tihran, as a believer, he had become a marked man. They all knew of his conversion; he had no caution, no patience, no reserve; he cared nothing for reticence, nothing for dissimulation. He was utterly fearless and in terrible danger.

When he arrived at the Most Great Prison, the hostile watchers drove him off, and try as he might he found no way to enter. He was obliged to leave for Nazareth, where he lived for some time as a stranger, alone with his two sons, Aqa Qulam-Husayn and Aqa 'Ali-Akbar, grieving and praying. At last a plan was devised to introduce him into the fortress and he was summoned to the prison where they had immured the innocent. He came in such ecstasy as cannot be described, and was admitted to the presence of Baha'u'llah. When he entered there and lifted his eyes to the Blessed Beauty he shook and trembled and fell unconscious to the floor. Baha'u'llah spoke words of loving-kindness to him and he rose again. He spent some days hidden in the barracks, after which he returned to Nazareth.

The inhabitants of Nazareth wondered much about him. They told one another that he was obviously a great and distinguished man in his own country, a notable and of high rank; and they asked themselves why he should have chosen such an out-of-the-way corner of the world as Nazareth and how he could be contented with such poverty and hardship.

When, in fulfillment of the promise of the Most Great Name, the gates of the Prison were flung wide, and all the friends and travelers could enter and leave the fortress-town in peace and with respect, Nabil of Qa'in would journey to see Baha'u'llah once in every month. However, as commanded by Him, he continued to live in Nazareth, where he converted a number of Christians to the Faith; and there he would weep, by day and night, over the wrongs that were done to Baha'u'llah.

His means of livelihood was his business partnership with me. That is, I provided him with a capital of three krans;(30) with it he bought needles, and this was his stock-in-trade. The women of Nazareth gave him eggs in exchange for his needles and in this way he would obtain thirty or forty eggs a day: three needles per egg. Then he would sell the eggs and live on the proceeds. Since there was a daily caravan between Akka and Nazareth, he would refer to Aqa Rida each day, for more needles. Glory be to God! He survived two years on that initial outlay of capital; and he returned thanks at all times. You can tell how detached he was from worldly things by this one fact: the Nazarenes used to say it was plain to see from the old man's manner and behavior that he was very rich, and that if he lived so modestly it was only because he was a stranger in a strange place--hiding his wealth by setting up as a peddler of needles.

Whenever he came into the presence of Baha'u'llah he received still more evidences of favor and love. For all seasons, he was a close friend and companion to me. When sorrows attacked me I would send for him, and then I would rejoice just to see him again. How wonderful his talk was, how attractive his society. Bright of face he was; free of heart; loosed from every earthly tie, always on the wing. Toward the end he made his home in the Most Great Prison, and every day he entered the presence of Baha'u'llah.

On a certain day, walking through the bazar with his friends, he met a gravedigger named Haji Ahmad. Although in the best of health, he addressed the gravedigger and laughingly told him: "Come along with me." Accompanied by the believers and the gravedigger he made for Nabiyu'llah Salih. Here he said: "O Haji Ahmad, I have a request to make of you: when I move on, out of this world and into the next, dig my grave here, beside the Purest Branch.(31) This is the favor I ask." So saying, he gave the man a gift of money.

That very evening, not long after sunset, word came that Nabil of Qa'in had been taken ill. I went to his home at once. He was sitting up, and conversing. He was radiant, laughing, joking, but for no apparent reason the sweat was pouring off his face--it was rushing down. Except for this he had nothing the matter with him. The perspiring went on and on; he weakened, lay in his bed, and toward morning, died.

Baha'u'llah would refer to him with infinite grace and loving-kindness, and revealed a number of Tablets in his name. The Blessed Beauty was wont, after Nabil's passing, to recall that ardor, the power of that faith, and to comment that here was a man who had recognized Him, prior to the advent of the Bab.

All hail to him for this wondrous bestowal. "Blessedness awaiteth him and a goodly home... And God will single out for His mercy whomsoever He willeth."(32)

SIYYID MUHAMMAD-TAQI MANSHADI

Muhammad-Taqi came from the village of Man_sh_ad. When still young, he learned of the Faith of God. In holy ecstasy, his mind turned Heavenward, and his heart was flooded with light. Divine grace descended upon him; the summons of God so enraptured him that he threw the peace of Man_sh_ad to the winds. Leaving his kinsfolk and children, he set out over mountains and desert plains, passed from one halting-place to the next, came to the seashore, crossed over the sea and at last reached the city of Haifa. From there he hastened on to Akka and entered the presence of Baha'u'llah.

In the early days he opened a small shop in Haifa and carried on some trifling business. God's blessing descended upon it, and it prospered. That little corner became the haven of the pilgrims. When they arrived, and again at their departure, they were guests of the high-minded and generous Muhammad-Taqi. He also helped to manage the affairs of the believers, and would get together their means of travel. He proved unfailingly reliable, loyal, worthy of trust. Ultimately he became the intermediary through whom Tablets could be sent away and mail from the believers could come in. He performed this service with perfect dependability, accomplishing it in a most pleasing way, scrupulously despatching and receiving the correspondence at all times. Trusted by everyone, he became known in many parts of the world, and received unnumbered bounties from Baha'u'llah. He was a treasury of justice and righteousness, entirely free from any attachment to worldly things. He had accustomed himself to a very spare way of life, caring nothing for food or sleep, comfort or peace. He lived all alone in a single room, passed the nights on a couch of palm branches, and slept in a corner. But to the travelers, he was a spring in the desert; for them, he provided the softest of pillows, and the best table he could afford. He had a smiling face and by nature was spiritual and serene.

After the Daystar of the Supreme Concourse had set, Siyyid Man_sh_adi remained loyal to the Covenant, a sharp sword confronting the violators. They tried every ruse, every deceit, all their subtlest expedients; it is beyond imagining how they showered favors on him and what honors they paid him, what feasts they prepared, what pleasures they offered, all this to make a breach in his faith. Yet every day he grew stronger than before, continued to be staunch and true, kept free from every unseemly thought, and shunned whatever went contrary to the Covenant of God. When they finally despaired of shaking his resolve, they harassed him in every possible way, and plotted his financial ruin. He remained, however, the quintessence of constancy and trust.

When, at the instigation of the violators, 'Abdu'l-Hamid began his opposition to me, I was obliged to send Man_sh_adi away to Port Sa'id, because he was widely known among the people as the distributor of our mail. I then had to relay the correspondence to him through intermediaries who were unknown, and he would send the letters on as before. In this way the treacherous and the hostile were unable to take over the mail. During the latter days of 'Abdu'l-Hamid, when a commission of investigation appeared and--urged on by those familiars-turned-strangers--made plans to tear out the Holy Tree by the roots; when they determined to cast me into the depths of the sea or banish me to the Fezzan, and this was their settled purpose; and when the commission accordingly tried their utmost to get hold of some document or other, they failed. In the thick of all that turmoil, with all the pressures and restraints, and the foul attacks of those persons who were pitiless as Yazid,(33) still the mail went through.

For many long years, Siyyid Man_sh_adi befittingly performed this service in Port Sa'id. The friends were uniformly pleased with him. In that city he earned the gratitude of travelers, placed those who had emigrated in his debt, brought joy to the local believers. Then the heavy heat of Egypt proved too much for him; he took to his bed, and in a raging fever, cast off the robe of life. He abandoned Port Sa'id for the Kingdom of Heaven, and rose up to the mansions of the Lord.

Siyyid Man_sh_adi was the essence of virtue and intellect. His qualities and attainments were such as to amaze the most accomplished minds. He had no thought except of God, no hope but to win the good pleasure of God. He was the embodiment of "Keep all my words of prayer and praise confined to one refrain; make all my life but servitude to Thee."

May God cool his feverish pain with the grace of reunion in the Kingdom, and heal his sickness with the balm of nearness to Him in the Realm of the All-Beauteous. Upon him be the glory of God the Most Glorious.

MUHAMMAD-'ALI SABBAQ OF YAZD

Early in youth, Muhammad-'Ali Sabbaq became a believer while in 'Iraq. He tore away hindering veils and doubts, escaped from his delusions and hastened to the welcoming shelter of the Lord of Lords. A man to outward seeming without education, for he could neither read nor write, he was of sharp intelligence and a trustworthy friend. Through one of the believers, he was brought into the presence of Baha'u'llah, and was soon widely known to the public as a disciple. He found himself a corner to live in, close beside the house of the Blessed Beauty, and mornings and evenings would enter the presence of Baha'u'llah. For a time he was supremely happy.

When Baha'u'llah and His retinue left Ba_gh_dad for Constantinople, Aqa Muhammad-'Ali was of that company, and fevered with the love of God. We reached Constantinople; and since the Government obliged us to settle in Adrianople we left Muhammad-'Ali in the Turkish capital to assist the believers as they came and went through that city. We then went on to Adrianople. This man remained alone and he suffered intense distress for he had no friend nor companion nor anyone to care for him.

After two years of this he came on to Adrianople, seeking a haven in the loving-kindness of Baha'u'llah. He went to work as a peddler, and when the great rebellion(34) began and the oppressors drove the friends to the extreme of adversity, he too was among the prisoners and was exiled with us to the fortress at Akka.

He spent a considerable time in the Most Great Prison, after which Baha'u'llah desired him to leave for Sidon, where he engaged in trade. Sometimes he would return and be received by Baha'u'llah, but otherwise he stayed in Sidon. He lived respected and trusted, a credit to all. When the Supreme Affliction came upon us, he returned to Akka and passed the remainder of his days near the Holy Tomb.

The friends, one and all, were pleased with him, and he was cherished at the Holy Threshold; in this state he soared to abiding glory, leaving his kin to mourn. He was a kind man, an excellent one: content with God's will for him, thankful, a man of dignity, long-suffering. Upon him be the glory of the All-Glorious. May God send down, upon his scented tomb in Akka, tiers of celestial light.

'ABDU'L-GHAFFAR OF ISFAHAN

Another of those who left their homeland to become our neighbors and fellow prisoners was 'Abdu'l-_Gh_affar of Isfahan. He was a highly perceptive individual who, on commercial business, had traveled about Asia Minor for many years. He made a journey to 'Iraq, where Aqa Muhammad-'Ali of Sad (Isfahan) brought him into the shelter of the Faith. He soon ripped off the bandage of illusions that had blinded his eyes before, and he rose up, winging to salvation in the Heaven of Divine love. With him, the veil had been thin, almost transparent, and that is why, as the first word was imparted, he was immediately released from the world of idle imaginings and attached himself to the One Who is clear to see.

On the journey from 'Iraq to the Great City, Constantinople, 'Abdu'l-_Gh_affar was a close and agreeable companion. He served as interpreter for the entire company, for he spoke excellent Turkish, a language in which none of the friends was proficient. The journey came peacefully to an end and then, in the Great City, he continued on, as a companion and friend. The same was true in Adrianople and also when, as one of the prisoners, he accompanied us to the city of Haifa.

Here, the oppressors determined to send him to Cyprus. He was terrified and shouted for help, for he longed to be with us in the Most Great Prison.(35) When they held him back by force, from high up on the ship he threw himself into the sea. This had no effect whatever on the brutal officers. After dragging him from the water they held him prisoner on the ship, cruelly restraining him, and carrying him away by force to Cyprus. He was jailed in Famagusta, but one way or another managed to escape and hastened to Akka. Here, protecting himself from the malevolence of our oppressors, he changed his name to 'Abdu'llah. Sheltered within the loving-kindness of Baha'u'llah, he passed his days at ease, and happy.

But when the world's great Light had set, to shine on forever from the All-Luminous Horizon, 'Abdu'l-_Gh_affar was beside himself and a prey to anguish. He no longer had a home. He left for Damascus and spent some time there, pent up in his sorrow, mourning by day and night. He grew weaker and weaker. We despatched Haji Abbas there, to nurse him and give him treatment and care, and send back word of him every day. But 'Abdu'l-_Gh_affar would do nothing but talk, unceasingly, at every hour, with his nurse, and tell how he longed to go his way, into the mysterious country beyond. And at the end, far from home, exiled from his Love, he set out for the Holy Threshold of Baha'u'llah.

He was truly a man long-suffering, and mild; a man of good character, good acts, and goodly words. Greetings and praise be unto him, and the glory of the All-Glorious. His sweet-scented tomb is in Damascus.

'ALI NAJAF-ABADI