The Súriy-i-Mulúk was not the only Tablet addressed to the kings. Bahá'u'lláh also revealed a number of Tablets to certain kings, rulers and religious leaders individually. Two of them were revealed in Adrianople: the Lawh-i-Sultán (Tablet to Násiri'd-Dín Sháh) and the first tablet to Napoleon III.

Themes of the Lawh-i-Sultán

Násiri'd-Dín Sháh was the only monarch to have been closely involved with the Faith of the Báb from the first. He had been informed of its birth soon after the disciples of the Báb began to spread His Faith and he had witnessed its meteoric rise. His was the privilege as Crown Prince of meeting its Author face to face and hearing Him declare in ringing tones to an assembled gathering of the divines and dignitaries of Ádhirbáyján, these majestic words: 'I am, I am, I am the Promised One! I am the One Whose name you have for a thousand years invoked, at Whose mention you have risen, Whose advent you have longed to witness, and the hour of Whose Revelation you have prayed God to hasten. Verily, I say, it is incumbent upon the peoples of both the East and the West to obey My word, and to pledge allegiance to My person.' ¹

Having observed the overpowering zeal and enthusiasm of the Bábís, and having watched with fear and dismay the humiliating defeats they had inflicted on his army,* he arose

It is for this reason that Bahá'u'lláh in one of His Tablets denounces Násiri'd-Dín Sháh in these words:

Among them (kings of the earth) is the King of Persia, who suspended Him Who is the Temple of the Cause (the Báb) in the air, and put Him to death with such cruelty that all created things, and the inmates of Paradise, and the Concourse on high wept for Him. He slew, moreover, some of Our kindred, and plundered Our property, and made Our family captives in the hands of the oppressors. Once and again he imprisoned Me. By God, the True One! None can reckon the things which befell Me in prison, save God, the Reckoner, the Omniscient, the Almighty. Subsequently he banished Me and My family from My country, whereupon We arrived in 'Iráq in evident sorrow. We tarried there until the time when the King of Rúm (Sultán of Turkey) arose against Us, and summoned Us unto the seat of his sovereignty. When We reached it there flowed over Us that whereat the King of Persia rejoiced. Later We entered this Prison, wherein the hands of Our loved ones were torn from the hem of Our robe. In such a manner hath he dealt with Us! ²

The Lawh-i-Sultán is the lengthiest Tablet revealed to any monarch. It is partly in Arabic and partly in Persian and is composed with beauty and eloquence. A small portion of it is translated into English by Shoghi Effendi.* Although revealed in Adrianople, this Tablet was sent from 'Akká. A youth of seventeen, Badí', accepting martyrdom, took it to Tihrán and personally handed it to the Sháh. We shall record the life and sacrifice of this youth, 'The Pride of the Martyrs', in the next volume.

In this Tablet Bahá'u'lláh invites the monarch to look upon his people with the eyes of loving-kindness and to rule them with justice. He states that both the pomp and grandeur of this world and its abasement shall pass away. He demonstrates its transitory nature by remarking that should one open the grave of a king and that of a pauper, it would be impossible to distinguish the remains of one from the other. In that state there is no difference between rich and poor, between ruler and subject. He teaches that distinction for man lies in his deeds of righteousness and piety.

In several passages Bahá'u'lláh exhorts the King not to fix his attention on this mortal life, reminds him that there were many eminent rulers before him who have departed from this world and that no one remembers them today: their palaces lie in ruins, their treasures are dissipated, and their glory has vanished. Men of learning, scholars, and noblemen, have come in countless numbers and have gone, leaving no trace behind. Their power and influence have been obliterated and their names forgotten.

* Cited in The Promised Day is Come, pp. 40-43 46 and 75

Look upon this Youth, O King, with the eyes of justice; judge thou, then, with truth concerning what hath befallen Him. Of a verity, God hath made thee His shadow amongst men, and the sign of His power unto all that dwell on earth. Judge thou between Us and them that have wronged Us without proof and without an enlightening Book. They that surround thee love thee for their own sakes, whereas this Youth loveth thee for thine own sake, and hath had no desire except to draw thee nigh unto the seat of grace, and to turn thee toward the right-hand of justice. Thy Lord beareth witness unto that which I declare.³

There is another passage in the Tablet concerning those officials who serve the King 'for their own sakes'. Bahá'u'lláh condemns the activities of these men and states that instead of working for the prosperity of the nation, their service to the King consists mainly in denouncing a few souls as Bábís, and then engaging in killing them and plundering their properties.

The history of the Faith clearly demonstrates this fact. In Persia for many decades, the authorities acquired fame and popularity among the people by persecuting the followers of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh. The best way to destroy one's enemy was to accuse him of becoming a Bábí. The onslaught against such a man would be almost instantaneous and often fatal. Before the victim could prove his innocence, he would be faced with the most serious persecution, including death.

Hájí Mírzá Haydar-'Alí has written the comical story of a Siyyid in Isfahán which illustrates this point. He says that in the early days of the Faith in Isfahán, he came in contact with a Siyyid who was a theological student. They became friends and Hájí spoke to him about the Bábí Faith. Soon he accepted the

I knew that the Siyyid was lodging in the school of Bídábád...I went to the school and informed its head...that the Siyyid was a Bábí and that he had in his possession some of the Bábí writings. At the same time, at my instigation, some one frightened the Siyyid and advised him to be on the alert. The Siyyid was so scared that he left all his books and belongings behind, fled the city and did not return! ⁴

Shaykh 'Abdu'l-Husayn [the head of the school] was not informed of divine philosophy and metaphysics.* But being interested in these subjects he used to invite me to dinner in the evenings in order to find out my views and those of other learned philosophers.

It was during this period that one of the Bábís made an attempt on the life of the Sháh.† Consequently the fire of the King's anger spread and the order to exterminate the Bábís was issued by him. In Tihrán two officers were made responsible for carrying out this order. They were 'Azíz Khán-i-Sardár and Mahmúd Khán-i-Kalántar. Each day a number of people were captured and executed. The situation was so serious that any person who was falsely accused of being a Bábí would suffer the same fate and had no way of escape.

It happened that some of the students who were against my involvement in philosophy and disliked philosophers altogether...had gone to Mahmúd Khán to vilify me and had accused me of being a Bábí. I was spending the night in the district of Sangilaj in the home of a physician who was a friend and well-wisher. While I was there some soldiers arrived in the early morning and took me to the home of Mahmúd Khán-i-Kalántar. However, I managed to write a few lines to Shaykh 'Abdu'l-Husayn and apprise him of my situation.

In the house of the Kalántar, I was taken to the upstairs quarters where I met an old man...who was arrested for the same reason. He became very sad when he saw me, expressed sympathy for me and with tears in his eyes begged God for my deliverance.

Then a strange commotion started elsewhere in the house. We heard the cries and groaning of people and realized that some others who had been arrested were being tortured and beaten by the Kalántar. Afterwards, the Kalántar came upstairs to a room opposite ours. A few minutes later, without seeking his permission I walked up to him, and

† See God Passes By.

uttered words of salutation. He did not reciprocate my greetings; instead he became angry and ignored me. I asked, 'What is the reason for summoning me here?' He said, 'To carry out the orders of the Sháh.' 'What am I guilty of?' I enquired. 'Is there a greater crime', he replied, 'than being a Bábí, an enemy of religion and government?' 'This is a false accusation against me', I pleaded, 'whoever has, reported me as a Bábí is my enemy and had no intention other than harming me.' I saw that my words did not make any impression upon him. Therefore I did not pursue the matter any further and submitted myself to my fate.

In the midst of all this, the secretary of Shaykh 'Abdu'l-Husayn arrived and handed him a letter. After reading it, he became relaxed and happy, and began to apologize. He said 'The Shaykh wants to see you. You had better go at once.' As I rose to go, he also arose and accompanied me to the door and several times expressed his apologies.

I went to the school. The Shaykh and others were waiting for me. He was delighted to see me arrive. Curious about my arrest, he wanted to know what had caused the incident. I said, 'Ask this question from your arrogant students who wrongfully made false accusations and, without any justification, vilified me.' On hearing this, Shaykh 'Abdu'l-Husayn became very angry. Addressing his pupils sternly, he rebuked them and promised severe punishment and expulsion for the culprit.

However, this incident, though without foundation, resulted in my becoming known as a Bábí among the divines and the theological students. In the end they came to the conclusion that I was a Bábí and had been arrested, but had been released as a result of intervention by Shaykh 'Abdu'l-Husayn. I became so well known as a Bábí that the people in the streets and bazaars were pointing at me. Some of the theological students shunned me in the streets and kept their distance so that their cloaks would not touch mine.*

One evening, after I had become known as a Bábí, a certain Siyyid Ya'qúb, a native of Qá'in, who was living in

* The clergy had introduced this practice. They taught that if a Muslim touched a Bábí, he would be defiled.

the same school, came to visit me. Later it became apparent that he was a Bábí who had been hiding his faith. Jokingly, he said to me, 'Do you realize that you have become known in this city as a Bábí? The divines and the students call you by the name Bábí, and consider you a member of that community.' I replied, 'But these rumours are without foundation. I know nothing about this community except a mere name, have not read even one line of their writings, and have not met with any of them.' He said, 'In any case you have now become known as a Bábí. People's opinion about you is not going to change whether you read the Writings of the Báb or not. I have come across some of these Writings, but I don't understand them. Since I have found you to be without prejudice and a trustworthy person, endowed with discernment and good taste, I have brought them here with me so that you may read them. I would be grateful if you would tell me your findings and conclusions.' He then took some papers from his pocket, handed them to me and left.

I glanced through the papers carelessly and only for amusement. Because my mind was full of the words of philosophers and accustomed to their terminology, these Writings did not impress me in the least. I found them weak and devoid of any truth or wisdom. Therefore I hid them underneath my books.

Siyyid Ya'qúb came the following evening to enquire about my findings. I said, 'I had a cursory glance at the Writings, but did not find any subject worthy of attention. These poor people [i.e. the Bábís] place themselves in perilous situations in vain, and sacrifice their lives in the path of error. The common people may be excused, for they are unable to distinguish between right and wrong. But why should some men of learning tread this path and become the cause of misleading the common people? It is clear and evident that the claims of the Báb are false, and there is no need to prove that the Bábís have erred.'

Siyyid Ya'qúb became disturbed by hearing these words. For some time he remained silent and did not look at me...then as he arose to go he recited this poem:

How often knowledge and intelligence
Turn into a monstrous thief and rob the wayfarer.

He then addressed me in these words:

'...Turn thy gaze upon the inner significances and truth of these Writings so that you may see what no eye has seen, and hear what no ear has heard and feel what no heart has felt.' Then looking disappointed, Siyyid Ya'qúb left the room. For a while I meditated upon the state of the Siyyid and his thoughts. I became perturbed by his disappointment. I suspected that he was a Bábí and was aiming to mislead me...

In order to demonstrate to the Siyyid the falsity of the claims of the Báb and to save him from following the path of error, I took out the Writings of the Báb and began to read them carefully in order to prove the invalidity of His claims from His Own Writings. Although this was my reason for reading these Writings, nevertheless my inner being was overtaken with fear and trembling and I was disturbed. I found myself to be placed on the Sirát* at the crossroads between death and deliverance. However, this time as I read them, to my amazement I found that each line opened a new door of knowledge before my face and a new world appeared in front of my eyes. I could not sleep that night. My astonishment increased every moment as I read and re-read these Writings. I immersed myself in that billowing sea, and like a diver acquired gems of great value. It came to pass that the truth of the Cause of the Primal Point† became as clear to me as the sun in its midmost point in the sky. I found myself possessed of a new heart, a new eye, a new soul and a new strength. All the knowledge and philosophy that I had previously learned and which were a source of pride to me, appeared as utter nothingness...

The following evening Siyyid Ya'qúb arrived. He became so filled with ecstasy and rapture when he heard my story that he prostrated himself on the ground. He was captivated and stunned by the news. Tears flowed down his cheeks

† The Báb.

and his laughter resounded through the room. After that he kept bringing more Writings to me...⁵

Returning to the Lawh-i-Sultán, there is a celebrated passage in which Bahá'u'lláh describes His own Revelation in language of beauty and power:

O king! I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the knowledge of all that hath been. This thing is not from Me, but from One Who is Almighty and All-Knowing. And He bade Me lift up My voice between earth and heaven, and for this there befell Me what hath caused the tears of every man of understanding to flow. The learning current amongst men I studied not; their schools I entered not. Ask of the city wherein I dwelt, that thou mayest be well assured that I am not of them who speak falsely. This is but a leaf which the winds of the will of thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Praised, have stirred. Can it be still when the tempestuous winds are blowing? Nay, by Him Who is the Lord of all Names and attributes! They move it as they list. The evanescent is as nothing before Him Who is the Ever-Abiding. His all-compelling summons hath reached Me, and caused Me to speak His praise amidst all people. I was indeed as one dead when His behest was uttered. The hand of the will of thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Merciful, transformed Me. Can any one speak forth of his own accord that for which all men, both high and low, will protest against him? Nay, by Him Who taught the Pen the eternal mysteries, save him whom the grace of the Almighty, the All-Powerful, hath strengthened...⁶

6. Bahá'u'lláh, quoted by Shoghi Effendi, The Promised Day Is Come, pp. 40-41.

There is an interesting comment made by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in connection with the fore-mentioned passage: 'I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the knowledge of all that hath been.' He explains:

This is the state of manifestation...it is an intellectual reality, exempt and freed from time, from past, present, and future; it is an explanation, a simile, a metaphor, and is not to be accepted literally; it is not a state that can be comprehended by man. Sleeping and waking is passing from one state to another. Sleeping is the condition of repose, and wakefulness is the condition of movement; sleeping is the state of silence, wakefulness is the state of speech; sleeping is the state of mystery, wakefulness is the state of manifestation.

For example, it is a Persian and Arabic expression to say that the earth was asleep, and the spring came and it awoke; or the earth was dead, and the spring came and it revived. These expressions are metaphors, allegories, mystic explanations in the world of signification.

Briefly, the Holy Manifestations have ever been, and ever will be, Luminous Realities; no change or variation takes place in Their essence. Before declaring Their manifestation, They are silent and quiet like a sleeper, and after Their manifestation, They speak and are illuminated, like one who is awake.⁷

In the Lawh-i-Sultán Bahá'u'lláh informs the King of the exalted station which awaits him should he recognize the Source of Divine Revelation in this day. He addresses him in these words:

O King! Wert thou to incline thine ear unto the shrill of the Pen of Glory and the cooing of the Dove of Eternity which, on the branches of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, uttereth praises to God, the Maker of all names and Creator of earth and heaven, thou wouldst attain unto a station from which thou wouldst behold in the world of being naught save the effulgence of the Adored One, and wouldst regard thy sovereignty as the most contemptible of thy possessions, abandoning it to whosoever might desire it, and setting thy face toward the Horizon aglow with the light of His countenance. Neither wouldst thou ever be willing to bear the burden of dominion save for the purpose of helping thy Lord, the Exalted, the Most High. Then would the Concourse on high bless thee. O how excellent is this most sublime station, couldst thou ascend thereunto through the power of a sovereignty recognized as derived from the Name of God!...⁹

In this Tablet to the Sháh, Bahá'u'lláh has made a proposition of the utmost significance, a proposition which no Manifestation of God in earliest days had ever produced. He states:

Would that the world-adorning wish of His Majesty might decree that this Servant be brought face to face with the divines of the age, and produce proofs and testimonies in the presence of His Majesty the Sháh! This Servant is ready, and taketh hope in God, that such a gathering may be

convened in order that the truth of the matter may be made clear and manifest before His Majesty the Sháh. It is then for thee to command, and I stand ready before the throne of thy sovereignty. Decide, then, for Me or against Me.¹⁰

In this Tablet He speaks of the divines, points out their insincerity and lack of understanding, quotes certain traditions of Islám which foreshadow the wickedness of the divines in the latter days, and states that the following passages revealed by Him in The Hidden Words are addressed to such people who are outwardly noted for their learning and piety, but who are inwardly subservient to their passions and lust:

'O ye that are foolish, yet have a name to be wise! Wherefore do ye wear the guise of the shepherd, when inwardly ye have become wolves, intent upon My flock? Ye are even as the star, which riseth ere the dawn, and which, though it seem radiant and luminous, leadeth the wayfarers of My city astray into the paths of perdition.'

And likewise He saith: 'O ye seeming fair yet inwardly foul! Ye are like clear but bitter water, which to outward seeming is crystal pure but of which, when tested by the Divine Assayer, not a drop is accepted. Yea, the sunbeam falls alike upon the dust and the mirror, yet differ they in reflection even as doth the star from the earth: nay, immeasurable is the difference!'

And also He saith: 'O essence of desire! At many a dawn have I turned from the realms of the Placeless unto thine abode, and found thee on the bed of ease busied with others than Myself. Thereupon, even as the flash of the spirit, I returned to the realms of celestial glory, and breathed it not in My retreats above unto the hosts of holiness.'

And again He saith: 'O bond slave of the world! Many a dawn hath the breeze of My loving-kindness wafted over thee and found thee upon the bed of heedlessness fast asleep. Bewailing then thy plight it returned whence it came.' ¹¹

In the Lawh-i-Sultán Bahá'u'lláh tries to dispel some of the doubts and misgivings in the mind of the Sháh concerning the activities of the believers. We must recall that since the birth of the Bábí Faith, the authorities in Persia had been fearful of the influence of the Bábí community. The manner in which the followers of the Báb defended themselves against the onslaught of their adversaries had earned them the reputation of being men of fierce courage and immense self-sacrifice. At the same time the majority of the people were apprehensive of their intentions in furthering the interests of their Faith. The Government had accused the believers of being men of violence ever since a few irresponsible Bábís had made an attempt on the life of the Sháh in 1852. Bahá'u'lláh assures the King in convincing terms that since His arrival in 'Iráq, He has exhorted the members of the community to abandon fighting and strife, to lay down the sword, and to conquer the cities of the hearts of men with the sword of wisdom and of utterance. Bahá'u'lláh quotes passages from one of His Tablets in which He counsels the friends that it is better for them to be slain in the path of God than to slay. He states that people have misunderstood the meaning of the word 'victory' which appears in heavenly Books. Victory is not won by fighting; it is achieved by good deeds and a stainless life.

In this connection it is important to note that the followers of the Báb who defended themselves against the onslaught of the enemy, did so because of the special circumstances under which the Faith of the Báb was born and His Message propagated. To appreciate this, we must become familiar with the conditions prevailing at that time in Persia within the Shí'ah community, and the nature of the Revelation of the Báb.

Let us recall that all the Manifestations of God prior to the Revelation of the Báb appeared within the cycle of prophecy

The main objects of the Báb in revealing Himself were to herald the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh and prepare the people for His coming, to close the cycle of prophecy and to open the cycle of fulfilment when the 'Glory of God' would be manifested as foretold in the heavenly Books.† Islám, the last Dispensation in the chain of the Prophetic Cycle, was therefore more closely involved with the Revelation of the Báb than any other religion.

The Báb appeared among the people of Islám. His Message was eagerly anticipated by them, as both Shí'ah and Sunní expected the appearance of the Qá'im or Mihdí respectively. This expectation was based on the prophecies of Muhammad and the Imáms, especially the latter who had left thousands of traditions concerning the appearance of the Qá'im.‡ To the Islámic community, the coming of the Promised One was real and had been explicitly foretold. The Shí'ah among whom the Báb appeared lauded the glory of the Qá'im in their meetings, fervently prayed for His advent and rose to their feet at the mention of His name. That the Báb had a special link with Islám is not due merely to the fact that He was born a Muslim and was Himself a Siyyid, a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, but lies in His special Mission to terminate the Dispensation of Muhammad and abrogate its laws. So tremendous was this function that its mere contemplation cast terror into the hearts and souls of men in Persia. Even some of the followers of the Báb, those who had not fully appreciated the significance

‡ See vol. 1, pp. 193-4.

The Manifestations of God do not change the laws of old suddenly or prematurely, nor do they reveal new laws until their followers are ready and able to carry them out. Bahá'u'lláh explains:

Know of a certainty that in every Dispensation the light of Divine Revelation has been vouchsafed to men in direct proportion to their spiritual capacity. Consider the sun. How feeble its rays the moment it appeareth above the horizon. How gradually its warmth and potency increase as it approacheth its zenith, enabling meanwhile all created things to adapt themselves to the growing intensity of its light. How steadily it declines until it reacheth its setting point. Were it all of a sudden to manifest the energies latent within it, it would no doubt cause injury to all created things...In like manner, if the Sun of Truth were suddenly to reveal, at the earliest stages of its manifestation, the full measure of the potencies which the providence of the Almighty hath bestowed upon it, the earth of human understanding would waste away and be consumed; for men's hearts would neither sustain the intensity of its revelation, nor be able to mirror forth the radiance of its light. Dismayed and overpowered, they would cease to exist.¹²

The Báb and Bahá'u'lláh have likewise revealed the laws of religion at those times in Their ministries when Their followers were ready to receive them. The Báb did not reveal the bulk of His laws until half-way through His ministry. Bahá'u'lláh also revealed the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the Book of His Laws, when His ministry had run half its course, and even then, it was some years before He released a copy of this Book to His followers.

Another feature of the Revelation of the Báb, relating to this subject, is the fact that His Dispensation was destined to be very short in duration and was to be superseded by the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh. This meant that the Báb formulated only those laws and teachings which were vital to the progress of His Cause during a short space of time. Knowing that His Revelation was only a stepping-stone to a universal Revelation, He deliberately refrained from touching upon those teachings which were premature and which were ordained later by Bahá'u'lláh as His followers acquired capacity for them.

One such teaching practised in Islám and which the Báb did not alter because of the conditions prevailing at the time, was that of taking up arms and defending oneself for the sake of one's religion. That is why the Bábís took part in many battles which were defensive in nature. They were seldom involved in an offensive whether individually or collectively. The struggles of Mázindarán, Zanján and Nayríz are clear examples.†

The Sufferings of Bahá'u'lláh

In the following passages in the Lawh-i-Sultán Bahá'u'lláh dwells on the sufferings which He had endured in the path of God:

I have seen, O Sháh, in the path of God what eye hath not seen nor ear heard...How numerous the tribulations which have rained, and will soon rain, upon Me! I advance with My face set towards Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Bounteous, whilst behind Me glideth the serpent. Mine eyes have rained down tears until My bed is drenched. I sorrow not for Myself, however. By God! Mine head yearneth for the spear out of love for its Lord. I never passed a tree, but Mine heart addressed it saying: 'O would that thou wert cut down in My name, and My body crucified upon thee, in the path of My Lord!'...By God! Though weariness lay Me low, and hunger consume Me, and the bare rock be My bed, and My fellows the beasts of the field, I will not complain, but will endure patiently as those endued with constancy and firmness have endured patiently, through the power of God, the Eternal King and Creator of the nations, and will render thanks unto God under all conditions. We pray that, out of His bounty--exalted be He--He may release, through this imprisonment, the necks of men from chains and fetters, and cause them to turn, with sincere faces, towards His Face, Who is the Mighty, the Bounteous. Ready is He to answer whosoever calleth upon Him, and nigh is He unto such as commune with Him.¹³

In the Lawh-i-Sultán, Bahá'u'lláh dwells on the trials and persecutions which He Himself has endured in the path of God. He speaks about His imprisonment in the Síyáh-Chál, recounts the sufferings which were inflicted upon Him in that dark and pestilential subterranean dungeon, recalls His deliverance from that prison through the power of God, and His exile to 'Iráq by the order of the King, after His innocence had been established. He further acquaints the Sháh with conditions in 'Iráq: the opposition of the Shí'ah clergy, their plotting and vicious attacks which resulted in His advising some of His companions to seek the protection of the Governor of 'Iráq.* He describes His arrival in Constantinople, and foretells His future exile to and imprisonment in 'Akká, a city described by Him in these words:

According to what they say, it is the most desolate of the cities of the world, the most unsightly of them in appearance, the most detestable in climate, and the foulest in water. It is as though it were the metropolis of the owl.¹⁴

He declares that in past Dispensations, God established the ascendancy of His Cause through afflictions and sufferings. He prays that in this day these calamities may also act as a buckler to protect His Faith, and makes the following statement concerning trials and tribulations suffered in the path of God:

By Him Who is the Truth! I fear no tribulation in His path, nor any affliction in My love for Him. Verily God hath made adversity as a morning dew upon His green pasture, and a wick for His lamp which lighteth earth and heaven.^l5

Concerning the believers in this Dispensation, Bahá'u'lláh states that they regard their religion to be the true Faith of God and therefore have renounced their lives in His path and for His sake. He affirms that this act alone is evidence of the truth of their Cause. For no person will normally renounce his life unless he is insane. Bahá'u'lláh, however, dismisses the charge of insanity on the grounds that it cannot be brought against countless men of distinguished conduct and virtuous character who have sacrified their lives in the path of God. He describes some of the persecutions which were, for twenty years, inflicted upon the community by order of the King. So fierce had been the onslaught that there was no land which had not been dyed with their blood! How many children had been made fatherless, how many fathers had lost their children, and how many mothers had not dared, through fear and dread, to mourn over their slaughtered children! Yet, He testifies, the fire of divine love which burned within the hearts of these people was so bright that even if they were to be hewn in pieces, they would not forswear the love of their Lord.

The history of the Faith depicts the lives and martyrdom of thousands of believers throughout Persia, and amply testifies to their faith and detachment, their heroism and self-sacrifice. It also vividly portrays the harrowing circumstances in which the families of martyrs suffered, and recounts the excruciating afflictions which assailed them from every direction. The stories of the martyrs in various parts of Persia have been written in detail and some have been published. A great wave of sadness descends upon the heart when one reads them. For instance, the accounts of the suffering and persecution heaped upon the

The martyrdom of Hájí Mírzáy-i-Halabí-Sáz (tinsmith), one of the most devoted followers of Bahá'u'lláh in Yazd, is an episode from that history. It happened during one of the most grievous upheavals in Yazd in the summer of 1903 when a great number of Bahá'ís were savagely martyred within a few days:

On the anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad [17 Rabí'u'l-Avval], a religious festival, a group of men gathered outside the house of Hájí Mírzá. For a considerable time they viciously pelted the door of the house with stones and broke all the windows. They behaved with such vulgarity that eventually Hájí Mírzá appeared on the roof of the house* above the porch and demanded an explanation. Some of the men felt embarrassed as soon as they saw Hájí Mírzá; they bowed their heads in shame and left. Some of the younger ones continued their acts of violence but were eventually calmed by Hájí Mírzá's words and left also...However they returned again after sunset and continued throwing stones into the courtyard for about three hours.

Following his usual practice, Hájí Mírzá left in the early hours of the morning for the home of Hájí Mírzá Mahmúd-i-Afnán† where the friends gathered to pray at the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár.‡ He stayed there until the prayers ended just

‡ Literally, 'The Dawning-Place of the mention of God', a Bahá'í House of Worship. Although there were not 'Houses of Worship' in Yazd, the believers gathered at someone's home and referred to it as the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár. Bahá'u'lláh has particularly indicated the merits of attending the service before dawn; prayers said at that time have a special potency. (A.T.)

before sunrise. As everybody was about to go, Hájí Mírzá expressed a desire to bid farewell to them all, as he thought that he might never see them again.* He embraced everyone and said farewell to them. Hájí Mírzá Mahmúd advised Hájí Mírzá not to go home for a while but to wait and see what would transpire during the day. But he went home saying 'Whatever is God's will, will happen.'

Hájí Mírzá was busy working at home during the morning when a number of men appeared outside his door, headed by a certain Hasan-i-Mihrízí, an unusually strong and well-built person. He kicked the door open and the crowd poured in. Hájí Mírzá was cutting a piece of glass at the time, while his wife and three young children sat beside him. Hasan-i-Mihrízí, who was at the front of the crowd and carried a heavy chain,† took Hájí Mírzá by the hand, violently dragged him out of the house and beat him savagely with the chain. The crowd surged forward and everybody began beating the victim. They attacked him fiercely, some with sticks or stones, others with chains, yet others with bare hands. They beat him so much that he fell on the ground dazed and bleeding all over.

The wife of Hájí Mírzá, in desperation, pushed her way through the crowd and threw herself on the wounded body of her husband.‡ But the crowd beat her with sticks and chains, and wounded her badly. They tried hard to push her away from the body of her beloved, but she clung on top of him for some time. The children, near the crowd, were

‡ Women in those days did not usually become involved in public affairs. They led a sheltered life and in public wore a chádur (a large piece of cloth which covers the head and all other clothing and reaches almost to the ground). It was against the laws of religion for a man who was not married to a woman, or not a close relative, to see her face, how much more shocking to touch her body. The fact that Hájí Mírzá's wife, wearing her chádur, pushed her away through a crowd of men, is indicative of her utter desperation and distress. (A.T.)

screaming and frightened to death. God knows what the children went through. The eldest son, 'Ináyatu'lláh, was eleven, the eldest daughter, Ridván, was nine and the youngest, Túbá, was six years old. After a while, the attackers succeeded in separating husband and wife. Although his body was battered and covered with blood from head to toe, Hájí Mírzá was dragged towards the home of the Imám-Jum'ih,* accompanied by a crowd which by now numbered about two hundred. No sooner did they drag him a few steps then his wife managed to throw herself on his body again, but the crowd removed her. Nevertheless she managed to cling to him yet again. This time they beat her harder than before until she fell unconscious in the street. Then they took Hájí Mírzá away. In the meantime a number of people had entered the house and were busy plundering everything they could find...

As to the children of that glorious martyr, they were wailing and weeping beside their beloved mother who had fallen on the ground unconscious...Then a few women arrived and took away a scarf which had covered her head.† Her body had been so badly beaten by chains and sticks, and kicked by so many, that her thin dress was torn and she lay almost naked on the ground. At last a certain woman by the name of Rubábih, who was known to be a prostitute, showed a truly magnanimous spirit. She went to her home, which was close to the house of Hájí Mírzá, brought an old chádur, spread it over the injured woman and tried in vain to revive her. In the meantime the children were sobbing unceasingly; their grief knew no bounds. Rubábih did all

† This act was designed to further humiliate the wife of Hájí Mírzá, as it was considered grossly unchaste if a woman displayed her hair in public. (A.T.)

she could to comfort them, and carried their mother on her back to her home.* There she prepared a herbal infusion, gave some to the children and administered some to their mother, who regained consciousness after about two hours. But the children had cried so much that they were exhausted.

As soon as she was able, Hájí Mírzá's wife...asked for news of her husband and was told that he was taken to the Castle [Government headquarters] and that the Prince† was treating him with the utmost kindness...On hearing this she broke down in tears. Rubábih consoled her, saying, 'Thanks to God, Hájí is safe, you should try not to weep in front of the children as they have suffered greatly'...She helped Hájí Mírzá's wife...to her feet and carried her home with the children. The house was thoroughly plundered. The furniture, carpets, clothes, even doors of the rooms were taken away. Nothing of any value was left. They could not close the door of the house as it had been broken and thrown on the ground.

The mother, covered all over with wounds, and the grief-stricken children, took refuge in the house and were sobbing most bitterly until about midday, when a woman‡ brought tidings from Hájí Mírzá Mahmúd-i-Afnán that Hájí Mírzá had walked unaided to the Castle and was well. She conveyed further words of comfort from Afnán, as-

‡ In the massacre of 1903 in Yazd, it was mainly Bahá'í women who acted as news carriers and messengers. It was not easy for the public to detect their identity, because they wore veils. (A.T.)

suring her that Hájí Mírzá was now in a safe place and would return home in the evening. This news brought some relief. Rubábih although fearful that she might be attacked, managed to bring some food for the children and their mother. In the meantime, since the house had no door, women and children* came in frequently to see if there was anything left to take away.

The mother and her children had taken refuge in the corner of a room waiting for darkness and Hájí Mírzá's arrival...with the help of Rubábih they cooked a simple broth to be served to Hájí Mírzá when he should return. But he did not come.

As to Hájí Mírzá, the crowd were taking him to the home of the Imám-Jum'ih. When they reached the entrance of Musallá,† however, a certain man by the name of Hasan the son of Rasúl-i-Mu'ayyidí stepped forward and called on Hájí Mírzá to utter imprecations against the Bahá'í Faith. Hájí Mírzá only gazed at him and did not respond. Hasan repeated his demand. Hájí said 'You are neither a judge of religious law nor of common law. It is none of your business. When they take me to the proper authority I shall answer questions.' On hearing this, Hasan went to the nearby butcher's shop, took a cleaver, and with a powerful stroke slashed Hájí Mírzá's skull open. With another stroke he hacked off his arm...In the meantime two or three government officials arrived at the scene and took the injured man to the Government house at the Castle. Hájí Mírzá possessed such spiritual strength that in spite of his severe injuries he managed to walk to the Castle. Only upon arrival inside the corridor did he fall to the ground, but regained consciousness a few minutes later...The crowd went as far as the Castle and then dispersed...Hájí Mírzá took out his American watch which was adorned with the picture of the Master on the

† A mosque in Yazd. (A.T.)

back and gave it to a certain Áqá Mullá Muhammad-'Alí* to deliver it to his wife and children...In the meantime the executioner had tied his own apron on Hájí's head, but blood was pouring out and he was becoming weaker...until he expired. Thus he attained to the exalted station of martyrdom. The executioner unwound the apron from Hájí Mírzá's head and placed it on his face...

After dark the Governor...sent for Hájí Mírzá Mahmúd-i-Afnán and asked him to send someone to remove the body about two hours after sunset and bury it. Accordingly...the custodian of the Buq'atu'l-Khadrᆠcalled at the Castle. He carried the body of Hájí Mírzá on his back to the Buq'atu'l-Khadrá and buried it there. Hájí Mírzá was thirty-eight years old when martyred.

The family of Hájí Mírzá remained unaware of his martyrdom that night. They stayed awake till morning, anxious and expectant of his safe arrival home. The children were tense and continually asked about their father. The mother did her best to assure them that he would come soon. But time passed, and when it was four hours after sunset the night curfew guards went on duty around the city. Thus any hope of Hájí Mírzá's arrival faded. The children could not sleep. The mother, in pain from her many wounds and injuries, was highly distressed and could not sleep either. She waited till the dawn and when her husband did not return, she went, in spite of her condition, to the home of Hájí Mírzá Mahmúd-i-Afnán to enquire about him. As soon as his eyes fell on her, Hájí Mírzá Mahmúd could not contain his grief and began to weep. This was how Hájí Mírzá's wife learned of the martyrdom of her husband. God alone knows the state of her mind at that time and the agony that

† The Afnán family in Yazd built a private cemetery not far from the Castle. This was later offered for use as a Bahá'í burial ground. Bahá'u'lláh designated it the Buq'atu'l-Khadrá (The Verdant Spot). Several of the Afnáns, Bahá'í martyrs, and eminent Bahá'ís are buried there. The cemetery is no longer in use. (A.T.)

she went through! She wept ceaselessly, and returned home broken and shattered. The children, on the other hand, were waiting for their mother to bring their father back. But when they saw her alone and in such a state of anguish, they realized what had happened. Their heart-rending cries and wails of lamentation could be heard in all directions. We can feel the agony of their hearts when we reflect on their condition. The house was completely empty, the father had been killed, the mother wounded and the people had arisen against them.

Two days later, a woman maliciously spread rumours that Hájí Mírzá's wife had been putting poison in public cisterns* in the town. This gross accusation was an excuse for some...women to make an attempt on her life. As she was sitting with her children in a corner of the house lamenting her bereavement and praying to God, suddenly a group of women, sixty or seventy strong, entered the house, pushed her down on the ground and began to beat her with the intention of taking her life. The children were thrown about by that cruel and bloodthirsty mob, which created a great commotion in the house. However, the Kad-Khudᆠand his men were speedily informed. They rushed to the spot, forced their way through the crowd and found that Hájí Mírzá's wife had been unconscious on the ground for about half an hour and the attackers were still beating her...These savage women were convinced that she was dead when the Kad-Khudá and his men drove them out.

Hájí Mírzá's wife lay on the ground, her clothes torn, her body naked and her flesh covered in blood and dust. Pieces of her torn clothing could be seen scattered around her. The Kad-Khudá, overcome by feelings of shame, was embarrassed to look at her exposed body and therefore left. The children who had been brutally handled for a long time, found themselves standing around the battered body of their

† The chief officer of a district.

mother. There was no one to look after them except an old grandmother who was herself an invalid.

But God demonstrated His might and power that day. His mercy and compassion descended upon the children. After an hour, the lifeless body of their mother began to move. Soon she regained consciousness. Rubábih brought some clothes and put them on her.

On hearing that Hájí Mírzá's wife was alive, the group of women were determined to go back and put an end to her life. But in spite of the fact that she was unable to move, the Kad-Khudá managed to carry her out of the house. She was taken to the Government house in the Castle...Shaykh Muhammad-Ja'far-i-Sabzivárí, who was a mujtahid, undertook to protect her...He sent for a certain woman, Bíbí Bagum...and asked her to keep the unfortunate woman in her home and to look after her until the situation improved.

For twenty days, Hájí Mírzá's wife was kept in the home of Bíbí Bagum. During this period the innocent young children, wronged and oppressed, their parents taken from them, stayed in the ruins of their plundered home with an old sick grandmother. They merely existed, in a state of perpetual fear and expectation,--they feared for their lives, thinking they would be killed too, while their hearts were in a state of expectation of their mother's return. The children suffered so much that after twenty days their bodies looked like mere skeletons, and their faces had the colour of a corpse. Many people who passed by threw stones into the house, reviled them and used foul language.* Each time they heard the shouts of cursing and execration, the children thought the people were coming to kill them and would be frightened to death. They would run towards the frail body of their grandmother and throw themselves on her bosom. The agony of bereavement so tortured the eldest son,

* In many cities, especially in Yazd, the enemies of the Faith often gathered outside the houses of the believers where they shouted curses and execrated the names of the Founders of the Faith. These fanatical and savage outbursts throughout the years, and especially during the massacre of 1903, cast terror into the hearts of the inhabitants of these houses. (A.T.)

'Ináyatu'lláh, that he became seriously ill and lay in the corner of a room. The other children suffered so much that they came very close to death. They often asked their grandmother 'What have we done that people kill us?' No pen can bear to write the agony which the children went through...

Eventually, after twenty days, when the situation had become somewhat more peaceful, the mother came back with much fear and trepidation.¹⁶

'God is my witness, when I arrived home, I saw three children whom I could not recognize as my own. I wanted to know where my children were; my mother said to me: "These are your children!" When I was assured that they were indeed my children, I was plunged into such a state of agony and distress that all my sufferings of the past paled into insignificance.' She said to me, 'Even now as I recount the story after all these years, my whole body is seized with fear and trembling.' ¹⁷

Zaynal-i-'Arab was a neighbour of Hájí Mírzá. The roof of his house was joined to that of Hájí Mírzá's house. One evening during the upheaval of Yazd, Zaynal was told by some violent men in Mír-Chaqmáq* that, since he was a neighbour of Hájí Mírzá's, they suspected him of being a

17. ibid., p. 110.

Bahá'í. The fact however was that Zaynal, far from being a Bahá'í, was a vile man and foremost among the trouble-makers of Yazd. When such an accusation was levelled against him, he became so angry that he decided to go and kill the wife of Hájí Mírzá and her three children. He went home immediately, took up his revolver, tied a cartridge belt around his waist and went up the stairs onto the roof* of his own house. From there he crossed to the roof of Hájí Mírzá's house and began to shout abuse and utter curses. He loaded the gun and announced in a loud voice in vulgar terms his intention of going down the steps to kill the...children of Hájí Mírzá. At that time the children were sitting in a corner around their old grandmother. The ugly figure of Zaynal, shouting abuse and standing on the roof with a revolver in his hand, frightened the innocent children terribly. They cried, screamed and begged.

While Zaynal was on his way down the steps to the courtyard of the house, another neighbour, Áqá Husayn, a son of Áqá Ridá, who had heard the commotion, appeared on the roof just in time to avert a tragedy. He ran towards Zaynal and tried to stop him. He asked 'Why do you want to kill these children?' 'This evening,' Zaynal replied, 'a number of people in Mír-Chaqmáq accused me of being a Bahá'í, because I am a neighbour of Hájí Mírzá's. I am therefore determined to wipe out this family. No one can stop me from carrying out my intention.'

Áqá Husayn counselled Zaynal to calm down and began to explain that the children were innocent. He said 'Their father, who was a Bahá'í, has been put to death, and no one knows the fate of their mother. These children have been orphaned; their father was assaulted in front of their eyes and later died, their mother was beaten so much that it is not yet known whether she is dead or alive. The children now live in a ruined house; they don't get enough food. Look at their pitiful condition. They are reduced to mere skeletons. How can your conscience allow you to carry out your design? The Prophet of Islám exhorted His followers to honour their neighbours even if they were infidels. You

* See p. 358, f.n.

are a follower of the Prophet, how can you do such a thing to these innocent children?'

These words of Áqá Husayn, however, had no effect on Zaynal. Eventually Áqá Husayn urged him to postpone the intended murder, to go to his house instead for a smoke, have a cup of tea and relax for a while...And at last Áqá Husayn managed to take Zaynal to his home. Through loving-kindness and much exhortation he succeeded in changing Zaynal's mind.

As to the children, God alone knows the measure of their anguish and fear that night!...One of them said to me: 'We sat all night in the dark and were literally trembling with fear. Our eyes were fixed in the direction of the stairs expecting Zaynal to come down at any time. The slightest noise would scare us to death for we thought that he was coming downstairs. We shall never forget the horrors and the dread of that night.' ¹⁸

This Tablet was revealed by Bahá'u'lláh in Adrianople and forwarded to the Emperor through one of his ministers. Shoghi Effendi writes concerning it:

In His first Tablet Bahá'u'lláh, wishing to test the sincerity of the Emperor's motives, and deliberately assuming a meek and unprovocative tone, had, after expatiating on the sufferings He had endured, addressed him the following words: 'Two statements graciously uttered by the king of the age have reached the ears of these wronged ones. These pronouncements are, in truth, the king of all pronouncements, the like of which have never been heard from any sovereign. The first was the answer given the Russian Government when it inquired why the war (Crimean) was waged against it. Thou didst reply: "The cry of the oppressed who, without guilt or blame, were drowned in the Black Sea wakened me at dawn. Wherefore, I took up arms against thee." These oppressed ones, however, have suffered a greater wrong, and are in greater distress. Whereas

the trials inflicted upon those people lasted but one day, the troubles borne by these servants have continued for twenty and five years, every moment of which has held for us a grievous affliction. The other weighty statement, which was indeed a wondrous statement manifested to the world, was this: "Ours is the responsibility to avenge the oppressed and succour the helpless." The fame of the Emperor's justice and fairness hath brought hope to a great many souls. It beseemeth the king of the age to inquire into the condition of such as have been wronged, and it behooveth him to extend his care to the weak. Verily, there hath not been, nor is there now, on earth any one as oppressed as we are, or as helpless as these wanderers.' ¹⁹

Bahá'u'lláh's previous Message, forwarded through one of the French ministers to the Emperor, had been accorded a welcome the nature of which can be conjectured from the words recorded in the 'Epistle to the Son of the Wolf': 'To this (first Tablet), however, he did not reply. After Our arrival in the Most Great Prison there reached Us a letter from his minister, the first part of which was in Persian, and the latter in his own handwriting. In it he was cordial, and wrote the following: "I have, as requested by you, delivered your letter, and until now have received no answer. We have, however, issued the necessary recommendations to our Minister in Constantinople and our consuls in those regions. If there be anything you wish done, inform us, and we will carry it out." From his words it became apparent that he understood the purpose of this Servant to have been a request for material assistance.' ²⁰

Soon after His arrival in 'Akká, Bahá'u'lláh despatched a most challenging Tablet to Napoleon. We shall write about this Tablet in the next volume.