The Covenant of Baha'u'llah
by Adib Taherzadeh
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chapter 13 | start page | single page | chapter 15 |  |
Chapter 14
Clandestine Opposition to the Covenant
That Abdu'l-Bahá did not disclose the rebellion of Mirza Muhammad-'Ali, or of those who followed him, to the Bahá'Ãs outside the Holy Land for about four years was made possible because the rebellion was at first covert and only those who were close to the Holy Family were aware of it. As the years went by Mirza Muhammad-'Ali became more vociferous in his opposition and the news of his dissension gradually leaked out. During these four years Abdu'l-Bahá instructed that all letters written by the believers in the Holy Land addressed to the friends in Persia had to be submitted to Him for approval. He usually placed His seal on the letters if the contents met with His approval. Even most of the dissidents used to comply. In this way Abdu'l-Bahá tried to contain this deadly disease of Covenant-breaking within the Holy Land. During this four-year period He made every effort to guide these misguided souls to the straight path of truth. He even intimated to Mirza Muhammad-'Ali that since Bahá'u'lláh had appointed him to succeed Abdu'l-Bahá[1] he could achieve his heart's desire at a later time. But Mirza Muhammad-'Ali is reported to have responded: 'How can I be sure that I shall survive you?'[1 For the significance and the far-reaching consequences of this appointment by Bahá'u'lláh, see above, pp. 131-4.]
Unfortunately, the more Abdu'l-Bahá showered loving counsel upon the Covenant-breakers, the more haughty and rebellious they became. At last it was they themselves who announced their rebellion by distributing their messages of calumny and falsehood to the believers in the East. They made subtle remarks in their letters to Persia designed to undermine the faith of the believers in the person of Abdu'l-Bahá. The following is a summary translation of an account given by Haji Mirza Haydar-'Ali, that renowned teacher of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, of a letter he received in Persia from Muhammad-Javad-i-Qazvini, one of the Covenant-breakers resident in the Holy Land.
"Since the days of Bahá'u'lláh in Adrianople I had a close relationship with Muhammad-Javad-i-Qazvini. He was my correspondent through whom I used to dispatch my letters to His Holy Presence. I received a confidential letter from Javad [during the early years of Abdu'l-Bahá's ministry] in which he advised me that in my letters to the friends, I should not write the usual words, 'May my life be a sacrifice for you', nor begin my letters [to Abdu'l-Bahá] with words of praise or supplication to Him. Neither should I address them to any single Ghusn (Branch),[1] instead they should be addressed to the Aghsan (Branches).
[1 A designation by which a male descendant of Bahá'u'lláh is known. Aghsan is the plural.]
"The perusal of this letter indicated to me that some form of secret opposition to the Centre of the Covenant was taking place and that Muhammad-Javad himself was one of the dissidents...
"In reply I wrote him a letter in which I rejected his proposals and stated that unless Abdu'l-Bahá made such a demand, I would not pay any attention to such advice. I also told him not to write to me again. Since Muhammad-Javad did not respond to my letter I was assured that the birds of darkness were on the move and the clamour of the foreboders of evil would be heard soon. I felt certain that Javad and Jamal-i-Burujirdi were both secretly involved, so with all my heart and soul I used to pray on their behalf so that they might return to the path of truth. I kept this matter confidential, but it never occurred to me that the source of sedition was Mirza Muhammad-'Ali along with other members of Bahá'u'lláh's family, because I did not think they were so foolish and egotistical." [14-1]
Soon after these developments, Haji Mirza Haydar-'Ali, with Abdu'l-Bahá's permission, proceeded to the Holy Land. En route he visited the believers in many towns and villages including Ishqabad, Baku, Nakhjavan, Ganjih and Tiflis (Tbilisi). Everywhere he found the believers steadfast in the Covenant, enchanted by the utterances of Abdu'l-Bahá in His Tablets, and serving the Faith with enthusiasm and devotion. Being assured in his heart that severe tests and trials were about to engulf the community, Haji in his contact with the believers encouraged them to turn with heart and soul to no one but the Master, to regard His words and utterances to be as valid as the words of Bahá'u'lláh Himself, and to refrain from any action which ran counter to His good-pleasure. The loving counsels of Haji were warmly welcomed everywhere, and the believers vowed to remain steadfast in the Covenant, come what may.
When Haji arrived in Beirut he stayed with a devoted believer, Aqa Muhammad-Mustafay-i-Baghdadi, who intimated to him the opposition and rebellion of Mirza Muhammad-'Ali and a few others, contained so far by Abdu'l-Bahá within the family and a small circle of friends. Immediately upon his arrival at the pilgrim house in Akka, Haji wrote a letter to the Master. He talks about his letter, tells the story of attaining the presence of Abdu'l-Bahá and of other events associated with his pilgrimage during those turbulent months. This is a summary translation of his reminiscences:
"...In this letter I stated that I do not turn to anybody except the Master, and I do not wish to meet with any believer except those whom the Beloved wishes me to meet. Even praying at the Holy Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh and circumambulating that exalted spot around which circle in adoration the Concourse on High, are dependent on the will of the Master. Praise and thanksgiving be to God that on the day of my arrival I was given the privilege of praying at and circumambulating the Shrine in the presence of Abdu'l-Bahá who chanted the Tablet of Visitation Himself. In what a radiant condition I found myself, and to what heights of spirituality I was carried as a result of this experience, are impossible for me to describe. With my inner eyes I saw the Heavenly Kingdom, witnessed the Blessed Beauty, exalted be His glory, seated upon the Throne of His Majesty and Authority, and was assured of the penetration of His Holy Word in the hearts of men...
"Through the flattery and empty compliments of some hypocrites, Mirza Muhammad-'Ali, in the prime of his youth, entertained the thought of rebellion, cherished the inordinate ambition of becoming great, and lusted for leadership. He therefore put together some absurd passages and referred to them as Revelations from God and secretly despatched them far and wide.[1] And, when his mischievous deeds and the corrupt intentions hidden in his heart were disclosed, the Pen of Glory revealed a Tablet stating that He had conferred upon Mirza Muhammad-'Ali the power of utterance, that he was only as a leaf of the divine lote-tree, and that if the holy breezes of His Revelation were to cease to waft over him he would, as a dry leaf, fall upon the earth and perish. In reality he was already spiritually cut off in those days [in Adrianople], but it was hidden from the eyes because He Who conceals the faults of men had covered it up.
[1 This relates to his activities in Adrianople, see above, pp. 126-7, and also The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. 2, pp. 259-61.]
"It was obvious that Mirza Muhammad-'Ali had not truly repented after committing these misdeeds. On the contrary, he and a few others were watering the tree of his rebelliousness. They were secretly engaged in intrigues and satanic ambitions. Some believers were aware of their condition, but for the sake of God they did not reveal it. This situation continued until the last years of the Ministry of the Day-Star of the World [Bahá'u'lláh], when Muhammad-Javad-i-Qazvini and Jamal-i-Burujirdi secretly united with Mirza Muhammad-'Ali in their plots to create discord and dissension within the community. They succeeded in enlisting a few others within their fold. These two men convinced Mirza Muhammad-'Ali that since the bulk of the believers in Persia were looking up to them, he would become the one to whom all would turn and he could present himself as the Centre of the Cause. Their deceitfulness and hypocrisy were fully disclosed through their misdeeds after the setting of the Sun of Truth.
"As the Day-Star of the Incomparable Beauty hid itself from the eyes of men, and began to shed its light from the Realm of Glory upon the peoples of the world, and His confirmations and assistance were showered upon the Centre of His Covenant, these unfaithful ones began to promote their designs. When they came in contact with the believers, whether residents or pilgrims, they opened the subject of the oneness of God saying that God is one, there is no partner with Him, and the Most Great Infallibility belongs to Him, exalted be His Glory.[1] The believers were surprised and bewildered at such statements. They could not understand to whom they were imputing their strange suggestions, for no one had claimed to be a partner with God or be a possessor of the Most Great Infallibility.
[1 One of the shameful accusations which the Covenant-breakers spread around was that Abdu'l-Bahá had claimed to be a Manifestation of God. They even went further and accused Him of claiming the station of divinity for Himself. This was the reason why they were talking about partnership with God.]
"These insinuations continued until the believers noticed that Abdu'l-Bahá treated Mirza Muhammad-'Ali with much greater respect than at the time of Bahá'u'lláh. On the other hand, the Arch-breaker of the Covenant and his entourage had considerably lessened the measure of honour and respect that they humbly used to show the Master in the days of the Blessed Beauty. Added to this treatment, the Covenant-breakers through their words and deeds and by subtle hints were attempting to belittle the Master and to dishonour Him. When the believers realized this, they kept away from the unfaithful and as far as possible did not seek to associate with them in private.
"Two devoted believers, Aqa Muhammad-Riday-i-Shirazi[1] and Mirza Mahmud-i-Kashani, went together to meet Mirza Muhammad-'Ali. They showed the utmost respect to him, and in a spirit of humility and loving kindness counselled him with genuine concern. By giving some hints or relating certain stories, they conveyed to him the dire consequences of his rebellion. But instead of taking to heart their admonitions, and heeding their loving advice to change his ways, he was hurt that they counselled him in this manner.
[1 See The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh. vol. i, pp. 288-9.]
"The Master continued to overlook Mirza Muhammad-'Ali's wrong-doings and treated him with the utmost love and kindness in spite of his rebellion. Whereas in the days of the Blessed Beauty Mirza Muhammad-'Ali showed so much respect to Abdu'l-Bahá that he would not take a seat in His presence without His permission, now it was different; it was the Master who as a sign of loving respect would arise from His seat when he or his associates arrived in a gathering. At first Abdu'l-Bahá's counsels were given to them in private, through hints and suggestions which pointed the way to their everlasting salvation and glory. But since through their rebellion they gradually tore apart the veil which had until then concealed their wrongdoings, the Master began to counsel them publicly in words such as these: 'Do not by your actions quench the fire and extinguish the light of God. Take not a step that would lead to degradation of the Word of God. Do not behave in such a way as to cause the enemies to rejoice and the loved ones to lament.'[1] Abdu'l-Bahá warned them lovingly and repeatedly about the dire consequences of their evil doings, but all these counsels fell on deaf ears and they followed the path of pride, hate and rebellion.
[1 These are not the exact words of Abdu'l-Bahá, but convey the gist of what He said on that occasion.]
"About three months after my arrival in the Holy Land, the Master sent me to Egypt. Since Abdu'l-Bahá had warned the friends not to discuss the rebellion of Mirza Muhammad-'Ali, I addressed a letter to him when I was in Egypt, the gist of which was as follows: 'The people of Baha expected that after the setting of the Sun of Truth, you would show the same measure of humility, submissiveness and obedience to the Centre of the Covenant that you demonstrated in the Holy Presence of Bahá'u'lláh. We have all observed that in the days of the Blessed Beauty, you would not have taken your seat in the presence of the Master without His permission. Each time that He came to Bahji to attain the presence of His beloved Father, you along with others, as commanded by Bahá'u'lláh, went as a welcoming party as far as the Garden of Jammal[1] to greet Him. Now we see that when any one of you arrives in the room, it is the Master who as a token of respect for you arises from His seat and will not sit down until the person takes his seat.
[1 Properties lying at the south entrance to the Mansion.]
"We have also noticed that when His blessed Person arrives at Bahji after having walked[1] all the way from Akka as a token of His utter humility to the sacred Threshold, not only do you refuse to go out to welcome Him, but after He enters the Sacred Shrine, those who are in your company come down the steps of the Mansion slowly one by one and go towards the Shrine, and you yourself are the last one to appear. Again, when He has come out of the Shrine and is about to depart for Akka, you walk away towards the Mansion before being dismissed from His presence.[2] Indeed, you are back inside the Mansion before He leaves. Now that you do not go to welcome Him at the entrance of the Garden of Jammal, you could at least ask permission to leave His presence, or wait outside the Shrine until He departs.
[1 It is an expression of humility and self-effacement for a servant to walk to his master and not to go to him riding.]
[2 It was considered highly discourteous for a man to take his seat in the presence of an eminent person without his permission. Similarly it was discourteous to leave his presence before being dismissed. The believers always observed the utmost courtesy when they came into the presence of Bahá'u'lláh, Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi.]
"In the past you always addressed Him as 'the Master', but now refer to Him as 'my brother'. We are surprised and do not know the reason for all this humiliating treatment to which you have subjected His blessed Person. Is your contemptuousness because of all the services that He has rendered to the Cause and to the Person of the Blessed Beauty? Or is it because He was the One who brought about your exaltation and honour among the people, and enabled you to live in the utmost comfort and luxury? While you enjoyed a life of pleasure, and engaged in pastimes such as hunting and other recreations, His blessed Person did not have a moment to rest. Do you behave toward Him in a disdainful manner because it was He who, from the early days of the rising of the Day-Star of the World [Bahá'u'lláh] from the horizon of Tihran and Iraq, was the Master and the leader of all the people of Baha? Or is your behaviour towards Him due to all the sufferings and hardships that were, and are, being inflicted upon His blessed Person from every quarter? He has stood up with the utmost firmness and strength in resisting the onslaught of the enemy and has, singly and alone, exerted every effort in the promotion of the word of God and the diffusion of its fragrances, while you are conducting a life of luxury and spending your time in riding and sightseeing. Does the particular text of the Kitab-i-Aqdas which was later confirmed in the Kitab-i-'Ahd, that all the Aghsan must turn to Him, and gird up their loins in His obedience, provide justification for you to belittle His exalted station?
"Besides all this, when this servant and other believers notice the extraordinary loving kindness and humility the Centre of the Covenant shows to you, while you appear proud and haughty before His peerless and incomparable Person, what conclusion do we reach? In the light of all this, whom should we regard as a true believer in the Blessed Beauty, and whom should we consider steadfast in His Covenant?
"The believers have endured all manner of oppression. They have suffered imprisonment and exile and been inflicted with hardship and persecution. These souls will not deviate from the straight path. They will cling fast to the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh and its Centre, He 'who hath branched from this Ancient Root'. They will not loosen their hold on that 'excellent and priceless heritage' which Bahá'u'lláh has bequeathed to His heirs..." [14-2]
Some time later, Haji Mirza Haydar-'Ali returned to Akka and from there was directed by Abdu'l-Bahá to proceed to Persia via Bombay. The day before his departure, Abdu'l-Bahá asked him to pay a visit to the Mansion of Bahji for the purpose of saying farewell to the family of Bahá'u'lláh.
At this juncture we recall that Abdu'l-Bahá and His family did not live in the Mansion of Bahji but that the rest of Bahá'u'lláh's family resided there. Only some rooms on the ground floor were reserved for Abdu'l-Bahá's use whenever He visited the Mansion. Even these were taken over by the Covenant-breakers once their opposition to Him was intensified and became public. It was then that Abdu'l-Bahá took over a few rooms known as the pilgrim house, in the vicinity of the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, for His own use. Here He rested after the fatigue of the journey from Akka. He also received the believers in that house. The Mansion was occupied by the Covenant-breakers for several decades after the Master's passing and it was Shoghi Effendi who succeeded in driving them out and cleansing that hallowed spot from their pollution.
Abdu'l-Bahá intimated to Haji Mirza Haydar-'Ali that when he visited the Mansion to say farewell, he would be invited by Mirza Muhammad-'Ali to meet with him in private. Abdu'l-Bahá advised the Haji that should he receive such an invitation, he should accept and with great humility say whatever his heart and conscience dictated to him. This is how the Haji records the story of the interview.
"It was late at night that Mirza Muhammad-'Ali summoned me to his room. He asked his son Shu'a'u'llah, who was present, to leave, because he wanted to talk to me confidentially. After much conversation, he said: 'I wish to ask you a question in confidence. Don't you think that I could have also inherited what my brother [Abdu'l-Bahá] has inherited from the Blessed Beauty?'
"I said to him: 'In all His references to Abdu'l-Bahá, the Blessed Beauty has assigned to Him all the exalted names and praiseworthy attributes. He enjoined on us all to show forth, for the exaltation of His Cause, the utmost love and humility toward His Person. In the Kitab-i-'Ahd, He has clearly stated: 'It is incumbent upon the Aghsan, the Afnan and My kindred to turn, one and all, their faces toward the Most Mighty Branch.' Therefore to the extent that you show forth humility, self-effacement and utter nothingness to His blessed Person [Abdu'l-Bahá], you will accordingly acquire the exalted qualities you wish to have. Based on the same principle, you will lose these qualities to the extent that you lessen the measure of your humility and submissiveness toward Him. The reason for this is that all the praise and honour which are bestowed upon you by Bahá'u'lláh are dependent upon certain conditions. Certain verses of the Kitab-i-Aqdas and their further elucidation in the Kitab-i-'Ahd are as unequivocal and clear as the sun in mid-sky. God forbid, if for one moment in your heart you might think the passage in the Kitab-i-'Ahd ought to have directed the Aghsan, the Afnan and others to turn their faces to Ghusn-i-Akbar [The Greater Branch, i.e. Mirza Muhammad-'Ali). It is clear that you do not possess what the Master possesses. God, exalted be He, does not act hypocritically, nor does He create means of division among people. It is impossible for the One True God to entrust the guardianship of His Cause to two individuals at the same time... Apart from all this, who is it in this world of being that can claim to rival the Master on any level?'
"I was talking on these lines when he arose from his seat saying it was time to go to bed, so I left him." [14-3]
The campaign of opposition to Abdu'l-Bahá led by Mirza Muhammad-'Ali acquired greater momentum as the years went by. Soon after the passing of Bahá'u'lláh, Mirza Muhammad-'Ali, who had already won the support of most members of Bahá'u'lláh's family, began secretly to undermine the faith of the believers in Akka, to weaken their love and loyalty toward the Master and eventually win them over to his own camp. He and his associates knew those who were steadfast in the Covenant and those who were weak, simple-hearted, or proud and ambitious. They by-passed the former and concentrated on sowing the seeds of doubt in the hearts of the latter, adopting different methods to achieve their purpose. In all these they hid themselves under the cloak of hypocrisy and did their best to pose as the most devoted, the most pious and the most humble Bahá'Ãs in the land. For example, one way of misleading a simple-hearted Bahá'à was for a few agents of Mirza Muhammad-'Ali to get close to him individually, and establish bonds of friendship with him. Each one of them posed as the most humble followers of Abdu'l-Bahá, and in the course of conversation they praised the Master with unusual exaggeration. For instance they would say that He was a Manifestation of God, that His station was equal to Bahá'u'lláh's, that He was the embodiment of divinity Himself and that in their prayers they turn to Him instead of turning to God. One after the other would convey to the individual such preposterous thoughts and assure him falsely that Abdu'l-Bahá had claimed such a station for Himself. When they were sure that the loyal Bahá'à was beginning to have doubts about Abdu'l-Bahá's station, they would then despatch other persons to him who would disprove and strongly criticize those fabricated claims which they had slanderously attributed to Abdu'l-Bahá. In this way through deceit and falsehood, they would weaken the faith of the believer to a point where he would be invited to join a group of dissidents.
Another trick played by Mirza Muhammad-'Ali was to shower praise upon an outstanding teacher of the Faith who was steadfast in the Covenant. Consequently, some believers would conclude that the famous Bahá'à teacher must have joined the ranks of the Covenant-breakers. This could result in the defection of some weak and uninformed believers. Once, Mirza Muhammad-'Ali's associates published a paper in which they paid great tribute to the famous Bahá'à scholar Mirza Abu'l-Fadl, and extolled him in superlative terms. No sooner was Mirza Abu'l-Fadl informed of this than he wrote an open letter saying that they had no right to praise him and that this action alone had exposed their hypocrisy, for he was abhorred in their sight. If any praise was due to him, it ought to come from the friends of Abdu'l-Bahá. He handed this letter to the Master who directed that it be read aloud at a meeting of the friends.
There were other ways through which the Covenant-breakers succeeded by deceitful practices in gathering a number of the Bahá'Ãs around themselves. At the same time, Mirza Muhammad-'Ali had established secret links with Jamal-i-Burujirdi and a few others in Persia. Together they had designed a strategy to make their rebellion public and divide the community of the Most Great Name at a propitious time.
As we have stated before, for four years Abdu'l-Bahá had done everything in His power to guide these people to the straight path, and He did not reveal their breaking of the Covenant to the Bahá'Ãs outside the Holy Land. However, after four years of strengthening their position, Mirza Muhammad-'Ali and his party felt that it was time to unmask themselves. They did this by printing letters loaded with falsehoods, misleading statements, and calumnies against the Centre of the Covenant, posing themselves as the voice of truth trying to purify the Cause which they shamelessly claimed to have been polluted by those who were faithful to Abdu'l-Bahá. In his propaganda, Mirza Muhammad-'Ali did not contest the authenticity of the Kitab-i-'Ahd, rather he expressed his grievance that he had been barred from partnership with Abdu'l-Bahá in directing the affairs of the Cause. He wanted to share with Him the station of the Centre of the Covenant.
It was as a result of these letters by Mirza Muhammad-'Ali that Abdu'l-Bahá in His Tablets began openly to refer to the breaking of the Covenant by His unfaithful brother; from then on, right up to the end of His life, He explained in innumerable Tablets the significance of the Covenant and urged the friends to remain steadfast in the Cause of God.
Concerning the dispatch for the first time of Mirza Muhammad-'Ali's letters to Persia, Dr Yunis Khan-i-Afrukhtih, one of the faithful secretaries of the Master, relates the following story.
"Abdu'l-Bahá often used to say: 'One day Mirza Diya'u'llah[1] came to see Me. I noticed he was looking at his fingers which were stained with ink and was expecting Me to comment on them. I did not say anything, so he himself volunteered the information, saying, "Last night until the early hours of the morning we were engaged in writing letters and gelatine printing, consequently my fingers have been stained. My brother [Mirza Muhammad-'Ali] had written a letter of which we printed several copies and sent them away this morning." I asked him: Did you really write and dispatch them? And when he answered in the affirmative, I said: I swear by the Righteousness of God, a day shall come when Mirza Muhammad-'Ali would wish that his fingers had been cut off so that he could not have taken the pen to announce his breaking of the Covenant. For four years I have concealed this matter so that the beloved of God might not learn of your unfaithfulness to the Covenant. It is now beyond my power to conceal it any longer. You have announced yourselves to the believers." [14-4]
[1 The younger brother of Mirza Muhammad-'Ali.]
The family of Bahá'u'lláh, those who became Covenant-breakers, were leading a very comfortable life in the Mansion of Bahji. During Bahá'u'lláh's lifetime, His three sons and His amanuensis Mirza Aqa Jan had hoarded a great many valuable gifts which the believers had presented to Bahá'u'lláh. These gifts Bahá'u'lláh had declined to accept for Himself. He was detached from all earthly possessions, and so were Abdu'l-Bahá, His mother and His sister, the Greatest Holy Leaf. Mirza Aqa Jan coveted these gifts, and so did Mirza Muhammad-'Ali. Consequently these individuals had amassed considerable wealth. Indeed, as we shall see later in this book, Mirza Muhammad-'Ali and his brothers at one time plotted to take Mirza Aqa Jan's life in order to take over his possessions.
After the passing of Bahá'u'lláh, the family lived prosperously. Abdu'l-Bahá continued for many years to send funds and large supplies of food to the inhabitants of the Mansion; He sent them everything they needed to make them comfortable. The three brothers, their families and close relatives all enjoyed a life of luxury and leisure. The following is a summary translation of Haji Mirza Haydar-'Ali's remarks on the above subject.
"All the gifts that the Master received, as well as the funds relating to the Huququ'llah, He used to send to the Mansion for the upkeep of the family. Also He had bought for them a number of horses of the best breed which were kept in the stables at the Mansion. The Covenant-breakers often spent their time riding and hunting. When they went to Akka, they rode horses[1] flanked on each side by ten or twelve armed horsemen as guards. In this way they impressed everyone. They entered the city with a pomp and grandeur usually reserved for the governor and the chiefs. In contrast to this, the Master often used to walk and occasionally rode a donkey as He went alone to the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh. Thus they considered themselves victorious when they reflected on their outward pomp and glory, while they regarded Abdu'l-Bahá's lowliness and simplicity as a sign of His weakness and defeat...
[1 In those days important people rode horses and this was a sign of their eminence in the community. Ordinary people either walked or rode donkeys.]
"The Master had instructed Aqa Faraju'llah, who was His caterer, to send to the Mansion any amount of food and other supplies which the Covenant-breakers requested. But they used to demand five or six times more than their needs. They were determined to take excessive funds from the Master so as to make Him helpless and force upon Him the humiliation of borrowing money from the people. In spite of all this, Abdu'l-Bahá ensured that they received large supplies of food, clothing, and other necessities of life. Moreover, every gift which was sent to Him Abdu'l-Bahá would dispatch to the Mansion, and many of the funds which He received as Huququ'llah were given to them. These manifestations of generosity and compassion which Abdu'l-Bahá showered upon them in spite of their malevolence were interpreted by them as fear and helplessness. Consequently the more they received His gracious gifts and favours, the more haughty they became, and progressively intensified their opposition to His blessed Person." [14-5]
During the early years of their rebellion, the Covenant-breakers noticing on the one hand their own prosperity and apparent success in converting a considerable number to their side, and Abdu'l-Bahá's humility and loving generosity on the other, were convinced that theirs would be a victorious outcome. Dr Yunis Khan recounts:
"I heard several times from the Master saying: 'Once I was counselling Majdu'd-Din+F1 and trying to guide him in a spirit of love and compassion. I admonished him to abandon the path of error, and warned him of the remorseful consequences of his deeds. But I spoke to him with such fervour that tears came to My eyes. Then I noticed that upon seeing my emotions, Majdu'd-Din was scornfully smiling at Me, thinking in his heart how well I had been defeated! Thereupon I raised my voice at him saying "O wretched one! My tears were shed when, out of pity, I reflected upon your miserable state, and not for myself. Did you think I had become helpless and impotent because of my pleading to you?"'" [14-6]
Abdu'l-Bahá's patience and loving kindness, demonstrated in the above story, were thus interpreted by the Covenant-breakers as weakness. This misconception, coupled with the notion that theirs was a life of prosperity and honour, while Abdu'l-Bahá and His family were living an austere life burdened by having to supply the exorbitant expenses they demanded, emboldened the Covenant-breakers to step up their campaign of misrepresentation against Abdu'l-Bahá. In this, they received encouragement from the enemies of the Faith, as well as from the aides and deputies of Mirza Muhammad-'Ali in Persia.
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