The Covenant of Baha'u'llah
by Adib Taherzadeh
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Chapter 18
Covenant-breaking in Persia
Soon after the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh, when Mirza Muhammad-'Ali's rebellion became known in private circles within the family, secret contacts were established between him and a number of eminent teachers of the Faith in Persia, those who were corrupt and ambitious individuals and who lusted for leadership in the community. Thus, from the very start, the Arch-breaker of the Covenant sowed the seeds of dissension in the hearts of those who were egotistical by nature and were disposed to disloyalty and faithlessness. Some among these misguided people played their part very well in that for a number of years they did not disclose to anyone their true intentions. They mingled with the faithful believers and posed as loyal defenders of the Covenant.Notorious among them was Jamal-i-Burujirdi, the most prominent among the Covenant-breakers in Persia. It will be helpful for the study of the spread of Covenant-breaking in Persia to dwell at some length on the infamous life of this man who considered himself the chief representative of Mirza Muhammad-'Ali in that country.[1]
[1 We have already told the stories of Jamal-i-Burujirdi and Siyyid Mihdiy-i-Dahaji in The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. 2; a certain amount of repetition is inevitable here.]
Before embracing the Faith during the Ministry of Bahá'u'lláh, Jamal was an accomplished Muslim clergyman. He was knowledgeable, a notable orator. When he accepted the Faith, he did not relinquish those practices which were characteristic of the Muslim clergy. For instance, he continued to wear cleric's robes, and never gave up the trait of superiority and pride which had been ingrained upon his character in his former days. He continued his customary Islamic practice of making his hands available for those believers who would wish to kiss them. He used to explain that although Bahá'u'lláh had forbidden the kissing of hands in this Dispensation, Jamal had decided that in the circumstances prevailing at the time, such a practice would be conducive to the exaltation of the Cause! Yet, in spite of all this, when he entered the Faith, the believers in Persia gathered around him, for he was a man of learning and knowledge.
It must be understood that in those days the people of Persia — most of whom were illiterate — were brought up to follow the clergy. In Islamic countries, men of learning were highly revered by the masses. There is no clergy in the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, but He has exhorted His followers to honour the truly learned in the Cause, those whose knowledge and learning have not become the cause of pride and self-glorification.
No doubt it is concerning such people that Bahá'u'lláh has revealed in the Kitab-i-Aqdas:
"Happy are ye, O ye the learned ones in Baha. By the Lord! Ye are the billows of the Most Mighty Ocean, the stars of the firmament of Glory, the standards of triumph waving betwixt earth and heaven. Ye are the manifestations of steadfastness amidst men and the daysprings of Divine Utterance to all that dwell on earth. Well is it with him that turneth unto you and woe betide the froward." [18-1]
A person who is truly learned in the Faith is one who reaches such heights of detachment that he sincerely regards his learning as utter nothingness compared with the truths of the Cause of God. He becomes the embodiment of humility and self-effacement. Unfortunately Jamal did not fall into this category of 'the learned ones in Baha'; he was a deceitful and hypocritical man who longed for glory. Yet the great majority of the believers did not realize this; they considered him a man of God and treated him with great respect.
Till the end of His earthly life Bahá'u'lláh showered His bounties upon Jamal. He concealed his faults and shortcomings and instead exhorted him to righteousness and piety. In one of His Tablets, [18-2] Bahá'u'lláh explains that through His attribute 'the Concealer', He has concealed the faults and shortcomings of many deceitful men, who, as a result, have thought that the Manifestation of God was ignorant of their evil deeds. These men did not realize that, through the knowledge of God, Bahá'u'lláh was fully aware of their wrongdoings. The sin-covering eye of God did not disclose their iniquities, and only when they were about to rise up against the Centre of the Cause and involve themselves in activities which harmed the Faith, did Bahá'u'lláh expel them from the community of the Most Great Name.
In a Tablet to a certain Muhammad-'Ali, Bahá'u'lláh reveals these exalted words:
"I swear by the beauty of the Well-Beloved! This is the Mercy that hath encompassed the entire creation, the Day whereon the grace of God hath permeated and pervaded all things. The living waters of My mercy, O Ali, are fast pouring down, and Mine heart is melting with the heat of My tenderness and love. At no time have I been able to reconcile Myself to the afflictions befalling My loved ones, or to any trouble that could becloud the joy of their hearts.
"Every time My name 'the All-Merciful' was told that one of My lovers hath breathed a word that runneth counter to My wish, it repaired, grief-stricken and disconsolate to its abode; and whenever My name 'the Concealer' discovered that one of My followers had inflicted any shame or humiliation on his neighbour, it, likewise, turned back chagrined and sorrowful to its retreats of glory, and there wept and mourned with a sore lamentation. And whenever My name 'the Ever-Forgiving' perceived that any one of My friends had committed any transgression, it cried out in its great distress, and, overcome with anguish, fell upon the dust, and was borne away by a company of the invisible angels to its habitation in the realms above.
"By Myself, the True One, O Ali! The fire that hath inflamed the heart of Baha is fiercer than the fire that gloweth in thine heart, and His lamentation louder than thy lamentation. Every time the sin committed by any one amongst them was breathed in the Court of His Presence, the Ancient Beauty would be so filled with shame as to wish He could hide the glory of His countenance from the eyes of all men, for He hath, at all times, fixed His gaze on their fidelity, and observed its essential requisites." [18-3]
Because of his knowledge and learning, Jamal emerged as one of the most famous teachers of the Faith during the Ministry of Bahá'u'lláh, Who overlooked his shortcomings, revealed many Tablets in his honour, and entitled him Ismu'llahu'l-Jamal (The Name of God Beauty). His fame spread throughout the community, and the believers flocked to the meetings in which he was present.
Jamal displayed much pride in his association with the believers. He was a vain and conceited person who sacrificed everything to his own fame and popularity. In one of His talks [18-4] to the friends in Haifa, Abdu'l-Bahá is reported to have said that Jamal was so proud that he did not allow the believers to sit in his presence. In order to show their respect, they had to stand to hear him speak. Once, an old man who was not a believer had come to one of his meetings to investigate the Faith. When he saw everyone was standing, he had to obtain special permission from Jamal to sit down, for he was an old person and could not stand on his feet for long. Abdu'l-Bahá said that it was a good thing that Jamal was finally expelled, as he was like unto a poison to the Bahá'à community. He said that the Cause of God was like an ocean which cleanses itself by casting upon its shores the dead bodies and loathsome objects which are no use to it.
It is a well-known story among the believers who knew him closely, that when he went to visit his friends, after knocking on the door, when the owner of the house asked 'Who is it?', he used to respond: 'This is Jamal-i-Mubarak' (The Blessed Beauty), a title which is exclusively used to designate Bahá'u'lláh.
In his writings he used to refer to himself in such superlative terms that if the reader were unaware of the identity of the writer, he could easily mistake the author for Bahá'u'lláh glorifying His divine station in exalted terms. For example, his name being Jamal (Beauty), he prefaced one of his letters in these words:
"Verily, Jamalu'l-'Ilm (Beauty of Knowledge) has manifested himself with the power of truth."
And he closed this letter with these words:
"Verily, God has opened to my face the door of all knowledge. It is fitting that you seek my advice in all things... For in truth I am the most learned of the divines on this earth..."
These preposterous claims were made by this man during the time that he was regarded as one of the outstanding teachers of the Faith. Bahá'u'lláh often exhorted him to moderation, chastity and piety.
Although most believers were unable at first to see through the hypocrisy of Jamal, or tolerated him because Bahá'u'lláh through His sin-covering eye concealed his shortcomings, there were some who recognized his true nature at first sight. There were even some who found him so unbearable that they confronted him in different ways. One such a person was Ustad Muhammad-'Aliy-i-Salmani, that devoted believer who for many years acted as a servant in the household of Bahá'u'lláh, serving Him as a barber and bath-attendant and who had not been able to keep silent about Mirza Yahya's faithlessness.[1] Although uneducated, he has left behind verses of poetry written in adoration of Bahá'u'lláh of which critics have acknowledged the beauty, lucidity and profundity. Believers who recite them become uplifted and inspired. His words, deep and full of significance, move the soul and open before one's eyes vistas of love and adoration for Bahá'u'lláh.
[1 See above pp. 81-3.]
There was another side to Salmani's personality. He was a brave and outspoken person who could at times use rough and offensive language. He was also very perceptive of people's motives and character. The following is a story from Salmani's memoirs which describes his immediate reaction upon meeting Jamal-i-Burujirdi for the first time. This meeting took place in the outer apartment of the house of Bahá'u'lláh in Adrianople where Jamal was seated in anticipation of being ushered into His presence.
"One day I brought water into the outer apartment of the house of Bahá'u'lláh where I learnt that Aqa Jamal-i-Burujirdi had arrived. I went into the reception room and found him seated in a corner, clad in an aba [cloak] and wearing a large turban.[1] He held his hands in such a way that if anyone was so inclined he could kiss them![2] He had not yet attained the presence of Bahá'u'lláh. That creature was a peculiar looking priest.
[1 Muslim priests wore turbans; the greater the turban, the more important the priest. Jamal during his Bahá'à career did not discard his turban and priestly attire. (A.T.)]
[2 Muslims showed great respect towards the priests who used to display their hands for the public to kiss. Bahá'u'lláh has forbidden the kissing of hands. (A.T.)]
"I used to consider myself to be a schemer and a man of cunning. So I walked in, uttered a casual greeting of 'Allah-u-Abha', and without paying any attention to him sat at the other end of the room. Then I lay down on the floor and after some time arose and sat down again. I did all this to hurt his vanity for he was a pompous man who was seated in the reception room of the Blessed Beauty with an air of superiority and a greatly inflated ego. After having treated him disrespectfully in this manner, I looked at him for a while and then said, 'How are you?' He merely shook his head at me. I then left him there and went about my own duties until the afternoon when they brought the news that he was summoned to the presence of Bahá'u'lláh. I went in and called him to follow me. I took him to the inner apartments of the house, we went up the stairs into Bahá'u'lláh's room. The Purest Branch[1] was standing in the presence of the Blessed Beauty.
[1 Mirza Mihdi, the youngest brother of Abdu'l-Bahá who later died in Akka. His death is regarded by Bahá'u'lláh as His own sacrifice. For further details see The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. 3. (A.T.)]
"I stood at the entrance to the room. Jamal went in pretending to be trembling all over and then fell on the ground, this was a mere act. The Blessed Beauty was seated; the Purest Branch went forward to help Jamal to his feet. But Bahá'u'lláh stopped him, saying 'Leave him alone, he will get up himself.' After a while he arose; he sat at first and then stood up. Bahá'u'lláh afterwards dismissed him from His presence and did not say anything. Jamal ... stayed for a few days, then Bahá'u'lláh sent him back to Persia. This man was corrupt from the beginning, his aim was nothing but leadership..." [18-5]
Jamal was one of those who read the text of the Kitab-i-Aqdas soon after it was revealed. Bahá'u'lláh permitted him to copy some excerpts and share them with the believers. According to his own testimony, he asked Bahá'u'lláh to make him exempt from obedience to the laws of the Kitab-i-Aqdas. Bahá'u'lláh granted him his wish and conveyed to him that he was free and did not have to obey the laws of that book. It is interesting to note that on one occasion when he was boasting about the freedom which Bahá'u'lláh had granted him, someone recited these words of the Kitab-i-Aqdas to him: 'Know ye that the embodiment of liberty and its symbol is the animal.'
Since Jamal considered himself superior to others, he rose up against several outstanding teachers of the Faith during the lifetime of Bahá'u'lláh. He opposed the Hands of the Cause who were appointed by Bahá'u'lláh, was highly jealous of Mirza Ali-Muhammad Varqa, one of the illustrious Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh, and, since he considered himself an authority in the Faith, he worked very hard until he prevented Varqa from settling in Tihran where Jamal resided at the time.
The lust for leadership had so possessed him that he rose up against any of the teachers of the Faith who became successful in service to the community. For example, on one occasion, two outstanding believers, Haji Mirza Haydar-'Ali and Ibn-i-Asdaq (who was later appointed by Bahá'u'lláh as a Hand of His Cause), were on their way to the province of Khurasan to meet the believers and teach the Cause. Jamal became highly jealous of these two men. Secretly he warned the friends to keep away from them and introduced them with a vulgar term as two 'foreboders of evil'. This action evoked the wrath of Bahá'u'lláh. The veil of concealment which for years had protected Jamal in the hope that he would repent was now rent asunder. The sin-covering eye of God which through loving-kindness had watched over him for so long was withdrawn. In a wrathful Tablet Bahá'u'lláh condemned the actions of Jamal and severely rebuked him for his behaviour. Jamal, however, survived this great blow, which for a time, shattered his prestige and reputation among the friends. He was a master of hypocrisy and soon managed to regain his position as one of the renowned teachers of the Faith in the community.
When the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh took place Jamal became very tense and agitated. When he saw the first message which Abdu'l-Bahá sent to the Bahá'Ãs of the East, he dismissed it by saying, 'The Aghsan[1] are young and immature.' This remark was a reference to 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Jamal was the first among the Bahá'Ãs of Persia to travel to the Holy Land, very soon after the ascension. He went there without seeking permission from Abdu'l-Bahá, met with Mirza Muhammad-'Ali, stayed there for a few months, and returned to Persia. From that time onwards, his attitude and feelings disturbed the hearts of those who came in close contact with him. The words and counsels of Abdu'l-Bahá exhorting him to servitude and detachment went unheeded. The poison of Covenant-breaking had been effectively injected into his whole being by Mirza Muhammad-'Ali, and, although outwardly he professed loyalty to Abdu'l-Bahá, inwardly he was preparing himself for the day when he would become the head of the Faith in Persia. To this end, he influenced certain individuals in each province to act as his representatives. This was not difficult for him to achieve, since several teachers of the Faith in different parts of the country were his supporters, and, as the rebellion of Mirza Muhammad-'Ali was kept a secret for a few years, Jamal had no choice but to continue his activities within the Bahá'à Community.
[1 The male descendants of Bahá'u'lláh.]
During the early years of the Ministry of Abdu'l-Bahá, the Hands of the Cause and Haji Mirza Haydar-'Ali had come to the conclusion that Jamal was disloyal to the Covenant, and they used to confront him in different ways, but Abdu'l-Bahá tried His utmost to keep him within the fold so as to protect the faithful from his satanic influence. Some time before the election of the first Spiritual Assembly of Tihran[1] Abdu'l-Bahá asked the four Hands of the Cause to establish a consultative council consisting of themselves and a few prominent teachers of the Faith. When the Hands did not include Jamal in their meetings he became indignant and openly attacked the Hands in such unspeakably offensive language that the believers became deeply disturbed and were apprehensive of the consequences of such open confrontations.
[1 For more details about the formation of this first Spiritual Assembly in the Bahá'à world, see The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. 4, pp. 290-93.]
At this juncture, through the mediation of certain believers including Haji Mirza Haydar-'Ali, the Hands decided to include Jamal in their consultative meetings for the sake of the unity of the Cause. However, when invited to take part, he made his acceptance conditional upon his becoming the chairman of the Consultative Council, and he demanded that, similar to the Hands, he should have the right of casting two votes. In order to pacify this egotistical man, the Hands accepted his terms, and Jamal thrived as chairman of the Council for a period.
Over the course of several decades Jamal had captured the attention of many admirers. For example, many believers in the city of Qazvin were his staunch supporters and he considered that city to be his stronghold and refuge in time of need. He was also very popular among the believers in the province of Mazindaran. His position as the chairman of the Council boosted his standing in the Faith and the believers in these communities rallied around him in every way possible.
In the meantime, Abdu'l-Bahá continued to exhort Jamal to steadfastness in the Covenant, and to purity of motive. The Tablets addressed to him during this period are indicative of His loving concern for Jamal's spiritual survival. But, alas, in the end Jamal lost this battle. When the rebellion of Mirza Muhammad-'Ali became public knowledge and his circular letters misrepresenting the station of Abdu'l-Bahá reached the Bahá'Ãs of Persia, Jamal threw in his lot with the Arch-breaker of the Covenant. By transferring his loyalty to Mirza Muhammad-'Ali, Jamal expected to become the indisputable head of the Faith in Persia, a position which had been promised him by Mirza Muhammad-'Ali himself, but after Jamal became involved in activities against the Covenant, he was expelled from the Faith by Abdu'l-Bahá. No sooner did the believers become informed of this than the entire Bahá'à community in Persia, with the exception of a handful of people, shunned his company. Those very few individuals who joined him in his odious activities were likewise cast out of the community and also isolated.
The manner in which the believers swiftly cut their association with Jamal came as a surprise to many an observer. For example, he was rejected by almost the entire community in Qazvin, where he had his most ardent admirers. The same thing happened in Mazindaran. While the believers had previously given him respect and veneration, after his defection he was shunned so effectively that he could not find even one family to offer him hospitality in that province. In some places, for example in Adhirbayjan, he found a few individuals who harboured him, but he and his dwindling associates swiftly sank into oblivion.
At the height of Jamal's popularity and success, Abdu'l-Bahá wrote him a Tablet in which He emphasized the importance of steadfastness in the Covenant. In this Tablet He states [18-6] that in this day the confirmations of Bahá'u'lláh will reach only those who are firm in the Covenant. He affirms that even should the embodiment of the Holy Spirit fail to turn to the Centre of the Covenant, it will become a dead body, whereas a child who remains steadfast in the Covenant will be assisted by the hosts of the Supreme Concourse. Ironically, this Tablet of Abdu'l-Bahá found its fulfilment in Jamal and his few assistants, who withered away spiritually.
Notorious among Jamal's lieutenants was Jalil-i-Khu'i, who acted for some time as his agent in Adhirbayjan. The Tablet of Ishraqat was revealed by Bahá'u'lláh in honour of Jalil. It was to him that Abdu'l-Bahá wrote the celebrated Tablet known as Lawh-i-Hizar Bayti (Tablet of One Thousand Verses)[1] in order to protect Jalil from the venomous influence of Mirza Muhammad-'Ali. In this Tablet Abdu'l-Bahá explains the basis of the Covenant, describes its vital role in preserving the unity of the Faith, relates the causes of disunity among the followers of older religions, and lays great emphasis on the importance of firmness in the Covenant in order to preserve unity in this dispensation.
[1 See above, pp. 205-7.]
In this Tablet Abdu'l-Bahá recounts the following story. A certain King of Syria wrote a letter ordering the Governor of Aleppo to count the Jews in his town. By the time the letter reached the Governor a fly had deposited a dot on the word 'Ihsu' (count), and it read 'Ikhsu' (castrate). Consequently, because of the adding of a dot, a tragic injustice was committed and all the males of the Jewish community in that city were castrated. Abdu'l-Bahá uses this story to illustrate the importance of adhering to the sacred Text, not to add man-made interpretations to it, neither adding a dot or taking one away. He thus refers to the treachery of Mirza Muhammad-'Ali who was at the time busy corrupting the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh.
The Lawh-i-Hizar Bayti[1] is one of the most momentous Tablets of Abdu'l-Bahá concerning the Covenant and its significance in this Dispensation. It was revealed by the Master in the year 1315 AH (1897-8), a time of great agitation in the Holy Land when the Covenant-breakers were actively looking for any material with which to criticize the Master. Since Abdu'l-Bahá in this Tablet had equated the activities of Mirza Muhammad-'Ali to that of Umar, the second Caliph of Islam, He knew that if the Tablet fell into the hands of the Covenant-breakers, it would add fuel to the fire. Therefore He sent a trusted servant of the Cause, Mirza Mahmud-i-Zarghani to Tabriz, the capital of Adhirbayjan, with instructions to read aloud the full contents of the Tablet to Jalil, but not to hand him a copy. Jalil heard this highly enlightening Tablet in full but, alas, the lust of leadership had blinded his eyes and stopped his ears. He continued with his rebellion, but soon witnessed the futility of his efforts and died in ignominy.
[1 This Tablet has not yet been translated into English.]
There were a few other teachers who also rebelled against the Covenant in Persia. Siyyid Mihdiy-i-Dahaji was one. Like Jamal he was also a learned man and a very capable teacher of the Faith. Bahá'u'lláh had conferred upon him the title of Ismu'llahu'l-Mihdi (The Name of God Mihdi) and revealed many Tablets in his honour. Siyyid Mihdi was a native of Dahaj in the province of Yazd. He attained the presence of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdad, Adrianople and Akka and received His unfailing bounties. Like Jamal, he travelled widely throughout Persia and was much honoured by the believers. Yet people who were endowed with discernment found him to be insincere, egotistical and deeply attached to the things of this world. Notable among those who have written their impressions of him is Haji Mirza Haydar-'Ali, who also wrote about Jamal-i-Burujirdi. A perusal of his narratives makes it clear that these two men had at least one thing in common, namely their insatiable lust for leadership. For example, Siyyid Mihdi always entered Bahá'à gatherings with an air of superiority. He loved to have a retinue of the faithful walk behind him, and at night he was preceded by a number of believers who carried lanterns for him. As there was no public lighting in those days, people carried lanterns at night. Important men had their servants carry a lantern in front of them. This made a spectacular scene in those days; for normally only one servant or friend with a lantern accompanied a prominent person at night. In Siyyid Mihdi's case some believers even vied with each other to perform this service, and Haji Mirza Haydar-'Ali recalls an evening when no less than fourteen men, with lanterns in hand, escorted him to a meeting!
Men such as these always fall. The Faith of Bahá'u'lláh does not harbour people who are egotistical and seek to glorify themselves. Its hallmark is servitude, and the standard it demands is sincerity and purity of motive. It is not therefore surprising that, like Jamal, Siyyid Mihdi was toppled to the ground when the winds of tests began to blow. He ultimately broke the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh, and, in the hope of becoming one of the undisputed leaders of the Faith in Persia, joined hands with Mirza Muhammad-'Ali and rebelled against the appointed Centre of the Cause of God. When this became known in Persia, the believers left him to his own devices, and soon his glory was turned into abasement. In response he at first made a great deal of clamour and noise within the community, which agitated the minds of many, but the power of the Covenant finally swept him into the abyss of ignominy and cleansed the Faith from his pollution.
Seldom in the history of the Cause do we find an occasion when the power of the Covenant manifested itself with such intensity and effectiveness as it did in Persia after the expulsion from the Faith of those who rebelled against the Centre of the Covenant. The speed with which the pollution of Covenant-breaking was removed from the community of the Most Great Name in the Cradle of the Faith was truly spectacular. The reaction of the believers in that country to the news of the defection of some of the great teachers of the Faith such as Jamal and others was to shun them almost immediately. No less significant was the fact that the entire Bahá'à community of Persia, with the exception of a very few individuals, remained loyal to the Centre of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh. The efforts of the Covenant-breakers in misleading the believers were so ineffective that towards the end of Abdu'l-Bahá's Ministry there was hardly a soul anywhere in that vast community who could be labelled as a Covenant-breaker.
This magnificent achievement was due primarily to the devotion and attachment of the believers to the Cause, and further, to the untiring activities of some of the most loyal and learned teachers of the Faith who deepened the believers in the subject of the Covenant. These holy souls, 'the learned ones in Baha' whom He describes as 'the billows of the most Mighty Ocean', and 'the stars of the firmament of Glory', were the Hands of the Cause of God as well as some outstanding teachers like Haji Abu'l-Hasan-i-Amin, Haji Mirza Haydar-'Ali, Mirza Abu'l-Fadl and several others. Soon after the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh these souls travelled extensively throughout Persia and met with the entire community. In spite of the lack of modern transport facilities these steadfast souls travelled by donkey to every town and village, and met with every believer either individually or in gatherings. They explained the verities of the Faith to them in great detail, helped them to study many of the Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá, discussed the significances enshrined in the Kitab-i-Aqdas and the Kitab-i-'Ahd, and convincingly clarified any questions which they raised. These devoted teachers of the Cause were so imbued with the love of Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá, that wherever they went they imparted that same love to the believers. They were truly 'a river of life eternal' to the loved ones of God and were instrumental in strengthening the faith of the believers and confirming them in the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh.
Although Covenant-breaking did not become an issue in Persia itself, the believers in that country were aware of the perfidy of the Arch-breaker of the Covenant and his associates in conducting their disgraceful intrigues against Abdu'l-Bahá in the Holy Land. These ignoble activities became instrumental in increasing the love that the Bahá'Ãs entertained in their hearts for the Master. The more the Covenant-breakers inflicted sufferings upon Him, the more intense became this love, and as the Bahá'Ãs turned with more devotion to Abdu'l-Bahá they became more successful in their teaching activities, and consequently the community expanded considerably during those days.
Another outcome of this love for the Master was the manner in which the believers in Persia referred to Him in glowing terms and praised His station in laudatory language. Whereas He considered Himself a servant of Bahá'u'lláh, the believers called Him by those exalted designations which the Pen of Bahá'u'lláh had conferred upon Him, designations such as 'The Master', 'The Most Great Mystery of God', 'The Most Mighty Branch', 'The Limb of the Law of God', the Being 'round Whom all names revolve', and several others. This made Abdu'l-Bahá very unhappy. Indeed, Abdu'l-Bahá always emphasized His station as one of servitude to the Blessed Beauty. In his memoirs Dr Yunis Khan reports Abdu'l-Bahá as saying that He does not claim a station for Himself, but that Bahá'u'lláh had conferred upon Him a special bounty, that His words became creative and that whatever He says will come to pass.
Soon after the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh there were differences among the believers concerning the station of Abdu'l-Bahá. Some regarded Him as having the same identity as Bahá'u'lláh — a belief which runs counter to the basic verities enshrined within the Faith — and in several Tablets Abdu'l-Bahá clarified His own position. He explained that although He was the Centre of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh and the Interpreter of His words, He was nevertheless a lowly servant at the threshold of Bahá'u'lláh. In one of His Tablets Abdu'l-Bahá writes:
"This is my firm, my unshakable conviction, the essence of my unconcealed and explicit belief — a conviction and belief which the denizens of the Abha Kingdom fully share: The Blessed Beauty is the Sun of Truth, and His light the light of truth. The Bab is likewise the Sun of Truth, and His light the light of truth... My station is the station of servitude — a servitude which is complete, pure and real, firmly established, enduring, obvious, explicitly revealed and subject to no interpretation whatever... I am the Interpreter of the Word of God; such is my interpretation." [18-7]
At one time Haji Mirza Haydar-'Ali, to whom we have referred previously, wrote a letter to Abdu'l-Bahá and asked Him to explain the significance of Bahá'u'lláh's utterances in the Suriy-i-Ghusn and other Tablets including certain verses in the Mathnavi concerning the exalted station of the Branch. In reply, Abdu'l-Bahá wrote a Tablet in which He announced His station of servitude most eloquently and besought the Almighty to immerse Him in the ocean of servitude. He then made the following statement:
"I am according to the explicit texts of the Kitab-i-Aqdas and the Kitab-i-'Ahd the manifest Interpreter of the Word of God... Whoso deviates from my interpretation is a victim of his own fancy... I affirm that the true meaning, the real significance, the innermost secret of these verses, of these very words, is my own servitude to the sacred Threshold of the Abha Beauty, my complete self-effacement, my utter nothingness before Him. This is my resplendent crown, my most precious adorning. On this I pride myself in the kingdom of earth and heaven. Therein I glory among the company of the well-favoured!" [18-8]
The following is a summary translation of Dr Yunis Khan's recollections concerning Abdu'l-Bahá's station of servitude.
"As the Covenant-breakers intensified their campaign of trouble-making for the Master and went on belittling His station, many of the steadfast believers, due to their enormous love for Him, exaggerated His station. Eventually all this resulted in a situation that if a believer was moved, for instance, to compose a poem about Abdu'l-Bahá's servitude, he would assuredly become the recipient of the Master's unbounded favours and bounties. But if, on the contrary, he would sing His praises and exalt His name, He would be displeased, and even ask the writer to repent and beg forgiveness.
"The only station that He retained for Himself was that of the appointed Interpreter of the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh. And this He did so that if a person ever sought to glorify His station by referring to the many exalted titles by which Bahá'u'lláh had designated Him, He then would merely say, 'I am the Interpreter of the Words of God and my interpretation of all these designations is Abdu'l-Bahá (Servant of Bahá'u'lláh)'... At one stage He wrote many Tablets and prayers concerning His own station of servitude. Among them was a prayer which is now used as a Prayer of Visitation for Abdu'l-Bahá. Concerning this prayer He wrote, 'Whoso reciteth this prayer with lowliness and fervour will bring gladness and joy to the heart of this servant; it will be even as meeting Him face to face.'
"In this prayer He describes His station of servitude in such lowly terms: 'Lord! Give me to drink from the chalice of selflessness; with its robe clothe me, and in its ocean immerse me. Make me as dust in the pathway of Thy loved ones, and grant that I may offer up my soul for the earth ennobled by the footsteps of Thy Chosen ones in Thy path, O Lord of Glory in the Highest.'
O dear reader! Most of the believers know this prayer by heart and are in the habit of reciting it every morning, this is why this servant has not quoted its full text here. My appeal to you now is to recite this prayer[1] first and then read the following which is entitled:
[1 Tablet of Visitation revealed by Abdu'l-Bahá, in most Bahá'à prayer books.]
"The Story of a Bitter-Sweet Experience
"In those days when the friends in Persia were aflame with the fire of love, and at the same time, they were, with a spirit of forbearance, burning in that fire of envy and hatred, of calumny and slander created by the people of malice and the Covenant-breakers, Bahá'à poets and people of letters in that country used to write poems in praise and glorification of Abdu'l-Bahá. In laudatory and most eloquent language they used to acclaim His exalted station.
"But we, the resident Bahá'Ãs of Akka, the spot round which the Concourse on High circle in adoration, were very careful not to breathe a word about the station of sovereignty and lordship of the blessed Person of Abdu'l-Bahá. We knew well that He had often advised the poets that instead of singing His praise they ought to exalt His station of servitude and utter self-effacement.
"During this time, one day I received a letter from one of the handmaidens of God... This letter, composed in verse, and laudatory in its tone, was addressed to Abdu'l-Bahá in the form of a supplication to the holy presence of God. I handed the poem to the Master as He was coming down the steps of the house in front of the sea. I thought it was the right moment to give it to Him. He had hardly read one or two lines when He suddenly turned His face towards me and with the utmost sadness and a deep sense of grief said: 'Now even you hand me letters such as this! , Don't you know the measure of pain and sorrow which overtakes me when I hear people addressing me with such exalted titles? Even you have not recognized me! If you have not appreciated this, then what can be expected of others? Don't you see all that I do day and night, and everything I write in my letters... I swear by Almighty God that I consider myself lowlier than each and every one of the loved ones of the Blessed Beauty. This is my firm conviction... Tell me if I am wrong. This is my greatest wish. I don't even wish to make this claim, because I dislike every claim. He then turned towards the Qiblih and said, 'O Blessed Beauty, grant me this station'...
"Abdu'l-Bahá spoke angrily in this vein with such vigour that my heart almost stopped. I had a sensation of choking, my whole body became numb. Truly, I felt that life was going out of me. Not only was the power of speech taken from me, but energy for breathing seemed to have gone also. I wished the earth would open and swallow me up so that I might never again see my Lord so grief-stricken as this. Truly for a moment I was not present in this world. Only when the Master resumed His walking down the stairs, the sound of His shoes jolted me. I quickly followed Him. I heard Him say: 'I told the Covenant-breakers that the more they hurt me, the more will the believers exalt my station to the point of exaggeration...'
"Now that the blame was removed from the believers and placed on the Covenant-breakers, I somewhat regained consciousness and a little life. I listened carefully to His words, but my thoughts were elsewhere. I now understood that it was the iniquities and transgressions perpetrated by these ruthless Covenant-breakers which had produced a strong reaction among the believers who could not control their feelings and sentiments.
"This bitter experience of mine was ended now. The Master was pacing up and down the hall and speaking more about the machinations of the Covenant-breakers. But I was not in a position to think properly or meditate deeply. I was very perturbed that I had brought such grief upon the Master, and I did not know what to do. Then I heard Him say: 'This is in no way the fault of the friends. They say these things because of their steadfastness, their love and devotion...' Again my thoughts were directed to His words. Then I heard Him say to me: 'You are very dear to Me, etc...[1] From these utterances I realized that it was always the Master's way never ever to allow a soul to be hurt. And now this was a time for giving me comfort and encouragement. The pressure in my heart was now released. All the anguish pent up in me was gone. I burst into tears which flowed in great profusion upon my cheeks and I listened more carefully. I heard His utterances as He showered His bounties upon me in such heartwarming and affectionate terms that they went far beyond the normal limits of encouragement. So much loving kindness and favour He bestowed upon me that when I considered my limited capacity and worth, I could not bear to hear Him; therefore I never allowed those words to enter into my memory. Nevertheless, I was filled with such an indescribable joy and ecstasy that I wished the doors of heaven would open and I could ascend to the Kingdom on high.
[1 It is obvious that through his modesty and humility Dr Yunis Khan does not wish to reveal all the praise and encouragement which the Master had showered upon him.]
"When He dismissed me from His presence I went towards the Pilgrim House in such a state of intoxication and excitement that I walked all around the streets of Akka, not knowing where I was going!
"And now, my dear reader, you can see how a bitter experience turned into a sweet one, and how it all ended. The earth did not open up to swallow me, neither did the heavens open to let me go up! And, so I can write down the stories of those days and in memory of His radiant countenance may say to you: 'Allah-u-Abha!'" [18-9]
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