The Covenant of Baha'u'llah
by Adib Taherzadeh
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chapter 18 | start page | single page | chapter 20 |  |
Chapter 19
Building the Shrine of the Bab
In the early part of the year 1900 Abdu'l-Bahá began to build the foundations of the Shrine of the Bab and consequently Haifa became the focal point of His attention. The Master rented three houses in Haifa. One was for Himself and the occasional visit by members of His family. Another was a four-roomed house for Eastern pilgrims. One room in this house was set aside for the Master Himself, one for the office of Haji Siyyid Taqiy-i-Manshadi,[1] and the other two for the use of pilgrims. A third house with four rooms was suitably furnished for the increasing number of Western pilgrims who had begun to visit Abdu'l-Bahá from late 1898. Up to the year 1900 there were several pilgrims who stayed in these houses, but once Abdu'l-Bahá began to build the Shrine on Mount Carmel, He discouraged Bahá'Ãs from coming on pilgrimage[2] and so the houses remained for the most part untenanted. Dr Yunis Khan describes the state of affairs in Haifa just after the turn of the century. The following is a summary translation from his fascinating memoirs:[1 This believer served Bahá'u'lláh and the Master in the Holy Land for many years. See Memorials of the Faithful, p. 54.]
[2 See below, p. 243.]
"The work of building the foundation of the Shrine of the Bab was proceeding well. The Blessed Master used to come to Haifa frequently for supervision of the construction work. He would stay a few days during which the Bahá'Ãs and non-Bahá'Ãs attained His presence...
"Certain changes had taken place during the three or four years preceding the year 1900.
"1. Mirza Aqa Jan ... had passed away.
"2. Mirza Diya'u'llah, the vacillating son of Bahá'u'lláh ... had also passed away.
"3. The room on the ground floor of the Mansion of Bahji which was used by the believers had been taken over by the Covenant-breakers...
"4. The Covenant-breakers had given up their earlier practice of demanding payment of their expenses from the Master; consequently, the hardships in His own household resulting from the shortage of funds in previous years, had somewhat eased. However, from time to time, He would find some reason to send funds to His unfaithful brothers.
"5. The activities of the chief of police of Akka, Yahya Tabur Aqasi, against the Cause of God, had produced the opposite effect. He himself was dismissed from his post and later when he became destitute, he went to the Master and received help from Him.
"6. During the past three years, groups of pilgrims from both the East and the West had visited regularly. The town of Haifa had become a centre for the believers where meetings and festive gatherings were often held, but in obedience to the advice of the Master, these gatherings are not so frequent these days.
"7. The Covenant-breakers, who had not succeeded in their previous intrigues against Abdu'l-Bahá, began to create fresh trouble by causing alarm among the mischievous elements of the population. They misrepresented Abdu'l-Bahá's plans for the construction of the mausoleum of the Bab.
"8. Two of the Covenant-breakers made attempts on the life of Abdu'l-Bahá. One had, on two different occasions, placed poison in a jug of drinking water used by Him. This was discovered in time. The other one carried a dagger hidden under his clothes with the intention of taking His life, but did not succeed in his attempt. Later both men regretted their actions. Abdu'l-Bahá forgave one and turned a blind eye to the other." [19-1]
The construction of the Shrine of the Bab was the greatest undertaking during the opening years of the twentieth century. This was a sacred task which Bahá'u'lláh during the last years of His life had specifically asked Abdu'l-Bahá to accomplish. The purchase of the site for the Shrine took a long time, for under the influence of the Covenant-breakers the owner at first refused to sell. After many difficulties, when negotiations for the sale of the land were completed and ownership passed to Abdu'l-Bahá, it became necessary to purchase another piece of land situated on the south side to provide access to the building site. At the instigation of the Covenant-breakers, the owner demanded an exorbitant price for this land, and even when Abdu'l-Bahá offered to pay a very large sum for it, the owner was determined not to sell. Abdu'l-Bahá was heard to make the following remark concerning this episode:
"Every stone of that building, every stone of the road leading to it, I have with infinite tears and at tremendous cost, raised and placed in position. One night I was so hemmed in by My anxieties that I had no other recourse than to recite and repeat over and over again a prayer of the Bab which I had in My possession, the recital of which greatly calmed Me. The next morning the owner of the plot himself came to Me, apologized and begged Me to purchase the property." [19-2]
Dr Yunis Khan heard Abdu'l-Bahá say that when the owner offered his land, he begged the Master to forgive him, saying that His brothers had urged him not to sell and had promised to pay twice as much as Abdu'l-Bahá. The Master at first declined to purchase the property, the owner insisted and at the end prostrated himself at the feet of Abdu'l-Bahá and begged Him to take the land free of charge. Thereupon Abdu'l-Bahá summoned Aqa Riday-i-Qannad, who was in charge of His financial affairs, and directed him to make the necessary arrangements for the purchase of the plot at a fair price.
As soon as He purchased the site which had been blessed by the footsteps of the Ancient Beauty, Abdu'l-Bahá focused all His attention on the building work. So deeply was He committed to erecting a worthy mausoleum for the Martyr-Prophet of the Faith, that according to the testimony of some of His loved ones He used to speak enthusiastically about it every day. His frequent visits to Haifa were for the sole purpose of supervising the work, and the believers resident in Haifa used to assemble on Mount Carmel to attain His presence. At that time, when there was nothing on the site but heaps of stones and mud, the Master often spoke to them joyously about the future of that blessed spot. He prophesied that the Shrine and the gardens around it would become the most beautiful and majestic spectacle on the mountain. So emphatic and clear were His words about the future of the Shrine that the believers who heard Him speak were able to visualize its grandeur and beauty with their mind's eye.
Some years later, Abdu'l-Bahá is reported by Dr Habib Mu'ayyad to have spoken the following words at a time when Mount Carmel was still a largely uninhabited heap of rocks, and the Shrine consisted of only six rooms built of stone. Today much of His vision has been fulfilled:
"On one occasion when Abdu'l-Bahá was strolling in the gardens [near the Shrine of the Bab] His eyes were focused upon the sea and the city of Akka for some time. After a few moments of silence, He said, 'I have seen many places abroad, but nowhere has the fresh air and the beautiful scenery of the Shrine of the Bab. Ere long this mountain will become habitable. Many fine buildings will be built on it. The Shrine of the Bab will be constructed in the most exquisite fashion and will appear with the utmost beauty and magnificence. Terraces will be built from the bottom of the mountain to the top. Nine terraces from the bottom to the Shrine and nine terraces from the Shrine to the summit. Gardens with colourful flowers will be laid down on all these terraces. A single street lined with flower beds will link the seafront to the Shrine. Pilgrims who arrive by ship will be able to see the dome of the Shrine from a long distance out at sea. The kings of the earth, bare-headed, and the queens, will walk up the street of the Shrine carrying bouquets of flowers. With bowed heads they will arrive as pilgrims, and prostrate themselves at the sacred threshold..."[1] [19-3]
[1 These are not the exact words of Abdu'l-Bahá, but they are very close to what He said. (A.T.)]
The same chronicler has recounted that on another occasion Abdu'l-Bahá spoke on the same subject to a number of believers in the Holy Land:
"...The future of Mount Carmel is very bright. I can see it now covered all over with a blanket of light. I can see many ships anchored at the Port of Haifa. I can see the kings of the earth with vases of flowers in their hands walking solemnly toward the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh and the Bab with absolute devotion and in a state of prayer and supplication. At the time that they put a crown of thorns on His head, Christ could see the kings of the earth bowing before Him, but others could not see this. "And now I can see not only powerful lamps which will floodlight this mountain brightly, but I can also see Houses of Worship, hospitals, schools, homes for the handicapped, orphanages and all the other humanitarian institutions erected on Mount Carmel." [19-4]
As the building work on Mount Carmel proceeded the believers were overjoyed at the prospect of the interment of the remains of the Bab in that holy spot. But the Covenant-breakers, who were being continually frustrated in their devious activities and forced to witness the ascendancy of the Covenant, particularly the arrival of pilgrims from the West, were aroused to inflict yet another blow upon the Master.
It was in the year 1901 that Abdu'l-Bahá, in the course of His talks with the believers, foresaw the approach of some impending tribulation which would be caused by the Covenant-breakers. He is reported to have intimated to the friends that the Covenant-breakers would create great trouble for Him, but that they themselves would be the first to be trapped in the mesh of their own devising and that only later would He Himself become a target of their schemes. Abdu'l-Bahá often spoke in this vein to His companions during those days. He intimated to them that whereas He welcomed afflictions in the path of God, His brothers would be the ones who would suffer. The believers were concerned about such predictions and did not know what kind of problems would be created for the Master. Their only prayer was that God might intervene and avert any ordeal which might be in store for Him.
By August 1901 the building work on Mount Carmel had reached an advanced stage, and Abdu'l-Bahá was visiting Haifa frequently, when suddenly a great upheaval occurred in Akka. On 20 August 1901 the believers celebrated the anniversary of the Declaration of the Bab (according to the lunar calendar) at the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh at Bahji. On His return to Akka, Abdu'l-Bahá was informed that His brothers had been escorted by soldiers from Bahji and brought to Akka in great humiliation. Majdu'd-Din had also been brought from Tiberias. The Master immediately went to the authorities to enquire about the reason for their arrest. It was then that the Governor informed Abdu'l-Bahá of the contents of an order from the Sultan that He and His brothers were to be confined within the walls of the city of Akka, and that the same restrictions which had been imposed upon Bahá'u'lláh and His companions in the Most Great Prison were to be re-introduced. Furthermore, none of the believers themselves were to be allowed to leave the city and all their activities had to be monitored by the authorities.
Although in the early days of Bahá'u'lláh's arrival in Akka such restrictions were enforceable, now, after so many years, when the Master had become the object of the love and adoration of the people, it was impossible to enforce this edict fully. Indeed, the Governor himself, who was a great admirer of Abdu'l-Bahá, had been so embarrassed by the order that he had delayed its implementation for some time.
This re-incarceration was the direct result of Mirza Muhammad-'Ali's misrepresentations to Nazim Pasha, the Governor of the Province of Syria. The circumstances of this episode are described by Mirza Badi'u'llah in his 'letter of confession'[1] written a few years after this incident. He states that Mirza Muhammad-'Ali sent Mirza Majdu'd-Din to Damascus to present a petition to the Governor complaining about the activities of Abdu'l-Bahá. The main purpose of this treacherous act was to alarm the authorities by misrepresenting the purpose of the building on Mount Carmel as a fortress designed to raise rebellion, and informing them of large gatherings in Akka, and the comings and goings of Americans whom he described as military advisers.
[1 See above, pp. 152-3.]
It is known that Majdu'd-Din took expensive gifts for the Governor as a bribe, and asked his help in bringing about Abdu'l-Bahá's deportation. Indeed, at other times and in the course of their several appeals to the government authorities in Syria, the Covenant-breakers had had to raise large sums of money to bribe various officials. Having used up the entire estate of Mirza Aqa Jan for this purpose, they sold a one-third share of the Mansion of Bahji for one thousand two hundred Liras to Yahya Tabur Aqasi,[1] that inveterate enemy of the Faith, and used the whole sum in bribes to officials.
[1 See above, pp. 188-9, 224.]
Majdu'd-Din arrived back from his mission in a jubilant mood having secured the Governor's promise of aid. But events now took a different turn. Upon receiving the Governor's report, Sultan Abdu'l-Hamid became alarmed and ordered that incarceration be reimposed upon Abdu'l-Bahá, His brothers and His followers. Consequently, to the surprise of Majdu'd-Din, his plans misfired and he himself, as well as his chief, Mirza Muhammad-'Ali, together with Mirza Badi'u'llah, were incarcerated in the city of Akka by the order of the Sultan. The prophecy of Abdu'l-Bahá was fulfilled: His brothers were the first to fall into their own trap.
The Master, as always, submitted Himself to the cruelties which His enemies had inflicted upon Him. He accepted the new restrictions in a spirit of radiant acquiescence. The greatest deprivation for Him was His separation from the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, which He could not visit during this time. He was also cut off from the building work on Mount Carmel, although He made arrangements for it to continue. For about seven years while this incarceration was in force Abdu'l-Bahá continued to direct the affairs of the Bahá'à world in both East and West through the outpouring of His voluminous writings. As the years went by, more pilgrims and visitors were received in His rented house adjacent to the barracks, known as the house of Abdu'llah Pasha. On the upper storey of this house He built a small wooden cabin in which He could pray, turning in the direction of the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh.
As to His brothers: upon being brought to Akka where they were ordered to live, Mirza Muhammad-'Ali wrote two letters, one after the other, to the Governor of Damascus (whom he had already bribed) desperately seeking assistance for his release. But his letters were left unanswered. However, Abdu'l-Bahá met the civil and military authorities and interceded for the release of His brothers, saying that they were not able to endure such restrictions, and secured their freedom. He also secured freedom for the other believers, who were allowed to resume the occupations in which they had been previously engaged, but He assured the authorities that He Himself would remain within the walls of the city.
As to the cause of the restrictions, Mirza Muhammad-'Ali: he at first flatly denied having had any communication with the Governor of Damascus and Majdu'd-Din did likewise. They both alleged that the edict of the Sultan for re-incarceration had been issued as a result of the publication of a book by Mirza Abu'l-Fadl, the great Bahá'à scholar, but the truth soon surfaced. Haji Aliy-i-Yazdi[1] has described in his memoirs the circumstances which exposed the treachery of Majdu'd-Din and Mirza Muhammad-'Ali. According to Haji Ali, Majdu'd-Din had delivered two petitions personally, one to Nazim Pasha and the other to Fariq Pasha. The latter was a high-ranking military officer friendly towards Abdu'l-Bahá. It appears that the second petition was presented in response to a question raised by Fariq Pasha, who wanted to know the nature of disagreements between Abdu'l-Bahá and His brothers.
[1 See above, pp. 184-5.]
In order to confuse the issue for Fariq Pasha, who was a Sunni Muslim, Mirza Muhammad-'Ali and Majdu'd-Din forged a document which they attributed to Bahá'u'lláh; they sent this document along with their petition. In this document they composed, in the name of Bahá'u'lláh, certain complimentary passages in praise of Umar, the second Caliph of Sunni Islam. In so doing, they made it seem that Bahá'u'lláh was a follower of Sunni Islam. The other document which they sent to the Pasha contained parts of the Lawh-i-Hizar Bayti (Tablet of One Thousand Verses) in which Abdu'l-Bahá condemned Umar in strong terms. In their petition they then alleged that Abdu'l-Bahá was inciting His followers to arise in enmity against the Sunnis, whereas the rest of Bahá'u'lláh's family were admirers of Umar and the Sunni community.
Mirza Muhammad-'Ali and Majdu'd-Din continued to deny having sent any petition to Damascus until Fariq Pasha at last sent it to Abdu'l-Bahá, who upon receiving it sent it to the mother of Mirza Muhammad-'Ali so that she could see the treachery of her offspring and son-in-law Majdu'd-Din.
When these preposterous activities came to light, it opened the eyes of some of the Covenant-breakers who had previously been duped into believing that Mirza Muhammad-'Ali was a true follower of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh. These simple-hearted men, who had been for so long deceived by the Arch-breaker of the Covenant, went to Abdu'l-Bahá, expressed remorse for their folly and were bountifully forgiven by Him.
As we look back upon these events, we can only be amazed at the craftiness of such a two-faced hypocrite who on the one hand professed to his misguided followers the divine origin of the Revelation of his Father, thereby posing as the most holy and truthful person, worthy of being emulated by all, and on the other, shamelessly announced Bahá'u'lláh and himself to be followers of Sunni Islam. Of course, Mirza Muhammad-'Ali knew only too well that Bahá'u'lláh had clearly taught His followers that Umar, the second Caliph of Sunni Islam, had broken the unwritten Covenant of Muhammad and unlawfully usurped the successorship of the Prophet from Imam Ali. He also knew that the holy Imams of the Shi'ah sect of Islam, whose stations Bahá'u'lláh has extolled in His Writings, were the true successors of the Prophet. Despite this there were no limits to which Mirza Muhammad-'Ali would not go in order to destroy Abdu'l-Bahá. He was a master in the art of falsification, and, as we shall see later in this book, he continued in this vein for years, spreading falsehood and calumnies against the Centre of the Covenant.
When it became public knowledge that the cause of imposing this new incarceration was Majdu'd-Din's petition, the Covenant-breakers became subdued and chastened for some time. However, once released from the bondage of incarceration within the Prison City, Mirza Muhammad-'Ali and his associates became content with their own freedom, and jubilant that the Master, whom they hated so bitterly, was confined within the walls of Akka. They therefore considered this a victory, and foolishly thought that the end of Abdu'l-Bahá and His leadership was in sight. Little did they know that light cannot be put out by darkness and the power of God cannot be made ineffective through the opposition of the ignoble among men.
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