The Covenant of Baha'u'llah
by Adib Taherzadeh
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Chapter 2
The Fulfilment of the Covenant of the Bab
The promise of the Bab, so unequivocally proclaimed concerning the appearance of 'Him Whom God shall make manifest', was indeed fulfilled in the year nine (1852-53) with the birth of the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh in the Siyah-Chal of Tihran. Within that darksome dungeon, the Most Great Spirit of God descended upon the radiant soul of Bahá'u'lláh as He breathed the foul air of a filthy and pestilential underground pit, chained and fettered in the most appalling conditions and surrounded by criminals and assassins.[1] That the light of this mighty Revelation should break upon the world in that gloomy place and in such dramatic circumstances is a mystery that continues to baffle our imagination.[1 See God Passes By.]
The Dispensation of the Bab had now come to its end, and His Covenant was fulfilled. For the believers who learned of it later on, the first glimmerings of this still newer Revelation appeared in the form of a sublime ode known by the Persian believers as Rashh-i-'Ama, revealed by the Tongue of Grandeur in that dungeon. The verses revealed in this soul-stirring poem announce, in joyous terms, the advent of the Day of God. Although only nineteen lines long, this ode is indeed a mighty book revealing the character, the potentialities, the power and the glory of a Revelation identified with God Himself and destined to usher in that Day of Days so emphatically prophesied by the Bab and foretold by former Manifestations of God.
Written in allusive language, the poem clearly proclaims the joy of Bahá'u'lláh's divine experience. It announces the glad-tidings of that release of spiritual energies of which He was the vehicle, and clearly identifies His Revelation with the Day foretold in Islam when the well-known saying 'I am He' would be fulfilled. 'I' signifies the Person of Bahá'u'lláh and 'He' is the designation of God Himself. This identity with God, as already discussed, is in the realm of His attributes and not of His Essence which is beyond the reach of His Manifestations.
The revelation of this joyful and wondrous poem at a time when Bahá'u'lláh was afflicted with unbearable and torturous sufferings is an indication of the power and glory with which, from its very inception, the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh had been endowed. For the first time in the recorded history of mankind a Revelation was born which was the culmination of all Revelations before it. The Supreme Manifestation of God, Bahá'u'lláh, now ushered in the Day of God and inaugurated a universal cycle[1] whose duration, according to His own testimony, was to be five thousand centuries.
[1 For more information, see The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. 1, pp. 309-11.]
To enable us to grasp a small measure of Bahá'u'lláh's awe-inspiring station, and to review the statements and prophecies which the prophets of old have left to posterity, we can do no better than to quote the following passages from Shoghi Effendi concerning the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh:
"He Who in such dramatic circumstances was made to sustain the overpowering weight of so glorious a Mission was none other than the One Whom posterity will acclaim, and Whom innumerable followers already recognize, as the Judge, the Lawgiver and Redeemer of all mankind, as the Organizer of the entire planet, as the Unifier of the children of men, as the Inaugurator of the long-awaited millennium, as the Originator of a new 'Universal Cycle', as the Establisher of the Most Great Peace, as the Fountain of the Most Great Justice, as the Proclaimer of the coming of age of the entire human race, as the Creator of a new World Order, and as the Inspirer and Founder of a world civilization.
"To Israel He was neither more nor less than the incarnation of the 'Everlasting Father', the 'Lord of Hosts' come down 'with ten thousands of saints'; to Christendom Christ returned 'in the glory of the Father', to *Shi'ah Islam the return of the Imam Husayn; to Sunni Islam the descent of the 'Spirit of God' (Jesus Christ); to the Zoroastrians the promised Shah-Bahram; to the Hindus the reincarnation of Krishna; to the Buddhists the fifth Buddha.
"In the name He bore He combined those of the Imam Husayn, the most illustrious of the successors of the Apostle of God — the brightest 'star' shining in the 'crown' mentioned in the Revelation of St. John — and of the Imam Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, the second of the two 'witnesses' extolled in that same Book. He was formally designated Bahá'u'lláh, an appellation specifically recorded in the Persian Bayan, signifying at once the glory, the light and the splendour of God, and was styled the 'Lord of Lords', the 'Most Great Name', the 'Ancient Beauty' the 'Pen of the Most High', the 'Hidden Name', the 'Preserved Treasure', 'He Whom God will make manifest', the 'Most Great Light', the 'All-Highest Horizon', the 'Most Great Ocean', the 'Supreme Heaven', the 'Pre-Existent Root', the 'Self-Subsistent', the 'Day-Star of the Universe', the 'Great Announcement', the 'Speaker on Sinai', the 'Sifter of Men', the 'Wronged One of the World', the 'Desire of the Nations', the 'Lord of the Covenant', the 'Tree beyond which there is no passing'. He derived His descent, on the one hand, from Abraham (the Father of the Faithful) through his wife Katurah, and on the other from Zoroaster, as well as from Yazdigird, the last king of the Sasaniyan dynasty. He was moreover a descendant of Jesse, and belonged, through His father, Mirza Abbas, better known as Mirza Buzurg — a nobleman closely associated with the ministerial circles of the Court of Fath-'Ali Shah — to one of the most ancient and renowned families of Mazindaran.
"To Him Isaiah, the greatest of the Jewish prophets, had alluded as the 'Glory of the Lord', the 'Everlasting Father', the 'Prince of Peace', the 'Wonderful', the 'Counsellor', the 'Rod come forth out of the stem of Jesse' and the 'Branch grown out of His roots', Who 'shall be established upon the throne of David', Who 'will come with strong hands', Who 'shall judge among the nations', Who 'shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips slay the wicked', and Who 'shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth'. Of Him David had sung in his Psalms, acclaiming Him as the 'Lord of Hosts' and the 'King of Glory'...
"He alone is meant by the prophecy attributed to Gautama Buddha Himself, that 'a Buddha named Maitreye, the Buddha of universal fellowship' should, in the fullness of time, arise and reveal 'His boundless glory'. To Him the Bhagavad-Gita of the Hindus had referred as the 'Most Great Spirit', the 'Tenth Avatar', the 'Immaculate Manifestation of Krishna'.
"To Him Jesus Christ had referred as the 'Prince of this world', as the 'Comforter' Who will 'reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment', as the 'Spirit of Truth' Who 'will guide you into all truth', Who 'shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak', as the 'Lord of the Vineyard', and as the 'Son of Man' Who 'shall come in the glory of His Father' 'in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory', with 'all the holy angels' about Him, and 'all nations' gathered before His throne. To Him the Author of the Apocalypse had alluded as the 'Glory of Cod', as 'Alpha and Omega', 'the Beginning and the End', 'the First and the Last'. Identifying His Revelation with the 'third woe', he, moreover, had extolled His Law as 'a new heaven and a new earth', as the 'Tabernacle of God', as the 'Holy City', as the 'New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband', To His Day Jesus Christ Himself had referred as 'the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of His glory'...
To Him Muhammad, the Apostle of God, had alluded in His Book as the 'Great Announcement', and declared His Day to be the Day whereon 'God' will 'come down' 'overshadowed with clouds', the Day whereon 'thy Lord shall come and the angels rank on rank', and 'The Spirit shall arise and the angels shall be ranged in order'...
"The Bab had no less significantly extolled Him as the 'Essence of Being', as the 'Remnant of God', as the 'Omnipotent Master', as the 'Crimson, all-encompassing Light', as 'Lord of the visible and invisible', as the 'sole Object of all previous Revelations, including the Revelation of the Qa'im Himself. He had formally designated Him as 'He Whom God shall make manifest', had alluded to Him as the 'Abha Horizon' wherein He Himself lived and dwelt, had specifically recorded His title, and eulogized His 'Order' in His best-known work, the Persian Bayan, had disclosed His name through His allusion to the 'Son of Ali, a true and undoubted Leader of men', had, repeatedly, orally and in writing, fixed, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the time of His Revelation, and warned His followers lest 'the Bayan and all that hath been revealed therein' should 'shut them out as by a veil' from Him...
"'He around Whom the Point of the Bayan (Bab) hath revolved is come' is Bahá'u'lláh's confirmatory testimony to the inconceivable greatness and preeminent character of His own Revelation. 'If all who are in heaven and on earth', He moreover affirms, 'be invested in this day with the powers and attributes destined for the Letters of the Bayan, whose station is ten thousand times more glorious than that of the Letters of the Qur'anic Dispensation, and if they one and all should, swift as the twinkling of an eye, hesitate to recognize My Revelation, they shall be accounted, in the sight of God, of those that have gone astray, and regarded as "Letters of Negation".' 'Powerful is He, the King of Divine might', He, alluding to Himself in the Kitab-i-Iqan, asserts 'to extinguish with one letter of His wondrous words, the breath of life in the whole of the Bayan and the people thereof, and with one letter bestow upon them a new and everlasting life, and cause them to arise and speed out of the sepulchres of their vain and selfish desires.' 'This', He furthermore declares, 'is the king of days', the 'Day of God Himself, the 'Day which shall never be followed by night', the 'Springtime which autumn will never overtake', 'the eye to past ages and centuries', for which 'the soul of every Prophet of God, of every Divine Messenger, hath thirsted', for which 'all the divers kindreds of the earth have yearned', through which 'God hath proved the hearts of the entire company of His Messengers and Prophets, and beyond them those that stand guard over His sacred and inviolable Sanctuary, the inmates of the Celestial Pavilion and dwellers of the Tabernacle of Glory'...
"And last but not least is Abdu'l-Bahá's own tribute to the transcendent character of the Revelation identified with His Father: 'Centuries, nay ages, must pass away, ere the Day-Star of Truth shineth again in its mid-summer splendour, or appeareth once more in the radiance of its vernal glory.' 'The mere contemplation of the Dispensation inaugurated by the Blessed Beauty', He furthermore affirms, 'would have sufficed to overwhelm the saints of bygone ages — saints who longed to partake for one moment of its great glory.'" [2-1]
By the time Bahá'u'lláh was released from the Siyah-Chal, He had been already stripped of His vast possessions, His health impaired by the ill-treatment and hardships of life in the dungeon, His neck badly injured and His back bent by the weight of heavy chains; but His soul was in the utmost joy. He did not intimate to anyone His experience of Divine Revelation. Only Abdu'l-Bahá, then nine years of age, intuitively recognized the spiritual transformation of His Father into a Manifestation of the Divine Being. The Greatest Holy Leaf, that noble and illustrious daughter of Bahá'u'lláh, has described her feelings after the release of her Father in these words:
"Jamal-i-Mubarak[1] had a marvellous divine experience whilst in that prison.
[1 Literally, Blessed Beauty, Bahá'u'lláh.]
"We saw a new radiance seeming to enfold him like a shining vesture, its significance we were to learn years later. At that time we were only aware of the wonder of it, without understanding, or even being told the details of the sacred event." [2-2]
It is important to note that although Bahá'u'lláh did not intimate His station to the Babis, several souls among them recognized Him as 'Him Whom God shall make manifest' during the Ministry of the Bab, long before Bahá'u'lláh's imprisonment in the Siyah-Chal. Mulla Husayn, the one who first made contact with Him, was aware of His station. Likewise Quddus and Tahirih had discovered that He, and no one else, was the Promised One of the Bayan. Indeed, when we study the events that took place at the Conference of Badasht,[1] it becomes clear that these two outstanding disciples of the Bab had full knowledge of the station of Bahá'u'lláh. Some of those who took part in that conference were surprised to witness the expressions of utmost lowliness and humility by Quddus and Tahirih towards Bahá'u'lláh. The reverence which they showed to Him at Badasht by far exceeded the homage they paid to the Bab. Indeed, Tahirih has composed and left to posterity some beautiful poems in adoration of Bahá'u'lláh Whom she refers to by name, and regards Him as her Lord. [2-3] Similarly Quddus, at that same conference, mentioned Bahá'u'lláh by name in a treatise and paid tribute to His exalted station.
[1 See The Dawn-Breakers.]
Bahá'u'lláh Himself was fully aware of His station from childhood. In one of His Tablets [2-4] He describes that when He was very young He was overcome by a condition which completely affected His manners, His thoughts and His words.
A transfiguration took place, the ocean of utterance[1] began to surge within Him, and this condition, Bahá'u'lláh testifies, continued throughout His life.[2] Some may find this statement contrary to the belief that Bahá'u'lláh received the intimation of His station in the Siyah-Chal of Tihran. Abdu'l-Bahá has explained in His Writings that a Manifestation of God is always a Manifestation. Even from childhood, long before He receives the call of Prophethood, He has all the powers of the Manifestation latent within Him. He describes this state as a lamp which is hidden under a bushel, its light hidden from the eyes of men. He also likens Him to a man who is asleep and does not reveal His powers until the hour strikes for the birth of His Mission.
[1 Bahá'u'lláh has often referred to the outpouring of His Revelation as the surging of the ocean of His utterance.]
[2 For a further discussion of this subject, see The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. 2, pp. 346-9.]
It is not possible for man to fully understand the mysteries of divine Revelation and to appreciate the nature and the workings of the Manifestations of God. In the case of Bahá'u'lláh, however, we can discover from the records of His life and from His conduct that prior to the birth of His Revelation, He was fully aware of His exalted station. To cite one example:
One of the devoted disciples of the Bab was the celebrated Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunuzi.[1] The Bab had intimated to him that he would attain the presence of the Promised Husayn[2] in the city of Karbila where Shaykh Hasan used to live. Bahá'u'lláh visited Karbila in 1851, about one year before His imprisonment in the Siyah-Chal. In that city He met Shaykh Hasan and, as prophesied by the Bab, he intimated to him His exalted station. Nabil-i-A'zam tells the story as recounted to him by Shaykh Hasan.
[1 See The Dawn-Breakers.]
[2 It is believed in Islam that two Revelations will succeed one another. Shi'ah Islam expects that after the appearance of the Qa'im, the Promised Husayn will manifest Himself. It is noteworthy that Bahá'u'lláh's name was Husayn-'Ali.]
"Sixteen lunar months, less twenty and two days, had elapsed since the day of the martyrdom of the Bab, when, on the day of Arafih,[1] in the year 1267 A.H.,[2] while I was passing by the gate of the inner courtyard of the shrine of the Imam Husayn, my eyes, for the first time, fell upon Bahá'u'lláh. What shall I recount regarding the countenance which I beheld! The beauty of that face, those exquisite features which no pen or brush dare describe, His penetrating glance, His kindly face, the majesty of His bearing, the sweetness of His smile, the luxuriance of His jet-black flowing locks, left an indelible impression upon my soul. I was then an old man, bowed with age. How lovingly He advanced towards me! He took me by the hand and, in a tone which at once betrayed power and beauty, addressed me in these words: 'This very day I have purposed to make you known as a Babi throughout Karbila.' Still holding my hand in His, He continued to converse with me. He walked with me all along the market-street, and in the end He said: 'Praise be to God that you have remained in Karbila, and have beheld with your own eyes the countenance of the promised Husayn.' I recalled instantly the promise which had been given me by the Bab. His words, which I had regarded as referring to a remote future, I had not shared with anyone. These words of Bahá'u'lláh moved me to the depths of my being. I felt impelled to proclaim to a heedless people, at that very moment and with all my soul and power, the advent of the promised Husayn. He bade me, however, repress my feelings and conceal my emotions. 'Not yet', He breathed into my ears; 'the appointed Hour is approaching. It has not yet struck. Rest assured and be patient.' From that moment all my sorrows vanished. My soul was flooded with joy." [2-5]
[1 The ninth day of the month of Dhi'l-Hijjih.]
[2 October 5, 1851. ]
On that occasion, Bahá'u'lláh actually imparted to Shaykh Hasan the glad-tidings that the unveiling of His Revelation would take place in Baghdad.[1]
[1 See The Dawn-Breakers, p. 593.]
Although a few of the disciples of the Bab had the spiritual capacity to recognize Bahá'u'lláh as the Promised One of the Bayan, both before and after the birth of His Revelation in the Siyah-Chal, the believers in general were completely unaware of it. The Babi community was at that time experiencing the most harrowing persecution and sufferings. By the time of Bahá'u'lláh's imprisonment in the Siyah-Chal, over two years had passed since the Martyrdom of the Bab. Many of His outstanding followers had been mown down by an inveterate enemy. Every hope which the Babis entertained for the ascendancy and triumph of His Cause was dashed, and they were dispirited and dismayed. Bahá'u'lláh, the only leader Who inspired them with confidence and assurance, had, soon after the Martyrdom of the Bab, been advised to retire for a period of time to Karbila in Iraq. His sojourn lasted a little under a year and soon after His return He had been cast into the Siyah-Chal of Tihran in the most humiliating circumstances. And finally, He had been exiled to Iraq. When we consider the lack of a proper system of communication in Persia in those days, we can appreciate how the followers of the Bab were cut off and did not know where to turn for guidance.
The only leader they had been told to turn to was Mirza Yahya, but he spent most of this time in hiding. He was a fugitive, frightened and roaming around the countryside in disguise so that no one could contact him. When Bahá'u'lláh was imprisoned in the Siyah-Chal, a bloodbath of unprecedented ferocity was unleashed on the Babis. Anyone who had any connection with the Faith of the Bab was executed in the most cruel circumstances. Those who escaped the net were driven underground. They lived their lives confused and leaderless.
In order to appreciate the history of this particular time and the two decades which followed, we can do no better than to study closely the provisions which were made by the Bab during His lifetime concerning the leadership of the Babi community after His martyrdom until the appearance of 'Him Whom God shall make manifest'. This is where Mirza Yahya, entitled Subh-i-Azal (Morn of Eternity) plays a major role.
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