The Covenant of Baha'u'llah

by Adib Taherzadeh

chapter 3

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chapter 5

Chapter 4

The Breaking of the Bab's Covenant

Shortly after Mirza Yahya had settled in Baghdad, he decided to engage in a profession so as to hide his identity. At first he changed his headgear, adopting a large turban and assuming the name of Haji Aliy-i-Las-Furush.[1]He then took a shop in a dilapidated part of the city in a bazaar and started working. In the meantime, a man of great evil described by Bahá'u'lláh as 'the embodiment of wickedness and impiety', 'the prime mover of mischief' and 'one accursed of God', entered the scene to influence Mirza Yahya. He was the notorious Siyyid Muhammad-i-Isfahani, known as the 'Antichrist of the Bahá'í Revelation'. In the early days of the Faith this man was a student at a theological school in Isfahan, but was expelled for reprehensible conduct. He embraced the Faith during the early part of the Ministry of the Bab and later went to Karbila where he joined the ranks of the believers. In the Kitab-i-Iqan Bahá'u'lláh alludes to him as that 'one-eyed man, who ... is arising with the utmost malevolence against us'. Of him Shoghi Effendi writes:
[1 'Las Furush' means a dealer in silk. It is interesting that Mirza Yahya was known in official circles as Haji Ali until the end of his life.]

"The black-hearted scoundrel who befooled and manipulated this vain and flaccid man[1] with consummate skill and unyielding persistence was a certain Siyyid Muhammad, a native of Isfahan, notorious for his inordinate ambition, his blind obstinacy and uncontrollable jealousy. To him Bahá'u'lláh had later referred in the Kitab-i-Aqdas as the one who had 'led astray' Mirza Yahya, and stigmatized him, in one of His Tablets, as the 'source of envy and the quintessence of mischief, while Abdu'l-Bahá had described the relationship existing between these two as that of 'the sucking child' to the 'much-prized breast' of its mother." [4-1]
[1 Mirza Yahya.]

Siyyid Muhammad was in Karbila when Bahá'u'lláh visited that city in 1851. As soon as he met Bahá'u'lláh, Whom he considered merely as another Babi, he was struck by His authority and majesty, and when he saw the marks of honour and reverence shown to Him by others he was filled with an uncontrollable envy which never left him till the end of his tragic life.

Haji Siyyid Javad-i-Karbila'i,[1] an outstanding follower of the Bab, one of the Mirrors[2] of the Babi Dispensation who recognized the station of Bahá'u'lláh from the early days and became an ardent Bahá'í, was in Karbila and also met Bahá'u'lláh there for the first time in 1851. The following is his spoken chronicle as he describes his meeting with Him at a gathering where Siyyid Muhammad was also present.
[1 See The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vols. 1, 2 and 3.]
[2 The Bab had exalted certain individuals to this rank.]

"...I was in Karbila when the news of the arrival of Bahá'u'lláh in that city reached me. The first person who gave me this information was Haji Siyyid Muhammad-i-Isfahani.

"Before I attained His presence, I expected to find Him a youth of noble lineage, the son of a vizier, but not one endowed with immense knowledge or wisdom. Together with some friends I went to meet Bahá'u'lláh. As was their custom, my friends would not enter the room before me; so I went in first and occupied the seat of honour in that gathering.

"After we had exchanged greetings Bahá'u'lláh turned to those present and asked them what subjects they, the disciples of the late Siyyid,[1] usually discussed when they gathered in a meeting. Did they discuss the topics of religion as was current among men? What would they do if God manifested Himself to man, rolled up the old doctrines and philosophies, revealed a new set of teachings and opened up a new page in divine knowledge? What then would be their position? Bahá'u'lláh spoke for some time in this vein. It was not long before I realized that we, known as men of learning and knowledge, dwelt in the depths of ignorance, whereas He, Whom we considered to be only a youth, the son of a vizier, stood upon the highest pinnacle of understanding, knowledge and wisdom. After this experience, whenever I entered His presence, I would sit at His feet in absolute humility and refrain from speaking. I always listened attentively to Him in order to benefit from His knowledge and understanding. This attitude of mine, however, used to annoy my friend Siyyid Muhammad. Once he rebuked me, saying: 'Assuming that all agree that Jinab-i-Baha is of the same calibre as ourselves, why do you sit in silence and show so much humility towards Him?'
[1 Siyyid Kazim-i-Rashti (A.T.)]

"I pleaded with my friend not to be angry with me. I told him that I could neither specify a station for Him nor, God forbid, consider Him as one of us. I regarded Him as incomparable and unique." [4-2]

The high esteem in which Bahá'u'lláh was held by the Babis and the Shaykhis served to arouse in Siyyid Muhammad feelings of jealousy and inner animosity as well as a determination to counteract His supremacy and exalted position in the Babi community.

When Bahá'u'lláh was exiled to Iraq in 1853, the Babis were in great disarray. They were frightened and helpless people who since the martyrdom of the Bab had been driven underground. They did not dare associate with each other in public for fear of being persecuted. When Bahá'u'lláh arrived in Iraq, He inspired them to come out into the open and gradually through His wise and loving leadership the Babi community acquired a new lease of life. The ascendancy of Bahá'u'lláh in public and His rising prestige intensified the fire of jealousy which was now burning fiercely in Siyyid Muhammad's heart.

Describing the circumstances in which some of the followers of the Bab in Baghdad recognised the station of Bahá'u'lláh and turned to Him in adoration, Shoghi Effendi recounts the reaction shown by Siyyid Muhammad in these words:

"To these evidences of an ever deepening veneration for Bahá'u'lláh and of a passionate attachment to His person were now being added further grounds for the outbreak of the pent-up jealousies which His mounting prestige evoked in the breasts of His ill-wishers and enemies. The steady extension of the circle of His acquaintances and admirers; His friendly intercourse with officials including the governor of the city; the unfeigned homage offered Him, on so many occasions and so spontaneously, by men who had once been distinguished companions of Siyyid Kazim; the disillusionment which the persistent concealment of Mirza Yahya, and the unflattering reports circulated regarding his character and abilities, had engendered; the signs of increasing independence, of innate sagacity and inherent superiority and capacity for leadership unmistakably exhibited by Bahá'u'lláh Himself — all combined to widen the breach which the infamous and crafty Siyyid Muhammad had sedulously contrived to create." [4-3]

Knowing Mirza Yahya's weaknesses and fully aware of his ambitions, this scheming Siyyid allied himself closely with him. His influence upon Mirza Yahya was as effective as it was satanic. As a result of this close association, Mirza Yahya began to sow the seeds of doubt in the minds of those who had become Bahá'u'lláh's ardent admirers and were attracted to His Person. By various means, sometimes openly and sometimes in a subtle way, he began to try to discredit Bahá'u'lláh and misrepresent His motives in reviving the declining fortunes of the Babi community.

While in hiding, Mirza Yahya employed a Persian merchant named Abu'l-Qasim as an intermediary between himself and the believers. As the nominee of the Bab, he began, with the help of Siyyid Muhammad and through Abu'l-Qasim, to disseminate his baneful and misguided directives to all the Babis in Baghdad. As this campaign of misrepresentation gathered momentum, the fortunes of the Faith began to decline, and many Babis became confused and disenchanted.

It was during these days, too, that Siyyid Muhammad and Mirza Yahya found a way to legitimize their own foul conduct in the community. This they did by abusing the proclamation which had been made at Badasht concerning the abrogation of the laws of Islam.[1] They claimed that the Babi Dispensation had lifted the bounds (Kasr-i-Hudud) which the laws of God had imposed upon the faithful. This refers to the annulment of the laws of Islam which had indeed been swept away through the Dispensation of the Bab, and not to the bounds of human decency and morality. Mirza Yahya misinterpreted this 'lifting of the bonds' to mean the abrogation of moral principles as well. Thus he began to commit many reprehensible acts. For instance, he ordered his servant to assassinate several outstanding individuals among the Babis, as we shall see.
[1 See God Passes By, p. 403, and The Dawn-Breakers, pp. 293-8.]

Bahá'u'lláh is referring to this misleading concept when He thus admonishes the believers in the Kitab-i-Aqdas:

"We verily have commanded you to refuse the dictates of your evil passions and corrupt desires and not to transgress the bounds which the Pen of the Most High hath fixed..." [4-4]

Although only a few years had elapsed since the birth of their Faith, the Babis in Persia were bitterly divided among themselves, mainly for theological reasons. In Qazvin, the home of Tahirih, where a large number of Babis resided, there were four sects, each bearing a name. One was identified with Quddus, another with Tahirih, another with Mirza Yahya, and one known as Bayanis, the followers of the Book of the Bayan.

In the meantime the situation in Iraq grew worse. Encouraged by Siyyid Muhammad, Mirza Yahya made the preposterous claim of being the successor of the Bab — a position never contemplated by Him. Indeed, He categorically states in the Persian Bayan [4-5] that He appoints no successor to Himself. As a result of such harmful propaganda and acts of treachery and deceit, which kindled dissension among the believers, 'the fire of the Cause of God', as testified by Nabil, 'had been well-nigh quenched in every place'. [4-6]

It is important to recognise that every religion has had its beginnings characterized by the onrushing forces of divine Revelation vivifying the souls of men as in a spring season. But at the end of the Dispensation winter sets in and the spiritual energies die down. This process, in older Dispensations, lasted several centuries. For example, the springtime of Christianity, which lasted about three years during the Ministry of Jesus, was followed by the summer season a few centuries later when the Christian religion flourished. But with the advent of Muhammad, it lost its vitality and spiritual potency. The advent of a new Dispensation brings about the close of the older one.[1] All past religions have gone through this cycle of spring, summer and winter, and the Dispensation of the Bab is no exception. The only difference is that whereas this cycle in older religions lasted several centuries, in the case of the Bab's it took only a decade for the spiritual winter to set in. Shoghi Effendi describes eloquently the rise and fall of the Babi religion:
[1See the Kitab-i-Iqan.]

"In sheer dramatic power, in the rapidity with which events of momentous importance succeeded each other, in the holocaust which baptized its birth, in the miraculous circumstances attending the martyrdom of the One Who had ushered it in, in the potentialities with which it had been from the outset so thoroughly impregnated, in the forces to which it eventually gave birth, this nine-year period may well rank as unique in the whole range of man's religious experience. We behold, as we survey the episodes of this first act of a sublime drama, the figure of its Master Hero, the Bab, arise meteor-like above the horizon of Shiraz, traverse the sombre sky of Persia, from south to north, decline with tragic swiftness, and perish in a blaze of glory. We see His satellites, a galaxy of God-intoxicated heroes, mount above that same horizon, irradiate that same incandescent light, burn themselves out with that self-same swiftness, and impart in their turn an added impetus to the steadily gathering momentum of God's nascent Faith." [4-7]

Bahá'u'lláh, in some Tablets revealed in that period, foreshadows the appearance of severe tests and trials as a result of the machinations of Mirza Yahya and Siyyid Muhammad. In one Tablet He utters these words of warning:

"The days of tests are now come. Oceans of dissension and tribulation are surging, and the Banners of Doubt are, in every nook and corner, occupied in stirring up mischief and in leading men to perdition..." [4-8]

In the Tablet of Qullu't-Ta'am, Bahá'u'lláh alludes to His intention to depart from Baghdad;[1] this He did when tests and tribulations reached a climax. Without informing anyone, including the members of His family, He left Baghdad for the mountains of Kurdistan. This was in April 1854.[2] In the Kitab-i-Iqan He writes these thought-provoking words:
[1 For a more detailed study, see The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. 1, p. 55.]
[2 For details of Bahá'u'lláh's withdrawal to the mountains of Kurdistan, see God Passes By.]

"In the early days of Our arrival in this land, when We discerned the signs of impending events, We decided, ere they happened, to retire... By the righteousness of God! Our withdrawal contemplated no return, and Our separation hoped for no reunion. The one object of Our retirement was to avoid becoming a subject of discord among the faithful, a source of disturbance unto Our companions, the means of injury to any soul, or the cause of sorrow to any heart. Beyond these, We cherished no other intention, and apart from them, We had no end in view." [4-9]

The absence of Bahá'u'lláh for about two years resulted in the swift decline and near extinction of the Babi community. Under the leadership of Siyyid Muhammad and Mirza Yahya, it had degenerated completely. Unlike the glorious days of a decade earlier, when its heroes and martyrs had demonstrated the vitality of their faith and the purity of their motives, the so-called followers of the Bab in Iraq during Bahá'u'lláh's retirement had sunk to the lowest depths of degradation and perversity. They were known to be in the forefront for thievery, highway robbery and murder for hire.

Mirza Yahya, disguised as a shopkeeper and sometimes hidden in a house, emboldened by the absence of Bahá'u'lláh and directed by Siyyid Muhammad, embarked upon some of his cowardly activities, both within and outside the Babi community. As we shall see later, the atrocities which were committed in his name and on his orders constitute some of the most shameful events in the history of the Faith, events which helped to bring about the near extinction of the Babi religion.

It must be noted that in order to preserve the integrity of the Faith, Bahá'u'lláh for several years neither questioned the validity of Mirza Yahya's appointment as the leader of the Babi community, nor announced the nullification of his leadership to that community. Indeed, when He departed for the mountains of Kurdistan, He directed the members of His own family to treat Mirza Yahya with consideration and to obey him. The following account by the Greatest Holy Leaf, depicting the hardships and difficulties suffered by the Holy Family during Bahá'u'lláh's absence, throws light on their relationship with this unfaithful brother of Bahá'u'lláh, and reveals some of his reprehensible conduct.

"At length my father decided to leave Baghdad for a time. During his absence, Subh-i-Azal[1] could convince himself whether or not the Babis desired to turn their faces to him as their leader, as he, in the petty conceit of a small mind and undisciplined nature, asserted, would, if given an opportunity, prove to be the case.
[1 Mirza Yahya.]

"Before my father left for his retreat into the wilderness, he commanded the friends to treat Subh-i-Azal with consideration. He offered him and his family the shelter and hospitality of our house.

He asked Mirza Musa, my mother and me, to care for them and to do everything in our power to make them comfortable. Our grief was intense when my father left us. He told none of us either where he was going or when he would return. He took no luggage, only a little rice, and some coarse bread.

"So we, my mother, my brother Abbas and I, clung together in our sorrow and anxiety.

"Subh-i-Azal rejoiced, hoping to gain his ends, now that Jamal-i-Mubarak was no longer present.

"Meanwhile, he was a guest in our house. He gave us much trouble, complaining of the food. Though all the best and most dainty things were invariably given to him.

"He became at this time more than ever terrified lest he should one day be arrested. He hid himself, keeping the door of our house locked, and stormed at anybody who opened it.

"As for me, I led a very lonely life, and would have liked sometimes to make friends with other children. But Subh-i-Azal would not permit any little friends to come to the house, neither would he let me go out!

"Two little girls about my own age lived in the next house. I used to peep at them; but our guest always came and shouted at me for opening the door, which he promptly locked. He was always in fear of being arrested, and cared for nothing but his own safety.

"We led a very difficult life at this time as well as a lonely one. He would not even allow us to go to the Hammam to take our baths. Nobody was permitted to come to the house to help us, and the work therefore was very hard.

"For hours every day I had to stand drawing water from a deep well in the house; the ropes were hard and rough, and the bucket was heavy. My dear mother used to help, but she was not very strong, and my arms were rather weak. Our guest never helped.

"My father having told us to respect and obey this tyrannical person, we tried to do so, but this respect was not easy, as our lives were made so unhappy by him.

"During this time the darling baby brother, born after our arrival in Baghdad, became seriously ill. Our guest would not allow a doctor, or even any neighbour to come to our help.

"My mother was heart-broken when the little one died; even then we were not allowed to have anybody to prepare him for burial.

"The sweet body of our beautiful baby was given to a man, who took it away, and we never knew even where he was laid. I remember so clearly the sorrow of those days.

"A little while after this, we moved into a larger house — fortunately Subh-i-Azal was too terrified of being seen, if he came with us — so he preferred to occupy a little house behind ours. We still sent his food to him, also provided for his family, now increased, as he had married another wife, a girl from a neighbouring village.

"His presence was thus happily removed from our daily life; we were relieved and much happier." [4-10]

During Bahá'u'lláh's absence, the news reached Baghdad of the martyrdom of a certain believer of Najaf-Abad, near Isfahan. Mirza Yahya was highly alarmed, fearing that an outbreak of persecution could lead the enemies of the Faith to him, the nominee of the Bab, and take his life. With these thoughts in mind, he decided to change his residence. With the help of a certain Mirza Aliy-i-Tabrizi, he bought a consignment of shoes, disguised himself as a Jew and went to Basra where he remained for some time and occupied himself in his newly-found profession of shoe merchant. Later, when he realized that there was no need for alarm, he returned to Baghdad.

It was during this period under the leadership of Mirza Yahya, inspired by his wicked advisor Siyyid Muhammad, that some of the most heinous atrocities were committed. Mirza Asadu'llah of Khuy, surnamed Dayyan by the Bab and one of His outstanding followers, was murdered on Mirza Yahya's orders. Another victim was Mirza Ali-Akbar, a paternal cousin of the Bab.

Dayyan was referred to by the Bab as the repository of the trust of God, and the treasury of His knowledge. He was also promised to be the third person to believe in 'Him Whom God shall make manifest'. When Mirza Yahya claimed to be the successor of the Bab, Dayyan wrote an epistle in which he refuted his claims, quoting many passages from the Writings of the Bab in support of his argument. This bold and truthful epistle angered Mirza Yahya, who replied by writing his inflammatory book known as Mustayqiz (Sleeper Awakened). In it he severely condemns Dayyan, whom he refers to as the 'father of calamities'. He also rebukes another believer of note, a certain Siyyid Ibrahim, who was an admirer of Dayyan and whom he stigmatizes as 'the father of iniquities'. He also calls on the Babis to take the lives of these two. Not satisfied with this condemnation, Mirza Yahya despatched his servant Mirza Muhammad-i-Mazindarani to Adhirbayjan with explicit orders to murder Dayyan. In the meantime Dayyan had left for Baghdad, and Mirza Yahya's servant had to return.

Upon his arrival in Baghdad, Dayyan was confronted with great antagonism by the Babis who were spurred on by Mirza Yahya's denunciation of him. This was during the time when Bahá'u'lláh was in Baghdad. Knowing that the life of Dayyan was in danger, Bahá'u'lláh called the believers to His house one by one and rebuked them for their behaviour toward Dayyan. In the meantime Dayyan attained the presence of Bahá'u'lláh, and as the Bab had promised, recognized His Person as 'Him Whom God shall make manifest'. A few days later, Dayyan was murdered by that same servant of Mirza Yahya. This tragic crime brought great sorrow to the heart of Bahá'u'lláh. It is significant that on that day, a sandstorm of exceptional severity swept over the city of Baghdad and obscured the light of the sun for some hours.

Not satisfied with this iniquitous crime, Mirza Yahya turned his attention to the admirers of Dayyan and issued instructions to kill them also. The next victim was Mirza Ali-Akbar, the cousin of the Bab, who was murdered by the same Mirza Muhammad. Bahá'u'lláh pays tribute to Dayyan in the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf and describes this tragic episode in some detail.[1]
[1 See Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 174-6.]

These criminal activities by Mirza Yahya were matched only by certain acts of infamy which he committed, bringing dishonour to the Cause of the Bab. He betrayed the honour of the Bab while Bahá'u'lláh was in Kurdistan by marrying Fatimih, the Bab's second wife,[1] and after a few days giving her in marriage to Siyyid Muhammad. When Bahá'u'lláh learnt of this shameful act, His grief knew no bounds. In several Tablets He has severely condemned this outrageous betrayal by one who professed to be the nominee of the Bab. In the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf; He states:
[1 See The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. 2, p. 262.]

"Reflect a while upon the dishonour inflicted upon the Primal Point. Consider what hath happened. When this Wronged One, after a retirement of two years during which He wandered through the deserts and mountains, returned to Baghdad, as a result of the intervention of a few, who for a long time had sought Him in the wilderness, a certain Mirza Muhammad-'Ali of Rasht came to see Him, and related, before a large gathering of people, that which had been done, affecting the honour of the Bab, which hath truly overwhelmed all lands with sorrow. Great God! How could they have countenanced this most grievous betrayal? Briefly, We beseech God to aid the perpetrator of this deed to repent, and return unto Him. He, verily, is the Helper, the All-Wise." [4-11]

Those who were in close contact with Mirza Yahya were fully aware of his immoderate sexual appetites.

In the Epistle of the Son of the Wolf; Bahá'u'lláh alludes to this when He addresses Hadiy-i-Dawlat-Abadi[1] in these words.
[1 Successor of Mirza Yahya. For details see The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. 4.]

"Regardest thou as one wronged he who in this world was never dealt a single blow, and who was continually surrounded by five of the handmaidens of God? And imputest thou unto the True One, Who, from His earliest years until the present day, hath been in the hands of His enemies, and been tormented with the worst afflictions in the world, such charges as the Jews did not ascribe unto Christ? Hearken unto the voice of this Wronged One, and be not of them that are in utter loss." [4-12]

Abdu'l-Bahá mentions that one of Mirza Yahya's preoccupations was to marry one wife after another. He mentions eleven wives. But some historians have accounted for three more.

When Bahá'u'lláh was in the mountains of Kurdistan, Mirza Yahya was driven by an insatiable appetite to satisfy his base and carnal desires. In one of His Tablets Bahá'u'lláh describes an episode which brings further shame to his already shameful career. Mirza Yahya sent a message to a certain believer, Aqa Muhammad-Karim, asking for the hand of his daughter in marriage. The parents of the girl refused to comply, and instead gave their daughter in marriage to a certain Abu'l-Qasim who had been in the service of Mirza Yahya for some years. No sooner had this happened than Mirza Yahya ordered the elimination of Abu'l-Qasim, and he was never seen again.

As a result of such atrocities, which were committed in the name of religion, the Babi community was utterly degraded in the eyes of the public. When Bahá'u'lláh returned from the mountains of Kurdistan the Babis were dispirited and spiritually as dead. Once again Bahá'u'lláh took the reins of the Cause in His hands. He breathed new life into the dying community of the Bab, and through His loving advice and exhortations, both verbally and in writing, He raised the morale of the believers in Baghdad and the neighbouring towns. Bahá'u'lláh Himself testified to these words:

"After Our arrival, We revealed, as a copious rain, by the aid of God and His Divine Grace and mercy, Our verses, and sent them to various parts of the world. We exhorted all men, and particularly this people, through Our wise counsels and loving admonitions, and forbade them to engage in sedition, quarrels, disputes and conflict. As a result of this, and by the grace of God, waywardness and folly were changed into piety and understanding, and weapons converted into instruments of peace." [4-13]

Abdu'l-Bahá also states:

"Bahá'u'lláh after His return (from Sulaymaniyyih) made such strenuous efforts in educating and training this community, in reforming its manners, in regulating its affairs and in rehabilitating its fortunes, that in a short while all these troubles and mischiefs were quenched, and the utmost peace and tranquillity reigned in men's hearts." [4-14]

This transformation of spirit and the ascendancy of the community in Iraq and Persia, in spite of Mirza Yahya, continued until the end of Bahá'u'lláh's stay in that country.

The outpouring of the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdad began to vivify the community of the Bab not only in Iraq, but also in Persia where thousands of Babis had been left leaderless. The many Tablets and Epistles which flowed from the Pen of the Most High, especially the Kitab-i-Iqan and Hidden Words, inspired the believers and breathed a new spirit into their souls. At the same time, the evidences of ascendancy and grandeur which were increasingly manifested by Bahá'u'lláh served to inflame the fire of jealousy which was smouldering in the heart of Mirza Yahya. Since he could never find the courage to utter a word of opposition to Bahá'u'lláh whenever he came into His presence, he sowed the seeds of doubt in the minds of believers and spread false rumours concerning Bahá'u'lláh among the community in Persia.

The person who conceived and carried out these misguided plans aimed at discrediting Bahá'u'lláh was Siyyid Muhammad. To cite one example, soon after the Kitab-i-Iqan was revealed in honour of Haji Siyyid Muhammad, the uncle of the Bab, several copies were made and circulated among the believers. This book came as a shattering blow to Mirza Yahya, who could see the overpowering influence of this outstanding work among the friends. Siyyid Muhammad circulated rumours that the Kitab-i-Iqan was the work of Mirza Yahya which had been published in Bahá'u'lláh's name. The following is an interesting account by Haji Mirza Haydar-'Ali,[1] who was then one of the followers of the Bab in Persia.
[1 See The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. 2.]

"Although I was persecuted several times in Isfahan and suffered great hardships and ill-treatment, I was happy, on fire with the Faith, attracted and in love with the Writings and Tablets of the Bab, especially the Persian Bayan. I made two copies of this Book. The more I read it the more eager I became to read further. In those days everyone was convinced that the coming of 'Him Whom God shall make manifest' was at hand. I often used to say ... that if the Dispensation of the Bab ... were not followed immediately by the Dispensation of 'Him Whom God shall make manifest', then all the Writings, Tablets and testimonies of the Bab would remain unfulfilled and were useless. I did not have a heartfelt regard for Azal.[1] I used to remark, 'What is the difference between the hidden Azal and the Hidden Qa'im?...'[2]Furthermore, I regarded his writings to be truly nonsensical, except of course his quotations from the Writings of the Bab which were exalted words. However, I used to be condemned by my own conscience for these thoughts, as I had imagined my own understanding to be above that of other people. Then two holy Tablets from the Blessed Beauty ... arrived in honour of Zaynu'l-Muqarrabin[3] and Aqa Muhammad-'Aliy-i-Tambaku-Furush[4] from Isfahan. These Tablets captivated me and I became enamoured of the utterances of Bahá'u'lláh.
[1 Mirza Yahya.]
[2 Shi'ah Islam believes that the Qa'im, the Promised One, is living in a hidden city where no one can have access to Him, and that He will manifest Himself at the appointed hour. (A.T.)]
[3 See The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. 1, p. 255. (A.T.)]
[4 See The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. 2, pp. 370-73. (A.T.)]

"Later ... Haji Siyyid Muhammad, the uncle of the Bab ... came for a visit to Isfahan and brought with him the Kitab-i-Iqan, revealed in answer to his own questions. As a result of reading the Kitab-i-Iqan, I became a thousand times more enchanted with the blessed utterances of the Ancient Beauty. I used to mention quite openly that I regarded Bahá'u'lláh's magnanimity, His unique and incomparable reality, the power of His utterance, the sway of His pen and the persuasiveness of His proofs to be supernatural and the greatest and foremost miracle of all.

"But some people were not pleased with my views and would intimate to me that the Kitab-i-Iqan had been written by Azal.

"Even Mir Muhammad-'Aliy-i-'Attar, one of the early believers, called on me and told me in confidence that 'since the Bab had always given the glad tidings of the coming of "Him Whom God shall make manifest", has not laid down any conditions or specified any time for His advent, has enjoined upon all to accept and acknowledge Him as soon as He reveals Himself, has prohibited investigation, caution or delay [in accepting His Message], has condemned to hell-fire [those who do not recognize Him], has strictly forbidden the seeking of proofs from Him, and has regarded Himself as the servant and forerunner of "Him Whom God shall make manifest", all these have prompted Jinab-i-Baha[1] to claim this position for Himself. He has imprisoned Azal and sometimes has whipped him to make him answer His questions. These answers are recorded by Jinab-i-Baha and published in His own name. Siyyid Muhammad has journeyed twice from Baghdad to Isfahan on behalf of Azal and has confidentially told the faithful about his loneliness and the wrongs he has suffered!'
[1 Bahá'u'lláh.]

"My amazement at hearing this knew no bounds. I stated that it was impossible and I had never heard such nonsense and vain assertions. The words and passages in the Kitab-i-Iqan were of a style easy to apprehend yet impossible to imitate. The words of Azal were neither weighty nor eloquent..." [4-15]

Haji Mirza Haydar-'Ali describes his observations and experiences as he travelled around Persia soon after the revelation of the Kitab-i-Iqan. The following is a summary of his words:

"I was watchful for the advent of the Supreme Manifestation of God, 'Him Whom God shall make manifest'. The hypocrisy, lies and machinations of Mir Muhammad-'Ali and Siyyid Muhammad were as clear as the sun to me. Therefore I decided to leave Isfahan.

"Although I was most eager to attain the presence of the Day-Star of Revelation,[1] I was apprehensive lest my coming in contact with the two hypocrites Siyyid Muhammad and Mulla Rajab-'Ali,[2] who were in Karbila and Baghdad, might somehow affect my soul and conscience. Therefore for a period of five or six years I travelled around Persia... With great difficulties and hardship I visited many places, sometimes on foot, sometimes riding, but I was in the utmost joy. I spoke everywhere about the Revelation of the Bab and gave the glad-tidings that the advent of 'Him Whom God shall make manifest' was at hand. In many towns I was persecuted, beaten and imprisoned...
[1 Bahá'u'lláh.]
[2 A brother of the second wife of the Bab. He became a follower of Mirza Yahya.]

"In Shiraz I met Haji Siyyid Muhammad, the uncle of the Bab, and some other believers... They were filled with love for Him and were joyously awaiting the Revelation of 'Him Whom God shall make manifest'. There was no mention of Azal... The late Aqa Siyyid Abdu'r-Rahim-i-Isfahani had made certain extracts from the Bayan and other books of the Bab through which he used to prove that Bahá'u'lláh, exalted be His glory, was the Promised One of the Bayan, that Azal was only a name without a reality, like a body without a soul. As a result of such pronouncements Aqa Siyyid Abdu'r-Rahim was denounced by some. He used to give us the following account.

"'After the martyrdom of the Bab when Azal had become famous, I travelled from Isfahan to Tihran with the express purpose of meeting him. In the bazaar I met Bahá'u'lláh, the Day-Star of Revelation, the Speaker on Sinai ... the mention of whose name has adorned the Books and Tablets of the Bab. I attained His presence at a time when His glory was hidden behind a myriad veils of light. He asked me if I had come to meet Azal? I answered in the affirmative. I had actually attained the presence of Bahá'u'lláh before this at Badasht. I had recognized His glory and greatness, His uniqueness and magnanimity by the manner in which Quddus and Tahirih used to bow before Him. I also knew the deeds and actions of Azal; nevertheless since he was known as the nominee of the Bab I considered meeting with him as a means of nearness to God. I went, in the company of Bahá'u'lláh, to His house. He asked for tea to be served. Thereupon Azal brought the samovar and served the tea. He was standing in the presence of Bahá'u'lláh, from Whose tongue were flowing the rivers of wisdom and knowledge. After drinking tea, Bahá'u'lláh rose, and turning to Azal said, "He has come to see you", and then went into the inner court of the house. Azal sat down, I bowed and expressed my devotion to him, but he had nothing to say to me.'" [4-16]

The news of Bahá'u'lláh's imminent departure from Baghdad to Istanbul disturbed and frightened Mirza Yahya. He who had hidden himself from the public eye in Baghdad over the years and who, in spite of his iniquitous deeds, relied heavily on Bahá'u'lláh's protection and loving kindness, found himself suddenly plunged into a grievous situation. The thought of remaining alone in Baghdad was deeply distressing to him. Bahá'u'lláh advised him that since he was free to travel, he should proceed to Persia, and there disseminate the Writings of the Bab among the believers. It is to be noted that through Bahá'u'lláh's directive these Writings had been transcribed by Mirza Yahya some years before and were ready to be taken to Persia. But he had no interest in teaching the Cause of the Bab or disseminating its Holy Scriptures. He refused to comply with Bahá'u'lláh's advice on the grounds that the authorities in Persia were ruthlessly persecuting the Babis and therefore his life would be in great danger if he went there.

At one point Mirza Yahya decided to flee to India, or Abyssinia (Ethiopia), where he thought he would be left alone, free of persecution. But soon he changed his mind and resigned himself to remaining in Iraq. He asked Bahá'u'lláh to arrange the building of a secure hiding place for him. He wanted a cottage to be built in a garden situated in Huvaydar in the vicinity of Baghdad, which was owned by Shaykh Sultan. Bahá'u'lláh acceded to his request and asked Shaykh Sultan, who was one of His devoted Arab followers, to build the cottage for him. But as the building work proceeded Mirza Yahya felt increasingly insecure, and eventually cancelled his plans in favour of going to Istanbul incognito. However, he made it clear that he did not intend to travel with Bahá'u'lláh, for he was very suspicious of the intention of the authorities in inviting Bahá'u'lláh to Istanbul. He feared that Bahá'u'lláh and His companions might be either handed over to Persian officials or killed on the way.

To go on this long journey he needed a passport. Not wishing to identify himself to the authorities, he sent a certain Haji Muhammad-Kazim, who resembled him, to the government house to procure a passport for him in his newly-assumed name of Mirza Aliy-i-Kirmanshahi. He then proceeded to Mosul in disguise accompanied by an Arab servant, and reached there before Bahá'u'lláh's caravan arrived in that city.

It is noteworthy that Bahá'u'lláh had allowed Siyyid Muhammad-i-Isfahani to be included in the party which accompanied Him to Istanbul. It appears that whenever possible Bahá'u'lláh ensured that the trouble-makers and those who were not inwardly faithful to Him were not left at large among the believers. He often kept such people close to His own Person so as to be able to check their mischief. Although Siyyid Muhammad was a treacherous individual causing untold difficulties for Bahá'u'lláh and His devoted companions, he was never barred, while in Baghdad, from attaining His presence or taking part in the gatherings of the believers. By allowing him to accompany Him in His exile, Bahá'u'lláh protected the believers in Iraq and elsewhere from his satanic influence. Of course the faithful companions of Bahá'u'lláh, both those who travelled with Him and those who remained behind, were fully aware of the iniquitous deeds of that evil and hypocritical individual who used to pretend, whenever he came into their gatherings, to be a loyal believer himself.

Mirza Yahya waited in Mosul until Bahá'u'lláh's caravan arrived. There he sent his servant to inform Aqay-i-Kalim (Bahá'u'lláh's most faithful brother, known also as Mirza Musa) of his whereabouts in the city. Abdu'l-Bahá in one of His Tablets tells the story in these words:

"When we reached Mosul, and a camp was set up on the bank of the Tigris, where the notables of the town flocked group after group to come into His blessed presence [Bahá'u'lláh's], on a midnight that aforementioned Arab, Zahir, came to say that his Honour [Mirza Yahya] was staying at an inn outside the city, and wished to meet someone. My uncle, Mirza Musa, went there at midnight and met him. Mirza Yahya asked about his family, and was told that they were there and had their own tent and he could visit them. He said that he did not at all consider it advisable to do so, but he would accompany the caravan with which his family too would be travelling. Thus he continued to Diyarbakr, a black cord around his head, and a begging-bowl in his hand, consorting only with the Arabs and the Turks in the caravan. At Diyarbakr, he sent word that he would visit his family at night and join the main body of the caravan in the morning. That was done. Since Haji Siyyid Muhammad knew him, he gave out that he was a Persian dervish, an acquaintance of his, and visited him, but other friends because they had never seen him [Mirza Yahya], did not recognize him." [4-17]

Mirza Yahya, who was now introducing himself as Haji Ali, pretended that he did not know anybody in the party, including Bahá'u'lláh, and claimed to be returning from Mecca. He was not recognized by most of the companions because he had been living in disguise and hiding himself from the believers while in Iraq. The crafty Siyyid Muhammad had the nerve to introduce Mirza Yahya as a dervish friend of his to Bahá'u'lláh's companions, but these soon discovered his real identity as they approached their destination. Thus Mirza Yahya, whose wives were among the female group travelling with Bahá'u'lláh, accompanied them until they reached the shores of Istanbul. There his identity was disclosed and everyone knew who he was. But during his stay in Istanbul, Mirza Yahya did not dare to reveal his true identity to the authorities. To Shamsi Big, who was appointed by the government to act as host to Bahá'u'lláh, he introduced himself as a servant in His household, and sometimes used to sleep in the servants' quarters to prove his case.

When Bahá'u'lláh was exiled to Adrianople, Mirza Yahya and Siyyid Muhammad went with Him. Bahá'u'lláh, in the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, mentions that Mirza Yahya followed Him from place to place:

"Wherever this Wronged one went Mirza Yahya followed Him... The Siyyid of Isfahan, however, surreptitiously duped him. They committed that which caused the greatest consternation." [4-18]

Soon after his arrival in Adrianople, Mirza Yahya realized that there was no longer any danger to his life, because within a short period of time Bahá'u'lláh had won the respect and admiration of the dignitaries, including the Governor of Adrianople. The inhabitants of the city showed such a spirit of friendliness and co-operation toward the exiled community that Bahá'u'lláh instructed the believers to engage in some work or profession and integrate themselves into the community. Since there was no apparent reason for persecution of the Bahá'ís, Mirza Yahya, emboldened by Siyyid Muhammad, decided to emerge from his self-imposed seclusion.

Through his constant association with Siyyid Muhammad and a certain Haji Mirza Ahmad-i-Kashani, an infamous mischief-maker notorious for his vulgar conduct and foul language, Mirza Yahya began to openly sound his rebellion against Bahá'u'lláh. He who always felt so insignificant when he came face to face with Bahá'u'lláh and fell speechless in His presence, was now, prompted by his wicked lieutenant, to rise up against Him and attempt to wrest the leadership of the community from His hands.

To achieve this long-cherished ambition, Mirza Yahya embarked upon a plan which involved him in further acts of crime. He decided that the only way to accomplish his goal was to take Bahá'u'lláh's life, for he knew that he had neither the courage nor the personality to confront Him. Indeed, it was not unthinkable for a man who had already masterminded the assassination of several believers in Baghdad, including the Bab's own cousin, to contemplate ways and means of taking Bahá'u'lláh's life.

The first attempt on the life of Bahá'u'lláh was carried out by Mirza Yahya's own hands when he poisoned Him with a deadly substance. Shoghi Effendi describes this shameful episode in these words:

"Desperate designs to poison Bahá'u'lláh and His companions, and thereby reanimate his own defunct leadership, began, approximately a year after their arrival in Adrianople, to agitate his mind. Well aware of the erudition of his half-brother, Aqay-i-Kalim, in matters pertaining to medicine, he, under various pretexts, sought enlightenment from him regarding the effects of certain herbs and poisons, and then began, contrary to his wont, to invite Bahá'u'lláh to his home, where, one day, having smeared His tea-cup with a substance he had concocted, he succeeded in poisoning Him sufficiently to produce a serious illness which lasted no less than a month, and which was accompanied by severe pains and high fever, the aftermath of which left Bahá'u'lláh with a shaking hand till the end of His life. So grave was His condition that a foreign doctor, named Shishman, was called in to attend Him. The doctor was so appalled by His livid hue that he deemed His case hopeless, and, after having fallen at His feet, retired from His presence without prescribing a remedy. A few days later that doctor fell ill and died. Prior to his death Bahá'u'lláh had intimated that doctor Shishman had sacrificed his life for Him. To Mirza Aqa Jan, sent by Bahá'u'lláh to visit him, the doctor had stated that God had answered his prayers, and that after his death a certain Dr. Chupan, whom he knew to be reliable, should, whenever necessary, be called in his stead." [4-19]

Despite this heinous crime, Bahá'u'lláh advised His followers not to spread the news of the poisoning. But Mirza Yahya lost his nerve and shamefully accused Bahá'u'lláh of trying to poison him, and as a result, the story had to be told. The believers and those who were in close contact with them then became aware that the poison administered by Mirza Yahya had been the cause of Bahá'u'lláh's serious illness. Here we can see the contrast between light and darkness, between truth and falsehood, Bahá'u'lláh's sin-covering eye and Mirza Yahya's corruption and wickedness.

This episode created deep turmoil and agitation within the community. Some time passed and the situation was beginning to simmer down when another serious attempt by Mirza Yahya to assassinate Bahá'u'lláh brought about an unprecedented commotion within the community, resulting in the final parting of the ways between Bahá'u'lláh and His unfaithful half-brother.

This time Mirza Yahya made plans to carry out his sinister designs in the public bath[1] frequented by Bahá'u'lláh. For some time he began to show favours to Ustad Muhammad-'Aliy-i-Salmani,[1] a barber who served in the household of Bahá'u'lláh and was His bath attendant. Eventually he intimated to Salmani in a subtle way that he could render a great service to the Cause if he were to assassinate Bahá'u'lláh while attending Him in the bath.
[1 Public baths, known in The West as Turkish baths, were the only type available to people in those days because houses had no baths built in them. These baths, with their warm and steamy atmosphere, were used by people as a place to wash and relax for hours. This meant that a public bath was a place for social occasions where people gathered, exchanged news and discussed many topics. In these baths people were not fully naked and wore loin-cloths. Often, friends used to go to the bath on the same day in order to spend time together. The baths provided customers with attendants who washed them and performed other services such as the applying of henna, shaving and massaging. Important people usually had their own bath attendants.]
[2 For a story of his life and services, see The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. 2, p 155. Salmani should not be confused with Shaykh Salman.]

The following is a summary translation of Salmani's memoirs describing this shameful incident:

"One day I went to the bath and awaited the arrival of the Blessed Beauty. Azal[1] arrived first. I attended to him and applied henna. He began to talk to me. For some time he had been trying hard to make me his follower, but he was doing this in a secret way. He said to me: 'Last night I dreamt that someone had a sweeping brush in his hand and was sweeping the area around me.'[2] He gave me to understand that this person was the Blessed Beauty. From the tone of his conversation, I knew that he wanted me to do something for him, but he did not tell me anything and soon left the bath...
[1 Mirza Yahya.]
[2 The connotation of these words in Persian is that Bahá'u'lláh was a humble servant of Mirza Yahya.]

"I was deep in my thoughts concerning the words of Azal. I did not understand his purpose in implying that the Blessed Beauty was sweeping the floor around him. However, it was quite clear that he wanted me to carry out a special task for him. At the same time I noted that Haji Mirza Ahmad was trying to convert me to follow Azal. During the course of several days he persisted in trying to win me over." [4-20]

As we have mentioned above, Haji Mirza Ahmad was a close associate of Siyyid Muhammad. Salmani stood firm and forcefully rejected Haji Mirza Ahmad's persuasive arguments in support of Mirza Yahya. In the end Salmani became very angry and verbally attacked Haji Mirza Ahmad, using harsh and unspeakably offensive language. This confrontation was reported to Bahá'u'lláh who revealed a Tablet[1] addressed to Haji Mirza Ahmad and instructed His amanuensis, Mirza Aqa Jan, to read it aloud in the gathering of the believers. Salmani continues the story of Mirza Yahya's treachery in his memoirs:
[1 Part of the Tablet of Ahmad in Persian (not to be confused with the celebrated Tablet of Ahmad in Arabic) is translated by Shoghi Effendi and published in Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, CLII and CLIII. For details see The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. 2, ch. 6.]

"He said, 'A certain Mirza Na'im, the former Governor of Nayriz, killed many believers and perpetrated many crimes against the Cause.' He then praised courage and bravery in glowing terms. He said that some were brave by nature and at the right time they would manifest that quality in their actions. He then continued the story of Mirza Na'im. 'From the persecuted family of the believers there remained a young boy aged ten or eleven. One day, when Mirza Na'im went into the bath, this boy went in with a knife. As he was coming out of the water, the boy stabbed him and ripped his belly open. Mirza Na'im screamed and his servants who were in the ante-room rushed in. They went for the boy, attacked and beat him. Then they went to see how their master was. The boy, although wounded, rose up and stabbed him again.' Azal praised courage again and said, 'How wonderful it is for a man to be brave. Now, see what they are doing to the Cause of God. Everybody harms it, everyone has arisen against me, even my brother. I have no comfort whatsoever and am in a wretched state.' His tone implied that he, the nominee of the Bab, was the wronged one, and his Brother (I take refuge in God!) was the usurper and aggressor. Then he once more praised courage and said that the Cause of God needed help. In all this talk, the tone of his remarks, the story of Mirza Na'im, the praise of courage and his encouragement to me, he was in fact telling me to kill Bahá'u'lláh.

"The effect of all this upon me was so disturbing that in all my life I had never felt so shattered. It was as if the whole building was falling upon my head. I was frightened; without uttering a word I went out to the ante-room. My mind was in a state of the utmost agitation. I thought to myself that I would go inside and cut Azal's head off regardless of consequences. Then I thought, to kill him is easy, but perhaps I would offend the Blessed Beauty. One thing which prevented me from carrying out my intention was the thought that if I killed him and then went into the presence of the Blessed Beauty, and He asked me why I had killed him, what answer could I give?

"I returned to the bath and being extremely angry, I shouted at him 'Go and get lost, clear off!' He whimpered and trembled and asked me to pour water over him. I complied. Washed or unwashed he went out in a state of great trepidation, and I have never seen him since.

"My state of mind, however, was such that nothing could calm me. As it happened, that day the Blessed Beauty did not come to the bath, but Aqa Mirza Musay-i-Kalim [Bahá'u'lláh's faithful brother] came. I told him that Azal had set me on fire with his sinister suggestion. Aqa Mirza Musa said: 'He has been thinking of this for years, this man has always been thinking in this way. Do not pay any attention to him.' He counselled me to disregard the whole thing and went inside the bath.

"However, when my work was finished in the bath, I went to the Master[1] and reported to Him what Mirza Yahya had told me, and how I was filled with rage and wanted to kill him ... the Master said, 'This is something that you alone know. Do not mention it to anyone, it is better that it remain hidden.' I then went to Mirza Aqa Jan, reported the details of the incident, and asked him to tell Bahá'u'lláh. He returned and said 'Bahá'u'lláh says to tell Ustad Muhammad-'Ali not to mention this to anyone.'
[1 Abdu'l-Bahá.]

"That night I collected all the writings of Azal and went to the tearoom[1] of Bahá'u'lláh's house and burnt them all in the brazier. Before doing so, I showed them to seven or eight of the believers who were present. They all saw that they were the writings of Azal. They all protested to me and asked me the reason for doing this. I said, 'Until today I esteemed Azal highly, but now he is less than a dog in my sight.'" [4-21]
[1 Reception room of Bahá'u'lláh where the believers usually gathered.]

It must be remembered that because of Bahá'u'lláh's sin-covering eye and His loving kindness toward Mirza Yahya, and because he was His half-brother, the faithful believers treated him with respect and consideration. But after these vicious attacks on Bahá'u'lláh, it was natural for them to turn their backs on him. After Salmani failed to keep the details of the incident to himself, the news spread and created a great upheaval in the community.

It was at this point that Bahá'u'lláh decided to formally declare to Mirza Yahya, as the nominee of the Bab, His claim to be the Author of a new Revelation, the Person of 'Him Whom God shall make manifest'[1] foretold by the Bab. Of course, Mirza Yahya was well aware of Bahá'u'lláh's declaration in the Garden of Ridvan and the Tablets which had been subsequently revealed by Him. But now the time had come for the Supreme Manifestation of God to formally announce His station to the one who was nominated by the Bab to be the leader of His followers until the advent of 'Him Whom God shall make manifest'.
[1 In Persian, this designation is much more insulting than it sounds in English.]

In order to communicate this message to Mirza Yahya, Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Suriy-i-Amr (Surih of Command) in His own handwriting[1] and instructed His amanuensis Mirza Aqa Jan to take the Tablet to Mirza Yahya, read it aloud, and demand a conclusive reply from him. On becoming apprised of the contents of the Tablet and the claims of Bahá'u'lláh, Mirza Yahya indicated that he needed some time during which to meditate on the subject. The following day he sent a message to Bahá'u'lláh that he himself had become the recipient of divine Revelation and it was incumbent upon all to obey and follow him.
[1 The facsimile of the first page of this Tablet in the handwriting of Bahá'u'lláh appears as the frontispiece of The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. 2. A mere glance at this page will indicate that the hand of Bahá'u'lláh was terribly shaky soon after His being poisoned by Mirza Yahya.]

Such a claim maintained by so perfidious a person evoked the wrath of God, and brought about the eventual split between Bahá'u'lláh and Mirza Yahya. It must be remembered that the majority of the believers in Adrianople were faithful to Bahá'u'lláh and up till then had been used to associate freely with Mirza Yahya and a small number of his henchmen; now the situation changed.

Mirza Yahya's response to the Suriy-i-Amr was a clear signal for parting of the ways. Bahá'u'lláh, who was then residing in the House of Amru'llah, changed His residence to the House of Rida Big. This was on 10 March 1866. Only the members of His own family and one servant moved to this house and He allowed no one else to attain His presence. As a result, the community of exiles was cut off from His Blessed Person and left entirely on its own. This withdrawal, similar to His withdrawal to the mountains of Kurdistan a few years earlier, plunged the community into a grievous state and created severe tests and trials for the believers. On the other hand, it afforded each one of the exiles the opportunity to choose between Bahá'u'lláh and His unfaithful brother.

Bahá'u'lláh's faithful followers, those lovers of His beauty, became dispirited. The light had departed from their midst and they were enveloped in a darkness which obscured their vision and left them helpless and disconsolate. Aqay-i-Kalim, Bahá'u'lláh's faithful brother who carried the weight of responsibility during Bahá'u'lláh's retirement in the House of Rida Big, has recounted to Nabil these words:

"That day witnessed a most great commotion. All the companions lamented in their separation from the Blessed Beauty." [4-22]

Another witness to those grievous days has recorded:

"Those days were marked by tumult and confusion. We were sore-perplexed and greatly feared lest we be permanently deprived of the bounty of His presence." [4-23]

Even those who were unfaithful to Him felt disturbed by His withdrawal, as they knew only too well that it was through His guiding influence that they were living in relative safety and security. These men were now left to their own devices and soon were engulfed in a most troublesome situation created by their own hands.

The retirement of Bahá'u'lláh to the House of Rida Big and His refusal to meet with any of the exiles created a situation in which everyone was left by himself to decide his own spiritual destiny. Those few who were inclined towards Mirza Yahya congregated together and began to launch their attacks on the faithful ones, while the rest occupied their time mostly in prayer and devotions, supplicating God to relieve them of their grievous plight of separation from their Lord.

Before taking up residence in the House of Rida Big, Bahá'u'lláh ordered His brother Aqay-i-Kalim to send half of all the furniture, bedding and utensils to the house of Mirza Yahya. He also sent him certain historic relics such as the rings of the Bab, His seals and manuscripts. These were the items which the Bab had sent to Bahá'u'lláh prior to His martyrdom and which were coveted by Mirza Yahya. Bahá'u'lláh also asked Darvish Sidq-'Ali, one of His faithful followers, to act as a servant in the household of Mirza Yahya. Although loathe to serve the one who was in his sight the embodiment of deceit and falsehood, this devoted soul wholeheartedly obeyed Bahá'u'lláh and engaged himself in Mirza Yahya's service. Soon other circumstances relieved him of this most unpleasant task. As already mentioned, those few individuals who were weak and vacillating in their faith joined Mirza Yahya and, emboldened by the absence of Bahá'u'lláh, began their contemptible activities against the Faith of God.

Mirza Yahya and Siyyid Muhammad started a vigorous letter-writing campaign to discredit Bahá'u'lláh in the eyes of the believers and the authorities. They loaded their letters with lies and disgraceful calumnies, accusing Bahá'u'lláh of those very crimes which they themselves had committed, and disseminated them far and wide among the believers in Persia and Iraq. These slanderous letters disturbed the Babi community and confused many. Some weaker believers lost their faith altogether; a small number were inclined toward Mirza Yahya. A few wrote to Bahá'u'lláh for clarification as a result of which several Tablets were revealed in this period describing the true state of affairs. However, the majority of the believers remained faithful to the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh. These souls arose with determination and dedication to vindicate the truth of the Cause of God. Many of them, such as Nabil-i-A'zam, Munib+F1 and Ahmad-i-Yazdi[1] travelled throughout Persia, championed the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh and defended it notably against the onslaught of the unfaithful.
[1 See The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. 2 for accounts of these two. ]

It was through Mirza Yahya's own actions that the news of his infidelity to the Cause of God was effectively communicated to the community in Persia and signalized the permanent rupture between him and his illustrious Brother. While Bahá'u'lláh had withdrawn Himself from the community in Adrianople, Siyyid Muhammad and Mirza Yahya were actively engaged in damaging His reputation in government circles. The latter sent a petition to the Governor Khurshid Pasha and his assistant, Aziz Pasha. It was couched in obsequious language, contained false statements about Bahá'u'lláh and was aimed at discrediting Him in the eyes of the Governor who was one of His ardent admirers.

Later, the Governor shared this letter with Bahá'u'lláh and its contents became known to the believers. Haji Mirza Haydar-'Ali, who arrived in Adrianople a few months after this shameful episode, writes concerning Mirza Yahya's petition to the authorities in these words:

"When Azal arose in hostility with his satanic spirit to oppose and challenge the Blessed Beauty, through calumnies and false accusations, he wrote a letter to the Governor of Adrianople. We all saw this letter. It opened with these words: 'May my soul and body be a sacrifice to thee.' It went on to say: 'O thou Aziz,[1] we come to you in destitution, grant us some corn.' He continues falsely to accuse the Ancient Beauty of having cut off his livelihood.
[1 Aziz Pasha.]

"The opening sentence of his letter, the statement of his needs, and the complaints all demonstrate that God cannot be confused with man, and that there is no likeness between the two. We see the contrast, for instance, in these words of the Ancient Beauty as He addressed the late Sultan Abdu'l-'Aziz:[1] 'O thou Ra'is [Chief], hearken to the voice of God, the Supreme Ruler, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. He verily calleth between earth and heaven and summoneth mankind to the scene of effulgent glory.'
[1 This Tablet is actually addressed to Ali Pasha the Grand Vizir of the Sultan.]

"In this blessed Tablet, He prophesies that the Sultan would lose his throne and the country would pass out of his hands... To return to our subject: Bahá'u'lláh had, through an intermediary, proved to the Governor that these allegations [by Mirza Yahya] were false and, in a message, explained to him that these calumnies were designed to hurt and humiliate Him." [4-24]

Concerning these distasteful events, Shoghi Effendi writes:

"...He [Bahá'u'lláh] was soon after informed that this same brother [Mirza Yahya] had despatched one of his wives to the government house to complain that her husband had been cheated of his rights, and that her children were on the verge of starvation — an accusation that spread far and wide and, reaching Constantinople, became, to Bahá'u'lláh's profound distress, the subject of excited discussion and injurious comment in circles that had previously been greatly impressed by the high standard which His noble and dignified behaviour had set in that city." [4-25]

Some time later in a Tablet[1] to Shaykh Salman, Bahá'u'lláh reveals the agony of His heart during this period, and recounts the calumnies of Mirza Yahya concerning his share of the government allowance which was always divided equitably between the exiles. In this Tablet He explains that had it not been for the sake of His companions in exile, He would have never accepted any allowance from the authorities. Indeed, soon after these heart-rending events, Bahá'u'lláh refused to draw this allowance, and sometimes had to sell some of His belongings in order to provide for His daily needs.
[1 See The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, vol. 2, ch. 13 and vol. 1 pp. 109-13.]

As a result of the many calumnies which were circulating in Adrianople and were extremely hurtful to Him and His loved ones, Bahá'u'lláh ended His retirement which had lasted about two months and came forward to check the misdeeds of His wicked opponents. It was at this time that Siyyid Muhammad-i-Isfahani was finally and effectively expelled from the community and the parting between Bahá'u'lláh and Mirza Yahya became official; it was referred to as 'the Most Great Separation'. The two-month withdrawal of Bahá'u'lláh was an act of Providence in that it identified the unfaithful. When Bahá'u'lláh emerged from His withdrawal every one of the exiles knew to which side he belonged. The few who gathered around Mirza Yahya intensified their evil activities and spread their shameful calumnies further to the heart of the Ottoman Empire, poisoning the minds of the Grand Vizir and the Sultan against Bahá'u'lláh.

The announcement by Bahá'u'lláh of 'the Most Great Separation' had an electrifying effect on the community of believers in Persia. The great majority of the followers of the Bab, estimated by Haji Mirza Haydar-'Ali in his immortal Bihjatu's-Sudur to be about ninety-nine percent, embraced the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh. From that time onward those who followed Mirza Yahya were identified as the breakers of the Covenant of the Bab and became known as Azalis. At the same time the followers of Bahá'u'lláh were designated as the people of Baha, the Bahá'ís.

chapter 3

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chapter 5