Tarikh-i-Jadid / Tarikh-i Badi'-i Bayani

Bab Leaves Shiraz

Now at this time the Ocean of the Divine Wrath was stirred for the warning and awakening of men, and a grievous pestilence, which raged with especial fury in Shiraz, fell upon the land of Persia. Great multitudes perished; and a prophecy handed down by tradition foretelling the "White Plague²⁶¹" and the "Red Plague" as signs of the new Dispensation was fulfilled. For the <205> "White Plague" was what they now experienced; and the "Red Plague", which signified sword and bloodshed, appeared in Mazandaran and Zanjan and Niriz. And it chanced that the son of 'Abdu'l-Hamid Khan the chief-constable fell sick of the pestilence and came nigh to death's door, and 'Abdu'l-Hamid besought the Bab, who prayed for him, and he recovered. When 'Abdu'l-Hamid Khan beheld such evidence of spiritual power, he believed, and said to the Bab, "Depart whithersoever your holy inclinations may lead you, and I, so far from hindering you, will assist you in every way that lies in my power." So His Holiness ^[summoned Aka Muhammad Huseyn of Ardistan, and gave him fifty tumans, saying, "Go to the market-place, and there buy three horses with such-and-such marks and distinctive qualities; and when you have bought them, take them to the Mausoleum of Hafiz, and bring word to me." Muhammad Huseyn was somewhat surprised and puzzled at this precise description of the horses, wondering what he should do if three such horses should not be immediately forthcoming, or if they should refuse to let him have them for fifty tumans, and why their signs should be thus specified. In this state of wonder he went to the market-place, and saw a man with three horses exactly such as had been described to him. These he bought and brought to the Mausoleum of Hafiz. Then the Bab, having bade farewell to his wife and his relations, repaired to the Hafiziyya, and thence]²⁶² set out for Isfahan. <206>

The late Haji Mirza Jani writes²⁶³:- "When His Supreme Holiness was at Maku, the afore-mentioned Aka Muhammad Huseyn was an old man with a white beard, enfeebled and bowed down with extreme age. When I met him he was proceeding on foot to Maku, and, not withstanding his age and debility, such was his extreme love and enthusiasm that his countenance betrayed no sign of distress, weariness, or fatigue, but rather excessive joy and ecstasy. In the course of our conversation I questioned him as to the incidents of the journey to Isfahan, and he related to me as follows:-²⁶⁴ one part of our road we came to a place notorious as a haunt of robbers, whereby none dared to pass save with a large company. No sooner had we reached it than we saw a number of robbers waiting on the side of the hill. I was overcome with fear, for I made sure that they would strip us and perhaps inflict on us some injury. It chanced to be the time for the noon-day prayer, and His Holiness alighted from his horse and engaged in his devotions, which he protracted to an unusual length. I was so preoccupied with anxiety that I forgot to replace my socks and garters²⁶⁵ (which I had removed for the performance of my ablution), and instead placed them in my pocket. When His Holiness had again mounted, and we were some considerable distance from the robbers, he turned his blessed countenance towards me and said, "Why have you not put on your mittens?" I answered that I had lost them. "You have not lost them," said he, "but through excessive terror you put them in your pocket, being overcome with fear. Yet you see that the thieves did not strip you." <207>

"'So ²⁶⁶on another occasion, it being an extremely dark night, sleep overtook me on the road. When I awoke, I missed His Holiness. I urged on my horse for some considerable distance, but, advance as I might, I could discover no trace of him. After proceeding some way, I saw Aka Seyyid Kazim [[and]] the muleteer, who had also been overcome with sleep. I awoke them and asked them about His Holiness, but they too knew not what had become of him. I was much amazed and disquieted, but, even as I wondered, I heard the voice of His Holiness over against me, saying, "Aka Muhammad Hasan, why are you troubled? Come!" I looked, and saw the form of His Holiness erect in the saddle like the Alif of the Divine Unity, [while a continuous flow of light hung like a veil round about him and rose heaven-wards. And this light so encompassed him, forming, as it were, a halo round about him, that the eye was dazzled by it, and] a state of disquietude [and perturbation was produced. On beholding this, Aka Seyyid Kazim]²⁶⁷ uttered a loud cry and swooned away. The muleteer, however, observed nothing. Then His Holiness dismounted and said, "Make some tea." And he took Aka Seyyid Kazim's head on his bosom, and fed him with the tea until he was somewhat recovered; yet he was never again the same as before, and continued thus fey, until, as the effect of that vision of glory, he yielded up his spirit in Isfahan to Him who is the Lord of Glory. His Supreme Holiness was present at his funeral, and alone read the prayers over him.'"

This same Aka Muhammad Huseyn [took part] in the Mazandaran war [, joining himself to the people of truth, <208> and] fell wounded by a bullet on the field of battle. Being carried to the royalist camp and interrogated²⁶⁸ as to the state of the garrison of the Castle, he refused to give any information. At length they said, <"If you do not tell us> we will kill you." "How great an honour," answered he, "and how great a happiness!" They asked him in what way he would be slain. He answered, "In whatever way is most painful." Then they put the muzzle of a gun to his right eye and fired. Thus did he attain to martyrdom.

Bab at Isfahan

Now when His Holiness reached the outskirts of Isfahan, he sent a message to the Mu'tamadu'd-Dawla saying²⁶⁹, "If you will grant me permission, but not otherwise, I will tarry for a little while in your government." His Excellency the Mu'tamadu'd-Dawla, who was a statesman wise in the affairs of the world, actuated alike by his own goodness of disposition and the dictates of wisdom, sent word to the Imam-Jum'a saying, "He who claims to be the Gate to the Imam (upon whom be peace) has come to this country; send servants to wait upon him and convey an invitation, that perchance he may come to your house." The Imam-Jum'a did so, and His Holiness alighted at his abode and tarried there forty days, during which time the Imam-Jum'a behaved towards him with every appearance of friendship and respect. Many persons, gentle and simple, enjoyed the honour of meeting him, and propounded to him hard questions, to which they received full and satisfactory answers easy to understand, so that many accepted his doctrine. His Excellency the Mu'tamadu'd-Dawla also came to see him, and His Holiness returned the visit. The Imam-Jum'a had demanded of <209> him, "By what sign do you establish the truth of your claim?" "By verses," answered he, "for, without pause of the pen, I can, in the space of three hours, write a thousand sentences on any subject that I please." "But," objected the Imam-Jum'a, "you may have considered the matter previously." "I will write," replied he, "on any subject you like." "Then," said the Imam-Jum'a, "write for me a commentary on the sura beginning Wa'l-'asr²⁷⁰, even you wrote for Aka Seyyid Yahya of Darab a commentary on the Suratu'l-Kawthar²⁷¹." So His Holiness began to write, and in thee hours wrote a thousand verses. Then the Imam-Jum'a was convinced that such power was from God, being beyond the capacity of man.

The late Mu'tamadu'd-Dawla likewise requested a treatise on the Special Prophetic Mission of Muhammad, which, accordingly, the Bab wrote in such fashion as to excite the wonder of scholars and men of learning.

Now when His Holiness returned the visit of the Mu'tamadu'd-Dawla, Aka Muhammad Mahdi the son of the late Haji Muhammad Ibrahim Kalbasi, and the son MuIIa 'Ali of Nur chanced to be present in his house. These put forward many hard questions touching the nature of the Divine Unity and other problems of philosophy, to all of which they immediately received full an conclusive answers; wherefore they were wont for some while to speak of His Holiness to their associates in terms of the highest praise. But when they saw the people disposed to admit the truth of his claim, then, fearing to lose their authority, they began to disparage him, tore up his writings, and strove to stir up opposition. Then the <210> Mu'tamadu'd-Dawla sent them a message, saying,²⁷² "Wherefore do ye now hate, envy, and malign one in whose praises ye were formerly so loud? It is unreasonable to reject a doctrine into which you have not enquired. If ye be indeed seekers after truth in matters of religion, then meet the Bab, either in the Imam-Jum'a's house, or in my house, or in the Masjid-i-Shah, and confer with him. If he can satisfactorily establish the validity of his claim, then you shall acknowledge it, so that the clergy of Persia shall not oppose it causelessly, nor, without reason, turn aside from the truth. If, on the other hand, he fail to make good his claim, then shall you be the first to refute it, whereby dissensions shall cease and the world be at rest. But it is a stipulation that I myself be present at the discussion and that only one of you speak at a time, for, if wrangling and clerical wiles be resorted to, the matter will only be obscured."

The clergy very unwillingly agreed to this proposal, and arranged that the conference should take place on a specified day in the Masjid-i-Shah. Ere the appointed day, however, one of their principal men sent a message to his colleagues to this effect:- "We have committed a great mistake in consenting to this arrangement, for this man pretends to be the Proof, and declares his verses to be evidence of the truth of his claim, saying, 'Produce the like of this if ye speak truly'²⁷³. Now there is none among us who can do this, wherefore, our inability becoming evident, his claim will be established. Should we then still withhold our belief, the people will raise a clamour against us; while if we make confession of faith how shall we answer to the King and to such as do not believe?" <211>

These reasonings seemed to the rest sound and forcible, and so, when the appointed day came, they, with their usual dishonesty, and in violation of their agreement, began to wrangle and dispute contentiously. When the Bab perceived this, he charged them with deliberately intending to suspend the discussion, and proposed that both sides should conjointly invoke God's curse on whichever of them was in error. This, however, men afraid of fair argument naturally declined to do; and, to be brief, these learned doctors, instead of enquiring into the matter, addressed to Haji Mirza Akasi an appeal, wherein the facts of the case were grossly misrepresented, and the most unseemly charges were advanced against that Sun of Holiness. To such a pass did they bring matters that the Mu'tamadu'd-Dawla, actuated solely by a desire to avert the possible consequences of their malice, transferred the Bab to the royal Palace of the Sun²⁷⁴, continuing to shew him every attention, and striving in every way to protect and shield him. So steadfast, indeed, was his devotion that he paid no heed to Haji Mirza Akasi's demands for the surrender of the Bab, to whom he repeatedly made the following proposal. "If," said he, "[[your religion needs the support of the sword for its advancement, I will assemble more than fifty thousand men, both horse and foot, of the Shah-sevan and other tribes devoted to my interests, and will march with all speed on the capital to make war against the King of Islam, should he persist in rejecting your mission. If, on the other hand,]] the propagation of your religion is to be effected by policy, I will accompany you to Teheran, and will so explain the nature of your mission and doctrine to His Majesty that he shall accept them and bestow on you one of his daughters in marriage. Your position being <212> thus strengthened by an alliance with the Royal Family, you may safely make public announcement of your claims." He likewise placed at the Bab's disposal his treasure-chests and all else that he possessed, [remarking, "I have no children, and 'whatsoever the hands of the slave possess belongs to his master.'"]

To these proposals His Holiness replied as follows:- "The diffusion of God's truth cannot be effected by such means, but rather by the faithfulness and constancy of His servants, who, disregarding alike hopes of gain and fear of loss, shall support the faith, proclaim God's Word, and, with eyes averted from all worldly objects, walk in the way of the Lord, for Him, and in Him. Thus shall these holy spirits continue to bear witness to the Truth, until the sincerity of their belief shall be attested by their martyrdom. ²⁷⁵....The Lord is able to cause His religion to prevail and to defeat the devices of the froward: we await His will and His good pleasure, and seek help from none other: we carry our lives in our hands [[and stand steadfastly confronting our enemies and awaiting martyrdom]]. And for you also the time to quit this low world is nigh at hand."²⁷⁶ <213>

A few days after this, even as the Bab had announced, the Mu'tamadu'd-Dawla quitted this transitory abode for the mansions of eternity.

After this, Mirza Gurgin Khan²⁷⁷ the Deputy-governor, anxious to perform some service pleasing to Haji Mirza Akasi, in return for which the government of Isfahan might be bestowed on him, and forgetful of the injunctions of his benefactor, spoke to the Bab as follows:- "The clergy are bent on opposition and strife. Should I deliver you into their hands, I should betray the trust reposed in me by my benefactor, and bring injury on one whom he held dear. If, on the other hand, I refuse to surrender you, they will write to Teheran, Haji Mirza Akasi will demand you at my hands, and I shall have no choice but to submit, seeing that I have not strength to resist like the Mu'tamadu'd-Dawla. So the best thing is that you should leave this place, and, if such be your wish, withdraw to Khurasan." And in his letter to Haji Mirza Akasi he set forth what he had done, and strongly emphasized the value of the service he had rendered in sending the Bab away. But His Holiness, being well aware of his treachery, said, "Please God, thou wilt fail to attain what thou desirest;" as in fact eventually happened.