In the Land of Refuge

145^ Before departure from the Garden of Ridván, on the final day of His stay, Bahá’u’lláh sent a Tablet in His own hand to Núri’d-Dín openly declaring His station (slightly modified translation from Balyúzí, Eminent Bahá’ís in the Time of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 222; the original Text is in INBMC 51:321–22, no. 322).

[Mírzá] Áqá in Sh[íráz]

He is the Glorious!

Hearken to what the departing Dove revealeth unto thee, as He prepareth to leave the realm of ‘Iráq—such are the methods of God decreed for His Messengers. Let this not cause thee sorrow. Put thy trust in thy Lord and the Lord of thy forefathers. Those who are endowed with the insight of the spirit are independent of all that was and shall be created, and are able to behold the mysteries of the Cause behind the thickest veils.

Say, O beloved of God! Fear none and let nothing grieve you; be ye steadfast in the Cause. By God, those that have drunk of the love of God, the Glorious, the Effulgent, fear no one and show patience in calamity—like unto the patience of the lover before the good-pleasure of the beloved. Amongst them affliction ranketh greater than that which is perceived by lovers in the countenance of the beloved.

Say, O concourse of evildoers! Ere long the Cause of God will, in truth, be exalted and the standards of those who join partners with God will perish, and the people shall enter the Faith of God, the Sovereign, the Supreme, the Ancient of Days. Well is it with those that hast even now have hastened forth in the love of God and received the tidings of the breath of the Holy Spirit. Glory be unto you, O concourse of believers in the unity of God.

[signed] 152.

[postscript:] Know then that thy missive hath reached Us, and We have given this reply to engender in thy heart the warmth of yearning, to cause thee to turn unto the paradise of this resplendent Name, to make thee detached from all things, and to enable thee to soar to such heights as the wings of the worldly-wise have in no wise attained, who are deprived of the shade of God’s countenance and are indeed of the perplexed.

146^ Under the events of 1283AH/1866, Mázandarání, Táríkh Zuhúru’l-Haqq, vol. 5, p. 3, states: “Mullá Muhammad Zarandí (Nabíl A‘zam), wearing the garb of dervishes, and Mírzá Munír Kashání, Mírzá Ahmad, and Mírzá Ja‘far Yazdí, and some others, were charged with travelling throughout Iran and ‘Iraq to teach the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, wining over the Bábís.”

147^ Nabíl’s own travel diary indicates that he arrived in Shíráz from Ardistán. A summary of Nabíl’s travels from the time of Bahá’u’lláh’s Declaration in April 1863 until Nabíl’s arrival in Shíráz is as follows: Nabíl arrived in Baghdad in time for Naw-Rúz 1863 and participated in the celebrations at the Garden of Ridván. Upon Bahá’u’lláh’s departure from Baghdad, Nabíl remained behind for 19 days, but joined the Holy Caravan in mid-July 1863. He remained with Bahá’u’lláh until December of that year, when he was sent to teach the Cause in ‘Iraq and Iran. He eventually reached Baghdad by Naw-Rúz of 1864, then traveled in the western and central parts of Iran, and eventually returned to Bahá’u’lláh in Edirnih. Once more, he was sent to Iran for the propagation of the Bahá’í Faith. In the winter of 1866, while in Tihrán, he saw a copy of the Surih Asháb as well as a Tablet addressed to himself and learned that it was time to widely teach the Bábís about the appearance of the Promised One of the Bayán, namely, Bahá’u’lláh. He proceeded to Khurásán and in a meeting with the believers in Mashhad, threw the writings of Yahyá Azal in the fire and thus invited them to embrace the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. He then proceeded to Yazd, Ardikán, and when he arrived in Na’ín, he learned in a newly arrived Tablet that Bahá’u’lláh had titled him, Nabíl A‘zam. He went to Ardistán where he received the text of the two Tablets of Hajj and learned that he was to perform these rites. He proceeded immediately to Shíráz by way of Isfahán for the fulfillment of this important mission and further teaching of the Bahá’í Faith. He reached Shíráz in the fall of 1866 (See Vahid Ra’fati, “Nabíl A‘zam Zarandí,” 5: 33–36).

148^ Before anything else, as bidden by Bahá’u’lláh, Nabíl preformed the rites of the obligatory pilgrimage (hajj). Nabíl knew the Afnán family from his visit in 1279AH/1862 when he had arrived in time for the marriage of Mírzá Buzurg <15> (Abú’l-Qásim Afnán, private communications, August 1994).

149^ Better known as Kilíd-Dár [the key-keeper or the caretaker] he had been the custodian of Sháh-Chiráq.

150^ Arabic Bayán, cited by Bahá’u’lláh in Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 141.

151^ Mázandarání, Táríkh Zuhúru’l-Haqq, vol. 6, p. 857, suggests the writings of Azal were meant.

152^ This paragraph and the three preceding it were previously translated differently in Balyúzí, Eminent Bahá’ís in the Time of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 226–27.

153^ During Nabíl’s explanation of Bahá’u’lláh’s claim and station, Khadíjih Bagum had been listening from behind a veil separating the two rooms and had immediately accepted Him; see Balyúzí, Khadíjih Bagum, p. 31.

154^ See, the Persian Bayán 2:17 and 3:15. For a summary translation, consult Momen, Selections from the Writings of E.G. Browne, pp. 336, 389–90. Ghíyáth (help) and Mustagháth (he who is called up for help) have numerical values of 1511 and 2001, respectively. The followers of Mírzá Yahyá erroneously interpreted this to mean that the Promised One of the Bayán was to appear in two millennia. It is clear from the text of the Persian Bayán, however, that the Promised One would appear before the expiration of Mustagháth (2001 years) and not at such a date. Bahá’u’lláh (Gleanings, p. 50) explains this further: “Shake off, O heedless ones, the slumber of negligence, that ye may behold the radiance which His glory hath spread through the world. How foolish are those who murmur against the premature birth of His light. O ye who are inly blind! Whether too soon or too late, the evidences of His effulgent glory are now actually manifest. It behoveth you to ascertain whether or not such a light hath appeared. It is neither within your power nor mine to set the time at which it should be made manifest. God’s inscrutable Wisdom hath fixed its hour beforehand.”

155^ The tone of the original text implies that while, in order to pacify the believers, Núri’d-Dín had consented to the murder of Shaykh Muhammad, yet secretly he had informed the latter of what was to occur.

156^ Balyúzí, Eminent Bahá’ís in the Time of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 227, states that Shaykh Muhammad proceeded to Istanbul where he joined with principal Azalis and caused great mischief. A more detailed outline of his activities is provided by Bahá’u’lláh (INBMC 51:524–25, no. 517) where it is noted that together with Yahyá Azal, he committed many misdeeds. In a Tablet dated 21 Safar 1307 AH/23 October 1889 to Núri’d-Dín in Port Said, Bahá’u’lláh refers to him as “Shaykh Muhammad Kadhdháb [the liar]” (Núri’d-Dín Collection, p. 155).

157^ Lit., the deceased ones, a reference to the followers of Yahyá Azal.

158^ The sole exception in Fárs was the community of Hindijan where one of the Bábís, Mullá Husayn, went to Basra and met with Siyyid Muhammad Isfahání, Azal’s principal associate. Through this contact, the majority of the Bábís of Hindijan became Azalis. However, after a few years, most of them returned to Islam, and Shaykh Salmán was able to establish a Bahá’í community there.

159^ Lit., the Teacher, a title bestowed upon him by Bahá’u’lláh.

160^ For some unexplained reason, Balyúzí, Eminent Bahá’ís in the Time of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 224, has placed these events some years earlier, closer to 1863.

161^ Balyúzí, Eminent Bahá’ís in the Time of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 229, states that in accordance with the instructions of Bahá’u’lláh, Mullá Muhammad Nabíl Akbar had also arrived in Yazd to teach the Bahá’í Faith, and he joined forces with the Muballigh.

162^ Balyúzí, Eminent Bahá’ís in the Time of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 229, indicates that Hájí Mírzá Abú’l-Qásim<11> became a believer at this time, thereby completing the conversion of the Afnán family.

163^ He inherited the title after the passing of his father.

164^ The fourth son of Hájí ‘Alí-Akbar Khán, the Qavámu’l-Mulk I, he was born in 1829 and in 1865, after the passing of his father, assumed his title and position. Among the projects he supervised was the construction of an aqueduct in 1879 that brought fresh water to the city. He passed away at the age of 56.

165^ See appendix 5 for a biography.

166^ See Mázandarání, Táríkh Zuhúru’l-Haqq, vol. 6, pp. 857–58.

167^ Mázandarání, Táríkh Zuhúru’l-Haqq, vol. 6, pp. 859–60, gives his name as Muhammad, which most likely is a misreading of “Mashhadí.”

168^ For one instance of such designation, see Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablet to Núri’d-Dín in Port Said, INBMC 51:338, no. 342.

169^ Hájí Mírzá Abú’l-Qásim was a very wealthy merchant.

170^ Nabíl A‘zam, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 156, states that he became a believer in the Báb on the occasion of His proclamation in the Masjid Vakíl. Later he traveled to Baghdad and attained the presence of Bahá’u’lláh, and in answer to his questions, a Tablet in exposition of the Disconnected Letters of the Qur’án, and the meaning of the Light Verse was revealed.

171^ Presumably, a reference to the Mushíru’l-Mulk.

172^ For an example of his exquisite style, see the frontispiece of Balyúzí, Bahá’u’lláh the King of Glory.

173^ Bahá’ís continued to be known as the Bábís in Persian parlance.

174^ It is noteworthy that by this date, 1871, the governor-general of Fárs still thought that Yahyá Azal was the head of the Bábí community, indicating that the news of Bahá’u’lláh's Declaration had not been widely promulgated even among the high-ranking officials. The title “Subh Azal”, literary, the Morn of Eternity, appears in an Islamic Tradition that is called Hadith Kumayl (or referred to as, “Risálat al-Kumayliyya,” Kumayl being a disciple of Imám ‘Alí), and a portion of it is quoted in by the Báb in Dalá’il Sab‘ih (Bábíyyih Publication, p. 58). Mírzá Yahyá and his followers erroneously have taken this term as a reference to Mírzá Yahyá. It should be noted that the Báb only called him “Thamaratu’l-Azalíyya” and “‘Ismu’l-Azal” (see Mírzá Yahyá, Mustayqiz, pp. 391f.). However, the Báb did employ the title Suhb Azal in reference to various other leading Bábís and in the Kitáb Panj Sha’n, He employes this term to signify the recipient of divine inspiration.

175^ Muhammad Khán, being a Bahá’í, did not hesitate to curse Subh Azal who had caused Bahá’u’lláh much harm, and playing on Persian words, he saved himself. Zuhr is noontime, and shám refers to night.

176^ The unpublished narrative of Qábil Ábádí’í, p. 13, confirms the same outline and states that after Shíráz, Muhammad Khán proceeded to Isfahán and there met the King of the Martyrs, and through him, sent a supplication to Bahá’u’lláh requesting permission to visit the Holy Land and to remain there. His wish was granted, and, thereupon, he returned to Baluchistan, settled his affairs, secured the financial well-being of his wife and kinsmen, and then proceeded to the Holy Land and spent the rest of his life in that region.

177^ Parenthetically, Mírzá Habíbu’lláh notes: The father of Áqá Mírzá Muhammad-‘Alí Khán and Áqá Mírzá Muhammad-Báqir Khán [Dihqán].

178^ Parenthetically, Mírzá Habíbu’lláh notes: Mention of the late Shaykh Abú-Turáb, the Imám-Jum‘ih, was made in the earlier pages while describing the fatwá of the ‘ulamá for the martyrdom of His Holiness the Exalted One [the Báb] and his refusal to sign this fatwá. He was a most virtuous and upright man.

179^ See Fasá’í, Fársnámih Násirí, vol. 1, pp. 297, 321, and vol. 2, p. 1455.

180^ At the time, he was residing in the House of the Báb.

181^ To the present day, this shop remains part of the estate of the descendants of Núri’d-Dín (Abú’l-Qásim Afnán, private communications, August 1995).

182^ Lit., the Sinner, a self-adopted title of Hájí Muhammad-Karím Khán. Bahá’u’lláh confirms that the Qur’án prophesied him through this title.

183^ A brief summary appears in Mázandarání, Táríkh Zuhúru’l-Haqq, vol. 5, pp. 144–45.

184^ Mázandarání, Táríkh Zuhúru’l-Haqq, vol. 6, pp. 860–61, states that two years earlier, in AH 1286 [1869], he had walked to ‘Akká in the hope of attaining the presence of Bahá’u’lláh. In the company of a group of pilgrims, he reached his destination, but instructions were received from Bahá’u’lláh that, on account of certain difficulties, the visitors should not come within the citadel. Mashhadí Nabí immediately returned to Iran.

185^ A detailed description of this episode is given in Mázandarání, Táríkh Zuhúru’l-Haqq, vol. 6, pp. 858–61; see also Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 200.

186^ One of the internal evidences that suggest this narrative was composed in early 1920s.

187^ A moving summary of the martyrdom of these three believers is given in Mázandarání, Táríkh Zuhúru’l-Haqq, vol. 5, pp. 134–36, where its occurrence is dated AH 1288 [1871].

188^ Balyúzí, Eminent Bahá’ís in the Time of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 231, attributes the letter to the Mahbúbu’sh-Shuhadá [the Beloved of Martyrs].

189^ See Balyúzí, Bahá’u’lláh the King of Glory, pp. 344–47.

190^ The original is “Bí bí,” a term of endearment for the older ladies of the house.

191^ It seems that Khadíjih Bagum’s residence in the House of the Báb continued to agitate the neighborhood. In a Tablet dated 19 Safar AH 1295 [22 February 1878] Bahá’u’lláh instructs Núri’d-Dín in Shíráz (NC 16):

If at this time residence in the True House by the blessed wife, upon her rest all My Glory and My Exaltation, provokes commotion among Our servants and causes uproar and tyranny, then dwelling in that location is not permitted….Under all conditions, wisdom must be observed. If in these days, habitation in the House by the wife [Khadíjih Bagum] or the Afnán is against wisdom and prudence, then its doors must be closed and none be allowed to dwell therein.

192^ A gold coin.

193^ Private correspondence between the two martyred brothers in Isfahán, namely, the King of Martyrs and the Beloved of Martyrs, indicates that they were business partners with Núri’d-Dín. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that part of the concern for the latter stemmed from the fear that the enemies of the fallen brothers in Isfahán would try to extend their hostilities to all their business partners, including Núri’d-Dín.

194^ About a year later, in a Tablet dated 14 Rabí‘u’th-Thání AH 1297 [26 March 1880], Bahá’u’lláh instructed Núri’d-Dín to commence business and commerce: “In accordance with the divine decree, that illustrious personage must become engaged in trade, and assuredly means for such an occupation will be made ready” (Núri’d-Dín Collection, p. 22).

195^ Several of Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablets to Khadíjih Bagum are included in INBMC 51:252–62, nos. 258–66.

196^ In the original manuscript, often Siyyid ‘Alí’s name follows a blank space, suggesting a descriptive phrase associated with his mention has been erased by later hands.

197^ In his Memories, Mírzá Habíbu’lláh notes that in this request; ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was also instrumental in petitioning Bahá’u’lláh to consent to this marriage.

198^ See appendix 6 for Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablet regarding the final letter of Khadíjih Bagum to Him.

199^ Mírzá Habíbu’lláh added marginally, “I have the letter of the late Hájí Mírzá Abú’l-Qásim providing this date.”

200^ Washing of the dead and shrouding took place at Hammam Khayrí, otherwise known as Guldastih (Abú’l-Qásim Afnán, private communications, August 1995).

201^ On 10 November 1882, Hájí Mírzá Abú’l-Qásim, the brother-in-law of the Báb, wrote to Áqá Mírzá Áqá Núri’d-Dín about the passing of his sister, Khadíjih Bagum. In this letter, he asked Núri’d-Dín to inform Bahá’u’lláh of the passing of Khadíjih Bagum as result of her profound disappointment in not being able to visit Him. Núri’d-Dín wrote as bidden, and in response to his missive he received a Tablet from Bahá’u’lláh, which contained a Tablet of Visitation revealed in honor of Khadíjih Bagum. A facsimile of this Text in the hand of Mírzá Áqá Ján appears after page 186 in Fayzí, Khándán Afnán and can also be found in the Núri’d-Dín Collection, pp. 74–82, dated 14 Safar AH 1300 [25 December 1882]. A slight variation of the same Tablet appears in Bahá’u’lláh, Áthár Qalam A‘lá (Traces of the Supreme Pen), vol. 4, pp. 201–4, 125 BE, and in the same volume, 133 BE publication, pp. 339–41. Moreover, a version is included in Ishráq-Khávarí’s Ayyám Tis‘ih, pp. 29–31. However, the latter source does not include the paragraph beginning with “O fruit of My Tree!” but instead has concluded the Text with the following verse: “Bless Thou, O Lord my God, the Divine Lote-Tree and its leaves, and its boughs, and its branches, and its stems, and its offshoots, as long as Thy most excellent titles will endure and thy most august attributes will last. Protect it, then, from the mischief of the aggressor and the host of tyranny. Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the Most powerful.” This verse, of course, appears in the closing paragraph of the Tablet of Visitation for the Twin Manifestations as assembled by Nabíl A‘zam. Nabíl’s source for this last section is not currently known, nor does this section appear in the facsimile copy.

202^ Provisional rendering by Dr. Khazeh Fananapazir in collaboration with Ismael Velasco.

203^ Tablet dated 26 Jamádiyu’l-Avval AH 1303 [2 March 1886] in Núri’d-Dín Collection, pp. 114–15, and Mázandarání, Táríkh Zuhúru’l-Haqq, vol. 5, p. 526. The remainder of the Text states: “In truth, the benefaction of the All-Glorious God is so encompassing that this ephemeral One is truly incapable of recounting it. The Tongue of Grandeur enjoins that the Mighty House of the Báb be restored and repaired in accordance with what hath been instructed previously. All are obliged to respect and honor that Sacred Edifice.”

204^ See appendix 6, under the entry for Khadíjih Bagum.

205^ For a biography see, Abú’l-Qásim Fayzí, Stories from the Delights of Heart; Hájí Mírzá Haydar-‘Alí, Bihjatu’s-Sudúr; and Sulaymání, Masábíh Hidáyat, volume 1.

206^ The second son of Hájí Mírzá ‘Alí-Akbar, the Qavámu’l-Mulk I, and a son-in-law of Fath-‘Alí Sháh. He carried the title of Sáhib-Díván, which during the early years of the Qájár Dynasty referred to the minister for the Treasury at the province level, but later became a ceremonial title.

207^ A son of ‘Alí-Muhammad Khán, the Qavámu’l-Mulk II, he was born in Shíráz in 1851 and in 1871 assumed the offices of Kalántar and Biglar-Baykí of the province. Upon the passing of his father in 1884, he inherited his title and his vast estate. For biography see Bámdád, Sharh Hál Rijál Iran, vol. 3, pp. 401–3.

208^ A summary of the above incidents appears in Mázandarání, Táríkh Zuhúru’l-Haqq, vol. 5, pp. 327–29.

209^ For biographical data see Fasá’í, Fársnámih Násirí, vol. 1, pp. 849–56.

210^ For a biography see Bámdád, Sharh Hál Rijál Iran, vol. 3, pp. 149–61.

211^ This incident is also recorded in Mázandarání, Táríkh Zuhúru’l-Haqq, vol. 5, pp. 365–70.

212^ Fál and Asír are two neighboring villages near Búshihr, (Mázandarání, Táríkh Zuhúru’l-Haqq, vol. 5, p. 373, has incorrectly referred to him as Fál-Hasírí). He married the daughter of the celebrated Mírzáy-i Shírází and as such wielded much influence. During the Tobacco Revolt of 1891–92, he incited the people of Shíráz to sedition, whereupon on hearing this news, the government in Tihrán exiled him to Iraq. However, his departure caused an uproar in Shíráz that was eventually quelled through the efforts of Mírzá Muhammad-Ridá, the Qavámu’l-Mulk. About two years later, the Siyyid was allowed to return to Shíráz where he resumed his iniquitous activities. This ill-tempered, arrogant divine was most prejudiced against the Bahá’í Faith, and as will be seen throughout the present narrative, he caused the martyrdom of a number of believers: three in 1869, two in 1889, and one in 1892. For a biography see, Bámdád, Sharh Hál Rijál Iran, vol. 2, pp. 430–33.

213^ Every mujtahid had a circle of students who, in addition to their schooling, performed sundry tasks at the bidding of their master.