A devout man was deep in his prayers on the plain of Badasht when Táhirih, at Bahá’u’lláh’s direction, interrupted him: this is the day of work and action, get up and do something. He went away weeping and came back the next morning ready to act. The story is small, but it holds the whole meaning of the gathering. Until then the Báb’s followers had kept the forms of Islam; at Badasht, between two gardens and a tent beside a stream, the Cause was proclaimed as fully its own, Táhirih appeared unveiled, and the company scattered in commotion, some fleeing, some weeping, one man cutting his own throat. Jesus answered a question about fasting with the image of new wine that old skins cannot hold [1], and Badasht is a story of that same rupture, with its cost. The several recollections differ in detail and deserve to be heard separately. They lead on to Quddús, whose claims and courage shaped the event, to Táhirih’s own journey from a locked house in Qazvín to the plain, and to the wider sequence of events in the Báb’s ministry.
The more we thank Baha'u'llah for these Bounties with which He has encircled us, the greater will they become.
When Baha'u'llah in the early history of the Cause desired to test any one, he would say something contrary to his established opinion. When he was in the plain of Badasht, there was a man who was very religious and prayed for hours. Then Baha'u'llah in order to break this custom of excessive praying, ordered Korratol-Ain to up[braid] the man. While he was engaged in prayer she came and began to talk with him most vehemently that this is the day of work, action. Get up and do something. This day of prayer is not now. The man was so astonished at this sudden attack that he began to tremble and sat down weeping. He left the place without saying a word but he returned tomorrow with a cheerful face. He was ready for action.
In those days the tests were so great that out of three hundred and fifty believers only a handful remained but later on they returned.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to the Master's entourage, spoken at Rue St. Didier 30 on 1913-Mar-04 -- ABU1948)
02
Later Baha'u'llah sent her with a number of believers towards Badasht. Their first stop was a beautiful and verdant garden. Tahirih and the friends arrived there and were later joined by Baha'u'llah, Who rested the night there. In the morning He sent Tahirih and the friends with ample provisions to Badasht. After a few days, Baha'u'llah Himself went there. When He reached Badasht, Quddus had returned from Khurasan and he, too, came to Badasht, but he remained concealed.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tahirih and the Conference of Badasht, 1905 ca. -- AB00098)
03
"At one time in Badasht, the Blessed Perfection was ill in a tent with three hundred-sixty believers near him. Up to this date the Babis had always followed the rules of the Mussulmen, but now the time had come for them to follow the laws of The Bab; so Kurratu'l Ayn, who was living near the tent of the Blessed Perfection ran out among all the men believers with her face uncovered, and cried out (as the Koran foretells), - 'When the Lord shall come the bells will ring and the bugles shall blow. I am the bell. I am the bugle of the Lord.'"
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to Miss Boylan, spoken around 1911-Aug-25 -- ABU1131)
04
For many have made claims of divinity and lordship - His Holiness Quddus, may my spirit be sacrificed for him, revealed a book on the interpretation of Samad where from beginning to end it is "I am God", and the honorable Tahirih raised "I am God" to the highest heavens in Badasht, and likewise some loved ones in Badasht, and the Blessed Beauty in the Qasidiy-i-Varqa'iyyih states: "All divinities became divine from a sprinkling of my command, and all lords became lordly from an overflow of my wisdom." But they did not say that any soul arose in true servitude as is its right.
Then the journey to Badasht was made. Kurratu'l-Ayn had been imprisoned in her father's house in Kasvin. They had made things very hard for her, - her husband, her father, sons, and all her relatives. The Blessed Beauty sent and arranged her escape by night. She was brought to Tehran and for a few days was in Baha'u'llah's house. Then He sent her to Badasht for the friends were gathered there. Also, later the Blessed Beauty went.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Words to Fugeta, et al, spoken on 1919-Dec-19 -- ABU0497)
06
We soon joined her at Badasht, where We rented a garden for her use, and appointed the same Muhammad-Hadi who had achieved her deliverance, as her doorkeeper. About seventy of Our companions were with Us and lodged in a place in the vicinity of that garden.
(Bahá’u’lláh, Words spoken in the house of Aqay-i-Kalim to Nabil-i-A'zam 1, 1306-04-07 [1888-Dec-11], to words to Nabil-i-A'zam -- BHU0003)
07
She was so overcome that physical susceptibilities ceased. Her husband, her sons and her family arose in the greatest hostility against Baha'u'llah. She became so attracted to the divine threshold that she forsook everything and went forth to the plain of Badasht, no fear in her heart, dauntless, intrepid, openly proclaiming the message of light which had come to her.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Public address given at Parsons home on 1912-Aug-06 -- ABU0086)
08
With regard to the episode of Badasht, though the account is accurate, it is not exhaustive. A fuller description would be that Qurratu'l-'Ayn was in one garden and Quddus in another, whilst the Blessed Beauty resided in a tent. His tent was raised between the two gardens, beside a stream. The Blessed Beauty had previously said unto Quddus and Qurratu'l-'Ayn that the Cause was to be fully proclaimed. The next day, He fell ill. Quddus entered and sat in the presence of the Blessed Beauty, with all the believers gathered round the tent. Suddenly, Qurratu'l-'Ayn emerged from her garden and, roaring and crying out, she entered the tent and seated herself. "Read the Surih of the Event", the Blessed Beauty proclaimed, and it was read in His presence. The greatest commotion then came to pass: Some fled, others wept and cried aloud, and yet others were sorely perturbed. Mulla Isma'il cut his own throat, and the gathering at Badasht was dispersed.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1911-Jan-28, to Laura Dreyfus-Barney -- AB01033)