Baghdad: exile, hospitality, and renewal

In our days in Baghdad, we would go to the coffeehouse and sit there, meeting with outsiders and insiders, strangers and friends, those far and near. We would bring the distant near, make the stranger a friend, bring the outsider in, serve the Cause of God, aid the Word of God, and exalt the Name of God.

In the days we spent in the Abode of Peace [Baghdad], we would sit in the coffee-house and meet with souls both familiar and strange, from within and without.

One evening when we had gathered at the house of Aqay-i-Kalim the Blessed Beaury honoured us with a visit. "We did not associate with officials and the people while dwelling in the Most Great Prison," He mentioned on that occasion, "but left this difficult task for the Master. In Baghdad We would often sit and converse with visitors until six hours after nightfall."

What hardship, grief or affliction could be greater than that which occurred at the time when the Blessed Beauty was exiled from Tihran? Hearts of stone were melted. All the relatives were weeping and lamenting. All were in utter despair.

For instance, when Baha'u'llah was exiled from Persia with Abdu'l-Baha and the rest of His family, they traveled the long road from Tihran to Baghdad, passing through many towns and villages. During the whole of that journey and distance they did not meet a single believer in the Cause for which they had been banished. At that time very little was known about it in any part of the world. Even in Baghdad there was but one believer who had been taught by Baha'u'llah Himself in Persia. Later on, two or three others appeared.

When they exiled us from Persia, from Teheran, to Baghdad, there are thirty stages -- in these thirty stages we did not find one Bahai. We did not meet one. And now in every one of these stages there are great numbers of Bahai friends.

O thou who art steadfast in the Covenant! Thou hast asked concerning the travels of Baha'u'llah. The Blessed Beauty---may my life be offered up for His loved ones---travelled directly from Tihran to Hamadan, from that city to Kirmanshah, and thence straight on to Baghdad.

In Asadabad it was particularly cold. The temperature was 38 degrees below zero. My socks were wet which caused my feet to be frostbitten. That evening we were to eat some halvah. By mistake, however, pepper was added in place of sugar, which severely burned our mouths and throats. That night we did not sleep and constantly drank water. From the blessings of those adversities, those banishments, now the banner of the Divine Faith is hoisted most high!

At the time of our exile the most noteworthy man, the first man of Persia, was Mirza Aqa Khan, the prime minister.

… It was the custom of the prime minister to hold late conferences with the members of his family, and one night, when all were assembled together, his son, who was minister of the treasury, commented most regretfully upon the episode of Baha'u'llah's exile, saying, "What a pity it is that such a noteworthy family should be annihilated because of the acceptance of such a faith!"

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.

What I have to relate is as follows: I went from the capital of the kingdom of Iran to Iraq, with the permission and approval of the King and the awareness of the foreign ambassadors, and for twelve whole years I resided in Iraq. Even now I have in my possession the document (issued by) the government of Iran, (stating that) we left with (their) permission and approval. During the period of my residence in Iraq, not one unworthy or untoward action was manifested by me; all the foreign consuls who were then in Iraq will bear witness and attest to (the truth of) what I say.

For the Wronged Beauty Himself requested permission from the government of Iran to emigrate to Iraq, and to this day the official papers from the Prime Minister of Iran and the embassy of the Sublime State in Tehran are in hand, speaking and declaring explicitly that the Wronged Beauty is the one who requested to emigrate and no one forced Him to do so.

When we arrived in Bagdad we were in the utmost poverty, because the secular and religious authorities had exiled us from Teheran after confiscating and pillaging all our belongings, yet the straightened circumstances did not affect us at all. We were stationed in the supreme station of joy - invariable and unchangeable. Our hearts were stirred by the Breaths of the Holy Spirit and our souls vivified by the Fragrances of God.

And when I became aware of his secret and what was in his heart, I departed from Iraq lest there should arise among the servants that which would compromise the dignity of the Cause. We left them to themselves that perchance the fire of negation and wretchedness might be stilled. I wandered through the lands for two successive years, and none knew of My person save God Who created it and fashioned it. Thou knowest that I sent no word or trace of My pen to My family lest they discover the land wherein I dwelt, while they remained in turmoil, trembling and lamentation.

Let us meditate over the calamities and hardships of the Blessed Beauty, as well as over His severance and Fortitude, for He was two years in the Kurdish mountains, living solitary and alone in a cave, supplicating all night long. The [Kurds] came around at night and heard His Voice but they knew not who this Person was. Later they discovered who He was. When He came back to Baghdad He had on a very old garment. He had one Kurdish jacket, sleeveless and made of coarse fleece. In this manner he entered our house.

When the Blessed Beauty returned from Kurdistan, only a small band of believers had remained in Persia, and those in Iraq had grown dispirited and had sunk into apathy. … Upon His arrival in Baghdad, however, the Most Great Name flung open the doors and issued a universal summons. The call of God was raised and the fame of His Cause noised abroad. Day and night, the leaders and the learned from amongst all peoples attained His holy presence. The flow of questions and answers was constant, and one and all testified to the sufficiency of His replies.

The first person who recognized the sublimity and holiness of Baha'u'llah and became certain that He would manifest a momentous Cause was Mulla 'Abdu'l-Karim-i-Qazvini, whom the Bab had named Mirza Ahmad. He was the intermediary between the Bab and Baha'u'llah and was aware of the truth of the matter.

After coming to Baghdad from Persia, Baha'u'llah declared to a certain extent the nature of His mission in the ninth year after the appearance of the Bab, and became known among the friends as the appearance of Husayn. For the people of Persia believed that the appearance of the promised Mahdi must be followed by that of Husayn, that is, of Imam Husayn the martyr, to whom they are indeed most attached and bear the greatest allegiance.

Mirza Muhammad Khan Partúvi inquired, "When and where were the Hidden Words revealed?"

'Abdu'l-Baha responded, "In Baghdad, in a room overlooking the Tigris River. At the time of its revelation, the Blessed Countenance [of Baha'u'llah] was most excited."

He was among those who were in the presence of the Throne when the Dawning-Place of Revelation was in the land of Iraq, and who would recite the verses of God before the Throne at eventide and at dawn.

Give praise unto God for having chosen you for His own Self, inasmuch as after the Daystar of Eternity had set in its native land, it dawned above the horizon of Iraq, your own land. This indeed is a token of His gracious favour unto you, which naught in the heavens or on the earth can equal. The Countenance of God was in your midst, shining and resplendent, unveiled and unconcealed, and throughout the months and years He recited unto you the verses of your Lord.

In Baghdad there was a small room, about one-third the size of this one, in which a number of the believers were living - but under the shade of the kindness of Baha'u'llah, and they were very happy.

Several Baha'is had a small hall room. One could hardly move in it. But as they did not care for these outward comforts, having the joy of heaven in their hearts, when toward the evening they returned from their work; all night they were singing, chanting communes, so that even the neighbors who had every comfort envied them.

Then, a Persian, who outwardly claimed to be a Baha'i arrived in Baghdad. As he was going to stay only a few days - not desiring to rent a room - he came and stayed with our friends in the small crowded room. Of course they did not mind him. They hailed him as a brother, expecting that he will also enter in the spirit of their inner joy. But no, he started to criticize and make remarks on their crowded room and its humble appearance.

One of these men who was a simple, Kashani composed a line of poetry, addressed to him. It was very funny but to the point. The translation: "O thou our honored guest! God has given unto us an imperial palace! Look at its lofty dome! I wonder! What is the cause of thy rankling."

When we were in Bagdad often with one pound of meat we serve dinner to fifteen or twenty people. We cooked with it Persian stew and filled the pot with water so everyone could have a bowl of thin soup. Notwithstanding this we were all very happy and thought that ours was the most delicious dinner.

I remember when I was a child in Baghdad, there was an elderly man who lived near our house. He was poor, and occasionally we would give him bread. One day I saw him take bread from under his arm - first he would look at each piece of bread, then smile, then thank God, and put it in his mouth. He derived such pleasure from that bread that I have never forgotten it.

When I was travelling in Europe and America I attended some concerts and oratories and was delighted with the progress of the vocal and instrumental art in those parts. Although it seems to them they have exhausted the subtle, chromatic resources of music yet they are on the threshold of the revelation of celestial, universal music, which shall revolutionize the present system and usher in a new era of musical progress. The musical consciousness of future generations will become so rarified and trained that today's masterpieces will be as dissonant noises in their ears...

At one time I was walking along the shore of Euphrates[.] Absorbed in my thought I suddenly heard the most charming and sweetest sound. I turned my head and saw a simple Arab lad riding on a donkey, loaded with under-brushes and playing on his flute. I was so intoxicated with the melody of his faultless tone that I requested him to get down from his donkey and play for me. I helped him to unload his donkey and then quietly we sat under the inviting shade of a tree. Then he began to play with such depth of feeling and beauty that my whole heart went to him. I drank deeply the sweet cadences and harmonies of his flute to such an extent that I was entranced thereby.

When he finished playing I assisted him again to load his donkey, gave him a present and the address of our house and asked him to call on me next day. At the appointed hour he came and played for us and as there were several prominent men in the room they all liked his music and asked him in turn to go to their homes one night a week and entertain them and their guests. In a short while he became famous throughout all Bagdad and leaving his hard labor of thorn-picking he devoted his career to the inspiring art of music. With his growing popularity he grew in wealth and position and became a respected, loved and honored member of the community. He was still in Bagdad when we were exiled to Constantinople and used to call on me almost every week antecedent to our departure.

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When we were living in Bagdad according to the custom of that country we slept on the roof during the summer months. Always I went up on the roof by nights one month before any one else, did and stayed one month and half longer at the end of the season. The members of the family insisted that I must come down because it was getting cold, but I did not listen to them.

When I was young I was busy all day and often till midnight there were callers to be entertained. When the last of them left the house I felt so drowsy that while I was going up the steps I was asleep. It was very strange that while walking I had all the sensation of sleeping. Before I reached my bed I was sound sleep and then I dropped on it just with my clothes on.

One day in the outer part of the Blessed House (in Baghdad), one of the travelers from Tehran respectfully asked the Presence (Baha'u'llah), "How large of a stipend and expenditure does the Sadr A`zam (chancellor) allot you every month such that all the expenses which arise are completely taken care of?" (Baha'u'llah) said, "I should give the likes of the Sadr A`zam a salary, not them bestow it on me. My affairs are with God and not in the trust of others."

Someone else among the Tehran friends said, "During the days of your stay in Tehran you gave liberally and generously to all kinds of people. How is it possible that you do not give these kinds of gifts to the souls that are (now) around you?" In answer, (Baha'u'llah) said, "If I behaved as I did previously, all would say that these souls are turning to the world because of this Cause and some would think that they possess the process of the elixir [i.e. that they know alchemy]."

For eleven years we lived in Baghdad. The heat of that place was very intense, yet we were most happy, because we were assisted in serving at the Holy Threshold. One cannot experience a greater amount of heat than in Baghdad; at that time the summers were unbearable. We were strangers and penniless, yet our joy was supreme.

After a long time, he was sent from the city of his residence to foreign countries. For many years in Baghdad at every moment a new arrow was darted toward his holy breast, and at every instant a sword was bent on his pure body. At no instant was there any hope for safety and security, and the enemies, with utmost dexterity, were attacking the blessed soul from all sides, and he, alone, personally resisted them all.

From Tehran to Baghdad, we did not meet a single believer on the road; in thirty stages of the journey, not one soul. Now it was the departure of the Blessed Beauty that caused the Word of God to be exalted in Baghdad and the fame of God's Cause to be spread abroad. … Had this exile not occurred, this joy and glory would not have been attained. Had He not graced Baghdad with His presence, the Cause would have been obliterated. The blessed presence in Baghdad was a second breath that bestowed new life upon the friends.

November 21--Supper. When this blessed Cause was manifested in Persia, some of the divines and famous learned men became believers and were martyred. The people murdered The Bab, thinking they had ended the holy Cause. They annihilated thousands of families, plundered the goods of the believers, killed men and captured women, and children. However, it was found that this had no destructive effect up on the Cause, but that the flaming fire of God was kindled the more. The lamp of god became more brilliant, waves of the sea of bounty increased, the breeze of God grew stronger, and the fragrance of the Holy Spirit became more powerful; and after imprisoning the Blessed Perfection, the government decided to banish him to Baghdad thinking that through this banishment the root of the Cause would be destroyed. As it took one month to go from Tehran to Baghdad, it was thought by the people that all trace of the cause would be lost; on the contrary, the Cause of God became more powerful, his words more widely spread, his proclamation more generally heard and the power of his Cause the stronger; consequently the government decided to send the Blessed Perfection from Baghdad to Constantinople. As Constantinople was a large city and as there were many Persians in the city who traveled freely, this plan also proved fruitless. Through the power of the Persian government the Blessed Perfection was then sent to Adrianople, in Roumelia, a country very far from Persian (and a possession of Turkey). Because there was no railway, there was very little travel by the Persians to and from Adrianople, and therefore, it was thought by the learned me of Persia that the Cause of god would have no effect upon the Persians. However, it was soon learned that these places were not places of banishment for the Blessed Perfection (Glory be to him!), and it was therefore decided that he should be sent to some small place--a place where murderers were confined, where robbers were imprisoned, so that this Cause would be weakened. Accordingly, the clergy, or learned men of Persia, being hostile to this holy Cause, so arranged that the Blessed Perfection was sent from Adrianople (the land of Mystery) to Acre, Syria.

In this prison (Acre) the flag of the Gardener of god was raised, the greatness of the Word of God appeared and the Sun of Truth shone in such a degree that all the horizons became clear.

Praise be to God! The promises about the Holy Land were fulfilled and the glad-tidings uttered through the tongues of the prophets of God were realized, for the enemies cause the Blessed Perfection to be sent to the Holy Land and to have this residence in the Promised Land.

Therefore the faithful followers of god must know that calamities in the path of God will cause his truth to become more apparent.

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ was the means of spreading the light of the Cause of God and the martyrdom of his disciples resulted in the eternal greatness of the Cause. The disciples were like torches, which, though burned by the fire of the hostility of the people, yet they enlightened the world.

Therefore the believers must not be sorrowful for this re-confinement and for these new calamites, but they must be more attracted and kindled in cutting themselves from the world.

From Persia they exiled him, saying, 'Now his cause is uprooted. No more trace of him will remain.' But no! If he had not come to Baghdad his cause would not have made such progress in Persia.

If the Blessed Beauty was not exiled to Bagdad and did not stay 11 years, the fame of the Cause would not have become international.

Eleven years sojourn in Bagdad widened immensely the circle of the influence of the Cause and carried its fame to the four corners of the earth.

All were in despair, and yet what great wisdom it contained. Were it not for this, the Cause would not have been exalted in Baghdad, the Word of God would not have been upraised, the fame of the Cause would not have reached all regions, the call of God's Cause would not have encompassed the world, these regions would not have been illumined, and the rays of the Sun of Truth would not have reached America. All these were the wisdom of that exile.

The Blessed Beauty exalted the Cause in Baghdad. Manifestly and boldly, He stood before the whole of mankind and peoples, and subsequent to those bewildering occurrences and upon the arrival of the royal decree, Baha'u'llah departed from Baghdad with utmost majesty and splendor.

During Our migration from Iraq, We informed most of the servants about what had appeared and would appear, such that were the revealed Tablets to be read, all would testify to that which has flowed in this Tablet from the pen of the Truthful, the Trustworthy.

And when the appointed hour of His Revelation struck on this promised Day, the veils of destiny were rent asunder and the divine decree was fulfilled with the departure of the Luminary of the heaven of eternity from the city of Baghdad. This came to pass by reason of what the hands of the malicious had wrought against this Light -- a Light that hath outshone every other in its sacred and wondrous splendour.

Consider the foolishness of the governments of Iran and the Ottoman Empire in how they banished His Holiness Baha'u'llah from Iran to Baghdad and then to Istanbul, Rumelia, and 'Akka. Their purpose was to obliterate the Cause of Baha'u'llah; yet, they performed the greatest service to His Faith by surrendering the Holy Land to Him, without recognizing it.

When thou reachest its door, stand thou before it and say: Whither is the Ancient Beauty gone, O most great House of God, He through Whom God hath made thee the cynosure of an adoring world, and proclaimed thee to be the sign of His remembrance unto all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth?