The early years: generosity, insight, and a gathering purpose

All were amazed that a child of such intelligence, from a family of ministers, would have no desire whatsoever for rank and position, even though any position was possible for the Blessed Beauty. Despite this, He showed the utmost detachment and generosity, giving charity to every poor person and consoling every destitute one. The door of His blessed house was open, and this caused even more wonderment that without accepting any work or position He showed such generosity and munificence. … Some wise ones said that the Blessed Beauty had other thoughts and was pursuing a lofty cause not yet apparent - a day would come when this matter would become clear.

This Servant was not among the learned ones and had not traveled to distant lands, and according to outward appearance was born in the household of one of the government officials and was related to him.

Among other things, she mentioned that we must know and understand who was higher - Gabriel or Qanbar, the servant of the Prince of Believers. Although this Wronged One had not yet reached physical maturity, He was greatly amazed at the understanding of those two heedless ones. In any case, that person, in his own imagination, counted such utterances among divine knowledge and supposed himself to have ascended to the highest station of mystical insight, unaware that he was recorded and numbered before God as among the worshippers of names. After pausing for a few minutes, this Wronged One stated that if Gabriel was the one referred to in the Mighty Book where it states "The Faithful Spirit hath descended with it upon thy heart," then Qanbar had no station in comparison. … What fruit or effect have they observed from such discussions, and what is gained from such mentions?

Finally, their discourse culminated in one of them, who was the greater and more prominent, stating that we must know whether Gabriel is higher than Qanbar. When this Wronged One heard these words, His whole being was set aflame, yet We chose silence. After a few minutes it was mentioned: "O honored one, if Gabriel is he who is referred to in 'The Faithful Spirit brought it down upon thy heart', then at that station Master Qanbar was not even present." Now consider the heedlessness and unsuitable knowledge of the people. The station of Gabriel is the inner reality of the Messenger of God, yet he was arguing that Qanbar was more exalted because he was related to Ali.

The Blessed Perfection was very young. He was in the early years of life. At this time he was going to Mazaderan. As he was travelling from stage to stage, he arrived at a town called "Yall-Roud". There was in this town a celebrated thinker and lecturer who attracted to his courses of lectures people from all parts of Persia. Thus he was very famous.

At night Baha'u'llah called on this thinker and found his room filled with many students and theologians, especially four of them were the followers of the school of Mirza Mohamad Taki. As Baha'u'llah was very young and he had not on his head the insignia of learning which is "Turban" no one gave any attention to him. The lecturer after awhile proposed a tradition to the audience to be interpreted. It was this:- "Verily Fatima was the best woman in the world, except that woman which was born of Mary." Everyone gave his own interpretation but the lecturer waved it aside.

Then Baha'u'llah to the amazement of all arose from his seat and asked permission to be allowed to give the interpretation of the tradition. Immediately all the eyes were turned against him in an incredulous manner. He said: - The second sentence in this verse is an "affirmative negation"; because it says "except that woman which was born of Mary." and as we know to Mary was born no girl, therefore it is impossible to find another woman equal to Fatima. She is peerless according to this tradition. When writers desire to say that such a person is better than all the rest of the world, they express their convictions with these literary expressions. For example we might say: This King is the greatest of all the Kings of the past except that King which came down from heaven and as we know well, no King has ever come down from heaven, therefore he is unique and peerless."

When the lecturer heard this wonderful explanation he remained silent and the audience realizing their defeat shifted uncomfortably. Baha'u'llah tactfully withdrew from the room. Then the lecturer addressed his students that he had greater hope in them. He thought it was a shame that upon the learned class that a youth with the hat of a layman on his head should so eloquently explain the real significance of the tradition and the students after years of study be ignorant of it!

On the second day of Muharram 1233, the blessed birth occurred in Tehran, in the Shimran Gate quarter, in the columned mansion in the garden courtyard. The mother of the Blessed Beauty was completely devoted to Him, to such a degree that she had no rest and was astonished by His blessed conditions. For instance, she would say that this Child never cried, and none of the traits seen in other nursing infants were observed in this Child, such as screaming, wailing, crying, lamenting, restlessness and agitation.

This Wronged One, in the land of Ta [Tehran], would fast on the eve of Ashura, and on the following day would partake of tea and bread after noon. This was the practice of the Wronged One, and some of the souls present are aware of this and know it.

One day, as the Blessed Beauty was traveling from Kazimayn to Baghdad, He remarked how far removed the Shi'ih people were from proper conduct, for despite their belief in the tradition "The believer is alive in both worlds," they would enter holy places with mouths reeking of garlic and onions and wearing unclean attire. He said that He was not affected by such unpleasant odors to a degree that could be expressed.

In the early days of the Cause, in the year '65, the Blessed Beauty chose that place because it was somewhat secluded. In summer there was a mountain like this Mount Carmel. At the foot of that mountain there was a garden with a stream of water - most delightful. There was an upper level with a garden and building. From there, one would descend thirty or forty steps to the second level, which also had a garden and grapevines.

The time of the Blessed Beauty was spent in the manner described until the appearance of The Bab, but when The Bab declared himself, the Blessed Beauty began to spread the cause of The Bab.

The second time, the Blessed Beauty was imprisoned in Amul, and it happened thus: After Badasht, He proceeded to Nur where He taught the Cause.

… Day and night He taught, without a moment's rest. Many souls became believers. There were even four mujtahids there, two of whom were sons-in-law of the former mujtahid, Mirza Muhammad-Taqi, and the rest were his relatives. In one gathering, He taught all four mujtahids in such a way that afterward, all four rushed to kiss His blessed shoes.

At a time when the forces of Prince Mihdi-Quli Mirza had besieged the fort of Tabarsi, We resolved to depart from Nur and lend Our assistance to its heroic defenders. … The hand of Omnipotence spared Us from their fate and preserved Us for the work We were destined to accomplish.

Yes, when We were in the prison of Shimiran, before the manifestation of the Greatest Spectacle, the noble princes, including Murad Mirza titled Husam-us-Saltanih, Farhad Mirza, and Imam-Quli Mirza titled Imad-ud-Dawlih, along with Sayf-ud-Dawlih, son of Zill-us-Sultan, came twice to the prison and attained the blessed presence. As for Fereydun Mirza, titled Farmanfarma, the Ancient Beauty visited his house once since he lived in the vicinity.

The Amir-Nizam asked Us one day to see him. He received Us cordially, and revealed the purpose for which he had summoned Us to his presence. 'I am well aware,' he gently insinuated, 'of the nature and influence of your activities, and am firmly convinced that were it not for the support and assistance which you have been extending to Mulla Husayn and his companions, neither he nor his band of inexperienced students would have been capable of resisting for seven months the forces of the imperial government. … We vehemently protested against such accusations, and refused to accept the position he hoped to offer Us. A few days after that interview, We left Tihran for Karbila.

When Baha'u'llah returned from His pilgrimage to Karbala, the brother of the Grand Vizir Abbas Goli Khan according to the custom of the country invited him to stay with him the first few days of his arrival. Baha'u'llah accepted the invitation and took possession of the quarters which were prepared for him.

O thou who art firm in the Covenant!

At one time the government of Iran wished to grant Taliqan as a fief to the Blessed Beauty, but when the call of the Supreme Concourse was raised and the lights of the Abha Kingdom shone forth, the government changed its mind.

In like manner, the country house and mansion of Baha'u'llah in Mazindaran were seized and destroyed by the oppressors. Yet, His Mansion in the Kingdom was adorned and beautified and an everlasting edifice was raised up.

In Tehran one night we had everything, the next morning all was plundered. It reached the point where we did not have sustenance to stay alive. I was hungry with no bread. My mother would pour some flour in my hand which I would eat in place of bread.

Long before sunrise, I would open my eyes admiring with wonder this infinite universe of God. Then all at once the nightingales, in sweet melodies break into sweet concert of divine music, the gentle murmur of the rills flowing on all rides reached to the ears and the zephyr passing through the leaves making the noise of a soft sweeping handclap and applause. In the early morning the blessed Perfection would rise and prepare tea for all of us and while the sun was dawning from the Eastern horizon we were gathered around him, drinking tea and enjoying the heavenly scene all around us".

For there, in that pure and hallowed field, the Blessed Beauty---may my life be offered up for His loved ones---took up residence for an entire summer. There He resided in the garden of Haji-Baqir, which consisted of three terraces overlooking a lake. This was in the earliest days of the Cause, when that district became the throne of the Lord of the Kingdom. A large stone platform was raised in the heart of the lake, with a tent in the centre and gardens all around. About one hundred and fifty friends would gather, and at night hymns of praise would rise up to the Concourse on high. Those were wonderful times indeed. The Blessed Beauty would frequently make mention of that place.

Mirza Taqi became very frightened, for if the Blessed Beauty were killed, there would be bloodshed between the two tribes with grave consequences. Therefore, he arranged for them to remove the bricks from behind the platform, and when they reached the last layer, to suddenly collapse it and thus extricate the Blessed Beauty from among the crowd, so that the people could not reach Him. He brought the Blessed Beauty to his own house, and the people rushed to the governor's residence. He firmly closed the door, went up to the balcony and called out: "O people! This matter cannot proceed without Abbas-Quli Khan's permission. I have sent word to him and the reply will soon arrive.

And an order had been sent to the governors of Mazindaran that they should seize Us and subject Us to punishment. But His Majesty the Shah departed this life; and thereafter Amir-Nizam, in the council of the notables, declared: "How greatly hath he harmed the state---and yet, in the utmost dignity, he dwelleth in Tihran!" It was a time fraught with danger, and most of the eminent urged me to depart toward some other quarter.

The Blessed Beauty - may my spirit be a sacrifice for His loved ones - made two journeys to Baghdad and Karbala. One journey was after the martyrdom of the Bab - may my spirit be a sacrifice for Him - during the time of Mirza Taqi Khan, the Prime Minister Atabik, and one journey was after the attempt on the Shah's life when He was exiled and banished.

But when the ocean of forgiveness and grace appeared, therefore in those days I beseeched God for that which was the cause of love, fellowship and unity among all who are on earth -- until, on the second of the month of the Birth before the Dawning, all my mental states, my words and thoughts, were turned upside down, an inversion that bore the glad-tidings of the Ascent. … After the Most High Pen [Qalam-i A'la=the Bab], We abrogated all that which was the cause of hardship and discomfort and strife by Our decisive decree, and We revealed and implemented all that which was a source of concord and unity.