Martyrs and martyrdom

Would that I could sacrifice myself again and again in the love of God, and that at every moment every land might be dyed with my blood in the path of God, thy Lord and the Lord of all the worlds. Finally, why dost thou not reflect? The days have passed and life hath reached its end. Now judge thou fairly: is it better that at the end of one's days one should give up one's soul on a bed, suffering from illness and severe pain, or that in these few remaining days of life one should sacrifice oneself in the path of God?

As to your question concerning the ascendancy of the Cause of God, verily it hath an appointed time in the Book of God. However, these days have been and are more excellent, inasmuch as the tyranny of the oppressors and the denial of the divines and the objections and protests of the ignorant serve as a sieve - that which is pure enters in while impurities are prevented from entry. We must appreciate the value of these days. The love, fellowship and spiritual knowledge of these days possess another sweetness and another spirit. In the days of the ascendancy of the Cause and its outward dominion, every rejected soul will claim belief, even as is witnessed in these days when the fragrance of glory hath wafted over certain lands and some of the deceitful and dishonest have claimed love and faith while acting upon their selfish desires and speaking thereof, to such extent that they have regarded the divine commandments as child's play and have spoken that which God hath not permitted. We beseech God to assist all to do that which He loveth and which pleaseth Him. All must observe and act according to that which hath been revealed in the divine Tablets. Whosoever speaketh contrary to this is not of the Truth. He is quit of those who spread corruption in the earth and who consume the wealth of the people and who commit that which hath been forbidden in the Scriptures and Tablets.

However, you must not be saddened by the abasement of these days. This very abasement shall become glory. Soon will the Cause of God prevail over all. None can frustrate His Purpose and none can prevent His Judgment. He doeth what He willeth through His sovereignty and ordaineth what He pleaseth through His power. Were one to observe carefully today, he would perceive the Sun of the Cause at its zenith, despite all rulers being opposed, all divines turning away, all kings outwardly united against it, all news flowing continuously by land and sea, and all ranks arrayed in opposition. Yet God, exalted be His glory, though alone in the Most Great Prison, hath manifested Himself in such wise as cannot be surpassed. Exalted, exalted be His dominion! Exalted, exalted be His power! Exalted, exalted be His grandeur! Had the friends of God acted in accordance with that which they were commanded, you would now witness most lands adorned with the banners of faith and recognition. We beseech God to assist His loved ones to accomplish that which they have been commanded.

As to what you had written regarding whether sacrificing one's life in the love of God is more beloved than teaching His Cause with wisdom and utterance - by the life of God, the latter is better. For after the martyrdom of Badi' - upon him be all the most glorious glory - all were commanded to exercise wisdom. Those like yourself must engage in teaching the Cause with the utmost wisdom, that perchance those who have strayed may find the divine path of truth and attain to the holy station of nearness, which is the goal of all who are in the heavens and on earth. Martyrdom in the path of the Beloved is considered among the most excellent of deeds - in truth it has had and will have no peer or likeness. However, if it should occur of itself, it is beloved. All matters depend upon acceptance by the Truth, and the Truth has commanded all to exercise wisdom. If one acts with wisdom and no corruption or reprehensible deeds that would harm the Cause of God issue from him, and then he drinks the cup of martyrdom through the arising of tribulation - this station has been and is the most exalted of stations, and in truth this station is the king of stations. Neither can utterance describe it nor the pen record it. It is strange that certain souls become disturbed and shaken at such times. The essential thing is that one should act according to what God has commanded. After attaining to this station, whatever occurs has been and will be beloved. You and all the friends must hold fast to the cord of wisdom in all conditions, for most are weak - at the mere rising of clamor they are seen to become disturbed, fearful and veiled. "His mercy hath preceded all created things."

If anyone cannot be patient and cannot endure, and if he wishes to become a martyr, then let him arise in service to the Cause of God. It will be better for him if he attains to martyrdom in this path.

Praise be to God that ye were slain in His path but slew not.

He is God, the Most Holy, the Most Pure!

O friend! God willing, may you remain protected from the fire of opposition of the Nimrod-like manifestations, and in all ages be engaged in praising the Truth. Say: The Cause of God is more manifest than to need proof or evidence, for in all times and ages there hath appeared that which transcendeth human capacity. Therefore, the excuse of those who hesitate is unacceptable before God. Were people to adorn themselves with fairness, all would acknowledge that the divine testimony and proof of the All-Glorious, the Self-Subsisting, hath appeared in its essence. How many were the souls who witnessed with their own eyes extraordinary events and divine manifestations, their tongues uttering praise of the All-Merciful Beauty to such extent that they composed countless poems in His praise. Yet they became so veiled by that which hath never been deemed to exist in God's sight that they denied it all, and now they wander in the wilderness of error and traverse the desert of heedlessness and ignorance, to such degree that they have become oblivious to all they had witnessed with their own eyes and perceived with their own hearts. Thus hath it ever been and ever shall be. Even if the Truth should at all times appear with clear and manifest proof, the idolaters would derive no benefit therefrom. Just as in every age they demanded miracles and extraordinary signs from the Manifestations of God Himself, and whenever these appeared, the opposition of the deniers and the fire of hatred grew fiercer and more intense.

As ye have heard, I swear by the peerless God that not a single atom moveth in the heavens and earth save by His leave and will. He knoweth what is hidden and concealed in the hearts of His servants, and is able to subdue the earth and all who dwell therein with a single word. However, were such matters to be manifested, all would acknowledge them willingly or unwillingly, yet such acknowledgment would have no value. Therefore, at times the divine manifestations of power are revealed and apparent, and at times concealed and hidden. In their revelation, they draw the people of attainment to the heaven of witnessing, and in their concealment, they distinguish between those of certainty and those of doubt.

Thus was it witnessed how people slipped from the path of God's Cause when the winds of trials blew, though in all divine tablets mention had been made of severe days to come. It was clear and evident that a great tribulation would surely appear. This was announced only that people might be informed and prepared, that perchance they would not be disturbed when trials appeared, but would ascend with complete assurance to the heaven of the All-Merciful and walk in the paradise of certitude. Nevertheless, some remained veiled and others became disturbed and shaken, except those divine souls who were planted by God's hand in the paradise of certitude and were given to drink from the living waters. These are the children of the spirit on earth and God's trustees in all lands. God created them from the lights of the Throne, and He verily is the Ancient Bestower.

Say: O loved ones of God! Strive ye to drink from the cup of faith in the name of the All-Merciful during the days of trials, for what is beloved is that people should turn toward the realm of divine oneness during severe times. Otherwise, when the winds of might blow from the direction of God's power, all will enter the shore of faith and claim certitude. However, this faith and certitude are contingent upon another trial, until such time and such an age when it shall be made manifest, for the cause of this faith has been outward means rather than divine attractions. We beseech God to assist those who have believed, to make them steadfast in His love, and to nourish them from the fruits of the holy tree, which whosoever partakes thereof, nothing in the heavens and earth shall cause him to grieve.

Say: O servants! Hearken unto the counsels of this Prisoner, which He imparteth purely for the sake of God. Fear not for your lives in the path of the Beloved, and be not dismayed by the manifestations of oppression and tyranny. By the Most Great Luminary! None of the peoples of the earth hath or shall have dominion over those who are assured of God, save over their outward bodies, and they have not and shall never have authority in the realms of the spirit.

And were the idolaters to reflect, even in some slight measure, they would never lay hands upon the Temples of Oneness. For the intent of the deniers, in what they commit, hath been---and ever will be---the abasement of those assured souls. Yet did they but know that within the martyrdom of such souls are concealed lives everlasting, and that in their humiliation for the sake of the All-Merciful there lieth enfolded the kingdom of glory, they would not dare to assail them. The ascent of spirits from their bodies shall, in every case, come to pass---whether by outward maladies or by instruments of war. Blessed, then, are those who, in the path of the Friend, lay down their lives and hasten unto the Most Exalted Companion.

O friends of the True One! Deem not this peerless bounty a small thing, nor be ye troubled when the winds of trial blow. And should any soul be vouchsafed martyrdom, let him count it a precious gain; for this sovereignty that shall never pass away is not granted to every ignorant one, nor shall it fall to the lot of every blind soul. This cup is the portion of the longing ones, and this wine is for the lovers; the hypocrites have been, and shall ever be, deprived thereof.

O Khalil! In all the Tablets of constancy wherein mention hath been made of grievous days, We have counseled all servants with compassionate exhortations that none should molest anyone, and no soul should contend with another. The decree of killing hath been entirely forbidden in the wondrous Tablets. Nevertheless, that which happened hath happened. Say: O servants of God! Defile not the good earth with the blood of idolatrous souls. The victory of truth hath been through goodly counsels and wise exhortations, not through conflict and contention. Hearken unto the counsels of the Most Exalted Pen and transgress not the command of God. In this Revelation, corruption hath been entirely forbidden, and the purpose hath been and shall be the reformation of the earth and the unity of its peoples. By the Sun of the horizon of sanctification! If My loved ones are slain, it is more beloved to this Servant than the shedding of anyone's blood. Say: O friends! Be not content with harm to any animal, much less to humans. God hath ever commanded and decreed that which is for the good of mankind. If they turn unto God's guidance, this good shall return unto those accepting souls, otherwise thy Lord is indeed independent of all worlds.

He maketh mention, moreover, of Jinab-i-Niyaz. Should you meet with him, say that whatsoever hath been manifested sufficeth all existence. Several times have We revealed Ourself unto you, both in sleep and in wakefulness, including once when you were walking upon the mountain. Reflect a little, that perchance you may become aware of that which transpired. After you have turned unto Him and attained certitude, the grace of God shall encompass you. Soon shall the commander and the commanded fall silent, and God shall aid you through the truth if ye be of them that are assured of Him. Verily, He is nigh unto them that do good.

It behooveth you in these days to arise in service to the Cause of God. Consider the diverse peoples, how they are all deprived from the shores of divine unity, inasmuch as they have found the Manifestation of Truth to be contrary to their vain imaginings. Thus do they all still wait, even though He Whom they await hath appeared like unto the sun from the horizon of divine unity.

In these times, remain not veiled from the manifestation of two Names in a single Temple, and account all else as non-existent. The springtime hath appeared and the beauty of the rose is unveiled and manifest. O nightingale! Cease not thy melody, for this is thy time and thy day, as none but thee hath such a share of the beauty of the rose. Sing and warble in this Garden as thou pleasest, and be not of them that are silent.

It would be a pity if you, who for years have been known and remembered by the name of Truth, should today remain veiled from the Truth. Finally, it is said: O Khalil, sacrifice the servant of the Bayan in the path of the All-Merciful, and fear not the hosts of Satan - that is, dedicate thy wisdom and utterance to the promotion of the Cause of the All-Merciful. The loved ones of God must, one and all, be distinguished from all who dwell on earth by their words and deeds, such that truthfulness may be evident from their words and the sweet fragrances of holiness may waft from their deeds. The Spirit be upon thee and upon thy brethren, then upon those whom divine guidance hath preceded from God, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Bountiful.

The fire of tyranny was ignited and, without any evidence or proof, one of the horsemen in the field of wisdom and utterance was martyred.

Observe that an oppression was perpetrated unprecedented from the beginning of the world until today, for not one of the martyrs raised a hand in defense, but like grateful birds submitted to the owls of oppression and pride.

O branch extended, proceeding and raised from the Blessed Tree which was raised up in truth on the Sinai of Manifestation, the Spot of Light, the right-hand Valley, the Paran of the All-Merciful, the wilderness of Tur!

I have read what the Dove of Love cooed upon the branches of the Tree of Longing with all lamentation, burning and inflammation, complaining of its anguish and sorrow from this separation by which the horizons were darkened and the Luminary of Radiance was concealed, and eyes and vision melted and tears flowed from eyelids and corners, and the flames of grief and sorrow were kindled between the ribs and bones of the people of constancy, while above them the clouds of destiny rain down sorrow, grief and affliction, and beneath them seas surge with anguish and despair amid sighs, swoons and tears, until the heart of the Most Great Nabil was sealed and his innermost heart trembled and the fires of deprivation blazed in his vitals and his limbs shook and his pillars trembled and his structure quaked, and he cried out and lamented in the darkness of nights and edges of days in the wilderness and valley and shores, calling to his Lord, yet his anguish was not cooled nor his burning thirst quenched until he drowned himself in the depths of the sea connected to the Most Great Sea, supplicating, imploring, yearning, turning toward the Most Glorious Kingdom and Supreme Heaven near the mercy of his Most Great Lord.

Thus sorrows intensified upon the people of God and his calamity was magnified because it followed the Most Great Catastrophe. Would that along with this detachment unto God and attraction to the fire of God's love there had been patience, forbearance, fortitude and striving in the wilderness of existence, calling out and announcing the breaths of God and loosing the tongue in His praise and remembrance in the kingdom of creation. But that was the decree of One Mighty, All-Knowing.

One of My companions offered up his life, cutting his throat with his own hands for the love of God, an act unheard of in bygone centuries and which God hath set apart for this Revelation as an evidence of the power of His might. He, verily, is the Unconstrained, the All-Subduing. As for the one who thus slew himself in 'Iraq, he truly is the King and Beloved of Martyrs, and that which he evinced was a testimony from God unto the peoples of the earth.

O army of God! The Exalted One, the Bab, gave up His life. The Blessed Perfection gave up a hundred lives at every breath. He bore calamities. He suffered anguish. He was imprisoned. He was chained. He was made homeless and was banished to distant lands. Finally, then, He lived out His days in the Most Great Prison. Likewise, a great multitude of the lovers of God who followed this path have tasted the honey of martyrdom and they gave up everything -- life, possessions, kindred -- all they had.

The people of God suffered themselves to be killed rather than kill. During the events that came to pass, they were the embodiments of utter meekness and even interceded on behalf of the murderers before the governor.

O Siyavush! The Turks spilled Siyavush's blood without consequence, beheaded him and cruelly and oppressively shed his pure blood. Yet what an effect that pure blood had on the earthly world - its surging reached to the heights of heaven!

Now too, the ignorant ones who are heedless of God have spilled your blood without consequence and followed in the footsteps of their tyrannical predecessors, thinking perhaps they could cause that precious pearl of life to emerge from the shell of contingent existence and find rest in the embrace of the Peerless Beloved.

O loved ones of the All-Merciful! Blessed are ye for your patience, and yours is a goodly beginning and end. How beloved are tribulations in the path of the Lord of Names, and how fruitful are hardships in the way of the Peerless Friend! By the life of God! The sovereignty of the world cannot compare with this station, nor can the glory and riches of princes equal it. How many were the nights when beasts, birds, and predators were at rest in their lairs, thickets, and forests, while ye were in the hands of enemies!

O son of Abhar! Say to the Greater Nabil and Fadil: By the life of God! The cord of divine prevention hath bound their mighty hands, and the chain of the firm decree of the Lord hath held them back from aggression. In the early dawn, the breezes of the All-Merciful's mercy passed over what remained of those bodies, and from their rustling was heard that which caused tablet and pen to weep. Some of these wronged ones had no mother to weep and lament for them; therefore did the Mother of the Bayan lament and the Mother of the Book weep. Have the tyrannical souls not yet awakened?

How many heads have been raised upon spears in Thy path, how many breasts have been pierced by arrows in Thy love, how much blood hath been shed upon Thy earth, how many sisters have lamented the loss of their brothers, how many fathers have cried out at the slaying of their sons, and how many sucklings have been cut off from their mothers' breasts!

Say: O friends! What need is there for consternation, what cause for fear? Never hath there been, nor is there now, any doubt that all who are endowed with spirit shall one day be overtaken, and seized upon, by death. Such being the case, if this death be converted into martyrdom, and take place in the path of God, it would assuredly be preferable. Every intelligent and thinking person will testify that this station hath ever been, and ever shall be, the loftiest of all stations.

They who were slain but slew not are now in the highest paradise with the Prophets and Messengers. Were God to remove the veil from the eyes of those who are heedless, they would all sacrifice their souls for love of that station.

In any case, now the government must, in gratitude for this divine confirmation, pursue justice and fairness and seek retribution for the martyred eminent scholar Aqa Siyyid Yahya in Sirjan, for that noble soul was, a few months ago, cut to pieces with utmost cruelty and hostility by the oppressors.

Those who have ascended unto God and sacrificed their spirits for love of My Beauty, by God, they now dwell in the Most Glorious Paradise, while the dark-eyed maidens and angels glorifying God circle round them. Their blood hath reddened the faces of the denizens of the highest Paradise, then those who dwell nigh the Sidrat-el-Muntaha, then the angels who were not commanded to prostrate, if ye be of them that know. Such is the station of those who were slain yet slew not.

After the martyrdom of one of the loved ones who was named Rida in the Book of Names, all held fast to patience and tranquility and adhered to what God had decreed in the Books and Tablets, and moreover interceded for the murderers and oppressors. This deed was adorned with the glory of acceptance and the ornament of divine good-pleasure.

In any case, after this momentous event which caused astonishment to all souls, even the enemies, the incident of Sirjan occurred where the esteemed learned one, Aqa Siyyid Yahya, was martyred with utmost innocence, and in Sangsar the divine friends suffered severe persecution and great oppression was inflicted upon them. And in Tabriz, the bloodthirsty mujtahid Haji Mirza Hasan issued a fatwa for the killing of all the friends, saying these constitutionalists are all Baha'is and according to religious law must be killed and plundered. Therefore, all the divine friends scattered; only two were caught and martyred with severe wounds.

As for the government, now that it has prevailed, it was explicitly written that in gratitude for this victory, the government should arise to seek justice for the martyrdom of the martyr in God's path, Jinab-i-Aqa Siyyid Yahya of Sirjan, so that the hand of oppressors may be cut short from the oppressed.

On behalf of these few souls who, by chance, have quaffed the cup of martyrdom---and likewise those souls who have suffered financial loss---fervent prayers and supplications were offered at the Threshold of Oneness, that the abundance of God's grace might encompass all, and those souls who chanced to be slain might, in the Court of Oneness, be accounted martyrs.

Although until now the earth has often been stained red with the blood of martyrs, this time in Yazd and its surroundings such a commotion arose, and in the feast of sacrifice and banquet of martyrdom such melodies and songs were raised that the Concourse on High was moved to excitement.

Convey the greetings of the Wronged One to all the friends in that land and say: Martyrdom is like the supreme elixir - rare, nay unobtainable - and hath not been and is not destined for every soul save by His binding and wise command. Let them not be perturbed nor fear the doings of the oppressors. Let them move and speak with the utmost joy and fragrance. He verily protecteth them in truth and He is the Protector, the Helper, the Almighty, the Powerful. Let them pray for the heedless and the oppressors and beseech God, exalted be His glory, for their guidance.

Before the martyrdom of Badi', upon him be the most glorious Glory of God, We commanded a group to call out without concealment or veiling, and they acted according to what God desired and drank the cup of martyrdom from the most exalted of vessels.

In Dahaj of Yazd, they martyred Mirza Habibullah. In Hisar of Khurasan, they killed nearly twenty people in one year, mounting some of their heads on spears and parading them through the streets and bazaars with drums and cymbals.

Just in these few days in the Qum region, they knocked on Mirza Baba Khan's door at midnight, and that oppressed one and his son with utmost kindness brought those evil ones into the house and showed them the greatest respect - suddenly they shot bullets into that oppressed one's chest and caused his family and children to cry and wail.

When Mr. Denham said he would like to ask why the Cause of God grows more strong through persecutions and martyrdoms, which would have a tendency ordinarily to check it, the Master's face lighted up, His eyes sparkled, His words blazed forth as He told us the following thrilling and graphic account:

"It affects the hearts. Conquering is not impressive. Humility makes impression. See what a conqueror David was. He conquered countries, he killed all his enemies, he overcame all, but when he is mentioned it has no effect. But the humility of Christ, see what an effect it has! Or John the Baptist, when they cut off his head, see what an effect it had! Consider what an effect these have. The Emperor of Germany was banished, Bonaparte was exiled and his enemies did away with him, but when one of the Baha'is of God is persecuted, his persecution is his elevation. His Holiness Christ was defeated. They crucified Him. The defeat was his utmost glory. It was quite the opposite. The things that are the cause of glory in the world are considered shame in the Kingdom, and that which is humility in the world is glory in the Kingdom.

"A telegram came from Constantinople from 'Adu'l-Hamid. This was its contents: 'Abbas, the Persian, two Europeans have come to him. They have brought dangerous papers against 'Adu'l-Hamid. He must give up those dangerous papers and he must say where those two persons are.' I said: 'I have not received such papers and such persons have not come to me.' They said: 'If he does not say where, then say two Americans have come before you.'

"`As to the papers, such papers and such persons have not come to me. These papers are about politics. We do not interfere in the affairs of politics at all. We interfere in the affairs of the heart, in education and in morals.' They said: 'We have witnessed them.' I replied: 'Such papers have not come to me and such people have not come to me. But you want to condemn me. Whatever you want, say it. I will write it and I will sign it with my own hand without any trouble, for I have never defended myself. Say it. I will write and sign at the bottom of it. Then why do you take more trouble? You want answers with these questions to prove some fault. I, myself, confess, without trouble to you, for I have never defended myself.

"`Nevertheless I am thankful because of this telegram. I am very thankful, for this telegram has joined me to such souls that I am rejoiced. For instance, Christ was not Christ Pasha, nor Mr. Christ, nor His Honour Christ, just simply Christ. I also am Abbas. It was Moses, son of Emam, not Monsieur Moses, not Lord Moses, not Moses Pasha, not Moses Aga. He was Moses. I also am Abbas. It was Muhammad, not Monsieur Muhammad, not Mr. Muhammad, just Muhammad. I also am Abbas. It was Abraham, Noah, Joseph, not Joseph Pasha. I also am just Abbas. I am thankful, for God never created for me any humiliation. He has never created it. Therefore no one can humiliate me.' What is the utmost humiliation? They may say, 'Beat him, put him in prison, put him in chains.' If such things happen to me it is glory for I have not committed anything that may be humiliation. This would happen because I am a Baha'i. This is my glory.

"Humiliation would be this: 'Take Abbas. Beat him. Put chains on his neck. Bring him and hang him up, and have one regiment come and fire at him a thousand bullets.' They shot a thousand bullets at my forerunner. This same declaration was made upon the cross. God willing, I will give the same also. There will be no greater glory than that for me. Therefore, whoever humiliates me, for the purpose of humiliation, for me that is glory. No glory is higher than this-that some day they shall hang me and fire at me a thousand bullets. Fire! Shoot! Why? They have made me walk in the footsteps of my forerunner. The object is this, in the Cause of God there is no humiliation.

"If His Holiness Christ had not been martyred, His Cause would not have become so famous. When they placed the crown of thorns on the head of Christ, and carried Him around the streets, His Holiness Christ used to sec that all the sovereigns of the world were bowing before Him. All the crowns bowed before his crown of thorns. His Holiness Christ used to foresee this. This humiliation was his greatest glory. He saw this crown to be the everlasting sovereignty."

After some general conversation, 'Abdu'l-Baha said: "When Jamal Pasha came to Jerusalem he made some remarks about me. He said: 'I will go and conquer Egypt. I will drive England out of Egypt. I will conquer all the Suez Canal. Victorious I shall return. My first command will be this, that I will hang him 'Abdu'l-Baha at the gate of 'Akka.' The German Consul was in that meeting. He was an acquaintance of mine. He came and told me that Jamal Pasha had said this. Then there was also a captain who was the commander of the 12th, by the name of Zals Bey. I said: 'Let Jamal Pasha go and conquer Egypt. Then I will give myself up. Let him conquer Egypt, I am ready.'

"Jamal Pasha went. One day, in the morning, the German Consul came to me. He said: 'Some strange thing has happened. Jamal Pasha attacked two days ago. Today a telegram has come from Beersheba.' This is clear. As soon as the battle began he fled. He rode in his automobile and fled and he had come to Beersheba and sent the telegram from there. He would not say: 'I am defeated.' I said: 'It must be so.'

"Two or three day's later, the German Consul came and said: 'He Jamal Pasha) is defeated.' Jamal Pasha returned here. He began to twist his moustaches and said: 'This was a reconnoitering attack. I wanted to test the strength of the enemy.' But I understood."

For instance, how did it come to pass that certain of the Prophet's disciples, His travel companions, and of the Ansar, rose with such fierce indignation to slay the Prince of the Martyrs - may My spirit be a sacrifice unto Him?

'Abdu'l-Baha then said to Shaykh Yusif: "Our companions in Europe report that some people have been killed there. In France they killed [a Baha'i] Monsieur Bernard nearly a month ago. This person never even harmed an ant. He despised war and confrontation so much that it is beyond description. He greatly disdained even the mention of the word 'war.' If there was ever a person who truly loved peace, it was he.

But for My incarceration in the Jabal-i-Shadid, the fortress of Chihriq, it would have been incumbent upon Me to lend My personal assistance to My beloved Quddus.

That which occurred in Ishqabad is the cause of joy and gladness to the Ancient Beauty, for the friends did not retaliate and chose martyrdom in the path of God.

Just as there were souls on the plain of Karbala who did not know with what blessed Soul they were contending, and likewise imagined they were defending the truth.

Whatever information you have regarding the history of Mirza Jani the martyr, please write it down.

When anyone encounters a tyrant, an oppressor, or a bloodthirsty one, he becomes submissive--but what benefit is there in this? How many souls were submissive and humble before Yazid, but out of fear--what benefit is there in this? It yields no result.

O brother, in the Syrian desert during the time of Abu Ubaydah, the commander, sixty men defeated one hundred thousand. What then is this weakness that has now encompassed such power, and what is this abasement that has obliterated the horizon of glory, and what is its cause?

Praise be to God that the friends in all regions are holding fast to the Cause and clinging to the Will of God, even as the martyrs in the land of Ya attained martyrdom without transgressing against anyone, for the hands of might and power were bound by the cord of divine restraint.

Those souls who were well-wishers of humanity and from whom no harm ever came to anyone, who moved among the people with the utmost wisdom and dignity - merely for the sake of this transient world they arose to shed their pure blood, without any proof or enlightening Book.

The friends have been safe and at peace, except in 'Ishqabad where oppressors have transgressed against justice and martyred one of its manifestations.

The station of martyrdom that was attained is most great, and this precious pearl is not always to be found. A hundred thousand blessings upon those souls who attained unto it. No deed greater than this hath ever been witnessed in the world - the patience and fortitude of those holy souls.

Despite that person's claim to assist the oppressed, when his corrupt intention was not accepted, he arose in wrath and martyred His Holiness Ashraf.

As to what thou hast mentioned concerning martyrdom, know thou that it hath manifold degrees. We shall impart unto thee that which ye are able to understand. Among them is the station of thy bearing witness unto thy Lord, wherein thou beholdest Him standing over all things, and art among those who with feet of steel stand firm in the valley of steadfastness.

… Among them is the degree of martyrdom at the time when the Herald of the Spirit calleth out from behind the veils of holiness: "Arise to aid God, O ye sincere ones!" that ye may strive in the path of God until ye sacrifice yourselves in His love, finding in this the utmost delight from the core of your hearts.

O Shaykh! No breeze can compare with the breezes of Divine Revelation, whilst the Word which is uttered by God shineth and flasheth as the sun amidst the books of men. Happy the man that hath discovered it, and recognized it, and said: "Praised be Thou, Who art the Desire of the world, and thanks be to Thee, O Well-Beloved of the hearts of such as are devoted to Thee!"

If the oppressors knew that through their tyranny the sincere ones attain to lofty ranks and sublime stations, they would not commit such acts. But because they cling to this transient world and fleeting pleasures, and are heedless of the enduring sovereignty, they imagine death to be the ultimate harm, and thereby, despite themselves, they harm the friends.

Know that the Day of Ashura is the day my master, the Prince of Martyrs, was killed, and it is the first day God created because the beginning is the same as the end in ascension.

… When my master Abu Abdullah Al-Hussein was killed, everything burned with the burning of his liver, and hearts were torn apart for the tearing of his liver, and the pivot of days was broken due to the severity of his calamity.

O Salman! Were We to find one who hath attained maturity, We would reveal unto him that which would enable him to soar in every heaven beneath this heaven which hath been raised up in truth through this Name that was exalted in the Tablet. But since We find none trustworthy, We have veiled the Cause while the oceans surge within My Being and the suns shine forth from My mystery, and We move among the servants like one of them.

O Hasan, most excellent one! His Holiness Imam Hasan, peace be upon him, has said: "I possess a jewel of knowledge which, were I to divulge it, they would say of me, 'This one is of those who worship idols.'" Although this verse is also attributed to other Imams, peace be upon them, in truth it is from Imam Hasan, upon him be greetings and praise.

In that land how many martyrs have sacrificed their lives in the name of the Goal of the worlds, and ye have all heard of them. The twin resplendent lights, that is, the two Husayns - upon them be the most glorious of all glory - of whom ye have heard, despite their wealth, glory and fortune, sacrificed their lives in the path of the Friend. And though the wicked ones strove mightily that they might utter but one word to save themselves, they would not consent. They forsook creation and all that pertaineth unto it, but forsook not the truth.

Whereas from the inception of this Cause to the present day, perhaps close to twenty thousand men, women, and children have offered up their lives in the path of God. Many of them, under the threat of the sword, raised the cry of "Ya Baha'u'l-Abha!" Many were told that, if they publicly recanted their faith, they would keep both their lives and their possessions, and yet they answered with the cry of "Ya Baha'u'l-Abha!"

And by the Crimson Land and the Crimson Hill is meant the station of Decree (qada); for in the terminology of the people of God, the White denoteth the station of the Will, the Green the station of Destiny, the Red the station of Decree, and the Yellow the station of Execution. Thus the Red Land signifieth the station of the Greater Martyrdom. Hence it is that the Bab, may my spirit be a sacrifice unto Him, in the Ahsan al-Qasas addresseth the Blessed Beauty, saying: "O Our Most Great Lord! I have sacrificed myself wholly for Thee, and have desired naught save to be slain in Thy path."

In the Qayyumu'l-Asma' the Exalted One addresseth the Abha Beauty in these words: "O Thou our great and omnipotent Master! I have sacrificed myself wholly for Thee and have yearned for naught but martyrdom in Thy path." Ponder ye carefully. The highest aspiration cherished by Him Who is the Leader of the righteous and the Day-Star of divine splendour was to lay down His life for the sake of the One Who doeth whatsoever He willeth. Thus it is clear and manifest what should be the supreme aspiration and longing of the loved ones of God.

When three hundred and sixty people suffered martyrdom, Mula Abdul Karim, whose name was changed by the Blessed Perfection to Almed was written of in this way - "Verily those who suffer martyrdom in the Path of God, it is because God has specially favored them. As to thee, Almed, thou must not be satisfied with suffering martyrdom only because a greater privilege is given thee. Thine is the first name written in our Book and findest thyself in such a station that all the people are under thy shadow, otherwise it behooveth not thou must suffer only martyrdom but other things."

So the martyrs who have suffered for their faith, their hearts are so full of the love of God, their ears so penetrated by His songs of gladness, that they scarcely feel the blows inflicted upon them. It is as if the blow did not reach them, as if the sword could not cut them!

There are two kinds of suffering, one subtle, the other gross. The subtle suffering is hatred, anger, fear, and torment which follow evil actions of the soul. The gross suffering is imprisonment, chastisement, and physical pain of martyrdom.

Do they not reflect upon former ages - what was the cause of the martyrdom of the Prophets and saints, and what was the reason for the ascension of Jesus son of Mary to the fourth heaven, and why did they deny the Seal of the Prophets (may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him) and issue the verdict for the shedding of His pure blood? Why did they martyr Husayn son of Ali despite all testifying to his lineage?

Consider how the Prince of Martyrs lived in the world for many tranquil years but it is the significance of his calamities borne from dawn until dusk, which are of such consequence. Hast thou ever heard mention of his other days? Nay, rather all remembrance of that luminous being is restricted to his days of suffering and adversity in the land of Karbila.

These cause Haji Mulla Hadi to curse the Blessed Beauty and the Primal Point from the pulpit, while causing the martyrs of the land of Sad and the land of Ya and the martyr of the land of Shin, Jinab-i-Murtada, to smile like a rose under chains and sword, drinking the honey of martyrdom with utmost joy and gladness.

Through the poor and lowly of this land, by the blood which these shall have shed in His path, will the omnipotent Sovereign ensure the preservation and consolidate the foundation of His Cause.

They did not pause for a moment to consider why it was that in every age and dispensation, when the holy ones, the chosen ones, and the Prophets appeared, they drank the cup of martyrdom and ascended to the Supreme Horizon in utter submission.

When they inserted burning candles into his flesh, they pierced both sides of his chest between skin and bone with bayonets and inserted two candles, and likewise inserted two candles in his shoulders.

God hath willed as He hath willed that thy face be reddened with thy blood upon the earth, truly dyed with truth. God hath willed as He hath willed to show thee thy hair dyed with thy blood and thy soul unjustly slain upon the earth before the truth, and thy body naked upon the earth. … God hath willed as He hath willed that the faces of thy followers be seen reddened before thee with the blood of their souls, and their bodies wounded and cast upon the earth unjustly.

For love is bloodthirsty and inflames, and the mirror of the love of God is the supreme martyrdom. Therefore, holy souls and divine manifestations desired annihilation and attainment to the place of sacrifice. They gave their lives, endured exile and wandering, suffered severe blows, were bound in chains and fetters, became targets for arrows, were exposed to swords, showed no weariness, sought no respite, drank the cup of sacrifice from the hand of the Cup-bearer of grace, and tasted the honey of annihilation with utmost joy.

This personage set himself to exalt the word of the Bab with the utmost steadfastness, and the Bab did full justice to speech in praising and glorifying him, accounting his uprising as an assistance from the Unseen. In delivery and style he was "evident magic," and in firmness and constancy superior to all. At length in the year [A.H.] 1265 at the sentence of the chief of lawyers the Sa'idu'l-'Ulama the chief divine of Barfurush, he yielded his head and surrendered his life amidst extremest clamor and outcry.

These words became a hundred thousand bullets that riddled the sanctified breast of the Bab. These words became a chain that was placed around the blessed neck of Baha'u'llah. These words brought about His banishment to Baghdad, His afflictions in Adrianople, and His sufferings in the Most Great Prison.

When Husayn saw the dominance of multiplicities and the concealment of unity - and He had given things what they deserved by God's decree due to the inversion of their existence - He carried out the bestowal of power upon them and submitted to God through martyrdom at the hands of His servants. Thus was manifested through all contingent being the loftiness of His servitude, that He is the Giver and does not withhold His power from the unbelievers, in order to complete the proof after perfecting the bounty and to manifest independence after the will of existence and His penetrating power.

All those who were struck down by the storm that raged during that memorable year in Tihran were Our fellow-prisoners in the Siyah-Chal, where We were confined. We were all huddled together in one cell, our feet in stocks, and around our necks fastened the most galling of chains. The air we breathed was laden with the foulest impurities, while the floor on which we sat was covered with filth and infested with vermin. No ray of light was allowed to penetrate that pestilential dungeon or to warm its icy-coldness. We were placed in two rows, each facing the other. We had taught them to repeat certain verses which, every night, they chanted with extreme fervour. 'God is sufficient unto me; He verily is the All-sufficing!' one row would intone, while the other would reply: 'In Him let the trusting trust.' The chorus of these gladsome voices would continue to peal out until the early hours of the morning. Their reverberation would fill the dungeon, and, piercing its massive walls, would reach the ears of Nasiri'd-Din Shah, whose palace was not far distant from the place where we were imprisoned. 'What means this sound?' he was reported to have exclaimed. 'It is the anthem the Babis are intoning in their prison,' they replied. The Shah made no further remarks, nor did he attempt to restrain the enthusiasm his prisoners, despite the horrors of their confinement, continued to display.

One day, there was brought to Our prison a tray of roasted meat, which they informed Us the Shah had ordered to be distributed among the prisoners. 'The Shah,' We were told, 'faithful to a vow he made, has chosen this day to offer to you all this lamb in fulfilment of his pledge.' A deep silence fell upon Our companions, who expected Us to make answer on their behalf. 'We return this gift to you,' We replied; 'we can well dispense with this offer.' The answer We made would have greatly irritated the guards had they not been eager to devour the food we had refused to touch. Despite the hunger with which Our companions were afflicted, only one among them, a certain Mirza Husayn-i-Matavalliy-i-Qumi, showed any desire to eat of the food the sovereign had chosen to spread before us. With a fortitude that was truly heroic, Our fellow-prisoners submitted, without a murmur, to endure the piteous plight to which they were reduced. Praise of God, instead of complaint of the treatment meted out to them by the Shah, fell unceasingly from their lips--praise with which they sought to beguile the hardships of a cruel captivity.

Every day Our gaolers, entering Our cell, would call the name of one of Our companions, bidding him arise and follow them to the foot of the gallows. With what eagerness would the owner of that name respond to that solemn call! Relieved of his chains, he would spring to his feet and, in a state of uncontrollable delight, would approach and embrace Us. We would seek to comfort him with the assurance of an everlasting life in the world beyond, and, filling his heart with hope and joy, would send him forth to win the crown of glory. He would embrace, in turn, the rest of his fellow-prisoners and then proceed to die as dauntlessly as he had lived. Soon after the martyrdom of each of these companions, We would be informed by the executioner, who had grown to be friendly to Us, of the circumstances of the death of his victim, and of the joy with which he had endured his sufferings to the very end.

We were awakened one night, ere break of day, by Mirza Abdu'l-Vahhab-i-Shirazi, who was bound with Us to the same chains. He had left Kazimayn and followed Us to Tihran, where he was arrested and thrown into prison. He asked Us whether We were awake, and proceeded to relate to Us his dream. 'I have this night,' he said, 'been soaring into a space of infinite vastness and beauty. I seemed to be uplifted on wings that carried me wherever I desired to go. A feeling of rapturous delight filled my soul. I flew in the midst of that immensity with a swiftness and ease that I cannot describe.' 'To-day,' We replied, 'it will be your turn to sacrifice yourself for this Cause. May you remain firm and steadfast to the end. You will then find yourself soaring in that same limitless space of which you dreamed, traversing with the same ease and swiftness the realm of immortal sovereignty, and gazing with that same rapture upon the Infinite Horizon.'

That morning saw the gaoler again enter Our cell and call out the name of Abdu'l-Vahhab. Throwing off his chains, he sprang to his feet, embraced each of his fellow-prisoners, and, taking Us into his arms, pressed Us lovingly to his heart. That moment We discovered that he had no shoes to wear We gave him Our own, and, speaking a last word of encouragement and cheer, sent him forth to the scene of his martyrdom. Later on, his executioner came to Us, praising in glowing language the spirit which that youth had shown. How thankful We were to God for this testimony which the executioner himself had given!

In this way most of the favoured ones of God offered up their lives as martyrs in the field of sacrifice. He Who is the resplendent Morn of divine guidance, the Exalted One [the Bab], sank below the horizon of sacrifice. Quddus sought companionship with the Beloved through glorious martyrdom. Mulla Husayn opened a new gate to the field of martyrdom. Vahid distinguished himself as a peerless figure in the arena of sacrifice. Zanjani [Hujjat] offered up his life as a martyr upon the plain of tribulation. The King of Martyrs hastened forth to the place of sacrifice. The Beloved of Martyrs was enraptured with ineffable gladness when he offered up his life for the sake of God. Ashraf attained the heights of honour as he unflinchingly set his face towards the arena of sacrifice. Badi', as he breathed his last, exclaimed: "Magnified be my Lord, the Most Glorious!"

On Monday morning, the honorable governor Jalal'ud-Dawlih summoned Aqa Shaykh Hasan and his sons Shaykh Baqir and Shaykh Ja'far, as well as Aqa Siyyid 'Ali the teacher with two other sons, and a group of other clergy. They threw a rope around the neck of the innocent Aqa 'Ali-Asghar in their presence, and took him and six others with that most pure body, with trumpets, drums and music. Behind the telegraph office, they beheaded the divine philosopher, His Holiness Mulla Mihdi. While still alive, they cut open his stomach and stoned him. Then they took his pure body to another quarter and set it on fire. They also beheaded Aqa 'Ali at the door of one of the clergy's houses, raised his head on a spear, and made his pure body a target for stones of hatred.

O Joseph! The wolf devoured Joseph the Apostle before the faces of those who turned away. The oppressor ordered his murder to plunder his possessions - thereby did every insightful one lament.

On one side, the cup of supreme martyrdom was passed around; on another, plunder and pillage occurred; from one direction, destruction was evident; and from another, the displacement of wanderers defied description. Every offering of sacrifice was present and prepared on the table of martyrdom and the carpet of oblation.

O my handmaiden! Dost thou remain in thy place after the Friend hath been afflicted at Nimrod's hand, finding no helper save God, the Mighty, the Beautiful? O my handmaiden! Dost thou drink water after Husayn was parched with thirst in the land of Taff, when He could but suck drops of luminous blood from His own sweat?

In some places they perpetrated what the pen is powerless to describe. I beseech God to bestow justice upon the people. Consider the fire of oppression that was ignited in the land of Sad - two descendants of the Prophet were martyred without cause or reason, merely for worldly ornaments and a few coins. The curse of God be upon the oppressors!

Know further: That which hath come to pass shall exert an influence in the world: erelong shall this become apparent through the sovereignty of God, the Almighty, the Most Powerful. Oppression hath reached the pitch that alike the pen and the tongue are powerless and inadequate to recount or express it.

Souls who at no time harmed another soul; who comported themselves with perfect love and kindliness; and who lived on terms of friendliness with all the peoples and kindreds of the earth - behold what was inflicted upon them!

"It has seldom happened in any age or cycle that women have been killed as martyrs, but in this great Revelation many women have been martyred. It happened many times that enemies among the women collected together, striking and beating a Baha'i woman.

Three souls also sacrificed themselves in this land of exile and prison: the two brothers Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad-Baqir and Aqa Muhammad-Ismail, upon them be God's mercy and favor, who arm in arm sacrificed themselves in one night. From the beginning of creation until now, such an event has never occurred where two brothers thus united and in perfect agreement took flight from this dark earth to the Most Pure and Luminous Habitation. Blessed are they, and blessed the loins that bore them and the womb from which they came forth!

Among these was the case of seven souls, concerning whose purity, nobility, virtue, and excellence all men bore testimony, and against whom no pretext could be alleged save only that they were Babis. Throughout the whole course of their lives they had not wounded the feelings even of an ant. Yet these innocent ones were brought before the seat of government, in the presence of a handful of ignorant men who, like Annas and Caiaphas, accounted themselves among the learned, and were there confronted with chains and fetters, with blades and swords, and were commanded to renounce this community. When they refused, and instead openly avowed and confessed their faith, those wronged ones were, each and all, beheaded in the public thoroughfares before the eyes of the people and hanged upon the gallows.

The details of the martyrdom of his honor Sheikh San'an reached the ears of these heartbroken ones. When this title was bestowed upon him, it became clear that he would encounter great trials in this path.

He was immediately seized and questioned by those who wished to elicit information which would help them in the further persecutions of Baha'u'llah. Badi' would not answer a word; then they tortured him, still he held his peace! After three days they killed him, having failed to force him to speak!

The ship set sail upon its voyage, continuing on its course until at length it came to rest before a city named Izmir. Here the one who hath been designated by Our Name, Munir, fell down upon his face before this Youth, laid hold upon His foot, and begged that he might sacrifice his life in the way of God even as he lay there before Us with his arms clasped around Our foot. Thy Lord, verily, hath power over all things. Ever had Our suppliant entreated of his Lord this exalted, glorious, and peerless station. God granted him his wish, and We commanded that he leave the ship. Shortly after he had disembarked, his soul ascended unto the Supreme Horizon.

This is the year wherein Hasan sacrificed himself in the path of God, the Lord of the worlds, and after him Husayn, who attained the most great martyrdom.

Likewise in that letter was written the incident of Sangsar and the martyrdom of Siyyid Yahya in Sirjan and Mirza Hasan's fatwa in Tabriz.

O ye two remnants of the two noble souls, `Abdu'l-Majid and Siyyid Muhsin. The truth is that I find myself incapable of befittingly extolling those two blessed souls. Both were taught by the Blessed Beauty, were revived by the Fragrances of the Holy Spirit, and they both, like unto immovable mountains remained firm, steadfast and strong in Iraq. I will mention one of `Abdu'l-Majid's virtues here: His son, `Abdu'l-Vahhab, shone bright as a candle among the friends, and was like unto the light that flasheth and glisteneth from the clouds. During the Beloved's first journey to Iraq, he attained His presence. The son beseeched that his father be guided. No sooner had `Abdu'l-Majid attained the presence of the Ever-Forgiving Lord, than his soul was lighted like unto a candle and he became a believer. When the Blessed Beauty returned to Tihran, He instructed Mirza `Abdu'l-Vahhab stating that being the only son he should stay with his father, and that would be as though being His fellow traveller.

A brief span of time after the Beloved returned to Tihran, the flame of love was so kindled in the heart of that youth that his breast was void of patience and he had no calm. His noble father said: O son, although thou art the light of mine eyes, while thou art my very life, and while I am unable to bear a moment of separation from thee, yet I cannot deprive this [enamoured] moth from the Light of the world. Tarry no longer and set off for Tihran. That young man hastened to Tihran wrapped in holy ecstasy. He was arrested upon arrival and was put into captive chains, for the calamitous event related to the Shah had occurred, and he attained the presence of his Beloved in the dungeon. A few days later, the executioner entered the prison and conducted that wellspring of mysteries to the foot of the gallows. That luminous young man sprang to his feet and danced with the utmost bliss and rapture in the Holy presence. He then kissed the Hand of his Beloved, embraced each of his fellow-prisoners, bade them farewell, hastened to the field of martyrdom and with the utmost joy and ecstasy he sacrificed his life upon the altar of love. As soon as this dreadful news reached the ears of his father, that elderly man prostrated himself in infinite cheer, ecstasy, and gratitude for the martyrdom of his son. This was one token of the many great merits of that noble soul. He spent most of his time with patience and long-suffering in the face of the difficulties and hardships that he suffered. He was eventually banished, and in exile, he surrendered his soul into the hands of his Beloved.

And as to Aqa Siyyid Muhsin; he was in Iraq and attained the presence of the Day-Star of the world. He proved self-sacrificing to the last breath, and was the cause of the guidance of many souls. He was forbearing, long-suffering, thankful, and steadfast. Finally, he was exiled to Hadba', where he could no longer bear the separation from his Lord, so he set off on foot, in the utmost poverty, and eagerly while chanting prayers he walked from Hadba' to 'Akka. His [body] could, however, not bear the hardships of the journey; he travelled across the deserts with no food or provisions, and surrendered his soul with the utmost fervour and longing.

Now, ye are the remnants of those two distinguished souls, and are always present in my thoughts. Your two unions in wedlock are both blessed; they are felicitous, auspicious, and celebrated. Through the grace of the most Beloved, we cherish the hope that the kindred and family of both ye noble ones will for evermore be blessed, joyful and felicitous. Praise be to God, Jinab-i-Mirza Muhsin has safely arrived, and has attained the greatest yearning of all those who are His well-favoured ones, and that is to kiss His Blessed Threshold. He [conveyed your wish] in asking permission for pilgrimage; that permission is granted. The Glory of Glories rest upon you.

O Jinab-i-`Abdu'l-Vahid Naji, know thou of a certainty that being the remnant of the late Siyyid Muhsin, thou art very dear to the Centre of the Covenant, and through the grace and loving-kindness vouchsafed by the Beloved, I cherish the hope that thou wilt forever remain guarded in the stronghold of the protection of the Blessed Beauty. The Glory of Glories rest upon thee.

Following the return of Him Who is the Most Great Name to Tihran, Mirza 'Abdu'l-Vahhab hastened to that sacred land, dancing with delight and leaping with joy, only to be consigned, upon arrival, to the depths of the dungeon. A few days later, his turn came to be martyred. When the executioner stepped into the dungeon and shouted out his name, that young man, still in the prime of his years, leapt to his feet, danced for joy in that prison, and surrendered himself to the executioner. Thus did he attain supreme martyrdom.

Like Jinab-i-Shaykh 'Ali-Akbar who in these days drank the cup of martyrdom while calling to the Abha Kingdom and summoning souls to the Law of God. He bestowed life, made the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak, and brought the dead to life. In such a state, in utter detachment, he drank the cup of martyrdom. But this is not without fruit and effect - when one blessed soul is martyred in God's path, thousands are brought to life. They water the Blessed Tree with their blood. Though they depart this elemental life, they attain divine life.

One of the most sincere and loving friends came and gazed from afar. He wept a great deal. After weeping much he returned. On his return to Persia, he was recognized and was killed. He became a martyr. He was from Yazd. From his native town to 'Akka was a two months journey. He came all the way on foot...

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With a voice that penetrated every heart and soul, Murshid responded, "O my friend! O Sulayman Khan! If you wish to demonstrate your long friendship to me, then I beseech you not to intercede on my behalf; for thereby I shall be deprived of the bounty of martyrdom, shall fall behind my companions, and shall once more be ensnared in this mortal world.

Those people formerly martyred the Prince of Martyrs, and when asked why they had put to such a humiliating death this holy soul whom all acknowledged and confessed to be the son of the Apostle and the Prince of the Youth of Paradise, they replied that he had risen against the Imam of the Age. And now they have martyred this Husayn, who is the Imam of the land of Sad and His very essence.

Know ye that God had servants before you who migrated with His chosen ones, and the idolaters gathered against them until matters reached such a pass that they strove with them until they were all slain and martyred in the ways of God, the Powerful, the Most High, the All-Knowing. Among them is the true account of Husayn, when he departed from his home with his family and companions, as ye hear tell each day and hour. The hosts of unbelief surrounded them from every side and prevented them from returning to God's sacred sanctuary. The armies of infidelity rose against them and cut off all means of entry and exit.

Among the martyrs was Jinab-i-Siyyid Abu'l-Qasim Marnuni. This venerable Siyyid had reached nearly fourscore years of age, and throughout his life in that region had been renowned for piety, chastity, learning, and distinction. He was as embodied light and an incarnate spirit. Even his enemies bore witness to his sanctity and purity, and testified to his generosity, his self-sacrifice, and his liberality, for he was a helper to every poor man and a succorer and shelter to every fugitive. Among all the people his word was accepted, his utterance heeded, and his counsel obeyed.

Likewise, call thou to mind the Babu'l-Bab---may the souls of the well-favoured of the Lord be offered up for him---and consider what trials and tribulations that luminous candle and radiant orb suffered, and what woes he endured in the path of God. Consider how, in the fort of adversity, he finally quaffed the brimful cup of martyrdom, and what injuries were inflicted upon his kin.

We have also sent unto thee a photograph of His Holiness the glorious Badi whom thy Lord did send to His Highness Nassir-ed'Din-Shah with a manifest epistle by which He perfected the proof and evidence to the people of Persia. This faithful messenger (Badi) took the epistle of Baha' with all power and authority and repaired to the threshold of His Highness the Shah, while cheered and smiling in joy. He then presented himself before the Shah and said: "This is an epistle from Baha'u'llah," and then presented it to him. They arrested him and after severe torture and punishment, delivered him to the executioners. He was sitting between the executioners at the time of his death with all dignity, while turning unto God.

A very brief account of the events in Iran reached here some time ago; it was written and sent with translation, but a few days ago... to spread among the American friends that it might cause spirituality and detachment, and they might observe how the faithful friends in Iran steadfastly sacrificed themselves, how they rushed to the altar of love by hundreds with utmost joy and delight, and smiling, rejoicing, dancing and celebrating, sacrificed their lives for the Beloved.

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From the stones cast by the malicious ones, injury was inflicted upon thine eye and brow -- yet this injury was a great profit. Though these stones were the shame of the oppressors, they were proof of the wisdom and culture of that loving victim.

Properties were plundered and spirits hastened to their ascension. Innocent noble women became captives of tribes and peoples, and guiltless children were trampled under horses' hooves.

A group of angelic, fairy-faced, truth-speaking, God-seeking souls have fallen into the claws of savage beasts. They extended the hand of aggression and showed the power of their arms. Those oppressed ones, like the gazelles of Khoten, had no crime except that they possessed musk-bearing navels. They were cut, bitten and torn, and not content with this, their properties were plundered and pillaged, and even children and secluded women were killed and burned.

Indeed, Abdullah Shalmaghani spoke with the most wondrous meanings and clearly foretold the appearance of the radiant Light from the Iranian horizon. But the oppressors and the contemptible, base betrayers shed his blood and attributed to him a great calumny and killed him with great injustice.

The brother of Mirza 'Azizu'llah Khan Wargha, Ruollah, was twelve years old. He used to sit and talk with the greatest eloquence. He would explain with proofs and arguments. At the age of twelve he was martyred with his father. He did not flinch at all. He had no wavering and no fear.

In every dispensation a number of sanctified souls have become manifest who were self-sacrificing, severed from ought else save God, forebearing sufferings and tribulations, accepting hardships and persecutions, welcoming tortures and death for the sake of Truth; but in none of the past dispensations there have been such heroic and sublime instances of devotion and martyrdom as in this Baha'i Cause!

At the time when all the inhabitants of Teheran had arisen against this Cause and the Blessed Perfection was arrested and thrown into a prison I was a very young child. The jail wherein Baha'u'llah was imprisoned was a dark and gloomy cell, underground, and had no aperture, and no window save a small door. When the door was unlocked one had to descend many rickety steps before reaching the gloomy, stuffy and humid ground floor.

The name of the gaoler was Aga Bozorg and he was an inhabitant from the city of Gazwin. As in the past he had received many favors, bounties, gifts and kindnesses from the blessed hands of Baha'u'llah he came one day to our house and took me with him to see my Father. Descending half the stairs of the cell I tried to peer through the darkness whether I can see anyone. I could see no one. Everything was pitch darkness. Suddenly I heard the wonderful, resonant voice of the Blessed Perfection: 'Take out this child. Do not let him come in.' Obeying the words of Baha'u'llah the goaler took me out and said: 'sit down here and be patient. About noon the prisoners are taken out and then you can see your father.' I did. A little after 12 o'clock they brought them out, amongst whom I saw the Blessed Perfection. A thick, heavy chain called 'Garé Kahar,' the heaviest and the thickest chain of the time, was placed around his Holy Feet, the end of which was dragged along the ground. His neck was also chained with heavy fetters and his hands manacled. Mirza Mahmoud - a most wonderful Baha'i - was the fellow - prisoner of Baha'u'llah. They were chained together. A common, ordinary felt hat, the top of which had been worn out and the fringe of which torn and soiled, was on his blessed head. I cannot describe to you the pain and anguish that attacked and tortured me by this sight of the Manifestation!...

In short, the fiendish cruelties of the authorities of Persia reached to such a height as to divide a large number of the believers amongst the various classes of the inhabitants of Teheran, so that they might martyr them according to their own devilish desires. For example, a believer was given to the government clerks, another to the policemen, another to the infantry, another to the Ulemas, another to the Dervishes, another to the butchers - one to the members of each craft and profession - so that all of them may lend a hand in shedding the blood of these innocent Babis. For instance, a believer was given to the cavalry. These ferocious beasts took him to Sabze Meydan and about one thousand of them riding on their horses, with drawn words attacked him from all sides. The body was actually cut into thousand small pieces and yet they did not gave it up. The sight of blood had maddened them and turning them into wild, dancing savages, thirsting for more blood. Finally the executioner cried out of them 'O ye mad men! Stop! It is enough! Nothing is left of the body. I must take these small shreds and pieces and bury them! Do not add more to the horror of my task.' At this juncture a restaurant keeper arrived on the scene and asked the executioner to let him have the remains of the 'accursed Babi,' because he would burn them in his stove and by this act gain his entrance into Paradise...

Those were days of miraculous deeds, matchless heroism, unsurpassable firmness, and divine courage. Each one of the believers while walking upon earth, were at the same time, soaring toward the Supreme Concourse. They were the angels of the Kingdom of Abha and the spiritual heroes of the arena of unparalleled sacrifice.

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One evening 'Abdu'l-Baha said that "both Peter and Paul suffered martyrdom with all steadfastness by the order of Nero." He said, "This is a clear and indisputable fact." This statement proved of great benefit to me; for I had not yet seen any text in the revealed words of this Manifestation in regard to the martyrdom of St. Paul.

Ye are they who have been tried because of your belief in God, the Creator of the heavens. Grieve not; be patient. Your rewards are with your Lord - ye shall soon behold them in truth.

Say: This Bird feareth no one, nor shall it be perturbed by any soul, even should all who are in the kingdom gather against it, for it hath detached itself wholly unto God and turned with its entire being unto the countenance of God, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

He so ennobled them that men's tongues spake forth their praise; He honoured them with that Supreme Sacrifice which hath from everlasting been the hope of them that have drawn nigh unto Him; and the Pen of God hath been moved to commemorate them in such wise that all hearts have melted.

The photograph of the square in Tabriz was received and its viewing caused the utmost effect. Convey greetings to Aqa Mirza Husayn the photographer and say the photograph of the square caused praise from the denizens of the placeless realm. This is an enduring effect and sufficient and complete proof of your good intentions. God willing, it will be the cause of great success.

Leave me to cast myself among the enemies that I may attain the supreme martyrdom, or else I will throw myself from this lofty mountain into the deep valley.

O divine friends and spiritual companions! The heedlessness of souls, hardness of hearts, intensity of immersion in desires, abundance of harmful preoccupations, evil deeds of people, and following the opinions of those who cause doubts have subjected that region and land to the wrath and anger of the Lord.

From the day that essence of guidance, leader of the pious ones, sovereign of the realm of detachment, and fresh smiling flower of the garden of supreme bounty - His Holiness Aqa Mortaza - was martyred in the city of Fars, and in the place of sacrifice, despite having an illumined countenance like a lit candle in that gathering and with complete detachment from the horizon of the supreme glad-tidings like a brilliant full moon, the executioners did not take heed and placed his pure body and respected temple before the cannon, and when his holy spirit caused his radiant body to also ascend to the apex and "elevation in life and in death" was fulfilled - from the ill omen of this great injustice and evident tyranny, calamities from all directions encompassed that region.

Indeed, the nine signs that encompassed the Copts also befell the Persians in this way, and the signs of the wrath of the All-Merciful became manifest. Despite this, they did not take heed and did not awaken and did not accept counsel and advice. Rather, day by day heedlessness increased and veiling became greater and ingratitude for blessings increased and immersion in desires intensified. No lesson learned, no remorse, no repentance, no regret, no sorrow, no lamentation, no supplication, no imploring, no distress, and no weariness.

Surely these calamities will continue, and when a calamity prevails due to disobedience, it will not be repelled except through remorse and regret, and when a fire is ignited by the spark of rebellion, it will not be extinguished except through the door of repentance and lamentation and turning to God and restlessness.

But there is one thing that is an immediate remedy for this ailment and the supreme heavenly antidote for this poison, and one can firmly guarantee it - as soon as it occurs, attainment of goals will happen, and the life-giving breeze of health and wellbeing will blow, and heavenly bounty and blessing will arrive, and from all directions in that land the signs of the Lord's mercy will become evident. And that blessed matter and accepted deed which is the magnet of the mercy of the Mighty, All-Forgiving and the attractor of the favors of the Loving Lord is a foundation that must be raised high in Fars. This is the immediate cure for these ailments and the supreme means for repelling calamities.

As soon as the foundation is laid, the dense sorrows of afflictions and the accumulated clouds of tribulations that have made the horizons of that region dark and gloomy will dissipate, and the sun of the bounty of the All-Merciful will rise and shine forth, and the promise of your Lord will be fulfilled.

Despite this, we pray at the Holy Shrine and offer supplication and imploring and weep and lament that He may repel this calamity, and this is not difficult for God. I convey the Most Great, Most Wondrous greetings to all the loved ones and divine friends.

From the descendants of the martyrs of Nayriz, upon them be from all glory the Most Glorious, record and compile in a register the name of every soul who is firm and steadfast in God's Cause and send it.

Later, a letter was written to the Spiritual Assembly of Tehran and other letters to important authorities stating that justice and fairness must be established, and retribution sought for the martyrdom of the Lamp of Martyrs, His Honor Aqa Siyyid Yahya in Sirjan, and Mulla Hasan Mujtahid in Azerbaijan must face clear punishment and penalty for the murder of two innocent martyrs, and likewise compensation made for the Sangsar incident.

He had a most melodious voice and would recite the verses in beautiful tones. He was present in the warehouse before the Blessed Beauty and was the brother of the chief royal baker. For the sake of the chief baker, the Shah wished to release him, but the chief baker himself insisted most vehemently until they martyred him, saying "I disown this brother! He is an enemy of the king! He is a Babi! I shall slay him with my own hands!"

Every day the executioner would come and standing at the door of the jail, cry out the name of the person they wanted to kill. … Having finished his dance, he walked straight toward the Blessed Perfection and prostrated himself on the ground before [Him], begging His Pardon and Mercy, and kissing His chained Hands and manacled Feet. Then rising from the ground, he walked out of the prison to meet his fate, serene and calm, imperturbable; the glory of the Kingdom of Abha crowning his head and the majesty of steadfastness encircling him like a halo of light...

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This inscription attracted Badi. His face shone. He delivered the letter and was martyred by the order of the Shah's ministers. In this letter Baha'u'llah had written, "O thou Shah, send for this servant to come to Teheran, gather together an assembly of the doctors and philosophers and he will discuss with them whatever subject thou desireth."

There was a woman who was one of the disciples of His Holiness the Bab; she had seven sons; six of them had been martyred.

… He was condemned to be crucified.

… He steadfastly refused, saying: 'Nay, rather do I wish to be sacrificed for my God.'

… They fell upon her. Still she cried aloud, rejoicing that she had given her dearest treasure for the Cause of God -- and they beat her till she, too, died.

Reflect upon His Holiness Mulla 'Ali-Jan of Mazandaran - may the spirit of the world be sacrificed for him. The government wished to grant him a pension to turn away from the Truth. He said - may the spirit of the world be sacrificed for him: "Ten thousand tumans of my wealth have they plundered, and it hath gone in the path of Truth. I have no need of your wealth and riches. Attend to your own affairs." Thereafter that sanctified soul was martyred with the most grievous torment.

Seven souls were taken, among them the honored Mulla 'Ali-i-Sabzivari and likewise the honored Mulla Mihdi - upon them both be the glory of God and His favors. His Excellency said to one, "Recant and you will be freed." That true seeker replied, "For forty years I have awaited this day, and praise be to God, today I have attained it." And another, while being paraded through the markets with executioners, attendants and footmen, proclaimed: "O people! The Lord of the Martyrs said 'Is there any who will help me?' and I say, 'Is there any who will behold me?'"

[It was during these days that the episode of the Seven Martyrs of Yazd occurred in the year 308. The Blessed Beauty was so affected and saddened by this event that for nine full days no one was granted permission to attain His presence. On the ninth day, He summoned the friends and gave a detailed account regarding the Qajar dynasty, their deeds and conduct, the events in Yazd, and the oppression of Zillu's-Sultan and his son Jalalu'd-Dawlih. Addressing us, He said:]

"Be not sorrowful, be not dejected, be not grieved.

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Have you ever heard of anyone arranging a feast of joy to commemorate the pleasures of past holy ones, celebrating that on such-and-such a day the Prophets, peace be upon them, or the saints passed their evening in happiness and delight? But observe what a commotion is raised for the King of Martyrs, His Holiness the Prince of Martyrs! Thirteen hundred years have passed and still the mourning continues unabated.

Therefore, this servant at the Threshold of the Ancient Beauty has the utmost longing to hear with his physical ear also the terrifying episode of His Holiness Varqa and His Holiness Ruhu'llah, may my spirit be a sacrifice for them.

I observed a group of people, grief-stricken and heartbroken, weeping and lamenting, engaged in reciting elegies for the Prince of Martyrs (peace be upon him), crying out: "O Husayn, what did they do when they made thee a sacrifice!" I said, "Glory be to God!

In Shahrud, the hostile party assailed the companions of the pit - "they were slain, the companions of the pit of fire plentifully fueled, when they sat by it, and they witnessed what they did to the believers. And they ill-treated them for no other reason than that they believed in Allah, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy."

A large number of them were martyred in the Fortress of Tabarassi. Most of them lived at all time under the treats of the ignorant mob and the outlawry of the unruly rabble.

Their hardships and tribulations in the Fortress of Tabarassi were indescribable and heart-harrowing. For 18 days they had nothing to eat. The enemies had surrounded them from all sides and communication with the outside world was completely debarred. They could not go out and buy any provision. For days they ate the bark of the trees, the grass and the leather of the horses' saddles.

Those who are slightly familiar with that dramatic or tragic episode know the privations and sufferings they had to go through. Finally when they were released and put to death he was one of the very few who was given freedom.

On the night when Babu'l-Bab was shot, they broke through seven barricades. When they broke through the seventh barricade, Sartip Abbas-Quli Khan was hiding there. The horse of Babu'l-Bab's foot got caught in a rope - all the friends were on foot while Babu'l-Bab was mounted.

Then they made the mistake of lighting a fire. Babu'l-Bab was the only one mounted. Abbas-Quli Khan shot from within a tree, but before that, that night they had broken through seven barricades."

You will survive the ignominious behaviour of your foes, and will attain the presence of Him who is the one object of our adoration and love. In His presence you will forget all the harm and disgrace that shall have befallen you. The hosts of the Unseen will hasten forth to assist you, and will proclaim to all the world your heroism and glory. Yours will be the ineffable joy of quaffing the cup of martyrdom for His sake. I, too, shall tread the path of sacrifice, and will join you in the realm of eternity.

Concerning what you wrote about the business ledgers of the Wronged One - on the first day when this incident occurred, He said that although the grief of this calamity is beyond measure, yet they have attained to infinite grace. "We have ordained for him glory and exaltation, and in the end of days We adorned him with that which had been the hope of the sincere ones from time immemorial." He also said that this supreme martyrdom is the cause and means of the exaltation of the Cause and the manifestation of the trustworthiness and religiosity of God's loved ones among the people.

Reflect upon the power of the All-Powerful Lord. We created the Badi' with one word and sent him forth like a ball of fire for the propagation of God's Cause. They accepted him not and martyred him. We sent another sacrifice who accepted not preservation and offered up the crown of life at the feet of the Beloved of the worlds. … We sent another sacrifice who, while speaking the Most Great Name and uttering this blessed word, declared: "We have found that for which we longed!" With this word he gave up his life and received eternal bounty and everlasting life.

Then he was killed, thirsty, on the Day of Permission. Speak not of its people, for nothing equals the station of Him Whom thou hast intended, and all before Him are among the lowly.

The vile Yazid and obstinate Walid, like bloodthirsty beasts and spiteful dogs, tore apart the Master of existence and the Manifestations of the favors of the loving Lord, cutting that blessed throat with the dagger of tyranny and oppression. Yet they had not shown such cruelty as to make a twelve-year-old child, with such beauty and grace, eloquence and articulacy, radiant countenance and nightingale-like speech, disappear without a trace. In brief, the oppression of that noble father and the innocence of this self-sacrificing son reached such a degree that its like is not recorded in the chronicles of the ages.

May God's curse be upon those who wronged thee and invaded thy resting-place and dispersed those who were around thee and violated thy sanctity and took thy kindred captive and were among the oppressors.

O my God and my Protector! You are exalted and glorified in the might of Your Divinity and the grandeur of Your Lordship above my praise and the praise of all things. You are sanctified and purified in the reality of Your oneness above my tributes and attributes and the attributes of all things. How sweet it is, O my God, in moments of helplessness to acknowledge weakness and brokenness and to shun pride and arrogance. Sufficient for me, O my God, is my helplessness, my poverty, my lowliness, my abasement, my evanescence and my nothingness. And sufficient for me, O my Beloved, are Your favors, Your beneficence, Your generosity and Your grace.

O Lord! You have enriched me through Your ancient grace, Your manifest generosity and Your mighty bounty from all else by guiding me to the wellspring of Your mercy, leading me to the path of Your oneness, bringing me to a true station before the Sovereign of Your bestowals, giving me to drink from the cup of giving by the hand of the Cup-bearer of Your grace, and providing me with heavenly sustenance at the table of Your gift. O Lord! Praise be to You for this and thanks be to You for this gift which You have specially bestowed upon the sincere ones among Your servants.

My spirit, my being and my essence bear witness that You have perfected Your mercy upon me, completed Your favor upon me, lavished Your gifts upon me and multiplied Your blessings upon me. But O my God, I implore You humbly and beseech You and supplicate to Your Most Glorious Kingdom and hope from the Sovereign of Your Most Exalted Dominion that You ordain for me my ultimate desire and the end of my hope - that which is the light of my eyes, the purity of my heart, the comfort of my soul, my greatest victory, the joy of my heart, my supreme guidance, the light of my brow and my manifest horizon - namely, the shedding of my blood and the sacrifice of my spirit in the path of Your love, my being consumed by the fire of Your enemies' torment in Your path, and my abasement and the trembling of my body upon the dust in longing for the kingdom of Your presence.

O Lord! Ordain this desire for me and give me to drink from this cup brimming with the choice wine of favors from the outpouring of Your greatest mercy. Feed me from this table which You provided for Your Most Exalted Beauty and crown my head with this diadem whose brilliant jewels shine in the center of all the worlds. Make me one of Your sincere servants who attain martyrdom. Verily You are the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate.

O Lord! These are two servants who are related to Your servant who was attracted by the holy fragrances of Your oneness, who was set ablaze with the fire of Your love, who was moved by the breezes wafting from the gardens of Your knowledge, who was gladdened by the lights shining from the dawning-place of Your gift, who wandered in the desert of passionate love for Your beauty, who journeyed in the wilderness where those yearning to visit Your countenance cried out and lamented, who became intoxicated from the cup of Your bestowal until he hastened to the place of sacrifice in Your path and rushed to the field of sacrifice out of love for Your beauty and gave up his spirit in longing for meeting You.

O Lord! You made imprisonment for Your sovereignty beloved to him and by Your power and proof made it for him a verdant paradise and a leafy garden. He remained in it for successive years under heavy chains and fetters while rejoicing in that and being gladdened by all of that, until You confirmed him by Your grace and generosity to ascend to Your holy kingdom. The tyrants among Your creation brought him out from the depths of the prisons to the open space of sacrifice in Your path, O Ever-Living, O Self-Subsisting! He addressed them saying: "O you who are present for my execution in the path of my Beloved Lord! I have nothing to offer you in return for this glad tidings you have given me except this covering for my head, which I present to you in recognition of your kindness." He appeared among the people like a fierce lion and soared in the sky, directing himself to the highest horizon. His spirit ascended to Your Most Glorious Kingdom and Your Most Exalted Dominion. Blessed is he, again blessed is he!

O Lord! These two who are related to him - confirm them in steadfastness in Your Covenant and Testament, enable them to obey Your command, and make them sincere in Your religion. You, verily You are the All-Generous, the All-Merciful, the All-Bestowing.

This young child was apparently nurtured at the breast of sacrifice and became intoxicated from the cup of martyrdom. Today in the Most Glorious Kingdom, with a face like the sun and an auspicious rising that illumines the world, he crieth out "Would that my people knew how my Lord hath forgiven me and made me one of those who are honored!"

Through your allegiance did the pure in heart rush to the field of martyrdom and offer up that which they possessed in the path of God, the Lord of all names.

O ye in mortal graves! The peace of God, He Who is the Lord of Revelation and the Speaker on Sinai, rest upon you.

How well it was said: "O fly, the realm of the Simurgh is not your playground!"

In any case, regarding the illumined resting place of His Holiness Ismu'llah-i-Asdaq, you had given details of the location. Jinab-i-Amin has issued from here a draft of two hundred tumans on Haji Ghulam-Rida to be presented to you, so that with the hundred tumans from Hamadan you may proceed with the restoration of that shrine.

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I swear by Thy might! The ornament that adorneth the countenance of Thy dear ones is the blood which, in their love for Thee, floweth out of their foreheads over their faces.

Magnified be Thy name, O God, the Lord of heaven! Attire my head with the crown of martyrdom, even as Thou didst attire my body with the ornament of tribulation before all that dwell in Thy land. Grant, moreover, that they whose hearts yearn over Thee may draw nigh unto the horizon of Thy grace, above which the Day-Star of Thy beauty sheddeth its radiance.

And he surrendered his spirit in that greatest shock, drawn to the field of sacrifice, leaving his relatives in terror and regret and anguish without end.

Send down upon them that which will bring comfort to their minds, will rejoice their inner beings, will impart assurance to their hearts and tranquillity to their bodies and will enable their souls to ascend to the presence of God, the Most Exalted, and to attain the supreme Paradise and such retreats of glory as Thou hast destined for men of true knowledge and virtue.

Thou knowest full well, O my God, that there is no one on Thine earth who can claim to be related to Thee except these, some of whom have suffered martyrdom for Thy sake, while the rest have been permitted to survive.

This is the Book of God which hath been sent down in truth, and wherein mention is made of a servant who was martyred in His path, and whom the breezes of longing bore away until they turned him toward the countenance of the All-Merciful in the heavenly Pole, an exalted and gracious station.

… Blessed art thou, O servant, for thou hast dyed thy radiance with fire. By God! By radiance We mean but thy hair which turned white in thy faith in God, and by fire We mean but thy crimson blood.

Some, O my God, have shed their blood in Thy path, others have abandoned their homes and set their faces towards the seat of Thy throne, and were hindered from stepping into the court of Thy great glory, while still others have been cast into prison and are at the mercy of the workers of iniquity.

By Thy glory, O my God! Whenever I reflect that the body of Ali was suspended in the air while I remain between earth and heaven, my heart is troubled, my limbs tremble, my skin crawls, and my body is shaken. Therefore, woe unto myself and lamentation upon my being!

O Thou Who hast ordained lofty stations and sublime degrees for those who were martyred in Thy path - stations whereat the sincere among the righteous and the near ones among the chosen ones marvel, nay, whereat the pure Imams and the eminent saints in the Kingdom of mysteries, hidden from sight, pray for them, and whom I specially remember night and day - and in particular that man of wisdom and that glorious radiant light, that fragrant musk, he who bore the name of 'Ali-Akbar, may his pure spirit be sanctified.

For the martyrs of the village, individually, prayers and for some Tablets of Visitation were written with utmost eloquence, fluency and excellence and were sent some time ago, but you had not written of their receipt, nor had the dear one. … Those blessed souls who sacrificed their lives in the path of God, and likewise those who ascended with steadfastness and firmness, are greatly beloved and near to the Divine Threshold.

For verily, O my God, he died a stranger and ascended to Thee in sorrow, and died a martyr, and surrendered his spirit alone and solitary, far from family and kin.

God hath never ceased to gaze upon you and to send down His mercy upon whosoever remembereth you and grieveth for you and weepeth for that which was decreed for you in the path of God.

You shall return on the Day of Resurrection and settle in the seats of glory, and you shall look upon those who weep for you and expend in your path what God has ordained for you. This is your recompense, since you have come unto God, your Lord, Who created you, sustained you, caused you to die, gave you life, and raised you from the resting-places of your hearts, and clothed you in the garments of His remembrance, as He wishes, with what He wishes, for what He wishes, for He does what He pleases and is powerful over what He desires.

My heart crieth to Thee by reason of the things that have befallen my loved ones in Thy path, and mine eyes run down with tears for them who, in these days, have ascended unto Thee, who have cast the world behind their backs, and set their faces towards the shores of Thy transcendent mercy.

Have the illumined grave of the Hand of the Cause Haji Akhund and the purified resting place of the martyred noble soul Mulla 'Ali-Jan built and repaired with utmost speed and perfect workmanship, even if people later destroy them.

The poems of the nightingale of the garden of faithfulness, the martyr of the plain of tribulation, Fatimih Bigum, had such an effect that I cannot describe.

The completion of the dome for the martyrs of Abarqu - upon them be prayers and mercy from their Lord - will be among the good deeds and a cause of eternal glory.

Your letter was received and the photographs that you had sent arrived, except for 140 photographs of His Holiness Badi' which were confiscated at the Baghdad post office.

They razed to dust the site of martyrdom in Karbila and Najaf, then plowed it under. For nearly eighty years they plowed and planted crops so that no trace would remain. After eighty years, people came and said: "Yes, it was here." They built up that site of martyrdom.

What bounty could be greater than this station they attained to - that praise be to God, in this earthly realm they were manifest in the name of Truth, and even the ungodly were seen to be humble in their presence, and in their final days they attained to a station that cannot be confined by this servant's pen nor encompassed by this evanescent one's utterance. From the Tablets that have been revealed from the heaven of the Will of the Lord of all beings regarding this supreme calamity, it becomes known and evident - O beloved of my heart - a hundred thousand blessings upon them and a hundred thousand regrets for this servant! It is as though at every moment the tongues of the world cry out "Would that I had been with them!"

However, in these days it was observed that the assistance to the surviving families of the martyrs is insufficient and does not fully meet their needs. Therefore, nearly one thousand tumans was allocated to be spent for that purpose.

The husband's fate had outwardly been concealed but later it was confirmed that he had attained martyrdom. Blessed is he and those who have attained this most exalted station.

In Smyrna while we were being removed to another steamer of the same Company Janabé Moneeb became severely sick and we were obliged to carry him on shore and leave him in a hospital. Meanwhile they brought us word that he had expired. I landed again to arrange the details of his burial but the guards following closely did not give me a chance and hurried me back on the pretext that the steamer will soon leave the port.

Before that day when he offered himself up, he wrote out the year of his death in the one word: "Drowned." Then he threw down his life for the Well-Beloved, and was released from his despair, and no longer shut away.

Think not that the loved ones who were slain amid this by the swords of oppressors were lost. I swear by the Sun of the Kingdom of Truth that every soul among the friends of God who in that event drank the cup of martyrdom ascended to the Supreme Horizon and now dwelleth at rest beneath the canopies of God's mercy.

And concerning what you wrote about Aqa 'Ali, upon him be 966 [Baha'u'llah], son of His Holiness Haji Nasir who, as God beareth witness, was martyred in His path - this was presented before His countenance, and one Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was specifically revealed and sent for him. Deliver it unto him. Verily, He is with whosoever is with Him. The station of His Holiness Nasir, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, is great in the sight of God.

He---blessed and exalted be He---saith:

O youth! Verily thy father attained unto acceptance in the early days and quaffed My sealed wine in My Name, the Self-Subsisting. He is of those who accepted and believed and arose to serve the Cause until he was martyred in the path of God, the Lord of all worlds. His name hath been inscribed by My Most Exalted Pen among the martyrs in the Crimson Tablet, and We named him the Sacrifice in My perspicuous Book.

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Another will declare: “As a result of the illumination I received from the Day-Star of ethereal glory I was made captive and held fast in chains and stocks, for which exceptional rewards were lavished on me.” Another will say: “My heart was set ablaze with the fire of His love in such wise that I hastened to the field of sacrifice and kissed the edge of the sword.” Another will state: “The blessed body of my illustrious father was hacked to pieces in the arena of sacrifice for the sake of my glorious Lord.”

But when you look at the truth, this incident in Isfahan is also the greatest proof and evidence of the nobility of those blessed souls and evidence of eternal glory for the martyrs in the path of God.

Consider that after the martyrdom of the Prince of Martyrs (may my soul be sacrificed for him), during the Umayyad period, they completely erased all traces at the place of martyrdom, plowed the field and cultivated it so that the site would be entirely lost.

O cherished memento of two glorious martyrs! In truth, throughout your life you never found rest, never found peace and tranquility, never experienced joy and happiness. Rather, you were caught in the snare of calamity and bound in chains of cruelty until you saw your noble father rolling in dust and blood, and found your beloved companion dismembered at love's altar of sacrifice.

Concerning the descent of tribulations and the forbearance of the friends in the path of God which ye had written about - whatever ye might write, ye could not do justice to its description. I know it is beyond description and cannot be captured in word or characterization.

Look, then, upon the hearts which, in their love for Thee, have been transfixed by the darts of Thine enemies, and the heads which were borne on spears for the sake of the exaltation of Thy Cause and the glorification of Thy name. Have pity, then, upon those hearts which have been consumed by the fire of Thy love, and been touched by such tribulations as are known only unto Thee.

Eyes are weeping and hearts are burning to such degree that grief and sorrow has encompassed the denizens of the Supreme Concourse and regret and yearning appeared in the Abha Kingdom. What severe oppression was this, and what unprecedented tyranny! But regret is only for us mortals, for that servant of God and chosen one of the All-Merciful has soared from the place of sacrifice to the zenith of the Abha Kingdom, while we remain deprived and forsaken in this lower realm. They have drunk a single draught from the ocean of the greatest bounty, while we remain caught in the yearning for a single drop, suffering a hundred thousand afflictions.

We were deeply grieved and heartbroken at the martyrdom of Master Khodabakhsh, but rest assured that since he had love for the Baha'is, that pure soul in the endless luminous world will be immersed in the ocean of pardon and forgiveness and the divine radiance will illumine him.

In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Lord

These days are days of new joy, for in the City of Lovers a lover has attained his heart's desire and achieved that which is beloved. Though in one sense it is a time of grief, lamentation and mourning - for it is observed that the thirst of the oppressors remains unquenched, and each day they are seen in fresh flames and boundless conflagration - yet when one who seeks attains the supreme homeland, and a lover resolves to sacrifice himself, drinking with utmost desire and love from the cup of annihilation in the path of the Lord of eternity - a draught whereat the angels of the highest heaven and the cherubim exclaimed "Well done! Well done!" and beyond them the Tongue of Grandeur from the Throne of Glory spoke the words "Blessed, blessed is he!" - this is a station of greatest joy and supreme gladness. For a lover from the City of Lovers has attained that which was the ultimate hope of those who draw nigh and those who yearn. In these days the court of the presence of the Lord of all beings is perfumed with his mention and illumined by the light of utterance. Would that this cup were destined for me and His grace would bestow upon me that which He has bestowed upon the sincere and the sanctified ones. His is the praise and the glory, His the thanks and the bounty. There is no God but He, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious.

With all these circumstances, how can I properly respond to letters and present worthy writings? By thy life, my sorrow is not for the loss of wealth, but for his death and condition, that he was slain with utmost abasement, though he attained the most glorious martyrdom and ascended to the most exalted horizon. "Think not of those who are slain in God's way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance with their Lord, rejoicing."

From the beginning of creation till this day, such a feast of sacrifice hath not been adorned that more than two hundred pure and blessed souls in utmost meekness, surrender, and love show kindness to the bloodthirsty beasts, give up life, and find joy and happiness in this sacrifice. What fervor and reverberation is this and what resurrection?

Say: O son! Give thanks unto God for thy father having been martyred in His path and being numbered among the martyrs. By the True God! At the moment when his spirit ascended unto the Supreme Companion, the denizens of the highest paradise received him with crystal goblets and cups filled with the choice wine of paradise, and the hosts of Our exalted realm sought blessings from his presence.

In these days He saith in certain utterances that martyrdom is like the greatest elixir and the philosopher's stone - in these days mentioned but not found - which hath not been and will not be the portion of everyone. Would that, would that this servant had been in the land of Sad and there had befallen him what befell the Essence of the Kingdom of Creation and the King of Martyrs!

If the shrine and burial place of the martyrs is established with the utmost spirituality, grace and cleanliness, it will surely be a means of nearness to the Threshold of Oneness.

We were very pleased about the assistance given to the survivors of the martyrs of Nayriz.

The martyrdom of Mirza Ya'qub has again confined Ya'qub to the house of sorrows and cast all the friends into intense grief. But for that pure soul this martyrdom was the very essence of joy and a bounty from the bounties of the Divine Unity.

… Especially since that radiant youth had the utmost desire for sacrifice, and his loving spiritual mother, although she held her young son dearer than her sweet life, had yearned to see the garment of that precious one stained with crimson blood in the path of God. What power is this, what self-sacrifice, what offering and what rejoicing!

O Lord! These are the survivors of the martyrs, that company of blessed souls. They have sustained every tribulation and displayed patience in the face of grievous injustice.

Call thou to mind the episode of the land of Ṭaf, when a mother sent forth her son who laid down his life in the path of the Beloved. This Day is the king of days. It behoveth thee to show forth such deeds as will distinguish thee from the women of a bygone age.

That blessed soul beheld his illustrious father, his honour the Beloved of Martyrs, a sacrificial victim on the altar of love. It is evident, therefore, what injuries he sustained. Yet he remained under all circumstances patient, and in all trials constant, until he took his flight unto the Abha Kingdom, the infinite world.

What blessing is mightier than shedding these few drops of blood in the path of the peerless Lord? What felicity is more meritorious than the bounty of being aided by the mystery of sacrifice to consecrate themselves to the love of the Abha Beauty? May my life be offered up for those two martyrs; may my whole being be sacrificed for their sake; may my heart be laid down as a ransom for them.

Now you should thank God that He has granted you three such sons - one who, like 'Ali-Asghar (peace be upon him), while still a small child drank the cup of supreme martyrdom, and until now the hearts of those near the divine threshold burn in anguish at this oppression; and one who is a servant at the divine threshold and near to God's court; and another who is attracted to the divine fragrances.

The divine gift has placed upon that family's brow a crown adorned with precious jewels whose royal pearls will shine through centuries and ages - and that is the martyrdom of your respected husband, son-in-law and Mulla Hasan.

We sacrificed one of the Branches for the exaltation of the Cause of your Lord, the All-Merciful. At the time they were washing him, My tongue was speaking between earth and heaven in remembrance of your Lord, the Most High, and My pen was flowing with that which caused the breezes of the All-Merciful to waft among all possibility.

And when the Promised One came unto them, they recognized Him not, and disbelieved in Thy signs, and repudiated Thy clear tokens, and strayed so grievously from Thy path that they slew Thy servants, through the brightness of whose faces the countenances of the Concourse on high have been illumined.

Every soul that departeth from this world with the love of God in his heart is and hath ever been the possessor of all good. If this be attained by virtue of the verses of the Pen of the Most High, this is a gift eternal and a grace everlasting.

Sometimes thou didst drink the cup of tribulation from the cupbearer of destiny, and at others suffered the plunder and pillage of oppressors. At times thou didst find thy noble husband martyred in God's path, and at others saw thy household scattered by the onslaught of the wicked. Sometimes thou wert homeless and at others wandering through mountain and desert.

The purchase of the land where the pure bodies of the martyrs are hidden is highly acceptable at the Holy Threshold, especially since the inn has also been developed and they can stay there in the utmost joy and delight.

During the time when His Holiness Ali-Qabli-Akbar (upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God) was bound in chains for the divine path and companion to prison, bearing successive trials in love for the Manifest Light, wearing golden collars around his neck and chains like the ornamental sashes of earthly kings, that honored one showed the utmost care for the well-being of his relatives and consoled them.

Send one hundred liras for the destitute survivors of the martyrs of Yazd to Afnan of the Sacred Tree Aqa Siyyid Mihdi.

Concerning his honor, M. Moustafa Bagdadi, indeed he was an honorable person, who devoted his days to service in the Kingdom of God, became confirmed in excellent services, a cause of guidance to many, was firm in the Covenant, a promulgator of the Religion of God.

Concerning what you wrote about the survivors of the martyrs in Yazd province: The assistance that has been given is for the survivors of all the martyrs who are in need, whether from Yazd itself or outside Yazd.

O remembrances of those resplendent spirits!

Although your distinguished fathers surrendered their souls in the field of glorious martyrdom, hastened away from the abyss of this sordid world of dust unto the lofty heights of the Abha Kingdom, and raised the banner of the most great bounty among the Concourse on high, ye have not been left behind, forsaken and lonely.

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That young plant lacked the space and nourishment it needed to develop and grow in the gardens and meadows of this contingent world. Therefore, it hastened unto the garden of the All-Glorious that it might be cultivated amidst the babbling brooks and musk-laden breezes of God's mercy, and attain the utmost freshness and tenderness through the vernal showers of God's forgiveness.

All the concourse of the near angels and the cherubim lament and shed tears of blood. O Mihdi! Who hath assisted the families and children of the martyrs? Who hath consoled them? Who hath cared for them? Who hath given them bread and water?

O Scions of that House! Verily, there hath come upon you in the path of God that which came upon the descendants of the Apostle and their women and children in the Land of Taff [Karbila] and elsewhere.

Indeed as a result of the outrages perpetrated by the wicked, the attacks of the rapacious beasts and the onslaught of the ravening wolves, those blessed souls have endured woeful tribulations and have borne dire sufferings and distressing calamities, each of which calleth for weeping and wailing, for sighing and lamentation.

… However, such faithful friends as have laid down their lives as martyrs will be stirred by the waves of the ocean of ecstasy.

O thou firm in the Covenant! Your letter regarding assistance for the survivors of the martyrs was read. According to the instructions of Jinab-i-Afnan Aqa Mirza Aqa, you yourself should go to Nayriz and distribute that assistance amount among the poor survivors of the martyrs with the knowledge of Jinab-i-Haji Muhammad-Rahim and the members of the Spiritual Assembly.

And regarding the matter of the honored wife of the martyr of the plain of tribulation, Haji Haydar - it is truly as you had written. This honored woman is truly the pride of men, for despite the martyrdom of her peerless spouse and the martyrdom of her dear son-in-law, she remains in complete submission and contentment. She is patient and grateful, steadfast and firm. A special letter was written to that honored one - deliver it to her.

Regarding the blessed resting place of the martyrs, you had written that that respected person had made a sincere intention to repair the martyrs' burial place so that it would remain protected and preserved from the interference of strangers, and for its maintenance and protection had designated a certain amount from the proceeds of his own property to be spent each year on that sacred soil.

Praise be to God, the family of every glorious martyr and the household of every righteous man are embraced by the gaze of the favor of the Most Merciful and Compassionate. And it is hoped that all those related to the martyrs will enter beneath the Greatest Banner and be distinguished by the grace and bounty of the Most Glorious Beauty.

O exalted branch!

At this moment, such a fire of grief has been kindled in the heart of this wronged prisoner due to sorrow over the oppression of the martyrs that it has left no opportunity for writing or speaking.

… Otherwise, what bounty could be greater than this and what favor more complete than that one's life be sacrificed in the path of the Beloved and one's body roll in dust and blood for love of that Rose-clad One?

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These blessed souls laid down their lives. To use the popular expression, "It is no laughing matter." They tasted the venom of the sword, and made their mirror-like breasts the targets of a hundred thousand arrows.

Like thee that wronged one of the world was afflicted with mighty calamities; like thee she suffered grievous wrongs. But she was patient, she was dignified, long-suffering and brave. At all times did she loose her tongue in thanksgiving; at every moment did she cry "Praise be to God that He hath enabled me to outrun all other maidens in the arena of suffering!"

Sacred souls from among God's flock, in utmost oppression, fell prey to fierce wolves and were afflicted by vicious dogs. Despite the fact that throughout their lives they never hurt a soul nor wished sorrow upon anyone, the oppressors stretched forth the hand of tyranny and showed not an atom of mercy. They plundered and pillaged, slit throats and pierced hearts, and spilled blood. They tore bodies to pieces and burned corpses, and even martyred women and children.

Convey on behalf of 'Abdu'l-Baha sublime and most glorious greetings to the families of the martyrs, and be, as my deputy and representative, their servant - and what an excellent deputyship is this deputyship!

O Lord my God! This is a servant who is related to Your servant who was banished and exiled in Your path to the land of Sudan, where his body was consumed like fire from the intense heat, until You delivered him through Your grace.

O my God, my only Desire! Grant that the sacrifice of My son, My only son, may be acceptable unto Thee. Grant that it be a prelude to the sacrifice of My own, My entire self, in the path of Thy good pleasure. Endue with Thy grace My life-blood which I yearn to shed in Thy path.

I swear by God! O My Name Ha'! By reason of thine agony the Pen of the Most High hath halted; the dwellers of the Cities of the Names of God have lamented; and the hearts of His chosen ones have melted. Thou art he who accepted not a ransom in the love of God, the Lord of this world and of the next; and repeatedly craved of God that which actually befell him. Thou art the Most Great Ransom in the Crimson Book.

O traveler, the Supreme Pen maketh mention of those souls who ascended in this path. This is the most great bounty, were ye of them that know. It is incumbent upon all, and recorded in God's Book, to remember the Truth and show consideration for the remaining family members of such souls.

I know not, O my God and God of earth and heaven, whether he hath drunk from the chalice of martyrdom or remaineth under the will of those through whom the standards of tyranny were raised amongst creation.

But in these days news arrived that support for the families of the martyrs in Yazd is nearly exhausted. Therefore we issued a draft for 900 tumans to be sent to Yazd. 300 tumans remained, and we wrote for that 300 tumans also to be spent on the construction and repair of those two illumined resting places.

Convey the Most Glorious and Most Beauteous greetings to Khwajih Shaul and tell him not to be disturbed at all about the martyrdom of his brother, for it has no connection to you. That one who yearned for the Beauty of Truth has reached the divine retreat and found his way to the court of the All-Merciful.

The children of martyrs are to this servant as brothers if they are peers in age, and as sons if they are younger - nay, they are the crown of my head.

That illustrious person is a martyr, for he was always in severe danger in God's path. Finally, while teaching, he hastened to the Kingdom of the Glorious Lord.

O survivors of that leader of the free ones, his holiness Siyyid Mustafa has spread the wings of sanctification and flown to the divine nest in the proximity of the Most Great Mercy, and has found repose in the embrace of the favors of his illustrious grandfather, his holiness Muhammad Mustafa, may my spirit be sacrificed for him. That essence of existence ascended with utmost glory. What wisdom is there in preventing burial among decaying graves?

O thou my friend! Because of the painful occurrences and frightful sufferings inflicted upon the friends in Persia, the shedding of the blood of Martyrs, and the utter helplessness of their survivors -- my condition was like unto that of a shepherd whose sheep have been torn by wolves.

Thou dost show kindness to the orphans of the martyrs and love to the survivors of the blessed ones.

On the one hand this grievous calamity hath, like unto a dagger, inflicted upon me so profound an injury that no salve can soothe, nor can any balm assuage; while on the other the scene of sacrifice is seen bedecked with such splendid pageantry, such marvellous festivity that the holy ecstasy of its wine seizeth forevermore the minds of those that are godly and spiritual.

To the extent possible, obtain and convey news of those sanctified souls who are under chains and fetters in the path of God.

Remember the hardships of the disciples, and what Mary, the Virgin; Mary, the Magdalene; and Mary, the mother of Jesus, bore in the path of God; especially Barbara, until she was martyred in the love of Christ; and she being attracted unto the Kingdom of God, her spirit soared unto the summits of holiness in the paradise of eternal life, in the place of Meeting.

O cherished handmaid of the divine threshold! Your noble father was martyred in prison under chains and fetters, and sacrificed himself for that Peerless, Unique Beloved. His illustrious name is recorded and inscribed in the register of martyrs, the roster of lovers, the royal signature of those who sacrificed themselves, and the proclamation of the enraptured ones in the Abha Kingdom.

He endured every affliction and trial, drank deadly poison as though it were pure water, diffused the divine fragrances, and finally passed away to the sanctified Kingdom in sorrowful exile.

O you who are firm and established! Praise be to God that you are steadfast in the love of God and constant in service to God's Cause, and are known in the Abha Kingdom for serving the families of martyrs, and are a participant and partner with 'Abdu'l-Baha in the Supreme Concourse, for I am a servant and attendant to the families of martyrs.

The children of the martyrs of Manshad will, God willing, through thy endeavors, make the utmost progress in reading, writing and crafts.

O thou gentle soul that showeth kindness to the bereaved! In truth thy services to the bereaved family of the martyrs hath caused me untold happiness. … Convey my most glorious and most beauteous greetings to the bereaved families of the two glorious martyrs.

As for the kindred of the martyrs - may my spirit be a sacrifice for the martyrs - these souls are the legacy of those noble ones. It is incumbent upon me and all the loved ones of God to serve and attend to the kindred of the martyrs. … These souls have drunk a bitter cup in the path of love for the Blessed Beauty, for while the martyrs joined the Supreme Companion and attained the greatest gift, it was their kin who endured the afflictions, remaining in this transient world. In truth, they are martyred every day - the reproach of enemies, the gloating of peers, injury, cruelty, hardship and calumny have all gathered for them in the path of God.

They have become flesh of my flesh because the martyrs have sacrificed their lives for me. Whosoever renders a service to the families of the martyrs is serving the Blessed Beauty. Whosoever supports them is supporting the Blessed Beauty. Whosoever becomes a self-sacrifice in their behalf is a self-sacrifice in the path of the Beauty of Abha.

He is a helper to him that hath no helper, and a son to him whose son was martyred in the love of God, the Almighty, the Exalted, the Great.

All atoms and all things in their entirety, and beyond them the Tongue of God, the King, the Transcendent, the Mighty, the Impregnable, bear witness that he who dieth in the love of God is assuredly among those who have been martyred in His path and was of those who have attained.

O servant of God! Some souls wrote letters and offered themselves as sacrifices for the Blessed Beauty and requested martyrdom. I accepted this too, but by this acceptance the outward occurrence was not intended. Rather, the purpose was that, praise be to God, souls have arisen who hold as their utmost desire the supreme martyrdom. This very state in any soul is itself martyrdom, just as the Most Great Name (may my spirit be a sacrifice for His loved ones) revealed a prayer in Iraq where He states that this Soul would only be content when His head is raised upon a spear and His pure blood is spilled upon the dust. Then He states: "I bear witness that what I desired has been fulfilled and has come to pass." In short, the point is that this state itself is martyrdom - its outward occurrence is not essential or necessary. Furthermore, praise be to God, day by day the Cause of God is ascending and the hand of transgression and hostility of the oppressors is gradually being cut off. I beseech God to grant mighty confirmation to the loved ones of God and distinguish them with special favors....

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O servant of God! Thus it became clear that martyrdom consists in the state of sacrifice, whether it occurs outwardly or not - this is the essence, for such a person has sacrificed his life though the means did not come about.

...Whosoever detacheth himself from that which he possesseth and turneth his gaze toward that which is with God - that is, who becometh not the plaything of his own idle fancies but holdeth fast to the will of Him Who doeth what He pleaseth and ordaineth what He willeth - he is accounted among the martyrs, even though he walketh the earth and eateth....

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While suffering death on the pathway of God is the highest attainment, still, that dying which continues on throughout life, giving lift to other souls, is the station of 'living martyrdom'. The death of a martyr means the immediate end to all his afflictions and tests: martyrdom is the easiest way to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Today physical martyrdom has no value. One must endure the internal difficulties, calamities and afflictions of the Baha'is which are greater than martyrdom, and one must not fear anything but God.

Therefore I give you the glad tidings that your name is inscribed in God's Preserved Tablet and the divine scroll, in God's Kingdom in the register of martyrs. You are a martyr in God's path even though you walk and move upon the earth.

Nay rather, thou shouldst stain thy face and hair with pure blood in the path of God - that is, arise with the mystery of sacrifice, and that sacrifice is in all ranks and conditions, meaning that thou shouldst utterly efface and annihilate thine own identity in all stations, that the truth of "and among men is he who sells his very self to win the good pleasure of God" may be fulfilled.

How many souls there are who declare their readiness to sacrifice their lives, who a hundred thousand times say "My life be sacrificed for Thee":

"Sacrificing life and wealth and fame and name is but the first stage on the path of love"

They desire martyrdom, and perhaps this desire is truly sincere, but how great is the difference between them and that soul who has actually sacrificed their life in the field of martyrdom!

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This is the unity which caused twenty thousand people in Persia to give their lives in love and devotion to it. It made the Bab the target of a thousand arrows and caused Baha'u'llah to suffer exile and imprisonment forty years.

Thus let us scatter over every people the treasured gems of the recognition of God, and with the decisive blade of the tongue, and the sure arrows of knowledge, let us defeat the hosts of self and passion, and hasten onward to the site of martyrdom, to the place where we die for the Lord.

Like unto the gentle Ishmael they hastened to the field to martyrdom and with the eloquence of Christ they chanted soul-entrancing prayers on the cross.

… How many souls in that gathering drank the cup of bestowal from the cup-bearer of sacrifice with utmost joy and eagerness, and how many precious beings rolled like scattered pearls in that dust and blood.

As ye have no doubt heard, in Persia thousands of souls have offered up their lives in this path, and thousands of homes have been laid waste. Despite this, we have in no wise relented, but have continued to endeavour unto this very moment and are increasing our efforts as day followeth day, because our desire for peace is not derived merely from the intellect: It is a matter of religious belief and one of the eternal foundations of the Faith of God.

This is the process by which the Baha'is of Persia have attained it. They gave their lives for this station, sacrificed honor, comfort and possessions, hastened with the utmost joy to the place of martyrdom; their blood was spilled, their bodies were tortured and destroyed, their homes pillaged, their children carried into captivity. They endured all these conditions joyfully and willingly. Through such sacrifice nearness to God is made possible. And be it known that this nearness is not dependent upon time or place.

O thou sagacious one! The Iranians donned black garments in mourning for Siyavush and raised such an outcry that they finally overthrew the foundation of Afrasiyab and laid waste to Turkistan. But thou, in remembrance of the martyrs of Yazd and Isfahan, don crimson robes and play a melody like an organ, for those friends became intoxicated with the wine of love and hastened to the altar of sacrifice, and took flight to the private chamber of communion with the Self-Sufficing Lord.

Give the utmost attention to the history of the martyrs. Strive to compile it in a special book.

One will become intoxicated with the wine of martyrdom, while another will become drunk with the liquor of vanity and pride, and will consort with the people of inequity.

Consider the servants of His Holiness Jesus Christ, when all of them departed from this world after his martyrdom, others greater than they arose in service. They showed greater power until the light of guidance illumined the horizons.

I swear by Thy glory, O Beloved of them that yearn after Thee and Desire of those who cherish Thy love! Were any man of insight to press upon this holy Tablet, he would see the blood of my heart flowing from it, a blood that hath melted for the love of Thee and of those who have been hindered from beholding Thy face after having directed their steps towards Thee and having come to abide within the city or its precincts. May my entire being be offered up as a sacrifice for Thy patience, O Lord of might and power!

Observe how the Prince of Martyrs and the Support of the God-fearing (may my soul be sacrificed for him) through his deeds and actions counseled and exhorted all beings that such are the attributes of the lovers of the Glorious Beauty and such is the way of those yearning for the Lord of Beauty.

As to the Nineteen Day festivity, it is of the utmost importance that the friends should gather at a meeting where, in complete attunement and love, they should engage in the remembrance of God and His praise, and converse as to the glad-tidings of God, and proofs of the advent of Bahá’u’lláh, and should recount the high deeds and sacrifices of the lovers of God in Persia, and tell of the martyrs’ detachment from the world, and their ecstasy, and of how the believers there stood by one another and gave up everything they had.

At last the end of her tragic life came; she was carried into a garden and strangled. She put on, however, her choicest robes as if she were going to join a bridal party. With such magnanimity and courage she gave her life, startling and thrilling all who saw her.

And this is it: "Would that I had been among those martyred in Thy path!" By My life! By this yearning the Glance of God turned toward you and the denizens of the Supreme Concourse drew near unto you, but the people do not understand. Because of this, your yearning, We have recorded for you the reward of one martyred in My path.

My blood, at all times, addresseth me saying: "O Thou Who art the Image of the Most Merciful! How long will it be ere Thou riddest me of the captivity of this world, and deliverest me from the bondage of this life? Didst Thou not promise me that Thou shalt dye the earth with me, and sprinkle me on the faces of the inmates of Thy Paradise?"

In these days, the Holy Ones of the Realm of Glory, dwelling in the all-highest Paradise, yearn to return unto this world, and be of some service to the Cause of Baha'u'llah and prove their servitude to the Threshold of Abha Beauty.

Recently, in Yazd two hundred of the Baha'i friends were cruelly slain. They went to the place of martyrdom in the utmost ecstasy of attraction, smiling with joy and gratitude upon their persecutors. Some of them offered sweetmeats to their executioners, saying, "Taste of this in order that with sweetness and enjoyment you may bestow upon us the blessed cup of martyrdom."

Saints are men who have freed themselves from the world of matter and who have overcome sin. They live in the world but are not of it, their thoughts being continually in the world of the spirit. Their lives are spent in holiness, and their deeds show forth love, justice and godliness. They are illumined from on high; they are as bright and shining lamps in the dark places of the earth. These are the saints of God.

How many people exist who constantly state their readiness for self-sacrifice. Several thousand times they state: "May my life be a sacrifice unto you!" Forfeiting possessions, rank and name in the path of Love is the first station. They express their desire for sacrifice, and perhaps it is based on truth. But how different it is to say such a thing and to actually be sacrificed on the field of martyrdom!

This is the day of Life, the day of Salvation and the day of the Bestowal; it is not the day of death, unless it be martyrdom in the path of God, or embracing the cross in the love of God.

Instead of these self-inflicting thoughts he must think of the self-sacrifice of all the Baha'is, of their pure spirituality and attraction, of the long army of the martyrs, how the breast of the Bab became the target of a 1000 volleys, how Baha'u'llah underwent all manner of afflictions and tortures in the path of God, how the Kings of the Martyrs was put to pieces, how hundreds of holy souls hastened toward the arena of sacrifice and how the lives of men became spiritual through the ethereal influences of these divine heroes!

When the Seven Martyrs were being executed, each would implore to be martyred first. He would say, 'Slay me first so that I would not witness the martyrdom of others.' This is true affection. This affection is light. This affection is life.

Hasan attained unto a twofold martyrdom, for throughout the days of his life he was selfless in the Will of the One True God. Whosoever hath assimilated his will and purpose to those of his Lord and Master hath, verily, attained unto true martyrdom. He attained likewise unto an outward martyrdom.

Strive thou that in life thou mayest sacrifice thy precious soul for thy glorious Lord and in living attain the lofty station of martyrdom. Whosoever today hath caused his will and desire to be lost in the will and desire of God, exalted be His glory - that is, hath abandoned his own desire and held fast to that which God hath willed - hath in life and living attained unto the supreme martyrdom.

Your sincerity of purpose and desire for martyrdom are worthy of praise. However, this condition itself is the very essence of martyrdom.

O thou who art sacrificed in the altar of love!

A hundred thousand martyrs have shed their blood and freely gave their lives, yet asked forgiveness for their shortcomings, saying they had not sacrificed as they should and could.

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Abdul-Baha opened the meeting by saying to Mr. Bosch:

"Although you are here with these assembled friends and cannot speak with them nor they with you, yet you can speak with one another through the heart. The language of the heart is even more expressive than the language of the tongue and is more truthful and has a wider reach and a more potent effect."

Mr. Bosch said: "This is a wonderful spiritual experience - to be here with the friends."

Abdul-Baha then said: "When lovers meet it may be that they cannot exchange a single word, yet with their hearts they speak to one another. Thus do the clouds speak to the earth and the rain comes down; the breeze whispers to the trees; the sun speaks to the eyes of men. Although this is not actual speech yet this is the way in which the hearts of the friends talk together. It is the harmony between two persons, and this is harmony is of the hearts. For instance, you were in America and I was in the Holy Land. Although our lips were still yet with our hearts we were conversing together. The friends here love you very much. They have a real attachment for you although with the tongue they cannot express it."

Mr. Bosch said: "I am very glad. I love them too."

Abdul-Baha then said: "If this love is real and true, if it is from the heart it will characterize itself by self-sacrifice. When the attachment is superficial friends do not sacrifice themselves even to the extent of a hair's breadth.

"His holiness the Christ loved both his disciples and believers to such an extent that he sacrificed his life for them. His holiness the Supreme (the Bab), loved the friends to such an extent that he gave his life for them. The Blessed Beauty (Baha'Ullah) loved the friends so much that for their sakes he accepted a thousand difficulties and afflictions. Four times he was exiled. He was banished from one place to another. His properties were confiscated. He gave all - his family, his relatives, his possessions. He accepted imprisonment, chains and fetters. His holy person was imprisoned in the fortress of Acca until the last moment of his life. He was made to suffer more calamities, afflictions and difficulties than could be enumerated. He had not a moment's rest. He had not an hour's comfort. He was continually under the greatest hardships and ordeals. What great persecutions he endured from his enemies! What great afflictions he bore from his own relatives! He accepted all these trials for our sakes so that he might educate us, so that he might make us illumined, so that he might make us heavenly, so that he might change our character, change our lives, so that he might illumine our inmost self. All these troubles he accepted for our sakes. He did indeed sacrifice his life for us. This love is the real love. This is the inner attachment and the genuine friendship. This is the love which sacrifices one's all, one's life. This is the reality of love. He accepted all these troubles.

"All this cannot be accomplished by merely talking. It cannot be done by saying, 'I love you,' or, "How is your health," or, "You are my beloved,' or, 'You are esteemed.' This is not love. This is an attachment that will break in the testing. This is why one sees persons associating with one another, appearing to be enwrapped with one another. Each seems to sacrifice himself for the other. But when they part they become as strangers. This is human love. It is not spiritual love; it is not divine love; it has no real foundation and in the time of testing it will fall and disappear.

"If you should go to Persia and mingle with the friends there and should be in the house of any one of the friends, and people should come in to take you to kill you, you would then witness how the owner of the house would sacrifice himself for you. He would sacrifice himself for you rather than allow even one hair of your head to be hurt. This is love! It has happened often in Persia that the friends have sacrificed themselves for one another. This has happened many times. This love is the love of God.

"The King of Martyrs and the Beloved of Martyrs were two souls who were greatly honored among the people. They were very wealthy. They were extremely comfortable. The people pillaged all their property. They put them in chains. They put them in prison. The Shah of Persia decreed that they should be killed; that they should either deny their faith or be killed. The notables came to them and advised them to renounce their faith. The friends came and advised them; even the government advised them to recant so that they might save their lives. But they would not deny. They continued to cry aloud, 'Ya Baha el Abha!' (O, Thou Glory of the Most Glorious!) And so they were martyred.

"This is the love of God! This is the love of the heart! This is divine love!"

Do you know why His Holiness the Exalted One [the Bab] was martyred and the Blessed Beauty sustained such life-long hardships and sufferings? Do you understand why such a large multitude of martyrs gladly drank from the chalice of sacrifice and closed their eyes to the pleasures of the world and the comforts of life?

In Persia the Baha'is were willing to sacrifice themselves for one another to such a degree that once when one of the Baha'is was a guest in the home of another believer, and the authorities demanded the arrest of the guest, the host gave the guest's name as his own and surrendered himself to them, was martyred in his place, thus sacrificing his life for his guest and brother.

Every drop of blood shed in the Cause of God will raise up one hundred believers. Martyrdom is the supreme test of belief. Great martyrs will arise in this Cause in the years to come. A believer is sometimes called upon to suffer a living martyrdom.

O Hasan! The Beauty of God sacrificed Himself amongst the people for the sake of the Peerless Beloved. He freely removed the crown of life and cast it at the feet of the Beloved of all creation. He attained unto twin martyrdoms - before his outward martyrdom, he had already sacrificed himself over the course of years, for he had no desires, will or purpose of his own; he had caused them all to perish in the will of the Beloved.

Consider the Lord of existence, that is, the King of Martyrs. He conducted himself with the utmost joy and fragrance among all peoples, and never did he cause harm to anyone. Even the Armenians of the land of Sad (Isfahan) expressed their satisfaction with that holy being. Several years passed, and no one ever observed him acting contrary to God's will. His will and desire were annihilated in the Will of God. This is the station of the Most Great Martyrdom that hath formerly flowed from the Supreme Pen. He had attained to the Most Great Jihad and was adorned with outward martyrdom as well.

For everyone who hath visited that place and remained steadfast in His love, God hath written the reward of one martyred in His path, even though he be living at that time.

O cherished maidservant of God! I summoned the honored martyr from India. He arrived safe and protected, and it has been several days that they are with me.

We have longed for death in the path of God; we have been ready to welcome the cup of sacrifice and were thirsty for the chalice of martyrdom. The Lord willed that we stay and serve Him.

Regarding what you wrote about proceeding to a certain place for the supreme martyrdom, after it was presented He said: "The honored Overseer, upon him be God's peace and glory, has repeatedly attained this bounty. In the path of God most of his days have been spent in exile and hardship. How many taunts he has heard and torments he has tasted! Each of these instances is cause for martyrdom and reason for sacrificing one's existence.

Once the Tongue of Grandeur uttered these words: "He attained martyrdom in his life, for he had no wishes, will or desire of his own. All his affairs ended in God. His spirit had been sacrificed while his body walked among men and spoke, and then he attained outward martyrdom as well."

Say: May the first fragrance that wafted from the garment of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Glorious, be upon thee, O fruit of the Tree of bounty, O pillar of faithfulness in the kingdom of names, O word of the Book of God, Lord of the throne on high and of the dust below. Thou art he whom neither commerce nor trade deterred from the remembrance of God.

There are many kinds of martyrdom. How many times have I prayed for it, but instead of that I have lived on in prison as if with the sword of Damocles suspended by a hair over my head! Each morning as I waken I feel that before the day ends I may be dragged to the public square and shot to death.

This is why at the time of martyrdom and death, the Baha'is experience the utmost joy, for they know that they will not really die and become nonexistent. At most, the body is destroyed, but the soul will continue to live forever in the world of God.

Ponder upon the afflictions of God's loved ones and chosen ones in former ages. What a murderous venom they tasted and what a deadly poison they drank! Even so, that calamity was the same as a heavenly gift, that poison the same as a remedy, that tribulation the same as mercy, and that ordeal the same as ease.

They that are sunk in heedlessness fondly imagine that massacre and crucifixion cause the fire of the Word of God to be extinguished, and regard martyrdom as a devastating injury. They are utterly oblivious of the truth that through such afflictions the Cause of God is exalted, its fame is blazoned far and wide, and the martyrs themselves are enabled to attain the boundless retreats of nearness unto God.

The Baha'is were smiling under the sword, even offering sweets to their executioners saying 'You have become the cause of our happiness and nearness to God, and we seek divine forgiveness for you.'

For example, consider the martyrs - though outwardly they fell to dust, yet they grew in all divine worlds. "Think not of those who are slain in God's way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord."

Fear not if this Branch be severed from this material world and cast aside its leaves; nay, the leaves thereof shall flourish, for this Branch will grow after it is cut off from this world below, it shall reach the loftiest pinnacles of glory, and it shall bear such fruits as will perfume the world with their fragrance.

And that which is now revealed from the heaven of the mercy of the Self-Sufficient, the Most High is this:

They that have forsaken their country in the path of God and subsequently ascended unto His presence, such souls shall be blessed by the Concourse on High and their names recorded by the Pen of Glory among such as have laid down their lives as martyrs in the path of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsistent.

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I quaffed the cup that brimmeth over with the consummate bounty of God and tasted the sweetness of the Abha Kingdom even from the edge of the sword. I have divested myself of my wornout garments and raised up my banner in the realm of glory. From the world of dust till the heights of the heavens I spurred on the charger of martyrdom and from this luminous horizon I call out and say:

O my loved ones! The portals of His most great favour are flung open and the hearts of the people of Baha are dilated with joy.

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However, those who have offered up their lives as martyrs will shine resplendent even as a candle, and the effulgent glory of the friends of God will shed its radiance from the horizon of eternity like unto a brilliant star.

O Qurban! You are a sacrifice and at every moment you are offering yourself in the path of the Peerless Beloved, for the friends are constantly in grave danger and face severe perils. All nations like bloodthirsty wolves are attacking and raiding, and all tribes like fierce beasts are assaulting. Despite this danger, there is no doubt that life is forfeit and home and belongings are overturned. Thus in truth all the friends are sacrifices and all the loved ones are martyrs.

As for His Holiness Manshadi, he has found freedom from this mortal world and hastened to the divine realm. Due to the intensity of his burning and the abundance of his longing, the lamp could not be contained within the glass of contingent existence, and thus ascended to the infinite world.

O offshoot of him who in a transport of delight drank of the chalice of martyrdom in the path of God!

That essence of being is so graciously confirmed in this day with boundless grace and favour at the court of the sovereign Lord of the seen and the unseen that the embodiments of spiritual majesty and the exponents of true glory are eagerly yearning to render service unto him. Although to outward seeming he was put to a shameful death, in reality he is established upon the throne of unfading exaltation.

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The mention of His Honor A. and the loved ones - upon them be the peace [of God] - who are imprisoned for God and in His path, was made during nights and days at the Most Holy and Most Exalted Threshold. This servant conveyeth his glorification and greetings unto them with the utmost humility and reverence. For God's sake is their essence, and for God's sake their acceptance, and for God's countenance their imprisonment. Blessed are they and blessed is he who remembereth them and loveth them in the path of God, the Lord of the worlds.

Consider that no humiliation could be greater than being slain, stripped of possessions, and having one's family taken captive. On the sorrowful plain of Karbila there could be no greater abasement. Yet observe how this very humiliation became eternal glory for the Prince of Martyrs - may the souls of all existence be sacrificed for Him - while Yazid and Walid, though outwardly mighty and established upon the throne of sovereignty, found their glory transformed to everlasting disgrace.

In the last scene, one of those who believe is taken by the persecutors. "We mean to kill you," they say. "I am ready. I am happy," he answers. With hands raised to Heaven he cries, "O God, make me ready!" Then he gives himself up to death. Another is taken and dies praising God and His mercy to mankind.

In the Gospel (St. Luke 12:4) it is said: "Be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. But I will tell you whom ye shall fear. Fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell. Yea, I may unto you, fear him."

'Abdu'l-Baha said that this means that the death of the body is of no importance and not in the least to be feared, because a spiritual soul lives forever. But the thing to be feared is the death of the spirit.

Through the blood which they shed the earth hath been impregnated with the wondrous revelations of Thy might and the gem-like signs of Thy glorious sovereignty. Ere-long shall she tell out her tidings, when the set time is come.

We make mention in this station of Muhammad-Qabli-'Ali, whose flesh was mingled with the flesh of his Lord, his blood with His blood, his body with His body, and his bones with the bones of his Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower. My Most Exalted Pen beareth witness that he hath attained unto that which none before him attained, and there befell him that of which no ear hath heard the like.

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All the Saints that shine in the history of society had to pass through tribulations. Their form was various but their effect has always been the same, namely, the purification of our heart and soul for receiving the light of God.

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The ego is the animal in us, the heritage of the flesh which is full of selfish desires. By obeying the laws of God, seeking to live the life laid down in our teachings, and prayer and struggle, we can subdue our egos. We call people "saints" who have achieved the highest degree of mastery over their egos.

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Not all the heroes of the heroic age led saintly lives. we must not confuse a hero with a saint. Hero primarily denotes the attitude of a person towards the Cause. We must not confuse loyalty to the Cause with character. A believer who is loyal, who will sacrifice for the Cause, is a tremendous asset and we must recognize it - but it is not enough. We must have character; a Saint who is a man of action becomes a hero too.

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