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CHAPTER V
BAHA'U'LLAH'S JOURNEY TO MAZINDARAN
HE first journey Baha'u'llah undertook for the purpose of promoting
the Revelation announced by the Bab was to His ancestral home in Nur, in the province
of Mazindaran. He set out for the village of Takur, the personal estate of His
father, where He owned a vast mansion, royally furnished and superbly situated.
It was my privilege to hear Baha'u'llah Himself, one day, recount the following:
"The late Vazir, My father, enjoyed a most enviable position among his countrymen.
His vast wealth, his noble ancestry, his artistic attainments, his unrivalled
prestige and exalted rank made him the object of the admiration of all who knew
him. For a period of over twenty years, no one among the wide circle of his family
and kindred, which extended over Nur and Tihran, suffered distress, injury, or
illness. They enjoyed, during a long and uninterrupted period, rich and manifold
blessings. Quite suddenly, however, this prosperity and glory gave way to a series
of calamities which severely shook the foundations of his material prosperity.
The first loss he suffered was occasioned by a great flood which, rising in the
mountains of Mazindaran, swept with great violence over the village of Takur,
and utterly destroyed half the mansion of the Vazir, situated above the fortress
of that village. The best part of that house, which had been known for the solidity
of its foundations, was utterly wiped away by the fury of the roaring torrent.
Its precious articles of furniture were destroyed, and its elaborate ornamentation
irretrievably ruined. This was shortly followed by the loss of various State positions
which the Vazir occupied, and by the repeated assaults directed against him by
his envious adversaries. Despite this sudden change of fortune, the Vazir maintained
his dignity and calm, and continued, within the restricted limits of his means,
his acts of benevolence and charity. He continued to exercise towards his faithless
associates
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that same courtesy and kindness
that had characterised his dealings with his fellow-men. With splendid fortitude
he grappled, until the last hour of his life, with the adversities that weighed
so heavily upon him."
Baha'u'llah had already,
prior to the declaration of the Bab, visited the district of Nur, at a time when
the celebrated mujtahid Mirza Muhammad Taqiy-i-Nuri was at the height of his authority
and influence. Such was the eminence of his position, that they who sat at his
feet regarded themselves each as the authorised exponent of the Faith and Law
of Islam. The mujtahid was addressing a company of over two hundred
of such disciples, and was expatiating upon a dark passage of the reported utterances
of the imams, when Baha'u'llah, followed by a number of His companions, passed
by that place, and paused for a while to listen to his discourse. The mujtahid
asked his disciples to elucidate an abstruse theory relating to the metaphysical
aspects of the Islamic teachings. As they all confessed their inability to explain
it, Baha'u'llah was moved to give, in brief but convincing language, a lucid exposition
of that theory. The mujtahid was greatly annoyed at the incompetence of his disciples.
"For years I have been instructing you," he angrily exclaimed, "and have patiently
striven to instil into your minds the profoundest truths and the noblest principles
of the Faith. And yet you allow, after all these years of persistent study, this
youth, a wearer of the kulah,(1)
who has had no share in scholarly training, and who is entirely unfamiliar with
your academic learning, to demonstrate his superiority over you!
Later on, when Baha'u'llah
had departed, the mujtahid related to his disciples two of his recent dreams,
the circumstances of which he believed were of the utmost significance. "In my
first dream," he said, "I was standing in the midst of a vast concourse of people,
all of whom seemed to be pointing to a certain house in which they said the Sahibu'z-Zaman
dwelt. Frantic with joy, I hastened in my dream to attain His presence. When I
reached the house, I was, to my great surprise, refused admittance. `The promised
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Qa'im,' I was informed, `is
engaged in private conversation with another Person. Access to them is strictly
forbidden.' From the guards who were standing beside the door, I gathered that
that Person was none other than Baha'u'llah.
"In my second dream," the mujtahid continued,
"I found myself in a place where I beheld around me a number of coffers, each
of which, it was stated, belonged to Baha'u'llah. As I opened them, I found them
to be filled with books. Every word and letter recorded in these books was set
with the most
exquisite jewels. Their radiance
dazzled me. I was so overpowered by their brilliance that I awoke suddenly from
my dream."
When, in the year '60, Baha'u'llah
arrived in Nur, He discovered that the celebrated mujtahid who on His previous
visit had wielded such immense power had passed away. The vast number of his devotees
had shrunk into a mere handful of dejected disciples who, under the leadership
of his successor, Mulla Muhammad, were striving to uphold the traditions of their
departed leader. The enthusiasm which greeted Baha'u'llah's arrival sharply contrasted
with the
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gloom that had settled upon
the remnants of that once flourishing community. A large number of the officials
and notables in that neighbourhood called upon Him and, with every mark of affection
and respect, accorded Him a befitting welcome. They were eager, in view of the
social position He occupied, to learn from Him all the news regarding the life
of the Shah, the activities of his ministers, and the affairs of his government.
To their enquiries Baha'u'llah replied with extreme indifference, and seemed to
reveal very little interest or concern. With persuasive eloquence He pleaded the
cause of the new Revelation, and directed their attention to the immeasurable
benefits which it was destined to confer upon their country.(1)
Those who heard Him marvelled at the keen interest which a man of His position
and age evinced for truths which primarily concerned the divines and theologians
of Islam. They felt powerless to challenge the soundness of His arguments or to
belittle the Cause which He so ably expounded. They admired the loftiness of His
enthusiasm and the profundity of His thoughts, and were deeply impressed by His
detachment and self-effacement.
None dared
to contend with His views except His uncle Aziz, who ventured to oppose Him, challenging
His statements and aspersing their truth. When those who heard him sought to silence
this opponent and to injure him, Baha'u'llah intervened in his behalf, and advised
them to leave him in the hands of God. Alarmed, he sought the aid of the mujtahid
of Nur, Mulla Muhammad, and appealed to him to lend him immediate assistance.
"O vicegerent of the Prophet of God!" he said. "Behold what has befallen the Faith.
A youth, a layman, attired in the garb of nobility, has come to Nur, has invaded
the strongholds of orthodoxy, and disrupted the holy Faith of Islam. Arise, and
resist his onslaught. Whoever attains his presence falls immediately under his
spell, and is enthralled by the power of his utterance. I know not whether he
is a sorcerer, or whether he mixes with his tea some mysterious substance that
makes every man who drinks the tea fall a victim to its charm." The
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mujtahid, notwithstanding
his own lack of comprehension, was able to realise the folly of such remarks.
Jestingly he observed: "Have you not partaken of his tea, or heard him address
his companions?" "I have," he replied, "but, thanks to your loving protection,
I have remained immune from the effect of his mysterious power." The mujtahid,
finding himself unequal to the task of arousing the populace against Baha'u'llah,
and of combating directly the ideas which so powerful an opponent was fearlessly
spreading, contented himself with a written statement in which he declared: "O
Aziz, be not afraid, no one will dare molest you." In writing this, the mujtahid
had, through a grammatical error, so perverted the purport of his statement, that
those who read it among the notables of the village of Takur were scandalised
by its meaning, and vilified both the bearer and the author of that statement.
Those who attained the presence of Baha'u'llah
and heard Him expound the Message proclaimed by the Bab were so much impressed
by the earnestness of His appeal that they forthwith arose to disseminate that
same Message among the people of Nur and to extol the virtues of its distinguished
Promoter. The disciples of Mulla Muhammad meanwhile endeavoured to persuade their
teacher to proceed to Takur, to visit Baha'u'llah in person, to ascertain from
Him the nature of this new Revelation, and to enlighten his followers regarding
its character and purpose. To their earnest entreaty the mujtahid returned an
evasive answer. His disciples, however, refused to admit the validity of the objections
he raised. They urged that the first obligation imposed upon a man of his position,
whose function was to preserve the integrity of shi'ah Islam, was to enquire into
the nature of every movement that tended to affect the interests of their Faith.
Mulla Muhammad eventually decided to delegate two of his eminent lieutenants,
Mulla Abbas and Mirza Abu'l-Qasim, both sons-in-law and trusted disciples of the
late mujtahid, Mirza Muhammad-Taqi, to visit Baha'u'llah and to determine the
true character of the Message He had brought. He pledged himself to endorse unreservedly
whatever conclusions they might arrive at, and to recognise their decision in
such matters as final.
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On being informed, upon their arrival in Takur,
that Baha'u'llah had departed for His winter resort, the representatives of Mulla
Muhammad decided to leave for that place. When they arrived, they found Baha'u'llah
engaged in revealing a commentary on the opening Surih of the Qur'an, entitled
"The Seven Verses of Repetition." As they sat and listened to His discourse, the
loftiness of the theme, the persuasive eloquence which characterised its presentation,
as well as the extraordinary manner of its delivery, profoundly impressed them.
Mulla Abbas, unable to contain himself, arose from his seat and, urged by an impulse
he could not resist, walked back and stood still beside the door in an attitude
of reverent submissiveness. The charm of the discourse to which he was listening
had fascinated him. "You behold my condition," he told his companion as he stood
trembling with emotion and with eyes full of tears. "I am powerless to question
Baha'u'llah. The questions I had planned to ask Him have vanished suddenly from
my memory. You are free either to proceed with your enquiry or to return alone
to our teacher and inform him of the state in which I find myself. Tell him from
me that Abbas can never again return to him. He can no longer forsake this threshold."
Mirza Abu'l-Qasim was likewise moved to follow the example of his companion. "I
have ceased to recognise my teacher," was his reply. "This very moment, I have
vowed to God to dedicate the remaining days of my life to the service of Baha'u'llah,
my true and only Master."
The news of the sudden conversion of the chosen
envoys of the mujtahid of Nur spread with bewildering rapidity throughout the
district. It roused the people from their lethargy. Ecclesiastical dignitaries,
State officials, traders, and peasants all flocked to the residence of Baha'u'llah.
A considerable number among them willingly espoused His Cause. In their admiration
for Him, a number of the most distinguished among them remarked: "We see how the
people of Nur have risen and rallied round you. We witness on every side evidences
of their exultation. If Mulla Muhammad were also to join them, the triumph of
this Faith would be completely assured." "I am come to Nur," Baha'u'llah replied,
"solely for the purpose of proclaiming the
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Cause of God. I cherish no
other intention. If I were told that at a distance of a hundred leagues a seeker
yearned for the Truth and was unable to meet Me, I would, gladly and unhesitatingly,
hasten to his abode, and would Myself satisfy his hunger. Mulla Muhammad, I am
told, lives in Sa'adat-Abad, a village not far distant from this place. It is
My purpose to visit him and deliver to him the Message of God."
Desirous of giving effect to His words, Baha'u'llah,
accompanied by a number of His companions, proceeded immediately to that village.
Mulla Muhammad most ceremoniously received Him. "I have not come to this place,"
Baha'u'llah observed, "to pay you an official or formal visit. My purpose is to
enlighten you regarding a new and wondrous Message, divinely inspired and fulfilling
the promise given to Islam. Whosoever has inclined his ear to this Message has
felt its irresistible power, and has been transformed by the potency of its grace.
Tell Me whatsoever perplexes your mind, or hinders you from recognising the Truth."
Mulla Muhammad disparagingly remarked: "I undertake no action unless I first consult
the Qur'an. I have invariably, on such occasions, followed the practice of invoking
the aid of God and His blessings; of opening at random His sacred Book, and of
consulting the first verse of the particular page upon which my eyes chance to
fall. From the nature of that verse I can judge the wisdom and the advisability
of my contemplated course of action." Finding that Baha'u'llah was not inclined
to refuse him his request, the mujtahid called for a copy of the Qur'an, opened
and closed it again, refusing to reveal the nature of the verse to those who were
present. All he said was this: "I have consulted the Book of God, and deem it
inadvisable to proceed further with this matter." A few agreed with him; the rest,
for the most part, did not fail to recognise the fear which those words implied.
Baha'u'llah, disinclined to cause him further embarrassment, arose and, asking
to be excused, bade him a cordial farewell.
One day, in the course of
one of His riding excursions into the country, Baha'u'llah, accompanied by His
companions, saw, seated by Me roadside, a lonely youth. His hair was dishevelled,
and he wore the dress of a dervish. By the side of a brook he had kindled a fire,
and was cooking his food
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and eating it. Approaching
him, Baha'u'llah most lovingly enquired: "Tell Me, dervish, what is it that you
are doing?" "I am engaged in eating God," he bluntly replied. "I am cooking God
and am burning Him." The unaffected simplicity of his manners and the candour
of his reply pleased Baha'u'llah extremely. He smiled at his remark and began
to converse with him with unrestrained tenderness and freedom. Within a short
space of time, Baha'u'llah had changed him completely. Enlightened as to the true
nature of God, and with a mind purged from the idle fancy of his own people, he
immediately recognised the Light which that loving Stranger had so unexpectedly
brought him. That dervish, whose name was Mustafa, became so enamoured with the
teachings which had been instilled into his mind that, leaving his cooking utensils
behind, he straightway arose and followed Baha'u'llah. On foot, behind His horse,
and inflamed with the fire of His love, he chanted merrily verses of a love-song
which he had composed on the spur of the moment and had dedicated to his Beloved.
"Thou art the Day-Star of guidance," ran its glad refrain. "Thou art the Light
of Truth. Unveil Thyself to men, O Revealer of the Truth." Although, in later
years, that poem obtained wide circulation among his people, and it became known
that a certain dervish, surnamed Majdhub, and whose name was Mustafa Big-i-Sanandaji,
had, without premeditation, composed it in praise of his Beloved, none seemed
to be aware to whom it actually referred, nor did anyone suspect, at a time when
Baha'u'llah was still veiled from the eyes of men, that this dervish alone had
recognised His station and discovered His glory.
Baha'u'llah's visit to Nur
had produced the most far-reaching results, and had lent a remarkable impetus
to the spread of the new-born Revelation. By His magnetic eloquence, by the purity
of His life, by the dignity of His bearing, by the unanswerable logic of His argument,
and by the many evidences of His loving-kindness, Baha'u'llah had won the hearts
of the people of Nur, had stirred their souls, and had enrolled them under the
standard of the Faith. Such was the effect of words and deeds, as He went about
preaching the Cause and revealing its glory to His countrymen in Nur, that the
very stones and trees of that district seemed to have
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been quickened by the waves
of spiritual power which emanated from His person. All things seemed to be endowed
with a new and more abundant life, all things seemed to be proclaiming aloud:
"Behold, the Beauty of God has been made manifest! Arise, for He has come in all
His glory." The people of Nur, when Baha'u'llah had departed from out their midst,
continued to propagate the Cause and to consolidate its foundations. A number
of them endured the severest afflictions for His sake; others quaffed with gladness
the cup of martyrdom in His path. Mazindaran in general, and Nur in particular,
were thus distinguished from the other provinces and districts of Persia, as being
the first to have eagerly embraced the Divine Message. The district of Nur, literally
meaning "light," which lay embedded within the mountains of Mazindaran, was the
first to catch the rays of the Sun that had arisen in Shiraz, the first to proclaim
to the rest of Persia, which still lay enveloped in the shadow of the vale of
heedlessness, that the Day-Star of heavenly guidance had at length arisen to warm
and illuminate the whole land.
When Baha'u'llah was still
a child, the Vazir, His father, dreamed a dream. Baha'u'llah appeared to him swimming
in a vast, limitless ocean. His body shone upon the waters with a radiance that
illumined the sea. Around His head, which could distinctly be seen above the waters,
there radiated, in all directions, His long, jet-black locks, floating in great
profusion above the waves. As he dreamed, a multitude of fishes gathered round
Him, each holding fast to the extremity of one hair. Fascinated by the effulgence
of His face, they followed Him in whatever direction He swam. Great as was their
number, and however firmly they clung to His locks, not one single hair seemed
to have been detached from His head, nor did the least injury affect His person.
Free and unrestrained, He moved above the waters and they all followed Him.
The Vazir, greatly impressed by this dream,
summoned a soothsayer, who had achieved fame in that region, and asked him to
interpret it for him. This man, as if inspired by a premonition of the future
glory of Baha'u'llah, declared: "The limitless ocean that you have seen in your
dream, O
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Vazir, is none other than
the world of being. Single-handed and alone, your son will achieve supreme ascendancy
over it. Wherever He may please, He will proceed unhindered. No one will resist
His march, no one will hinder His progress. The multitude of fishes signifies
the turmoil which He will arouse amidst the peoples and kindreds of the earth.
Around Him will they gather, and to Him will they cling. Assured of the unfailing
protection of the Almighty, this tumult will never harm His person, nor will His
loneliness upon the sea of life endanger His safety."
That soothsayer was subsequently taken to
see Baha'u'llah. He looked intently upon His face, and examined carefully His
features. He was charmed by His appearance, and extolled every trait of His countenance.
Every expression in that face revealed to his eyes a sign of His concealed glory.
So great was his admiration, and so profuse his praise of Baha'u'llah, that the
Vazir, from that day, became even more passionately devoted to his son. The words
spoken by that soothsayer served to fortify his hopes and confidence in Him. Like
Jacob, he desired only to ensure the welfare of his beloved Joseph, and to surround
Him with his loving protection.
Haji Mirza Aqasi, the Grand
Vazir of Muhammad Shah, though completely alienated from Baha'u'llah's father,
showed his son every mark of consideration and favour. So great was the esteem
which the Haji professed for Him, that Mirza Aqa Khan-i-Nuri, the I'timadu'd-Dawlih,
who afterwards succeeded Haji Mirza Aqasi, felt envious. He resented the superiority
which Baha'u'llah, as a mere youth, was accorded over him. The seeds of jealousy
were, from that time, implanted in his breast. Though still a youth, and while
his father is yet alive, he thought, he is given precedence in the presence of
the Grand Vazir. What will, I wonder, happen to me when this young man shall have
succeeded his father?
After the death of the Vazir, Haji Mirza Aqasi
continued to show the utmost consideration to Baha'u'llah. He would visit Him
in His home, and would address Him as though He were his own son. The sincerity
of his devotion, however, was very soon put to the test. One day, as he was passing
through the village of Quch-Hisar, which belonged to Baha'u'llah,
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he was so impressed by the
charm and beauty of that place and the abundance of its water that he conceived
the idea of becoming its owner. Baha'u'llah, whom he had summoned to effect the
immediate purchase of that village, observed: "Had this property been exclusively
mine own, I would willingly have complied with your desire. This transitory life,
with all its sordid possessions, is worthy of no attachment in my eyes, how much
less this small and insignificant estate. As a number of other people, both rich
and poor, some of full age and some still minors, share with me the ownership
of this property, I would request you to refer this matter to them, and to seek
their consent." Unsatisfied with this reply, Haji Mirza Aqasi sought, through
fraudulent means, to achieve his purpose. So soon as Baha'u'llah was informed
of his evil designs, He, with the consent of all concerned, immediately transferred
the title of the property to the name of the sister of Muhammad Shah, who had
already repeatedly expressed her desire to become its owner. The Haji, furious
at this transaction, ordered that the estate should be forcibly seized, claiming
that he already had purchased it from its original possessor. The representatives
of Haji Mirza Aqasi were severely rebuked by the agents of the sister of the Shah,
and were requested to inform their master of the determination of that lady to
assert her rights. The Haji referred the case to Muhammad Shah, and complained
of the unjust treatment to which he had been subjected. That very night, the Shah's
sister had acquainted him with the nature of the transaction. "Many a time," she
said to her brother, "your Imperial Majesty has graciously signified your desire
that I should dispose of the jewels with which I am wont to adorn myself in your
presence, and with the proceeds purchase some property. I have at last succeeded
in fulfilling your desire. Haji Mirza Aqasi, however, is now fully determined
to seize it forcibly from me." The Shah reassured his sister, and commanded the
Haji to forgo his claim. The latter, in his despair, summoned Baha'u'llah to his
presence and, by every artifice, strove to discredit His name. To the charges
he brought against Him, Baha'u'llah vigorously replied, and succeeded in establishing
His innocence. In his impotent rage, the Grand Vazir exclaimed:
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"What is the purpose of all
this feasting and banqueting in which you seem to delight? I, who am the Prime
Minister of the Shahinshah of Persia, never receive the number and variety of
guests that crowd around your table every night. Why all this extravagance and
vanity? You surely must be meditating a plot against me." "Gracious God!" Baha'u'llah
replied. "Is the man who, out of the abundance of his heart, shares his bread
with his fellow-men, to be accused of harbouring criminal intentions?" Haji Mirza
Aqasi was utterly confounded. He dared no reply. Though supported by the combined
ecclesiastical and civil powers of Persia, he eventually found himself, in every
contest he ventured against Baha'u'llah, completely defeated.
On a number of other occasions, Baha'u'llah's
ascendancy over His opponents was likewise vindicated and recognised. These personal
triumphs achieved by Him served to enhance His position, and spread abroad His
fame. All classes of men marvelled at His miraculous success in emerging unscathed
from the most perilous encounters. Nothing short of Divine protection, they thought,
could have ensured His safety on such occasions. Not once did Baha'u'llah, beset
though He was by the gravest perils, submit to the arrogance, the greed, and the
treachery of those around Him. In His constant association, during those days,
with the highest dignitaries of the realm, whether ecclesiastical or State officials,
He was never content simply to accede to the views they expressed or the claims
they advanced. He would, at their gatherings, fearlessly champion the cause of
truth, would assert the rights of the downtrodden, defending the weak and protecting
the innocent.
