A Traveler's Narrative Written to Illustrate the Episode of the BábʻAbdu'l-Bahá
Religion
A Traveler's Narrative Written to Illustrate the Episode of the Báb
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá
Babism; Bahai Faith
And amongst them was she who was entitled Qurratu’l-‘Ayn the daughter of
Ḥájí Ṣáliḥ, the sage of Qazvín, the erudite doctor. She, according to what
is related, was skilled in diverse arts, amazed the understandings and
thoughts of the most eminent masters by her eloquent dissertations on the
exegesis and tradition of the Perspicuous Book, and was a mighty sign in
the doctrines of the glorious _Sh_ay_kh_ of Ahsá. At the Supreme Shrines
she borrowed light on matters divine from the lamp of Kázim, and freely
sacrificed her life in the way of the Báb. She discussed and disputed with
the doctors and sages, loosing her tongue to establish her doctrine. Such
fame did she acquire that most people who were scholars or mystics sought
to hear her speech and were eager to become acquainted with her powers of
speculation and deduction. She had a brain full of tumultuous ideas, and
thoughts vehement and restless. In many places she triumphed over the
contentious, expounding the most subtle questions. When she was imprisoned
in the house of [Maḥmúd] the Kalantar of Ṭihrán, and the festivities and
rejoicings of a wedding were going on, the wives of the city magnates who
were present as guests were so charmed with the beauty of her speech that,
forgetting the festivities, they gathered round her, diverted by listening
to her words from listening to the melodies, and rendered indifferent by
witnessing her marvels to the contemplation of the pleasant and novel
sights which are incidental to a wedding. In short in elocution she was
the calamity of the age, and in ratiocination the trouble of the world. Of
fear or timidity there was no trace in her heart, nor had the admonitions
of the kindly-disposed any profit or fruit for her. Although she was of
[such as are] damsels [meet] for the bridal bower, yet she wrested
preeminence from stalwart men, and continued to strain the feet of
steadfastness until she yielded up her life at the sentence of the mighty
doctors in Ṭihrán. But were we to occupy ourselves with these details the
matter would end in prolixity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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