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
Now when [the Bábís] found themselves unable to treat this humor by any
means (for, strive as they would, they were foiled and frustrated), and
when they failed to find any remedy for this disorder or any fairness in
this flower, they deliberated and hesitated for nine months, and at length
a certain number of them, to stop further mischief, enrolled themselves as
subjects of the Sublime Ottoman Government, that [thereby] they might
assuage this tumult. By means of this device the mischief was allayed, and
the consul withdrew his hand from molesting them; but he notified this
occurrence to the Royal Court in a manner at variance with the facts and
contrary to the truth, and, together with the confederate _Sh_ay_kh_s,
applied himself in every way to devices for distracting the senses [of the
Bábís]. Finally, however, being dismissed, and overwhelmed with disaster,
he became penitent and sorry.
Let us proceed with our original topic. For eleven years and somewhat
over, Bahá’u’lláh abode in ‘Iráq-i-‘Arab. The behavior and conduct of the
sect were such that [His] fame and renown increased. For He was manifest
and apparent amongst men, consorted and associated with all parties, and
would converse familiarly with doctors and scholars concerning the
solution of difficult theological questions and the verification of the
true sense of abstruse points of divinity. As is currently reported by
persons of every class, He used to please all, whether inhabitants or
visitors, by His kindly intercourse and courteous address; and this sort
of demeanor and conduct on His part led them to suspect sorcery and
account Him an adept in the occult sciences.
During this period Mírzá Yaḥyá remained concealed and hidden, continuing
and abiding in his former conduct and behavior, until, when the edict for
the removal of Bahá’u’lláh from Ba_gh_dád was issued by His Majesty the
Ottoman monarch, Mírzá Yaḥyá would neither quit nor accompany [Him]: at
one time he meditated setting out for India, at another settling in
Turkistán; but, being unable to decide on either of these two plans, he
finally, at his own wish, set out before all in the garb of a dervish, in
disguise and change of raiment, for Kárkúk and Arbíl. Thence, by
continuous advance, he reached Mosul, where, on the arrival of the main
body, he took up his abode and station alongside their caravan. And
although throughout this journey the governors and officials observed the
utmost consideration and respectfulness, while march and halt were alike
dignified and honorable, nevertheless was he always concealed in change of
raiment, and acted cautiously, on the idea that some act of aggression was
likely to occur.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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