He was most generous, giving abundantly to the poor. None who came to Him were turned away. The doors of His house were open to all. He always had many guests. This unbounded generosity was conducive to greater astonishment from the fact that He sought neither position nor prominence. In commenting upon this His friends said He would become impoverished, for His expenses were many and His wealth becoming more and more limited. “Why is he not thinking of his own affairs?”, they inquired of each other; but some who were wise declared: “This personage is connected with another world; he has something sublime within him that is not evident now; the day is coming when it will be manifested.” In truth the Blessed Perfection was a refuge for every weak one, a shelter for every fearing one, kind to every indigent one, lenient and loving to all creatures. He became well known in regard to these qualities before His Holiness the Báb appeared. Then Bahá’u’lláh declared the Báb’s mission to be true and promulgated His teachings. The Báb announced that the greater manifestation would take place after Him and called the promised one: “Him whom God would manifest,” saying that nine years later the reality of His own mission would become apparent. In His writings He stated that in the ninth year this expected one would be known; in the ninth year they would attain to all glory and felicity; in the ninth year they would advance rapidly. Between Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb there was communication privately. The Báb wrote a letter containing three hundred and sixty derivatives of the root “Bahá.” The Báb was martyred in Tabríz, and Bahá’u’lláh exiled into Iráq-Arabie in 1852, announced Himself in Ba_gh_dád. For the Íránian Government had decided that as long as He remained in Írán the peace of the country would be disturbed; therefore He was exiled in the expectation that Írán would become quiet. His banishment, however, produced the opposite effect. New tumult arose and the mention of His greatness and influence spread everywhere throughout the country. The proclamation of His manifestation and mission was made in Ba_gh_dád. He called his friends together there and spoke to them of God. Afterward He left the city and went alone into the mountains of Kurdistán where He made his abode in caves and grottoes. A part of this time He lived in the city of Sulimaniyye. Two years passed during which neither His friends nor family knew just where He was. Although solitary, secluded and unknown in His retirement, the report spread throughout Kurdistán that this was a most remarkable and learned personage gifted with a wonderful power of attraction. In a short time Kurdistán was magnetized with His love. During this period Bahá’u’lláh lived in poverty. His garments were those of the poor and needy. His food was that of the indigent and lowly. An atmosphere of majesty haloed Him as the sun at midday. Everywhere He was greatly revered and beloved.