The Governor set guards over her house and shut her away, writing Ba_gh_dád for instructions as to how he should proceed. For three months, she lived in a state of siege, completely isolated, with the guards surrounding her house. Since the local authorities had still received no reply from Ba_gh_dád, Táhirih referred her case to the Governor, saying: “No word has come from either Ba_gh_dád or Constantinople. Accordingly, we will ourselves proceed to Ba_gh_dád and await the answer there.” The Governor gave her leave to go, and she set out, accompanied by _Sh_amsu’d-Ḍuḥá and the Leaf of Paradise (the sister of Mullá Ḥusayn) and her mother. In Ba_gh_dád she stayed first in the house of _Sh_ay_kh_ Muḥammad, the distinguished father of Áqá Muḥammad-Muṣṭafá. But so great was the press of people around her that she transferred her residence to another quarter, engaged night and day in spreading the Faith, and freely associated with the inhabitants of Ba_gh_dád. She thus became celebrated throughout the city and there was a great uproar. Táhirih also maintained a correspondence with the ‘ulamás of Kazímayn; she presented them with unanswerable proofs, and when one or another appeared before her she offered him convincing arguments. Finally she sent a message to the _Sh_í’ih divines, saying to them: “If you are not satisfied with these conclusive proofs, I challenge you to a trial by ordeal.”(122) Then there was a great outcry from the divines, and the Governor was obliged to send Táhirih and her women companions to the house of Ibn-i-Álúsí, who was muftí of Ba_gh_dád. Here she remained about three months, waiting for word and directions from Constantinople. Ibn-i-Álúsí would engage her in learned dialogues, questions would be asked and answers given, and he would not deny what she had to say. On a certain day the muftí related one of his dreams, and asked her to tell him what it meant. He said: “In my dream I saw the _Sh_í’ih ‘ulamás arriving at the holy tomb of Imám Ḥusayn, the Prince of Martyrs. They took away the barrier that encloses the tomb, and they broke open the resplendent grave, so that the immaculate body lay revealed to their gaze. They sought to take up the holy form, but I cast myself down on the corpse and I warded them off.” Táhirih answered: “This is the meaning of your dream: you are about to deliver me from the hands of the _Sh_í’ih divines.” “I too had interpreted it thus,” said Ibn-i-Álúsí. Since he had discovered that she was well versed in learned questions and in sacred commentaries and Texts, the two often carried on debates; she would speak on such themes as the Day of Resurrection, the Balance, and the Ṣiraṭ,(123) and he would not turn away.