He never rested for a moment. Not one night did he spend on a bed of ease,
never did he lay down his head on comfort’s pillow. He was continuously in
flight, soaring as the birds do, running like a deer, guesting in the
desert of oneness, alone and swift. He brought joy to all the believers;
to all, his coming was good news; to every seeker, he was a sign and
token. He was enamored of God, a vagrant in the desert of God’s love. Like
the wind, he traveled over the face of the plains, and he was restive on
the heights of the hills. He was in a different country every day, and in
yet another land by nightfall. Never did he rest, never was he still. He
was forever rising up to serve.
But then they took him prisoner in Á_dh_irbayján, in the town of
Míyándu’áb. He fell a prey to some ruthless Kurds, a hostile band who
asked no questions of the innocent, defenseless man. Believing that this
stranger, like other foreigners, wished ill to the Kurdish people, and
taking him for worthless, they killed him.
When news of his martyrdom reached the Prison, all the captives grieved,
and they shed tears for him, resigned to God and undefended as he was in
his last hour. Even on the countenance of Bahá’u’lláh, there were visible
tokens of grief. A Tablet, infinitely tender, was revealed by the Supreme
Pen, commemorating the man who died on that calamitous plain, and many
other Tablets were sent down concerning him.
Today, under the shadowing mercy of God, he dwells in the bright Heavens.
He communes with the birds of holiness, and in the assemblage of splendors
he is immersed in light. The memory and praise of him shall remain, till
the end of time, in the pages of books and on the tongues and lips of men.
Unto him be salutations and praise; upon him be the glory of the
All-Glorious; upon him be the most great mercy of God.
MASHHADÍ FAṬṬAḤ
Ma_sh_hadí Faṭṭaḥ was personified spirit. He was devotion itself. Brother
to Ḥájí ‘Alí-‘Askar—of the same pure lineage—through the latter he came
into the Faith. Like the twins, Castor and Pollux, the two kept together
in one spot, and both were illumined with the light of belief.
In all things, the two were united as a pair; they shared the same
certitude and faith, the same conscience, and made their way out of
Á_dh_irbayján to Adrianople, emigrating at the same time. In every
circumstance of their life, they lived as one individual; their
disposition, their aims, their religion, character, behavior, faith,
certitude, knowledge—all were one. Even in the Most Great Prison, they
were constantly together.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account