Memorials of the Faithful Part 11

Once arrived at the Persian frontier, Jam_sh_id and Mu?ammad-'Ali were handed over to Kurdish chiefs to be sent on to ?ihran. The Kurdish chiefs could see that the prisoners were innocent men, kindly and well-disposed, who had fallen a prey to their enemies. Instead of dispatching them to the capital, they set them free. Joyfully, the two hastened away on foot, went back to Baha'u'llah and found a home close by Him in the Most Great Prison.

Jam_sh_id spent some time in utter bliss, receiving the grace and favor of Baha'u'llah and ever and again being admitted to His presence. He was tranquil and at peace. The believers were well-pleased with him, and he was well-pleased with G.o.d. It was in this condition that he hearkened to the celestial bidding: "O thou soul who art well-a.s.sured, return unto thy Lord, well-pleased with Him, and well-pleasing unto Him."(71) And to G.o.d's cry: "Return!" he replied, "Yea, verily!" He rose out of the Most Great Prison to the highest Heaven; he soared away to a pure and gleaming Kingdom, out of this world of dust. May G.o.d succor him in the celestial company,(72) bring him into the Paradise of Splendors, and safe in the Divine gardens, make him to live forevermore.

Salutations be unto him, and praise. His grave, sweet as musk, is in Akka.

?aJi JA'FAR-I-TABRiZi AND HIS BROTHERS

There were three brothers, all from Tabriz: ?aji ?asan, ?aji Ja'far, and ?aji Taqi. These three were like eagles soaring; they were three stars of the Faith, pulsing with the light of the love of G.o.d.

?aji ?asan was of the earlier day; he had believed from the new Luminary's first dawning. He was full of ardor, keen of mind. After his conversion he traveled everywhere, through the cities and villages of Persia, and his breath moved the hearts of longing souls. Then he left for 'Iraq, and on the Beloved's first journey, attained His presence there. Once he beheld that beauteous Light he was carried away to the Kingdom of Splendors; he was incandescent, he became a thrall of yearning love. At this time he was directed to go back to Persia. He was a peddler, a vendor of small wares, and would travel from city to city.

On Baha'u'llah's second journey to 'Iraq, ?aji ?asan longed to behold Him again, and there in Ba_gh_dad was once more bedazzled by His presence.

Every so often he would journey to Persia and then return, his thoughts centered on teaching and furthering the Cause. His business fell apart.

His merchandise was carried away by thieves, and thus, as he put it, his load was lifted from him-he was disenc.u.mbered. He shunned every worldly tie. He was held fast as by a magnet; he fell hopelessly, madly in love with the tender Companion, with Him Who is the Well-Beloved of both worlds. He was known everywhere for the ecstasy he was in, and experienced strange states of being; sometimes, with utmost eloquence, he would teach the Faith, adducing as proofs many a sacred verse and holy tradition, and bringing sound and reasonable arguments to bear. Then his hearers would comment on the power of his mind, on his wisdom and his self-possession.

But there were other times when love suddenly flamed within him, and then he could not remain still for an instant. At those times he would skip, and dance, or again in a loud voice he would cry out a verse from the poets, or a song. Toward the end of his days he became a close friend of Jinab-i-Munib; the two exchanged many a recondite confidence, and each carried many a melody in his breast.

On the friends' final journey he went to a_dh_irbayjan, and there, throwing caution to the winds, he roared out the Greatest Name: "Ya Baha'u'l-Abha!" The unbelievers there joined forces with his relatives, and they lured that innocent, that man in his ecstasy, away to a garden.

Here, they first put questions to him and listened to his answers. He spoke out; he expounded the secret verities of the Faith, and set forth conclusive proofs that the Advent had indeed come to pa.s.s. He recited verses from the Qur'an, and traditions handed down from the Prophet Mu?ammad and the Holy Imams. Following that, in a frenzy of love and longing rapture, he began to sing. It was a _sh_ahnaz melody he sang; the words were from the poets, to say that the Lord had come. And they killed him; they shed his blood. They wrenched and hacked his limbs apart and hid his body underneath the dust.

As for ?aji Mu?ammad-Ja'far, the gently born, he too, like his brother, was bewitched by the Blessed Beauty. It was in 'Iraq that he entered the presence of the Light of the World, and he too caught fire with Divine love and was carried away by the gentle gales of G.o.d. Like his brother, he was a vendor of small wares, always on a journey from one place to the next. When Baha'u'llah left Ba_gh_dad for the capital of Islam, ?aji Ja'far was in Persia, and when the Blessed Beauty and His retinue came to a halt in Adrianople, Ja'far and ?aji Taqi, his brother, arrived there from a_dh_irbayjan. They found a corner somewhere and settled down. Our oppressors then stretched out arrogant hands to send Baha'u'llah forth to the Most Great Prison, and they forbade the believers to accompany the true Beloved, for it was their purpose to bring the Blessed Beauty to this prison with but a few of His people. When ?aji Ja'far saw that they had excluded him from the band of exiles, he seized a razor and slashed his throat.(73) The crowds expressed their grief and horror and the authorities then permitted all the believers to leave in company with Baha'u'llah-this because of the blessing that came from Ja'far's act of love.

They st.i.tched up his wound but no one thought he would recover. They told him, "For the time being, you will have to stay where you are. If your throat heals, you will be sent on, along with your brother. Be sure of this." Baha'u'llah also directed that this be done. Accordingly, we left Ja'far in the hospital and went on to the Akka prison. Two months later, he and his brother ?aji Taqi arrived at the fortress, and joined the other prisoners. The safely delivered ?aji grew more loving, more ardent with every pa.s.sing day. From dusk till dawn he would stay awake, chanting prayers, shedding his tears. Then one night he fell from the roof of the caravanserai and ascended to the Kingdom of miracles and signs.

?aji Taqi, born under a fortunate star, was in every sense a true brother to ?aji Ja'far. He lived in the same spiritual condition, but he was calmer. After ?aji Ja'far's death, he would stay in one room, all alone.

He was silence itself. He would sit there, all alone, properly and courteously, even during the night. One midnight he climbed up to the roof to chant prayers. The next morning they found him where he had fallen, on the ground by the wall. He was unconscious, and they could not tell whether this was an accident or whether he had thrown himself down. When he came to himself he said: "I was weary of this life, and I tried to die.

Not for a moment do I wish to linger in this world. Pray that I may go on."

This, then, is the life story of those three brothers. All three were souls well-a.s.sured; all three were pleased, and pleasing unto G.o.d.(74) They were flames; they were captives of the Faith; they were pure and holy. And therefore, cut off from the world, turning their faces toward the Most High Kingdom, they ascended. May G.o.d wrap them in the garment of His grace in the realm of forgiveness, and immerse them in the waters of His mercy forever and ever. Greetings be unto them, and praise.

?aJi MiRZa MU?AMMAD-TAQi, THE AFNaN

Among those souls that are righteous, that are luminous ent.i.ties and Divine reflections, was Jinab-i-Mu?ammad-Taqi, the Afnan.(75) His t.i.tle was Vakilu'd-Dawlih. This eminent Bough was an offshoot of the Holy Tree; in him an excellent character was allied to a n.o.ble lineage. His kins.h.i.+p was a true kins.h.i.+p. He was among those souls who, after one reading of the Book of iqan, became believers, bewitched by the sweet savors of G.o.d, rejoicing at the recital of His verses. His agitation was such that he cried out, "Lord, Lord, here am I!" Joyously, he left Persia and hurried away to 'Iraq. Because he was filled with longing love, he sped over the mountains and across the desert wastes, not pausing to rest until he came to Ba_gh_dad.

He entered the presence of Baha'u'llah, and achieved acceptance in His sight. What holy ecstasy he had, what fervor, what detachment from the world! It was beyond description. His blessed face was so comely, so luminous that the friends in 'Iraq gave him a name: they called him "the Afnan of all delights." He was truly a blessed soul, a man worthy to be revered. He never failed in his duty, from the beginning of life till his last breath. As his days began, he became enamored of the sweet savors of G.o.d, and as they closed, he rendered a supreme service to the Cause of G.o.d. His life was righteous, his speech agreeable, his deeds worthy. Never did he fail in servitude, in devotion, and he would set about a major undertaking with alacrity and joy. His life, his behavior, what he did, what he left undone, his dealings with others-were all a way of teaching the Faith, and served as an example, an admonishment to the rest.

After he had achieved the honor, in Ba_gh_dad, of meeting Baha'u'llah, he returned to Persia, where he proceeded to teach the Faith with an eloquent tongue. And this is how to teach: with an eloquent tongue, a ready pen, a goodly character, pleasing words, and righteous ways and deeds. Even enemies bore witness to his high-mindedness and his spiritual qualities, and they would way: "There is none to compare with this man for his words and acts, his righteousness, trustworthiness, and strong faith; in all things he is unique; what a pity that he is a Baha'i!" That is: "What a pity that he is not as we are, perverse, uncaring, committing sins, engrossed in sensuality, the creatures of our pa.s.sions!" Gracious G.o.d!

They saw with their own eyes that the moment he learned of the Faith he was transformed, he was severed from the world, he began to emit rays from the Sun of Truth; and still, they failed to profit by the example he set.

During his days in Yazd he was, outwardly, engaged in commercial pursuits, but actually teaching the Faith. His only aim was to exalt the Word of G.o.d, his only wish, to spread the Divine sweet savors, his only thought, to come nearer and ever nearer to the mansions of the Lord. There was no remembrance on his lips but the verses of G.o.d. He was an embodiment of the good pleasure of Baha'u'llah; a dawning-point of the grace of the Greatest Name. Many and many a time, Baha'u'llah expressed to those about Him, His extreme satisfaction with the Afnan; and consequently, everyone was certain that he would in future initiate some highly important task.

After the ascension of Baha'u'llah, the Afnan, loyal and staunch in the Covenant, rendered even more services than he had before; this in spite of many obstacles, and an overwhelming load of work, and an infinite variety of matters all claiming his attention. He gave up his comfort, his business, his properties, estates, lands, hastened away to I_sh_qabad and set about building the Ma_sh_riqu'l-A_dh_kar; this was a service of very great magnitude, for he thus became the first individual to erect a Baha'i House of Wors.h.i.+p, the first builder of a House to unify man. With the believers in I_sh_qabad a.s.sisting him, he succeeded in carrying off the palm. For a long period in I_sh_qabad, he had no rest. Day and night, he urged the believers on. Then they too exerted their efforts, and made sacrifices above and beyond their power; and G.o.d's edifice arose, and word of it spread throughout East and West. The Afnan expended everything he possessed to rear this building, except for a trifling sum. This is the way to make a sacrifice. This is what it means to be faithful.

Afterward he journeyed to the Holy Land, and there beside that place where the chosen angels circle, in the shelter of the Shrine of the Bab, he pa.s.sed his days, holy and pure, supplicating and entreating the Lord.

G.o.d's praise was always on his lips, and he chanted prayers with both his tongue and heart. He was wonderfully spiritual, strangely as.h.i.+ne. He is one of those souls who, before ever the drumbeat of "Am I not your Lord?"

was sounded, drummed back: "Yea, verily Thou art!"(76) It was in the 'Iraq period, during the years between the seventies and the eighties of the Hijra, that he first caught fire and loved the Light of the World, beheld the glory dawning in Baha'u'llah and witnessed the fulfillment of the words, "I am He that liveth in the Abha Realm of Glory!"

The Afnan was an uncommonly happy man. Whenever I was saddened, I would meet with him, and on the instant, joy would return again. Praise be to G.o.d, at the last, close by the Shrine of the Bab, he hastened away in light to the Abha Realm; but the loss of him deeply grieved 'Abdu'l-Baha.

His bright grave is in Haifa, beside the Haziratu'l-Quds, near Elijah's Cave. A tomb must be erected there, and built solidly and well. May G.o.d shed upon his resting-place rays from the Paradise of Splendors, and lave that holy dust with the rains that beat down from the retreats of the Exalted Companion. Upon him be the glory of the All-Glorious.

'ABDU'LLaH BAGHDaDi

When he was very young, people thought of 'Abdu'llah Ba_gh_dadi as a libertine, solely devoted to pleasure. He was regarded by all as the sport of inordinate desires, mired down in his physical pa.s.sions. But the moment he became a believer, he was carried away by the sweet savors of G.o.d, and was changed into a new creation. He found himself in a strange rapture, completely transformed. He had been of the world, now he was of Heaven; he had lived by the flesh, now he lived by the spirit; he had walked in darkness; now he walked in light. He had been a slave to his senses, now he was a thrall of G.o.d. He had been clay and earthenware before, now he was a dear-bought pearl; a dull and l.u.s.terless stone before, now a ruby glowing.

Even among the non-believers, people were astonished at the change. What could have come over this youth, they wanted to know; how did it happen that he was suddenly detached from the world, eager and devoted? "He was tainted, corrupted," they said; "today he is abstemious and chaste. He was sunk in his appet.i.tes, but is now the soul of purity, living a righteous life. He has left the world behind him. He has broken up the feast, dismissed the revelers, and folded the banquet cloth away. His mind is distracted by love."

Briefly, he let go his pleasures and possessions, and journeyed to Akka on foot. His face had turned so bright, his nature so luminous, that it was a joy to look at him. I used to say: "aqa 'Abdu'llah, what condition are you in?" And he would answer to this effect: "I was in darkness; now, by the favor of the Blessed Beauty, I am in light. I was a heap of dust; He changed me to a fertile field. I was in constant torment; I am now at peace. I was in love with my chains; He has broken them. I was avid for this one and that; now I cling to the Lord. I was a bird in a cage; He let me out. Today, though I live in the desert, and I have the bare ground for my bed and pillow, it feels like silk. In the old time, my coverlet was satin, and my soul was on the rack. Now I am homeless, and happy."

But his burning heart broke when he saw how victimized was Baha'u'llah, how patiently He suffered. 'Abdu'llah yearned to die for Him. And thus it came about that he offered up his life for his tender Companion, and hastened away, out of this dark world to the country of light. His luminous grave is in Akka. Upon him be the glory of the All-Glorious; upon him be mercy, out of the grace of the Lord.

MU?AMMAD-MU??AFa BAGHDaDi

Mu?ammad-Mu??afa was a blazing light. He was the son of the famous scholar _Sh_ay_kh_ Mu?ammad-i-_Sh_ibl; he lived in 'Iraq, and from his earliest youth was clearly unique and beyond compare; wise, brave, deserving in every way, he was known far and wide. From childhood, guided by his father, he had lit the light of faith in the chapel of his heart. He had rid himself of the hindering veils of illusion, gazed about with perceptive eyes, witnessed great new signs of G.o.d and, regardless of the consequences, had cried aloud: "The earth hath shone out with the light of her Lord!"(77)

Gracious G.o.d! The opposition was powerful, the penalty obvious, the friends, every one of them, terrified, and off in some corner hiding their belief; at such a time this intrepid personality boldly went about his business, and like a man, faced up to every tyrant. The one individual who, in the year seventy, was famed in 'Iraq for his love of Baha'u'llah, was this honored person. A few other souls, then in Ba_gh_dad and its environs, had crept away into nooks and crannies and, imprisoned in their own lethargy, there they remained. But this admirable Mu?ammad-Mu??afa would boldly, proudly come and go like a man, and the hostile, because of his physical strength and his courage, were afraid to attack him.

After Baha'u'llah's return from His journey to Kurdistan, the virile strength and bearing of that gallant individual was still further enhanced. Whenever leave was granted, he would attend upon Baha'u'llah, and would hear from His lips expressions of favor and grace. He was the leader, among all the friends in 'Iraq, and after the great separation, when the convoy of the Beloved left for Constantinople, he remained loyal and staunch, and withstood the foe. He girded himself for service and openly, publicly, observed by all, taught the Faith.

As soon as Baha'u'llah's declaration that He was "He Whom G.o.d Shall Manifest"(78) had become known far and wide, Mu?ammad-Mu??afa-being among those souls who had become believers prior to this Declaration, and before the call was raised-cried out: "Verily, we believe!" Because, even before this Declaration, the very light itself pierced through the veils that had closed off the peoples of the world, so that every seeing eye beheld the splendor, and every longing soul could look upon its Well-Beloved.

With all his strength, then, Mu?ammad-Mu??afa arose to serve the Cause. He rested neither day nor night. After the Ancient Beauty had departed to the Most Great Prison; after the friends had been taken prisoner in Ba_gh_dad and sent away to Mosul; after the hostility of outstanding enemies and the opposition of the populace of Ba_gh_dad, he did not falter, but continued to stand his ground. A long time pa.s.sed in this way. But with his yearning for Baha'u'llah, the tumult in his heart was such that he set out alone for the Most Great Prison. He reached there during the period of extreme restrictions, and had the honor of entering the presence of Baha'u'llah.

He asked then for leave to find a lodging somewhere in the neighborhood of Akka, and was permitted to reside in Beirut. There he went and faithfully served the Cause, a.s.sisting all the pilgrims as they arrived and departed.

He was an excellent servitor, a generous and kindly host, and he sacrificed himself to see to their affairs as they pa.s.sed through. For all this he became known everywhere.

When the Sun of Truth had set and the Light of the Concourse on high had ascended, Mu?ammad-Mu??afa remained loyal to the Covenant. He stood so firm against the waverers that they dared not draw a breath. He was like a shooting star, a missile hurled against the demons;(79) against the violators, an avenging sword. Not one of the violators so much as dared pa.s.s through the street where he lived and if they chanced to meet him they were like those described in the Qur'an: "deaf, dumb, blind: therefore they shall not retrace their steps from error!"(80) He was the very embodiment of: "The blame of the blamer shall not deflect him from the path of G.o.d, and the terrible might of the reviler shall not shake him."

Living in the same manner as before, he served the believers with a free mind and pure intent. With all his heart, he a.s.sisted the travelers to the Holy Land, those who had come to circ.u.mambulate that place which is ringed around by the Company on high. Later he moved from Beirut to Iskandarun, and there he spent some time, until, drawn as if by a magnet to the Lord, detached from all save Him, rejoicing in His glad tidings, holding fast to the cord that none can sever-he ascended on the wings of the spirit to his Exalted Companion.