I often felt the urge to seek alone the presence of that
Háshimite Youth [the Báb] and to endeavour to fathom His mystery. I watched Him
several times as He stood in an attitude of prayer at the doorway of the shrine
of the Imám Ḥusayn. So wrapt was He in His devotions that He seemed utterly
oblivious of those around Him. Tears rained from His eyes, and from His lips
fell words of glorification and praise of such power and beauty as even the
noblest passages of our Sacred Scriptures could not hope to surpass. The words
‘O God, my God, my Beloved, my heart’s Desire’ were uttered with a frequency
and ardour that those of the visiting pilgrims who were near enough to hear Him
instinctively interrupted the course of their devotions, and marvelled at the
evidences of piety and veneration which that youthful countenance evinced. Like
Him they were moved to tears, and from Him they learned the lesson of true
adoration. Having completed His prayers, that Youth, without crossing the
threshold of the shrine and without attempting to address any words to those
around Him, would quietly return to His home. I felt the impulse to address
Him, but every time I ventured an approach, a force that I could neither
explain nor resist, detained me. My enquiries about Him elicited the
information that He was a resident of Shíráz, that He was a merchant by
profession, and did not belong to any of the ecclesiastical orders. I was,
moreover, informed that He, and also His uncles and relatives, were among the
lovers and admirers of Shaykh Ahmad and Siyyid Kázim. Soon after, I learned
that He had departed for Najaf on His way to Shíráz. That Youth had set my
heart aflame. The memory of that vision haunted me. My soul was wedded to His...
- Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunúzí (A disciple of
Siyyid Kázim, quoted by Nabil; Chapter 2, ‘The Dawn-Breakers)
