In a few minutes the Báb unravelled all the mysteries pertaining to passages that Mulla Husayn had compiled

“‘I was revolving these things in my mind, when my distinguished Host again remarked: “Observe attentively. Might not the Person intended by Siyyid Kázim be none other than I?” I thereupon felt impelled to present to Him a copy of the treatise which I had with me. “Will you,” I asked Him, “read this book of mine and look at its pages with indulgent eyes? I pray you to overlook my weaknesses and failings.” He graciously complied with my wish. He opened the book, glanced at certain passages, closed it, and began to address me. Within a few minutes He had, with characteristic vigour and charm, unravelled all its mysteries and resolved all its problems. Having to my entire satisfaction accomplished, within so short a time, the task I had expected Him to perform, He further expounded to me certain truths which could be found neither in the reported sayings of the imáms of the Faith nor in the writings of Shaykh Aḥmad and Siyyid Kázim. These truths, which I had never heard before, seemed to be endowed with refreshing vividness and power. 

- Mulla Husayn  (Quoted by Nabil in chapter 3 of ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Mulla Husayn’s initial perplexity and bewilderment at hearing the Báb’s declaration

I was greatly surprised, and politely observed: “He whose advent we await is a Man of unsurpassed holiness, and the Cause He is to reveal, a Cause of tremendous power. Many and diverse are the requirements which He who claims to be its visible embodiment must needs fulfil. How often has Siyyid Kázim referred to the vastness of the knowledge of the promised One! How often did he say: ‘My own knowledge is but a drop compared with that with which He has been endowed. All my attainments are but a speck of dust in the face of the immensity of His knowledge. Nay, immeasurable is the difference!’” No sooner had those words dropped from my lips than I found myself seized with fear and remorse, such as I could neither conceal nor explain. I bitterly reproved myself, and resolved at that very moment to alter my attitude and to soften my tone. I vowed to God that should my Host again refer to the subject, I would, with the utmost humility, answer and say: “If you be willing to substantiate your claim, you will most assuredly deliver me from the anxiety and suspense which so heavily oppress my soul. I shall truly be indebted to you for such deliverance.” When I first started upon my quest, I determined to regard the two following standards as those whereby I could ascertain the truth of whosoever might claim to be the promised Qá’im. The first was a treatise which I had myself composed, bearing upon the abstruse and hidden teachings propounded by Shaykh Ahmad and Siyyid Kázim. Whoever seemed to me capable of unravelling the mysterious allusions made in that treatise, to him I would next submit my second request, and would ask him to reveal, without the least hesitation or reflection, a commentary on the Súrih of Joseph, in a style and language entirely different from the prevailing standards of the time. I had previously requested Siyyid Kázim, in private, to write a commentary on that same Súrih, which he refused, saying: “This is, verily, beyond me. He, that great One, who comes after me will, unasked, reveal it for you. That commentary will constitute one of the weightiest testimonies of His truth, and one of the clearest evidences of the loftiness of His position. 

- Mulla Husayn  (Quoted by Nabil in chapter 3 of ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

The Báb identifies Himself as the Promised One

“‘That night, that memorable night, was the eve preceding the fifth day of Jamádiyu’l-Avval, in the year 1260 A.H. [1] It was about an hour after sunset when my youthful Host began to converse with me. “Whom, after Siyyid Kázim,” He asked me, “do you regard as his successor and your leader?” “At the hour of his death,” I replied, “our departed teacher insistently exhorted us to forsake our homes, to scatter far and wide, in quest of the promised Beloved. I have, accordingly, journeyed to Persia, have arisen to accomplish his will, and am still engaged in my quest.” “Has your teacher,” He further enquired, “given you any detailed indications as to the distinguishing features of the promised One?” “Yes,” I replied, “He is of a pure lineage, is of illustrious descent, and of the seed of Fátimih. As to His age, He is more than twenty and less than thirty. He is endowed with innate knowledge. He is of medium height, abstains from smoking, and is free from bodily deficiency.” He paused for a while and then with vibrant voice declared: “Behold, all these signs are manifest in Me!” He then considered each of the above-mentioned signs separately, and conclusively demonstrated that each and all were applicable to His person. 

- Mulla Husayn  (Quoted by Nabil in chapter 3 of ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

[1] Corresponding with the evening of May 22, 1844 A.D. The 23rd of May fell on a Thursday.

The Báb's brazier and samovar

(Baha'i Media Bank)

Mulla Husayn enters the House of the Promised One

“‘We [Mulla Husayn and the Báb] soon found ourselves standing at the gate of a house of modest appearance. He knocked at the door, which was soon opened by an Ethiopian servant. “Enter therein in peace, secure,” [Qur’án, 15:46] were His words as He crossed the threshold and motioned me to follow Him. His invitation, uttered with power and majesty, penetrated my soul. I thought it a good augury to be addressed in such words, standing as I did on the threshold of the first house I was entering in Shíráz, a city the very atmosphere of which had produced already an indescribable impression upon me. Might not my visit to this house, I thought to myself, enable me to draw nearer to the Object of my quest? Might it not hasten the termination of a period of intense longing, of strenuous search, of increasing anxiety, which such a quest involves? As I entered the house and followed my Host to His chamber, a feeling of unutterable joy invaded my being. Immediately we were seated, He ordered a ewer of water to be brought, and bade me wash away from my hands and feet the stains of travel. I pleaded permission to retire from His presence and perform my ablutions in an adjoining room. He refused to grant my request, and proceeded to pour the water over my hands. He then gave me to drink of a refreshing beverage, after which He asked for the samovar [Tea-urn] and Himself prepared the tea which He offered me.

Courtyard of the House of the Báb in Shiraz

“‘Overwhelmed with His acts of extreme kindness, I arose to depart. “The time for evening prayer is approaching,” I ventured to observe. “I have promised my friends to join them at that hour in the Masjid-i-Ílkhání.” With extreme courtesy and calm He replied: “You must surely have made the hour of your return conditional upon the will and pleasure of God. It seems that His will has decreed otherwise. You need have no fear of having broken your pledge.” His dignity and self-assurance silenced me I renewed my ablutions and prepared for prayer. He, too, stood beside me and prayed. Whilst praying, I unburdened my soul, which was much oppressed, both by the mystery of this interview and the strain and stress of my search. I breathed this prayer: “I have striven with all my soul, O my God, and until now have failed to find Thy promised Messenger. I testify that Thy word faileth not, and that Thy promise is sure.” 

- Mulla Husayn  (Quoted by Nabil in chapter 3 of ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Mulla Husayn meets the Promised One

Green silk robe worn
by the Báb

On that very day, [when Mulla Husayn reached Shiraz] a few hours before sunset, whilst walking outside the gate of the city [of Shiraz], his eyes fell suddenly upon a Youth of radiant countenance, who wore a green turban and who, advancing towards him, greeted him with a smile of loving welcome. He embraced Mullá Husayn with tender affection as though he had been his intimate and lifelong friend. Mullá Ḥusayn thought Him at first to be a disciple of Siyyid Kázim who, on being informed of his approach to Shíráz, had come out to welcome him.

Mírzá Ahmad-i-Qazvíní, the martyr, who on several occasions had heard Mullá Husayn recount to the early believers the story of his moving and historic interview with the Báb, related to me the following:

“I have heard Mullá Husayn repeatedly and graphically describe the circumstances of that remarkable interview: ‘The Youth who met me outside the gate of Shíráz overwhelmed me with expressions of affection and loving-kindness. He extended to me a warm invitation to visit His home, and there refresh myself after the fatigues of my journey. I prayed to be excused, pleading that my two companions had already arranged for my stay in that city, and were now awaiting my return. “Commit them to the care of God,” was His reply; “He will surely protect and watch over them.” Having spoken these words, He bade me follow Him. I was profoundly impressed by the gentle yet compelling manner in which that strange Youth spoke to me. As I followed Him, His gait, the charm of His voice, the dignity of His bearing, served to enhance my first impressions of this unexpected meeting.' 

(Chapter 3, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Mulla Husayn felt “irresistibly” attracted to Shiraz

A view of Shiraz, late 19th Century

He [Mulla Husayn] could not, however, tarry longer in Búshihr. Drawn as if by a magnet which seemed to attract him irresistibly towards the north, he proceeded to Shíráz. Arriving at the gate of that city, he instructed his brother and his nephew to proceed directly to the Masjid-i-Ílkhání, and there to remain until his arrival. He expressed the hope that, God willing, he would arrive in time to join them in their evening prayer. 

(Chapter 3, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

1844: Mulla Husayn left Najaf, Iraq, for Búshihr in Persia

Bushir 1840

Immediately after the completion of his forty days’ retirement, Mullá Husayn, together with his two companions, departed for Najaf. He left Karbilá by night, visited on his way the shrine of Najaf, and proceeded directly to Búshihr, on the Persian Gulf. There he started on his holy quest after the Beloved of his heart’s desire. There, for the first time, he inhaled the fragrance of Him who, for years, had led in that city the life of a merchant and humble citizen. There he perceived the sweet savours of holiness with which that Beloved’s countless invocations had so richly impregnated the atmosphere of that city. 

(Chapter 3, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Mullá ‘Alíy-i-Bastamí, one of the foremost disciples of Siyyid Kázim, together with twelve other companions, joined Mulla Husayn in Najaf

Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf-1932

This cloistered calm with which they were surrounded was, after a few days, unexpectedly interrupted by the arrival of Mullá ‘Alíy-i-Bastamí, one of the foremost disciples of Siyyid Kázim. He, together with twelve other companions, arrived at the Masjid-i-Kúfih, where he found his fellow-disciple Mullá Husayn immersed in contemplation and prayer. Mullá ‘Alí was endowed with such vast learning, and was so deeply conversant with the teachings of Shaykh Ahmad, that many regarded him as even superior to Mullá Husayn. On several occasions he attempted to enquire from Mullá Husayn as to his destination after the termination of the period of his retirement. Every time he approached him, he found him so wrapt in his devotions that he felt it impossible to venture a question. He soon decided to retire, like him, for forty days from the society of men. All his companions followed his example with the exception of three who acted as their personal attendants. 

(Chapter 3, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

1844: Accompanied by his brother and nephew, Mulla Husayn left Karbila for Najaf in Iraq

Najaf 1914

Mullá Husayn, having acquitted himself of the obligation he felt to urge and awaken his fellow-disciples, set out from Karbilá for Najaf. With him were Muhammad-Hasan, his brother, and Muhammad-Báqir, his nephew, both of whom had accompanied him ever since his visit to his native town of Bushrúyih, in the province of Khurásán. Arriving at the Masjid-i-Kúfih, Mullá Husayn decided to spend forty days in that place, where he led a life of retirement and prayer. By his fasts and vigils he prepared himself for the holy adventure upon which he was soon to embark. In the exercise of these acts of worship, his brother alone was associated with him, while his nephew, who attended to their daily needs, observed the fasts, and in his hours of leisure joined them in their devotions. 

(Chapter 3, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Some Islamic traditions concerning the year of the Declaration of the Báb

As the year sixty, [1260 AH, 1844 AD] the year that witnessed the birth of the promised Revelation, had just dawned upon the world, it would not seem inappropriate, at this juncture, to digress from our theme, and to mention certain traditions of Muhammad and of the imáms of the Faith which bear specific reference to that year. Imám Ja’far, son of Muhammad, when questioned concerning the year in which the Qá’im was to be made manifest, replied as follows: “Verily, in the year sixty His Cause shall be revealed, and His name shall be noised abroad.” In the works of the learned and far-famed Muhyi’d-Dín-i-‘Arabí, many references are to be found regarding both the year of the advent and the name of the promised Manifestation. Among them are the following: “The ministers and upholders of His Faith shall be of the people of Persia.” “In His name, the name of the Guardian [‘Alí] precedeth that of the Prophet [Muhammad].” “The year of His Revelation is identical with half of that number which is divisible by nine [2520].” Mírzá Muhammad-i-Akhbarí, in his poems relating to the year of the Manifestation, makes the following prediction: “In the year Ghars [the numerical value of the letters of which is 1260] the earth shall be illumined by His light, and in Gharásih [1265] the world shall be suffused with its glory. If thou livest until the year Gharasí [1270], thou shalt witness how the nations, the rulers, the peoples, and the Faith of God shall all have been renewed.” In a tradition ascribed to the Imám ‘Alí, the Commander of the Faithful, it is likewise recorded: “In Ghars the Tree of Divine guidance shall be planted.” 

(Chapter 3, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Mulla Husayn tried to encourage other well-known figures among the disciples of Siyyid Kázim to arise and fulfil the wishes of their departed master

He [Mulla Husayn] arose instantly from his seat, and went directly to Mírzá Hasan-i-Gawhar, Mírzá Muhit, and other well-known figures among the disciples of Siyyid Kázim. To each and all he fearlessly delivered the parting message of his chief, emphasised the pressing character of their duty, and urged them to arise and fulfil it. To his plea they returned evasive and unworthy answers. “Our enemies,” one of them remarked, “are many and powerful. We must remain in this city and guard the vacant seat of our departed chief.” Another observed: “It is incumbent upon me to stay and care for the children whom the Siyyid has left behind.” Mullá Husayn immediately recognised the futility of his efforts. Realising the degree of their folly, their blindness and ingratitude, he spoke to them no more. He retired, leaving them to their idle pursuits. 

(Chapter 3, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Mulla Husayn admonished his fellow disciples for not fulfilling the wishes of Siyyid Kázim

Has not God revealed in His Book: ‘Whoso maketh efforts for Us, in Our ways will We guide them’?”  [Qur’án, 29:69] “Why, then,” Mullá Husayn observed, “have you chosen to tarry in Karbilá? Why is it that you have not dispersed, and arisen to carry out his earnest plea?” “We acknowledge our failure,” was their reply; “to your greatness we all bear witness. Such is our confidence in you, that if you claim to be the promised One, we shall all readily and unquestionably submit. We herein pledge our loyalty and obedience to whatever you bid us perform.” “God forbid!” exclaimed Mullá Husayn. “Far be it from His glory that I, who am but dust, should be compared to Him who is the Lord of Lords! Had you been conversant with the tone and language of Siyyid Kázim, you never would have uttered such words. Your first obligation, as well as mine, is to arise and carry out, both in the spirit and in the letter, the dying message of our beloved chief.” 

(Chapter 3, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Mulla Husayn enquired about the expressed wishes of their departed leader

He [Mulla Husayn] afterwards summoned a group of his most distinguished and trusted fellow-disciples and enquired about the expressed wishes and the last exhortations of their departed leader. They told him that, repeatedly and emphatically, Siyyid Kázim had bidden them quit their homes, scatter far and wide, purge their hearts from every idle desire, and dedicate themselves to the quest of Him to whose advent he had so often alluded. “He told us,” they said, “that the Object of our quest was now revealed. The veils that intervened between you and Him are such as only you can remove by your devoted search. Nothing short of prayerful endeavour, of purity of motive, of singleness of mind, will enable you to tear them asunder. 

(Chapter 3, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Mulla Husayn’s reputation

Mullá Husayn-i-Bushrú’í was a man whose great learning and strength of character were acknowledged even by his enemies. He had devoted himself to study from early childhood and his progress in theology and jurisprudence had won him no little consideration. (Comte de Gobineau’s “Les Religions et les Philosophies dans l’Asie Centrale,” p. 128.)

(Footnotes to chapter 3 provied by Shoghi Effendi)

Jan. 22, 1844: Mullá Husayn came back to Karbilá from his mission in Persia and cheered and strengthened the disconsolate disciples of late Siyyid Kázim

Karbila circa 1935

The death of Siyyid Kázim was the signal for renewed activity on the part of his enemies. Athirst for leadership, and emboldened by his removal and the consequent dismay of his followers, they reasserted their claims and prepared to realise their ambitions. For a time, fear and anxiety filled the hearts of Siyyid Kázim’s faithful disciples, but with the return of Mullá Husayn-i-Bushrú’í from the highly successful mission with which he had been entrusted by his teacher, their gloom was dispelled. 

It was on the first day of Muharram, in the year 1260 A.H., [January, 22, 1844 A.D.] that Mullá Husayn came back to Karbilá. He cheered and strengthened the disconsolate disciples of his beloved chief, reminded them of his unfailing promise, and pleaded for unrelaxing vigilance and unremitting effort in their search for the concealed Beloved. Living in the close neighbourhood of the house the Siyyid had occupied, he, for three days, was engaged continually in receiving visits from a considerable number of mourners who hastened to convey to him, as the leading representative of the Siyyid’s disciples, the expression of their distress and sorrow.

(Chapter 3, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

1844: The commotion in Karbila right after the passing of Siyyid Kázim

His [Siyyid Kázim’s] passing raised a tumult in Karbilá similar to the agitation that seized its people the preceding year, on the eve of the day of Árafih, when the victorious enemy forced the gates of the citadel and massacred a considerable number of its besieged inhabitants. A year before, on that day, his house had been the one haven of peace and security for the bereaved and homeless, whereas now it had become a house of sorrow where those whom he had befriended and succoured bewailed his passing and mourned his loss.  

(Chapter 2, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

The spread of Shaykh Ahmad’s followers during the lifetime of Siyyid Kázim

During the lifetime of Siyyid Kázim, the doctrine of the Shaykhís spread over all Persia so well that in the Province of ‘Iráq alone there were more than a hundred thousand murids.” (Journal Asiatique, 1866, tome 7, p. 463.) 

(Footnotes to chapter 2 of the Dawn-Breakers provided by Shoghi Effendi)

The resting place of Siyyid Kázim

Site of Siyyid Kazim's resting place, 
circa 1935. Tombstone was removed

His [Siyyid Kázim’s] sacred remains were interred within the precincts of the shrine of the Imám Husayn. [in Karbila, Iraq] (Chapter 2, ‘The Dawn-Breakers)

He was buried behind the window in the corridor of the tomb of the Lord of the Confessors. This tomb was built on an incline toward the interior of the forbidden precincts. (A. L. M. Nicolas’ “Essai sur le Shaykhisme,” II, p. 31.) 

(Footnotes to chapter 2 of the Dawn-Breakers provided by Shoghi Effendi)

December 1843: The passing of Siyyid Kázim

This strange event [the shepherd’s dream and the upcoming death of Siyyid Kázim] was noised abroad. It brought sadness to the heart of the true lovers of Siyyid Kázim. To these he, with infinite tenderness and joy, addressed words of cheer and comfort. He calmed their troubled hearts, fortified their faith, and inflamed their zeal. With dignity and calm he completed his pilgrimage and returned to Karbilá. The very day of his arrival he fell ill, and was confined to bed. His enemies spread the rumour that he had been poisoned by the Governor of Baghdád. This was sheer calumny and downright falsehood, inasmuch as the Governor himself had placed his unqualified confidence in Siyyid Kázim, and had always regarded him as a highly talented leader endowed with keen perception and possessed of irreproachable character. On the day of Árafih, in the year 1259 A.H., [December 31, 1843 A.D]  at the ripe age of sixty, Siyyid Kázim, in accordance with the vision of that lowly shepherd, bade farewell to this world, leaving behind him a band of earnest and devoted disciples who, purged of all worldly desire, set out in quest of their promised Beloved. 

(Chapter 2, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

A shepherd’s dream and the approaching death of Siyyid Kázim

Kazímayn, circa 1935

Every year, in the month of Dhi’l-Qádih, the Siyyid [Kazim] would proceed from Karbilá to Kazímayn [1] in order to visit the shrines of the imáms. He would return to Karbilá in time to visit, on the day of Árafih, the shrine of the Imám Husayn. In that year, the last year of his life, he, faithful to his custom, departed from Karbilá in the first days of the month of Dhi’l-Qádih, in the year 1259 A.H., [November 23—December 23, 1843 A.D.] accompanied by a number of his companions and friends. On the fourth day of that month he arrived at the Masjid-i-Baratha, situated on the highway between Baghdád and Kazímayn, in time to offer up his noonday prayer. He bade the Muadhdhin summon the faithful to gather and pray. Standing beneath the shade of a palm which faced the masjid, he joined the congregation, and had just concluded his devotions when an Arab suddenly appeared, approached the Siyyid, and embraced him.

Masjid-i-Baratha, circa 1935

“Three days ago,” he said, “I was shepherding my flock in this adjoining pasture, when sleep suddenly fell upon me. In my dream I saw Muhammad, the Apostle of God, who addressed me in these words: ‘Give ear, O shepherd, to My words, and treasure them within your heart. For these words of Mine are the trust of God which I commit to your keeping. If you be faithful to them, great will be your reward. If you neglect them, grievous retribution will befall you. Hear Me; this is the trust with which I charge you: Stay within the precincts of the Masjid-i-Baratha. On the third day after this dream, a scion of My house, Siyyid Kázim by name, will, accompanied by his friends and companions, alight, at the hour of noon, beneath the shadow of the palm in the vicinity of the masjid. There he will offer his prayer. As soon as your eyes fall upon him, seek his presence and convey to him My loving greetings. Tell him, from Me: “Rejoice, for the hour of your departure is at hand. When you shall have performed your visits in Kazímayn and shall have returned to Karbilá, there, three days after your return, on the day of Árafih, [December 31, 1843 A.D] you will wing your flight to Me. Soon after shall He who is the Truth be made manifest. Then shall the world be illuminated by the light of His face.”’”

circa 1841: Approaching Shiraz

Siyyid Kázim’s instruction to his disciples: “Gird up the loins of endeavour, and fix your gaze upon His promise”

O my beloved companions! How great, how very great, is the Cause! How exalted the station to which I summon you! How great the mission for which I have trained and prepared you! Gird up the loins of endeavour, and fix your gaze upon His promise. I pray to God graciously to assist you to weather the storms of tests and trials which must needs beset you, to enable you to emerge, unscathed and triumphant, from their midst, and to lead you to your high destiny. 

-Siyyid Kázim  (Quoted by Nabil, chapter 2 of ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Shaykh Ahmad’s prediction

How often, addressing me, did he remark: ‘Neither of us shall live to gaze upon their effulgent glory. [reference to the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh] But many of the faithful among your disciples shall witness the Day which we, alas, can never hope to behold!’ 

- Siyyid Kázim  (Quoted by Nabil, chapter 2 of ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Persia 1921: Entering the city of Saveh - an ancient capital of Persia, southwest of Tihran

(National Geographic)

Siyyid Kázim alludes to the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh to his disciples

Verily I say, after the Qá’im the Qayyúm [1] will be made manifest. For when the star of the Former has set, the sun of the beauty of Husayn will rise and illuminate the whole world. Then will be unfolded in all its glory the ‘mystery’ and the ‘secret’ spoken of by Shaykh Ahmad, who has said: ‘The mystery of this Cause must needs be made manifest, and the secret of this Message must needs be divulged.’ To have attained unto that Day of days is to have attained unto the crowning glory of past generations, and one goodly deed performed in that age is equal to the pious worship of countless centuries. How often has that venerable soul, Shaykh Aḥmad, recited those verses of the Qur’án already referred to! What stress he laid upon their significance as foreshadowing the advent of those twin Revelations which are to follow each other in rapid succession, and each of which is destined to suffuse the world with all its glory! How many times did he exclaim: ‘Well is it with him who will recognise their significance and behold their splendour!’

- Siyyid Kázim  (Quoted by Nabil, chapter 2 of ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

[1] Qá’im means ‘He Who ariseth’ a reference to the Báb; Qayyúm means ‘Self-Subsisting, Self-existent, All-Compelling’, a reference to Bahá’u’lláh

Siyyid Kázim encouraged his disciples to search for the Promised One

And as the days of Siyyid Kázim drew to a close, he, whenever he met his disciples, whether in private converse or public discourse, exhorted them, saying:

“O my beloved companions! Beware, beware, lest after me the world’s fleeting vanities beguile you. Beware lest you wax haughty and forgetful of God. It is incumbent upon you to renounce all comfort, all earthly possessions and kindred, in your quest of Him who is the Desire of your hearts and of mine. Scatter far and wide, detach yourselves from all earthly things, and humbly and prayerfully beseech your Lord to sustain and guide you. Never relax in your determination to seek and find Him who is concealed behind the veils of glory. Persevere till the time when He, who is your true Guide and Master, will graciously aid you and enable you to recognise Him. Be firm till the day when He will choose you as the companions and the heroic supporters of the promised Qá’im. Well is it with every one of you who will quaff the cup of martyrdom in His path. Those of you whom God, in His wisdom, will preserve and keep to witness the setting of the Star of Divine guidance, that Harbinger of the Sun of Divine Revelation, must needs be patient, must remain assured and steadfast. Such ones amongst you must neither falter nor feel dismayed. For soon after the first trumpet-blast which is to smite the earth with extermination and death, there shall be sounded again yet another call, at which all things will be quickened and revived. Then will the meaning of these sacred verses be revealed: ‘And there was a blast on the trumpet, and all who are in the heavens and all who are in the earth expired, save those whom God permitted to live. Then was there sounded another blast, and, lo! arising, they gazed around them. And the earth shone with the light of her Lord, and the Book was set, and the Prophets were brought up, and the witnesses; and judgment was given between them with equity; and none was wronged.’” [Qur’án, 39:68] 

(Chapter 2, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

A leading disciple of Siyyid Kázim suffered imprisonment in Tihrán, in the same dungeon within which Bahá’u’lláh was confined

This same Shaykh Abú-Turáb, [a leading disciple of Siyyid Kázim] who in the early days of the Dispensation proclaimed by the Báb thought it wiser and better not to identify himself with His Cause, cherished in his heart the fondest love for the revealed Manifestation, and in his faith remained firm and immovable as the rock. Eventually that smouldering fire blazed forth in his soul and was responsible for such behaviour on his part as to cause him to suffer imprisonment in Tihrán, in the same dungeon within which Bahá’u’lláh was confined. He remained steadfast to the very end, and crowned a life of loving sacrifice with the glory of martyrdom. 

(Chapter 2, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

A former disciple of Siyyid Kázim wrote two treaties against the Báb

The Báb wrote to Hájí Muhammad-Karím Khán [a former disciple of Siyyid Kázim] ... and invited him to acknowledge his authority. This the latter not only entirely refused to do, but further wrote a treatise against the Báb and his doctrines.” (P. 910.) “At least two such treatises were written by Hájí Muhammad-Karím Khán. One of them was composed at a later date than this, probably after the Báb’s death, at the special request of Násiri’d-Dín Sháh. Of these two one has been printed, and is called ‘the crushing of falsehood’ (Izhaqu’l-Batil).” (Footnote 1, p. 910.) (Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1889, article 12.) 

(Footnotes to Chapter 2 of the Dawn-Breakers provided by Shoghi Effendi)