Shaykh Abid, known by his pupils as Shaykhuna, was a man of
piety and learning. He had been a disciple of both Shaykh Ahmad and Siyyid
Kázim. “One day,” he related, “I asked the Báb to recite the opening words of
the Qur’án: ‘Bismi’lláhi’r-Rahmáni’r-Raḥím.’ He hesitated, pleading that unless
He were told what these words signified, He would in no wise attempt to
pronounce them. I pretended not to know their meaning. ‘I know what these words
signify,’ observed my pupil; ‘by your leave, I will explain them.’ He spoke
with such knowledge and fluency that I was struck with amazement. He expounded
the meaning of ‘Alláh,’ of ‘Rahmán,’ and ‘Raḥím,’ in terms such as I had
neither read nor heard. The sweetness of His utterance still lingers in my
memory. I felt impelled to take Him back to His uncle and to deliver into his
hands the Trust he had committed to my care. I determined to tell him how
unworthy I felt to teach so remarkable a child. I found His uncle alone in his
office. ‘I have brought Him back to you,’ I said, ‘and commit Him to your
vigilant protection. He is not to be treated as a mere child, for in Him I can
already discern evidences of that mysterious power which the Revelation of the
Sáhibu’z-Zamán [1] alone can reveal. It is incumbent upon you to surround Him
with your most loving care. Keep Him in your house, for He, verily, stands in
no need of teachers such as I.
- Nabil ('The
Dawn-Breakers'; translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)
[1] “The Lord of the Age,” one of the titles of the promised
Qá’im.
