According to “A Traveller’s Narrative” (p. 14), [by ‘Abdu’l-Baha] the Báb “forwarded a letter to the Royal Presence craving audience to set forth the truth of His condition, expecting this to be a means for the attainment of great advantages.” Regarding this letter, Gobineau writes as follows: “‘Alí-Muhammad wrote personally to the Court and his letter and the accusations of his adversaries all arrived at the same time. Without assuming an aggressive attitude toward the king, but trusting on the contrary to his authority and justice, he represented to them that the depravity of the clergy in Persia had been well known for many years; that not only morals were thereby corrupted and the well-being of the nation affected, but that religion itself, poisoned by the sins of so many, was in great danger and was about to disappear leaving the people in perilous darkness. “As for himself, called by God, in virtue of a special mission, to prevent such an evil, he had already begun to apprise the people of Fárs that the true doctrine had made evident and rapid progress; that all its adversaries had been confounded and were now powerless and universally despised; but that this was only a beginning.
“The Báb, confident of the magnanimity of the king, requested the permission to come to the capital with his principal disciples and there hold conferences with all the Mullás of the Empire, in the presence of the Sovereign, the nobles and the people, convinced that he would shame them by exposing their faithlessness. He would accept beforehand the judgment of the king and, in case of failure, was ready to sacrifice his head and that of each one of his followers.”
- Comte de Gobineau (“Les Religions et les Philosophies dans l’Asie Centrale,” p. 124.; footnotes to chapter 12 of The Dawn-Breakers provided by Shoghi Effendi)
