Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí's House in Shiraz - The Báb's maternal uncle

The Báb “transferred His residence from His own home to that of Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí”, His maternal uncle”

Interior of Haji Mirza Siyyid Ali's
House in Shiraz

After the Báb had settled the affairs of His household and provided for the future maintenance of both His mother and His wife, He transferred His residence from His own home to that of Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí. There He awaited the approaching hour of His sufferings. He knew that the afflictions which were in store for Him could no longer be delayed, that He was soon to be caught in a whirlwind of adversity which would carry Him swiftly to the field of martyrdom, the crowning object of His life. 

- Nabil  (Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

“The wife of the Báb… perceived at the earliest dawn of His Revelation the glory and uniqueness of His Mission”

The wife of the Báb, unlike His mother, perceived at the earliest dawn of His Revelation the glory and uniqueness of His Mission and felt from the very beginning the intensity of its force. No one except Táhirih, among the women of her generation, surpassed her in the spontaneous character of her devotion nor excelled the fervor of her faith. To her the Báb confided the secret of His future sufferings, and unfolded to her eyes the significance of the events that were to transpire in His Day. He bade her not to divulge this secret to His mother and counselled her to be patient and resigned to the will of God. He entrusted her with a special prayer, revealed and written by Himself, the reading of which, He assured her, would remove her difficulties and lighten the burden of her woes. “In the hour of your perplexity,” He directed her, “recite this prayer ere you go to sleep. I Myself will appear to you and will banish your anxiety.” Faithful to His advice, every time she turned to Him in prayer, the light of His unfailing guidance illumined her path and resolved her problems. 

- Nabil  (Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

The mother of the Báb recognized the station of her Son later when living in Iraq

The mother of the Báb failed at first to realise the significance of the Mission proclaimed by her Son. She remained for a time unaware of the magnitude of the forces latent in His Revelation. As she approached the end of her life, however, she was able to perceive the inestimable quality of that Treasure which she had conceived and given to the world. It was Bahá’u’lláh who eventually enabled her to discover the value of that hidden Treasure which had lain for so many years concealed from her eyes. She was living in ‘Iráq, where she hoped to spend the remaining days of her life, when Bahá’u’lláh instructed two of His devoted followers, Ḥájí Siyyid Javád-i-Karbilá’í and the wife of Hájí ‘Abdu’l-Majíd-i-Shírází, both of whom were already intimately acquainted with her, to instruct her in the principles of the Faith. She acknowledged the truth of the Cause and remained, until the closing years of the thirteenth century A.H., [1] when she departed this life, fully aware of the bountiful gifts which the Almighty had chosen to confer upon her. 

- Nabil  (Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

[1] The thirteenth century A.H. ended in October, 1882 A.D

1846: The Báb “celebrated the festival of Naw-Rúz in His own home” quietly “and unceremoniously” with His wife and mother

The second Naw-Rúz after the declaration of the Báb’s Mission, which fell on the twenty-first day of the month of Rabí’u’l-Avval, in the year 1262 A.H., [1846] found the Báb still in Shíráz enjoying, under circumstances of comparative tranquillity and ease, the blessings of undisturbed association with His family and kindred. Quietly and unceremoniously, He celebrated the festival of Naw-Rúz in His own home, and, in accordance with His invariable custom, bountifully conferred upon both His mother and His wife the marks of His affection and favour. By the wisdom of His counsels and the tenderness of His love, He cheered their hearts and dispelled their apprehensions. He bequeathed to them all His possessions and transferred to their names the title to His property. In a document which He Himself wrote and signed, He directed that His house and its furniture, as well as the rest of His estate, should be regarded as the exclusive property of His mother and His wife; and that upon the death of the former, her share of the property should revert to His wife. 

- Nabil  (Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Shaykh Suitán-i-Karbilá’í: another believer who “had been a firm supporter and intimate companion of Siyyid Kázim” met the Báb in Shiraz; “It was he who, at a later time, proceeded to Sulaymáníyyih in search of Bahá’u’lláh, and whose daughter was subsequently given in marriage to Áqáy-i-Kalím [Baha’u’llah’s faithful brother]

Shaykh Suitán-i-Karbilá’í, whose ancestors ranked among the leading ‘ulamás of Karbilá, and who himself had been a firm supporter and intimate companion of Siyyid Kázim, was also among those who, in those days, had met the Báb in Shíráz. It was he who, at a later time, proceeded to Sulaymáníyyih in search of Bahá’u’lláh, and whose daughter was subsequently given in marriage to Áqáy-i-Kalím. When he arrived at Shíráz, he was accompanied by Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunúzí, to whom we have referred in the early pages of this narrative. To him the Báb assigned the task of transcribing, in collaboration with Mullá ‘Abdu’l-Karím, the Tablets which He had lately revealed. Shaykh Sultán, who had been too ill, at the time of his arrival, to meet the Báb, received one night, while still on his sick-bed, a message from his Beloved, informing him that at about two hours after sunset He would Himself visit him. That night the Ethiopian servant, who was acting as lantern-bearer to his Master, was instructed to walk in advance at a distance which would keep away the attention of the people from Him, and to extinguish the lantern as soon as he reached his destination.

Hájí Siyyid Javád encountered the Shah one day

Hájí Siyyid Javád, one day, while crossing a street in Tihrán, suddenly saw the Sháh as he was passing on horseback. Undisturbed by the presence of his sovereign, he calmly approached and greeted him. His venerable figure and dignity of bearing pleased the Sháh immensely. He acknowledged his salute and invited him to come and see him. Such was the reception accorded him that the courtiers of the Sháh were moved with envy. “Does not your Imperial Majesty realise,” they protested, “that this Hájí Siyyid Javád is none other than the man who, even prior to the declaration of the Siyyid-i-Báb, had proclaimed himself a Bábí, and had pledged his undying loyalty to his person?” The Sháh, perceiving the malice which actuated their accusation, was sorely displeased, and rebuked them for their temerity and low-mindedness. “How strange!” he is reported to have exclaimed; “whoever is distinguished by the uprightness of his conduct and the courtesy of his manners, my people forthwith denounce him as a Bábí and regard him as an object worthy of my condemnation!”

Hájí Siyyid Javád spent the last days of his life in Kirmán and remained until his last hour a staunch supporter of the Faith. He never wavered in his convictions nor relaxed in his unsparing endeavours for the diffusion of the Cause. 

- Nabil  (Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Hájí Siyyid Javád-i-Karbilá’í: - the recipient of a significant Tablet from Baha’u’llah

The remarkable circumstances attending the conversion of Hájí Siyyid Javád-i-Karbilá’í are fully related in the “Kashfu’l-Ghitá” (pp. 70–77), and reference is made to a significant Tablet revealed to him by Bahá’u’lláh (p. 63), in which the importance of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas is fully stressed, and the necessity of exercising the utmost caution and moderation in the application and execution of its precepts emphasised. The text of this Tablet is found on pp. 64–70 of the same book. The following passage of the “Dalá’il-i-Sab‘ih” refers to the conversion of Hájí Siyyid Javád: “Áqá Siyyid Javád-i-Karbilá’í a dit qu’avant la manifestation, un indien lui avait ecrit le nom de celui qui serait manifeste.” 

- Nicolas  (“Le Livre des Sept Preuves,” traduction par A. L. M. Nicolas, p. 59.; Footnotes to chapter 9 included by Shoghi Effendi)

Hájí Siyyid Javád-i-Karbilá’í: - the “radiant siyyid”

While Vahíd [1] was still in Shíráz, Hájí Siyyid Javád-i-Karbilá’í arrived and was introduced by Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí into the presence of the Báb. In a Tablet which He addressed to Vahíd and Hájí Siyyid Javád, the Báb extolled the firmness of their faith and stressed the unalterable character of their devotion. The latter had met and known the Báb before the declaration of His Mission, and had been a fervent admirer of those extraordinary traits of character which had distinguished Him ever since His childhood. At a later time, he met Bahá’u’lláh in Baghdád and became the recipient of His special favour. When, a few years afterwards, Bahá’u’lláh was exiled to Adrianople, he, already much advanced in years, returned to Persia, tarried awhile in the province of ‘Iráq, and thence proceeded to Khurásán. His kindly disposition, extreme forbearance, and unaffected simplicity earned him the appellation of the Siyyid-i-Núr. [2] 

- Nabil  (Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

[1] Title given by the Báb to Siyyid Yahyáy-i-Darábí.

[2] Literally meaning “radiant siyyid.”

The steadfastness and courage of the Báb’s immediate disciples

Though hunted and harassed by their foes, the Báb’s immediate disciples, together with their companions in different parts of Persia, were undeterred by such criminal acts from the accomplishment of their task. Unswerving in their purpose and immovable in their convictions, they continued to battle with the dark forces that assailed them every step of their path. By their unstinted devotion and unexampled fortitude, they were able to demonstrate to many of their countrymen the ennobling influence of the Faith they had arisen to champion. 

- Nabil  (Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

The tense interaction between Mullá Sádiq and Hájí Mírzá Karím Khán

“A bitter struggle broke out between the Muqaddas [Mullá Sádiq] and Karím Khán who, as it is known, had taken the rank of chief of the Shaykhí sect, after the death of Kázim. The discussion took place in the presence of many people and Karím challenged his opponent to prove the truth of the mission of the Báb. ‘If you succeed,’ he said to him, ‘I will be converted and my pupils with me; but if you fail, I shall have it proclaimed in the bazaars: “Behold the one who tramples under foot the Holy Law of Islám!’”

‘I know who you are, Karím,’ replied Muqaddas to him. ‘Do you not remember your Master Siyyid Kázim and that which he told you: “Dog, do you not wish that I should die that, after me, may appear the absolute truth?” Witness how today, urged on by your passion for riches and for glory, you lie to yourself!’

“Begun in this vein, the discussion was bound to be brief. Instantly, the pupils of Karím drew their knives and threw themselves upon him [Mullá Sádiq] who was insulting their chief. Fortunately, the governor of the city interposed; Muqaddas [Mullá Sádiq] arrested and brought to his house where he kept him for a while and, when the excitement had subsided, he sent him away by night, escorted for several miles by ten mounted men.” 

- A. L. M. Nicolas’  (“Siyyid ‘Alí-Muḥammad dit le Báb,” pp. 228–229.; Footnotes to chapter 9 included by Shoghi Effendi)

Mullá Sádiq arrived in Kirmán

When Mullá Sádiq and Mullá Yúsúf-i-Ardibílí arrived at Kirmán, they again had to submit to similar indignities and to suffer similar afflictions at the hands of Hájí Mírzá Karím Khán and his associates.  Hájí Siyyid Javád’s persistent exertions freed them eventually from the grasp of their persecutors, and enabled them to proceed to Khurásán. 

- Nabil  (Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Another believer, Mullá Yúsúf-i-Ardibílí, received fiercer savage onslaught of the people of Yazd

Mullá Yúsúf-i-Ardibílí, likewise, was subjected in those days to a persecution fiercer and more determined than the savage onslaught which the people of Yazd had directed against Mullá Ṣádiq. But for the intervention of Mírzá Ahmad and the assistance of his uncle, [Siyyid Husayn] he would have fallen a victim to the wrath of a ferocious enemy. 

(Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Mullá Sádiq was saved from the savage attacks of the congregation

By this solemn assurance, Mullá Sádiq was delivered from the savage attacks of his assailants. Divested of his ‘abá  and turban, deprived of his sandals and staff, bruised and shaken by the injuries he had received, he was entrusted to the care of Siyyid Husayn’s attendants, who, as they forced their passage among the crowd, succeeded eventually in conducting him to the home of their master. 

(Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Public’s angry reaction to Mullá Sádiq’s bold proclamation of the Faith

A wave of indignation and dismay swept over the entire congregation as these words of Mullá Sádiq pealed out this momentous announcement. The masjid rang with cries of “Blasphemy!” which an infuriated congregation shouted in horror against the speaker. “Descend from the pulpit,” rose the voice of Siyyid Husayn amid the clamour and tumult of the people, as he motioned to Mullá Sádiq to hold his peace and to retire. No sooner had he regained the floor of the masjid than the whole company of the assembled worshippers rushed upon him and overwhelmed him with blows. Siyyid Husayn immediately intervened, vigorously dispersed the crowd, and, seizing the hand of Mullá Sádiq, forcibly drew him to his side. “Withhold your hands,” he appealed to the multitude; “leave him in my custody. I will take him to my home, and will closely investigate the matter. A sudden fit of madness may have caused him to utter these words. I will myself examine him. If I find that his utterances are premeditated and that he himself firmly believes in the things which he has declared, I will, with my own hands, inflict upon him the punishment imposed by the law of Islám.” 

(Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Mullá Sádiq made a public proclamation of the Faith in Yazd

Mullá Sádiq was greatly pleased to learn from the account of this incident that Mírzá Ahmad was actually residing in Yazd, and that no obstacles stood in the way of his meeting with him. He went immediately to the masjid in which Siyyid Husayn was leading the congregational prayer and in which Mírzá Ahmad delivered the sermon. Taking his seat in the first row among the worshippers, he joined them in prayer, after which he went straight to Siyyid Husayn and publicly embraced him. Uninvited, he immediately afterwards ascended the pulpit and prepared to address the faithful Siyyid Husayn, though at first startled, preferred to raise no objection, being curious to discover the motive, and ascertain the degree of the learning, of this sudden intruder. He motioned to his nephew to refrain from opposing him.

Mullá Sádiq prefaced his discourse with one of the best-known and most exquisitely written homilies of the Báb, after which he addressed the congregation in these terms: “Render thanks to God, O people of learning, for, behold, the Gate of Divine Knowledge, which you deem to have been closed, is now wide open. The River of everlasting life has streamed forth from the city of Shíráz, and is conferring untold blessings upon the people of this land. Whoever has partaken of one drop from this Ocean of heavenly grace, no matter how humble and unlettered, has discovered in himself the power to unravel the profoundest mysteries, and has felt capable of expounding the most abstruse themes of ancient wisdom. And whoever, though he be the most learned expounder of the Faith of Islám, has chosen to rely upon his own competence and power and has disdained the Message of God, has condemned himself to irretrievable degradation and loss.” 

(Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Mullá Sádiq arrived at Yazd and found out what happened to his friend Mirza Ahmad and the book of some twelve-thousand authentic Islamic traditions that he had put together concerning the Cause of the Báb

As to Mullá Sádiq, as soon as he arrived at Yazd, he enquired of a trusted friend, a native of Khurásán, about the latest developments connected with the progress of the Cause in that province. He was particularly anxious to be enlightened concerning the activities of Mírzá Ahmad-i-Azghandí, and expressed his surprise at the seeming inactivity of one who, at a time when the mystery of the Faith was still undivulged, had displayed such conspicuous zeal in preparing the people for the acceptance of the expected Manifestation.

“Mírzá Ahmad,” he was told, “secluded himself for a considerable period of time in his own home, and there concentrated his energies upon the preparation of a learned and voluminous compilation of Islámic traditions and prophecies relating to the time and the character of the promised Dispensation. He collected more than twelve thousand traditions of the most explicit character, the authenticity of which was universally recognised; and resolved to take whatever steps were required for the copying and the dissemination of that book. By encouraging his fellow-disciples to quote publicly from its contents, in all congregations and gatherings, he hoped he would be able to remove such hindrances as might impede the progress of the Cause he had at heart.

“When he arrived at Yazd, he was warmly welcomed by his maternal uncle, Siyyid Husayn-i-Azghandí, the foremost mujtahid of that city, who, a few days before the arrival of his nephew, had sent him a written request to hasten to Yazd and deliver him from the machinations of Hájí Mírzá Karím Khán, whom he regarded as a dangerous though unavowed enemy of Islám. The mujtahid called upon Mírzá Ahmad to combat by every means in his power Hájí Mírzá Khán’s pernicious influence; and wished him to establish permanently his residence in that city, that he might, through incessant exhortations and appeals, succeed in enlightening the minds of the people as to the true aims and intentions cherished by that malignant enemy.

Quddús joined Mullá Husayn and set out for Khurásán

Quddús remained in Barfurúsh until the time when he was joined by Mullá Husayn after the latter’s return from his visit to the Báb in the castle of Máh-Kú. From Barfurúsh they set out for Khurásán, a journey rendered memorable by deeds so heroic that none of their countrymen could hope to rival them. 

(Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Quddús predicted his own martyrdom: - equating it with his “wedding”

“The day of my wedding,” Quddús observed, “is not yet come. That day will be unspeakably glorious. Not within the confines of this house, but out in the open air, under the vault of heaven, in the midst of the Sabzih-Maydán, before the gaze of the multitude, there shall I celebrate my nuptials and witness the consummation of my hopes.” Three years later, when that lady [Quddús’ stepmother] learned of the circumstances attending the martyrdom of Quddús in the Sabzih-Maydán, she recalled his prophetic words and understood their meaning. 

(Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Quddús’ father and stepmother

His father had married, on the death of his first wife, a lady who treated Quddús with a kindness and care that no mother could have hoped to surpass. She longed to witness his wedding, and was often heard to express her fears lest she should have to carry with her to the grave the “supreme joy of her heart.” 

(Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Views of the house of Quddus' father in Barfurush

 

After seeing Baha’u’llah in Tihran, Quudus went to “his native town of Barfurúsh, in the home of his father”

In Tihrán, Quddús was admitted into the presence of Bahá’u’lláh after which he proceeded to Mázindarán, where, in his native town of Barfurúsh, in the home of his father, he lived for about two years, during which time he was surrounded by the loving devotion of his family and kindred. 

(Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Bahá’u’lláh’s brother, Mirza Musa, describes his impressions of Quddús

I have heard Áqáy-i-Kalím, the brother of Bahá’u’lláh, describe in the following terms his meeting with Quddús in Tihrán:

“The charm of his person, his extreme affability, combined with a dignity of bearing, appealed to even the most careless observer. Whoever was intimately associated with him was seized with an insatiable admiration for the charm of that youth. We watched him one day perform his ablutions, and were struck by the gracefulness which distinguished him from the rest of the worshippers in the performance of so ordinary a rite. He seemed, in our eyes, to be the very incarnation of purity and grace.” 

(Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Quddús travels to Tihran from Kirmán

From Kirmán, Quddús decided to leave for Yazd, and from thence to proceed to Ardikán, Nayin, Ardistán, Isfáhán, Káshán, Qum, and Tihrán. In each of these cities, notwithstanding the obstacles that beset his path, he succeeded in instilling into the understanding of his hearers the principles which he had so bravely risen to advocate. 

(Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Through Quddús’ efforts Hájí Siyyid Javád embraced the Faith privately and played a key role in “resisting the encroachments of the insidious Hájí Mírzá Karím Khán, who, had he remained unchallenged, would have caused incalculable harm to the Faith.”

In the privacy of his home, Hájí Siyyid Javád heard Quddús recount all the details of his activities from the day of his departure from Karbilá until his arrival at Kirmán. The circumstances of his conversion and his subsequent pilgrimage with the Báb stirred the imagination and kindled the flame of faith in the heart of his host, who preferred, however, to conceal his belief, in the hope of being able to guard more effectively the interests of the newly established community. “Your noble resolve,” Quddús lovingly assured him, “will in itself be regarded as a notable service rendered to the Cause of God. The Almighty will reinforce your efforts and will establish for all time your ascendancy over your opponents.”

The incident was related to me by a certain Mírzá ‘Abdu’lláh-i-Ghawgka, who, while in Kirmán, had heard it from the lips of Hájí Siyyid Javád himself. The sincerity of the expressed intentions of the siyyid has been fully vindicated by the splendid manner in which, as a result of his endeavours, he succeeded in resisting the encroachments of the insidious Hájí Mírzá Karím Khán, who, had he remained unchallenged, would have caused incalculable harm to the Faith. 

(Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)