Memorials of the Faithful Part 6

Ma_sh_hadi ?usayn and Ma_sh_hadi Mu?ammad were both from the province of a_dh_irbayjan. They were pure souls who took the great step in their own country: they freed themselves from friend and stranger alike, escaped from the superst.i.tions that had blinded them before, strengthened their resolve, and bowed themselves down before the grace of G.o.d, the Lord of Life. They were blessed souls, loyal, unsullied in faith; evanescent, submissive, poor, content with the will of G.o.d, in love with His guiding Light, rejoicing over the great message. They left their province and traveled to Adrianople. Here beside the holy city they lived for quite a time in the village of Qumruq-Kilisa. By day, they supplicated G.o.d and communed with Him; by night, they wept, bemoaning the plight of Him Whom the world hath wronged.

When the exile to Akka was under way, they were not present in the city and thus were not arrested. Heavy of heart, they continued on in that area, shedding their tears. Once they had obtained a definite report from Akka, they left Rumelia and came here: two excellent souls, loyal bondsmen of the Blessed Beauty. It is impossible to tell how translucent they were of heart, how firm in faith.

They lived outside Akka in Ba_gh_-i-Firdaws, worked as farmers, and spent their days returning thanks to G.o.d because once again they had won their way to the neighborhood of grace and love. But they were natives of a_dh_irbayjan, accustomed to the cold, and they could not endure the local heat. Furthermore, this was during our early days in Akka, when the air was noxious, and the water unwholesome in the extreme. They both fell ill of a chronic, high fever. They bore it cheerfully, with amazing patience.

During their days of illness, despite the a.s.sault of the fever, the violence of their ailment, the raging thirst, the restlessness, they remained inwardly at peace, rejoicing at the Divine glad tidings. And at a time when they were offering thanks with all their heart, they hurried away from this world and entered the other; they escaped from this cage and were released into the garden of immortality. Upon them be the mercy of G.o.d, and may He be well pleased with them. Unto them be salutations and praise. May G.o.d bring them into the Realm that abides forever, to delight in reunion with Him, to bask in the Kingdom of Splendors. Their two luminous tombs are in Akka.

?aJi 'ABDU'R-RA?iM-I-YAZDi

?aji 'Abdu'r-Ra?im of Yazd was a precious soul, from his earliest years virtuous and G.o.d-fearing, and known among the people as a holy man, peerless in observing his religious duties, mindful as to his acts. His strong religious faith was an indisputable fact. He served and worshiped G.o.d by day and night, was sound, mild, compa.s.sionate, a loyal friend.

Because he was fully prepared, at the very moment when he heard the summons from the Supreme Horizon-heard the drumbeats of "Am I not your Lord?"-he instantly cried out, "Yea, verily!" With his whole being, he became enamored of the splendors shed by the Light of the World. Openly and boldly he began to confirm his family and friends. This was soon known throughout the city; to the eyes of the evil 'ulamas, he was now an object of hate and contempt. Incurring their wrath, he was despised by those creatures of their own low pa.s.sions. He was molested and hara.s.sed; the inhabitants rioted, and the evil 'ulamas plotted his death. The government authorities turned on him as well, hounded him, even subjected him to torture. They beat him with clubs, and whipped him. All this went on, by day and night.

He was forced, then, to abandon his home and go out of the city, a vagrant, climbing the mountains, crossing over the plains, until he came to the Holy Land. But so weak he was, and wasted away, that whoever saw him thought he was breathing his last; when he reached Haifa, Nabil of Qa'in hurried to Akka, and desired me to summon the ?aji at once, because he was in his death agony and failing fast.

"Let me go to the Mansion," I said, "and ask leave." "It would take too long," he said. "And then 'Abdu'r-Ra?im will never see Akka. I long for him to have this bounty; for him at least to see Akka, and die. I beg of You, send for him at once!"

Complying with his wish, I summoned 'Abdu'r-Ra?im. When he came, I could hardly detect in him a whisper of life. At times he would open his eyes, but he spoke no word. Still, the sweet savors of the Most Great Prison restored the vital spark, and his yearning to meet Baha'u'llah breathed life into him again. I looked in on him the next morning and found him cheerful and refreshed. He asked permission to attend upon Baha'u'llah.

"It all depends," I answered, "on whether He grants you leave. G.o.d willing, you shall be singled out for this cherished gift."

A few days later, permission came, and he hastened to the presence of Baha'u'llah. When 'Abdu'r-Ra?im entered there, the spirit of life was wafted over him. On his return, it was clear that this ?aji had become a different ?aji entirely: he was in the bloom of health. Nabil was dumbfounded, and said: "How life-giving, to a true believer, is this prison air!"

For some time, 'Abdu'r-Ra?im lived in the neighborhood. He spent his hours remembering and praising G.o.d; he chanted prayers, and carefully attended to his religious duties. Thus he saw few people. This servant paid special attention to his needs, and ordered a light diet for him. But it all came to an end with the Supreme Affliction, the ascension of Baha'u'llah. There was anguish then, and the noise of loud weeping. With his heart on fire, his eyes raining tears, he struggled weakly to move about; so his days went by, and always, he longed to make his exit from this rubbish heap, the world. At last he broke away from the torment of his loss, and hurried on to the Realm of G.o.d, and came to the a.s.semblage of Divine splendor in the Kingdom of Lights.

Unto him be salutations and praise, and mercy ineffable. May G.o.d scatter on his resting-place rays from the mysterious Realm.

?aJi 'ABDU'LLaH NAJAF-aBaDi

Once he had become a believer, ?aji 'Abdu'llah left his native Persia, hastened to the Holy Land, and under the sheltering grace of Baha'u'llah found peace of heart. He was a man confident, steadfast and firm; certain of the manifold bounties of G.o.d; of an excellent disposition and character.

He spent his days in friendly a.s.sociation with the other believers. Then for a while he went to _Gh_awr, near Tiberias, where he farmed, both tilling the soil and devoting much of his time to supplicating and communing with G.o.d. He was an excellent man, high-minded and unsullied.

Later he returned from _Gh_awr, settled near Baha'u'llah in Junayna, and came often into His presence. His eyes were fixed on the Abha Kingdom; sometimes he would shed tears and moan, again he would rejoice, glad because he had achieved his supreme desire. He was completely detached from all but G.o.d, happy in G.o.d's grace. He would keep a vigil most of the night, remaining in a state of prayer. Then death came at the appointed hour, and in the shadowing care of Baha'u'llah he ascended, hurried away from this world of dust to the high Firmament, soared upward to the secret land. Unto him be salutations, mercy and praise, in the neighborhood of his exalted Lord.

MU?AMMAD-HaDiY-I-?A??aF

Yet one more among those who emigrated and came to settle near Baha'u'llah was the bookbinder, Mu?ammad-Hadi. This noted man was from I?fahan, and as a binder and illuminator of books he had no peer. When he gave himself up to the love of G.o.d he was alert on the path and fearless. He abandoned his home and began a dreadful journey, pa.s.sing with extreme hardship from one country to another until he reached the Holy Land and became a prisoner.

He stationed himself by the Holy Threshold, carefully sweeping it and keeping watch. Through his constant efforts, the square in front of Baha'u'llah's house was at all times swept, sprinkled and immaculate.

Baha'u'llah would often glance at that plot of ground, and then He would smile and say: "Mu?ammad-Hadi has turned the square in front of this prison into the bridalbower of a palace. He has brought pleasure to all the neighbors and earned their thanks."

When his sweeping, sprinkling and tidying was done, he would set to work illuminating and binding the various books and Tablets. So his days went by, his heart happy in the presence of the Beloved of mankind. He was an excellent soul, righteous, true, worthy of the bounty of being united with his Lord, and free of the world's contagion.

One day he came to me and complained of a chronic ailment. "I have suffered from chills and fever for two years," he said, "The doctors have prescribed a purgative, and quinine. The fever stops a few days; then it returns. They give me more quinine, but still the fever returns. I am weary of this life, and can no longer do my work. Save me!"

"What food would you most enjoy?" I asked him. "What would you eat with great appet.i.te?"

"I don't know," he said. Jokingly, I named off the different dishes. When I came to barley soup with whey (a_sh_-i-ka_sh_k), he said, "Very good!

But on condition there is braised garlic in it."

I directed them to prepare this for him, and I left. The next day he presented himself and told me: "I ate a whole bowlful of the soup. Then I laid my head on my pillow and slept peacefully till morning."

In short, from then on he was perfectly well for about two years.

One day a believer came to me and said: "Mu?ammad-Hadi is burning up with fever." I hurried to his bedside and found him with a fever of 42 Centigrade. He was barely conscious. "What has he done?" I asked. "When he became feverish," was the reply, "he said that he knew from experience what he should do. Then he ate his fill of barley soup with whey and braised garlic; and this was the result."

I was astounded at the workings of fate. I told them: "Because, two years ago, he had been thoroughly purged and his system was clear; because he had a hearty appet.i.te for it, and his ailment was fever and chills, I prescribed the barley soup. But this time, with the different foods he has had, with no appet.i.te, and especially with a high fever, there was no reason to diagnose the previous chronic condition. How could he have eaten the soup!" They answered, "It was fate." Things had gone too far; Mu?ammad-Hadi was past saving.

He was a man short of stature, lofty of station and mind. His heart was pure, his soul luminous. During all those days when he served the Holy Threshold, he was loved by the friends and favored by G.o.d. From time to time, a smile on His lips, the Blessed Beauty would speak to him, expressing kindness and grace.

Mu?ammad-Hadi was loyal always, and he accounted all things other than G.o.d's good pleasure as fiction and fable, nothing more. Blessed is he for this gift bestowed upon him, glad tidings to him for the place to which he shall be led; may it do him good, this wine-cup tempered at the camphor fountain, and may all his strivings meet with thanks and be acceptable to G.o.d.(36)

MiRZa MU?AMMAD-QULi

Jinab-i-Mirza Mu?ammad-Quli(37) was a loyal brother of the Blessed Beauty.

This great man was known even from his childhood for n.o.bility of soul. He was newly born when his distinguished father pa.s.sed away, and thus it came about that from the beginning to the end of his days, he spent his life in the sheltering arms of Baha'u'llah. He was detached from every selfish thought, averse to every mention except to whatever concerned the Holy Cause. He was reared in Persia under the care of Baha'u'llah, and in 'Iraq as well, especially favored by Him. In the presence of Baha'u'llah, it was he who would pa.s.s around the tea; and he waited upon his Brother at all times, by day and night. He was always silent. He always held fast to the Covenant of "Am I not your Lord?" He was encompa.s.sed by loving-kindness and bounty; day and night he had access to the presence of Baha'u'llah; he was invariably patient and forbearing, until in the end he reached the very heights of Divine favor and acceptance.

He kept always to his own way of being. He traveled in the company of Baha'u'llah; from 'Iraq to Constantinople he was with the convoy and at the halting-places it was his task to pitch the tents. He served with the greatest diligence, and did not know the meaning of lethargy or fatigue.

In Constantinople as well, and later in the Land of Mystery, Adrianople, he continued on, in one and the same invariable condition.

With his peerless Lord, he then was exiled to the Akka fortress, condemned by order of the Sul?an to be imprisoned forever.(38) But he accepted in the same spirit all that came his way-comfort and torment, hardship and respite, sickness and health; eloquently, he would return thanks to the Blessed Beauty for His bounties, uttering praise with a free heart and a face that shone like the sun. Each morning and evening he waited upon Baha'u'llah, delighting in and sustained by His presence; and mostly, he kept silent.

When the Beloved of all mankind ascended to the Kingdom of Splendors, Mirza Mu?ammad-Quli remained firm in the Covenant, shunning the craft, the malice and hypocrisy which then appeared, devoting himself entirely to G.o.d, supplicating and praying. To those who would listen he gave wise advice; and he called to mind the days of the Blessed Beauty and grieved over the fact that he himself lived on. After the departure of Baha'u'llah, he did not draw an easeful breath; he kept company with no one, but stayed by himself most of the time, alone in his small refuge, burning with the fires of separation. Day by day he grew feebler, more helpless, until at the last he soared away to the world of G.o.d. Upon him be peace; upon him be praise and mercy, in the gardens of Heaven. His luminous grave is in Naqib, by Tiberias.

USTaD BaQIR AND USTaD A?MAD