Sometime between July 30 to August 28, 1851: Baha’u’llah arrived in Karbilá

On His way to Karbila Baha’u’llah arrived in Kirmanshah – there He spent about a month. The only two companiosn that He chose to accompany him to Karbila were: Shukru’llah-i-Núrí, one of His kinsmen, and Mírzá Muhammad-i-Mázindarání, who had survived the struggle of Tabarsí. Baha’u’llah arrived at Karbila during July 30 to August 28, 1851. (Adapted from 'The Dawn-Breakers') The tomb of the martyred Imam Husayn, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, and Baha’u’llah’s spiritual forebear, is in Karbila and is considered as one of the holiest places of pilgrimage for Shí'ah Islam, outside of Mecca and Medina.

“On His way to that holy city [Karbila], He tarried a few days in Baghdád, that place which He was soon to visit again and where His Cause was destined to mature and unfold itself to the world. While Baha’u’llah was in Karbila, the Guardian tells us that He was engaged in “spreading, with that same enthusiasm and ability that had distinguished His earlier exertions in Mázindarán, the teachings of His departed Leader, in safeguarding the interests of His Faith, in reviving the zeal of its grief-stricken followers, and in organizing the forces of its scattered and bewildered adherents.”  

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘God Passes By’)

June 1851: Baha’u’llah’s first exile

Mirza Taqi Khan

Soon after the martyrdom of the Báb, Mirza Taqi Khan, the Grand Vizier (the Prime minister) who was responsible for and had ordered the death of the Báb, and was now the Shah's brother-in-law, sought a meeting with Baha'u'llah. At this meeting in his office he stated in gently insinuating fashion:

"I am well aware of the nature and influence of your activities, and  am firmly convinced that were it not for the support and assistance which you have extended to Mulla Husayn and his companions, neither he nor his band of inexperienced students would have been capable of resisting for seven months the forces of the imperial  government. The ability and skill with which you have managed to direct and encourage those efforts could not fail to excite my admiration, but I have been unable to obtain any evidence whereby I could establish your complicity in this affair. I feel it a pity that so resourceful a person should not be given an opportunity to serve his country and sovereign. The thought has come to me to suggest that you visit Karbila in these days when the Shah is contemplating a visit to Isfahan. It is my intention to be enabled, upon your return, to confer upon you the position of Amir-Divan (Head of the Court) a function you could admirably discharge."  (‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Although couched politely, this was tantamount to an order by the Prime Minister.

1850: Following the martyrdom of the Báb and His companion, Baha’u’llah instructed His faithful brother, Áqáy-i-Kalím to arrange for the transfer of the bodies to Tehran

On the afternoon of the second day after the Báb’s martyrdom, Hájí Sulaymán Khán, son of Yahyá Khán, arrived at Bagh-Míshih, a suburb of Tabríz, and was received at the house of the Kalantar [Mayor], one of his friends and confidants, who was a dervish and belonged to the súfí community.

As soon as he had been informed of the imminent danger that threatened the life of the Báb, Hájí Sulaymán Khán had left Tihrán with the object of achieving His deliverance. To his dismay, he arrived too late to carry out his intention.

No sooner had his host informed him of the circumstances that had led to the arrest and condemnation of the Báb, and related to him the events of His martyrdom, than he instantly resolved to carry away the bodies of the victims, even at the risk of endangering his own life. The Kalantar advised him to wait and follow his suggestion rather than expose himself to what seemed to him would be inevitable death. He urged him to transfer his residence to another house and to wait for the arrival, that evening, of a certain Hájí Alláh-Yár, who, he said, would be willing to carry out whatever he might wish him to do.

House in Tehran where Baha'u'llah was born

A group of Baha'i visitors are shown in the foreground

circa June, 1850: Baha’u’llah receives a very special and scared package from the Báb

Forty days before the arrival of that officer at Chihríq, [to transfer the Báb to Tabriz for His execution] the Báb collected all the documents and Tablets in His possession and, placing them, with His pen-case, His seals, and agate rings, in a coffer, entrusted them to the care of Mullá Báqir, one of the Letters of the Living. To him He also delivered a letter addressed to Mírzá Ahmad, His amanuensis, in which He enclosed the key to that coffer. He urged him to take the utmost care of that trust, emphasised the sacredness of its character, and bade him conceal its contents from anyone except Mírzá Ahmad.

Mullá Báqir departed forthwith for Qazvín. Within eighteen days he reached that town and was informed that Mírzá Ahmad had departed for Qum. He left immediately for that destination and arrived towards the middle of the month of Sha’bán. I was then in Qum, together with a certain Sádiq-i-Tabrízí, whom Mírzá Ahmad had sent to fetch me from Zarand. I was living in the same house with Mírzá Ahmad, a house which he had hired in the Bagh-Panbih quarter. In those days Shaykh Azím, Siyyid Ismá’íl, and a number of other companions likewise were dwelling with us. Mullá Báqir delivered the trust into the hands of Mírzá Ahmad, who, at the insistence of Shaykh Azím, opened it before us. We marvelled when we beheld, among the things which that coffer contained, a scroll of blue paper, of the most delicate texture, on which the Báb, in His own exquisite handwriting, which was a fine shikastih script, had penned, in the form of a pentacle, what numbered about five hundred verses, all consisting of derivatives from the word “Bahá.”  That scroll was in a state of perfect preservation, was spotlessly clean, and gave the impression, at first sight, of being a printed rather than a written page. So fine and intricate was the penmanship that, viewed at a distance, the writing appeared as a single wash of ink on the paper. We were overcome with admiration as we gazed upon a masterpiece which no calligraphist, we believed, could rival. That scroll was replaced in the coffer and handed back to Mírzá Ahmad, who, on the very day he received it, proceeded to Tihrán. Ere he departed, he informed us that all he could divulge of that letter was the injunction that the trust was to be delivered into the hands of Jináb-i-Bahá [Baha’u’llah] in Tihrán.  

- Nabil  (‘The Dawn-Breakers’; translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

1848-1850: Baha’u’llah’s house in Tihran becomes a focal point for the Bábi Faith

Baha'u'llah’s…house in Tihran became a focal point for the Bábis of the capital city, and those Bábis who were passing through Tihran also received His hospitality. Among the Bábis who at this time frequented the house of Baha'u'llah was Vahid, who was to go from there to earn eternal fame and glorious martyrdom at Nayriz. Another visitor was Mirza 'Aliy-i-Sayyah (Mulla Adi Guzal of Maraghih), who was acting as courier for the Báb and was commissioned by Him to perform a pilgrimage to Shaykh Tabarsi and pray at the graves of those distinguished martyrs. Yet another who called on Baha'u'llah was Mulla 'Abdu'l-Karim-i-Qazvini (Mirza Ahmad), bringing with him the pen-case, seals and rings of the Báb. 

- H. M. Balyuzi  (‘Baha’u’llah, The King of Glory’)

As a result of the incidents in Ámul, Bahá’u’lláh’s intention to join the defenders of the fort of Shaykh Tabarsí didn’t materialized “through the mysterious dispensation of Providence”

Bahá’u’lláh’s intention to throw in His lot with the defenders of the fort of Shaykh Tabarsí was destined to remain unfulfilled. Though Himself extremely desirous to lend every possible assistance in His power to the besieged, He was spared, through the mysterious dispensation of Providence, the tragic fate that was soon to befall the chief participators in that memorable struggle. Had He been able to reach the fort, had He been allowed to join the members of that heroic band, how could He have played His part in the great drama which He was destined to unfold? How could He have consummated the work that had been so gloriously conceived and so marvellously inaugurated? He was in the heyday of His life when the call from Shíráz reached Him. At the age of twenty-seven, He arose to consecrate His life to its service, fearlessly identified Himself with its teachings, and distinguished Himself by the exemplary part He played in its diffusion. No effort was too great for the energy with which He was endowed, and no sacrifice too woeful for the devotion with which His faith had inspired Him. He flung aside every consideration of fame, of wealth, and position, for the prosecution of the task He had set His heart to achieve. Neither the taunts of His friends nor the threats of His enemies could induce Him to cease championing a Cause which they alike regarded as that of an obscure and proscribed sect. 

- Nabil  (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

1848: The governor of Ámul humbly and respectfully apologized for Baha’u’llah’s house arrest and arranged for His safe departure to Tihrán

What he had seen of the heroism of the defenders of the fort had quite changed the mind and heart of the governor of Ámul. He returned filled with admiration for a Cause which he had formerly despised, and the progress of which he had strenuously resisted. The scenes he witnessed had disarmed his wrath and chastened his pride. Humbly and respectfully, he went to Bahá’u’lláh and apologised for the insolence of the inhabitants of a town that he had been chosen to govern. He served Him with extreme devotion, utterly ignoring his own position and rank. He paid a glowing tribute to Mullá Husayn, and expatiated upon his resourcefulness, his intrepidity, his skill, and nobleness of soul. A few days later, he succeeded in arranging for the safe departure of Bahá’u’lláh and His companions for Tihrán. 

- Nabil  (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

Baha'u'llah's ancestral village in Takur, Mazindran, Persia

Village of Takur, Mazindaran, Persia, ancestral home of Baha'u'llah.

Room (left) occupied by Baha'u'llah in Takur, Mazindaran, Persia.

Interior of room occupied by Baha'u'llah in Takur, Mazindaran, Persia.
(The Baha'i World 1930-1932)

Though under house arrest in Amul, Baha’u’llah praises the treatment He received from the acting governor

No prisoner has ever been accorded the treatment which I received at the hands of the acting governor of Ámul. He treated Me with the utmost consideration and esteem. I was generously entertained by him, and the fullest attention was given to everything that affected My security and comfort. I was, however, unable to leave the gate of the house. My host was afraid lest the governor, who was related to ‘Abbás-Qulí Khán-i- Láríjání,[1] might return from the fort of Tabarsí and inflict injury upon Me. I tried to dispel his apprehensions. “The same Omnipotence,” I assured him, “who has delivered us from the hands of the mischief-makers of Ámul, and has enabled us to be received with such hospitality by you in this house, is able to change the heart of the governor and to cause him to treat us with no less consideration and love.”

One night we were suddenly awakened by the clamour of the people who had gathered outside the gate of the house. The door was opened, and it was announced that the governor had returned to Ámul. Our companions, who were anticipating a fresh attack upon them, were completely surprised to hear the voice of the governor rebuking those who had denounced us so bitterly on the day of our arrival. “For what reason,” we heard him loudly remonstrating, “have these miserable wretches chosen to treat so disrespectfully a guest whose hands are tied and who has not been given the chance to defend himself? What is their justification for having demanded that he be immediately put to death? What evidence have they with which to support their contention? If they be sincere in their claims to be devotedly attached to Islám and to be the guardians of its interests, let them betake themselves to the fort of Shaykh Tabarsí and there demonstrate their capacity to defend the Faith of which they profess to be the champions.” 

- Bahá’u’lláh  (Cited in ‘The Dawn-Breakers’, by Nabil; translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

[1] A prominent military commander who led troops in battle against the Bábís gathered at Shaykh Tabarsí.

The acting governor of Ámul succeeded to conduct Baha’u’llah to his house despite opposition by the clergy

Mírzá Taqí succeeded, in spite of the tumult Our arrival had raised, and in the face of the opposition of the ‘ulamás, in releasing Us from their grasp and in conducting Us to his own house. He extended to Us the warmest hospitality. Occasionally he yielded to the pressure which the ‘ulamás were continuously bringing to bear upon him, and felt himself powerless to defeat their attempts to harm Us. We were still in his house when the Sardár,[military commander] who had joined the army in Mázindarán, returned to Ámul. No sooner was he informed of the indignities We had suffered than he rebuked Mírzá Taqí for the weakness he had shown in protecting Us from Our enemies. “Of what importance,” he indignantly demanded, “are the denunciations of this ignorant people? Why is it that you have allowed yourself to be swayed by their clamour? You should have been satisfied with preventing the party from reaching their destination and, instead of detaining them in this house, you should have arranged for their safe and immediate return to Tihrán.”  

- Baha’u’llah  (Quoted by Nabil in ‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

Baha’u’llah recalls His release from captivity in Ámul

The acting governor of Ámul succeeded in effecting Our release from captivity. Through an opening in the wall that he ordered his men to make, he enabled Us to leave that room, and conducted Us to his house. No sooner were the inhabitants informed of this act than they arose against Us, besieged the governor’s residence, pelted Us with stones, and hurled in Our face the foulest invectives. 

- Bahá’u’lláh  (Cited in ‘The Dawn-Breakers’, by Nabil; translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

Baha’u’llah was freed from temporary imprisonment in a room of a mosque in Ámul but faced very dangerous circumstances

Mark X shows place where opening was made in the wall

Bahá’u’lláh and His companions remained for a time imprisoned in one of the rooms that formed part of the masjid. The acting governor, who was still determined to shield his Prisoner from the assaults of an inveterate enemy, secretly instructed his attendants to open, at an unsuspected hour, a passage through the wall of the room in which the captives were confined, and to transfer their Leader immediately to his home. He was himself conducting Bahá’u’lláh to his residence when a siyyid sprang forward and, directing his fiercest invectives against Him, raised the club which he held in his hand to strike Him. The acting governor immediately interposed himself and, appealing to the assailant, “adjured him by the Prophet of God” to stay his hand. “What!” burst forth the siyyid. “How dare you release a man who is the sworn enemy of the Faith of our fathers?” A crowd of ruffians had meanwhile gathered around him, and by their howls of derision and abuse added to the clamour which he had raised. Despite the growing tumult, the attendants of the acting governor were able to conduct Bahá’u’lláh in safety to the residence of their master, and displayed on that occasion a courage and presence of mind that were truly surprising. 

- Nabil  (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

Baha’u’llah recalls the treatment He received from the divines in Ámul

When … We went to Ámul, such was the turmoil which the people had raised that above four thousand persons had congregated in the masjid [mosque] and had crowded onto the roofs of their houses. The leading mullá of the town denounced Us bitterly. “You have perverted the Faith of Islám,” he cried in his Mázindarání dialect, “and sullied its fame! Last night I saw you in a dream enter the masjid, which was thronged by an eager multitude that had gathered to witness your arrival. As the crowd pressed round you, I beheld, and, lo, the Qá’im [1] was standing in a corner with His gaze fixed upon your countenance, His features betraying great surprise. This dream I regard as evidence of your having deviated from the path of Truth.”

We assured him that the expression of surprise on that countenance was a sign of the Qá’im’s strong disapproval of the treatment he and his fellow-townsmen had accorded Us. He questioned Us regarding the Mission of the Báb. We informed him that, although We had never met Him face to face, yet We cherished, none the less, a great affection for Him. We expressed Our profound conviction that He had, under no circumstances, acted contrary to the Faith of Islám.

The mullá and his followers, however refused to believe Us, and rejected Our testimony as a perversion of the truth. They eventually placed Us in confinement, and forbade Our friends to meet Us. 

- Bahá’u’lláh (Cited in ‘The Dawn-Breakers’, by Nabil)

That which hath touched this Wronged One is beyond compare or equal. We have borne it all with the utmost willingness and resignation, so that the souls of men may be edified, and the Word of God be exalted. While confined in the prison of the Land of Mím (Mázindarán) We were one day delivered into the hands of the divines. Thou canst well imagine what befell Us. 

- Baha’u’llah  (‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)

[1] He who shall arise; the Twelfth Imám, or Mihdí, awaited by Shí‘ah Muslims and expected to inaugurate a new era of righteousness in the world. The Báb declared Himself to be the Qá’im and the Gate to another divine Messenger, “Him Whom God shall make manifest.”

1848: Baha’u’llah suffered the humiliating bastinado punishment

Town of Ámul, circa 1935

The hostile clerics of Ámul had created a major commotion in the town. Having Baha’u’llah and His companions in their midst, the situation was further exacerbated by the divines calling upon the people to protect their religion by demanding severe punishment upon the captives – including murder. People were told to come to the mosque, fully armed -- the butcher with his axe, the carpenter with his hatchet – prepared to make a rush at Baha'u'llah and murder Him. The divines of Amul were particularly marked for their rapacity.

The Acting Governor realized that any indulgence on his part would be fraught with personal danger. By inflicting a befitting punishment upon the captives, he sought to check the mob’s passions. He ordered punishment by bastinado - a form of torture that involves being beaten on the soles of the feet with a rod. He also promised that the captives would be kept in custody following this punishment until the return of the governor.

The Mosque of Ámul, circa 1935

Taken to the mosque of the chief priest, the first to be bound in order to receive the bastinado was Mulla Baqir of Tabriz, one of the Letters of the Living. Said he, 'I am only a groom of Mirza Busayn-'Ali... [Baha’u’llah].' Whereupon Baha’u’llah intervened and succeeded in inducing his captors to release him. So too He interceded for Haji Mirza Jani, the merchant of Kashan who, He said, was a mere tradesman and whom He regarded as His guest, so that He himself was responsible for any charges brought against him. This merchant had earlier acted as host to the Báb in Kashan, he was also the first chronicler of His Faith. Mirza Yahya, His half-brother and ward, was also set free as soon as Baha’u’llah had declared him to be His attendant. . “None of these men,” Baha’u’llah told the acting governor, “are guilty of any crime. If you insist on inflicting your punishment, I offer Myself as a willing Victim of your chastisement.” The acting governor was reluctantly compelled to give orders that Bahá’u’lláh alone be chosen to suffer the indignity which he had intended originally for His companions.

1848: Baha’u’llah is interrogated by a group of hostile divines in Ámul

Following His arrest about nine miles away from Fort Tabarsi by soldiers of the acting governor of Amul, Baha’u’llah encountered a group of hostile clerics in the town of Amul. This is how Nabil recorded that incident:

The acting governor asked the ‘ulamás who were present to put any question they desired. To their enquiries Bahá’u’lláh returned explicit and convincing replies.

As they were interrogating Him, they discovered a manuscript in the possession of one of His companions which they recognised as the writings of the Báb and which they handed to the chief of the ‘ulamás present at that gathering. As soon as he had perused a few lines of that manuscript, he laid it aside and, turning to those around him, exclaimed: “These people, who advance such extravagant claims, have, in this very sentence which I have read, betrayed their ignorance of the most rudimentary rules of orthography.”

“Esteemed and learned divine,” Bahá’u’lláh replied, “these words which you criticise are not the words of the Báb. They have been uttered by no less a personage than the Imám ‘Alí, the Commander of the Faithful, in his reply to Kumayl-ibn-i-Ziyad, whom he had chosen as his companion.”

Baha’u’llah recalls His intention to join the believers at Fort Tabarsi

At a time when the forces of Prince Mihdi-Quli Mirza had besieged the fort of Tabarsi, We resolved to depart from Nur and lend Our assistance to its heroic defenders. We had intended to send Abdu'l-Vahhab, one of Our companions, in advance of Us, and to request him to announce Our approach to the besieged. Though encompassed by the forces of the enemy, We had decided to throw in Our lot with those steadfast companions, and to risk the dangers with which they were confronted. This, however, was not to be. The hand of Omnipotence spared Us from their fate and preserved Us for the work We were destined to accomplish. In pursuance of God's inscrutable wisdom, the intention We had formed was, before Our arrival at the fort, communicated by certain inhabitants of Nur to Mirza Taqi, the governor of Amul, who sent his men to intercept Us. While We were resting and taking Our tea, We found Ourselves suddenly surrounded by a number of horsemen, who seized Our belongings and captured Our steeds. We were given, in exchange for Our own horse, a poorly saddled animal which We found it extremely uncomfortable to ride. The rest of Our companions were conducted, handcuffed, to Amul. 

- Baha’u’llah  (Quoted by Nabil in ‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

December 1848: Faithful to His promise to Mulla Husayn, Baha’u’llah sets out for Fort Tabarsi

In the beginning of that same month [December 1848], Bahá’u’lláh, faithful to the promise He had given to Mullá Husayn, set out, attended by a number of His friends, from Núr for the fort of Tabarsí… [He was accompanied by a number of Bábís including Mulla Baqir, one of the Letters of the Living, and Mirza Yahya, His half-brother.] Bahá’u’lláh had signified His wish that they should proceed directly to their destination and allow no pause in their journey. His intention was to reach that spot at night, inasmuch as strict orders had been issued, ever since ‘Abdu’lláh Khán had assumed the command, that no help should be extended, under any circumstances, to the occupants of the fort. Guards had been stationed at different places to ensure the isolation of the besieged. His companions, however, pressed Him to interrupt the journey and to seek a few hours of rest. Although He knew that this delay would involve a grave risk of being surprised by the enemy, He yielded to their earnest request. They halted at a lonely house adjoining the road. [about nine miles to Fort Tabarsi] After supper, his companions all retired to sleep. He alone, despite the hardships He had endured, remained wakeful. He knew well the perils to which He and His friends were exposed, and was fully aware of the possibilities which His early arrival at the fort involved.

Fall 1848: Baha’u’llah visits Mulla Husayn and his companions at Fort Tabarsi

Taking refuge from the attacks of the people of Barfurúsh and neighbouring villages at the persistent instigation of the vindictive leading divine of that district, Mulla Husayn and his companions arrived at the shrine of Shaykh Tabarsi on October 12, 1848. This shrine was situated about fourteen miles S.E. of the town of Barfurúsh in the heart of the forests of Mazindaran. Upon their arrival, Mullá Husayn gave one of the believers who had built the Bábíyyih house in Mashhad preliminary instructions for the design of a fort which was to be constructed for their defense around the shrine. Through Mulla Husayn’s guidance and encouragement his companions began building the fort according that design. Despite continual harassment and fierce attacks by the people of the surrounding villages, who hemmed them in on every side, they valiantly defended themselves. When construction of the fort was completed, Mullá Ḥusayn undertook the necessary preparations for the siege which the fort was destined to sustain, and provided, despite the obstacles which stood in his way, whatever provisions seemed essential for the safety of its occupants.

Meanwhile, news of the situation facing Mulla Husayn and his 300 plus companions reached Baha’u’llah who was staying at his ancestral home of Nur. He learned how, because of the treachery and broken pledges of the authorities in Sari and Barburush, they had been forced to use arms to defend themselves, and had hurriedly thrown up a wall and built a fortress around the mausoleum of Shaykh Tabarsi and were now beleaguered within it. Baha'u'llah decided to visit them and when His preparations were complete, travelled to the village of Afra [located in the vicinity of the shrine of Shaykh Tabarsi], which belonged to a certain Nazar-'Ali Khan. When He arrived in Afra, He ordered for a sumptuous dinner to be prepared for the inmates of the fortress and sent one of the believers to inform them of His impending arrival.

This is how Nabil recounts what then happened:

Whereabouts of Baha’u’llah, Quddus, Tahirih, and Mulla Husayn following the conference of Badasht

Following the conference of Badasht Baha’u’llah stayed for the remainder of the summer and early fall of 1848 in the district of Nur in Mazindaran. Quddús, however, before reaching his home town, fell into the hands of his opponents, and was confined in Sarí in the home of the leading clergy of that town. The rest of his companions, after their dispersal in Níyálá, had scattered in different directions, each carrying with him to his fellow-believers the news of the momentous happenings of Badasht. Tahirih, although was able to stay in Nur under the protection of Baha’u’llah, was subsequently detained and taken to Tihran where she was held under house arrest in the residence of the mayor of the capital. Mulla Husayn, however was still in Mashhad during the conference of Badasht as a guest of the Governor-General of the province of Khurasan - where he was treated with courtesy and consideration. After leaving the camp of the Governor-General, he was preparing his anticipated trip to Karbila when a messenger arrived bearing to him the Báb’s turban and conveying the news that a new name, that of Siyyid ‘Alí, had been conferred upon him by his Master. “Adorn your head,” was the message, “with My green turban, the emblem of My lineage, and, with the Black Standard unfurled before you, hasten to the Jazíriy-i-Khadrá, [literally: ‘Verdant Isle’] and lend your assistance to My beloved Quddús.” As soon as that message reached him, Mullá Ḥusayn arose to execute the wishes of his Master. Leaving Mashhad for a place situated at a farsang’s distance [about 3 miles] from the city, he hoisted the Black Standard, placed the turban of the Báb upon his head, assembled his companions, mounted his steed, and gave the signal for their march to the Jazíriy-i-Khadrá. His companions, who were two hundred and two in number, enthusiastically followed him. That memorable day was July 21^st, 1844. Wherever they tarried, at every village and hamlet through which they passed, Mullá Ḥusayn and his fellow-disciples would fearlessly proclaim the message of the New Day, would invite the people to embrace its truth, and would select from among those who responded to their call a few whom they would ask to join them on their journey. 

(Adapted from ‘The Dawn-Breakers’, by Nabil, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi; and from ‘Baha’u’llah – The King of Glory’, by Baluzi)

1848: Baha’u’llah and Quddus faced “bitter denunciations” in the town of Sari

The coastal road to Nur led through Sari and Barfurush where Baha’u’llah appears to have sought out Quddus, perhaps to consult on affairs of the Babi Cause following the conference of Badasht. Many years later Baha’u’llah recounted that brief interval:

“Whilst in Sari, we were again exposed to the insults of the people. Though the notables of that town were, for the most part, our friends  and had on several occasions met us in Tihran, no sooner had the  townspeople recognized us, as we walked with Quddus in the streets, than  they began to hurl their invectives at us. The cry "Bábí, Bábí!" greeted us wherever we went. We were unable to escape their bitter denunciations” (Baha’u’llah, quoted by Nabil in ‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi) 

(Adapted from “Robe of Light’, by David Ruhe)  

1848: Muhammad Shah orders Baha’u’llah’s arrest and execution

Muhammad Shah

Those opposed to Baha’u’llah in Tihran, including the persistently hostile Prime Minister, were reawakening the suspicions of the gravely ailing Muhammad Shah by reporting Baha’u’llah to be the prime mover of the suspicious and incendiary Bábí gathering near Shahrud, and creator of the disturbance at Niyala. In the end they succeeded in stirring the sovereign's latent antagonisms into evil decision: 

'I have hitherto refused to countenance whatever has been said against him. My indulgence has been actuated by my recognition of the services rendered to my country by his father. This time, however, I am determined to put him to death.

To carry out his deadly intention, through Prime Minister Aqasi, he commanded an officer in Teheran to instruct his son in Mazindaran to arrest Baha’u’llah and accompany Him to the capital for execution. The officer's son received these orders in Bandar-Gaz on the day prior to his own planned reception for Baha’u’llah, for Whom he had a strong attachment. Sorely distressed, he was deeply reluctant either to tell the grim news or to carry out the order, although he knew he must obey his king. Baha’u’llah, however, observed the effect of the unknown message, and relieved the young man's acute apprehensions by advising that he put his trust in God.

Baha’u’llah travelled from Badash to Núr “village by village, town by town”

Bahá'u'lláh states in one of His Tablets that after leaving Badasht, He travelled to Nur by easy stages….'village by village, town by town' - until He arrived at Nur. It was probably while Bahá'u'lláh was at Bandar-Jaz during the course of this journey that the following incident occurred. 'Abdu'l-Bahá has related that when Bahá'u'lláh arrived at Bandar-Jaz, He was taken ill. In this sea-town lived a Bábí, named Mirza Masih, a man of superior qualities. 'Abdu'l-Bahá describes him as 'spirit personified', one who, 'having read just one verse from the pen of the Primal Point, observed: "Just let this Báb be mine; you may have everyone else"'. At this very time, while Bahá'u'lláh was at Bandar-Jaz, Mirza Masih passed away. Bahá'u'lláh held a memorial meeting for him, and also wrote a prayer of visitation for this, wonderful man. 

- Balyuzi  (‘Baha'u'llah - The King of Glory’)

Baha’u’llah arranged for the safe transfer of Tahirih to Núr in Mazindaran

With his characteristic presence of mind, the courageous Jinab-i-Baha [Baha’u’llah] had made the most of an ugly situation [the village of Níyálá], recovering some of the goods stolen from their camp and reestablishing the confidence of the people. Most important, he had sent the estimable Quddus in disguise to temporary safety in Barfurush and again rescued the noble Tahirih, symbol of all the brave women who would hereafter espouse the new Cause. Soon, wary that the beauteous Tahirih would be recognized and apprehended, he consigned that precious woman, with her attendant, to the protection of Shaykh Abu Turab, who was asked to escort her in safety to Nur. There she might live quietly, writing in relative obscurity, guarded by the faithful Babis, and under the protection of Jinab-i-Baha. She was now homeless, her beloved children stolen from her under Islamic law which mandated custody to her unworthy ex-husband. Plainly she was marked for grave new perils. Asylum was her present need. 

- David Ruhe  (‘Robe of Light’, vol. 1)

Baha’u’llah recalls the incident at the village of Niyala

We were all gathered in the village of Níyálá and were resting at the foot of a mountain, when, at the hour of dawn, we were suddenly awakened by the stones which the people of the neighbourhood were hurling upon us from the top of the mountain. The fierceness of their attack induced our companions to flee in terror and consternation. I clothed Quddús in my own garments and despatched him to a place of safety, where I intended to join him. When I arrived, I found that he had gone. None of our companions had remained in Níyálá except Táhirih and a young man from Shíráz, Mírzá ‘Abdu’lláh. The violence with which we were assailed had brought desolation into our camp. I found no one into whose custody I could deliver Táhirih except that young man, who displayed on that occasion a courage and determination that were truly surprising. Sword in hand, undaunted by the savage assault of the inhabitants of the village, who had rushed to plunder our property, he sprang forward to stay the hand of the assailants. Though himself wounded in several parts of his body, he risked his life to protect our property. I bade him desist from his act. When the tumult had subsided, I approached a number of the inhabitants of the village and was able to convince them of the cruelty and shamefulness of their behaviour. I subsequently succeeded in restoring a part of our plundered property. 

- Baha’u’llah  (Quoted by Nabil, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’; translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

Receiving severe injuries at the village of Niyálá - consequences of misconduct behavior of a few Babís who had attended the conference of Badasht

Following the conference of Badasht, Bahá’u’lláh, Táhirih, and Quddús decided to go to Mázindarán. Quddús and Táhirih seated themselves in the same howdah  which had been prepared for their journey by Bahá’u’lláh. On their way, Táhirih each day composed an ode which she instructed those who accompanied her to chant as they followed her howdah. Mountain and valley re-echoed the shouts with which that enthusiastic band, as they journeyed to Mázindarán, hailed the extinction of the old, and the birth of the new Day.

In the course of their journey to Mázindarán, a few of the followers of the Báb sought to abuse the liberty which the repudiation of the laws and sanctions of an outgrown Faith had conferred upon them. They viewed the unprecedented action of Táhirih in discarding the veil as a signal to transgress the bounds of moderation and to gratify their selfish desires. The excesses in which a few indulged provoked the wrath of the Almighty and caused their immediate dispersion. In the village of Níyálá, they were grievously tested and suffered severe injuries at the hands of their enemies. This scattering extinguished the mischief which a few of the irresponsible among the adherents of the Faith had sought to kindle, and preserved untarnished its honour and dignity.

(Adapted from ‘The Dawn-Breakers’, by Nabil; translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

The Guardian describes Bahá'u'lláh’s role in the historic Conference of Badasht – “steadily, unerringly, yet unsuspectedly, steered the course of that memorable episode, and… brought the meeting to its final and dramatic climax.”

It was during this… period, [the “last three and most eventful years of the Báb's ministry”] in the early days of His incarceration in the fortress of Chihriq, that the independence of the new-born Faith was openly recognized and asserted by His disciples. The laws underlying the new Dispensation had been revealed by its Author in a prison-fortress in the mountains of Adhirbayjan, while the Dispensation itself was now to be inaugurated in a plain on the border of Mazindaran, at a conference of His assembled followers.

Bahá'u'lláh, maintaining through continual correspondence close contact with the Báb, and Himself the directing force behind the manifold activities of His struggling fellow-disciples, unobtrusively yet effectually presided over that conference, and guided and controlled its proceedings. Quddus, regarded as the exponent of the conservative element within it, affected, in pursuance of a pre-conceived plan designed to mitigate the alarm and consternation which such a conference was sure to arouse, to oppose the seemingly extremist views advocated by the impetuous Tahirih. The primary purpose of that gathering was to implement the revelation of the Bayan by a sudden, a complete and dramatic break with the past -- with its order, its ecclesiasticism, its traditions, and ceremonials. The subsidiary purpose of the conference was to consider the means of emancipating the Báb from His cruel confinement in Chihriq. The first was eminently successful; the second was destined from the outset to fail.

Baha’u’llah bestowed a new name to every believer attending the conference of Badasht

On every day of the twenty-two days of that sojourn He revealed a Tablet which Sulayman of Nur chanted in the presence of the believers. Upon each one of the Bábís He bestowed a new name as his Bábí title. Henceforth each would normally be addressed by his fellows only by that distinctive title of honor. He designated Himself as Bahá, the Glorious One, nor apparently was this title taken amiss by critical Babis, a tribute to His palpable excellence. Upon the last Letter of the Living, Muhammad-'Ali of Barfurush, He conferred the appellation of Quddus, the Most Holy One. And upon Fatimih of Qazvin he bestowed the new title of Tahirih, the Pure One. However, the identity of Him who had conferred the new names upon them was not made, although each surely conjectured according to his degree of perception. For each companion a special Tablet was later revealed by the Báb, each addressed by the new name of great symbolic and personal meaning. 

- David Ruhe  (‘Robe of Light’, vol. 1)

Baha’u’llah describes the consternation that seized the Babís when Tahirih suddenly appeared unveiled at the conference of Badasht

We soon joined her [Táhirih] at Badasht, where We rented a garden for her use, and appointed the same Muhammad-Hádí who had achieved her deliverance, as her doorkeeper. About seventy of Our companions were with Us and lodged in a place in the vicinity of that garden. 

We fell ill one day, and were confined to bed. Táhirih sent a request to call upon Us. We were surprised at her message, and were at a loss as to what We should reply.  Suddenly We saw her at the door, her face unveiled before Us. How well has Mírzá Áqá Ján [1] commented upon that incident. “The face of Fátimih,” he said, “must needs be revealed on the Day of Judgment and appear unveiled before the eyes of men. At that moment the voice of the Unseen shall be heard saying: ‘Turn your eyes away from that which ye have seen.’” [2]

How great was the consternation that seized the companions on that day! Fear and bewilderment filled their hearts. A few, unable to tolerate that which was to them so revolting a departure from the established customs of Islám, fled in horror from before her face. Dismayed, they sought refuge in a deserted castle in that neighbourhood. Among those who were scandalised by her behaviour and severed from her entirely were the Siyyid-i-Nahrí and his brother Mírzá Hádí, to both of whom We sent word that it was unnecessary for them to desert their companions and seek refuge in a castle. Our friends eventually dispersed, leaving Us at the mercy of Our enemies. 

The Conference of Badasht – an epoch-making event, unique and unparalleled in the religious annals of humanity

Badasht, circa 1930

Badasht was a hamlet, situated on the borders of Mazindaran. When Baha'u'llah reached this hamlet, He rented three gardens: one He assigned to Quddus, Haji Mulla Muhammad-'Aliy-i-Barfurushi, the eighteenth and the last of the Bab's Letters of the Living, and the first of them in rank. A second garden was specified as the residence of Qurratu'l-'Ayn, [later to be known as Tahirih] whom Baha'u'llah had rescued from the perils surrounding her in Qazvin, her native town. Baha'u'llah, Himself, stayed in the third garden.

An epoch-making conference took place among the followers of the Báb at this hamlet. The Conference of Badasht was unique and unparalleled in the religious annals of mankind. Never before, in the lifetime of a Manifestation of God, had His followers gathered to take counsel together, as one body, regarding the nature of their Faith and their future course of action. The moving Genius and the Convener of that unprecedented conference was no less a person than Mirza Husayn-'Aliy-i-Nuri, Who subsequently became known in the Babi community as Jinab-i-Baha. [1] [Baha’u’llah] As the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith has particularly remarked: 'The primary purpose of that gathering was to implement the revelation of the Bayan by a sudden, a complete and dramatic break with the past - with its order, its ecclesiasticism, its traditions, and ceremonials. The subsidiary purpose of the conference was to consider the means of emancipating the Báb from His cruel confinement in Chihriq. The first was eminently successful; the second was destined from the outset to fail. (Adapted from ‘Baha’u’llah, The King of Glory’, by Balyuzi)

Nabil writes:

1848: Bahá’u’lláh, Quddus and Tahirih reach the hamlet of Badasht

Soon after Táhirih had started on her journey towards Khurasan, Bahá’u’lláh instructed Áqáy-i-Kalím to complete the necessary preparations for His contemplated departure for Khurásán. He committed to his care His family and asked him to provide whatever might be conducive to their well-being and safety.

In the meantime, Quddús bade farewell to his companions in Mashhad, where he had been residing and actively teaching with mulla Husayn, and left the city accompanied by one of the believers. A few days later, he encountered one of the believers who informed him of the circumstances attending the deliverance of Táhirih from her confinement in Qazvín, of her journey in the direction of Khurásán, and of Bahá’u’lláh’s subsequent departure from the capital towards Khurasan.

Accompanied by these two believers, Quddus reached the hamlet of Badasht at the hour of dawn and found there assembled a large gathering of people whom they recognised as their fellow-believers. They decided, however, to resume their journey, and proceeded directly to the village of Sháh-Rud anticipating meeting Bahá’u’lláh there. As they were approaching that village they encountered another believer who was on his way to Badasht. In answer to his enquiry as to the object of that gathering that they had seen earlier, they were informed that Bahá’u’lláh and Táhirih had, a few days before, left Sháh-Rud for that hamlet of Badasht; that a large number of believers had already arrived from Isfáhán, Qazvín, and other towns of Persia, and were waiting to accompany Bahá’u’lláh on His intended journey to Khurásán.

No sooner had Bahá’u’lláh been informed of the arrival of Quddús at Sháh-Rud than He decided to join him. Attended by one of the believers He set out on horseback that same evening for that village, and had returned with Quddús to Badasht the next morning at the hour of sunrise. 

(Adapted from ‘The Dawn-Breakers’, by Nabil; translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

Tahirih was transformed by Baha’u’llah …

Qurratu'l-‘Ayn was a Persian woman without fame and importance -unknown, like all other Persian women. When she saw Baha'u'llah, she changed completely, visibly, and looked within another world. The reins of volition were taken out of her hands by heavenly attraction. She was so overcome that physical susceptibilities ceased.  Her husband, her sons and her family arose in the greatest hostility against Baha'u'llah. She became so attracted to the divine threshold that she forsook everything and went forth to the plain of Badasht, no fear in her heart, dauntless, intrepid, openly proclaiming the message of light which had come to her. The Persian government stood against her.  They made every effort to quiet her, they imprisoned her in the governor's house, but she continued to speak. Then she was taken and killed. To her very last breath she spoke with fervid eloquence and so became famous for her complete attraction in the path of God.  If she had not seen Baha'u'llah, no such effect would have been produced. She had read and heard the teachings of scriptures all her life, but the action and enkindlement were missing. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace’)

Baha’u’llah recalls receiving news of Tahirih’s captivity, His involvement in her rescue operation, and arrival at Badasht

The house in Qazvin in which Tahirih was born, had been and 
during the vicious reactions following the killing of her uncle 
was confined in its cellar.

“In a Tablet which We yesterday revealed, We have explained the meaning of the words, ‘Turn your eyes away,’ [1] in the course of Our reference to the circumstances attending the gathering at Badasht. We were celebrating, in the company of a number of distinguished notables, the nuptials of one of the princes of royal blood in Tihrán, when Siyyid Ahmad-i-Yazdí, father of Siyyid Ḥusayn, the Báb’s amanuensis, appeared suddenly at the door. He beckoned to Us, and seemed to be the bearer of an important message which he wished immediately to deliver. We were, however, unable at that moment to leave the gathering, and motioned to him to wait. When the meeting had dispersed, he informed Us that Táhirih had been placed in strict confinement in Qazvín, and that her life was in great danger. We immediately summoned Muhammad-Hádíy-i-Farhádí, and gave him the necessary directions to release her from her captivity, and escort her to the capital. As the enemy had seized Our house, We were unable to accommodate her indefinitely in Our home. Accordingly, We arranged for her transference from Our house to that of the Minister of War, who, in those days, had been disgraced by his sovereign and had been deported to Káshán. We requested his sister, who still was numbered among Our friends, to act as hostess to Táhirih.

“She remained in her company until the call of the Báb, bidding Us proceed to Khurásán, reached Our ears. We decided that Táhirih should proceed immediately to that province, and commissioned Mírzá [Musa] to conduct her to a place outside the gate of the city, and from thence to any locality she deemed advisable in that neighbourhood. She was taken to an orchard in the vicinity of which was a deserted building, where they found an old man who acted as its caretaker. Mírzá Músá returned and informed Us of the reception which had been accorded to them, and highly praised the beauty of the surrounding landscape. We subsequently arranged for her departure for Khurásán, and promised that We would follow within the space of a few days.

“We soon joined her at Badasht… 

- Baha’u’llah  (Quoted by Nabil in ‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

[1] According to Islámic traditions, Fátimih, Muhammad’s daughter, will appear unveiled as she crosses the bridge “Ṣirat“ on the Day of Judgment. At her appearance a voice from heaven will declare: “Turn your eyes away, O concourse of people!”

circa 1848: Bahá’u’lláh receives Táhirih in Tihran and arranges for her departure to Khurásán (north-east of Tihran)

A few days after Táhirih’s arrival at Tihrán, [circa 1848] Bahá’u’lláh decided to send her to Khurásán in the company of the believers who were preparing to depart for that province. He too had determined to leave the capital and take the same direction a few days later. He accordingly summoned Áqáy-i-Kalím and instructed him to take immediately the necessary measures to ensure the removal of Táhirih, together with her woman attendant, Qanitih, to a place outside the gate of the capital, from whence they were, later on, to proceed to Khurásán. He cautioned him to exercise the utmost care and vigilance lest the guards who were stationed at the entrance of the city, and who had been ordered to refuse the passage of women through the gates without a permit, should discover her identity and prevent her departure.

I [Nabil] have heard Áqáy-i-Kalím recount the following:

circa 1848: Bahá’u’lláh’s first imprisonment

Bahá’u’lláh’s first imprisonment took place in Tihran when He was informed of the plight of a number of companions and supporters of Táhirih who were brought as prisoners to the Capital from Qazvin. They were falsely charged with the murder of Táhirih’s father-in-law, while Táhirih herself was placed in the strictest confinement in the house of her father in Qazvin. Bahá’u’lláh was at that time residing in Ṭihrán.

Nabil explains:

As He [Baha’u’llah] was already acquainted with the kad-khudá [alderman] in whose home they [the companions and supporters of Táhirih] were incarcerated, He decided to visit them and intervene in their behalf. That avaricious and deceitful official, who was fully aware of the extreme generosity of Bahá’u’lláh, greatly exaggerated in the hope of deriving a substantial pecuniary advantage for himself, the misfortune that had befallen the unhappy captives.”

“They are destitute of the barest necessities of life,” urged the kad-khudá. “They hunger for food, and their clothing is wretchedly scanty.” Bahá’u’lláh extended immediate financial assistance for their relief, and urged the kad-khudá to relax the severity of the rule under which they were confined.

circa 1847: The Báb “summoned those twin great lights” [Quddús and Táhirih] to “seek His [Bahá’u’lláh’s] advice, to reinforce His efforts, and to prepare the way for His coming Revelation.”

The decree of the enemy had condemned to perpetual isolation Him [the Báb in Mah-Ku] who was the embodiment of the beauty of God, and sought thereby to quench for all time the flame of His love. The hand of Omnipotence, however, was busily engaged, at a time when the host of evil-doers were darkly plotting against Him, in confounding their schemes and in nullifying their efforts. In the easternmost province of Persia, the Almighty had, through the hand of Quddús, lit a fire that glowed with the hottest flame in the breasts of the people of Khurásán. And in Karbilá, beyond the western confines of that land, He had kindled the light of Táhirih, a light that was destined to shed its radiance upon the whole of Persia. From the east and from the west of that country, the voice of the Unseen summoned those twin great lights to hasten to the land of Tá, [Tihrán]  the day-spring of glory, the home of Bahá’u’lláh. He bade them each seek the presence, and revolve round the person of that Day-Star of Truth, to seek His advice, to reinforce His efforts, and to prepare the way for His coming Revelation. 

- Nabil  (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)