Read Ebook: The Báb: The Herald of the Day of Days by Balyuzi H M

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'He took up His pen,' Mull? ?usayn related, 'and with incredible rapidity revealed the entire S?rih of Mulk, the first chapter of His commentary on the S?rih of Joseph. The overpowering effect of the manner in which He wrote was heightened by the gentle intonation of His voice which accompanied His writing. Not for one moment did He interrupt the flow of the verses which streamed from His pen. Not once did He pause till the S?rih of Mulk was finished. I sat enraptured by the magic of His voice and the sweeping force of His revelation.'

But Mull? ?usayn was anxious to rejoin his companions. Since that afternoon--and long ago it seemed--when he had sent them into the city and had himself lingered outside the city-gates, he had had no news of them nor they of him. So he rose and asked to be permitted to depart. His Host smilingly told him: 'If you leave in such a state, whoever sees you will assuredly say: "This poor youth has lost his mind."' 'At that moment,' Mull? ?usayn has said, 'the clock registered two hours and eleven minutes after sunset.'

In that moment a new Dispensation was born.

'This night,' said He who ushered in the new Dispensation, He who was to herald a new cycle, 'this very hour will, in the days to come, be celebrated as one of the greatest and most significant of all festivals.'

The evening meal was now served. Mull? ?usayn afterwards recalled: 'That holy repast refreshed alike my body and soul. In the presence of my Host, at that hour, I felt as though I were feeding upon the fruits of Paradise.... Had my youthful Host no other claim to greatness, this were sufficient--that He received me with that quality of hospitality and loving-kindness which I was convinced no other human being could possibly reveal.

'I sat spellbound by His utterance, oblivious of time and of those who awaited me.... Sleep had departed from me that night. I was enthralled by the music of that voice which rose and fell as He chanted; now swelling forth as He revealed verses of the Qayy?mu'l-Asm?', again acquiring ethereal, subtle harmonies as He uttered the prayers He was revealing. At the end of each invocation, He would repeat this verse: "Far from the glory of thy Lord, the All-Glorious, be that which His creatures affirm of Him! And peace be upon His Messengers! And praise be to God, the Lord of all beings!"' Such was Mull? ?usayn's recollection of that momentous night.

Then He who stood as the Vicegerent of God on earth thus addressed Mull? ?usayn, who only a few hours before had been so anxious, tormented and unsure:

O thou who art the first to believe in Me! Verily I say, I am the B?b, the Gate of God, and thou art the B?bu'l-B?b, the gate of that Gate. Eighteen souls must, in the beginning, spontaneously and of their own accord, accept Me and recognise the truth of My Revelation. Unwarned and uninvited, each of these must seek independently to find Me. And when their number is complete, one of them must needs be chosen to accompany Me on My pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. There I shall deliver the Message of God to the ar?f of Mecca.

And then He laid this injunction upon 'the first to believe' in Him: 'It is incumbent upon you not to divulge, either to your companions or to any other soul, that which you have seen and heard.'

'This Revelation,' Mull? ?usayn has further related, 'so suddenly and impetuously thrust upon me, came as a thunderbolt which, for a time, seemed to have benumbed my faculties. I was blinded by its dazzling splendour and overwhelmed by its crushing force. Excitement, joy, awe, and wonder stirred the depths of my soul. Predominant among these emotions was a sense of gladness and strength which seemed to have transfigured me. How feeble and impotent, how dejected and timid, I had felt previously! Then I could neither write nor walk, so tremulous were my hands and feet. Now, however, the knowledge of His Revelation had galvanised my being. I felt possessed of such courage and power that were the world, all its peoples and its potentates, to rise against me, I would, alone and undaunted, withstand their onslaught. The universe seemed but a handful of dust in my grasp.'

On that early morning of May 23rd 1844 when Mull? ?usayn stepped out into the streets of ?r?z, his heart brimming with joy, he abandoned a priestly career which would have brought him high honours. He abandoned it willingly and knowingly for a task which, though great and noble, would bring him jeers and humiliation. He was well-known amongst the circle of the divines who exercised authority. He had the capacity, the intelligence and the learning which would have placed him in years to come in the forefront of the spiritual guides of the nation. Power and riches would have been his. But by giving his allegiance to the young Siyyid of ?r?z whom he had met under such strange circumstances, Mull? ?usayn renounced all this, and chose a path in the opposite direction.

Mull? ?usayn was not alone in his high resolve. Others with similar prospects of a clerical vocation journeyed to ?r?z in search of light and truth. They too had set out at the bidding of Siyyid K??im. As if by a magnet, they were drawn to ?r?z. How can one explain it otherwise? They had no intimation that in this city lived the One whom they sought. A force far greater than themselves led their steps to ?r?z, to their journey's end. As ordained by the B?b, they found Him, each one, independently. They were true, sincere and eager and they had their reward.

The last to arrive was a youth of twenty-two, whose home was in B?rfur? in the province of M?zindar?n which borders the Caspian Sea. When he was a boy in his early teens, his father, ?q? Mu?ammad-??li?, had died. Devoting himself to the pursuit of learning he had joined the circle of Siyyid K??im in Karbil?. Eventually, he became an outstanding disciple of that remarkable teacher. It is recorded that the night before this youth, whose name was Mull? Mu?ammad-`Ali, reached ?r?z, the B?b told Mull? ?usayn that on the following day one would arrive whose acceptance of the new theophany would 'complete the number of My chosen disciples'. Next evening as the B?b, accompanied by Mull? ?usayn, was going towards His house, they encountered a young man whose dress and appearance showed the effects of a long journey. The newcomer went to Mull? ?usayn whom he knew well as a fellow-disciple of Siyyid K??im, greeted him and immediately asked whether he had found the object of his quest. Mull? ?usayn was not at liberty to divulge the fact that he had, and he tried to pacify his friend and avoid the subject. It was useless, for that youth had seen the B?b. His retort to Mull? ?usayn was astounding: 'Why seek you to hide Him from me? I can recognise Him by His gait. I confidently testify that none besides Him, whether in the East or in the West, can claim to be the Truth. None other can manifest the power and majesty that radiate from His holy person.' Mull? ?usayn was amazed, and leaving the newcomer he walked on and told the B?b what had transpired. Having already anticipated the arrival of that youth, although he had certainly not received any word from him, the B?b observed: 'Marvel not at his strange behaviour. We have in the world of the spirit been communing with that youth. We know him already.... Go to him and summon him forthwith to Our presence.' Thus did Mull? Mu?ammad-`Al?y-i-B?rfur??, whom the B?b honoured with the title of Qudd?s , attain his heart's desire.

These disciples of the B?b are called the Letters of the Living. All but one met the B?b face to face, and recognized in Him the Lord of the Age whom they sought. That single exception was a gifted woman, an accomplished writer of verse, courageous, a total stranger to fear, of whom Lord Curzon says:

Beauty and the female sex also lent their consecration to the new creed, and the heroism of the lovely but ill-fated poetess of Kazvin, Zerin Taj , or Kurrat-el-Ain , who, throwing off the veil, carried the missionary torch far and wide, is one of the most affecting episodes in modern history.

And here is the tribute of another eminent Englishman, Edward Granville Browne, to this unique woman:

The appearance of such a woman as ?urratu'l-`Ayn is in any country and any age a rare phenomenon, but in such a country as Persia it is a prodigy--nay, almost a miracle. Alike in virtue of her marvellous beauty, her rare intellectual gifts, her fervid eloquence, her fearless devotion and her glorious martyrdom, she stands forth incomparable and immortal amidst her countrywomen. Had the B?b? religion no other claim to greatness, this were sufficient--that it produced a heroine like ?urratu'l-`Ayn.

Qurratu'l-`Ayn belonged to a family famed for its learning. Her father, ??j? Mull? ??li?, and her uncle, ??j? Mull? Mu?ammad-Taq?, were both leading figures among the clergy. But they were far too orthodox for this great woman's spiritual susceptibilities, although a younger uncle, ??j? Mull? `Al?, had become a supporter of the ay? school. Qurratu'l-`Ayn was married to the son of ??j? Mull? Mu?ammad-Taq?--her cousin, Mull? Mu?ammad. They had children, but their marriage was disastrous. Mull? Mu?ammad was even more fanatical and narrow-minded than his father and a wide gulf yawned between husband and wife.

Qurratu'l-`Ayn had another cousin, Mull? Jav?d, who had accepted the rational views of ay A?mad and Siyyid K??im. Having learned in this cousin's library of the teaching of the illustrious sage of Karbil? who had gone far beyond the limits of orthodoxy, Qurratu'l-`Ayn corresponded with Siyyid K??im and gave him her allegiance. From him she received the name Qurratu'l-`Ayn. In vain did her elders attempt to dampen her enthusiasm. No persuasion or threat could stop the tide of her newly-found devotion. And when she decided to leave her home and her family and join the circle of Siyyid K??im, nothing could thwart her purpose. To appreciate the boldness and gravity of her action, one must realize how sheltered were the Eastern women of those days; her behaviour could be seen only as scandalous and almost unprecedented. However, she reached Karbil? too late. Ten days prior to her arrival Siyyid K??im had passed away. Qurratu'l-`Ayn remained in Karbil?. She was convinced that before long the One promised to them would appear. Now, many of the disciples of Siyyid K??im were setting out on their search. One of them was Qurratu'l-`Ayn's brother-in-law, the husband of her younger sister Mar??yyih. She gave this relative, M?rz? Mu?ammad-`Al?, a sealed letter and told him to deliver it to the One whom they expected and sought. A verbal message in verse was added to the letter: 'Say to Him, from me,' she said,

'The effulgence of thy face flashed forth and the rays of thy visage arose on high; Then speak the word, "Am I not your Lord?" and "Thou art, Thou art!" we will all reply.'

When M?rz? Mu?ammad-`Al? reached the presence of the B?b, he gave Him the letter and the message; and the B?b numbered her among the Letters of the Living. Thus it was that this fearless, eloquent pioneer of woman's emancipation joined the ranks of the first disciples of the B?b. Qurratu'l-`Ayn is better known as ??hirih--the Pure One--a designation by which she will ever be remembered.

The Letters of the Living, the eighteen disciples who found the B?b 'independently and of their own accord', were:

These nine were martyrs who fell during 'the M?zindar?n upheaval' .

??hirih and Siyyid ?usayn-i-Yazd? suffered martyrdom in the holocaust of August 1852, subsequent to the attempt made by two B?b?s on the life of N??iri'd-D?n ?h.

Mull? `Al?y-i-Bas??m? was given the mission to return to `Ir?q and inform the people in that heartland of the ?`ah persuasion that the B?b had appeared, but not to divulge, as yet, any particulars that might reveal His identity. To him the B?b said:

Your faith must be immovable as the rock, must weather every storm and survive every calamity. Suffer not the denunciations of the foolish and the calumnies of the clergy to afflict you, or to turn you from your purpose. For you are called to partake of the celestial banquet prepared for you in the immortal Realm. You are the first to leave the House of God, and to suffer for His sake. If you be slain in His path, remember that great will be your reward, and goodly the gift which will be bestowed upon you.

Mull? `Al? was soon on his way to `Ir?q. Then the B?b called together the other sixteen disciples and spoke to them, adjuring them to go out into the world and serve their God in the light of the faith given to them:

O My beloved friends! You are the bearers of the name of God in this Day. You have been chosen as the repositories of His mystery. It behoves each one of you to manifest the attributes of God, and to exemplify by your deeds and words the signs of His righteousness, His power and glory. The very members of your body must bear witness to the loftiness of your purpose, the integrity of your life, the reality of your faith, and the exalted character of your devotion. For verily I say, this is the Day spoken of by God in His Book: 'On that day will We set a seal upon their mouths; yet shall their hands speak unto Us, and their feet shall bear witness to that which they shall have done.' Ponder the words of Jesus addressed to His disciples, as He sent them forth to propagate the Cause of God. In words such as these, He bade them arise and fulfil their mission: 'Ye are even as the fire which in the darkness of the night has been kindled upon the mountain-top. Let your light shine before the eyes of men. Such must be the purity of your character and the degree of your renunciation, that the people of the earth may through you recognise and be drawn closer to the heavenly Father who is the Source of purity and grace. For none has seen the Father who is in heaven. You who are His spiritual children must by your deeds exemplify His virtues, and witness to His glory. You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? Such must be the degree of your detachment, that into whatever city you enter to proclaim and teach the Cause of God, you should in no wise expect either meat or reward from its people. Nay, when you depart out of that city, you should shake the dust from off your feet. As you have entered it pure and undefiled, so must you depart from that city. For verily I say, the heavenly Father is ever with you and keeps watch over you. If you be faithful to Him, He will assuredly deliver into your hands all the treasures of the earth, and will exalt you above all the rulers and kings of the world.' O My Letters! Verily I say, immensely exalted is this Day above the days of the Apostles of old. Nay, immeasurable is the difference! You are the witnesses of the Dawn of the promised Day of God. You are the partakers of the mystic chalice of His Revelation. Gird up the loins of endeavour, and be mindful of the words of God as revealed in His Book: 'Lo, the Lord thy God is come, and with Him is the company of His angels arrayed before Him!' Purge your hearts of worldly desires, and let angelic virtues be your adorning. Strive that by your deeds you may bear witness to the truth of these words of God, and beware lest, by 'turning back', He may 'change you for another people', who 'shall not be your like', and who shall take from you the Kingdom of God. The days when idle worship was deemed sufficient are ended. The time is come when naught but the purest motive, supported by deeds of stainless purity, can ascend to the throne of the Most High and be acceptable unto Him. 'The good word riseth up unto Him, and the righteous deed will cause it to be exalted before Him.' You are the lowly, of whom God has thus spoken in His Book: 'And We desire to show favour to those who were brought low in the land, and to make them spiritual leaders among men, and to make them Our heirs.' You have been called to this station; you will attain to it, only if you arise to trample beneath your feet every earthly desire, and endeavour to become those honoured servants of His who speak not till He hath spoken, and who do His bidding'. You are the first Letters that have been generated from the Primal Point , the first Springs that have welled out from the Source of this Revelation. Beseech the Lord your God to grant that no earthly entanglements, no worldly affections, no ephemeral pursuits, may tarnish the purity, or embitter the sweetness, of that grace which flows through you. I am preparing you for the advent of a mighty Day. Exert your utmost endeavour that, in the world to come, I, who am now instructing you, may, before the mercy-seat of God, rejoice in your deeds and glory in your achievements. The secret of the Day that is to come is now concealed. It can neither be divulged nor estimated. The newly born babe of that Day excels the wisest and most venerable men of this time, and the lowliest and most unlearned of that period shall surpass in understanding the most erudite and accomplished divines of this age. Scatter throughout the length and breadth of this land, and, with steadfast feet and sanctified hearts, prepare the way for His coming. Heed not your weaknesses and frailty; fix your gaze upon the invincible power of the Lord, your God, the Almighty. Has He not, in past days, caused Abraham, in spite of His seeming helplessness, to triumph over the forces of Nimrod? Has He not enabled Moses, whose staff was His only companion, to vanquish Pharaoh and his hosts? Has He not established the ascendancy of Jesus, poor and lowly as He was in the eyes of men, over the combined forces of the Jewish people? Has He not subjected the barbarous and militant tribes of Arabia to the holy and transforming discipline of Mu?ammad, His Prophet? Arise in His name, put your trust wholly in Him, and be assured of ultimate victory.

HE WHOM THEY SOUGHT

The gentle spirit of the B?b is surely high up in the cycles of eternity. Who can fail, as Prof. Browne says, to be attracted by him?

--T. K. Cheyne, D.Litt., D.D.

Siyyid `Al?-Mu?ammad, known to history as the B?b, was the son of Siyyid Mu?ammad-Ri??, a mercer of ?r?z. He was born on October 20th 1819 . Through both His father and His mother He was descended from Im?m ?usayn, the third Im?m. Thus He stood in direct line of descent from the Prophet Mu?ammad. According to M?rz? Abu'l-Fa?l-i-Gulp?yg?n?, Siyyid Mu?ammad-Ri??, the B?b's father, died when his only child was an infant, unweaned. Then the care of the child devolved upon a maternal uncle, ??j? M?rz? Siyyid `Al?. He was the only relative of the B?b to espouse His Cause openly during His lifetime and, as will be seen, to accept martyrdom for His sake. But according to a manuscript history of the B?b?-Bah?'? Faith in ?r?z by ??j? M?rz? ?ab?bu'll?h-i-Afn?n, Siyyid Mu?ammad-Ri?? passed away when his son was nine years old, and `Abdu'l-Bah? appears to confirm this account.

Two of Siyyid Mu?ammad-Ri?a's paternal cousins rose to eminence in the ranks of the ?`ah divines, and both bore allegiance, in strict secrecy, to their kinsman when His claim to be 'the Q?'im of the House of Mu?ammad' became publicly known. Of the two, the more famed and distinguished was ??j? M?rz? Mu?ammad-?asan , known as M?rz?y-i-?r?z?, who, like all the leading ?`ah divines, resided in `Ir?q. He was the most influential ecclesiastic of his time, powerful enough to wreck the Tobacco R?gie, the monopoly concession which N??iri'd-D?n ?h gave to Major Gerald F. Talbot, a British citizen, in the summer of 1889. M?rz?y-i-?r?z? put the use of tobacco under an interdict and the people of ?r?n, even the women in the ?h's harem, ceased to use it. N??iri'd-D?n ?h was forced early in 1892 to cancel the concession and pay the Tobacco Corporation an indemnity of ?500,000. The father of M?rz?y-i-?r?z?, named M?rz? Ma?m?d, was a noted calligraphist, and was uncle to the father of the B?b.

The other celebrated ecclesiastic, cousin to Siyyid Mu?ammad-Ri??, was ??j? Siyyid Jav?d, the Im?m-Jum`ih of Kirm?n. It was Qudd?s who gave this dignitary the news of the advent of the B?b. ??j? Siyyid Jav?d extended his protection to Qudd?s, despite the clamour of his adversaries.

The mother of the B?b was F??imih-Bagum. She was the daughter of M?rz? Mu?ammad-?usayn, a merchant of ?r?z, and had three brothers. Of these, ??j? M?rz? Siyyid `Al? became the guardian of the B?b, while ??j? M?rz? Siyyid Mu?ammad and ??j? M?rz? ?asan-`Al?, although not enlisted in the ranks of the followers of their illustrious Nephew, feature in His story.

It should also be said that schools such as that attended by Siyyid `Al?-Mu?ammad, which were common in those days, were one-man affairs and matters taught were elementary, although pupils were trained to read the Qur'?n, even if they could not possibly understand the meaning of the sacred text which is of course in Arabic. The B?b did not go beyond this school nor the tuition of ay `?bid. Thus His schooling was meagre.

The B?b was only five years old when He was sent to receive tuition from ay `?bid. ??j? M?rz? ?ab?bu'll?h's narrative contains an account of His first day at school, related by ?q? Mu?ammad-Ibr?h?m-i-Ism?`?l Bag, a well-known merchant of ?r?z, who was a fellow-scholar at the age of twelve. The B?b had taken a seat, with great courtesy, in between this boy and another pupil who was also much older than Himself. His head was bowed over the primer put in front of Him, the first lines of which He had been taught to repeat. But He would not utter a word. When asked why He did not read aloud as other boys were doing He made no reply. Just then two boys, sitting near them, were heard to recite a couplet from ??fi?, which runs thus:

From the pinnacles of Heaven they call out unto thee; I know not what hath thee here entrapped.

'That is your answer,' said the B?b, turning to ?q? Mu?ammad-Ibr?h?m.

??j? M?rz? ?ab?bu'll?h also tells us that, apart from teaching boys, ay `?bid had a regular class for theological students. On one occasion some of these students posed a question which after a long period of discussion remained unresolved. ay `?bid told them that he would consult some authoritative works that same night and on the morrow present them with the solution. Just then the B?b, who had been listening, spoke and with sound reasoning propounded the answer which they sought. They were wonder-struck, for they had no recollection of discussing that particular subject within earshot of the B?b, who might then have looked up references in books and memorized them to repeat parrot-wise. ay `?bid asked Him where He had gained that knowledge. The boy replied smilingly with a couplet from ??fi?:

Should the grace of the Holy Spirit once again deign to assist, Others will also do what Christ could perform.

A certain book-binder of ?r?z named Siyyid Mu?ammad, whose house neighboured that of the B?b's, but who in later years removed to Sar?y-i-Am?r in ?ihr?n to ply his trade, had heard ay `?bid relate that it was customary, when the season was clement, for the boys to invite their teacher and their fellow-pupils on Fridays to an outing in one of the numerous gardens which bordered the city of ?r?z. At times they would find that the B?b had betaken Himself to a shaded, secluded spot in a corner of the orchard to pray and meditate.

??j? Siyyid Jav?d-i-Karbil?'? had himself encountered the B?b in the years of His childhood. He was normally a resident of Karbil? and had attended regularly the discourses of Siyyid K??im-i-Rat?, eventually becoming one of his ardent disciples. But he was also a man of travel who embarked now and then on long journeys. Twice he went on pilgrimage to Mecca and spent some time there teaching and discoursing. He visited India and stayed in Bombay for a while. One of his journeys took him to ?r?z, at a time when the B?b was about nine years old. Being well acquainted with ??j? Siyyid Mu?ammad , ??j? Siyyid Jav?d visited him occasionally. Decades later he recalled that on one of these visits he could hear the intonations of a melodious, enraptured voice, coming from the direction of the alcove reserved for devotions. Before long a boy stepped out of the recess and ??j? M?rz? Siyyid Mu?ammad introduced Him as his nephew who was orphaned. Another visit coincided with the B?b's return from school. ??j? Siyyid Jav?d noticed that He held a batch of papers and asked what they were. Very courteously the boy replied that they were His calligraphic exercises. When ??j? Siyyid Jav?d inspected them he marvelled at their excellence.

On yet another and later occasion, when the B?b was for a time engaged in trading in the port of B?ihr, ??j? Siyyid Jav?d spent six months in that town, living in the same inn as the B?b. Thus they often met. Still later, in Karbil?, ??j? Siyyid Jav?d again met the B?b, who by then was in His early twenties.

When Mull? `Al?y-i-Bas??m? reached `Ir?q with the tidings of the advent of the B?b, the news spread rapidly among the divines and the students of theology. ??j? Siyyid Jav?d was one of those particularly attracted, and he often urged Mull? `Al? to divulge the name of Him who had put forth such a tremendous claim. But the B?b had emphatically forbidden Mull? `Al? to mention His name or give any clue to His identity. To all insistent requests Mull? `Al? merely said that before long His identity would be revealed to them. No one, according to the testimony of ??j? Siyyid Jav?d, suspected that the B?b could be the young merchant of ?r?z who had only recently lived among them. Most of the ay?s believed that the B?b must be one of the close disciples of Siyyid K??im.

Then it occurred to ??j? Siyyid Jav?d to invite Mull? `Al? to his own home and question him more closely. Seated on the roof of the house, in the neighbourhood of the Shrine of Im?m ?usayn, the two of them conversed at length about the 'Great Event', but no matter how hard he tried, ??j? Siyyid Jav?d could not induce his guest to disclose the secret which he had been bidden to withhold. So frustrated did he feel that, on his own admission, ??j? Siyyid Jav?d gripped the arms of Mull? `Al?, pushed him hard against the wall and exclaimed: 'What am I to do with you, Mull? `Al?! Kill you? Won't you say who that wondrous Being is? Won't you relieve us of this misery?' Gasping for breath, Mull? `Al? replied: 'Siyyid Jav?d! It is forbidden. You yourself are a man of learning. You should know better. It is forbidden.' And then quite unexpectedly and without knowing why, Mull? `Al? added that the B?b had specially mentioned that all His letters extant in `Ir?q, whoever the recipient might have been, ought to be sent to ?r?z. No sooner had Mull? `Al? spoken than ??j? Siyyid Jav?d had, in a flash, a mental picture of Siyyid `Al?-Mu?ammad, whom he had known and admired since His childhood. He ran down the stairs to the room where he kept his papers, gathered up the letters he had received from Siyyid `Al?-Mu?ammad and hurried back to the roof. The moment Mull? `Al? caught sight of the seal on those letters he burst into tears, and so did ??j? Siyyid Jav?d. They wept for joy, and between his sobs Mull? `Al? kept repeating: `?q? Siyyid Jav?d! ?q? Siyyid Jav?d! I did not mention any name to you. It is forbidden to mention His blessed name. Don't mention His name to anyone.'

Thus did ??j? Siyyid Jav?d-i-Karbil?'? find his new Faith, to which he remained steadfastly loyal throughout his long life. We shall hear later a good deal more of this remarkable man.

Siyyid `Al?-Mu?ammad had some six to seven years of schooling with ay `?bid. In all probability He left the school at the Qahviy-i-Awl?y?' before He was thirteen. According to ??j? M?rz? ?ab?bu'll?h's narrative, He joined ??j? M?rz? Siyyid `Al?, His uncle-guardian, in business when He was fifteen years old, and shortly afterwards moved to B?ihr. Pages of commercial accounts which He kept put it beyond doubt that the B?b left ?r?z for B?ihr when He was nearly sixteen. There can be little doubt that at an early age the B?b took over the complete management of the trading-house in B?ihr. His scrupulous attention to detail and His undeviating fairness in transactions became widely known in the region. A man who had consigned to Him some goods to sell was astonished to find, when he received his money, that it was more than could be obtained at current prices. He wanted to return some of it. The B?b told him that it was only fair and just that he should be given that particular sum, because his goods would have fetched exactly that amount had they been offered for sale when the market was at its best.

Unfortunately records of the years that the B?b spent in B?ihr are scant. We cannot be certain as to the exact dates when He took over the complete management of the trading-house and when He retired. ??j? Mu`?nu's-Sal?anih of Tabr?z states in his chronicle that the B?b assumed direct responsibility at the age of twenty. If that statement be correct, the period during which He acted on His own was quite brief. According to M?rz? Abu'l-Fa?l of Gulp?yg?n, He journeyed to the holy cities of `Ir?q in the spring of 1841, stayed in `Ir?q for nearly seven months and returned to His 'native province of F?rs' in the autumn of that year. ??j? M?rz? ?ab?bu'll?h states that the B?b's sojourn in B?ihr lasted six years. According to him, when the B?b decided to go on pilgrimage to the holy cities of `Ir?q, He wrote to His uncles in ?r?z asking them to come and take over the business from Him. His uncles, however, procrastinated, whereupon the B?b settled all the outstanding matters in B?ihr Himself, brought His books up to date, locked and sealed the door of the office and left the keys with the gatekeeper of the caravanserai, to be handed over to any one of His uncles. He informed His uncles of what He had done and explained that since they had not heeded His repeated pleas He had no other alternative, determined as He was to go on pilgrimage to the holy cities. ??j? M?rz? Siyyid Mu?ammad was greatly perturbed lest their credit be damaged and their clients suffer serious loss. But ??j? M?rz? Siyyid `Al? assured him that their nephew would never do anything to compromise them and that all accounts would be found in perfect order. ??j? M?rz? Siyyid Mu?ammad hurried to B?ihr where a close inspection of the books satisfied him that nothing had been left to chance.

While in Karbil? the B?b visited Siyyid K??im-i-Rat? and attended his discourses. But these occasional visits did not and could not make Him a pupil or disciple of Siyyid K??im. His adversaries have alleged that He sat at the feet of Siyyid K??im for months on end to learn from him. But accounts that we have from close associates of Siyyid K??im all indicate that the ay? leader welcomed and received Siyyid `Al?-Mu?ammad, on every occasion, with great reverence. Here is a long account by ay ?asan-i-Zun?z?:

My days were spent in the service of Siyyid K??im, to whom I was greatly attached. One day, at the hour of dawn, I was suddenly awakened by Mull? Naw-r?z, one of his intimate attendants, who, in great excitement, bade me arise and follow him. We went to the house of Siyyid K??im, where we found him fully dressed, wearing his `ab?, and ready to leave his home. He asked me to accompany him. 'A highly esteemed and distinguished Person,' he said, 'has arrived. I feel it incumbent upon us both to visit Him.' The morning light had just broken when I found myself walking with him through the streets of Karbil?. We soon reached a house, at the door of which stood a Youth, as if expectant to receive us. He wore a green turban, and His countenance revealed an expression of humility and kindliness which I can never describe. He quietly approached us, extended His arms towards Siyyid K??im, and lovingly embraced him. His affability and loving-kindness singularly contrasted with the sense of profound reverence that characterised the attitude of Siyyid K??im towards Him. Speechless and with bowed head, he received the many expressions of affection and esteem with which that Youth greeted him. We were soon led by Him to the upper floor of that house, and entered a chamber bedecked with flowers and redolent of the loveliest perfume. He bade us be seated. We knew not, however, what seats we actually occupied, so overpowering was the sense of delight which seized us. We observed a silver cup which had been placed in the centre of the room, which our youthful Host, soon after we were seated, filled to overflowing, and handed to Siyyid K??im, saying: 'A drink of a pure beverage shall their Lord give them.' Siyyid K??im held the cup with both hands and quaffed it. A feeling of reverent joy filled his being, a feeling which he could not suppress. I too was presented with a cupful of that beverage, though no words were addressed to me. All that was spoken at that memorable gathering was the above-mentioned verse of the Qur'?n. Soon after, the Host arose from His seat and, accompanying us to the threshold of the house, bade us farewell. I was mute with wonder, and knew not how to express the cordiality of His welcome, the dignity of His bearing, the charm of that face, and the delicious fragrance of that beverage. How great was my amazement when I saw my teacher quaff without the least hesitation that holy draught from a silver cup, the use of which, according to the precepts of Isl?m, is forbidden to the faithful. I could not explain the motive which could have induced the Siyyid to manifest such profound reverence in the presence of that Youth--a reverence which even the sight of the shrine of the Siyyidu'-uhad?' had failed to excite. Three days later, I saw that same Youth arrive and take His seat in the midst of the company of the assembled disciples of Siyyid K??im. He sat close to the threshold, and with the same modesty and dignity of bearing listened to the discourse of the Siyyid. As soon as his eyes fell upon that Youth, the Siyyid discontinued his address and held his peace. Whereupon one of his disciples begged him to resume the argument which he had left unfinished. 'What more shall I say?' replied Siyyid K??im, as he turned his face toward the B?b. 'Lo, the Truth is more manifest than the ray of light that has fallen upon that lap!' I immediately observed that the ray to which the Siyyid referred had fallen upon the lap of that same Youth whom we had recently visited. 'Why is it,' that questioner enquired, 'that you neither reveal His name nor identify His person?' To this the Siyyid replied by pointing with his finger to his own throat, implying that were he to divulge His name, they both would be put to death instantly. This added still further to my perplexity. I had already heard my teacher observe that so great is the perversity of this generation, that were he to point with his finger to the promised One and say: 'He indeed is the Beloved, the Desire of your hearts and mine,' they would still fail to recognise and acknowledge Him. I saw the Siyyid actually point out with his finger the ray of light that had fallen on that lap, and yet none among those who were present seemed to apprehend its meaning. I, for my part, was convinced that the Siyyid himself could never be the promised One, but that a mystery inscrutable to us all, lay concealed in that strange and attractive Youth. Several times I ventured to approach Siyyid K??im and seek from him an elucidation of this mystery. Every time I approached him, I was overcome by a sense of awe which his personality so powerfully inspired.

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