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CHAPTER XII
THE BAB'S JOURNEY FROM KASHAN
TO TABRIZ
TTENDED by His escort, the Bab proceeded in the direction
of Qum.(1) His alluring charm,
combined with a compelling dignity and unfailing benevolence, had, by this time,
completely disarmed and transformed His guards. They seemed to have abdicated
all their rights and duties and to have resigned themselves to His will and pleasure.
In their eagerness to
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serve and please Him, they,
one day, remarked: "We are strictly forbidden by the government to allow You to
enter the city of Qum, and have been ordered to proceed by an unfrequented route
directly to Tihran. We have been particularly directed to keep away from the Haram-i-Ma'sumih,(1)
that inviolable sanctuary under whose shelter the most notorious criminals are
immune from arrest. We are ready, however, to ignore utterly for Your sake whatever
instructions we have received. If it be Your wish, we shall unhesitatingly conduct
You through the streets of Qum and enable You to visit its holy shrine." "`The
heart of the true believer is the throne of God,'" observed the Bab. "He who is
the ark of salvation and the Almighty's impregnable stronghold is now journeying
with you through this wilderness. I prefer the way of the country rather than
to enter this unholy city. The immaculate one whose remains are interred within
this shrine, her brother, and her illustrious ancestors no doubt bewail the plight
of this wicked people. With their lips they pay homage to her; by their acts they
heap dishonour upon her name. Outwardly they serve and reverence her shrine; inwardly
they disgrace her dignity."
Such lofty sentiments had instilled such confidence
in the hearts of those who accompanied the Bab that had He at any time chosen
to turn away suddenly and leave them, no one among His guards would have felt
in the least perturbed or would have attempted to pursue Him. Proceeding
by a route that skirted the northern end of the city of Qum, they halted at the
village of Qumrud, which was owned by a relative of Muhammad Big, and the inhabitants
of which all belonged to the sect of the Aliyu'llahi. At the invitation of the
headman of the village, the Bab tarried one night in that place and was touched
by the warmth and spontaneity of the reception which those simple folk had accorded
Him. Ere He resumed His journey, He invoked the blessings of
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the Almighty in their behalf
and cheered their hearts with assurances of His appreciation and love.
After a march of two days
from that village, they arrived, on the afternoon of the eighth day after Naw-Ruz,
at the fortress of Kinar-Gird,(1)
which lies six farsangs to the south of Tihran. They were planning to reach the
capital on the
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ensuing day, and had decided
to spend the night in the neighbourhood of that fortress, when a messenger unexpectedly
arrived from Tihran, bearing a written order from Haji Mirza Aqasi to Muhammad
Big. That message instructed him to proceed immediately with the
Bab to the village of Kulayn,(1)
where Shaykh-i-Kulayni, Muhammad-ibn-i-Ya'qub, the author of the Usul-i-Kafi,
who was born in that place, had been laid to rest with his father, and whose shrines
are greatly
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honoured by the people of
that neighbourhood.(1) Muhammad
Big was commanded, in view of the unsuitability of the houses in that village,
to pitch a special tent for the Bab and keep the escort in its neighbourhood pending
the receipt of further instructions. On the morning of the ninth day after Naw-Ruz,
the eleventh day of the month of Rabi'u'th-Thani, in the year 1263 A.H.,(2)
in the immediate vicinity of that village, which belonged to Haji Mirza Aqasi,
a tent which had served for his own use whenever he visited that place was erected
for the Bab, on the slopes of a hill pleasantly situated amid wide stretches of
orchards and smiling meadows. The peacefulness of that spot,
the luxuriance of its vegetation, and the unceasing murmur of its streams greatly
pleased the Bab. He was joined two days after by Siyyid Husayn-i-Yazdi, Siyyid
Hasan, his brother; Mulla Abdu'l-Karim, and Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunuzi, all of whom
were invited to lodge in the immediate surroundings of His tent. On
the fourteenth day of the month of Rabi'u'th-Thani,(3)
the twelfth day after Naw-Ruz, Mulla Mihdiy-i-Khu'i and Mulla Muhammad-Mihdiy-i-Kandi
arrived from Tihran. The latter, who had been closely associated with Baha'u'llah
in Tihran, had been commissioned by Him to present to the Bab a sealed letter
together with certain gifts which, as soon as they were delivered into His hands,
provoked in His soul sentiments of unusual delight. His face glowed with joy as
He overwhelmed the bearer with marks of His gratitude and favour.
That message, received at an hour of uncertainty
and suspense, imparted solace and strength to the Bab. It dispelled the gloom
that had settled upon His heart, and imbued His soul with the certainty of victory.
The sadness which had long lingered upon His face, and which the perils of His
captivity had served to aggravate, visibly diminished. He no longer shed those
tears of anguish which had streamed so profusely from His eyes ever since the
days of His arrest and departure from Shiraz. The cry "Beloved, My Well-Beloved,"
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which in His bitter grief
and loneliness He was wont to utter, gave way to expressions of thanksgiving and
praise, of hope and triumph. The exultation which glowed upon His face never forsook
Him until the day when the news of the great disaster which befell the heroes
of Shaykh Tabarsi again beclouded the radiance of His countenance and dimmed the
joy of His heart.
I have heard Mulla Abdu'l-Karim recount the
following incident: "My companions and I were fast asleep in the vicinity of the
tent of the Bab when the trampling of horsemen suddenly awakened us. We were soon
informed that the tent of the Bab was vacant and that those who had gone out in
search of Him had failed to find Him. We heard Muhammad Big remonstrate with the
guards. `Why feel disturbed?' he pleaded. `Are not His magnanimity and nobleness
of soul sufficiently established in your eyes to convince you that He will never,
for the sake of His own safety, consent to involve others in embarrassment? He,
no doubt, must have retired, in the silence of this moonlit night, to a place
where He can seek undisturbed communion with God. He will unquestionably return
to His tent. He will never desert us.' In his eagerness to reassure his colleagues,
Muhammad Big set out on foot along the road leading to Tihran. I, too, with my
companions, followed him. Shortly after, the rest of the guards were seen, each
on horseback, marching behind us. We had covered about a maydan(1)
when, by the dim light of the early dawn, we discerned in the distance the lonely
figure of the Bab. He was coming towards us from the direction of Tihran. `Did
you believe Me to have escaped?' were His words to Muhammad Big as He approached
him. `Far be it from me,' was the instant reply as he flung himself at the feet
of the Bab, `to entertain such thoughts.' Muhammad Big was too much awed by the
serene majesty which that radiant face revealed that morning to venture any further
remark. A look of confidence had settled upon His countenance, His words were
invested with such transcendent power, that a feeling of profound reverence wrapped
our very souls. No one dared to question Him as to the cause of so remarkable
a change in His speech
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and demeanour. Nor did He
Himself choose to allay our curiosity and wonder."
For a fortnight(1)
the Bab tarried in that spot. The tranquillity which He enjoyed amidst those lovely
surroundings was rudely disturbed by the receipt of a letter which Muhammad Shah(2)
himself addressed to the Bab and which was
230
composed in these terms:(1)
"Much as we desire to meet you, we find ourself unable, in view of our immediate
departure from our capital, to receive you befittingly in Tihran. We have signified
our desire that you be conducted to Mah-Ku, and have issued the necessary instructions
to Ali Khan, the warden of the castle, to treat you with respect and consideration.
It is our hope and intention to summon you to this place upon our return to the
seat of our government, at
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which time we shall definitely
pronounce our judgment. We trust that we have caused you no disappointment, and
that you will at no time hesitate to inform us in case any grievances befall you.
We fain would hope that you will continue to pray for our well-being and for the
prosperity of our realm." (Dated Rabi'u'th-Thani, 1263 A.H.)(1)
Haji Mirza Aqasi(2)
was no doubt responsible for having induced Muhammad Shah to address such a communication
to the Bab. He was actuated solely by a sense of fear(3)
lest
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the contemplated interview
should rob him of his position of unquestioned pre-eminence in the affairs of
the State and should lead eventually to his overthrow from power. He entertained
no feelings of malice or resentment toward the Bab. He finally succeeded(1)
in persuading his sovereign to transfer so dreaded an opponent to a remote and
sequestered corner of his realm, and was thus able to relieve his mind of a thought
that continually obsessed him.(2)
How stupendous was his mistake, how grievous his blunder! Little did he realise,
at that moment, that by his incessant intrigues he was withholding from his king
and country the incomparable benefits of a Divine Revelation which alone had the
power to deliver the land from the appalling state of degradation into which it
had fallen. By his act that short-sighted minister did not only withhold from
Muhammad Shah the supreme instrument with which he could have rehabilitated a
fast-declining empire, but also deprived him of that spiritual Agency which could
have enabled him to establish his undisputed ascendancy over the peoples and nations
of the earth. By his folly, his extravagance and perfidious counsels, he undermined
the foundations of the State, lowered its prestige, sapped the loyalty of his
subjects, and plunged them into
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an abyss of misery.(1)
Incapable of being admonished by the example of his predecessors, he contemptuously
ignored the demands and interests of the people, pursued, with unremitting zeal,
his designs for personal aggrandisement, and by his profligacy and extravagance
involved his country in ruinous wars with its neighbours. Sa'd-i-Ma'adh, who was
neither of royal blood nor invested with authority, attained, through the uprightness
of his conduct and his unsparing
234
devotion to the Cause of
Muhammad, so exalted a station that to the present day the chiefs and rulers of
Islam have continued to reverence his memory and to praise his virtues; whereas
Buzurg-Mihr, the ablest, the wisest and most experienced administrator among the
vazirs of Nushiravan-i-'Adil, in spite of his commanding position, eventually
was publicly disgraced, was thrown into a pit, and became the object of the contempt
and the ridicule of the people. He bewailed his plight and wept so bitterly that
he finally lost his sight. Neither the example of the former nor the fate of the
latter seemed to have awakened that self-confident minister to the perils of his
own position. He persisted in his thoughts until he too forfeited his rank, lost
his riches,(1) and sank into
abasement and shame. The numerous properties which he forcibly seized from the
humble and law-abiding subjects of the Shah, the costly furnitures with which
he embellished them, the vast expenditures of labour and treasure which he ordered
for their improvement--all were irretrievably lost two years after he had issued
his decree condemning the Bab to a cruel incarceration in the inhospitable mountains
of Adhirbayjan. All his possessions were confiscated by the State. He himself
was disgraced by his sovereign, was ignominiously expelled from Tihran, and fell
a prey to disease and poverty. Bereft of hope and sunk in misery, he languished
in Karbila until the hour of his death.(2)
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The Bab was accordingly ordered to proceed
to Tabriz.(1) The same escort,
under the command of Muhammad Big, attended Him on His journey to the northwestern
province of Adhirbayjan. He was allowed to select one companion and one attendant
from among His followers to be with Him during His sojourn in that province. He
selected Siyyid Husayn-i-Yazdi and Siyyid Hasan, his brother. He refused to expend
on Himself the funds provided by the government for the expense of that journey.
All the allowances that were given by the State He bestowed upon the poor and
needy, and devoted to His own private needs the money which He, as a merchant,
had earned in Bushihr and Shiraz. As orders had been given to
avoid entering the towns in the course of the journey to Tabriz, a number of the
believers of Qazvin, informed of the approach of their beloved Leader, set out
for the village of Siyah-Dihan(2)
and were there able to meet Him.
One of them was Mulla Iskandar, who had been
delegated by Hujjat to visit the Bab in Shiraz, and to investigate His Cause.
The Bab commissioned him to deliver the following message to Sulayman Khan-i-Afshar,
who was a great admirer of the late Siyyid Kazim: "He whose virtues the late siyyid
unceasingly extolled, and to the approach of whose Revelation he continually alluded,
is now revealed. I am that promised One. Arise and deliver Me from the hand of
the oppressor." When the Bab entrusted this message to Mulla Iskandar, Sulayman
Khan was in Zanjan and was preparing to leave for Tihran. Within the space of
three days, that message reached him. He failed, however, to respond to that appeal.
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Two days later, a friend of Mulla Iskandar
had acquainted Hujjat, who, at the instigation of the ulamas of Zanjan, had been
incarcerated in the capital, with the appeal of the Bab. Hujjat immediately instructed
the believers of his native city to undertake whatever preparations were required
and to collect the necessary forces to achieve the deliverance of their Master.
He urged them to proceed with caution and to attempt, at an appropriate moment,
to seize and carry Him away to whatever place He might desire. These were shortly
joined by a number of believers from Qazvin and Tihran, who set out, according
to the directions of Hujjat, to execute the plan. They overtook the guards at
the hour of midnight and, finding them fast asleep, approached the Bab and begged
Him to flee. "The mountains of Adhirbayjan too have their claims," was His confident
reply as He lovingly advised them to abandon their project and return to their
homes.(1)
Approaching the gate of Tabriz,
Muhammad Big, feeling that the hour of his separation from his Prisoner was at
hand, besought His presence and with tearful eyes begged Him to overlook his shortcomings
and transgressions. "The journey from Isfahan," he said, "has been long and arduous.
I have failed to do my duty and to serve You as I ought. I crave Your forgiveness,
and pray You to vouchsafe me Your blessings." "Be assured," the Bab replied, "I
account you a member of My fold. They who embrace My Cause will eternally bless
and glorify you, will extol your conduct and exalt your name."(2)
The rest of the guards followed the
237
example of their chief, implored
the blessings of their Prisoner, kissed His feet, and with tears in their eyes
bade Him a last farewell. To each the Bab expressed His appreciation of his devoted
attentions and assured him of His prayers in his behalf. Reluctantly they delivered
Him into the hands of the governor of Tabriz, the heir to the throne of Muhammad
Shah. To those with whom they were subsequently brought in contact, these devoted
attendants of the Bab and eye-witnesses of His superhuman wisdom and power, recounted
with awe and admiration the tale of those wonders which they had seen and heard,
and by this means helped to diffuse in their own way the knowledge of the new
Revelation.
The news of the approaching
arrival of the Bab at Tabriz bestirred the believers in that city. They all set
out to meet Him, eager to extend to so beloved a Leader their welcome. The officials
of the government into whose custody the Bab was to be delivered refused to allow
them to draw near and to receive His blessings. One youth, however, unable to
restrain himself, rushed forth barefooted, through the gate of the city, and,
in his impatience to gaze upon the face of his Beloved, ran out a distance of
half a farsang(1)
towards Him. As he approached the horsemen who were marching in advance of the
Bab, he joyously welcomed them and, seizing
238
the hem of the garment of
one among them, devoutly kissed his stirrups. "Ye are the companions of my Well-Beloved,"
he tearfully exclaimed. "I cherish you as the apple of my eye." His extraordinary
behaviour, the intensity of his emotion, amazed them. They immediately granted
him his request to attain the presence of his Master. As soon as his eyes fell
upon Him, a cry of exultation broke from his lips. He fell upon his face and wept
profusely. The Bab dismounted from His horse, put His arms around him, wiped away
his tears, and soothed the agitation of his heart. Of all the believers of Tabriz,
that youth alone succeeded in offering his homage to the Bab and in being blessed
by the touch of His hand. All the others had perforce to content themselves with
a distant glimpse of their Beloved, and with that view sought to satisfy their
longing.
When the Bab arrived at Tabriz, He was conducted
to one of the chief houses in that city, which had been reserved
239
for His confinement.(1)
A detachment of the Nasiri regiment stood guard at the entrance of His house.
With the exception of Siyyid Husayn and his brother, neither the public nor His
followers were allowed to meet Him. This same regiment, which had been recruited
from among the inhabitants of Khamsih, and upon which special honours had been
conferred, was subsequently chosen to discharge the volley that caused His death.
The circumstances of His arrival had stirred the people in Tabriz profoundly.
A tumultuous concourse of people had gathered to witness His
entry into the city.(2) Some
were impelled by curiosity, others were earnestly desirous of ascertaining the
veracity of the wild reports that were current about Him, and still others were
moved by their faith and devotion to attain His presence and to assure Him of
their loyalty. As He walked along the streets, the acclamations of the multitude
resounded on every side. The great majority of the people who beheld His face
greeted Him with the shout of " Allah-u-Akbar,"(3)
others loudly glorified and cheered Him, a few invoked upon Him the blessings
of the Almighty, others were seen to kiss reverently the dust of His footsteps.
Such was the clamour which His arrival had raised that a crier was ordered to
warn the populace of the danger that awaited those who ventured to seek His presence.
"Whosoever shall make any attempt to approach the Siyyid-i-Bab," went forth the
cry, "or seek to meet him, all his possessions shall forthwith be seized and he
himself condemned to perpetual imprisonment."
On the day after the Bab's
arrival, Haji Muhammad-Taqiy-i-Milani, a noted merchant of the city, ventured,
together with Haji Ali-'Askar, to interview the Bab. They were warned by their
friends and well-wishers that by such an attempt they would not only be risking
the loss of their
240
possessions but would also
be endangering their lives. They refused, however, to heed such counsels. As they
approached the door of the house in which the Bab was confined, they were immediately
arrested. Siyyid Hasan, who at that moment was coming out from the presence of
the Bab, instantly intervened. "I am commanded by the Siyyid-i-Bab," he vehemently
protested, "to convey to you this message: `Suffer these visitors to enter, inasmuch
as I Myself have invited them to meet Me.'" I have heard Haji
Ali-'Askar testify to the following: "This message immediately silenced the opposers.
We were straightway ushered into His presence. He greeted us with these words:
`These miserable wretches who watch at the gate of My house have been destined
by Me as a protection against the inrush of the multitude who throng around the
house. They are powerless to prevent those whom I desire to meet from attaining
My presence.' For about two hours, we tarried with Him. As He dismissed us, He
entrusted me with two cornelian ringstones, instructing me to have carved on them
the two verses which He had previously given to me; to have them mounted and brought
to Him as soon as they were ready. He assured us that at whatever time we desired
to meet Him, no one would hinder our admittance to His presence. Several times
I ventured to go to Him in order to ascertain His wish regarding certain details
connected with the commission with which He had entrusted me. Not once did I encounter
the slightest opposition on the part of those who were guarding the entrance of
His house. Not one offensive word did they utter against me, nor did they seem
to expect the slightest remuneration for their indulgence.
"I recall how, in the course of my association
with Mulla Husayn, I was impressed by the many evidences of his perspicacity and
extraordinary power. I was privileged to accompany him on his journey from Shiraz
to Mashhad, and visited with him the towns of Yazd, Tabas, Bushruyih, and Turbat.
I deplored in those days the sadness of my failure to meet the Bab in Shiraz.
`Grieve not,' Mulla Husayn confidently assured me; `the Almighty is no doubt able
to compensate you in Tabriz for the loss you have sustained in Shiraz. Not once,
but seven times, can He enable you
241
to partake of the joy of
His presence, in return for the one visit which you have missed.' I was amazed
at the confidence with which he uttered those words. Not until the time of my
visit to the Bab in Tabriz, when, despite adverse circumstances, I was, on several
occasions, admitted into His presence, did I recall those words of Mulla Husayn
and marvel at his remarkable foresight. How great was my surprise when, on my
seventh visit to the Bab, I heard Him speak these words: `Praise be to God, who
has enabled you to complete the number of your visits and who has extended to
you His loving protection.'"
