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BAHÁ'U'LLÁH
CHILDHOOD As well as being an important member of the ruling classes, Bahá'u'lláh's father was a Minister of State and had a large say in the internal affairs of the country. Though wealthy, Bahá'u'lláh was not educated in the way our children are today. In those days, a boy from a noble family would sometimes have a tutor to teach Him handwriting, religion, and perhaps some Persian poetry, but very little else. Bahá'u'lláh did not even have a tutor and instead grew up on family farms where He was taught to ride and hunt. He never-the-less showed great wisdom and was able to solve difficult problems from an early age. He was a popular, loving and generous child. As was the case with Jesus, he could argue religious questions with adults far more experienced than Himself and had a great sense of fairness, always standing up for the poor and the weak. In keeping with the custom in that society, Bahá'u'lláh had an arranged marriage when He was 18 years old to a young woman, Ásíyih Khánum. Theirs was a happy marriage, and they had several children including a son, 'Abdu'l-Bahá who later became His father's successor. Ásíyih Khánum was one of her husband's greatest supporters, sharing all Bahá'u'lláh's exiles and hardships. THE MAN It was in this period, when in His late twenties, that Bahá'u'lláh heard about the Báb and became one of His most enthusiastic supporters. As was mentioned in unit 1, many of the Bábís looked to Bahá'u'lláh as their leader after the Báb's execution. IMPRISONMENT As if these tortures were not enough, the Bábís were also chained together day and night making it almost impossible to move. The only crime which these men had committed was joining the Bábí Faith. Despite their circumstances, the prisoners were often heard to sing and laugh. The jailers who were torturing them could not understand how the prisoners could remain so cheerful. Bahá'u'lláh was a tremendous inspiration to the small band of prisoners because of His faith and complete reliance upon God. Bahá'u'lláh had very little sleep due to such awful conditions but when He did manage to find some rest He underwent mystical experiences. He said: I felt as if something flowed from the crown of My head over My breast even as a mighty torrent that precipitateth itself upon the earth from the summit of a lofty mountain. (1) He described this experience as a rushing stream of water which falls down the side of a mountain. Every part of His body felt as if it was on fire. On one such night Bahá'u'lláh had a dream. He seemed to hear voices coming from every side and these were the words He heard: Verily, we shall render Thee victorious by Thyself and by Thy pen. Grieve not for that which hath befallen Thee, neither be Thou afraid, for Thou art in safety. Ere long will God raise up the treasures of the earth-men who will aid Thee through Thyself and through Thy name. (2) He later wrote a letter to the King of Persia in which He stated: O King, I was but a man like others, asleep upon my couch, when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught me the knowledge of all that hath been. This thing is not from Me, but from One who is Almighty and All-Knowing.(3). This was the way in which Bahá'u'lláh came to know that He was the Promised One whom the Báb had told people about. Research-Find out how other great Messengers first experienced the spirit of God. EXILE Although being in prison did not kill Bahá'u'lláh it made Him very ill. With help from the Russian Consul, He narrowly escaped execution and was eventually allowed to leave after 4 months. He was released and told that He and His family were to be immediately exiled from Persia. It was winter and Bahá'u'lláh and His young family had to cross the snow-covered mountains into 'Iráq without proper clothing or enough food. Research-Is the idea of exile a common theme in religions? Comment-Other Prophets have been sent into exile.
ANNOUNCEMENT When the local people learned that Bahá'u'lláh and His family were to be moved on in the spring of 1863, they were devastated. The family packed their belongings and then stayed in a place called the Garden of Ridván while they waited for an escort of Turkish troops to take them to Constantinople. Thousands of people turned out to say good-bye. It was here during a period of twelve dramatic days that Bahá'u'lláh first revealed that He was the long-awaited Promised One, the Lord of Hosts (see God Passes By, p. 94) promised by Moses, the Spirit of Truth promised by Jesus and the Great Announcement promised by Muhammád. This was Bahá'u'lláh's proclamation to the followers of the Báb. The Turkish troops eventually came for them and took them on the next stage in their journey of exile. 'AKKÁ Bahá'u'lláh spent five years in Turkey and was then eventually exiled to the prison city of 'Akká in former Palestine. Conditions in 'Akká were extremely bad. The local people had been subjected to a violent anti-Bahá'í propaganda campaign before the exiles arrived and were filled with hatred towards them. The food was awful and the prison filthy and disease -ridden. For two years the Bahá'ís were kept in complete isolation and allowed no visitors. Thirteen people shared one small room in the prison and, as you can imagine, illness and infections were common. It was 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'u'lláh's son, who slowly changed the hearts of the people of 'Akká. The exiles were not allowed to tell anyone about Bahá'u'lláh's teachings, but by living a Bahá'í life, 'Abdu'l-Bahá impressed the local people so much that the Bahá'ís were gradually accepted. As the years went by, conditions eased and Bahá'u'lláh was allowed to have visitors. Several first-hand accounts were written about Bahá'u'lláh by people who met Him. The following passage is particularly interesting because it was written by one of the few Westerners who ever met Bahá'u'lláh. Professor Browne of Cambridge University visited Bahá'u'lláh in 1890 when Bahá'u'lláh was 73 years old and wrote this: 'The face of him on whom I gazed I can never forget, though I cannot describe it. Those piercing eyes seemed to read one's very soul; power and authority sat on that ample brow.....the deep lines on the forehead and face......the jet black hair and beard flowing down.....almost to the waist. . . No need to ask in whose presence I stood, as I bowed myself before One who is the object of a devotion and love which kings might envy and emperors sigh for in vain!' (4) As you can see, Bahá'u'lláh had a profound and powerful effect on Professor Browne. THE WRITINGS OF BAHÁ'U'LLÁH All the time that Bahá'u'lláh was in various prisons or under house arrest, He was not allowed to mix freely with people. The Bahá'ís had little contact with the outside world and were forbidden to try to communicate with the local people. Since Bahá'u'lláh did not have the opportunity to teach openly, He wrote down His teachings and spread God's new message through letters (tablets as they are referred to). Pilgrims from Persia would come to visit the Bahá'ís in exile and would take letters back to Irán which would then be copied and circulated. Many of these original letters have been collected and are kept at the Bahá'í World Centre in Haifa, Israel. This has been of major importance to the development of the Bahá'í Faith because it means that for the first time in the history of humanity, religious teachings have been written down by the Manifestation of God Himself. There can be no argument about what He said or didn't say, because everything that was important was written down by Bahá'u'lláh Himself or dictated by Him to a secretary before being approved and signed. What did Bahá'u'lláh write about? He wrote about God and His plan for this Day and Age, and how this linked in with the Messengers of the past. He revealed prayers and passages for private meditation. He dealt with daily life and laws of personal conduct. Bahá'u'lláh sent a very important set of letters to the rulers of the great European Powers, who, because of their abilities to manufacture weapons and the power they exercised in their colonies, controlled the fate of so much of the world. He told them to lay down their weapons and concentrate their efforts on bettering the conditions of their subjects rather than building up military might. FURTHER ACTIVITIES 1. Read the following passages. They are taken from one of Bahá'u'lláh's books called the Hidden Words. Write down your feelings about each one. If you are part of a discussion group, share your thoughts with each other. O SON OF SPIRIT ! My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart, that thine may be a sovereignty ancient, imperishable and everlasting. (5) O SON OF SPIRIT ! The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbour. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behoveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving kindness. Set it then before thine eyes. (6) O SON OF BEING ! How couldst thou forget thine own faults and busy thyself with the faults of others? Whoso doeth this is accused of Me. (7) O SON OF MAN ! For everything there is a sign. The sign of love is fortitude under my decree and patience under my trials. (8) O CHILDREN OF DUST ! Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor, lest heedlessness lead them into the path of destruction, and deprive them of the Tree of Wealth. To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine; well is it with him that adornest himself with My virtues. (9) O CHILDREN OF MEN ! Know ye not why we created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your heart how ye were created. Since We have created you all from the one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest. Such is My counsel to you. O concourse of light! Heed ye this counsel that ye may obtain the fruit of holiness from the tree of wondrous glory. (10) 2. The following passage is part of a letter written by Bahá'u'lláh to the Rulers of the world. Read it and pick out the main points which Bahá'u'lláh is making. O Kings of the earth! We see you increasing every year your expenditures, and laying the burden thereof on your subjects. This, verily, is wholly and grossly unjust. Fear the sighs and tears of this Wronged One, and lay not excessive burdens on your peoples. Do not rob them to rear palaces for yourselves; nay rather chose for them that which ye choose for yourselves. Thus we unfold to your eyes that which profiteth you, if ye but perceive. Your people are your treasures. . . By them ye rule, by their means ye subsist, by their aid ye conquer. Yet, how disdainfully ye look upon them! How strange, how very strange!. . . O Rulers of the earth! Be reconciled among yourselves, that ye may need no more armaments save in a measure to safeguard your territories and dominions. Beware lest ye disregard the counsel of the All-Knowing, the Faithful. (11) 3. Bahá'ís believe that, in Bahá'u'lláh, God has fulfilled His promises to humankind. At last, the golden age of peace and understanding is about to begin and humanity become mature. In contrast to this optimistic view, many people despair at the desperate state which the world seems to be in at the moment. Things could hardly get worse for some of its inhabitants! What signs are there that show that Mankind is becoming mature? REFERENCES ;
BIBLIOGRAPHY Bahá'u'lláh Trans.by Shoghi Effendi, Wilmette Illinois: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, rev. edn. 1954 - Epistle to the Son of the Wolf. Wilmette, Illinois: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, rev. edn. 1976 - The Hidden Words. Trans. by Shoghi Effendi. London: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1949. The Proclamation of Bahá'u'lláh. Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre, 1967 Browne, E G A Traveller's Narrative written to illustrate the Episode of the Báb, vol II. English Translation and Notes. Cambridge University Press, 1891 Shoghi Effendi God Passes By. Wilmette, Illinois: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1965 | ||