The Ascension (Passing) of Bahá'u'lláh (Sources)

This document provides the original source accounts for the story of Bahá'u'llah's Ascension (Passing).

The story of Bahá'u'lláh's Ascension in plain english using these accounts, is here:
http://www.paintdrawer.co.uk/david/folders/Spirituality/005=Collections/holydays.htm

Latest Version of this document:
http://www.paintdrawer.co.uk/david/folders/Research/Bahai/Baha%27u%27llah/Ascension%20of%20Baha%27u%27llah%20(Sources).rtf

All comments appreciated - http://www.paintdrawer.co.uk/david/Email.php

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Contents
Contents
Overview
Hájí Mírzá Haydar Alí
Díván-i 'Andalíb
???? - Mírzá Badi'u'llah
1902 - Brief History of Bahá'u'lláh (Qazvini)
1904 - Badi'u'llah's Confession
1907-02-27 Table Talk - Corinne True
1907 - Ten Days in the Light of Akka
1912 - Interview with Badi'u'llah by Howard MacNutt
1922 - Passing of Abdu'l-Bahá (Shoghi Effendi and Lady Blomfield)
1923 - Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era (ed 1980)
1937-01 May Maxwell Vol 1
1940 - The Chosen Highway (Lady Blomfield)
1944 - God Passes By (Shoghi Effendi)
1969 - Priceless Pearl (Ruhiyyih Khanum)
???? - Moments With Bahá'u'lláh
???? - Stories of Bahá'u'lláh ('Alí-Akbar Furútan)
1971 - Abdu'l-Bahá Centre of the Covenant (Balyuzi)
1974 - Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh (Adib Taherzadeh)
1980 - Bahá'u'lláh King of Glory (Balyuzi)
1985 - Eminent Baha'is in the time of Bahá'u'lláh (Balyuzi)
1991 - Arches of the Years (Marzieh Gail)
Tablet of Visitation (Bahá'u'lláh)
Kitab-i-Ahd (Book of the Covenant) (Bahá'u'lláh)
First Tablet of Abdu'l-Bahá
Ponder in your hearts (Abdu'l-Bahá)
Bahá'í World Faith
Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Bahá
Kitab-i-Aqdas (Bahá'u'lláh)
Memorials of the Faithful (Abdu'l-Bahá)
Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Bahá
Bahíyyih Khánum, the Greatest Holy Leaf
1919 Latimer Notes ("Light of the World")
Info

Overview
Baha'is commemorate the ascension of Baha'u'llah in the early morning hours of the 29th May, often after staying up through the evening before in prayers and reflection, either together with friends, or just by themselves, saying the Tablet of Visitation at 4 am in the UK (which is 3 am GMT).
Below, are several accounts of the event of His passing, portraying the grief and celebration of His life by all who knew Him, and also an intimation of the trials and difficulties that beset 'Abdu'l-Baha at the hands of a number of those round about, immediately he took in hand the needs of the community in accordance with Baha'u'llah's Will. (Anyone who wishes to explore the story of these matters can read the most excellent and very gripping 'Memories of Nine Years in Akka', available from the Baha'i Publishing Trust.)
Hájí Mírzá Haydar Alí
Full Text : Stories from the Delight of Hearts: Memoirs of Haji Mirza Haydar--Ali
When I was in Yazd, I lived in the house of Jináb-i-Afnán. During the summer, because of the intense heat, people would sleep on their roofs. Early one morning, when I descended from the roof, I found Afnán sitting immersed in thought. Because of the deep sadness on his face, I knew that something serious had happened. I did not dare to approach him, since I was still in my sleeping garment and not suitably dressed to attend the presence of such a venerable person. He withdrew, but sent a sealed envelope to me. When I opened it, I found the Tablet of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá announcing the ascension of Bahá’u’lláh.
I was so stunned that I could not even cry. The friends gradually gathered in the house of the Afnán. They were so stricken with grief that no one talked. In the midst of this intense sorrow and bewilderment, Jinab-i-Afnan joined us. He wept openly, and all wept with him. He addressed us, saying, "It was decreed that He would one day rid Himself of the endless suffering of this world. It was written that He would one day return to the Source of His glory. Praise be to God that He has left His sorrow-filled friends One Who will guide us. This is no less a person than the 'Mystery of God.' We must hold fast to the hem of His mercy and arise to serve the Cause of God and be His true servants, sacrificing all that we have to uphold our beloved Faith."
After hearing these consoling words, we again read the Tablet of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and decided to hold memorial meetings for nine consecutive days and nights where all the friends would gather together.
The news of His ascension spread everywhere and, though the population of Persia was at that time in the grip of a merciless attack of cholera, the people made merry and rejoiced and ridiculed the Bahá’is.
A week after the news of His ascension had reached us, the friends received a copy of the Kitáb-i-'Ahd (The Book of the Covenant). Emphatically and explicitly, He had appointed the beloved Master as the sole Interpreter of His Word. When the friends received this great news, they were calmed, and, with hearts full of hope, they arose to raise the banner of servitude and uphold it with their utmost strength.
The ministry of Abdu’l-Bahá began so vigorously that Bahá’i communities everywhere were overwhelmed. Letters from the Master poured into every village, town, and country like the drops of the rains of spring. The friends were cheered and enamored
by His life-giving words. Whoever received a Tablet would make many copies and send them as precious gifts to friends throughout the length and breadth of the East. This opened a new field of activity, that of regular and informative correspondence amongst all the believers.
'Abdu’l-Bahá explained to the Bahá’is that the physical body of the Prophet of God is like a cloud which covers the sun and which prevents its rays from reaching the earth. Because of their physical limitations, the Prophets of God must live by the rules of physical existence. For this reason, many people are tested. They will say, "What kind of Prophet is He? He sleeps and eats and walks the streets like everyone else." But when the cloud is removed, the rays of the sun reach the people directly, and the whole of creation is resuscitated by their life-giving light.
The friends became aware of their opportunities and bounties. Therefore, they arose in unprecedented numbers to proclaim the Faith and teach the Cause. Gradually, more enthusiasm, unity. and activity developed on every level of Baha’i life. In a short time lethargy, indifference, and coolness were replaced by intense teaching activities.
Such manifestations of zeal and ardor encouraged me also to act. At the urging of the Afnán, I wrote an open letter to the ‘ulama proclaiming the truth of this Cause. I then began fresh teaching tours in the days of the Covenant.
Díván-i 'Andalíb
This poem is an eyewitness account of Bahá'u'lláh's passing, and appears in the anthology of 'Andalíb's poem, titled Díván-i 'Andalíb, pp. 471–74.
Url: http://ahang.rabbani.googlepages.com/passing
Version 1
Today the cupbearer, by God's design,	
poured bile into the cup of life, not wine.
Every wound has its balm, each ache a cure-	
except this wound! this endless ache of mine!
The nightingales refuse to sing. No trees.	
The world's gone dark, and every eye is blind.
Calamity! The universe unbuilt.	
Calamity! The reign of God undone.
On the Sea of Mercy all waves lie still.	
But waves of woe rise high! The storm's begun.
The banner of God's Name collapsed. Such grief,	
such grief that heaven will be overrun.
Through Him the Day of Resurrection dawned:	
Now earth quakes at the setting of His Sun.
From Sinai He called, "Come see!" Now Moses	
hears these final words: "You shall never see."
On the Most Great Ocean the Crimson Ark	
has sunk. The tears of Noah drown the sea.
Look west! The Sun of Holiness has set.	
Look up! and in His placeless place He'll be.
We'll never hear His voice again, but there	
the Nightingale of Paradise flies free.
Version 2
He is the All-Powerful, the All-Mighty, the Beloved.
Oh, in life's cup the wine-pourer of the feast of decree
Poured life-ending venom instead of spirit-elating wine.
For every ache there is a remedy, for every trouble a solution,
Oh, for this remediless ache and this balmless trouble.
The eye of creation was stunned, the world's heart darkened,
Heart's orchard was withered, the nightingale of life silenced.
From this loss, the pillars of existence were dismantled,
From this loss, the eternal throne was crushed.
The waves of the surging Sea of Grace were stilled; instead,
Waves of grief's ocean gushed in the hearts and souls of the near ones.
The banner of the Most Excellent Names fell to the dust,
The lamentation of God's Party was raised to the high heavens.
The One by Whose Manifestation the Day of Resurrection dawned upon the world,
By the setting of His sun a commotion made the world to quake.
The One Who in the Sinai of nearness called, "Behold, and thou shalt see,"
Dismayed many a Moses by His roar, "Never shalt thou behold."
The Most Mighty Ocean sunk its Ruby Ship,
Whence a tempest of tears descended from the eyes of Noah.
Thus was the king of the visible world established upon the placeless throne,
Thus the Sun-like countenance became hid in the West of the eternal Holiness.
The ear was deprived of the song of the Nightingale of Paradise,
The eye was forbid the effulgence of the Sun-like countenance.
For nineteen days that heavenly Beauty was bed-ridden,
At the dawn of Saturday, second of Dhi'l-Qa'dah He was veiled from us.
It was the sixteenth of the Roman month of Ayar,
It was the thirteenth of the month of 'Azamat.
Of the Persian Naw-Rúz seventy days had passed,
And of the Migration, one thousand three hundred and nine years elapsed.
Then it was this tragedy occurred, this loss appeared,
And the phrase "Verily the Lord was hidden" became the mark of this tragedy.
With mine own eyes did I behold the clear morn of the Day of Resurrection,
As it surrounded the entire the land of 'Akká,
As for the funeral 'Akká's population entire, low and noble,
Gathered in Bahjí to express their faithfulness.
The Persian believers lamented fate's unchangeable decree,
And the native Arabs cried out, "Oh our Lord, Oh our Lord!"
For the washing of the Sacred Body in the haram, the Most Mighty Branch
Stood at service solely out of His patience, resignation, and acquiescence.
His Holiness God's Most Mighty Branch spoke to the friends compassionately,
With a speech eloquent and enchanting.
"No one should be disturbed since God has said,
In His Kitáb-i Aqdas for all creation:
"'O people, when the Sun of My Beauty has set,
And My heavenly Temple is hidden from all eyes.
"'All must arise for the triumph of My Cause,
Remain assured and raise its banner the world over.
"'There was a wisdom in My Manifestation, and a wisdom also in My disappearance,
None will this wisdom comprehend save God Himself.'
"Therefore must we become united in His Cause's spread,
We must become united both in outward seeming and within our hearts.
"For teaching and triumph of the Faith we must be as one body,
Instill a new spirit by this Call into the temple of the world.
"Eleven were the Disciples of Jesus Christ;
After the passing of God's Spirit they gave healing to world's dwellers.
"Praised be God at present our number is several thousand,
All enlightened by the effulgence and the Writings of Bahá."
Thanks be God's that we are all beneath the Most Mighty Branch's shade,
The Branch of that Ancient Stock and the wave of that Ocean of Grace.
Remain constant and assured in this mighty Cause,
Patient in this tragedy, thankful in adversity.
'Andalíb regrets that ere this tragedy struck
He did not drink a cup borne by death's angel!
???? - Mírzá Badi'u'llah
Src : Personal communication summarising the material
Whilst this account presents difficulties of reliability in certain areas, it contains some useful facts.
Summary: Baha'u'llah's illness began Sunday, 11 Shavval, 50 days after Naw-Ruz. Two doctors were brought in: Halid Effendi a military physician of the Jarrah family, and Dr. (?sp) Dukaki. Abdu'l-Baha came quickly and with his family stayed in the Mansion for the duration of Baha'u'llah's illness. During this period Abdu'l-Baha resided in his room across and to the west of Baha'u'llah's room.
1902 - Brief History of Bahá'u'lláh (Qazvini)
Full Text : Materials for the Study of the Bábi Faith, E. G. Browne
http://www.scribd.com/doc/16855809/Materials-for-the-study-of-Babi-Religion
Alternate Translation : A Brief History of Beha'u'llah, M. J. Gazvini Jan 1914, http://www.paintdrawer.co.uk/david/folders/Research/Bahai/Baha'u'llah/Brief%20History%20of%20Bahaullah%20(Qazvini)[74].htm
In the later years of his sojourn at 'Akka external conditions *were the opposite of those which first prevailed, for his fame waxed great power, majesty and triumph were apparent; and the at 'Akka eyes of all were watching this community with veneration and respect. His Holiness our Master Baha'u'llah remarked one day, "Sultan 'Abdu'l-'Aziz banished us to this country in the greatest abasement, and since his object was to destroy us and humble us, whenever the means of glory and ease presented themselves, we did not reject them."
In short, notwithstanding these circumstances and materials of glory, ease and joy, we used to discover signs of sadness in His Holiness our Master Baha'u'llah to an extent which neither writing nor utterance can express, and which hath never been witnessed at any time, as appears from sundry Holy Tablets...
"O thou who circlest round my Throne and art present before my Face, dost thou weep for God's own self working for His purpose, or do I weep with mine eyes for it? By God's Life, all things weep for what hath befallen this oppressed one at the hands of those who deny, after we had created them for pure Truth, and had taught them the clear, straight way of God. If one should ask thee about Baha, say, 'Verily he is under the claws of hatred. Alas, alas for what hath befallen me from every tyrant, from every sinner, from every liar, from every careless one, from every deluded one, from every suspicious one, from every deceitful trickster!' If one should ask thee about the Lote-tree (Sidra), say, ' Verily it is under the swords of all mankind.' Alas, alas for what hath befallen this oppressed one from the hosts of the wicked! The smoke of vain imaginings hath overwhelmed some men: therefore doth the eye of my spirit lament and the groaning of my heart rise up. We ask God, most Blessed and most High is He, to cleanse His servants from the defilement of doubts and the dust of vain imaginings: verily he is Powerful over all things."
And in another passage he says:
“In my Name the Oppressed, from my most great Prison. *By my life, and my sorrow, and my affliction, if the Supreme Pen had addressed itself with the invocation ‘O much-wronged one!' from this moment until the day which hath no end, it would have the right so to do. Oppression in all its kinds and forms hath descended upon the dawning places of the Light and the day-springs of the Theophany, both of old time and now; but there hath descended on this Oppressed one that which hath no likeness and no similitude."
He also said repeatedly, addressing some of the Companions :
"I desire a dark and narrow dwelling, that I may lament and weep over my wrongs."(1)
All men used to wonder at beholding these grievous sorrows, not knowing what was their cause or who their originator, for how should there occur to the heart [of any one] the events and circumstances which became known [only] after [the death of] His Holiness our Master?
Sickness
On the 12th of Shawal, A.H. 1309 (10th of May, 1892) His Holiness our Master Baha'u'llah was attacked by a fever, which ceased after two days. Subsequently, however, another attack of fever supervened, and a general disturbance of health resulted.
Ascension
The period of this sickness lasted nineteen days, and his Ascension [i.e. death] took place on the second night of the month of Dhu'l-qa'da at dawn, A.H. 1309 (May 28, 1892) in the Palace of 'Udi Khammar at [the Garden of] Bahja. Alas ! how can I describe this awful calamity, this supremely terrible event, whereat tears flowed unceasingly and lamentations arose from all sides.
Even now, though twelve years have passed, the author's eyes weep when he sets himself to describe it, his heart throbs, and his spirit suffers so violent a perturbation that naught can exceed it. God knoweth and witnesseth what I say !
Burial
The resting-place of his Holy Temple [i.e. body] is the most northerly house of the three houses lying to the west of the Palace above-mentioned, namely the House of Hajji Sayyid 'Ali Afnan (2), the son-in-law of His Holiness our Great Master, in the northernmost room of that house. The body was there laid to rest before the last prayer on the third *night of the month of Dhu'l-Qa'da [A.H. 1309 May 29, 1892].
...
Reading of the Will
The first difference which happened after the death of His Holiness our Great Master within this community was that 'Abbas Efendi concealed some part of the book of [Baha'u'llah's] Testament entitled "the Book of my Testament, which book was given to him by Baha'u'llah in his own holy writing.
The detail of this is that on the ninth day after the Ascension [i.e. the death of Baha'u'llah] 'Abbas Efendi chose nine persons from amongst the Companions, one of whom was the author [of this book] and disclosed to them this document, concealing, however, a portion of it with a blue leaf [of paper] without any reason or justification, and gave it to them that they might enjoy the blessing of its perusal. One of them, named Aqa Riza of Shiraz, read it at a sign from him down to the place concealed by the blue leaf, whereupon 'Abbas Efendi said to the persons above mentioned, "Verily a portion of this book is concealed for a good reason, because the time doth not admit of its full disclosure." On the afternoon of that day Majdu'd-Din Efendi read it again, by command of (Abbas Efendi, in the Holy Place, before a company of the Aghsan (sons of Baha'u'llah), Afnan (kinsmen of the Bab), Muhajirin (Exiles), Mujawirin (settlers in 'Akka) and Musafarin (temporary visitors), down to the afore-mentioned passage, as narrated above.
1904 - Badi'u'llah's Confession
Full Text: http://www.bahai-library.org/histories/badiullah.html
Stealing the Writings
O ye beloved of God! The question of stealing the traces (writings) is as follows: during the days of the illness of the worshipped Countenance (Baha'u'llah) - the illness which preceded His departure - one day He summoned this servant to His Presence and gave him the keys to His blessed depository and chests, which were in His room, and ordered that the locks should be renewed. According to His command, this servant sent for Mohammed Kaani and had him renew the locks, which he did, and Mirza Ali Riza brought the locks and helped to affix them in their places. We locked the doors and presented the keys to Him and He said, "Keep them." He also ordered that the key to my own depository in my room be renewed, and this was done. Likewise, during those blessed days, His Holiness Abdul-Baha was summoned (by Baha'u'llah) was commanded by Him to gather together all His blessed writings and traces. This command (indicative of what was to come) produced such a feeling (in Abdul-Baha) that his tears descended like unto rain, and, while his body was trembling and his heart aching, he was obeying the command, gathering together the important manuscripts. He placed them all in the two large trunks which had always held the important Tablets and writings, when Baha'u'llah went to Acca, Haifa and Kassre. These had always been in the blessed room as a trust of His Holiness Abdul-Baha, for they were given him by Baha'u'llah.
Bahá'u'lláh Ascends
When the night for the great ordeal arrived, the sea of meeting sunk, the lamentation of the Supreme Concourse raised, the earthquake of the pillars of the horizons occurred, and the radiant Sun of Beauty passed behind the veils of Glory.
Washing the Body; Writings Taken to Another Room
It was the time for the washing of the blessed body. Water was brought, and they were prepared for the blessed purpose, when Mirza Mohammed Ali said: "now there will be much water spilled in this room, and, in order to prevent these trunks being affected by dampness, let me help you carry them to another room." He had them deposited in the room of this servant with the help of Mirza Majduddin.
Writings Carried Away
Three days after this event Mirza Mohammed Ali said to me: "The Blessed Beauty (Baha'u'llah) - Exalted is His Station! - said: 'We have written something and it is in Our depository.' which I would like to see." He took the keys from this servant for that purpose. Later I saw that, through Mirza Majduddin, Ali Riza, his sister, and the mother of Mirza Shua'u'llah, he (Mohammed Ali) carried the blessed trusts (the writings of Baha'u'llah) by way of the window and the gallery of the Behji to his own place. He took away all the traces of the Supreme Pen and the special Tablets revealed for the beloved of God. When this servant reproached him, and endeavored to reclaim them, he spoke so much that should I attempt to write it here, Masnavi "becomes seventy pounds of paper" (an expression meaning that the matter is most voluminous).
Writings Kept Hidden
Among other things he said to me that the preservation of the blessed writings was referred to him by a blessed command, that he possessed a Tablet from the Supreme Pen to that effect. He did not even allow this servant to read the writings. By various means he endeavored to insinuate to this servant that His Holiness the Greatest Branch was against the Blessed Law, that if the blessed writings fell into his hands they would be effaced and no name of the Blessed Beauty would remain in the world.
Interpolating the Writings
Another question concerns the interpolation. It is as follows: For a long time, by means of allusions and hints, symbols and signs, he gave me to understand that he possessed a Tablet from the Supreme Pen concerning His Holiness Abdul-Baha, which, he said, if he should reveal, the name of Abdul-Baha would be effaced. He spoke of this on numerous occasions to some members of the family. Some time elapsed, during which some souls inquired of me concerning the Tablet in question, and I asked him for it, but every time he offered me an excuse and sought a pretext to avoid it. Finally, prior to the imprisonment in the most great prison of Abha, one day he took out of a drawer a blessed Tablet from the Supreme Pen, wherein were mentioned the deeds, the actions, the oppression of Mirza Yahyah (Subh-i- Ezel), mentioning him often as "My brother," which he gave me to read. I read it and remarked: "This has no connection with these days." (It refers to the former days.) He said: I have permission from the Blessed Beauty (Baha'u'llah) to use my pen in the blessed writings (interpolate) for the protection of the Cause. Now, since some souls have exaggerated (the station of Abdul-Baha) and the Master claims Divinity, I will erase the word 'My brother' and insert in its place 'My Greatest Branch,' which I will show to people in order to check his influence."
Perturbed
I was entirely dazed, but said nothing to him, waiting to see if he really dared to do such a thing. A few moments passed and I saw him take up the Tablet, erase "My brother" and replace it with "My Greatest Branch." Having seen this, I immediately said: "This deed is a great sin and a breech of trust. If you show this Tablet, this servant will divulge the whole account, will point out the interpolation, and this will cause all the writings in your possession to be considered unreliable. Hereafter whatsoever of the writings traced by the Supreme Pen you may show me, I will not accept as authentic until I have carefully compared the manuscript with the original handwriting which is elsewhere preserved, and have examined the same with a magnifying glass."
Secrecy Enjoined
Upon hearing these words he was very much disturbed, promised and made a covenant that he would not show the Tablet to any one, and, further, he requested this servant not to reveal the matter.
Continued Interpolations
From that day this servant entirely lost confidence in him and did not trust him in matters which concerned the Cause and the conscience. He continually sought opportunities for the investigation and scrutiny of the remaining questions for which he (Mohammed Ali) had discussed and insinuated since the departure of the Blessed Perfection. He first referred to the manuscripts compiled by him (Mohammed Ali), and discovered that all the verses revealed by Baha'u'llah concerning the people of Beyan and the souls who, subsequent to the martyrdom of His Holiness the Supreme (the Bab) - May the spirit of all else be a ransom to Him! - had claimed Divinity, the station of Manifestation, the degree of successorship, or that of Mirror-ness, were transposed and applied to the days following the ascension of the worshipped Countenance (Baha'u'llah). In this wise and by this means they endeavored to perturb the minds and hinder the souls from turning (to the blessed Center of the Covenant). If this servant attempted to write the full account of these matters, the work will be endless. However, to the possessors of wisdom and intelligence, who are informed of past events, the reading of the said verses will suffice.
1907-02-27 Table Talk - Corinne True
Full Text : http://www.bahai-library.com/?file=true_hadi_table_talks
Nabil
After a short visit the Master's sister left us and said she would come often if only she could speak English with us. Some one came in a few moments later and brought Madame Scaramucci and me each a little bottle of attar of roses from the Master's sister.
The older daughter remained for a little visit with us and told us of poor Nabil. He loved BAHA'U'LLAH so much that, after His departure, he said he could not stay in this world. For three months he was so disconsolate. At last he wrote a beautiful poem, telling all that was in his heart, and gave it to a believer to give to the Master, but this believer forgot to give it right away. All that night the family heard some one walking about the Holy Tomb and chanting prayers. The next morning he went to the sea, and leaving his clothes on shore, drowned himself. No one knew of it and they searched for him all over the mountains and around. Then his clothing was found and in four days his body was washed up and it was identified. When the poem was read by the Master, it was learned that he had decided he could stay on earth no longer - he loved and yearned so for BAHA'U'LLAH.
1907 - Ten Days in the Light of Akka
Full Text of Chapter :
http://www.bahai-library.com/books/tendays/2ndcoming.html
As it is, [Muhammad-Alí] has appropriated many papers and Tablets written by the Blessed Perfection. It is possible for these writings to be altered, as the meanings in Persian are greatly changed by a single dot here and there. Before His Ascension, the Blessed Perfection said to me, 'I have given You all the papers.' He put them in two satchels and sent them to Me. After His Ascension, Muhammad-'Alí said, 'You had better give me the two satchels to take care of.' He took them away and never returned them. He thought the Center of the Covenant would be helpless without these papers. But he did not realize that My strength is the assistance of the Blessed Perfection.
...
At the time Muhammad-'Alí denied the Covenant and occasioned so much grief and suffering, the perfect calmness and spiritual strength of the Holy Leaf were most remarkable. The Blessed Perfection devotedly loved 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and when He appeared, His expression would change from gravity to one of great happiness and joy. Before His Ascension, the Blessed Perfection, realizing the trouble Muhammad-'Alí would bring about, would say, 'Becheveh Áqá!' ('O to be pitied Master!')
1912 - Interview with Badi'u'llah by Howard MacNutt
Full Text : http://bahai-library.com/histories/center.covenant.html
Another afternoon, Badi'u'llah came in to see us. Our conversation had been upon "loyalty to the Covenant." After the interpreter had explained our views, Badi'u'llah listened gravely for a while, then said:
"Nine days after the ascension of the Blessed Perfection, [BAHA'O' LLAH] the Kitáb-el-Ahd [Book of the Covenant] was read. After a few days Mohammed Ali Effendi [brother of Abdul-Baha and Badi'u'llah] and a part of the family withdrew from Abbas Effendi [Abdul-Baha]. The other members of the family were instigated by words of Mohammed Ali to the effect that the Blessed Perfection had written in the Kitáb-el-Akdas [Book of the Laws] that no Manifestation should appear for one thousand years and that Abbas Effendi was taking the title of "Manifestation" to himself. This was the cause of the breaking away of part of the family, including myself.
"Afterwards I saw some of the actions of Mohammed Ali and realized that the reason he had withdrawn from Abbas Effendi was not on account of the words of BAHA'O'LLAH in the Kitáb-elAkdas but that it had been occasioned by his own feelings. And I saw too that these actions were not consistent with the commands and writings of the Blessed Perfection. From this I saw and knew clearly that the cause of his withdrawal had been hatred of Abbas Effendi.
"The brother of the wife of Mohammed Ali, Mirza Majded-din, was sent by Mohammed Ali to Damascus with a letter for the Governor of Damascus. In that letter Mohammed Ali wrote a complaint against Abbas Effendi. This messenger was also instructed to tell the Governor by word of mouth certain things which would injure the Cause further for Abbas Effendi. The letter and messages were duly delivered to the Governor-General of Damascus. In twenty-five days the messenger returned. Just about that time a telegram came from the Sultan to the Governor-General of Beiruit who telegraphed it to the Governor at 'Akká: "Abbas Effendi and his brothers shall not be allowed to go outside the city." I was deeply grieved by these happenings.
"After thinking over the matter carefully I concluded that the best course would be for Mohammed Ali and all the family to come here to Abbas Effendi and reach some understanding so that discord and disunion might no longer exist. I thought they should come themselves and ask for the truth of these rumors set afloat by Mohammed Ali concerning Abbas Effendi. I myself came first to Abbas Effendi and told him what I wanted to accomplish. Then I went to Mohammed Ali and said "Do come with me to Abbas Effendi so that all the terrible trouble may cease." All the family were happy about this proposal of mine, except Mohammed Ali himself. I spoke a great deal to him and tried to persuade him to follow my advice but without success. I have written out in detail all the conversations I had with Abbas Effendi upon these matters. What I am giving you today is but a brief synopsis of them.
"After hearing my words Mohammed Ali spoke a great deal to his family and those who followed him, uttering falsehood and thus driving them further and further away from the prospect of unity. When I finally realized that reconciliation and harmony were impossible I was so deeply grieved that I became very ill. When I recovered I wished to leave 'Akká and determined to do so if I could secure permission. I wrote to the Governor-General of Beiruit asking that I "might be removed from this prison to another prison as the conditions were [p. 18] so distasteful to me here." I took a copy of this letter. Although this prison was the best of all homes to me on account of the Blessed Perfection's life here, yet I was so miserable I wished to leave at any sacrifice. By the way, all I ever heard Abbas Effendi say proved the rumors set afloat by Mohammed Ali to be false and untruthful. After I had written to the Governor-General of Beiruit, I wrote to the Sultan, copying this letter also. There is a prison on the Island of Rhodes where criminals and offenders are sent. In my letter to the Sultan I asked that I might be sent to it. I forwarded this letter to a man in Constantinople asking him to present it to the Sultan.
"Afterwards I saw Abbas Effendi and learned that he did not sanction this action, so I wrote immediately to the man in Constantinople, saying, "Do not deliver the letter." I also wrote to the Governor-General of Beiruit countermanding my wish to be removed from 'Akká. If the letter had been delivered to the Sultan it might have been too late to change the result. The prisoners at Rhodes are mostly Jews and Turks. As time went on I found it impossible for me to remain with Mohammed Ali. Finally I went to talk with him again. Accompanying me as a witness to the conversation was Seyd Ali, a brother of a son-in-law of Abbas Effendi. I said to Mohammed Ali, "If you will go with me to Abbas Effendi, come and go with me now." He said, "I will not go." I then took my family and left the house.
"I have written two accounts regarding this matter, - one brief, another in full detail, beginning at the time of the Ascension of the Blessed Perfection. The short one has been translated into English; the long one is not yet translated (January, 1905). The latter account explains everything fully and clearly shows that Mohammed Ali's action and behavior was not on account of his love for the Blessed Perfection but on account of his personal feelings and jealousy.
"Since I came to Abdul-Baha with my family, fifty men and women have come back to him in love and loyalty. Five or six returned after a few days; and only day before yesterday five others came to him, - about fifty in all. The adherents to M6hammed Ali do not number fifty all told. In 'Akká there are two, in Haifa three, in Teheran one and in other places a few. Only this small number remain in support of him. And why is this so? Because it was not for the Glory of God but for his own personal motives that Mohammed Ali acted so.
"The Blessed Perfection said, "My Cause is to unite men and bind them together; and those who violate this command step away from the protecting Shadow of My Word." He commanded that we must sow the seeds of love in our hearts, not the thorns of hatred. Therefore if any of the sons of the Blessed Perfection follow His Word they are under the Shadow of His Command and Protection; and if not, they are afar off. For example, if the Sultan has a Governor who obeys the Sultan it is the duty of the people to love and obey him because he himself is obedient. I wish this explanation to be perfectly and clearly understood in America. In the Persian Hidden Words, BAHA'O'LLAH says: "0 Friend! In the garden of the heart plant only flowers of love and cling to the Nightingale of Love and yearning."
1922 - Passing of Abdu'l-Bahá (Shoghi Effendi and Lady Blomfield)
Full Text : http://bahai-library.com/books/passing.html
His [Abdu'l-Baha's] good and faithful servant, Ismá'il-Áqá, relates the following:
Garden Simile
"Some time, about twenty days before my Master passed away I was near the garden when I heard him summon an old believer saying:
'Come with me that we may admire together the beauty of the garden. Behold, what the spirit of devotion is able to achieve! This flourishing place was, a few years ago, but a heap of stones, and now it is verdant with foliage and flowers. My desire is that after I am gone the loved ones may all arise to serve the Divine Cause and, please God, so it shall be. Ere long men will arise who shall bring life to the world.'...
Bahá'u'lláh's Papers
"A few days after this he said: 'I am so fatigued! The hour is come when I must leave everything and take my flight. I am too weary to walk.' Then he said: 'It was during the closing days of the Blessed Beauty [Baha'u'llah], when I was engaged in gathering together his papers, which were strewn over the sofa in his writing chamber at Bahjí that He turned to me and said, "It is of no use to gather them, I must leave them and flee away."
'I also have finished my work, I can do nothing more, therefore must I leave it and take my departure.'
1923 - Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era (ed 1980)
Full Text of Chapter :
http://bahai-library.com/books/new.era/3.html
<p41>
Ascension
Thus simply and serenely did Baha'u'llah pass the evening of His life on earth until, after an attack of fever, He passed away on the 29th of May, 1892, at the age of seventy-five.
Will and Testament
Among the last Tablets He revealed was His Will and Testament, which He wrote with His own hand and duly signed and sealed.
Will Made Known (Day 9)
Nine days after His death the seals were broken by His eldest son, in the presence of members of the family and a few friends, and the contents of the short but remarkable document were made known. By this will Abdu'l-Baha was constituted His father's representative and the expounder of His teachings, and the family and relatives of Baha'u'llah and all believers were instructed to turn to Him and obey Him. By this arrangement sectarianism and division were provided against and the unity of the Cause assured.
1937-01 May Maxwell Vol 1
Full Text : http://bahai-library.org/pilgrims/maxwell.notes.html
The Visitation Tablet for the Tombs of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh is in three parts: first part was revealed by Bahá'u'lláh to a believer who could not make the Pilgrimage. A few days after the Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh The Master asked Nabil to arrange selections to be chanted in the Tomb of Bahá'u'lláh. Of the Tablet of Visitation the first part is not addressed to God but to Bahá'u'lláh Himself. The second part is a prayer revealed by Bahá'u'lláh addressing God and the remaining paragraphs refer again to Bahá'u'lláh and not to God direct. It has been used ever since as the Visitation Tablet.
1940 - The Chosen Highway (Lady Blomfield)
Full Text of Chapter 4 : http://bahai-library.com/books/chosen/chosen4.html
=== Chronicle of Tuba Khanum ===
The Spoken Chronicle of Tuba Khanum, daughter of 'Abdu'l-Baha, Chapter IV.
<p106-115>
Prior Days
The Passing of Baha'u'llah
And now a very sad day dawned for us all.
My mother, my Aunt Khanum, my three sisters, and I lived in the bigger house at 'Akka with our beloved Father; Baha'u'llah lived at Bahji.
At this time the people of the place greatly respected and honoured Him and the Master, and we were as happy as was possible in the unhealthy atmosphere of 'Akka.
Fever - Master Summoned
On this day of sadness a servant rode in from Bahji with a tablet for the Master from Baha'u'llah: "I am not well, come to Me and bring Khanum."
The servant, having brought horses for them, my Father and my aunt set off immediately for Bahji; we children stayed at home with my mother, full of anxiety. Each day the news came that our adored Baha'u'llah's fever had not abated. He had a kind of malaria.
Family Visit Bahji - Day 5
After five days we all went to Bahji; we were very distressed that the illness had become serious.
Pilgrims and Baha'is Visit - Day 15
On the fifteenth day of the illness the Persian pilgrims and Baha'i friends from 'Akka were admitted to His presence.
Sacrificial Wishes
Mirza 'Andalib from Shiraz, Mirza Bassar, the blind poet, were there. They, weeping, circled round and round His bed, praying and beseeching Baha'u'llah to permit them to be a sacrifice for the saving of His precious life for the world, if only for a short time longer. [It is a Persian custom that a lamb should be sacrificed to prolong a greatly beloved life - and these friends wished to take the place of the sacrificial lamb - for their Lord's life.]
Baha'u'llah spoke loving words of peace and calm to them, exhorting them to be faithful to the Cause of God, to be loyal, true, and steadfast, letting their characters speak to the world.
Bahá'u'lláh Pleased
"I am very pleased with you all. My hope is that your deeds will be examples worthy of the Baha'i Faith - that you may ever be true followers of the Light of God's Law."
Lambs; Master Distributes to Poor
Two lambs were brought into His room, then the Master went into 'Akka to arrange various matters, to see the friends, giving the good news that His Father was slightly better. He then superintended the distribution of the two sacrificial lambs amongst the poor prisoners of 'Akka.
In the evening He came back to Bahji.
Bahá'u'lláh Calls Family; Mentions the Master's Station
Baha'u'llah asked for us, the ladies and children, to go to Him. He told us that He had left in His will directions for our future guidance; that the Greatest Branch, 'Abbas Effendi, would arrange everything for the family, the friends, and the Cause.
"The loving devotion of 'Andalib has touched me very much, also the love of them all. I hope they will every one be true and faithful servants."
Passing at Dawn - Day 19
On the nineteenth day of His illness He left us at dawn. Immediately a horseman galloped into 'Akka to carry the news to the Mufti.
Proclaimed from Minarets of Every Mosque
Forthwith from the seven minarets of the mosque the event was proclaimed:
"GOD IS GREAT.
HE GIVETH LIFE! HE TAKETH IT AGAIN!
HE DIETH NOT, BUT LIVETH FOR EVERMORE!"
This proclamation from the minarets is a custom of Islam at the passing of a very greatly honoured, learned, and holy man.
Mourners Pour In to Bahji
The tidings spread throughout the land, and were proclaimed from the minarets of every mosque. People from all the villages of the country-side crowded to Bahji to show their respect, and to join in the mourning. Many Shaykhs brought lambs, rice, sugar and sale. This is an Arab custom: the idea is, that as these gifts are distributed to the poor, they will, in return, pray for the soul of the departed.
Variety of People
Muslim friends, the Mufti, mullas, Governor and officials, Christian priests, Latin and Greek, Druses from Abu-Sinan, and surrounding villages, and many other friends gathered together in great numbers in honour of the Beloved One.
Songs in Praise, Laments, Prayers and Orations
Marthiyih, songs in His praise, were chanted by poets. Laments and prayers were chanted by Shaykhs. Funeral orations were spoken, describing His wonderful life of self-sacrifice.
500 Guests Under the Trees; Hospitality
Many of the guests encamped under the trees round the Palace of Bahji, where more than five hundred were entertained for nine days.
This hospitality entailed much trouble on the Master, Who made all the arrangements and superintended every detail; money also was given by Him on each of the nine days to the poor.
Dawn Times
At dawn on these days the "Call to Prayer" and some of the "Munajats" (prayers chanted) of Baha'u'llah were chanted from the balcony of the palace.
Call to Prayer
Very touching and impressive it was to hear the beautiful voice of our Arabian Baha'i friend, chanting the call to prayer.
Tablet of Visitation
At its sound the Master arose, and we all followed Him to the tomb-shrine, where He chanted the funeral prayer and the
TABLET OF VISITATION
(The following is a translation by Shoghi Effendi, guardian of the Baha'i Faith.)
The praise which hath dawned from Thy most august Self, and the glory which hath shown forth from Thy most effulgent Beauty, rest upon Thee, O Thou Who are the Manifestation of Grandeur, and the King of Eternity, and the Lord of all who are in Heaven and on earth. I testify that through Thee the sovereignty of God and His dominion, and the majesty of God and His grandeur, were revealed, and the Day-Stars of ancient splendour have shed their radiance in the Heaven of Thine irrevocable decree, and the Beauty of the Unseen hath shone forth above the horizon of creation. I testify, moreover, that with but a movement of Thy pen Thine injunction "Be Thou" hath been enforced, and God's hidden Secret hath been divulged, and all created things have been called into being, and all the Revelations have been sent down.
I bear witness, moreover, that through Thy beauty the beauty of the Adored One hath been unveiled, and through Thy face the face of the Desired One hath shown forth, and that through a word from Thee Thou hast decided between all created things, causing them who are devoted to Thee to ascend unto the summit of glory, and the infidels to fall into the lowest abyss. I bear witness that he who hath known Thee hath known God, and he who hath attained Thy presence hath attained unto the presence of God. Great, therefore, is the blessedness of him who hath believed in Thee, and in Thy signs, and hath humbled himself before Thy sovereignty, and hath been honoured with meeting Thee, and hath attained the good pleasure of Thy will, and circled around Thee, and stood before Thy throne. Woe betide him that hath transgressed against Thee, and hath denied Thee, and repudiated Thy signs, and gainsaid Thy sovereignty, and risen up against Thee, and waxed proud before Thy face, and hath disputed Thy testimonies, and fled from Thy rule and Thy dominion, and been numbered with the infidels whose names have been inscribed by the fingers of Thy behest upon Thy holy Tablets.
Waft then, unto me, O my God and my Beloved, from the right hand of Thy mercy and Thy loving-kindness, the holy breaths of Thy favours, that they may draw me away from myself and from the world unto the courts of Thy nearness and Thy presence. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou, truly, hast been supreme over all things.
The remembrance of God and His praise, and the glory of God and His splendour, rest upon Thee, O Thou Who art His Beauty! I bear witness that the eye of creation hath never gazed upon one wronged like Thee. Thou wast immersed all the days of Thy life beneath an ocean of tribulations. At one time Thou wast in chains and fetters; at another Thou wast threatened by the sword of Thine enemies. Yet, despite all this, Thou didst enjoin upon all men to observe what hath been prescribed unto Thee by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
May my spirit be a sacrifice to the wrongs Thou didst suffer, and my soul be a ransom for the adversities Thou didst sustain. I beseech God by Thee and by them whose faces have been illumined with the splendours of the light of Thy countenance, and who, for love of Thee, have observed all whereunto they were bidden, to remove the veils that have come between Thee and Thy creatures and to supply me with the good of this world and the world to come. Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.
Bless Thou, O Lord my God, the Divine Lote-Tree and its leaves, and its boughs, and its branches, and its stems, and its offshoots, as long as Thy most excellent titles will endure and Thy most august attributes will last. Protect it, then, from the mischief of the aggressor and the hosts of tyranny. Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the Most Powerful. Bless Thou, also, O Lord my God, Thy servants and Thy handmaidens who have attained unto Thee. Thou, truly, art the All-Bountiful, Whose grace is infinite. No God is there save Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.
* * *
Master Sends for Will; Read - Day 9
The Master sent to 'Akka for the box in which the Will of Baha'u'llah had been locked up for two years. On the ninth day after the passing of Baha'u'llah the Will was read by Mirza Majdi'd-Din [the son of Baha'u'llah's brother, Mirza Musa] to all the men friends, in the presence of the Master.
Master Appointed
The friends showed great joy that their beloved Master had been appointed by Jamal-i-Mubarak to be their Protector, their Leader, their Guide.
The Master then came to see us, the ladies of the household. We called together the servitors, and, when we were all assembled, the Will was read to us by Majdi'd-Din, at the request of the Master.
Muhammad-'Alí's Mother
The mother of Muhammad-'Ali, expressed herself, at that time, as being pleased at the appointment of the eldest son.
Cholera in Akka; Discourtesy of Muhammad-'Alí's Family and Return
Whilst we were all at Bahji there was a serious outbreak of cholera in the town of 'Akka. Now it was the custom that members of the family should remain in the house of the departed one for a period of forty days. But the mother of Muhammad-'Ali, and her other sons, showed us by many discourtesies that they did not wish us to remain.
In Akka; Population Fled; Dying
Accordingly, in spite of the raging cholera, we all, Sarkar-i-Aqa, Khanum, my mother, my sisters, and I, left Bahji and returned to our house at 'Akka, trusting in the protection of God.
We were almost the only family left in Akka. Most of the people had fled in fear of the terror; others had died in great numbers. We children were much frightened, the sight of the poor dead people being carried out for burial appalled us.
Master Asks Muhammad-'Alí for Writings; Denied
We heard that Sarka-i-Aqa asked for those Tablets of Baha'u'llah which He had revealed for many of the friends, and for others, concerning the Cause. Muhammad-'Ali replied: "There are no such papers."
Master Back to Akka, Sad
After bringing us back to 'Akka, the Master went back to the shrine at Bahji, returning to us next day very sad; the two younger half-brothers were with Him. My mother asked them to stay and help Sarkar-i-Aqa with the numberless matters needing to be done. They refused, saying that they were too busy. There was no man of the family to assist our beloved Father ['Abdu'l-Baha] in all the work of that difficult time.
News Broadcast
After nine days Sarkar-i-Aqa wrote a Tablet telling the sad news, directing that it be copied and sent to all the friends in Persia.
* * *
The first message of 'Abdu'l-Baha to His friends throughout the world after the ascension of Baha'u'llah. [Translated by Shoghi Effendi, and sent for this book.]
First Message of 'Abdu'l-Baha
HE IS THE ALL-GLORIOUS
The world's great Light, once resplendent upon all mankind has set, to shine everlastingly from the Abha Horizon, His Kingdom of fadeless glory, shedding splendour upon His loved ones from on high, and breathing into their hearts and souls the breath of eternal life.
O ye beloved of the Lord! Beware, beware lest ye hesitate and waver. Let not fear fall upon you, neither be troubled nor dismayed. Take ye good heed lest this calamitous day slacken the flames of your ardour, and quench your tender hopes. To-day is the day for steadfastness and constancy. Blessed are they that stand firm and immovable as the rock, and brave the storm and stress of this tempestuous hour. They, verily, shall be the recipients of God's grace, shall receive His divine assistance, and shall be truly victorious.
The Sun of Truth, that most great Light, has set upon the horizon of the world to rise with deathless splendour over the Realm of the Limitless. In His Most Holy Book He calleth the firm and steadfast and His friends: "O peoples of the world! Should the radiance of My beauty be veiled, and the temple of My body be hidden, feel not perturbed, nay arise and bestir yourselves, that My Cause may triumph, and My Word be heard by all mankind."
=== Other ===
Full Text of Chapter 5 : http://bahai-library.org/books/chosen/chosen5.html
<136> Before His Ascension, He had laid the charge upon 'Abbas Effendi, His eldest son, to go forth into all the world, to "Sound the solemn call to Regeneration, to carry the glad tidings of the renewal of the Gospel of Peace into every land of earth."
Full Text of Chapter 6 : http://bahai-library.com/books/chosen/chosen6.html
<230> After the Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh there was also a room set apart for the little girls, who were, if possible, in a worse case than even the boys.
1944 - God Passes By (Shoghi Effendi)
Full Text of Chapter 8  : Ocean, or http://www.bahai-library.com/writings/shoghieffendi/gpb/221-225.html
Chapter XIII
Bahá'u'lláh Intimates Departure
Already nine months before His ascension Baha'u'llah, as attested by Abdu'l-Baha, had voiced His desire to depart from this world. From that time onward it became increasingly evident, from the tone of His remarks to those who attained His presence, that the close of His earthly life was approaching, though He refrained from mentioning it openly to any one.
Fever - Eve of 8 May 1892
On the night preceding the eleventh of Shavval 1309 A.H. (May 8, 1892) He contracted a slight fever which, though it mounted the following day, soon after subsided. He continued to grant interviews to certain of the friends and pilgrims, but it soon became evident that He was not well. His fever returned in a more acute form than before,
Ascension - 29 May 1892, eight hours after sunset
His general condition grew steadily worse, complications ensued which at last culminated in His ascension, at the hour of dawn, on the 2nd of Dhi'l-Qa'dih 1309 A.H. (May 29, 1892), eight hours after sunset, in the 75th year of His age.
His spirit, at long last released from the toils of a life crowded with tribulations, had winged its flight to His "other dominions," dominions "whereon the eyes of the people of names have never fallen," and to which the "Luminous Maid," "clad in white," had bidden Him hasten, as described by Himself in the Lawh-i-Ru'ya (Tablet of the Vision), revealed nineteen years previously, on the anniversary of the birth of His Forerunner.
Summons Believers - Six Days Before Ascension
Six days before He passed away He summoned to His presence, as He lay in bed leaning against one of His sons, the entire company of believers, including several pilgrims, who had assembled in the Mansion, for what proved to be their last audience with Him.
"I am well pleased with you all," He gently and affectionately addressed the weeping crowd that gathered about Him. "Ye have rendered many services, and been very assiduous in your labours. Ye have come here every morning and every evening. May God assist you to remain united. May He aid you to exalt the Cause of the Lord of being." To the women, including members of His own family, gathered at His bedside, He addressed similar words of encouragement, definitely assuring them that in a document entrusted by Him to the Most Great Branch He had commended them all to His care. 
Sun of Baha has Set - News Broadcast to Sultan
The news of His ascension was instantly communicated to Sultan Abdu'l-Hamid in a telegram which began with the words "the Sun of Baha has set" and in which the monarch was advised of the intention of interring the sacred remains within the precincts of the Mansion, an arrangement to which he readily assented.
Laid to Rest at Sunset
Baha'u'llah was accordingly laid to rest in the northernmost room of the house which served as a dwelling-place for His son-in-law, the most northerly of the three houses lying to the west of, and adjacent to, the Mansion. His interment took place shortly after sunset, on the very day of His ascension. 
Nabil
The inconsolable Nabil, who had had the privilege of a private audience with Baha'u'llah during the days of His illness; whom Abdu'l-Baha had chosen to select those passages which constitute the text of the Tablet of Visitation now recited in the Most Holy Tomb; and who, in his uncontrollable grief, drowned himself in the sea shortly after the passing of his Beloved, thus describes the agony of those days:
Believers' Condition
"Methinks, the spiritual commotion set up in the world of dust had caused all the worlds of God to tremble.... My inner and outer tongue are powerless to portray the condition we were in.... In the midst of the prevailing confusion a multitude of the inhabitants of Akka and of the neighbouring villages, that had thronged the fields surrounding the Mansion, could be seen weeping, beating upon their heads, and crying aloud their grief." 
Week of Mourners
For a full week a vast number of mourners, rich and poor alike, tarried to grieve with the bereaved family, partaking day and night of the food that was lavishly dispensed by its members.
Notables
Notables, among whom were numbered Shi'ahs, Sunnis, Christians, Jews and Druzes, as well as poets, ulamas and government officials, all joined in lamenting the loss, and in magnifying the virtues and greatness of Baha'u'llah, many of them paying to Him their written tributes, in verse and in prose, in both Arabic and Turkish.
Tributes Pour In
From cities as far afield as Damascus, Aleppo, Beirut and Cairo similar tributes were received. These glowing testimonials were, without exception, submitted to Abdu'l-Baha, Who now represented the Cause of the departed Leader, and Whose praises were often mingled in these eulogies with the homage paid to His Father. 
Oceans of Grief of the Baha'is
And yet these effusive manifestations of sorrow and expressions of praise and of admiration, which the ascension of Baha'u'llah had spontaneously evoked among the unbelievers in the Holy Land and the adjoining countries, were but a drop when compared with the ocean of grief and the innumerable evidences of unbounded devotion which, at the hour of the setting of the Sun of Truth, poured forth from the hearts of the countless thousands who had espoused His Cause, and were determined to carry aloft its banner in Persia, India, Russia, Iraq, Turkey, Palestine, Egypt and Syria.
Significance; Review of Bahá'í Eras
With the ascension of Baha'u'llah draws to a close a period which, in many ways, is unparalleled in the world's religious history. The first century of the Baha'i Era had by now run half its course. An epoch, unsurpassed in its sublimity, its fecundity and duration by any previous Dispensation, and characterized, except for a short interval of three years, by half a century of continuous and progressive Revelation, had terminated. The Message proclaimed by the Bab had yielded its golden fruit. The most momentous, though not the most spectacular phase of the Heroic Age had ended. The Sun of Truth, the world's greatest Luminary, had risen in the Siyah-Chal of Tihran, had broken through the clouds which enveloped it in Baghdad, had suffered a momentary eclipse whilst mounting to its zenith in Adrianople and had set finally in Akka, never to reappear ere the lapse of a full millennium. God's newborn Faith, the cynosure of all past Dispensations, had been fully and unreservedly proclaimed. The prophecies announcing its advent had been remarkably fulfilled. Its fundamental laws and cardinal principles, the warp and woof of the fabric of its future World Order, had been clearly enunciated. Its organic relation to, and its attitude towards, the religious systems which preceded it had been unmistakably defined. The primary institutions, within which an embryonic World Order was destined to mature, had been unassailably established. The Covenant designed to safeguard the unity and integrity of its world-embracing system had been irrevocably bequeathed to posterity. The promise of the unification of the whole human race, of the inauguration of the Most Great Peace, of the unfoldment of a world civilization, had been incontestably given. The dire warnings, foreshadowing catastrophes destined to befall kings, ecclesiastics, governments and peoples, as a prelude to so glorious a consummation, had been repeatedly uttered. The significant summons to the Chief Magistrates of the New World, forerunner of the Mission with which the North American continent was to be later invested, had been issued. The initial contact with a nation, a descendant of whose royal house was to espouse its Cause ere the expiry of the first Baha'i century, had been established. The original impulse which, in the course of successive decades, has conferred, and will continue to confer, in the years to come, inestimable benefits of both spiritual and institutional significance upon God's holy mountain, overlooking the Most Great Prison, had been imparted. And finally, the first banners of a spiritual conquest which, ere the termination of that century, was to embrace no less than sixty countries in both the Eastern and Western hemispheres had been triumphantly planted.

... Retributions ...

Will Read
To direct and canalize these forces let loose by this Heaven-sent process, and to insure their harmonious and continuous operation after His ascension, an instrument divinely ordained, invested with <p238> indisputable authority, organically linked with the Author of the Revelation Himself, was clearly indispensable. That instrument Baha'u'llah had expressly provided through the institution of the Covenant, an institution which He had firmly established prior to His ascension. This same Covenant He had anticipated in His Kitab-i-Aqdas, had alluded to it as He bade His last farewell to the members of His family, who had been summoned to His bed-side, in the days immediately preceding His ascension, and had incorporated it in a special document which He designated as "the Book of My Covenant," and which He entrusted, during His last illness, to His eldest son Abdu'l-Baha. 

Written entirely in His own hand; unsealed, on the ninth day after His ascension in the presence of nine witnesses chosen from amongst His companions and members of His Family; read subsequently, on the afternoon of that same day, before a large company assembled in His Most Holy Tomb, including His sons, some of the Bab's kinsmen, pilgrims and resident believers, this unique and epoch-making Document, designated by Baha'u'llah as His "Most Great Tablet," and alluded to by Him as the "Crimson Book" in His "Epistle to the Son of the Wolf," can find no parallel in the Scriptures of any previous Dispensation, not excluding that of the Bab Himself.
...
That such a unique and sublime station should have been conferred upon Abdu'l-Baha did not, and indeed could not, surprise those exiled companions who had for so long been privileged to observe His life and conduct, nor the pilgrims who had been brought, however fleetingly, into personal contact with Him, nor indeed the vast concourse of the faithful who, in distant lands, had grown to revere His name and to appreciate His labors, nor even the wide circle of His friends and acquaintances who, in the Holy Land and the adjoining countries, were already well familiar with the position He had occupied during the lifetime of His Father.
...
The Rebellion of Mirza Muhammad-'Ali
The immediate effect of the ascension of Baha'u'llah had been, as already observed, to spread grief and bewilderment among his followers and companions, and to inspire its vigilant and redoubtable adversaries with fresh hope and renewed determination. At a time when a grievously traduced Faith had triumphantly emerged from the two severest crises it had ever known, one the work of enemies without, the other the work of enemies within, when its prestige had risen to a height unequalled in any period during its fifty-year existence, the unerring Hand which had shaped its destiny ever since its inception was suddenly removed, leaving a gap which friend and foe alike believed could never again be filled.
Yet, as the appointed Center of Baha'u'llah's Covenant and the authorized Interpreter of His teaching had Himself later explained, the dissolution of the tabernacle wherein the soul of the Manifestation of God had chosen temporarily to abide signalized its release from the restrictions which an earthly life had, of necessity, imposed upon it. Its influence no longer circumscribed by any physical limitations, its radiance no longer beclouded by its human temple, that soul could henceforth energize the whole world to a degree unapproached at any stage in the course of its existence on this planet.
Baha'u'llah's stupendous task on this earthly plane had, moreover, at the time of His passing, been brought to its final consummation. His mission, far from being in any way inconclusive, had, in every respect, been carried through to a full end. The Message with which He had been entrusted had been disclosed to the gaze of all mankind. The summons He had been commissioned to issue to its leaders and rulers had been fearlessly voiced. The fundamentals of the doctrine destined to recreate its life, heal its sicknesses and redeem it from bondage and degradation had been impregnably established. The tide of calamity that was to purge and fortify the sinews of His Faith had swept on with unstemmed fury. The blood which was to fertilize the soil out of which the institutions of His World Order were destined to spring had been profusely shed. Above all the Covenant that was to perpetuate the influence of that Faith, insure <p245> its integrity, safeguard it from schism, and stimulate its world-wide expansion, had been fixed on an inviolable basis.
The stirring proclamation Abdu'l-Baha had penned, addressed to the rank and file of the followers of His Father, on the morrow of His ascension, as well as the prophecies He Himself had uttered in His Tablets, breathed a resolve and a confidence which the fruits garnered and the triumphs achieved in the course of a thirty-year ministry have abundantly justified.
The cloud of despondency that had momentarily settled on the disconsolate lovers of the Cause of Baha'u'llah was lifted. The continuity of that unerring guidance vouchsafed to it since its birth was now assured. The significance of the solemn affirmation that this is "the Day which shall not be followed by night" was now clearly apprehended. An orphan community had recognized in Abdu'l-Baha, in its hour of desperate need, its Solace, its Guide, its Mainstay and Champion. The Light that had glowed with such dazzling brightness in the heart of Asia, and had, in the lifetime of Baha'u'llah, spread to the Near East, and illuminated the fringes of both the European and African continents, was to travel, through the impelling influence of the newly proclaimed Covenant, and almost immediately after the death of its Author, as far West as the North American continent, and from thence diffuse itself to the countries of Europe, and subsequently shed its radiance over both the Far East and Australasia.
Before the Faith, however, could plant its banner in the midmost heart of the North American continent, and from thence establish its outposts over so vast a portion of the Western world, the newly born Covenant of Baha'u'llah had, as had been the case with the <p246> Faith that had given it birth, to be baptized with a fire which was to demonstrate its solidity and proclaim its indestructibility to an unbelieving world. A crisis, almost as severe as that which had assailed the Faith in its earliest infancy in Baghdad, was to shake that Covenant to its foundations at the very moment of its inception, and subject afresh the Cause of which it was the noblest fruit to one of the most grievous ordeals experienced in the course of an entire century.
This crisis, misconceived as a schism, which political as well as ecclesiastical adversaries, no less than the fast dwindling remnant of the followers of Mirza Yahya hailed as a signal for the immediate disruption and final dissolution of the system established by Baha'u'llah, was precipitated at the very heart and center of His Faith, and was provoked by no one less than a member of His own family, a half-brother of Abdu'l-Baha, specifically named in the book of the Covenant, and holding a rank second to none except Him Who had been appointed as the Center of that Covenant. For no less than four years that emergency fiercely agitated the minds and hearts of a vast proportion of the faithful throughout the East, eclipsed, for a time, the Orb of the Covenant, created an irreparable breach within the ranks of Baha'u'llah's own kindred, sealed ultimately the fate of the great majority of the members of His family, and gravely damaged the prestige, though it never succeeded in causing a permanent cleavage in the structure, of the Faith itself. The true ground of this crisis was the burning, the uncontrollable, the soul-festering jealousy which the admitted preeminence of Abdu'l-Baha in rank, power, ability, knowledge and virtue, above all the other members of His Father's family, had aroused not only in Mirza Muhammad-'Ali, the archbreaker of the Covenant, but in some of his closest relatives as well. An envy as blind as that which had possessed the soul of Mirza Yahya, as deadly as that which the superior excellence of Joseph had kindled in the hearts of his brothers, as deep-seated as that which had blazed in the bosom of Cain and prompted him to slay his brother Abel, had, for several years, prior to Baha'u'llah's ascension, been smouldering in the recesses of Mirza Muhammad-'Ali's heart and had been secretly inflamed by those unnumbered marks of distinction, of admiration and favor accorded to Abdu'l-Baha not only by Baha'u'llah Himself, His companions and His followers, but by the vast number of unbelievers who had come to recognize that innate greatness which Abdu'l-Baha had manifested from childhood.
Far from being allayed by the provisions of a Will which had elevated him to the second-highest position within the ranks of the <p247> faithful, the fire of unquenchable animosity that glowed in the breast of Mirza Muhammad-'Ali burned even more fiercely as soon as he came to realize the full implications of that Document. All that Abdu'l-Baha could do, during a period of four distressful years, His incessant exhortations, His earnest pleadings, the favors and kindnesses He showered upon him, the admonitions and warnings He uttered, even His voluntary withdrawal in the hope of averting the threatening storm, proved to be of no avail. Gradually and with unyielding persistence, through lies, half-truths, calumnies and gross exaggerations, this "Prime Mover of sedition" succeeded in ranging on his side almost the entire family of Baha'u'llah, as well as a considerable number of those who had formed his immediate entourage. Baha'u'llah's two surviving wives, His two sons, the vacillating Mirza Diya'u'llah and the treacherous Mirza Badi'u'llah, with their sister and half-sister and their husbands, one of them the infamous Siyyid Ali, a kinsman of the Bab, the other the crafty Mirza Majdi'd-Din, together with his sister and half-brothers -- the children of the noble, the faithful and now deceased Aqay-i-Kalim -- all united in a determined effort to subvert the foundations of the Covenant which the newly proclaimed Will had laid. Even Mirza Aqa Jan, who for forty years had labored as Baha'u'llah's amanuensis, as well as Muhammad-Javad-i-Qasvini, who ever since the days of Adrianople, had been engaged in transcribing the innumerable Tablets revealed by the Supreme Pen, together with his entire family, threw in their lot with the Covenant-breakers, and allowed themselves to be ensnared by their machinations.
Forsaken, betrayed, assaulted by almost the entire body of His relatives, now congregated in the Mansion and the neighboring houses clustering around the most Holy Tomb, Abdu'l-Baha, already bereft of both His mother and His sons, and without any support at all save that of an unmarried sister, His four unmarried daughters, His wife and His uncle (a half-brother of Baha'u'llah), was left alone to bear, in the face of a multitude of enemies arrayed against Him from within and from without, the full brunt of the terrific responsibilities which His exalted office had laid upon Him.
Closely-knit by one common wish and purpose; indefatigable in their efforts; assured of the backing of the powerful and perfidious Jamal-i-Burujirdi and his henchmen, Haji Husayn-i-Kashi, Khalil-i-Khu'i and Jalil-i-Tabrizi who had espoused their cause; linked by a vast system of correspondence with every center and individual they could reach; seconded in their labors by emissaries whom they <p248> dispatched to Persia, Iraq, India and Egypt; emboldened in their designs by the attitude of officials whom they bribed or seduced, these repudiators of a divinely-established Covenant arose, as one man, to launch a campaign of abuse and vilification which compared in virulence with the infamous accusations which Mirza Yahya and Siyyid Muhammad had jointly levelled at Baha'u'llah. To friend and stranger, believer and unbeliever alike, to officials both high and low, openly and by insinuation, verbally as well as in writing, they represented Abdu'l-Baha as an ambitious, a self-willed, an unprincipled and pitiless usurper, Who had deliberately disregarded the testamentary instructions of His Father; Who had, in language intentionally veiled and ambiguous, assumed a rank co-equal with the Manifestation Himself; Who in His communications with the West was beginning to claim to be the return of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who had come "in the glory of the Father"; Who, in His letters to the Indian believers, was proclaiming Himself as the promised Shah Bahram, and arrogating to Himself the right to interpret the writing of His Father, to inaugurate a new Dispensation, and to share with Him the Most Great Infallibility, the exclusive prerogative of the holders of the prophetic office. They, furthermore, affirmed that He had, for His private ends, fomented discord, fostered enmity and brandished the weapon of excommunication; that He had perverted the purpose of a Testament which they alleged to be primarily concerned with the private interests of Baha'u'llah's family by acclaiming it as a Covenant of world importance, pre-existent, peerless and unique in the history of all religions; that He had deprived His brothers and sisters of their lawful allowance, and expended it on officials for His personal advancement; that He had declined all the repeated invitations made to Him to discuss the issues that had arisen and to compose the differences which prevailed; that He had actually corrupted the Holy Text, interpolated passages written by Himself, and perverted the purpose and meaning of some of the weightiest Tablets revealed by the pen of His Father; and finally, that the standard of rebellion had, as a result of such conduct, been raised by the Oriental believers, that the community of the faithful had been rent asunder, was rapidly declining and was doomed to extinction.
And yet it was this same Mirza Muhammad-'Ali who, regarding himself as the exponent of fidelity, the standard-bearer of the "Unitarians," the "Finger who points to his Master," the champion of the Holy Family, the spokesman of the Aghsan, the upholder of the <p249> Holy Writ, had, in the lifetime of Baha'u'llah, so openly and shamelessly advanced in a written statement, signed and sealed by him, the very claim now falsely imputed by him to Abdu'l-Baha, that his Father had, with His own hand, chastised him. He it was who, when sent on a mission to India, had tampered with the text of the holy writings entrusted to his care for publication. He it was who had the impudence and temerity to tell Abdu'l-Baha to His face that just as Umar had succeeded in usurping the successorship of the Prophet Muhammad, he, too, felt himself able to do the same. He it was who, obsessed by the fear that he might not survive Abdu'l-Baha, had, the moment he had been assured by Him that all the honor he coveted would, in the course of time, be his, swiftly rejoined that he had no guarantee that he would outlive Him. He it was who, as testified by Mirza Badi'u'llah in his confession, written and published on the occasion of his repentance and his short-lived reconciliation with Abdu'l-Baha, had, while Baha'u'llah's body was still awaiting interment, carried off, by a ruse, the two satchels containing his Father's most precious documents, entrusted by Him, prior to His ascension, to Abdu'l-Baha. He it was who, by an exceedingly adroit and simple forgery of a word recurring in some of the denunciatory passages addressed by the Supreme Pen to Mirza Yahya, and by other devices such as mutilation and interpolation, had succeeded in making them directly applicable to a Brother Whom he hated with such consuming passion. And lastly, it was this same Mirza Muhammad-'Ali who, as attested by Abdu'l-Baha in His Will, had, with circumspection and guile, conspired to take His life, an intention indicated by the allusions made in a letter written by Shu'a'u'llah (Son of Mirza Muhammad-'Ali), the original of which was enclosed in that same Document by Abdu'l-Baha.
The Covenant of Baha'u'llah had, by acts such as these, and others too numerous to recount, been manifestly violated. Another blow, stunning in its first effects, had been administered to the Faith and had caused its structure momentarily to tremble. The storm foreshadowed by the writer of the Apocalypse had broken. The "lightnings," the "thunders," the "earthquake" which must needs accompany the revelation of the "Ark of His Testament," had all come to pass.
Abdu'l-Baha's grief over so tragic a development, following so swiftly upon His Father's ascension, was such that, despite the triumphs witnessed in the course of His ministry, it left its traces upon Him till the end of His days. The intensity of the emotions which this somber episode aroused within Him were reminiscent of <p250> the effect produced upon Baha'u'llah by the dire happenings precipitated by the rebellion of Mirza Yahya. "I swear by the Ancient Beauty!," He wrote in one of His Tablets, "So great is My sorrow and regret that My pen is paralyzed between My fingers." "Thou seest Me," He, in a prayer recorded in His Will, thus laments, "submerged in an ocean of calamities that overwhelm the soul, of afflictions that oppress the heart... Sore trials have compassed Me round, and perils have from all sides beset Me. Thou seest Me immersed in a sea of unsurpassed tribulation, sunk into a fathomless abyss, afflicted by Mine enemies and consumed with the flame of hatred kindled by My kinsmen with whom Thou didst make Thy strong Covenant and Thy firm Testament..." And again in that same Will: "Lord! Thou seest all things weeping over Me, and My kindred rejoicing in My woes. By Thy glory, O my God! Even amongst Mine enemies some have lamented My troubles and My distress, and of the envious ones a number have shed tears because of My cares, My exile and My afflictions." "O Thou the Glory of Glories!," He, in one of His last Tablets, had cried out, "I have renounced the world and its people, and am heart-broken and sorely afflicted because of the unfaithful. In the cage of this world I flutter even as a frightened bird, and yearn every day to take My flight unto Thy Kingdom."
Baha'u'llah Himself had significantly revealed in one of His Tablets -- a Tablet that sheds an illuminating light on the entire episode: "By God, O people! Mine eye weepeth, and the eye of Ali (the Bab) weepeth amongst the Concourse on high, and Mine heart crieth out, and the heart of Muhammad crieth out within the Most Glorious Tabernacle, and My soul shouteth and the souls of the Prophets shout before them that are endued with understanding... My sorrow is not for Myself, but for Him Who shall come after Me, in the shadow of My Cause, with manifest and undoubted sovereignty, inasmuch as they will not welcome His appearance, will repudiate His signs, will dispute His sovereignty, will contend with Him, and will betray His Cause..." "Can it be possible," He, in a no less significant Tablet, had observed, "that after the dawning of the day-star of Thy Testament above the horizon of Thy Most Great Tablet, the feet of any one shall slip in Thy Straight Path? Unto this We answered: 'O My most exalted Pen! It behoveth Thee to occupy Thyself with that whereunto Thou hast been bidden by God, the Exalted, the Great. Ask not of that which will consume Thine heart and the hearts of the denizens of Paradise, who have circled round My wondrous Cause. It behoveth Thee not to be acquainted with that <p251> which We have veiled from Thee. Thy Lord is, verily, the Concealer, the All-Knowing!'" More specifically Baha'u'llah had, referring to Mirza Muhammad-'Ali in clear and unequivocal language, affirmed: "He, verily, is but one of My servants... Should he for a moment pass out from under the shadow of the Cause, he surely shall be brought to naught." Furthermore, in a no less emphatic language, He, again in connection with Mirza Muhammad-'Ali had stated: "By God, the True One! Were We, for a single instant, to withhold from him the outpourings of Our Cause, he would wither, and would fall upon the dust." Abdu'l-Baha Himself had, moreover, testified: "There is no doubt that in a thousand passages in the sacred writings of Baha'u'llah the breakers of the Covenant have been execrated." Some of these passages He Himself compiled, ere His departure from this world, and incorporated them in one of His last Tablets, as a warning and safeguard against those who, throughout His ministry, had manifested so implacable a hatred against Him, and had come so near to subverting the foundations of a Covenant on which not only His own authority but the integrity of the Faith itself depended. <p252> 
Other
<253> "Had this Cause been revealed in the West," He, shortly before His ascension, is reported by Nabil in his narrative to have stated, "had Our verses been sent from the West to Persia and other countries of the East, it would have become evident how the people of the Occident would have embraced Our Cause. The people of Persia, however, have failed to appreciate it."

<409> The ascension of Bahá'u'lláh had plunged into grief and bewilderment  405  His loyal supporters, quickened the hopes of the betrayers of His Cause, who had rebelled against His God-given authority, and rejoiced and encouraged His political as well as ecclesiastical adversaries.
1969 - Priceless Pearl (Ruhiyyih Khanum)
Full Text : Ocean, or http://www.docstoc.com/docs/1264017/The-Priceless-Pearl/
Bahá'u'lláh Reminds Abdu'l-Bahá to Appoint His Successor
Abbas Effendi rose and came over to us and we immediately stood up, but the Master urged us to take our seats again and Himself sat down informally on a stool near us, or rather racing us. As usual in silence we waited for Him to speak to us, which He did shortly: "Now my daughter," He began, "How do you like my future Elisha?"... "Baha'u'llah, the Great Perfection - blessed be His words - in the past, the present and forever - chose this insignificant one to be His successor, not because I was the first born, but because His inner eye had already discerned on my brow the seal of God.
"Before His ascension into eternal Light the blessed Manifestation reminded me that I too - irrespective of primogeniture or age - must observe among my sons and grandsons whom God would indicate for His office. My sons passed to eternity in their tenderest years, in my line, among my relatives, only little Shoghi has the shadow of a great calling in the depths of his eyes..."
Bahá'u'lláh Too Upset to Speak
<162> [26-4-42] "Shoghi Effendi has been talking tome about his own miseries. He says those around Him killed 'Abdu'l-Bahá as they killed Bahá'u'lláh - he even says 'They will kill me too.' He told me that Haji Ali told him that a few days before His ascension Bahá'u'lláh called him to His room (to speak to him about something or other). He kept pacing back and forth, He was too upset to speak and finally dismissed Haji Ali with a gesture. Haji Ali could see how angry He was though He did not tell Haji Ali why. Then the Guardian said Bahá'u'lláh must have suffered terribly as He could of course foresee how Muhammad 'Ali would turn against the Master in the future. But He kept it all within Him."

???? - Moments With Bahá'u'lláh
Source : Book
=== Account 1 ===
Audience - Day 15
<29-37> On May 23, 1892, on the fifteenth day of His illness, while I was with 'Andalib and the servants in the Mansion of Bahji, we again received the honour of attaining the presence of the Blessed Beauty. Aqa Sayyid Asadu'llah Qumi, upon him be the grace of God, was another believer who was present. It was at the hour of sunset. We were suddenly informed that, by His command, anyone - whether pilgrim or resident - was permitted to enter His presence. We seized the opportunity and hastened to the Beloved of the world.
Propped Up on Pillows
His bed was in the middle of the room. The mattress and quilt were covered with white sheets and He was propped up on two or three pillows. Mirza Diya'u'llah and Mirza Badi'u'llah were fanning Him. His body was extremely frail and his voice was weak - though He spoke clearly. He revealed words of separation and departure, emphatically commanding unity and love among the believers. 
Aqdas
The following verses from the Kitab-i Aqdas, the Most Holy Book, were read to us:
Say: Let not your hearts be perturbed, O people, when the glory of My Presence is withdrawn, and the ocean of My utterance is stilled. In My presence amongst you there is a wisdom, and in My absence there is yet another, inscrutable to all but God, the Incomparable, the All-Knowing. Verily, We behold you from Our realm of glory, and shall aid whosoever will arise for the triumph of Our Cause with the hosts of the Concourse on high and a company of Our favoured angels.
And:
Be not dismayed, O peoples of the world, when the day-star of My beauty is set, and the heaven of My tabernacle is concealed from your eyes. Arise to further My Cause, and to exalt My Word amongst men. We are with you at all times, and shall strengthen you through the power of truth. We are truly almighty. Whoso hath recognized Me will arise and serve Me with such determination that the powers of earth and heaven shall be unable to defeat his purpose.
Speaks of Unity
Bahá'u'lláh spoke further of the importance of unity, love, and friendship and urged us to avoid disunity, discord and schism.
Distraught Tears
As we heard these words and clear verses from the mouth of the Beloved of the worlds, the effect on us can be imagined. 'Andalib was utterly distraught; his heart broke. With tears in his eyes, he cried out: 'Ya Baha! Ya Baha!' expressing his grief.
Dismissal
Baha'u'llah dismissed us from his presence, saying 'Go in God's care'. Every one of us prostrated at His blessed feet and circumambulated His bed. We left the room in deepest sorrow, burning from separation from the Beloved. No pen can describe the sadness and grief that encompassed my soul on that day. After this, I contracted a fever and became ill.
Saw No More
This was the last visit of this feeble one to the holy presence of the Blessed Beauty - glorified be His majesty and His power!
=== Account 2 ===
Audience - 7 Days Prior
His discomfort continued; little by little, it went on. Then came a day, seven days before His ascension would take place. It was in the afternoon. I too was there, at Bahji. Yes. Suddenly, one of the servitors came down from upstairs in the Mansion and announced: "The Blessed Beauty directs whoever is in the Mansion to come upstairs." Jinab-i Andalib was there, I was there, Aqa Sayyid Asadu'llah called Qumi was there, the same one who [later] accompanied the Master on His journeys. The others were servitors - I don't remember exactly - there were not more than eight or nine of us who went up.
In Bed, Fans
The Blessed Beauty lay in His bed. Two were seated, one to either side of Him, and He leaned against them. They had fans in their hands, and they were fanning Him. Then, He Himself began to speak. He addressed gracious and loving words to those about Him, spoke of His indisposition and recited some verses from the Kitab-i-Aqdas:
Aqdas
Be not dismayed, O peoples of the world, when the day-star of My beauty is set, and the heaven of My tabernacle is concealed from your eyes. Arise to further My Cause, and to exalt My Word amongst men.
Unity
Since He recited these verses, it became clear to us that He would ascend. Following these utterances, He vehemently counselled us to abstain from dissension and strife. Although His blessed body was feeble, He voiced this with great power, distinctly measuring out the words: "Shun disharmony. Strive that no discord should arise among the friends. Let the friends avoid contention." This is a matter repeatedly referred to in His Tablets; there are, however, some who by nature love discord, and they bring about disharmony among the friends. In any case, such were the utterances of Bahá'u'lláh along these lines.
Andalib Laments
And suddenly Jinab-i-Andalib could endure no more. He broke down, and Bahá'u'lláh dismissed us saying, "Go, in God's care."
Abdu'l-Bahá; Circumambulation
'Abdu'l-Bahá was present too; as I recall He was standing. He directed us to circumambulate the bed. Those of us in our group simply walked around Bahá'u'lláh's bed, and He said to us: "Fi amanu'llah - go in God's care." We went out of the room. That was the very last time that I was present at the meeting with God.
???? - Stories of Bahá'u'lláh ('Alí-Akbar Furútan)
Source : Book
Last Audience; Tears Wiped
<109> ...Jináb-i-Mírzá Ismá'íl, a believer present in that last audience with Bahá'u'lláh, has recorded: 'Tears flowed from my eyes and I was overcome with feelings of grief and sorrow after hearing these words. At this moment the Blessed Perfection bade me come close to Him, and I obeyed. Using a handkerchief which was in His hand, Bahá'u'lláh wiped the tears from my cheeks. As He did so, the words of Isaiah [25:8], "and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces...", involuntarily came to my mind.'
1971 - Abdu'l-Bahá Centre of the Covenant (Balyuzi)
Full Text : Ocean
<397> Soon after His arrival at Port Said He remarked that, at a time when the heat of the summer drove people to Paris, He had come away from Paris to Egypt. He recalled that in the days of Bahá'u'lláh cholera broke out four times in the Holy Land. It touched the environs of 'Akká and reached the Lebanon, but within 'Akká there was no cholera. Immediately after the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh there was another outbreak of the epidemic, this time inside the city walls. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, feeling that He could not stay at Bahji and leave the Bahá'ís of 'Akká to themselves, returned to the city, only to find that other people had fled 'Akká and put their homes in the care of the Bahá'ís. He appointed watchmen to guard these houses. All the Bahá'ís escaped the ravages of the epidemic. Then cholera died down in the city, but appeared in the neighbourhood, at which the people who had abandoned their homes rushed back to 'Akká.
1974 - Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh (Adib Taherzadeh)
Full Text : Ocean
Significance
The ascension of Baha'u'llah[1] on 29 May 1892 brought to a close the outpouring of a most momentous and transcendental Revelation, pre-eminent among all the Revelations of the past. For well-nigh forty years this earth had been made the 'footstool' of its God, and 'been chosen as the seat of His mighty throne'. The day of God, whose advent 'all the Prophets and Chosen Ones and the holy ones' had 'wished to witness', had been ushered in. The 'everlasting Father', the 'mighty God', who was to appear in the form of a human temple, as prophesied by Isaiah and other Prophets, had manifested Himself. 'The purpose underlying all creation' which as testified by Baha'u'llah was 'the revelation of this most sublime, this most holy Day', had been realized. In the course of four decades this earth had been immersed in an ocean of Revelation, releasing thereby enormous spiritual energies for the regeneration of mankind, energies that are sufficient to bring about in the fullness of time the birth of the Baha'i civilization which is itself destined to usher in an age when the human race will have achieved such a nobility of character as to make this world appear as a reflection of the Kingdom.
[1 The term 'ascension' as commonly used by Baha'is signifies the passing of Baha'u'llah, the ascension of His Spirit to the worlds beyond.]
With the ascension of Baha'u'llah the revelation of the verses of God came to an end and the bounty of the release of spiritual energies ceased, never to reappear before the lapse of at least a full millennium. The truth of these words revealed by Him in Baghdad were fully realized after His ascension: <p414>
O Son of Spirit! The time cometh, when the nightingale of holiness will no longer unfold the inner mysteries and ye will all be bereft of the celestial melody and of the voice from on high.(1)
Nabil's Account
The ascension of Baha'u'llah took place in the Mansion of Bahji, and it caused indescribable consternation among His followers. Nabil-i-A'zam, a true lover of the Blessed Beauty and one of His devoted Apostles, has left to posterity a moving description of this calamitous event. The following is a summary translation of his account:
Intimates Departure
As attested by the Most Great Branch,[1] nine months before this most grievous event - His ascension - Baha'u'llah had voiced His desire to depart from this world. During these nine months, from the tone of His exhortations and remarks to those friends who attained His presence it became increasingly apparent that the end of His earthly life was approaching. He seemed to be arranging the affairs with a sense of urgency. But He never spoke openly about the approaching end of His life.
[1 During Baha'u'llah's Ministry 'Abdu'l-Baha was known by several titles including Aqa (Master) and the Most Great Branch. The designation 'Abdu'l-Baha (Servant of Baha) was adopted by Himself after the ascension of His Father. (A. T.)]
Fever (8 May 1892); Day-By-Day
On the eve of Sunday, the eleventh of the month of Shavval 1309 AH (8 May 1892), fifty days after Naw-Ruz, He contracted a fever, though He did not mention it to anyone. The following morning a number of the friends attained His presence. Late in the afternoon the fever was intensified. In the evening only one of the companions who had an urgent demand was admitted to His presence. On Monday (the second day of His illness) only one of the friends was admitted. On Tuesday this helpless servant was given the honour of an audience with His blessed Person. At noon He summoned me to His presence alone and spoke to me for about half an hour sometimes seated and sometimes pacing up and down. He vouchsafed unto me His infinite bounties and His exalted utterances reached the acme of perfection.
I wish I had known that this was going to be my last <p415> audience with Him, so that I could have clung to the hem of His holy vesture and begged Him to accept me as a sacrifice in His path, to relieve me from the vanity of this world and admit me into the realm of everlasting joy. Alas! Alas! what had been pre-ordained did come to pass.
Admission in Groups
In the afternoon of that day Haji Niyaz [a well-known believer] arrived from Egypt and, along with some others, was permitted to attain the presence of Baha'u'llah. Till sunset a number of the friends were admitted into His presence in groups.
Presence Closed; Gloom
The following day the door of union with Him was closed to the face of the believers, no one was able to attain His presence, and an atmosphere of gloom and sorrow descended upon the hearts of His forlorn lovers.
Patience Required; Grief - Day 9
This situation remained unchanged for a few days, until Monday (the ninth day) which proved to be the day of grief for the friends. On that day the Most Great Branch left the presence of Baha'u'llah and went to the Pilgrim House. He conveyed Baha'u'llah's greetings to all, and said that the Ancient Beauty had stated: 'All the friends must remain patient and steadfast, and arise for the promotion of the Cause of God. They should not become perturbed, because I shall always be with them, and will remember and care for them.' On hearing these piercing words the hearts of the believers were crying out with grief, for the tone of 'Abdu'l-Baha's remarks indicated that the end of the earthly life of the One who was the Lord of all creation was fast approaching. The friends were thrown into such turmoil and dismay that they were about to expire.
Joyous, Fever Abates - Day 10
This being so, the bounties of the Incomparable Beloved were vouchsafed unto all, and the following day, Tuesday (the tenth day), was turned into a joyful day. The day-star of delight and blissfulness shone forth and the Most Great Branch conveyed at the hour of dawn the joyful news of the well-being of His blessed Person. Happy and smiling, He arrived at the Pilgrim House, and like unto a musk-laden breeze which had wafted from the abode of the Beloved, or as the holy Spirit of the Mercy of the Lord, He awoke the friends one by one, bade them arise, drink their morning tea with the utmost joy, and offer thanksgiving to God, for, Praise be to His Most Exalted and Glorious Being, perfect health had returned to His blessed <p416> Person, and the signs of the most great favours were manifested in His countenance. Truly, on that day the joy and happiness of the friends, those who circled around the throne of the Beauty of their Lord, were such that all the inhabitants of 'Akka and indeed the people of Syria were influenced and affected by their condition. All the people both low and high were congratulating each other as in a day of festival.
Farmers Conscripted (Fever) and Released (Abatement)
The reason for this was that on the same day that Baha'u'llah contracted the fever, the government rounded up about one thousand farmers and poor people, clad them in military uniforms and held them against their will as conscripts. They were receiving military training to be dispatched to far-off lands in a few days' time. The tents of these oppressed people were near the grounds of the Mansion of Bahji, and the cries of their weeping and lamenting and those of their families could be heard by day and by night. However, in the morning of the 'day of joy', a royal telegram was unexpectedly received ordering the release of the conscripts. This news was rapturously received by the people who were filled with delight. The Most Great Branch on that day distributed food among the conscripts, the poor, the inmates of prison and the orphans. Consequently the people of 'Akka and outside were heartily offering thanks to Baha'u'llah for His loving favours and gifts. No one among the inhabitants of Syria could remember having seen a day as blissful as that day.
Abdu'l-Bahá Visits Every Bahá'í In Akka
That same day the Most Great Branch went to 'Akka visited every Baha'i household and conveyed to every single believer, man and woman alike, loving greetings from the Blessed Beauty.
Audience - Day 15
On Sunday (the fifteenth day) afternoon, all the friends who were present at the Mansion, together with pilgrims and resident Baha'is, were summoned to Baha'u'llah's presence. The entire body of the friends, weeping and grief-stricken, attained His presence as He lay in bed leaning against the Most Great Branch (may my life be a sacrifice for Him). The Tongue of Grandeur gently and affectionately addressed them all saying: 'I am well pleased with you all, you have rendered many services, and been very assiduous in your labours. You have come here every morning and evening. May God assist you to remain united. May He aid you to exalt the <p417> Cause of the Lord of being.' [trans S.E.] This was the last audience with Him. The birds of the hearts of His lovers were addressed from on high: 'Verily the door of union is closed to all who are in heaven and on earth . . .'
Ascension - Day 21, 29 May 1892, 8 hrs after sunset
On the eve of Saturday (twenty-first day after contracting fever), the 2nd of Dhi'l-Qa'dih 1309 AH (29 May 1892) . . . 13th of the month of 'Azamat 49, Baha'i Era . . . seventy days after Naw-Ruz, while there was no sign of fever, the will of the King of Eternity to leave the prison of 'Akka and to ascend to His 'other dominions whereon the eyes of the people of names have never fallen', mentioned in the Tablet of Ru'ya [see v3, pp223-4] revealed . . . nineteen years previously, was at long last realized. Methinks, the spiritual commotion set up in the world of dust had caused all the worlds of God to tremble.[2] Eight hours after sunset on that darksome night when the heavens wept over the earth, what had been revealed in the Kitab-i-Aqdas [see v3, pp371-2] was finally realized.
Grief
My inner and outer tongue are powerless to portray the condition we were in... In the midst of the prevailing confusion, a multitude of the inhabitants of 'Akka and of the neighbouring villages, that had thronged the fields surrounding the Mansion, could be seen weeping, beating upon their heads, and crying aloud their grief... [trans S.E.]'
Week of Mourning
For a full week after that great calamity, a great number of mourners, the rich, the poor, the orphans and the oppressed partook of the food that was generously dispensed by the bereaved family...
Notables
From the second day of the ascension of the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsistent Lord to His Most Holy and exalted Dominions on high, men of learning and poets, both Muslim and Christian, began to send telegrams of condolence to the presence of the Most Great Branch. They sent poems eloquently extolling the virtues and lamenting the loss of the Beloved... (2)'
Sun of Baha has Set
Shoghi Effendi describes some of the events after the ascension of Baha'u'llah in these words: <p418>
The news of His ascension was instantly communicated to Sultan 'Abdu'l-Hamid in a telegram which began with the words 'the Sun of Baha has set' and in which the monarch was advised of the intention of interring the sacred remains within the precincts of the Mansion, an arrangement to which he readily assented.
Laid to Rest
Baha'u'llah was accordingly laid to rest in the northernmost room of the house which served as a dwelling-place for His son-in-law, the most northerly of the three houses lying to the west of, and adjacent to, the Mansion. His interment took place shortly after sunset, on the very day of His ascension...
Notables' Laments
Notables, among whom were numbered Shi'ahs, Sunnis, Christians, Jews and Druzes, as well as poets, 'ulamas and government officials, all joined in lamenting the loss, and in magnifying the virtues and greatness of Baha'u'llah, many of them paying to Him their written tributes, in verse and in prose, in both Arabic and Turkish.
Tributes from Afar
From cities as far afield as Damascus, Aleppo, Beirut and Cairo similar tributes were received. These glowing testimonials were, without exception, submitted to 'Abdu'l-Baha, Who now represented the Cause of the departed Leader, and Whose praises were often mingled in these eulogies with the homage paid to His Father.
Ocean of Grief of Baha'is
And yet these effusive manifestations of sorrow and expressions of praise and of admiration, which the ascension of Baha'u'llah had spontaneously evoked among the unbelievers in the Holy Land and the adjoining countries, were but a drop when compared with the ocean of grief and the innumerable evidences of unbounded devotion which, at the hour of the setting of the Sun of Truth, poured forth from the hearts of the countless thousands who had espoused His Cause, and were determined to carry aloft its banner in Persia, India, Russia, 'Iraq, Turkey, Palestine, Egypt and Syria.(3)
Nabil's Tribute
Nabil, his heart burning with the fire of bereavement, paid this last tribute to His Lord and wrote these lines as a supplication to Him:
O Thou the King of creation and the Ruler of this world and the world to come! Both in Thy presence and in Thy absence Thou hast been the cause of the tranquillity of the hearts of <p419> men and the advancement of the nations. From the moment Thou didst mount Thy throne at the hour of dawn on the 2nd on Muharram 1233 (12 November 1817) until Thy ascension to the Realms of Eternity, eight hours after sunset on the 2nd of Dhi'l-Qa'dih 1309 (29 May 1892) a period of seventy-seven years less two months according to the lunar calendar... Thou wert at all times, at day and at night, each month and each year, the cause of the exaltation of mankind. No needy suppliant who had set his heart toward Thee was turned back from the door of Thy generosity without vouchsafing unto him supreme felicity and goodly gifts, and no sorrowful destitute was sent out of Thy All-glorious presence except that Thou didst bestow upon him blissful joy and ample hope. And now far be it from Thee not to relieve me from my dreadful woes and lead me to the abode of a never-ending felicity.
Thou art God and there is no God save Thee.(4)
Tablet of Visitation
Nabil, who was asked by 'Abdu'l-Baha to select from the Writings of Baha'u'llah those passages which constitute the text of the Tablet of Visitation, which nowadays is usually recited in the Shrine of Baha'u'llah and the Bab, was inconsolable after the ascension of his Lord.
Violation of Covenant
To the ordeal of separation from his Beloved was added soon afterwards a far more grievous blow - the violation of the Covenant by 'Abdu'l-Baha's brothers; which although it had not been made public at that time was clearly discernible to those who were close to the Holy Family. Nabil could no longer bear the agony of those cruel and tempestuous days. He took his own life by drowning himself in the sea a few months after the ascension of Baha'u'llah [see vol. 1, pp. 205-6].
During Illness - Will and Testament
During His illness Baha'u'llah summoned the members of His family to His bedside, bade His last farewell to them and assured them that in a special document entrusted to 'Abdu'l-Baha He had clearly directed their steps in the service of the Cause. The document referred to was His Will and Testament, designated by Himself 'Kitab-i-'Ahdi" (The Book of My Covenant).[1]
Will Read; Jealousy
On the <p420> morning of the ninth day after the ascension, in the presence of nine witnesses chosen from amongst members of His family and friends, this document in Baha'u'llah's own handwriting was read aloud by Aqa Riday-i-Qannad,[2] and in the afternoon of the same day it was read again by Majdu'd-Din[3] in the Holy Tomb in the presence of a large number of friends. There was now no shadow of doubt as who the Centre of the Covenant was. But alas, the fire of jealousy which had been smouldering in the hearts of 'Abdu'l-Baha's unfaithful brothers over a long period of time now burst into flame. This, coupled with the lust for leadership of Mirza Muhammad-'Ali, the Arch-breaker of the Covenant of Baha'u'llah, created a severe crisis in the fortunes of the Faith.
[1 The full text of the Kitab-i-'Ahdi, or, as it is usually called, the Kitab-i-'Ahd (Book of the Covenant), is translated into English and published in Tablets of Baha'u'llah, pp. 219-23.]
[2 See vol. 1, pp. 288-9, and Memorials of the Faithful, pp. 39-41.]
[3 The son of Mirza Musa, Aqay-i-Kalim, the faithful brother of Baha'u'llah. However, Majdu'd-Din violated the Covenant and was one of 'Abdu'l-Baha's formidable adversaries.]
Day of Ascension - Schemes
The signs of the violation of the Covenant appeared on the actual day of the ascension. The body of Baha'u'llah was awaiting interment when His sons secretly launched their treacherous schemes to rob the Centre of the Covenant of His legitimate successorship which was explicitly conferred upon Him by Baha'u'llah Himself. A detailed account of this breaking of the Covenant is beyond the scope of this book. It is, however, the hope of the present author to produce, God willing, one or two volumes on the Covenant of Baha'u'llah as a sequel to the four volumes of The Revelation of Baha'u'llah. The study of the Kitab-i-'Ahd with all its implications will also be carried out in these forthcoming volumes.
Review of Bahá'u'lláh's Mission
With the ascension of Baha'u'llah the most momentous and the most fertile period in the history of religion was terminated. The spiritual energies for the advancement of humanity were so intense that even during His own Ministry, a mere forty years, their creative power began to exert their influence not only upon <p421> the Baha'i community but also outside it. In the course of the most turbulent years of His Ministry, we may observe with feelings of awe and wonder how a series of miraculous and highly significant achievements take place, all due to the outpouring of His Revelation.
The rapid and revolutionizing change in the conduct of the Babi community while Baha'u'llah was in 'Iraq; the revelation of the Kitab-i-Iqan, the key to the understanding of all religions; the rising prestige of Baha'u'llah and the community He represented in the eyes of the public both in 'Iraq and Adrianople; the public proclamation of His Faith to the Kings and leaders of the world; the steadily declining influence of Mirza Yahya; the banishment of Baha'u'llah to the Holy Land in fulfilment of the prophecies of past religions; the offering up of the life of His beloved son, the Purest Branch, as a sacrifice so that the servants of God 'may be quickened, and all that dwell on earth be united'; His miraculous release from the barracks of 'Akka; the gradual recognition of His divine qualities and superhuman powers by the inhabitants of 'Akka; the revelation of the Kitab-i-Aqdas and formulation of the laws described by Him as 'the highest means for the maintenance of order in the world and the security of its peoples'; the arrival of many pilgrims to attain His presence, resulting in widening their vision of the Faith and galvanizing them into a new creation; the heroic self-sacrifice of many martyrs shedding a great lustre on the annals of the Faith; the departure of Baha'u'llah from the prison-city and the transfer of His residence to the Mansion of Mazra'ih, thus making the edict of the Sultan for life imprisonment a dead letter; the unsolicited and genuine marks of honour shown to Baha'u'llah by the rulers of Palestine, the high-ranking government officials and outstanding men of culture; the steadily mounting prestige of 'Abdu'l-Baha, the outpouring of whose love and compassion upon high and low alike made Him the acknowledged father of the poor, a counsellor to the authorities and a source of knowledge for the learned; the enormous expansion of the community in Persia; the conversion of many outstanding men of learning to the Faith; the conversion of <p423> Jewish and Zoroastrian people; the expansion of the Faith outside Persia to more than ten countries in Asia and Africa, the conversion of Buddhists to the Faith in India and Burma, the building up of the vibrant community in 'Ishqabad and the preparations for the erection of a House of Worship there; the transfer of Baha'u'llah's residence to the Mansion of Bahji, described by Him as 'the most sublime vision of mankind', the enormous extension in the range of Baha'u'llah's Writings and the Revelation of principles and precepts of the Faith, which together with the laws of the Kitab-i-Aqdas constitute the warp and woof of the fabric of His future World Order, the appointment of the Hands of the Cause of God, forerunners of one of the arms of the Administrative Order of His Faith; the constant movement of travel teachers throughout Persia and adjoining countries; the revelation of the Tablet of Carmel, the charter for the building of the Spiritual and Administrative Centre of the Faith on God's holy mountain; and finally one of the most momentous acts of His Ministry, the establishment of a mighty Covenant with His followers bequeathing to posterity the gift of 'a day that shall not be followed by night' -- these are some of the achievements of the Ministry of Baha'u'llah. They are but a prelude to the emergence in the fullness of time of a slowly maturing divine civilization embracing the whole of mankind.
The following words of 'Abdu'l-Baha portray the state of the Cause in its present infancy and its coming of age in the future:
One of the great events which is to occur in the Day of the manifestation of that incomparable Branch is the hoisting of the Standard of God among all nations. By this is meant that all nations and kindreds will be gathered together under the shadow of this Divine Banner, which is no other than the Lordly Branch itself, and will become a single nation. Religious and sectarian antagonism, the hostility of races and peoples, and differences among nations, will be eliminated. All men will adhere to one religion, will have one common faith, will be blended into one race and become a single <p424> people. All will dwell in one common fatherland, which is the planet itself.(5)
He has moreover explained:
Now, in the world of being, the Hand of Divine power hath firmly laid the foundations of this all-highest bounty, and this wondrous gift. Whatsoever is latent in the innermost of this holy Cycle shall gradually appear and be made manifest, for now is but the beginning of its growth, and the dayspring of the revelation of its signs. Ere the close of this century and of this age, it shall be made clear and evident how wondrous was that spring-tide, and how heavenly was that gift.(6) <p425>
1980 - Bahá'u'lláh King of Glory (Balyuzi)
Full Text : Ocean
Shaykh Mahmud
<338> And again, according to Mirza Nuri'd-Din's memoirs, after the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh, until the outer wall of the shrine-chamber was reinforced and strengthened, Shaykh Mahmud kept watch in a tent set up next to the wall. That construction work took about a week to complete.
Ascension
IT was only a few brief weeks after the departure of the Afnans that Baha'u'llah left His human temple in the early hours of the morning of 29th of May 1892. A telegram bore the news to Sultan 'Abdu'l-Hamid, the despot of Turkey: 'The Sun of Baha has set.' It was sent by 'Abdu'l-Baha.
Reactions; Overview
'Abdu'l-Hamid of Turkey and Nasiri'd-Din Shah of Iran were jubilant, unmindful of the fact that the Sun of Baha will continue to shine dazzlingly in the full meridian. Its energizing and life-bestowing rays will continue to revivify the hearts and minds of men, to penetrate the dark and dense clouds of superstition, bigotry and prejudice, to disperse the heavy and oppressive fogs of despair and disillusionment, to shed revealing light upon the baffling problems which bewilder a wayward, fatigued and storm-tossed humanity. Man - ungrateful Man - has essayed to dim Its brilliance, to deny Its potency, to abjure Its gifts, to disparage Its claims - futile and bootless attempts, for the signal proof of the Sun remains the Sun itself.
Almost a century separates us from the days when Baha'u'llah lived amongst men. The Faith which He proclaimed has encircled the globe and marches from triumph to triumph, and the resplendent edifice which He raised stands to offer certitude and peace to a disordered world.
Will
In His Will and Testament, Baha'u'llah appointed His eldest Son - Whom we know as 'Abdu'l-Baha (the Servant of Glory) - the Centre of His Covenant with all men, and the sole Expounder of His revealed Word. His name was 'Abbas. His Father referred to Him as Ghusnu'llahu'l-A'zam - the Greatest Branch, and spoke of Him as Sirru'llah - the Mystery of God. Baha'u'llah referred to Him also as Aqa - the Master, and so did the Baha'is. 'Abdu'l-Baha was the designation which He, the Mystery of God, chose for Himself after His Father's ascension. <p422>
The Will and Testament of Baha'u'llah is indeed a unique document. Never before had a Manifestation of God so explicitly established a Covenant to be the shield and the buttress of His Faith, or so clearly and indubitably named Him Who was to be His authorized successor with power to ward off the machinations of self-seekers, to keep pure and unsullied His Word, to preserve and watch over the unity of His followers, to bar sectarianism and banish corruption. Indeed, the Covenant of Baha'u'llah is, in the words of 'Abdu'l-Baha, 'the "Sure Handle" mentioned from the foundation of the world in the Books, the Tablets and the Scriptures of old.' '...the pivot of the oneness of mankind is nothing else but the power of the Covenant.' Furthermore, 'Abdu'l-Baha has stated, 'The lamp of the Covenant is the light of the world, and the words traced by the Pen of the Most High a limitless ocean.' And again, 'The power of the Covenant is as the heat of the sun which quickeneth and promoteth the development of all created things on earth. The light of the Covenant, in like manner, is the educator of the minds, the spirits, the hearts and souls of men.'1
Guardian on Covenant
The Guardian of the Baha'i Faith writes: 'Extolled by the writer of the Apocalypse as "the Ark of His (God's) Testament"; associated with the gathering beneath the "Tree of Anisa" (Tree of Life) mentioned by Baha'u'llah in the Hidden Words; glorified by Him, in other passages of His writings, as the "Ark of Salvation" and as "the Cord stretched betwixt the earth and the Abha Kingdom", this Covenant has been bequeathed to posterity in a Will and Testament which, together with the Kitab-i-Aqdas and several Tablets, in which the rank and station of 'Abdu'l-Baha are unequivocally disclosed, constitute the chief buttresses designed by the Lord of the Covenant Himself to shield and support, after His ascension, the appointed Center of His Faith ...2
It is on this rock - the rock of the Covenant - that the edifice of the World order is built. It is this ark, the ark of the Covenant, that has brought the Cause of Baha'u'llah safely through storms and hurricanes of unsurpassed intensity. Many a Judas has tried to pierce this shield, the shield of the Covenant, only to find himself in grievous loss.
Baha'u'llah wrote in His Will and Testament:[1]
[1 Kitab-i-'Ahd (Book of the Covenant)]
Although the Realm of Glory hath none of the vanities of the world, yet <p423> within the treasury of trust and resignation we have bequeathed to Our heirs an excellent and priceless heritage. Earthly treasures We have not bequeathed, nor have We added such cares as they entail. ...The aim of this Wronged One in sustaining woes and tribulations, in revealing the Holy Verses and in demonstrating proofs hath been naught but to quench the flame of hate and enmity, that the horizon of the hearts of men may be illumined with the light of concord and attain real peace and tranquillity. ...Verily I say, the tongue is for mentioning what is good, defile it not with unseemly talk. ...Lofty is the station of man! ...Great and blessed is this Day - the Day in which all that lay latent in man hath been and will be made manifest. Lofty is the station of man, were he to hold fast to righteousness and truth and to remain firm and steadfast in the Cause. ...O ye that dwell on earth! The religion of God is for love and unity; make it not the cause of enmity or dissension. In the eyes of men of insight and the beholders of the Most Sublime Vision, whatsoever are the effective means for safeguarding and promoting the happiness and welfare of the children of men hath already been revealed by the Pen of Glory. ...Let not the means of order be made the cause of confusion and the instrument of union an occasion for discord. We fain would hope that the people of Baha may be guided by the blessed words: 'Say: all things are of God.' This exalted utterance is like unto water for quenching the fire of hate and enmity which smouldereth within the hearts and breasts of men. By this single utterance contending peoples and kindreds will attain the light of true unity. Verily He speaketh the truth and leadeth the way. He is the All-Powerful, the Exalted, the Gracious.3 The Guardian of the Baha'i Faith writes:
'In this weighty and incomparable Document its Author discloses the character of that "excellent and priceless heritage" bequeathed by Him to His "heirs"; proclaims afresh the fundamental purpose of His Revelation; enjoins the "peoples of the world" to hold fast to that which will "elevate" their "station"; announces to them that "God hath forgiven what is past"; stresses the sublimity of man's station; discloses the primary aim of the Faith of God; directs the faithful to pray for the welfare of the kings of the earth, "the manifestations of the power, and the daysprings of the might and riches, of God "; invests them with the rulership of the earth; singles out as His special domain the hearts of men; forbids categorically strife and contention; commands His followers to aid those rulers who are "adorned with the ornament of equity and justice"; and directs, in particular, the Aghsan (His sons) to ponder the "mighty force and the consummate power that lieth concealed in the world of being". He bids them, moreover, together <p425> with the Afnan (the Bab's kindred) and His own relatives, to "turn, one and all, unto the Most Great Branch ('Abdu'l-Baha)"; identifies Him with "the One Whom God hath purposed", "Who hath branched from this pre-existent Root", referred to in the Kitab-i-Aqdas; ordains the station of the "Greater Branch'' (Mirza Muhammad-'Ali) to be beneath that of the "Most Great Branch'' ('Abdu'l-Baha); exhorts the believers to treat the Aghsan with consideration and affection; counsels them to respect His family and relatives, as well as the kindred of the Bab; denies His sons "any right to the property of others''; enjoins on them, on His kindred and on that of the Bab to "fear God, to do that which is meet and seemly" and to follow the things that will "exalt" their station; warns all men not to allow "the means of order to be made the cause confusion, and the instrument of union an occasion for discord"; and concludes with an exhortation calling upon the faithful to "serve all nations", and to strive for the "betterment of the world".'4
Mourners
Baha'u'llah had left the mortal plane. Many there were who came to mourn Him. They did not bear allegiance to Him, they could not see in Him the Redeemer of Mankind, yet they knew that a great Being had gone from their midst. They were from diverse backgrounds and sects and Faiths and nations - officials and leading figures and priests, learned men and poets and men of letters, rich and poor, Druses, Sunni and Shi'ih Muslims, Christians of diverse denominations, and Jews. From other cities renowned in the history of the world, such as Damascus and Aleppo and Cairo, they sent their eulogies and poems and panegyrics and tributes. And Baha'u'llah, at the time of His ascension, was still a prisoner of the Turkish government. No imperial edict of the Sultan had set Him free.
Crowds - Contrasts
How different was this day of His ascension, when the plain stretching between the city of 'Akka and the Mansion of Bahji teemed with crowds who came to pay Him homage and lament their loss, from that far-off day nearly twenty-four summers before when hordes of misinformed people had gathered at the sea-shore of 'Akka, awaiting His arrival to deride and insult Him. Total, unrelieved, unmitigated defeat seemed to be His fate then, and now all triumph was His.
How strange, indeed, and awe-inspiring had been the contrasts of His sojourn among men, particularly in the Holy Land.
Overview of Persecution
Brutally insulted in His native province, shorn of all earthly <p426> possessions, which He had in abundance, twice consigned to a foul prison of thieves and desperadoes, four times set on the road to exile, basely betrayed by a brother whom He had endeavoured to protect, forced to seek the solitude of bare and bleak mountains, venomously and ferociously assailed and denounced and opposed by hosts of the mighty and the powerful and hordes of the insignificant alike, He had stood His ground with a certitude and a constancy which no adversity could shake and no cataclysm could thwart. And upon a swelling number of faithful adherents. He conferred that supreme gift which Jesus had spoken of to Nicodemus when the Jewish nobleman sought Him in the dead of night - the gift of second birth. He touched the hearts of men, and He won their allegiance by His Divine power. His followers were not alone in feeling its sweep and its command. Many who had denied Him and reviled Him and openly contended with Him, were eventually subdued by the charm, the majesty, the kindliness, the radiance of His Being. Indeed there were many amongst those erstwhile adversaries who, without enrolling in the ranks of His followers, bore testimony to His supremacy, and lent their support to His defence.
And on this summer's day where was the proud 'Abdu'l-'Aziz of Turkey, the Sultan who had decreed His exile and incarceration? Where was the overbearing Napoleon, Emperor of the French who had disdained His summons? Beaten, forgotten, Nasiri'd-Din, the 'tyrant' of Persia, who had cast Him out of His native land and forced Him to take the road to exile twice, fell only four years after the ascension of Baha'u'llah before the bullets of an avenger, on the very eve of his golden jubilee. The records of history amply show that great was the fall of anyone, mighty or low alike, who dared to challenge Baha'u'llah and gainsay His sovereignty.
Mirza Yahya
Mirza Yahya, the brother who repudiated His authority and plotted His death, died in the obscurity of Cyprus, more than three decades after regaining his freedom in 1878. In all those forlorn years, although free to act and to move, he remained a man incapable of exercising his freedom. He so abandoned by all at the end that, according to the written testimony of his son, at his death in 1912, there was no one of the 'people of the Bayan' near him to consign him to his grave according to the prescriptions of the Babi Faith.
No one has opposed Baha'u'llah and raised his hand to injure His <p427> Cause and His followers, and has escaped shame, doom and degradation.
Sun of Baha has Set
The same cable which bore the news of the ascension of Baha'u'llah, also informed the Sultan that His earthly temple would be laid to rest in a house next to the Mansion of Bahji. 'Abdu'l-Hamid gave his consent.
The Guardian of the Baha'i Faith writes: 'Baha'u'llah was accordingly laid to rest in the northernmost room of the house which served as a dwelling-place for His son-in-law,[1] the most northerly of the three houses laying to the west of, and adjacent to, the Mansion. His interment took place shortly after sunset, on the very day of His ascension.
[1 Haji Siyyid 'Ali Afnan, a son of Haji Mirza Siyyid Hasan - Afnan-i-Kabir (the Great Afnan).]
Nabil
'The inconsolable Nabil, who had the privilege of a private audience this Baha'u'llah during the days of His illness; whom 'Abdu'l-Baha had chosen to select those passages which constitute the text of the Tablet of Visitation now recited in the Most Holy Tomb; and who, in his uncontrollable grief, drowned himself in the sea <p428> shortly after the passing of his Beloved, thus describes the agony of those days: "Methinks, the spiritual commotion set up in the world of dust had caused all the worlds of God to tremble. . . . My inner and outer tongue are powerless to portray the condition we were in. . . . In the midst of the prevailing confusion a multitude of the inhabitants of 'Akka and of neighboring villages, that had thronged the fields surrounding the Mansion, could be seen weeping, beating upon their heads, and crying aloud their grief."
Week of Mourners, etc
'For a full week a vast number of mourners, rich and poor alike, tarried to grieve with the bereaved family, partaking day and night of the food that was lavishly dispensed by its members....
'...these effusive manifestations of sorrow and expressions of praise and of admiration, which the ascension of Baha'u'llah had spontaneously evoked among the unbelievers in the Holy Land and the adjoining countries, were but a drop when compared with the ocean of grief and the innumerable evidences of unbounded devotion which, at the hour of the setting of the Sun of Truth, poured forth from the hearts of the countless thousands who had espoused His Cause, and were determined to carry aloft its banner in Persia, India, Russia, 'Iraq, Turkey, Palestine, Egypt and Syria.
Overview
'With the ascension of Baha'u'llah draws to a close a period which, in many ways, is unparalleled in the world's religious history. The first century of the Baha'i Era had by now run half its course. An epoch, unsurpassed in its sublimity, its fecundity and duration by any previous Dispensation, and characterized, except for a short interval of three years, by half a century of continuous and progressive Revelation, had terminated. The Message proclaimed by the Bab had yielded its golden fruit. . . .'5
This book is an attempt to catch the ocean in a diminutive cup, to gaze at the orb through plain glass. Far, very far from man's effort must be an adequate portrayal of a Manifestation of the qualities and attributes of Almighty God. And here we deal with the life of One Whose advent implies the 'coming of age of the entire human race', and under Whose dominion the earth will become one fatherland. <p430>
1985 - Eminent Baha'is in the time of Bahá'u'lláh (Balyuzi)
Full Text : Ocean
The Governor-General of Khurasan yielded to their demands and banished Furughi to Kalat, a corner of Khurasan which has seen scores of exiles. Such were the qualities of Furughi that the Governor of Kalat fell under his spell. And one day that benevolent man gave him the shattering news of the Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh. Furughi was so grief-stricken that it seemed his senses would part from him. He began a three-day fast, breaking it each sunset with only a drink of water, and prayed throughout the night. On the fourth night, Bahá'u'lláh appeared in his dreams. The consolation which that dream imparted to Furughi gave him new life.
1991 - Arches of the Years (Marzieh Gail)
Full Text : Available in Ocean
<238> She said Khan's hair was showing much white, and her own was fast getting that way too. 'How life passes. I hear the dear Master's hair began to whiten after the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh.'
<293> This Mansion of Bahji, the Shrine and adjacent buildings were at first in the hands of the Covenant-breakers. These, after their Father's ascension, lived here in luxury, storing up goods and finery, feasting among themselves, inviting dignitaries to sumptuous  repasts. They corresponded with or sent emissaries to centers and individuals all over the East, heaping abuses on 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and corrupting high-placed officials only too happy to see turmoil among the believers, who over a period of four years were intensely disturbed. This emergency created by Muhammad-'Ali even 'eclipsed, for a time, the Orb of the Covenant...'[God Passes By, p. 246.]
Tablet of Visitation (Bahá'u'lláh)
Full Text : http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/c/BP/bp-176.html
The praise which hath dawned from Thy most august Self, and the glory which hath shone forth from Thy most effulgent Beauty, rest upon Thee, O Thou Who art the Manifestation of Grandeur, and the King of Eternity, and the Lord of all who are in heaven and on earth! I testify that through Thee the sovereignty of God and His dominion, and the majesty of God and His grandeur, were revealed, and the Daystars of ancient splendour have shed their radiance in the heaven of Thine irrevocable decree, and the Beauty of the Unseen hath shone forth above the horizon of creation. I testify, moreover, that with but a movement of Thy Pen Thine injunction "Be Thou" hath been enforced, and God's hidden Secret hath been divulged, and all created things have been called into being, and all the Revelations have been sent down.
I bear witness, moreover, that through Thy beauty the beauty of the Adored One hath been unveiled, and through Thy face the face of the Desired One hath shone forth, and that through a word from Thee Thou hast decided between all created things, caused them who are devoted to Thee to ascend unto the summit of glory, and the infidels to fall into the lowest abyss.
I bear witness that he who hath known Thee hath known God, and he who hath attained unto Thy presence hath attained unto the presence of God. Great, therefore, is the blessedness of him who hath believed in Thee, and in Thy signs, and hath humbled himself before Thy sovereignty, and hath been honoured with meeting Thee, and hath attained the good pleasure of Thy will, and circled around Thee, and stood before Thy throne. Woe betide him that hath transgressed against Thee, and hath denied Thee, and repudiated Thy signs, and gainsaid Thy sovereignty, and risen up against Thee, and waxed proud before Thy face, and hath disputed Thy testimonies, and fled from Thy rule and Thy dominion, and been numbered with the infidels whose names have been inscribed by the fingers of Thy behest upon Thy holy Tablets.
Waft, then, unto me, O my God and my Beloved, from the right hand of Thy mercy and Thy loving-kindness, the holy breaths of Thy favours, that they may draw me away from myself and from the world unto the courts of Thy nearness and Thy presence. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou, truly, hast been supreme over all things.
The remembrance of God and His praise, and the glory of God and His splendour, rest upon Thee, O Thou Who art His Beauty! I bear witness that the eye of creation hath never gazed upon one wronged like Thee. Thou wast immersed all the days of Thy life beneath an ocean of tribulations. At one time Thou wast in chains and fetters; at another Thou wast threatened by the sword of Thine enemies. Yet despite all this, Thou didst enjoin upon all men to observe what had been prescribed unto Thee by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
May my spirit be a sacrifice to the wrongs Thou didst suffer, and my soul be a ransom for the adversities Thou didst sustain. I beseech God, by Thee and by them whose faces have been illumined with the splendours of the light of Thy countenance, and who, for love of Thee, have observed all whereunto they were bidden, to remove the veils that have come in between Thee and Thy creatures, and to supply me with the good of this world and the world to come. Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.
Bless Thou, O Lord my Lord, the Divine Lote-Tree and its leaves, and its boughs, and its branches, and its stems, and its offshoots, as long as Thy most excellent titles will endure and Thy most august attributes will last. Protect it, then, from the mischief of the aggressor and the hosts of tyranny. Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the Most Powerful. Bless Thou, also, O Lord my God, Thy servants and Thy handmaidens who have attained unto Thee, Thou, truly, art the All-Bountiful, Whose grace is infinite. No God is there save Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.
Kitab-i-Ahd (Book of the Covenant) (Bahá'u'lláh)
Full Text : http://www.bahai-library.org/writings/bahaullah/tb/13.html
Spiritual Treasures
ALTHOUGH the Realm of Glory hath none of the vanities of the world, yet within the treasury of trust and resignation We have bequeathed to Our heirs an excellent and priceless heritage. Earthly treasures We have not bequeathed, nor have We added such cares as they entail. By God! In earthly riches fear is hidden and peril is concealed. Consider ye and call to mind that which the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur'án: 'Woe betide every slanderer and defamer, him that layeth up riches and counteth them.' [Qur'án 104:1-2] Fleeting are the riches of the world; all that perisheth and changeth is not, and hath never been, worthy of attention, except to a recognized measure.
Purpose of Unity
The aim of this Wronged One in sustaining woes and tribulations, in revealing the Holy Verses and in demonstrating proofs hath been naught but to quench the flame of hate and enmity, that the horizon of the hearts of men may be illumined with the light of concord and attain real peace and tranquillity. From the dawning-place of the divine Tablet the day-star of this utterance shineth resplendent, and it behoveth everyone to fix his gaze upon it: We exhort you, O peoples of the world, to observe that which will elevate your station. Hold fast to the fear of God and firmly adhere to what is right. Verily I say, the tongue is for mentioning what is good, defile it not with unseemly talk. God hath forgiven what is past. Henceforward everyone should utter that which is meet and seemly, and should refrain from slander, abuse and whatever causeth sadness in men.
Loftiness of Man
Lofty is the station of man! Not long ago this exalted Word streamed forth from the treasury of Our Pen of Glory: Great and blessed is this Day - the Day in which all that lay latent in man hath been and will be made manifest. Lofty is the station of man, were he to hold fast to righteousness and truth and to remain firm and steadfast in the Cause. In the eyes of the All-Merciful a true man appeareth even as a firmament; its sun and moon are his sight and hearing, and his shining and resplendent character its stars. His is the loftiest station, and his influence educateth the world of being.
People of Baha
Every receptive soul who hath in this Day inhaled the fragrance of His garment and hath, with a pure heart, set his face towards the all-glorious Horizon is reckoned among the people of Bahá in the Crimson Book. Grasp ye, in My Name, the chalice of My loving-kindness, drink then your fill in My glorious and wondrous remembrance.
Unity
O ye that dwell on earth! The religion of God is for love and unity; make it not the cause of enmity or dissension. In the eyes of men of insight and the beholders of the Most Sublime Vision, whatsoever are the effective means for safeguarding and promoting the happiness and welfare of the children of men have already been revealed by the Pen of Glory. But the foolish ones of the earth, being nurtured in evil passions and desires, have remained heedless of the consummate wisdom of Him Who is, in truth, the All-Wise, while their words and deeds are prompted by idle fancies and vain imaginings.
Trustees and Kings
O ye the loved ones and the trustees of God! Kings are the manifestations of the power, and the daysprings of the might and riches, of God. Pray ye on their behalf. He hath invested them with the rulership of the earth and hath singled out the hearts of men as His Own domain.
Conflict and Contention Forbidden
Conflict and contention are categorically forbidden in His Book. This is a decree of God in this Most Great Revelation. It is divinely preserved from annulment and is invested by Him with the splendour of His confirmation. Verily He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Assist Authorities Who Are Just
It is incumbent upon everyone to aid those daysprings of authority and sources of command who are adorned with the ornament of equity and justice. Blessed are the rulers and the learned among the people of Bahá. They are My trustees among My servants and the manifestations of My commandments amidst My people. Upon them rest My glory, My blessings and My grace which have pervaded the world of being. In this connection the utterances revealed in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas are such that from the horizon of their words the light of divine grace shineth luminous and resplendent.
Consummate Power Concealed in the World of Being
O ye My Branches! A mighty force, a consummate power lieth concealed in the world of being. Fix your gaze upon it and upon its unifying influence, and not upon the differences which appear from it.
Most Mighty Branch
The Will of the divine Testator is this: It is incumbent upon the Aghsán, the Afnán and My Kindred to turn, one and all, their faces towards the Most Mighty Branch. Consider that which We have revealed in Our Most Holy Book: 'When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is ended, turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched from this Ancient Root.' The object of this sacred verse is none other except the Most Mighty Branch ['Abdu'l-Bahá]. Thus have We graciously revealed unto you Our potent Will, and I am verily the Gracious, the All-Powerful. Verily God hath ordained the station of the Greater Branch [Muhammad 'Alí] to be beneath that of the Most Great Branch ['Abdu'l-Bahá]. He is in truth the Ordainer, the All-Wise. We have chosen 'the Greater' after 'the Most Great', as decreed by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
Kindred
It is enjoined upon everyone to manifest love towards the Aghsán, but God hath not granted them any right to the property of others.
O ye My Aghsán, My Afnán and My Kindred! We exhort you to fear God, to perform praiseworthy deeds and to do that which is meet and seemly and serveth to exalt your station. Verily I say, fear of God is the greatest commander that can render the Cause of God victorious, and the hosts which best befit this commander have ever been and are an upright character and pure and goodly deeds.
Means of Order the Source of Unity not Discord
Say: O servants! Let not the means of order be made the cause of confusion and the instrument of union an occasion for discord. We fain would hope that the people of Bahá may be guided by the blessed words: 'Say: all things are of God.' This exalted utterance is like unto water for quenching the fire of hate and enmity which smouldereth within the hearts and breasts of men. By this single utterance contending peoples and kindreds will attain the light of true unity. Verily He speaketh the truth and leadeth the way. He is the All-Powerful, the Exalted, the Gracious.
Aghsán
It is incumbent upon everyone to show courtesy to, and have regard for the Aghsán, that thereby the Cause of God may be glorified and His Word exalted. This injunction hath time and again been mentioned and recorded in the Holy Writ. Well is it with him who is enabled to achieve that which the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days hath prescribed for him. Ye are bidden moreover to respect the members of the Holy Household, the Afnán and the kindred. We further admonish you to serve all nations and to strive for the betterment of the world.
Heed the Counsels
That which is conducive to the regeneration of the world and the salvation of the peoples and kindreds of the earth hath been sent down from the heaven of the utterance of Him Who is the Desire of the world. Give ye a hearing ear to the counsels of the Pen of Glory. Better is this for you than all that is on the earth. Unto this beareth witness My glorious and wondrous Book.
First Tablet of Abdu'l-Bahá
Full Text : SWA 5 : http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/SAB/sab-6.html
World's Light has Set
The world's great Light, once resplendent upon all mankind, hath set, to shine everlastingly from the Abhá Horizon, His Kingdom of fadeless glory, shedding splendour upon His loved ones from on high and breathing into their hearts and souls the breath of eternal life.
Prophecy in Tablet of the Divine Vision
Ponder in your hearts that which He hath foretold in His Tablet of the Divine Vision that hath been spread throughout the world. Therein He saith: 'Thereupon she wailed and exclaimed: "May the world and all that is therein be a ransom for Thy woes. O Sovereign of heaven and earth! Wherefore hast Thou left Thyself in the hands of the dwellers of this prison-city of 'Akká? Hasten Thou to other dominions, to Thy retreats above, whereon the eyes of the people of names have never fallen." We smiled and spake not. Reflect upon these most exalted words, and comprehend the purpose of this hidden and sacred mystery.'
Be Firm
O ye beloved of the Lord! Beware, beware lest ye hesitate and waver. Let not fear fall upon you, neither be troubled nor dismayed. Take ye good heed lest this calamitous day slacken the flames of your ardour, and quench your tender hopes. Today is the day for steadfastness and constancy. Blessed are they that stand firm and immovable as the rock and brave the storm and stress of this tempestuous hour. They, verily, shall be the recipients of God's grace; they, verily, shall receive His divine assistance, and shall be truly victorious. They shall shine amidst mankind with a radiance which the dwellers of the Pavilion of Glory laud and magnify. To them is proclaimed this celestial call, revealed in His Most Holy Book: 'Let not your hearts be perturbed, O people, when the glory of My Presence is withdrawn, and the ocean of My utterance is stilled. In My presence amongst you there is a wisdom, and in My absence there is yet another, inscrutable to all but God, the Incomparable, the All-Knowing. Verily, We behold you from Our realm of glory, and shall aid whosoever will arise for the triumph of Our Cause with the hosts of the Concourse on high and a company of Our favoured angels.'
The Sun of Truth, that Most Great Light, hath set upon the horizon of the world to rise with deathless splendour over the Realm of the Limitless. In His Most Holy Book He calleth the firm and steadfast of His friends: 'Be not dismayed, O peoples of the world, when the day-star of My beauty is set, and the heaven of My tabernacle is concealed from your eyes. Arise to further My Cause, and to exalt My Word amongst men.'
Ponder in your hearts (Abdu'l-Bahá)
Source : Bahá'í World Faith, Chapter 8
Full Text : http://bahai-library.com/compilations/bwf/bwf8.html
Hasten to Thy Retreats Above
Ponder in your hearts that which He hath foretold in His Tablet of the Divine Vision that hath been spread throughout the world. Therein He saith: 'Thereupon she wailed and exclaimed: "May the world and all that is therein be a ransom for Thy woes. O Sovereign of heaven and earth! Wherefore hast Thou left Thyself in the hands of the dwellers of this prison-city of Akká? Hasten Thou to other dominions, to Thy retreats above, whereon the eyes of the people of names have never fallen." We smiled and spake not. Reflect upon these most exalted words, and comprehend the purpose of this hidden and sacred mystery.'
Constancy
O ye beloved of the Lord! Beware, beware lest ye hesitate and waver. Let not fear fall upon you, neither be troubled nor dismayed. Take ye good heed lest this calamitous day slacken the flames of your ardour, and quench your tender hopes. Today is the day for steadfastness and constancy. Blessed are they that stand firm and immovable as the rock and brave the storm and stress of this tempestuous hour. They, verily, shall be the recipients of God's grace; they, verily, shall receive His divine assistance, and shall be truly victorious. They shall shine amidst mankind with a radiance which the dwellers of the Pavilion of Glory laud and magnify. To them is proclaimed this celestial call, revealed in His Most Holy Book: 'Let not your hearts be perturbed, O people, when the glory of My Presence is withdrawn, and the ocean of My utterance is stilled. In My presence amongst you there is a wisdom, and in My absence there is yet another, inscrutable to all but God, the Incomparable, the All-Knowing. Verily, We behold you from Our realm of glory, and shall aid whosoever will arise for the triumph of Our Cause with the hosts of the Concourse on high and a company of Our favoured angels.'
The Sun of Truth, that Most Great Light, hath set upon the horizon of the world to rise with deathless splendour over the Realm of the Limitless. In His Most Holy Book He calleth the firm and steadfast of His friends: 'Be not dismayed, O peoples of the world, when the day-star of My beauty is set, and the heaven of My tabernacle is concealed from your eyes. Arise to further My Cause, and to exalt My Word amongst men.'
Bahá'í World Faith
Source : Bahá'í World Faith, Chapter 9
Full Text : http://bahai-library.com/compilations/bwf/bwf9.html
<438> In the early days, after the Ascension of the Blessed Beauty, the center of violation was alone; little by little the infection spread; and this was due to companionship and association.
Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Bahá
Full Text of Part : http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/WT/wt-1.html
<BWF 443> Beware, beware, lest the days after the ascension (of Bahá'u'lláh) be repeated when the Center of Sedition waxed haughty and rebellious and with Divine Unity for his excuse deprived himself and perturbed and poisoned others.

<BWF 448> Beware lest anyone falsely interpret these words, and like unto them that have broken the Covenant after the Day of Ascension (of Bahá'u'lláh) advance a pretext, raise the standard of revolt, wax stubborn and open wide the door of false interpretation.
Kitab-i-Aqdas (Bahá'u'lláh)
Full Text of Part : http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/KA/ka-5.html
<KA42> Endowments dedicated to charity revert to God, the Revealer of Signs. None hath the right to dispose of them without leave from Him Who is the Dawning-place of Revelation. After Him, this authority shall pass to the Aghsan, and after them to the House of Justice - should it be established in the world by then - that they may use these endowments for the benefit of the Places which have been exalted in this Cause, and for whatsoever hath been enjoined upon them by Him Who is the God of might and power. 
Memorials of the Faithful (Abdu'l-Bahá)
Full Text : Ocean, or (Links) http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/MF/
Ismu'llahu'l-Asdaq
<8> Such blessed beings have now left this world. Thank God, they did not linger on, to witness the agonies that followed the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh - the intense afflictions; for firmly rooted mountains will shake and tremble at these, and the high-towering hills bow down.
Mulla Ali-Akbar
<11> After the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh, Mulla Ali continued on, loyal to the Testament of the Light of the World, staunch in the Covenant which he served and heralded.
Shaykh Salman
<15> After the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh, Salman remained faithful to the Covenant, serving the Cause with all his powers. Then, as before, he would come to the Most Great  Prison every year, delivering mail from the believers, and returning with the answers to Persia. At last, in Shiraz, he winged his way to the Kingdom of glory.
Nabil-i-Zarandi
<34> Almost daily, he was admitted to the presence of the Manifestation.
This went on until the day Bahá'u'lláh ascended. At that supreme affliction, that shattering calamity, Nabil sobbed and trembled and cried out to Heaven. He found that the numerical value of the word "shidad" - year of stress - was 309, and it thus became evident that Bahá'u'lláh foretold what had now come to pass. [1309 AH = 1892 AD]
Utterly cast down, hopeless at being separated from Bahá'u'lláh, fevered, shedding tears, Nabil was in such anguish that anyone seeing him was bewildered. He struggled on, but the only desire he had was to lay down his life. He could suffer no longer; his longing was aflame in him; he could stand the fiery pain no more. And so he became king of the cohorts of love, and he rushed into the sea.
Aqa Mirza Mahmud and Aqa Rida
<p40> Their sole desire was to please Baha'u'llah. To them, nothing was a bounty at all, except service at His Holy Threshold. After the time of the Supreme Affliction, they were consumed with sorrow, like candles flickering away; they longed for death, and stayed firm in the Covenant and labored hard and well to spread that Daystar's Faith. They were close and trusted companions of Abdu'l-Baha, and could be relied on in all things. They were always lowly, humble, unassuming, evanescent. In all that long period, they never uttered a word which had to do with self.
Haji Abdu'r-Rahim-i-Yazdi
<65> Thus he saw few people. This servant paid special attention to his needs, and ordered a light diet for him. But it all came to an end with the Supreme Affliction, the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh. There was anguish then, and the noise of loud weeping. With his heart on fire, his eyes raining tears, he struggled weakly to move about; so his days went by, and always, he longed to make his exit from this rubbish heap, the world. At last he broke away from the torment of his loss, and hurried on to the Realm of God, and came to the assemblage of Divine splendor in the Kingdom of Lights.
Aqa Ibrahim-i-Isfahani and His Brothers
<79> There with patience, calm, contentment, but difficulty, he engaged in trade, meanwhile mourning the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh by day and night. Lowly and contrite, with his face turned toward the mysterious realms of God, he wore his life away. At the end, consumed by the years, hardly able to move about, he came to Haifa, where he found a corner of the travelers' hospice to live in, and spent his time humbly calling upon God, entreating Him, offering praise. Little by little, eaten away with age, his person began its dissolution, and at the end he stripped off the garment of flesh and with his unclothed spirit took flight to the realm of the All-Merciful.
Aqa Muhammad-Ibrahim Amir
<94> Thus the Amir was steadfast in service throughout his life; but after the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh his health steadily declined, and at last he left this world of dust behind him and hastened away to the unsullied world above.
Mishkin-Qalam
<100> After the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh, Mishkin-Qalam remained loyal, solidly established in the Covenant. He stood before the violators like a brandished sword. He would never go half way with them; he feared no one but God; not for a moment did he falter, nor ever fail in service.
Following the ascension he made a journey to India,  where he associated with the lovers of truth. He spent some time there, making fresh efforts every day. When I learned that he was getting helpless, I sent for him at once and he came back to this Most Great Prison, to the joy of the believers, who felt blessed to have him here again.
Haji Mirza Muhammad-Taqi, the Afnan
<127> Many and many a time, Bahá'u'lláh expressed to those about Him, His extreme satisfaction with the Afnan; and consequently, everyone was certain that he would in future initiate some highly important task.
After the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh, the Afnan, loyal and staunch in the Covenant, rendered even more services than he had before; this in spite of many obstacles, and an overwhelming load of work, and an infinite variety of matters all claiming his attention. He gave up his comfort, his business, his properties, estates, lands, hastened away to Ishqabad and set about building the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar; this was a service of very great magnitude, for he thus became the first individual to erect a Bahá'í House of Worship, the first builder of a House to unify man.
Sulayman Khan-i-Tunukabani
<135> Following his Indian journey, Sulayman Khan came back to Bahá'u'lláh, but when he arrived, the ascension had taken place. Continuously, he shed his tears, and his heart was a thurible for sorrow. But he remained loyal to the Covenant, well rooted in Heaven.
Not long before His passing, Bahá'u'lláh had said: "Should someone go to Persia, and manage to convey it, this message must be delivered to Aminu's-Sultan:[1] 'You took steps to help the prisoners; you freely rendered them a befitting service; this service will not be forgotten. Rest assured that it will bring you honor and call down a blessing upon all your affairs. O Aminu's-Sultan! Every house that is raised up will one day fall to ruin, except the house of God; that will grow more massive and be better guarded day by day. Then serve the Court of God with all your might, that you may discover the way to a home in Heaven, and found an edifice that will endure forever.'" After the departure of Bahá'u'lláh, this message was conveyed to Aminu's-Sultan.
Zaynu'l-Muqarrabin
<153> From his early years till his last breath, this eminent man never failed in service to the Manifestation. After the ascension he was consumed with such grieving, such constant tears and anguish, that as the days passed by, he wasted away. He remained faithful to the Covenant, and was a close companion to this servant of the Light of the World, but he longed to rise out of this life, and awaited his departure from day to day. At last, serene and happy, rejoicing in the tidings of the Kingdom, he soared away to that mysterious land. There he was loosed from every sorrow, and in the gathering-place of splendors he was immersed in light.
Husayn-Aqay-i-Tabrizi
<159> He was always smiling, attentive as to the tasks committed to his care, known as a man to trust. In the Cause of God he was staunch, proud and true; in times of calamity he was patient and long-suffering.
After the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh the fires of tests leaped up and a whirlwind of violation battered the edifice down. This believer, in spite of a close tie of kinship, remained loyal, showing such strength and firmness that he manifested  the words: "In the Cause of God, the blame of the blamer shall he not fear." Not for a moment did he hesitate, nor waver in his faith, but he stood firm as a mountain, proud as an impregnable citadel, and rooted deep.

Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Bahá
Full Text : Ocean, or http://www.bahai-library.org/writings/abdulbaha/swab/031.html
<65> In the same way, ever since the ascension of the Blessed Beauty, the bestowals have been more abundant, the spreading light is brighter, the tokens of the Lord's might are more powerful, the influence of the Word is much stronger, and it will not be long before the motion, the heat, the brilliance, the blessings of the Sun of His reality will encompass all the earth.

<213> 'When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is ended, turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched from this Ancient Root.' Its meaning briefly is this: that after My ascension it is incumbent upon the Aghsan, the Afnan and the kindred, and all the friends of God, to turn their faces to Him Who hath branched from the Ancient Root.
He also plainly saith in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas: 'O ye people of the world! When the Mystic Dove will have winged its  214  flight from its Sanctuary of Praise and sought its far-off goal, its hidden habitation, refer ye whatsoever ye understand not in the Book to Him Who hath branched from this mighty Stock.' Addressing all the people of the world He saith: When the Mystic Dove flieth away from the orchard of praise to the Most Supreme and Invisible Station -- that is, when the Blessed Beauty turneth away from the contingent world towards the invisible realm -- refer whatever ye do not understand in the Book to Him Who hath branched from the Ancient Root. That is, whatever He saith is the very truth.
And in the Book of the Covenant He explicitly saith that the object of this verse 'Who hath branched from this Ancient Root' is the Most Mighty Branch. And He commandeth all the Aghsan, the Afnan, the kindred and the Bahá'ís to turn toward Him. Now, either one must say that the Blessed Beauty hath made a mistake, or He must be obeyed. 'Abdu'l-Bahá hath no command for the people to obey save the diffusion of the fragrances of God, the exaltation of His Word, the promulgation of the oneness of the world of humanity, the establishment of universal peace, and other of the commands of God. These are divine commands and have nothing to do with 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Whoever wisheth may accept them, and anyone who rejecteth them may do as he pleaseth.

<270>
O ye close and dear friends of 'Abdu'l-Bahá!
In the Orient scatter perfumes,
And shed splendours on the West.
Carry light unto the Bulgar,
And the Slav with life invest.
One year after the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh, there came this verse from the lips of the Centre of the Covenant. The Covenant-breakers found it strange indeed, and they treated it with scorn. Yet, praised be God, its effects are now manifest, its power revealed, its import clear; for by God's grace, today both East and West are trembling for joy, and now, from sweet waftings of holiness, the whole earth is scented with musk.

O ye spiritual friends of Abdul Baha! "Perfume Thou the East! Illumine Thou the West! Bestow Thou light to the North! Grant Thou life to the South!"
This verse hath been revealed from the lips of the Center of the Covenant one year after the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh. But the violators (not understanding its spiritual purport) wondered and derided. Praise be to God! that now its signs have become manifest, its power evident, and its proofs plain. Thanks be unto Him! that the East and the West are stirred into cheerfulness, and through the Holy Fragrances all directions are perfumed.
...
Bahá'u'lláh's Life of Affliction
<262> The Abha Beauty Himself - may the spirit of all existence be offered up for His loved ones - bore all manner of ordeals, and willingly accepted for Himself intense afflictions. No torment was there left that His sacred form was not subjected to, no suffering that did not descend upon Him.  How many a night, when He was chained, did He go sleepless because of the weight of His iron collar; how many a day the burning pain of the stocks and fetters gave Him no moment's peace.  From Niyavaran to Tihran they made Him run - He, that embodied spirit, He Who had been accustomed to repose against cushions of ornamented silk - chained, shoeless, His head bared; and down under the earth, in the thick darkness of that narrow dungeon, they shut Him up with murderers, rebels and thieves.  Ever and again they assailed Him with a new torment, and all were certain that from one moment to the next He would suffer a martyr's death.  After some time they banished Him from His native land, and sent Him to countries alien and far away.  During many a year in Iraq, no moment passed but the arrow of a new anguish struck His holy heart; with every breath a sword came down upon that sacred body, and He could hope for no moment of security and rest. From every side His enemies mounted their attack with unrelenting hate; and singly and alone He withstood them all. After all these tribulations, these body blows, they flung Him out of Iraq in the continent of Asia, to the continent of Europe, and in that place of bitter exile, of wretched hardships, to the wrongs that were heaped upon Him by the people of the Qur'an were now added the virulent persecutions, the powerful attacks, the plottings, the slanders, the continual hostilities, the hate and malice, of the people of the Bayan.  My pen is powerless to tell it all; but ye have surely been informed of it.  Then, after twenty-four years in this, the Most Great Prison, in agony and sore affliction, His days drew to a close. 
 To sum it up, the Ancient Beauty was ever, during His sojourn in this transitory world, either a captive bound with chains, or living under a sword, or subjected to extreme suffering and torment, or held in the Most Great Prison. Because of His physical weakness, brought on by His afflictions, His blessed body was worn away to a breath; it was light as a cobweb from long grieving.  And His reason for shouldering this heavy load and enduring all this anguish, which was even as an ocean that hurleth its waves to high heaven - His reason for putting on the heavy iron chains and for becoming the very embodiment of utter resignation and meekness, was to lead every soul on earth to concord, to fellow-feeling, to oneness; to make known amongst all peoples the sign of the singleness of God, so that at last the primal oneness deposited at the heart of all created things would bear its destined fruit, and the splendour of `No difference canst thou see in the creation of the God of Mercy,'(1) would cast abroad its rays.

Bahíyyih Khánum, the Greatest Holy Leaf
Full Text : Ocean, or http://www.ibiblio.org/Bahai/Texts/EN/BK/

<14> My sister, for a considerable period, that is, from the day of Bahá'u'lláh's ascension, had grown so thin and feeble, and was in such a weakened condition from the anguish of her mourning, that she was close to breakdown.
Although, so far as she was concerned, it was her dearest wish to drain her cup and wing her way to the realms where the Divine Essence shineth in glory, still this servant could not bear to behold her in that state. Then it occurred to me that, God be thanked, I have such an unfailing comforter as Jinab-i-Haji,[1] and it would be well to make him my partner in distress. I therefore determined to <15> send her to Egypt, to provide her with a change of air.
...
<36> Great as had been her sufferings ever since her infancy, the anguish of mind and heart which the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh occasioned nerved her, as never before, to a resolve which no upheaval could bend and which her frail constitution belied. Amidst the dust and heat of the commotion which that faithless and rebellious company engendered she found herself constrained to dissolve ties of family relationship, to sever long-standing and intimate friendships, to discard lesser loyalties for the sake of her supreme allegiance to a Cause she had loved so dearly and had served so well.
The disruption that ensued found her ranged by the side of Him Whom her departed Father had  appointed as the Centre of His Covenant and the authorized Expounder of His Word. Her venerated mother, as well as her distinguished paternal uncle, Aqay-i-Kalim -- the twin pillars who, all throughout the various stages of Bahá'u'lláh's exile from the Land of His Birth to the final place of His confinement, had demonstrated, unlike most of the members of His Family, the tenacity of their loyalty -- had already passed behind the Veil. Death, in the most tragic circumstances, had also robbed her of the Purest Branch, her only brother besides 'Abdu'l-Bahá, while still in the prime of youth. She alone of the family of Bahá'u'lláh remained to cheer the heart and reinforce the efforts of the Most Great Branch, against Whom were solidly arrayed the almost entire company of His faithless relatives. In her arduous task she was seconded by the diligent efforts of Munirih Khanum, the Holy Mother, and those of her daughters whose age allowed them to assist in the accomplishment of that stupendous achievement with which the name of 'Abdu'l-Bahá will for ever remain associated.
With the passing of Bahá'u'lláh and the fierce onslaught of the forces of disruption that followed in its wake, the Greatest Holy Leaf, now in the hey-day of her life, rose to the height of her great opportunity and acquitted herself worthily of her task. It would take me beyond the compass of the tribute I am moved to pay to her memory were I to dwell upon the incessant machinations to which Muhammad-Ali, the arch-breaker of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh,  38  and his despicable supporters basely resorted, upon the agitation which their cleverly-directed campaign of misrepresentation and calumny produced in quarters directly connected with Sultan Abdu'l-Hamid and his advisers, upon the trials and investigations to which it gave rise, upon the rigidity of the incarceration it reimposed, and upon the perils it revived. Suffice it to say that but for her sleepless vigilance, her tact, her courtesy, her extreme patience and heroic fortitude, grave complications might have ensued and the load of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's anxious care would have been considerably increased.
And when the storm-cloud that had darkened the horizon of the Holy Land had been finally dissipated and the call raised by our beloved 'Abdu'l-Bahá had stirred to a new life certain cities of the American and European continents, the Most Exalted Leaf became the recipient of the unbounded affection and blessings of One Who could best estimate her virtues and appreciate her merits.
...
<117> 29. It is not unknown to those who stand firm in the Covenant and Testament of God that the centre of violation and his associates, from the day of the ascension of the Ancient Beauty, may His Great Name be ever exalted, have been working night and day and continually putting forth all their efforts, to spread disorder and disrupt the Faith. At this time, because of our terrible affliction, the ascension of 'Abdu'l-Bahá -- may the quintessence of our souls be sacrificed to His sacred resting-place -- they are busying themselves more than ever with the circulation of false rumours and idle imaginings, their purpose being, one way or another, to instil doubts into the minds, and thus to achieve their vain and futile ends.
...
<141> That blessed soul, following the ascension of the sacred Abha Beauty, may our lives be sacrificed for the dust of His sacred threshold, and until the hour when His own luminous spirit rose up to the realms on high, for a period of thirty years had neither a peaceful day nor a night of quiet rest. Singly and alone, He set about to reform the world, and to educate and refine its peoples. He invited all manner of beings to enter the Kingdom of God; He watered the Tree of the Faith; He guarded the celestial Lote-Tree from the tempest; He defeated the foes of the Faith, and He frustrated the hopes of the malevolent; and always vigilant, He protected God's Cause and defended His Law.
That subtle and mysterious Being, that Essence of eternal glory, underwent trials and sorrows all the days of His life. He was made the target of every calumny and malicious accusation, by foes both without and within. His lot, in all His life, was to be wronged, and be subjected to toil, to pain and grief. Under these conditions, the one and only solace of His sacred heart was to hear good news of the progress of the Faith, and the proclaiming of God's Word, and the spreading of the holy Teachings, and the unity and fervour of the friends, and the staunchness of His loved ones. This news would  143  bring smiles to His countenance; this was the joy of His precious heart.
...
<152> For thirty long years, from the hour of Bahá'u'lláh's ascension until His own immaculate spirit passed into the light of the all-highest realm, 'Abdu'l-Bahá rested neither night nor day. Single and alone, a prisoner, a victim of tyranny, He rose up to reform the world -- to refine and train and educate the human race. He watered the tree of the Faith, He sheltered it from the whirlwind and the lightning bolt, He protected God's holy Cause, He  guarded the divine law, He defeated its adversaries, He frustrated the hopes of those who wished it ill.
All His life long, that quintessence of eternal glory, that subtle and mysterious Being, was subjected to trials and ordeals. He was the target of every calumny, of every false accusation, from enemies both without and within. To be a victim of oppression was His lot in this world's life, and all He knew of it was toil and pain. In the dark of the night, He would sigh out His grief, and as He chanted His prayers at the hour of dawn, that wondrous voice of His would rise up to the inmates of Heaven.
1919 Latimer Notes ("Light of the World")
Full Text : http://www.bahai-library.com/?file=latimer_light_world
On the Book of My Covenant
He has called it ‘the Book of My Covenant'. It was the last Tablet. After this one no more Tablets were revealed....
...
Akka Arrival
Mrs. Randall asked the Greatest Holy Leaf if she would relate some of the incidents of her early life with Bahá'u'lláh at ‘Akká. She gave an interesting account of Bahá'u'lláh's first imprisonment at Tihrán, of four months, the journey in mid-winter to Baghdád, and then of their final arrival at their last place of exile, ‘Akká She said:
"When we were coming to the ‘Akká Prison, we landed first at Haifa, seventy-two in number. We were kept in a little house here for a few hours and then put in sail boats and sailed across the bay to ‘Akká. As there was no place to land we were placed in chairs, carried by two men, and taken ashore. Everybody had come to the shore to watch the arrival, because they were interested to see what kind of people these prisoners were. There was a line of soldiers from the shore to the barracks. First the women were taken up and locked in a room. Then the men were treated likewise. There was no furniture, only a few rugs, and we had no food except some fragments of bread. We became very hungry and upon hearing the cries of the children, the guards brought us some partly cooked rice. This we could not eat, but gave a little to the children to appease their hunger and quiet their cries. A small amount of bread was given to Bahá'u'lláh but He ate very little. Fortunately we were very tired and soon fell asleep. The next day the guards allowed one man to leave the barracks for one hour to buy a little food for us.
"In spite of all these conditions we were marvellously happy in the barracks. The second night we were there we got to laughing so hard that Bahá'u'lláh came to the door and told us to stop, for the guards might think we had gone crazy to be so happy in such a place."
Info
Last Audience
CH	Rev (Adib):	Samandari 2:	Samandari 1:	
		Loving words
Health	Separation + departure	
Sacrifice us!				
Loving words
Faithful to Cause				
Well-pleased	Well pleased			
			commands unity	
		Aqdas	Aqdas	
		Vehemently Unity	More on Unity	
		Broke down	Tears	
		Circumambulate	Go in god's care	
Lambs
Distribution				
Calls family