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Recognition of “Him Whom God shall make Manifest” before the Year Nine [1852]
Besides Mullá Husayn, Quddús and Tâhirih, there were several other Bábís who recognized the special power flowing through Bahá’u’lláh before the “year nine” [1852]. Nabíl lists several of them.12_ACT15 We see examples of this with two individuals, one an old man and one a youth, who met Bahá’u’lláh during His visit to Karbalá’ in 1851-1852.
The old man who recognized the station of Bahá’u’lláh in Karbalá’ was Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunúzí , one of the amanuenses of the Báb. Shaykh Hasan had been one of the close disciples of Siyyid Kázim and then recognized the Báb’ station and became one of the three main amanuenses of the Báb. He was an old man by the time he met Bahá’u’lláh in Karbalá’. The Báb had promised him that he would meet the promised Husayn. Before the Báb, Siyyid Kázim had also told him that he would meet the promised Husayn [DB 1-2, Section 2]. After they met in Karbalá’ and Shaykh Hasan realized that Bahá’u’lláh was the promised Husayn, Bahá’u’lláh told him to keep this knowledge a secret, because the time was not yet ripe to tell the world.13_ACT15 [For full story see Portrait: Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunúzí].
The youth who was drawn to Bahá’u’lláh in Karbalá’ was Mírzá ‘Abdu’l- Vahháb-i-Shírází . His story begins in Shíráz when he tried to leave with the Letter of the Living Mullá ‘Alíy-i-Bastámí. Later he is in Karbalá’ when Bahá’u’lláh is there and despite Bahá’u’lláh’s admonition that he should stay where he is, ‘Abdu’l-Vahháb could not help himself. He follows Bahá’u’lláh to Tihrán, is imprisoned with Him in the Síyáh-Chál and suffers martyrdom there. Bahá’u’lláh Himself tells Nabíl the touching story of the martyrdom of ‘Abdu’l-Vahháb which is recorded in the Dawn-Breakers.14_ACT15 [For full story see Portrait: Mírzá ‘Abdu’l-Vahháb-i-Shírází].
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