The Quest Begins-3 – Dawn Breakers

One of Mullá ’Alíy-i-Bastámí’s companions, is Muhammad ’Alí of Qazvín. He was Táhirih’s cousin and married to her sister [Marzíyeh] and like Táhirih had become a Shaykhí. Táhirih had arrived in Karbalá just after Siyyid Kázim’s death. She didn’t join an i’tikáf in Kúfa but through her prayers and meditations, she had a dream in which she recognized the Qá’im. She then wrote a letter to the Qá’im, sealed it and gave it to her cousin/brother-in-law Muhammad ‘Alí, just as he was departing with Mullá ’Alíy-i-Bastámí. She assured him that he would meet the Qá’im, and that when he did, he was to give Him her letter, with these words:

Say to Him, from me: ‘The effulgence of Thy face flashed forth, and the rays of Thy visage arose on high. Then speak the word, “Am I not your Lord?” and “Thou art, Thou art!” we will all reply.’

So, although Táhirih herself does not make it to Shíráz, her letter to the Qá’im does.

And last, but not least, it is Quddús, who also as soon as he hears about Siyyid Kázim’s death, following his spiritual intuition, sets out from Bárfurúsh in northern Irán for Shíráz.

⁴ Marziyeh, whose husband becomes one of the Letters of the Living, upon hearing of the Message of the Báb accepts Him. Her husband, like several other Letters of the Living is later martyred in Shaykh Tabarsí [Dawn-Breakers Chapter 3, p81, footnote 1]

⁵ Alastu-bi-rabbikum [Am I not your Lord?]

⁶ Dawn-Breakers Chapter 3, p81-82 When Táhirih used this phrase, she was referring to what is known as the Primordial or Eternal Covenant, a foundational concept in Islamic messianic theology. This concept is that man [every human soul] is created by God to know and acknowledge God, and this is done by recognizing and acknowledging the Messenger of God, and in particular, the Promised One on the Judgement Day. It is usually summarized in the question: Alastu-bi-rabbikum [Am I not your Lord?]; and answer: bala [Yea]. This is derived from Qur’án 7:172 which says: When thy Lord drew forth from the Children of Adam – from their loins – Their descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves [saying]: “Am I not your Lord”? They said: “Yea! We do testify!” [This] lest ye should say on the Day of Judgement: “Of this we were never mindful”. This phrasing of the Eternal/sPrimordial Covenant regarding the Day of Judgement was so established among this group of seekers, that the period of the appearance of the Qá’im, would sometimes be metaphorically called the Yawm-i-alast [the Day of “Am I not”]. When the word bala [Yea] appears in tablets of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, as the response of the individual, it is usually referencing this concept of the Eternal/Primordial Covenant that God will send His Messengers and man’s duty is to respond with recognition and submission symbolized by this word “Yea”. The implication of the above is also that God has given every soul the capacity to recognize and acknowledge God through the Promised One on the Judgement Day. No one can say that I don’t have the capacity. It is baked into every soul’s fabric, primordially. Its development however is contingent on our free will.

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