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⊠while I was passing by the gate of the inner courtyard of the shrine of the ImĂĄm Husayn, my eyes, for the first time, fell upon BahĂĄâuâllĂĄh. What shall I recount regarding the countenance which I beheld! The beauty of that face, those exquisite features which no pen or brush dare describe, His penetrating glance, His kindly face, the majesty of His bearing, the sweetness of His smile, the luxuriance of His jet-black flowing locks, left an indelible impression upon my soul. I was then an old man, bowed with age. How lovingly He advanced towards me! He took me by the hand and, in a tone which at once betrayed power and beauty, addressed me in these words: âThis very day I have purposed to make you known as a BĂĄbĂ throughout KarbilĂĄ.â Still holding my hand in His, He continued to converse with me. He walked with me all along the market-street, and in the end He said: âPraise be to God that you have remained in KarbilĂĄ, and have beheld with your own eyes the countenance of the promised Husayn.â I recalled instantly the promise which had been given me by the BĂĄb. His words, which I had regarded as referring to a remote future, I had not shared with anyone. These words of BahĂĄâuâllĂĄh moved me to the depths of my being. I felt impelled to proclaim to a heedless people, at that very moment and with all my soul and power, the advent of the promised Husayn. He bade me, however, repress my feelings and conceal my emotions. âNot yet,â He breathed into my ears; âthe appointed Hour is approaching. It has not yet struck. Rest assured and be patient.â From that moment all my sorrows vanished. My soul was flooded with joy. In those days I was so poor that most of the time I hungered for food. I felt so rich, however, that all the treasures of the earth melted away into nothingness when compared with that which I already possessed. âSuch is the grace of God; to whom He will, He giveth it: He, verily, is of immense bounty.â 46PORT
It was towards the end of BahĂĄâuâllĂĄhâs stay in Adrianople that atrocities against the BahĂĄâĂs in Iraq increased. MĂrzĂĄ Buzurg KhĂĄn decided to exile the Bahaiâs from Baghdad and neighboring cities, and his first move was to arrest three believers in KarbalĂĄâ and to escort them to BaghdĂĄd in chains. They were Shaykh Hasan-i-ZunĂșzĂ, MullĂĄ Muhammad-Hasan-i-QazvĂnĂ, and âAskar-i-SĂĄhib and they
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