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Construction of Bábíyyih: The First Centre of the Faith
Quddús’ instructions to Mullá Husayn about what to do in Mashhad had been quite clear:
In the town of Mashhad, you should build a house so designed as both to serve for our private residence and at the same time afford adequate facilities for the reception of our guests. Thither we shall shortly journey, and in that house we shall dwell. To it you shall invite every receptive soul who we hope may be guided to the River of everlasting life. We shall prepare and admonish them to band themselves together and proclaim the Cause of God.42ACT6
Mashhad was well known to Mullá Husayn and Quddús. Both of them had studied there when they were youth, and in fact first met there.110ACT1 Mullá Husayn himself was from the province of Khurásán. He was from Bushrúíyyih43ACT6, a small place in the southern part of the province, although it was quite far, about 270 miles distance, from Mashhad. Mashhad was one of the major towns visited by Mullá Husayn soon after the declaration of the Báb. His teaching efforts in Mashhad at that time had already been quite successful and many highly learned ‘ulamá had become Bábís through those efforts [DB4-7, Section 2]. One of these learned ‘ulamá was Muhammad Báqir-i-Qá’iní . At that time (Mullá Husayn’s first visit), Muhammad Báqir had put his own home at the disposal of Mullá Husayn for his teaching efforts. Upon arrival in Mashhad this time, Mullá Husayn went right away to Muhammad Báqir’s home which was in the area called Bálá-Khíyábán.
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