terminate Your devotions that I might approach and rebuke You for having ventured to leave the castle without my leave. … [but] I was suddenly seized with great fear … I decided to leave You, to proceed to the guards and to reprove them for their negligent conduct. I soon found out, to my amazement, that both the outer and inner gates were closed. They were opened at my request, I was ushered into Your presence, and now find You, to my wonder, seated before me. I am utterly confounded. I know not whether my reason has deserted me. 3ACT6
The Bab answered and said:
What you have witnessed is true and undeniable. You belittled this Revelation and have contemptuously disdained its Author. God, the All-Merciful, desiring not to afflict you with His punishment, has willed to reveal to your eyes the Truth. By His Divine interposition, He has … caused you to recognise the unconquerable power of His Faith. 4ACT6
This experience changed the heart of ‘Alí-Khán. He was now determined to atone for his past behaviour. He hastily informed the Báb:
A poor man, a shaykh, is yearning to attain Your presence. He lives in a masjid outside the gate of Máh-Kú. I pray You that I myself be allowed to bring him to this place that he may meet You. By this act I hope that my evil deeds may be forgiven, that I may be enabled to wash away the stains of my cruel behaviour toward Your friends. 5ACT6
His request was granted, whereupon he went straightway to Shaykh Hasan of Zunúz and conducted him into the presence of his Master.
From that day onwards, ‘Alí-Khán set out, within the limits imposed upon him, to provide whatever would tend to alleviate the rigour of the captivity of the Báb. At night the gate of the castle was still closed; in the daytime, however, those whom the Báb desired to see were allowed to enter His presence, were able to converse with Him and to receive His instructions. Shaykh Hasan of Zunúz stayed in village of Máh-Kú and acted as the intermediary between the followers of the Báb who visited and Siyyid Hasan the attendant of the Báb, to make the visit arrangements.
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