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| Mansion of Baha'u'llah's father |
We all know that a king is someone who is in charge of a
whole country, much like a father who looks after members of his family. Today,
in most countries, we have democracies. A democracy is governed by all its
people instead of by a king. But a hundred years ago kings were so strong in
many countries that they did as they pleased, without thinking about what would
be good for the people in their land. This story will tell about Husayn-'Ali,
later called, Baha'u'llah, Someone God sent to tell the kings and rulers of the
world how they should behave toward the people.
As Husayn-'Ali was growing up, everyone knew He was no
ordinary child. When He was a boy of thirteen, He used to talk with the wise
and learned men who visited His father's house. They had studied religion for
many years and although He had not gone to school, He was able to understand
what they were talking about and even explained difficult questions to them.
What surprised the learned men as much as Husayn-Ali’s
knowledge was His politeness. He was always mild and courteous and His father’s
friends wanted to keep on talking to Him.
Husayn-'Ali’s father was one of the ministers to the King of
Persia and was very rich. In those days the government did not take care of
people who were too old or sick to work and so the people had to depend on the
kindness of people like Husayn-'All and His father. Anyone in need knew that he
could find a friend in Husayn-'Alf.
One day His father had an important job for his seven year
old boy to do. He needed someone to go to court to argue a law case in front of
the king. Husayn-'Ali helped his father and won the case. Though most people
thought serving the king was the best way to get wealth and honor, Husayn-'Ali
was not interested in trying to get a high position in the government. Instead,
He preferred to take long walks in the country, watch the grasses dance in the
breeze, listen to the singing of the birds, breath the perfume of the flowers,
and think His own thoughts.
When Baha'u'llah (Husayn-'Ali) was twenty-two years old. His
father died. The king asked Baha'u'llah to take His father's job but He
declined the request. The prime minister explained to the king: "Leave Him
to Himself. Such a position is unworthy of Him. He has some higher aim in view.
I cannot understand Him, but I am convinced that He is destined for some lofty
career. His thoughts are not like ours. Let Him alone."
So Baha'u'llah lived as He always had and waited for a very
important letter to come. This was a letter announcing that a young Man called
the Báb was the new Manifestation of God. The Báb sent His first believer,
Mulla Husayn, to take the letter to Tihran, the capital city. There he would
find the Person to Whom he should deliver it. Mulla Husayn told the people that
he met in Tihran about the teachings of the Báb. One night he was talking in
his room with a young student who came from the same province as Baha'u'llah.
Mulla Husayn began to ask questions about Baha'u'llah.
"What is His occupation?" - "He cheers the
disconsolate and feeds the hungry."
"What of His rank and position?" - "He has
none apart from befriending the poor and the stranger."
"What is His name?" - "Husayn-'Ali."
"How does He spend His time?" - "He roams the
woods and delights in the beauties of the countryside."
Mulla Husayn knew this was the Person he had been looking
for and had the student take the letter to Baha'u'llah.
When Baha'u'llah got the letter, He knew the words in it had
come from God. Right away He began to teach the new religion in that part of
Persia, winning many people's hearts.
One of Baha’u’llah’s uncles did not understand how people
could respond so warmly and eagerly. He decided that Baha'u'llah must be a
magician—perhaps He charmed people by putting something in their tea!
Like the Báb, Baha'u'llah was put in prison for teaching the
new religion. But Baha'u'llah was not killed for it as the Bab was. The Muslim
religious leaders did not know that Baha'u'llah would be the One to lead and
guide the Bábis after the Báb was martyred. And they certainly did not know
that Baha'u'llah was the new Manifestation of God Whom the Báb promised would
come soon and bring teachings to unite the whole world. If the Muslim clergy
had known these things about Baha'u'llah, they would probably have had Him killed too.
Instead,Baha'u'llah was weighted down with heavy chains and kept for four
months underground in a dark and filthy dungeon. Then He was sent away from
Persia.
Baha'u'llah had heard the voice of God while He was in
prison and had learned that He was to be God's Messenger to mankind. But He did
not proclaim His Message right away. Instead, He waited for ten years in
Baghdad, helping restore the faith of the few Bábis who had not been killed. He
taught them never to fight again, even if the king's army attacked them, and He
helped them get over the habit of quarreling among themselves.
Baha'u'llah was so disheartened by the behavior of certain
Bábis and their disunity when He first came to Baghdad that He went into the
wilderness for two years, leaving them to their mischief. Under His leadership,
when He came back, the Bábis became strong in their faith and were known for
the purity of their conduct.
Persian members of the Muslim clergy in Baghdad became
jealous of Baha'u'llah's great influence, and the King of Persia asked the
Sultain of Turkey to move Baha'u'llah still farther from Persia.
Now was the time for Baha'u'llah to tell the Bábis that He
was the Promised One. Before leaving Baghdad He spent twelve days talking with
them in a garden outside the city. The Bábis called it the Garden of Ridvan
(means Paradise). "Every day," one remembered, "ere the hour of
dawn, the gardeners would pick the roses which lined the four avenues of the
garden, and would pile them in the center of the floor of His blessed tent. So
great would be the heap that when His companions gathered to drink their
morning tea in His presence, they would be unable to see each other across
it."
Baha'u'llah declared His mission to His followers in this
Garden of Ridvan. In the years of exile ahead of Him, He would tell it to the
rest of mankind in letters to the kings and rulers and religious leaders of the
world.
(by Barbara Casterline; Child’s Way Magazine, March-April, 1971)
