Life of Bahá’u’lláh - The Glory of God

The Founder of the Baha'i Faith - Bahá’u’lláh, is regarded by Baha'is as the most recent in the line of Divine Educators who have throughout history revealed the Beauty of God, and the Word of God to mankind. The name 'Bahá’u’lláh' is an Arabic title which translates to 'Glory of God'. It is hoped this brief collection of events related to the life of Bahá’u’lláh will share a glimpse of the Glory, Love, Selflessness, and Self-Sacrifice that the Manifestations of God throughout history have revealed to mankind.

For Baha'is, God the Creator is unknowable in His essence, however His Beauty and attributes are revealed in the mirror of His creation. Each created thing reveals according to its capacity something of the attributes of God. Of all created objects man's gem-like spirit can potentially reveal all of the light of God's attributes - "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" - Genesis 1:26, and of all men the greatest reflectors of God's Beauty are those unique Manifestations of God who appear among mankind from time to time, and inspire and subdue entire civilizations. Those Great Personages such as Buddha, Krishna, Moses, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, and in this age - The Báb, and Bahá’u’lláh.

Bahá’u’lláh's Childhood

Baha'u'llah's Childhood

The Blessed Beauty, Bahá’u’lláh was born in 1817, in Persia. He belonged to the royal family of Írán. From earliest childhood He was distinguished among His relatives and friends. They would say: “This child has extraordinary power”. In wisdom, intelligence and as a source of new knowledge He was advanced beyond His age and far superior to His surroundings. All who knew Him were astonished at his intelligence. It was usual for them to say: “Such a child will not live”, for it was commonly believed in those days that gifted children do not live for long.

In childhood Baha’u’llah received a very simple education, and during the period of youth the Blessed Beauty did not enter school. He was not willing to be taught. This fact was well known among the residents of Ṭihrán. Nevertheless He was capable of solving the difficult problems of all who came to Him, and despite His young age, in whatever meeting, scientific assembly or theological discussion He was found, He always became the authority of explanation upon intricate and abstruse questions presented.

In a Tablet addressed to His Majesty the Shah of Persia, Baha'u'llah said:

"O  King! I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the knowledge of all that hath been. This thing is not from Me, but from One Who is Almighty and All-Knowing. And He bade Me lift up My voice between earth and heaven, and for this there befell Me what hath caused the tears of every man of understanding to flow. The learning current amongst men I studied not; their schools I entered not. Ask of the city wherein I dwelt, that thou mayest be well assured that I am not of them who speak falsely...His all-compelling summons hath reached Me, and caused Me to speak His praise amidst all people. I was indeed as one dead when His behest was uttered. The hand of the will of thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Merciful, transformed Me."

Through His father, Baha’u’llah was a descendant of the great Persian kings of old as far back as Yazdigird the Sassanian. He was also a descendant of two holy Prophets of God: Abraham, as well as the Persian Prophet – Zoroaster.

When His father passed away, Bahá’u’lláh who was twenty two years of age at the time was offered His father’s privileged position as a Minister of the King - an offer to which He declined. This occasioned surprise and comment. It was frequently said: “How is it that a young man of such keen intelligence and subtle perception does not seek lucrative appointments? As a matter of fact every position is open to him”. This is a historical statement fully attested by the people of Írán. Baha’u’llah did not seek the ephemeral things of this world.

Baha'u'llah Father of The Poor

He was nevertheless exceptionally generous, giving abundantly to the poor. None who came to Him would be turned away. The doors of His house were always open to all and He always had many guests at His home. Even though still only in His twenties, He had became known as the “Father of the Poor” for His selfless life of giving. This unbounded generosity of Baha’u’llah was conducive to greater astonishment from the fact that He sought neither position nor prominence. In commenting upon this His friends said that He would soon become impoverished, for His expenses were many and His wealth becoming more and more limited. “Why is he not thinking of his own affairs?”, they inquired of each other.

In truth even from a young age the Blessed Beauty was a refuge for every weak one, a shelter for every fearing one, kind to every impoverished one, lenient and loving to all creatures.

Bahá’u’lláh's Compassion

"Under all conditions, whether in adversity or at ease, whether honoured or afflicted, this Wronged One hath directed all men to show forth love, affection, compassion and harmony." - Bahá’u’lláh

Known as a distinguished supporter of the Báb's Faith, Bahá’u’lláh was among those unjustly arrested and ordered to be placed in the horrid "Siyah-Chal" dungeon of Tehran.

Jeering Crowds

All the way from Niyavaran to Tehran, Bahá’u’lláh was made to walk in chains, and was overwhelmed with abuse and ridicule from the crowds of people along the way. He was pelted and vilified by the crowds whom His enemies had succeeded in convincing that He was the sworn enemy of their sovereign and the wrecker of his realm.

Adding to the dishonour shown to Baha'u'llah, despite his noble lineage and being known as “Father of the Poor” for His life of loving service to His fellow men, for the whole distance to Tehran he was made to walk bare footed. His hat which in those days was associated with a man’s dignity, had been snatched from His head, and several times along the way Baha'u'llah was stripped of His outer garments. With bare head and bare foot and exposed to the fierce rays of the midsummer sun, Baha'u'llah was forced to hurry along at speed and keep up with the guards who were riding on horseback.

As Baha'u'llah was approaching the dungeon, an old and decrepit woman was seen to emerge from the midst of the crowd, with a stone in her hand, eager to cast it at the face of Bahá'u'lláh. "By the Imam Husayn, I adjure you," she pleaded, as she ran to overtake those into whose hands Bahá'u'lláh had been delivered, "give me a chance to fling my stone in his face!". Although frenzied with rage, her steps were too weak for the pace of the procession. Seeing her hastening behind Him, Bahá'u'lláh turned to His guards and said:

"Suffer not this woman to be disappointed. Deny her not what she regards as a meritorious act in the sight of God".

Bahá’u’lláh's Magnanimity

"How numerous are those who, with hearts intent upon malice, have sought Our Presence, and departed from it loyal and loving friends! The portals of grace are wide open before the face of all men. In Our outward dealings with them We have treated alike the righteous and the sinner, that perchance the evil-doer may attain the limitless ocean of Divine forgiveness. Our name "the Concealer" hath shed such a light upon men that the froward hath imagined himself to be numbered with the pious. No man that seeketh Us will We ever disappoint, neither shall he that hath set his face towards Us be denied access unto Our court...." - Baha'u'llah

One such example is this encounter which occurred while Bahá’u’lláh was in Baghdad. At the instigation of a few highly-prejudiced opponents of Bahá’u’lláh, a large group of Kurds of Shi’ih belief went to His house in Baghdad one night with the purpose of stirring up mischief. Upon entering the courtyard, and without uttering a word, they stood near the wall, ready at a moment‘s notice to unsheathe their swords.

The Blessed Beauty seeing the group addressed one of them, asking:

"In your estimation, where those who surrounded the Prince of Martyrs (The Imam Husayn) in the desert of Karbila, intending to slay him and his followers, believers in God and in His Messenger?".

Bahá’u’lláh's Magnanimity towards the hostile

Thereupon to their surprise Bahá’u’lláh invited them all to enter His house and be seated, offered them His hospitality and love and had refreshments served, and undertook to explain in detail the tragic story of the Imam Husayn and his martyrdom. One by one the Kurds seated themselves, and the Blessed Beauty related to them the history of the opposition of Yazid, who had succeeded his father as the second Umayyad Caliph. He recalled to them the names of those who commanded the 4000-strong army sent against Husayn with only two hundred members of his family and devoted followers, and the startling change of the heart of the cavalry commander, Hurr, who crossed over to Husayn’s side.

‘And so,’ Bahá’u’lláh concluded, ‘with the utmost cruelty they martyred the Imam Husayn, and then proclaimed: “Verily, Husayn trespassed against the religion of his grandfather, and was killed by the sword of his grandfather.”’

Deeply moved, the Kurds were weeping as they arose from their seats and kissed the robe of Bahá’u’lláh. ‘We can be likened to Hurr,’ they asserted, ‘who at first was intent upon killing the Prince of Martyrs, but repented and became the first to yield up his life in his path.’ With the utmost sincerity and humility, they asked Bahá’u’lláh’s permission to take their leave.

Bahá’u’lláh's Majesty

"And among His signs is the sublimity of His grandeur, His exalted state, His towering glory, and the shining out of His beauty above the horizon of the Prison: so that heads were bowed before Him and voices lowered, and humble were the faces that turned His way. This is a proof never witnessed in the ages gone before." - Abdu'l-Bahá

Some of the disciples of Bahá'u'lláh who attained His presence have referred to the transcendental majesty of His person. This was such a striking feature of Bahá'u'lláh that people who came face to face with Him were awed by His presence and often became speechless. Hájí Mírzá Haydar-'Alí in the course of recounting the stories of his own pilgrimage to the prison city of 'Akká where Baha'u'llah was exiled has commented on this in these words:

Bahá’u’lláh's Majesty

"Outwardly He was a Prisoner, condemned and wronged, but in reality He was the Sun of Glory, the Manifestation of grandeur and majesty, the King of the Kingdom of poise and dignity. Although he showed much compassion and loving-kindness, and approached anyone who came to His presence with tender care and humbleness, and often used to make humorous remarks to put them at ease, yet in spite of these, no one, whether faithful or disbelieving, learned or unlettered, wise or foolish, was able to utter ten words in His presence in the usual everyday manner. Indeed, many would find themselves to be tremulous with an impediment in their speech."

Some people asked permission to attain His presence for the sole purpose of conducting arguments and engaging in controversies. As a favour on His part, and in order to fulfil the testimony and to declare conclusively the proofs, He gave these permission to enter the court of His majesty and glory. As they entered the room, heard His voice welcoming them in, and gazed at His countenance beaming with the light of grandeur, they could not help but prostrate themselves at His door. They would then enter and sit down. When He showed them where to sit, they would find themselves unable to utter a word or put forward their questions. When they left they would bow to Him involuntarily. Some would be transformed through the influence of meeting Him and would leave with the utmost sincerity and devotion, some would depart as admirers, while others would leave His presence heedless, attributing their experience to bewitchment.

Some people would ask permission to attain His presence simply out of curiosity, or out of a desire to seek some personal benefit from His influence, rather than out of a genuine and selfless desire to seek Him. Although in 'Akká Bahá'u'lláh occasionally allowed certain non-Bahá'ís to attain His presence, this was the exception rather than the rule and as the years went by He was less inclined to give audiences to people.

To cite one example: There was a time when one of the Governors of the City of 'Akká wanted to attain the presence of Bahá'u'lláh and for years He would not give him permission to do so. Instead, he was to see His eldest Son - 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Some years passed, and in spite of repeated requests from the Governor permission was not granted, until the Central Government in Syria had required the Governor to visit Bahá'u'lláh. This being so, he, in the company of a European General, was admitted into His presence. No sooner had they entered the room than they were both struck by His majestic presence. So much were they awed by His person that they knelt at the door. Although Bahá'u'lláh had indicated seats for them, they did not change their position. It was unbearably difficult for the General to sit in that posture, especially as he was a stout man. Since Bahá'u'lláh had nothing to say to them and they remained silent throughout the audience, after about ten minutes they asked permission to leave.

Bahá’u’lláh's Sovereignty

"Yet another of His signs is the promulgation of His Book, His decisive Holy Text wherein He reproved the kings, and His dire warning to that one (Napolean III) whose mighty rule was felt around the world — and whose great throne then toppled down in a matter of brief days — this being a fact clearly established and widely known." - Abdu'l-Bahá

In the year 1869 Bahá’u’lláh wrote to Napoleon III, the foremost monarch of his day in the West, rebuking him for his lust of war and for the contempt with which he had treated a former Tablet from Bahá’u’lláh. The Epistle contained the following stern warning:

Bahá’u’lláh's Sovereignty

"For what thou hast done, thy kingdom shall be thrown into confusion, and thine empire shall pass from thine hands, as a punishment for that which thou hast wrought. Then wilt thou know how thou hast plainly erred. Commotions shall seize all the people in that land, unless thou arisest to help this Cause, and followest Him Who is the Spirit of God in this, the Straight Path. Hath thy pomp made thee proud? By My Life! It shall not endure; nay, it shall soon pass away, unless thou holdest fast to this firm Cord. We see abasement hastening after thee, whilst thou art of the heedless. It behoveth thee when thou hearest His Voice calling from the seat of glory to cast away all that thou possessest, and cry out: "Here am I, O Lord of all that is in heaven and all that is on earth!"

Needless to say, Napoleon, who was then at the zenith of his power, paid no heed to this warning. In the following year he went to war with Prussia, firmly convinced that his troops could easily gain Berlin; but the tragedy foretold by Bahá’u’lláh overwhelmed him. He was defeated at Saarbruck, at Weisenburg, at Metz, and finally in the crushing catastrophe in the Battle of Sedan (1870), marking the greatest military capitulation recorded in modern history; He lost his kingdom and spent the remaining years of his life in exile. His hopes were utterly blasted, his only son, the Prince Imperial, was killed in the Zulu War, his much vaunted empire collapsed, a civil war ensued more ferocious than the Franco-German war itself, and William I, the Prussian king, was hailed emperor of a unified Germany in the Palace of Versailles.

"Ye are but vassals, O kings of the earth! He Who is the King of Kings hath appeared, arrayed in His most wondrous glory, and is summoning you unto Himself, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Take heed lest pride deter you from recognizing the Source of Revelation" - Bahá’u’lláh

Bahá’u’lláh's Long-Suffering

"And among His signs is His long-suffering, His tribulations and His woes, His agony in His chains and fetters, and His calling out at every moment: ‘Come unto Me, come unto Me, ye righteous! Come unto Me, come unto Me, ye lovers of the good! Come unto Me, come unto Me, ye dawning points of light!’” - Abdu'l-Bahá

At the early age of twenty seven, Baha’u’llah the “Exalted and glorious Arabian Youth” spontaneously arose and exposed Himself, and His kindred, and His possessions, and His rank, and His reputation to the grave perils, the bloody assaults, the general spoliation and furious defamations of both government and people. There was no persecution, vicissitude or suffering He did not experience at the hand of His enemies and oppressors.

Bahá’u’lláh's Long-Suffering

"As My tribulations multiplied, so did My love for God and for His Cause increase, in such wise that all that befell Me from the hosts of the wayward was powerless to deter Me from My purpose. Should they hide Me away in the depths of the earth, yet would they find Me riding aloft on the clouds, and calling out unto God, the Lord of strength and of might. I have offered Myself up in the way of God, and I yearn after tribulations in My love for Him, and for the sake of His good pleasure. Unto this bear witness the woes which now afflict Me, the like of which no other man hath suffered. Every single hair of Mine head calleth out that which the Burning Bush uttered on Sinai, and each vein of My body invoketh God and saith: ‘O would I had been severed in Thy path, so that the world might be quickened, and all its peoples be united!’" - Bahá’u’lláh

Those familiar with religious history are aware that at no time, in no Dispensation, have the Prophets of God escaped the blasphemy of their enemies, the cruelty of their oppressors, or the denunciation of the learned of their age, who appeared in the guise of uprightness and piety – This being despite their advent being promised to mankind in the religions preceding them.

At the instigation of Shi'ih ecclesiastics and by order of the Shah of Persia himself, The Blessed Beauty was forced, for no less than four months, to breathe, in utter darkness, whilst in the company of the vilest criminals and weighted down with galling chains, the pestilential air of the subterranean dungeon of Tehran, where the ground was ankle deep in filth.

"We were consigned for four months to a place foul beyond comparison...God alone knoweth what befell Us in that most foul-smelling and gloomy place!" - Bahá’u’lláh

Bahá'u'lláh's feet were placed in stocks, and around His neck were fastened the Qara-Guhar chains of such galling weight that they had torn through the flesh on his neck and their mark remained imprinted upon His body all the days of His life. Any movement would result in the chains cutting deeper into his flesh. Sleep was impossible to Him. The place was chill and damp, filthy, fever-stricken, infested with vermin, and filled with a noisome stench. Animated by a relentless hatred His enemies went even so far as to intercept and poison His food - an attempt which, though it impaired His health for years to come, failed to achieve its purpose.

And what of the other tribulations which, before and immediately after this dreadful episode, touched Him? What of His confinement in the home of one of the Sherrifs of Tihran? What of the savage violence with which He was stoned by the angry people in the neighborhood of the village of Niyala? What of His incarceration by the emissaries of the army of the Shah in Mazindaran, and His receiving the torture of bastinado by order, and in the presence, of the assembled religious leaders into whose hands He had been delivered by the civil authorities of Amul? What of the howls of derision and abuse with which a crowd of ruffians subsequently pursued Him? What of the monstrous accusation brought against Him by the Imperial household, the Court and the people, when the attempt was made on the life of Násiri'd-Dín Sháh? What of the infamous outrages, the abuse and ridicule heaped on Him when He was arrested by responsible officers of the government, and conducted from Niyavaran "on foot and in chains, with bared head and bare feet," and exposed to the fierce rays of the midsummer sun, to the Siyah-Chal dungeon of Tihran? What of the greed with which corrupt officials sacked His house and carried away all His possessions and disposed of His fortune? What of the cruel edict that tore Him from the small band of the Báb's bewildered, hounded, and shepherdless followers, separated Him from His kinsmen and friends, and banished Him and His young family, in the depth of a severe winter, without proper coverings or provisions to Iraq?

Severe as were these tribulations which succeeded one another with bewildering rapidity as a result of the premeditated attacks and the systematic machinations of the court, the clergy, the government and the people, they were but the prelude to a harrowing and extensive captivity extending over a period of more than forty years, and carrying Him successively to Iraq, Sulaymaniyyih, Constantinople, Adrianople and finally to the penal colony of 'Akká, this long banishment was at last ended by His death, at the age of over seventy years, terminating a captivity which, in its range, its duration and the diversity and severity of its afflictions, is unexampled in the history of previous Dispensations.

In each place He was exiled to, the Blessed Beauty would eventually became a centre of attraction, devotion and love for the residents of that town, and His adversaries would be obliged to exile Him further still. In prison He hoisted the banner of human solidarity, proclaiming Universal Peace, writing to the kings and rulers of nations summoning them to international unity and counselling arbitration. His life was a vortex of persecution and difficulty, yet catastrophes, extreme ordeals and vicissitudes did not hinder the accomplishment of His work and mission. Nay, on the contrary His power became greater and greater, His efficiency and influence spread and increased until His glorious light shone throughout the Orient.

"Who is there that can put out the light which the snow-white Hand of God hath lit? Where is he to be found that hath the power to quench the fire which hath been kindled through the might of thy Lord, the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling, the Almighty?" - Bahá’u’lláh

"If this Cause be of God, no man can prevail against it; and if it be not of God, the divines amongst you, and they that follow their corrupt desires and such as have rebelled against Him will surely suffice to overpower it." - Bahá’u’lláh

Bahá’u’lláh's Herald - The Báb

It was in 1844, when Baha’u’llah was 27 years of age, that in the city of Shiraz, another wonderful and unique Youth of only 25 years of age named Siyyid Alí Muḥammad and titled “The Báb”, publicly announced Himself as the Herald of the promised Day of God - the Day promised in the Sacred Scriptures of all of the World’s Great Faiths, the Day when a Personage far greater than Himself would be publicly made manifest to the world.

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD...” - Malachi 4:5


Knowing of the exalted character of the Herald of the Baha'i Revelation, and the magnitude of His Loving influence helps to create a picture of the magnitude of Bahá’u’lláh's Revelation - That one so unique and exalted as the Báb, Who fearlessly stood up against the combined forces of the Government, the entire ecclesiastical hierarchy, and the fanatical masses of Persia, and Who in a relatively short span of time had attracted and transformed tens of thousands of souls, had as His sole function and goal the task of preparing mankind for the coming of Bahá’u’lláh.

Though the Báb was young and tender of age, and though the Cause He revealed was contrary to the expectations and desires of all the peoples of the world, both high and low, rich and poor, yet He arose and persistently and steadfastly proclaimed it. Despite the fierce fanaticism of the people of Persia, He feared no one, He was regardless of consequences, and in His Book titled the “Qayyúmu'l-Asmá” He even prophesised His own martyrdom.

Persecution of the Báb's followers

With the public declaration of the Báb’s Mission, and His Announcement of the Dawn of the promised Day of God, a whirl-wind of commotion began to encompass the whole of Persia, anyone found to be associating with the Báb, or the Báb’s followers, was at risk of persecution and attack, yet such was the spiritual attractiveness and transformative effect of this blessed and unique Youth on the people that despite the great personal risk that anyone who associated with Him was exposed to, tens of thousands of people were drawn towards Him and so deeply touched by His Loving Influence that they ceased to cherish any desire other than His Will. Men and woman from all walks of life, from the humble and simple, to the honoured of Persian society- such as “Manuchehr Khan”, the Governor of the province of Isfahan, who after having been exposed to the soul-stirring words, and presence of the Báb, had become a devoted believer and had expressed his wish to offer everything in his possession to the Báb, and for the promotion of the Báb’s Faith - an offer to which the Báb replied:

"Your days and Mine are numbered, however; they are too short to enable Me to witness, and allow you to achieve, the realisation of your hopes....Of the span of your earthly life there remain only three months and nine days, after which you shall, with faith and certitude, hasten to your eternal abode."

Yet another example of those who met the young Báb was the highly esteemed “Siyyid Yahya Darabi” – who as one of the most regarded scholars of Islam in Persia at the time had been commissioned by the Shah of Persia himself to visit the Báb and to personally investigate the nature of the Báb’s claims and report his findings, and who despite his high rank, had in the course of his interviews with the Báb become enamoured of and dumbfounded by his youthful Host. Following is a brief excerpt from his description of the third meeting he had with the Báb:

"...As soon as I was ushered into His presence, a sense of fear, for which I could not account, suddenly seized me. My limbs quivered as I beheld His face. I, who on repeated occasions had been introduced into the presence of the Shah and had never discovered the slightest trace of timidity in myself, was now so awed and shaken that I could not remain standing on my feet. The Báb, beholding my plight, arose from His seat, advanced towards me, and, taking hold of my hand, seated me beside Him. 'Seek from Me,' He said, 'whatever is your heart's desire. I will readily reveal it to you.' I was speechless with wonder. Like a babe that can neither understand nor speak, I felt powerless to respond. He smiled as He gazed at me and said: 'Were I to reveal for you the commentary on the Surih of Kawthar, would you acknowledge that My words are born of the Spirit of God?'...."

This same Siyyid pledged his belief and devotion to the Báb, later being violently persecuted for his newly found Faith and making the ultimate sacrifice of willingly laying down his life in the promotion of the Báb’s Cause. Such noble and righteous souls from all classes of Persian society were drawn towards the young Báb and overwhelmed and transformed by that Unique One who was described as:

"The gentle, the youthful and irresistible person of the Báb, matchless in His meekness, imperturbable in His serenity, magnetic in His utterance…” – Shoghi Effendi

Martyrdom of the Báb

This rarely seen admiration and love shown towards the youthful Báb by an already large and rapidly increasing number of people from all walks of life aroused the jealousy, and fear of those in authority who were greatly alarmed by the Báb’s rapidly growing prestige and influence over the hearts and minds. It was not long before Government ministers, the entire Shi-ah ecclesiastical hierarchy, and the fanatical masses rose up in violent hostility against the Báb and His followers, and a religious massacre, revolting in its hideousness was unleashed on the new Faith. During the nine year ministry of the Báb over ten thousand noble souls - innocent men and women from all walks of life were mercilessly set upon, and willingly laid down their lives for their newly found Love.

The Báb Himself, together with a youth who had been arrested after pushing his way through the crowds surrounding the Báb and who did not wish to be separated from the object of his devotion, were both suspended by ropes on a cross and publicly executed together by a firing squad of 750 soldiers.

The Báb's final words to the gazing multitude of onlookers as the regiment was preparing to fire were:

"Had you believed in Me, O wayward generation, every one of you would have followed the example of this youth, who stood in rank above most of you, and willingly would have sacrificed himself in My path. The day will come when you will have recognised Me; that day I shall have ceased to be with you.”

Referring to the influence of the revelation of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh had said:

"How great the number of those holy souls, those essences of justice, who, accused of tyranny, were put to death! And how many embodiments of purity, who showed forth naught but true knowledge and stainless deeds, suffered an agonising death! Notwithstanding all this, each of these holy beings, up to his last moment, breathed the name of God and soared in the realm of submission and resignation. Such was the potency and transmuting influence which He exercised over them, that they ceased to cherish any desire but His Will, and wedded their souls to His remembrance.
Reflect: Who in the world is able to manifest such transcendent power, such pervading influence? All these stainless hearts and sanctified souls have, with absolute resignation, responded to the summons of His decree. Instead of making complaint, they rendered thanks unto God, and, amidst the darkness of their anguish, they revealed naught but radiant acquiescence in His Will. It is well known how relentless was the hate, and how bitter the malice and enmity, entertained by all the peoples of the earth towards these Companions...Hath the world, since the days of Adam, witnessed such tumult, such violent commotion?...
Do thou ponder these momentous happenings in thine heart, so that thou mayest apprehend the greatness of this Revelation, and perceive its stupendous glory.”

Notwithstanding the Báb’s own irresistible and blessed nature, and His revelation which in a short span of time had attracted the hearts of the noble and righteous of Persia, He, referring to the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh destined to be made manifest after Him said:

"Of all the tributes I have paid to Him Who is to come after Me, the greatest is this, My written confession, that no words of Mine can adequately describe Him, nor can any reference to Him in My Book, the Bayán, do justice to His Cause.”

And addressing Siyyid Yahya Darabi, the most learned and influential among his followers, the Báb said:

"By the righteousness of Him Whose power causeth the seed to germinate and Who breatheth the spirit of life into all things, were I to be assured that in the day of His Manifestation thou wilt deny Him, I would unhesitatingly disown thee and repudiate thy faith.... If, on the other hand, I be told that a Christian, who beareth no allegiance to My Faith, will believe in Him, the same will I regard as the apple of Mine eye.”

Baha'u'llah