Chapter Eight

The next morning when the visitors came to see Mullá Husayn, thay were suprised to find him waiting on Quddús. The night before when they had been there for dinner, Mullá Husayn had been the guest of honour; he was served by Quddús. This morning Mullá Husayn had given his seat of honour to Quddús and was only Quddús' servant. When the guests were all gathered together, the first words Quddús spoke to Mullá Husayn, so all could hear, were: "Now, at this very hour, you should arise, go and speak to the Sa'ídu'l-'Ulamá', the chief Priest, and then go to Khurásán. In the town of Mashhad, you should build a house in which we can live and receive guests at the same time. To this house you will invite every pure soul, and we shall prepare them to join together and teach the cause of God."

Mullá Husayn went to the Sa'ídu'l-'Ulamá' and spoke to him in front of his pupils about the New Day. But the Priest was blind to the Truth and angry at Mullá Husayn.

Alone, and detached from evrything but God, Mullá Husayn set out on his journey to Mashhad. Mullá Husayn's only companion on this journey was the thought of carrying out the wishes of Quddús and fulfilling the promise he had made.

Immediately after he arrived in Mashhad, he bought a piece of land and built the house Quddús had commanded him to build. He named the house the Bábíyyih, after the Báb. Working as a team, Mullá Husayn and Quddús taught so many Bábís and sent them out  to teach that great excitement filled the city of Mashhad. After a few months, Quddús left to take part in a conference at Badasht, leaving Mullá Husayn to carry on the teaching in Mashhad alone. So many people became followers of the Báb that the Government officials and  the clergy became angry once again. Eventually, the number of Bábís in Mashhad became so great that Mullá Husayn was asked by the authorities to leave the city.

Before Mullá Husayn left Mashhad, hundreds of people came to the Bábíyyih to say goodby. many of them begged him to let them go with him on his journey. Mothers brought their sons, and sisters their brothers. With tears in their eyes they asked him to take them along as a sacrifice to the Almighty. By the time he was ready to leave, two hundred and two men had joined him for the journey. Just before leaving Mashhad, a messenger came to Mullá Husayn from the Báb. The messenger carried two things, a letter and the turban of the Báb. He also carried the news that the Báb had given him a new name, Siyyid 'Alí. The message said that he should place upon his head the Báb's green turban, which was the sign of His family, and that he must carry the Black Standard (a black flag) in front of him, and hurry to give help to the Báb's beloved Quddús. Quddús, at this time, had been imprisoned in the home of a relative and was unable to teach.

As soon as the news reached him, Mullá Husayn gathered his two hundred and two companions together, raised the Black Standard, placed the Báb's green turban in his head, climbed on his horse, and gave the command to march. His men joyfully followed him. This took place on the 21st of July 1848.