Posted to the Tarjuman Listserve
by Khazeh Fananapazír in early January, 2002;
Web edition prepared by Mehdi Wolf, May, 2003
by permission of the translator.
Lawh-i-Zíyárat-Namih-i-Imám
Husayn[1]
Tablet of Visitation for Imám
Husayn
Trans. Khazeh
Fananapazir
In God Passes By, the Beloved Guardian refers to a Tablet of
Visitation[2] revealed
by Bahá’u’lláh for the Imám
Husayn[3]:
Nor should a review of the outstanding features of
Bahá’u’lláh’s writings during the latter part of
His banishment to ’Akká fail to include a reference to the Tablet of
Visitation[4] revealed in honor of the Imám Husayn, whose praises He
celebrates in glowing language (Shoghi Effendi: God Passes By, Page:
219)
Also, there are these references to the Imám
Husayn:
His Holiness the Exalted Báb dreamt that the Blood of the
Imám Husayn touched and sanctified His
lips[5] (Shoghi
Effendi: Messages to America, p. 100)
The precedence of the name Husayn over ‘Alí does
establish the greatness of Imám Husayn.
Imám Husayn has, as attested by the
Íqán,[6]
been endowed with special grace and power among the
Imáms,[7] hence
the mystical reference to Bahá’u’lláh as the return of
Imám
Husayn,[8] meaning
the Revelation in Bahá’u’lláh of those attributes with
which Imám Husayn had been specifically endowed. (Lights of
Guidance, p. 497)
In Gleanings, Bahá’u’lláh identifies
Himself with the Imám Husayn Who was martyred on the plain of
Karbilá.[9]
How bitter the humiliations heaped upon Me, in a subsequent age, on the
plain of Karbilá! How lonely did I feel amidst Thy people! To what a
state of helplessness I was reduced in that land! Unsatisfied with such
indignities, My persecutors decapitated Me, and, carrying aloft My head from
land to land, paraded it before the gaze of the unbelieving multitude, and
deposited it on the seats of the perverse and
faithless.[10]
(Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings, XXXIX, p.
89)[11]
This is a provisional translation by your servant Khazeh
Fananapazir, during a period of physical illness.
I hope it will be acceptable to this List and hopefully will attain the
presence of the Universal House of Justice.
With prayerful humility and awareness of my inadequacies..
Khazeh F.
Ziyarat-Namih-i-Imám
Husayn
Tablet of Visitation for Imám
Husayn[12]
Trans. Khazeh
Fananapazir
This is a Tablet of
Visitation[13]
revealed from the Supreme Horizon by My All-Glorious Pen in honour of His
Holiness, the Prince of Martyrs, Husayn, the son of
‘Alí,[14]
may the spirit of all else but Him be a sacrifice unto Him!
He is the Comforter, the Consoler,
the Lord of Utterance, the All-Knowing!
God testifieth that there is no God but Him! And He that hath
appeared[15] is the
One promised in all the Books and sacred
Scrolls,[16] the One
remembered in the hearts of all those near unto God and the sincere ones.
Through Him, the Tree of utterance hath raised its call in the kingdom of divine
recognition[17]
saying:
O Concourse of all
Faiths![18] I swear
by the All Merciful! The days of
sorrow[19] have come
upon Us, inasmuch as in these days there hath befallen the Dawning-place of
God’s proof and the Dayspring of His evidence that which hath caused the
lamentations of those resident beneath the canopy of glory in the all highest
paradise to be raised. It hath caused wailing in the tabernacle of grace in the
supreme heaven.
God testifieth that there is no God but
He,[20] and He that
hath appeared[21] is
the Preserved
Treasure,[22] the
hidden mystery[23]
through whom all the secrets of what hath been and what will be are divulged.
This is the Day whereon the verse revealed in the
past[24] hath found
its consummation and fulfillment in the verse, “The Day when mankind shall
stand before the Lord of the Throne above the exalted
Seat.”[25]
This is the day whereon the banners of idle fancy and vain imaginings have been
subverted[26] and the
command, “We are from God and unto Him shall we
return”[27]
hath gone forth. This is the Day whereon the “Great
Announcement”[28]
which all the Prophets and Messengers had
heralded[29] hath
appeared. In this Day, those near unto
God[30] have hastened
to the sealed choice
wine[31] and have
drunk of it in the name of God, the Omnipotent, the Help in Peril, and the
Self-Subsistent. On this Day too, the cry of weeping and tears is raised from
every side[32] and
the tongue of utterance speaketh: Sorrow belongeth to the Friends of God and His
chosen ones;[33]
tribulation befitteth the lovers of God and His trusted
ones;[34] sadness and
affliction becometh the Manifestations of
God,[35] the
Possessor of all things, whether of the past or the future.
O denizens of the city of names and O countenances residing in the
chambers of the all-highest paradise! O companions of faithfulness in the
kingdom of eternity! Change ye your glad white and red garments unto black
clothes of
mourning,[36] for the
supreme calamity and the greatest loss hath come to
pass,[37] because of
which, the Messenger of
God[38] hath wailed
and lamented and the heart of
Fátimih[39]
hath melted.[40]
Thereupon, the dwellers of the Abhá Tabernacle and those sailing upon the
Crimson Ark,[41]
seated upon seats of love and loyalty, wept with a great
weeping.[42]
Ah! Ah![43]
How I lament My sorrows caused by an injustice that hath set afire the realities
of all beings; how I grieve over that which hath befallen the Sovereign of the
Visible and Invisible at the hands of those who have violated God’s
Covenant and Testament and have denied His proof, repudiated His grace and
disputed with His signs!
Ah! Ah![44]
May the spirits of the Concourse on High be a sacrifice unto the calamity Thou
didst bear, O Thou who art the Son of the
Sadratu‘l-Muntahá[45]
and the Mystery enshrined in the Most Exalted
Word![46] O would
that the command of
Creation[47] and Its
Return[48] hath not
been made manifest, for thus eyes would not have witnessed Thy Body prostrate
and wounded on the
dust![49] Because of
Thy calamity, the ocean of
utterance[50] is
prevented from billowing forth its waves of wisdom and knowledge and the breezes
of God have been stilled. Because of Thy sorrow, all traces of joy have
vanished, the fruits of the tree have fallen down, the wailing of the righteous
hath risen to high heaven, and the tears of the pious have flowed in
profusion.[51]
Ah! Ah! O Prince of Martyrs and their Sovereign, their Glory and their
Well beloved![52] I
testify that through Thee, the daystar of detachment hath shone forth over the
firmament of creation and through Thee, the temples of the near ones were
adorned with the ornament of righteousness. Through Thee, the light of divine
recognition hath shone forth in the world of
creation.[53] Were it
not for Thee, the command to knit and join together “B” and
“E”[54]
would not have gone forth and the sealed “choice
wine”[55] would
not have been
unsealed.[56] But for
Thee, the Dove of divine
testimony[57] would
not have warbled its melodies upon the branches of the tree of utterance and but
for Thee, the Tongue of
Grandeur[58] would
not have spoken amongst the peoples of all Faiths. Because of Thy sorrow, there
hath appeared separation between the two letters “Há”
and
“Waw”[59]
and the wailing of the believers in Divine Unity was raised in all lands.
Because of Thy misfortune, the Supreme Pen was prevented from raising Its shrill
voice, the ocean of bounty stilled its waves, the breezes of grace have ceased
wafting, the rivers of paradise have ceased
flowing[60] and the
daystar of justice was impeded from casting its rays.
I testify that Thou art the Sign of the All Merciful in the world of
being; Thou art the Manifestation of proof and testimony amongst all
religions.[61]
Through Thee, God hath fulfilled His promise and hath revealed His sovereignty.
Through Thee, the mystery of divine knowledge hath been divulged and the
luminary of certitude hath shone forth above the horizon of evidence. Through
Thee, the dominion of God and His cause, His mysteries and His wisdom have all
been made evident. But for Thee, the well-preserved
Treasure[62] could
not have been disclosed and the irrevocable
decree[63] would not
have effected. But for Thee, the divine summons would not have been raised from
the Sublime Horizon and the pearls of wisdom and utterance would not have been
revealed from the treasury of the Abhá Pen. Because of Thy affliction,
the joy of paradise hath been altered and the cry of the denizens of the Kingdom
of Names hath been raised. Thou art He who, by Thy turning unto God, hath caused
the faces of all men to be directed towards God, the Lord of All Being, and the
Sacred Tree[64] hath
spoken, “The Kingdom belongeth to
God,[65] the Lord of
both the visible and invisible.”
All things were as one in both their external and internal reality, but
when they heard of Thy tribulation, they became fragmented, separated, and then
appeared in different appearances, colours, and
hues.[66]
May all existent beings be a sacrifice unto Thy Being, O Thou
Dawning-Place of the Revelation of God and the Day-spring of His Most Great
Sign! And may all souls be a sacrifice to Thy afflictions and
calamity,[67] O Thou
who hath manifested the Unseen in the kingdom of creation. I bear witness that
through Thee, the dispensation of sacrifice was established in all the worlds of
God, and in Thy separation, the hearts of the true lovers melted. I bear witness
that light in its quintessence, poured lamentation over Thy afflictions and the
Sacred Mount[68] was
sore vexed at that which befell Thee at the hands of Thy enemies. But for Thee,
the All-Merciful would not have revealed Himself in the Sinai of knowledge unto
Moses, the son of Imrán.
I call on Thee and make mention of Thee, O Thou who art the
manifestation of detachment in the world of creation. O Thou the secret of
revelation in God’s dominions! Through Thee, the portals of God’s
generosity were opened and because of Thee, the light of eternity shone upon all
men. I testify that when Thy hands were raised in prayer and
hope,[69] the hands
of all humanity were raised thereby unto God, the Revealer of verses. I testify
moreover, that when Thou didst fix Thy gaze on the Abhá horizon, in
consequence, all beings turned unto God, the Expounder of testimonies. Thou art
the Point through Whom all knowledge of the past and future was divulged and
expanded. Thou art the mine from which all the jewels of science and art were
discovered. By reason of Thy calamity, the Pen of destiny stopped in its traces
and the tears of the sanctified ones gushed forth.
Ah! Ah! Because of Thy sorrow, the pillars of this world were shaken
and the order of existence itself would have well nigh returned to nothingness!
Thou art He through Whose behest every ocean was made to billow forth, every
good fragrance was wafted abroad, every wise decree was enacted, the
commandments of the Book were established amongst diverse peoples, and the
life-giving water of divine mercy was made to issue forth on the Day of
Return.[70]
I have turned to Thee, O essence of both the Torah and the Evangel, O
Thou source of the Writ of God, the Almighty, the Most Beauteous. Through Thee,
the city of self-renunciation was built up, and the banner of righteousness was
raised upon the world’s highest spots. Were it not for Thee, the fragrance
of divine recognition and knowledge would have vanished from this earth, and the
breath of the All Merciful would have ceased altogether. Through Thy power, the
might, the sovereignty and the omnipotence of God was established and because of
Thee the ocean of divine bounty was made to billow forth, and the King of
Revelation established Himself on the throne of being. I bear witness that
through Thee, the veils of glory were uplifted and the limbs of the people of
error quaked, the traces of vain imaginings disappeared, and the fruits of the
tree of idle fancy were cast
down.[71] Through Thy
most pure blood[72]
shed in His path, the city of true lovers was adorned, and in Thy sorrow,
darkness enveloped light in all
environs.[73] For
love of Thee, the true lovers hastened to the arena of sacrifice and eager
companions hastened to attain the source of the light of divine
reunion.
O Thou quintessence of being, O Thou possessor of the seen and unseen!
I know not which one of thy trials I should narrate amongst
mankind.[74] Thou art
the descending place of all the knowledge of God, the dayspring of His most
mighty signs, the daystar of the remembrance of God, and the source of His
commands.
O Thou Supreme Pen! Say: The first light that hath dawned and shone and
the first fragrance that has been wafted from eternity rest upon Thee, O Thou
Who art the rustling of the Sadrah of divine utterance, O Thou the Tree of
certitude planted in the paradise of knowledge. Through Thee, the daystar of
God’s manifestation shone forth, the Speaker of
Sinai[75] hath
spoken, and the divine behest of forgiveness and generosity hath been enforced
amongst men. I bear witness, moreover, that Thou wert the way of God and His
balance, the dayspring of His verses, the reflection of His sovereignty, and the
repository of His binding commandments and all pervasive injunctions.
Verily, Thou art the City of love and the lovers are but its hosts and
citizens; Thou art the Ark of God and the sincere ones are its companions and
wayfarers.[76] By
virtue of Thy utterance, the sea of divine knowledge billowed forth, O Thou who
art the quintessence of
knowledge.[77]
Through Thee, the daystar of certitude shone above the horizon of
testimony.
It was due to Thy clarion call, raised in the arena of martyrdom and
struggle[78] that the
cry of the embodiments of beauty were raised in the Paradise created by God, the
Rich, the Most Exalted. Because of Thy appearance, the banner of righteousness
and piety was raised and the traces of rebellion and wickedness were
obliterated. I testify, moreover, that Thou art the Treasury of the pearls of
the knowledge of God and the Repository of the gems of His utterance and
wisdom.[79]
Because of Thy calamity, the
Point[80] left its
most sublime position, and sought for itself a station beneath the Letter
Bá’.[81]
Thou art truly that Most Great
Tablet[82] upon which
is inscribed all the secrets of the past and the future and all knowledge from
all eternity to all eternity. Thou art the Supreme
Pen[83] through Whose
movement, earth and heaven were made to move and through Thee, all things have
turned to the lights emanating from the Face of God, the Lord of the throne
above and the earth below.
Ah! Ah! By virtue of Thy tragedy, lamentations, mourning, and weeping
were raised in the All-Highest Paradise, and the Maids of heaven, the sacred
houris, sought their abiding place on dust
itself![84] Great is
the blessedness of that servant who weepeth in Thy afflictions and blessed is
the handmaiden of God who cries with tears for Thy tribulations. Also, blessed
are those eyes from which tears are shed in Thy Cause. Hallowed is the earth
bearing the inestimable honour of Thy remains! Moreover, most blessed is the
spot wherein Thy most pure body was laid to
rest.[85]
All[86]
praise and sanctity is Thine, O my God, the Lord of Revelation, O Thou Who hast
cast Thy effulgent rays on Mount
Sinai![87] I adjure
Thee, by this
Light,[88] Which hath
shone forth above the firmament of detachment and renunciation, and by Which the
principle of sole reliance upon God and acquiescence unto His Will was
established. Again, I adjure Thee, by those bodies slain in Thy path! I beseech
Thee, by those hearts which have melted in Thy love, and by all the sacred blood
shed upon the earth of resignation,
[89] to
forgive all those who have turned their faces unto this Supreme Station, this
summit of exaltation, and that further, O my God, Thou mayest ordain for them
that which will ensure that the fragrance of their acceptance and sincerity will
never cease being wafted upon the divine cities of remembrance and
praise.
Thou seest, O my Lord, that they are attracted by the breezes of Thy
revelation and that they are severed from all else but Thee in Thy days. I
beseech Thee, to cause them to drink from the hand of generosity the river of
everlasting life. I beg of Thee to write down for them by Thy pen of grace and
loving-kindness, the reward of such as have attained unto Thy presence. I
beseech Thee, moreover, O Lord of all names, by Thy cause through which Thou
hast subdued the kingdoms of earth and heaven, and by Thy sweet call which hath
enthralled the denizens of Thy dominion, that Thou mayest aid all to attain that
which Thou desirest and wishest and that our stations may thereby be exalted in
the precincts of Thy glory and the canopy of nearness unto Thee. O Lord, we are
Thy servants who have fixed our gaze unto the effulgences of the lights of the
Orb of Thy revelation, which hath shone above the firmament of Thy generosity.
We beseech Thee, by the waves of the sea of Thy holy utterance amongst Thy
people, that Thou mayest assist us to perform those deeds which have been
commanded by Thee in Thy perspicuous
book.[90] Thou art He
who of those who show mercy art the most
Merciful[91] and Thou
art the Desire of all who are in heaven and on
earth.[92] I implore
Thee further, O our Lord God, by Thy power that hath encompassed all created
things, and by Thy omnipotence that has embraced all beings, that Thou mayest
illumine the throne of
tyranny[93] with the
light of the daystar of Thy justice and that Thou mayest replace the seat of
oppression and injustice with the throne of equity and fairness by Thy might and
sovereignty.
Verily, Thou art powerful to do what Thou wishest. There is no other
God but Thee, the Almighty, the Omnipotent!
Notes
[1] According
to the Leiden List of the Tablets of Bahá‘u‘lláh,
this Tablet was revealed in ‘Akká, between June
27th and early August, 1891. It is published in Risalih Ayam
Tis´ih pp. 235-44. In the opinion of this unlearned one, we can
surmise that the Tablet was revealed late in
Bahá’u’lláh’s ministry for a number of reasons;
first, the Imám Husayn is regarded in Islám as one who stood
against all forms of oppression and persecution, just as
Bahá’u’lláh had done throughout His life. In this
sense, the Tablet forms a colophon on
Bahá’u’lláh’s Own ministry. The Tablet could
also help to make the parallel between the sufferings of the Imám and
those experienced by Bahá’u’lláh Himself (as the
return of Husayn), and His martyred followers. (MW’s note).
[2] Regarding
the Zayárat form in Bábi-Bahá’í
literature, McCants writes:
Throughout his prophetic career, the Báb wrote a number of
Tablets of Visitation (ziyáratnáma) for the Imáms
and his followers. In the early days of His ministry, he wrote a Tablet of
Visitation for the Imám ‘Alí and later wrote one for all of
the Imáms known as the Ziyára Jámi‘a
al-Kabíra. The Báb also wrote a number of
ziyarátnámas for the martyrs of Tabarsí and one for
Fatima. (See McCants, William. The Wronged One:
Shí’í Narrative Structure in
Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablet of Visitation for
Mulláh Husayn). (MW’s note)
[3] Bahá’u’lláh wrote additional Tablets in this
form: besides the Tablet of Visitation for Mullá Husayn, there are
Tablets in honour of Khadijih Bagum, ‘Abdu’r-Rasul,
Hají Mullá Mihdiy-i-‘Atri (The father of Varqá),
Maryam, Vahíd-i-Darabi, the Báb, the martyrs of
Zanján, and others. (MW’s note).
[4] The third
of the Shi’ih Imáms, the youngest son of ’Alí
ibn Abú-ˇalib and Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad
(MW’s note).
[5] Here
follows the Báb’s Own testimony regarding His vision: “The
spirit of prayer which animates My soul is the direct consequence of a dream
which I had in the year before the declaration of My Mission. In My vision I saw
the head of the Imám Husayn, the
Siyyidu’sh-Shuhadá’, which was hanging upon a
tree. Drops of blood dripped profusely from His lacerated throat. With feelings
of unsurpassed delight, I approached that tree and, stretching forth My hands,
gathered a few drops of that sacred blood, and drank them devoutly. When I
awoke, I felt that the Spirit of God had permeated and taken possession of My
soul. My heart was thrilled with the joy of His Divine presence, and the
mysteries of His Revelation were unfolded before My eyes in all their
glory.” (Quoted in The Dawn Breakers, p. 253). Shoghi Effendi
mentions this vision again in God Passes By, p. 93 (MW’s
note).
[6] Likely
alluding to the following passage: “For no warrior could be found on earth
more excellent and nearer to God than Husayn, son of ‘Alí, so
peerless and incomparable was he.”
(Kitáb-i-Íqán, p 126) (MW’s
note).
[7] In the
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf (p. 90),
Bahá’u’lláh comments on Qur’án 4:59
thusly: “And likewise in the sacred verse: ‘Obey God and obey the
Apostle, and those among you invested with authority.’ By ‘those
invested with authority’ is meant primarily and more especially the
Imáms-- the blessings of God rest upon them! They, verily, are the
manifestations of the power of God, and the sources of His authority, and the
repositories of His knowledge, and the daysprings of His commandments.”
Other titles that Bahá’u’lláh bestows on the
Imáms are the ‘lamps of certitude’ and ‘those
unquenchable lights of divine guidance’.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’ refers to them as the ‘twelve
stars’ mentioned in the Revelation of St. John the Divine (MW’s
note).
[8]
“Consider the eagerness with which certain peoples and nations have
anticipated the return of Imám-Husayn, whose coming, after the
appearance of the Qá’im, hath been prophesied, in days past, by the
chosen ones of God, exalted be His glory. These holy ones have, moreover,
announced that when He Who is the Day Spring of the manifold grace of God
manifesteth Himself, all the Prophets and Messengers, including the
Qá’im, will gather together beneath the shadow of the sacred
Standard which the Promised One will raise. That hour is now come. The world
is illumined with the effulgent glory of His countenance. And yet, behold how
far its peoples have strayed from His path! None have believed in Him except
them who, through the power of the Lord of Names, have shattered the idols of
their vain imaginings and corrupt desires and entered the city of certitude.
The seal of the choice Wine of His Revelation hath, in this Day and in His Name,
the Self-Sufficing, been broken. Its grace is being poured out upon men. Fill
thy cup, and drink in, in His Name, the Most Holy, the All-Praised.”
(Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh,
IX) (MW’s note).
[9]
Karbilá is roughly 55 miles (88.5 kilometers) southwest of
Baghdád on the banks of the Euphrates. Aside from being the site
of Imám Husayn’s martrydom, it was also the last city of
residence of Shaykh
Ahmád-i-Ahsá’í before his last pilgrimage
to Makkah and Madináh and the place where he had his final meeting with
Siyyid Kazim. It was also in Karbilá that Siyyid Kazim was
received by the Báb, and made a subtle proclamation of the Latter’s
Mission to his assembled Shaykhí students. (See The
Dawnbreakers, pp 27-8). According to a statement of the Báb in one
of His prayers, He lived in Karbilá for a full year (See Selections
from the Writings of the Báb, p. 181). Robert Stockman, in his
Notes on the Báb, states that He actually only stayed for eight
months. ˇahirih lived for a period in Karbilá, after she was unable
to meet the Siyyid. Nonetheless, she taught the Báb’s Cause to
many residents in that city before she responded to His call for all loyal
followers to proceed to Khurasán.
Bahá’u’lláh Himself visited Karbilá after His
exile from ’Irán around July and August, 1851. It was also in that
city also that Bahá’u’lláh made a private declaration
of His mission to Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunuzí, in
fulfillment of a prophecy of the Báb (Dawn Breakers, p. 32-3)
(MW’s note).
[10] Zayd
‘Ibn-Arqam reported that the head of Husayn was carried aloft on a
spear past his own house window, and that he heard the head reciting: “Or
do you think that the Companions of the Cave and the inscription were among Our
wonderful signs. [Qur’án 18, 9]”. According to the account
in Tabarí, the head was taken through the streets of Kufah by a jubilant
mob. Subsequently, a group of the inhabitants of that city proceeded to
Damascus with Husayn’s head to present it to Yazíd ‘Ibn
Mu‘áwíyah, the first of the Umayyad Khalifs. Upon
seeing the head of his slaughtered enemy, it is said that Yazíd, recited
this verse: “We will split the skull of proud men (who come) against us;
they were very disobedient and oppressive.” It is also recorded that the
night after Husayn’s death, an unseen voice was heard proclaiming
these words to the people of Mecona: “O men who ignorantly killed
al-Husayn; hear the news of punishment and chastisement; All the people of
heaven, prophets, angels and slain, prosecute you. You have been cursed by the
tongue of the son of David, and (that) of Moses and (that) of the master of the
Gospels.” (MW’s note).
[11] This
passage translated in Gleanings is from the Arabic
Súratu’l-Damm (Súrah of Blood) which is an early
proclamatory tablet addressed to Nabil-i-A‘zám and revealed
around February of 1866. The text is published in
Athar-i-Qalam-i-A‘la [Traces of the Divine Pen], Vol. 4 (i)
pp. 59-67 and Athar-i-Qalam-i-A´la Vol. 4 (rev) pp. 1-15.
Taherzadeh comments on this Tablet in The Revelation of
Bahá’u’lláh, vol. 2, pp, 236-240. A full English
translation of the Tablet by Juan Cole is extent (MW’s note).
[12] Source:
Bahá’u’lláh. Tablets of
Bahá’u’lláh. Reprinted by permission. (Wilmette,
Illinois: Bahá‘í Publishing Trust,. 1978, 1984) pp. 202-211.
Reprint of Majmu´ih-‘i-Matbu´ih (“Collected Tablets
of Bahá‘u‘lláh”). Ed. Muhyi‘d-Dín
Sabri Kurdí Sanandají Kanimishkaní. Cairo:
Matba‘at as-Sa‘adah, 1920 (KF’s note, with additions by
MW).
[13]
Ziyáratnáma (MW’s note).
[14] i.e.
the third Imám of Shi’ih Islám, the second son of
‘Alí and Fatimih. An account of the martyrdom of Husayn
here follows:
At one point the Muslims of the city of Kufah, in ‘Iráq,
invited Husayn to visit them, whereupon they would publicly acclaim him as
the caliph and sole legitimate ruler of the Muslim world. So many thousands of
Kufans wrote to Husayn that, though advised not to by wise friends, he
decided to honor the request. Husayn recognized well in advance that the
Kufans, ambivalent and lacking steadfastness, might prove unfaithful. Were he to
decline the invitation, though, it would signal his willingness to abide by the
manifestly unjust and amoral rule of Yazíd and thereby precipitate a
complete fall of his grandfather's religion. Yazíd, for his part,
recognized that, were the Kufans to honor their pledge and proclaim support for
Husayn, his own hold on power would become very tenuous. He had to stop
Husayn.
Yazíd commissioned ‘Ibn Ziyad, an
appointee of Mu‘awiya, as governor of ‘Iráq. ‘Ibn
Ziyad, upon arriving at his post, threatened all who might support Husayn
with torture and death, and thereby convinced all of Husayn’s
declared supporters to abandon their oaths to Husayn and turn against him.
By this time, though, Husayn’s followers had already departed for
Kufa with about seventy of his and was not aware of his supporters’ change
of heart. Husayn did have the foresight to send an advance envoy to Kufa to
reassess his support there, but this scout was captured and beheaded before
being able to warn Husayn of the changed situation. Husayn continued
on his way, not knowing that ‘Ibn Ziyad had dispatched an army of
thousands to meet and stop him. By the second night of the month of
Muharram in the year 61 A.H. (2 October C.E. 680), Husayn had reached
an area known as the plains of Karbalá, a few dozen miles from Kufa. They
were camping here when the army of ‘Ibn Ziyad came upon them. The two
groups stood in a standoff for a few days, the army waiting to secure
Husayn’s oath of allegiance for Yazíd and Husayn and his group of followers negotiating for their freedom.
By the ninth day of Muharram neither
Husayn nor the opposing army had yielded, and ‘Ibn Ziyad sent word
that the army was to wait no longer. That night Husayn addressed his
followers, saying that the army wanted no one’s blood but his own and that
all were free to make use of the cover of darkness and escape. Morning dawned,
but none had left.
This, the tenth day of Muharram, or
ashura (‘ashura', “tenth”), was to be the day of
their deaths. Seeking a peaceful settlement, a path he believed Muhammad
would have chosen, Husayn approached his adversaries with offers of
reconciliation. Though unsuccessful, he did convince a few among the enemy to
join his side. The rest then began their slaughter. They surrounded
Husayn’s small band, preventing them from reaching the nearby
Euphrates to get much-needed water and killing any who tried. Husayn even
tried carrying forward his dehydrated infant son and pleading for a drop of
water to keep him from dying of thirst. The child was shot in the throat. With
the death of his infant child, Husayn sunk down at the door of his tent to
pray and grieve for all those who had been killed that morning.
By noon, not one of the fighting men among
Husayn’s followers was left alive. Husayn appealed once again to
‘Ibn Ziyad’s army. He reminded them with loving and respectful
words that they and their fellow Kufans had pledged to support him, the grandson
of the Prophet, and tried to convince them to end the slaughter. This proved to
be but an invitation for the battle’s most inglorious episode: Husayn
himself was shot. He asked for a brief respite to say the noonday prayer and say
good-bye to his family, which was granted. But no sooner had he finished praying
than the final assault began in earnest. The enemy swooped upon him like birds
of prey, landing so many arrows and blows of the sword upon him that he fell
from his horse. They continued to attack his helpless body, but still he clung
to the last strands of life. This tenacity inspired such awe that none would
deal him the coup de grâce. A man named Shemr [that is,
Shamir ibn Dhi al-Jawshán], sent by ‘Ibn Ziyad
to accompany the army specifically for his quality of unadulterated immorality
and brutality, stepped forward and struck off Husayn’s
head.
The army of four thousand, now having completed
its victory over a band of seventy men dying of thirst, raised the heads of the
dead on spears and, leading the roped women and children still alive, returned
to Kufa. (Winters, Jonah. “Martyrdom And Suffering In
Shi’ism” in Dying for God: Martyrdom in the
Shí‘í and Bábí Religions.
University of Toronto MA Thesis, 1997) (MW’s note).
[15] In
Shí’íh visitational tablets, the reciter begins with
praise and greetings to previous messengers or apostles, Muhammad and the
Imáms. Bahá’u’lláh instead addresses the
Manifestations of the new Dispensation. This first reference, introduced by the
affirmation “God testifieth..” is most likely to the Báb
(MW’s note).
[16] For a
litany of the expectations fulfilled by Bahá’u’lláh,
see Shawqí Affandí [Shoghi Effendi], God Passes By, pp.
94-5 (MW’s note).
[17]
Irfán (KF’s note).
[18]
Bahá’u’lláh’s universal appeal in this Tablet
reflects the importance of sacrifice, which occurs across all religious
traditions (MW’s note).
[19] The
martyrdom of seven believers in the city of Yazd, ‘Irán, seems to
be the subject of Bahá’u’lláh’s allusion here,
and was likely the occasion which lead to the revelation of this Tablet. Shoghi
Effendi records the incident in God Passes By as follows:
In Yazd, at the instigation of the mujtahid of that city, and by
order of the callous Mahmud Mírzá, the
Jalulu’l-Dawlíh, the governor, a son of
Zillu’s-Sultán, seven were done to death in a
single day in horrible circumstances. The first of these, a twenty-seven year
old youth, ‘Alí-Asghar, was strangled, his body delivered
into the hands of some Jews who, forcing the dead man’s six companions to
come with them, dragged the corpse through the streets, surrounded by a mob of
people and soldiers beating drums and blowing trumpets, after which, arriving
near the Telegraph Office, they beheaded the eighty-five year old Mullá
Mihdi and dragged him in the same manner to another quarter of the city, where,
in view of a great throng of onlookers, frenzied by the throbbing strains of the
music, they executed Áqá ‘Alí in like manner.
Proceeding thence to the house of the local mujtahid, and carrying with them the
four remaining companions, they cut the throat of Mullá
Alíy-i-Sabzivarí, who had been addressing the crowd and glorying
in his imminent martyrdom, hacked his body to pieces with a spade, while he was
still alive, and pounded his skull to a pulp with stones. In another quarter,
near the Mihriz gate, they slew Muhammad-Baqir, and afterwards, in the
Maydan-i-Khán, as the music grew wilder and drowned the yells of
the people, they beheaded the survivors who remained, two brothers in their
early twenties, Ali-Asghar and Muhammad-Hasan. The stomach of the latter was ripped open and his heart and liver plucked out, after which his
head was impaled on a spear, carried aloft, to the accompaniment of music,
through the streets of the city, and suspended on a mulberry tree, and stoned by
a great concourse of people. His body was cast before the door of his
mother’s house, into which women deliberately entered to dance and make
merry. Even pieces of their flesh were carried away to be used as a medicament.
Finally, the head of Muhammad-Hasan was attached to the lower part of
his body and, together with those of the other martyrs, was borne to the
outskirts of the city and so viciously pelted with stones that the skulls were
broken, whereupon they compelled the Jews to carry the remains and throw hem
into a pit in the plain of Salsabil. A holiday was declared by the governor for
the people, all the shops were closed by his order, the city was illuminated at
night, and festivities proclaimed the consummation of one of the most barbarous
acts perpetrated in modern times. (God Passes By, 201-2)
Interesting to note, this same incident also prompted the Revelation of
Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablet to the Times of London
(Lawh-i-Times). See The Revelation of
Bahá’u’lláh, vol. 4, pp. 348-9 (MW’s
note).
[20] This is
Bahá’u’lláh’s variation on the first part of the
shaháda (declaration of belief), which is commonly used in
Tablets of this type in the Shí’ih tradition (MW’s
note)
[21] This
introduces the second appearance of the divine Theophany, i.e.
Bahá’u’lláh Himself (MW’s note).
[22] Perhaps
the same as the ‘ Hidden Treasure’. See Momen, Moojan.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Commentary on The Islámic
Tradition: ‘I Was a Hidden Treasure ...’ It is likely that this
parable of Christ, recorded in the Gospel, is an allusion to this tradition:
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the
which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth
all that he hath, and buyeth that field.” (Matthew 13:44) (MW’s
note).
[23] See
Tablets of Bahá‘u‘lláh. p 47. (MW’s
note).
[24]
Qur’án, 33:40: “Muhammad is not the father of any of
your men, but (he is) the Apostle of God, and the Seal of the Prophets: and God
has full knowledge of all things.” This verse in
Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablet is similar to a comment in
His last major Book: “On this day the blessed words ‘But He is the
Apostle of God, and the Seal of the Prophets’ have found their
consummation in the verse, ‘The day when mankind shall stand before the
Lord of the worlds.’ Render Thou thanksgiving unto God, for so great a
bounty.” (Bahá’u’lláh: Epistle to the Son of
the Wolf, p. 114) (MW’s note).
[25] c.f.
Qur’án 27:83-4. In this connection,
Bahá’u’lláh also calls attention to
Qur’án 33:44 (“Their salutation on the Day they meet Him will
be ‘Peace!’”) in His major Book, the
Kitáb-i-Íqán. See Buck, Christopher. Symbol And
Secret: Qur’án Commentary in
Bahá’u’lláh’s Kitáb-i-Íqán.
(MW’s note).
[26] Perhaps
meant as a veiled reference to the verse: “Verily thy Lord will judge
between them on the Day of Judgment, in the matters wherein they differ (among
themselves)” (Qur’án 32:25) (MW’s note)
[27] See
Qur’án 6:108 (MW’s note).
[28]
“Concerning what are they disputing? Concerning the Great News, about
which they cannot agree. Verily, they shall soon (come to) know! Verily,
verily they shall soon (come to) know!” (Qur‘án, 78:1-5
(MW’s note).
[29] E.g.:
“Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a
destruction from the Almighty shall it come.” (Joel 1:15) See God
Passes By, pp. 94-6 (MW’s note).
[30]
“And those Foremost (in Faith) will be Foremost (in the Hereafter). These
will be those Nearest to God: In Gardens of Bliss: A number of people from those
of old, And a few from those of later times. (They will be) on Thrones encrusted
(with gold and precious stones), Reclining on them, facing each other. Round
about them will (serve) youths of perpetual (freshness), With goblets, (shining)
beakers, and cups (filled) out of clear-flowing fountains: No after-ache will
they receive therefrom, nor will they suffer intoxication: And with fruits, any
that they may select: And the flesh of fowls, any that they may desire.”
(Qur’án 56:10-21)
[31]
“Truly the Righteous will be in Bliss: On Thrones (of Dignity) will they
command a sight (of all things): Thou wilt recognise in their faces the beaming
brightness of Bliss. Their thirst will be slaked with Pure Wine sealed:
(Qur‘án 83:22-25).” See also the Kitáb-i-Aqdas,
¶5: “Think not that We have revealed unto you a mere code
of laws. Nay, rather, We have unsealed the choice Wine with the fingers of might
and power. To this beareth witness that which the Pen of Revelation hath
revealed. Meditate upon this, O men of insight!...” (MW‘s
note)
[32] Also
from the Unbelievers; see Qur’án 69:50 (MW’s
note).
[33] One can
recall Jacob’s response when told Joseph had been killed: “And he
turned away from them, and said: “How great is my grief for Joseph!”
And his eyes became white with sorrow, and he fell into silent
melancholy.” (Qur’án 12:84). It is recorded that the
Prophet - may peace be upon Him - was asked: “Who among men are those
afflicted with the greatest calamity?’ He replied:
The prophets, then the pious, everyone according to the degree of his
piety. A man is afflicted according to his faith (din); if his faith is
durable, his affliction is accordingly increased, and if his faith is weak, his
affliction is made lighter. Afflictions continue to oppress the worshipful
servant until they leave him walking on the face of the earth without any sin
cleaving to him. Musnad Ibn Hanbal.
Bahá’u’lláh also writes in the
Súriy-i-Mulúk:
“Know ye that trials and tribulations
have, from time immemorial, been the lot of the chosen Ones of God and His
beloved, and such of His servants as are detached from all else but Him, they
whom neither merchandise nor traffic beguile from the remembrance of the
Almighty, they that speak not till He hath spoken, and act according to His
commandment. Such is God’s method carried into effect of old, and such
will it remain in the future.” (Summons of the Lord of Hosts, M 47)
(MW’s note).
[34]
Possibly a play on the name ‘Karbala’, a compound word meaning
‘[land of] Karb (deep sorrow) and Balá (painful
trial). (MW’s note).
[35] Recall
Qur’án 20:86: “So Moses returned to his people in a state of
indignation and sorrow. He said: ‘O my people! did not your Lord make a
handsome promise to you?’”; Isaiah 53:3: “He is despised and
rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief..”; Mark
14:34: “And saith unto them, ‘My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto
death’” (MW’s note).
[36]
Bahá’u’lláh seems to be alluding here to a practice in
Islám, whereby it was forbidden for mourners to wear dyed clothes during
periods of mourning. See Sahih Bukharí, Vol. 7, Book
63, No. 254. Bahá’u’lláh’s call here parallels
the prophecy in Isaiah: “And in that day did the Lord God of hosts call to
weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:”
(Isaiah 22:12) (MW’s note).
[37]
Possible allusion to Isaiah 22:5: “For it is a day of trouble, and of
treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord God of hosts in the valley of
vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.”
(MW’s note).
[38] i.e.,
Muhammad (MW’s note).
[39] the
daughter of Muhammad and the wife of ‘Alí, father of
Husayn (MW‘s note)
[40]
Recounting the lamentations of sincere believers, the angels, and other figures
is a common motif used in traditional Shi‘ih mourning texts for the
Imám Husayn. See McCants, William. “The Wronged One:
Shi’ih Narrative Structure in
Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablet of Visitation for
Mullá Husayn” It is used throughout
Bahá’u’lláh’s Writings (MW’s
note).
[41] i.e.
the people of Bahá (MW’s note).
[42] i.e.
Both communities - the people of the Qur’án and the people of
Bahá - are united in sorrow (MW’s note).
[43] In the
opinion of this servant, these two exclamations, which are repeated throughout
the Tablet, probably refer to the Twin Dispensations, i.e. the Báb and
Bahá’u’lláh (MW’s note).
[44]
Bahá’u’lláh here begins the address which is
superficially to the Imám. More deeply,
Bahá’u’lláh is seemingly addressing Himself, since, as
William McCants notes, in Bahá’u’lláh’s eyes,
Husayn’s sufferings, his trials and his sacrifice are being re-enacted in
Himself. (MW’s note).
[45]
Sadratu‘l-Muntahá refers to Muhammad, the Apostle of
God; the reference to the son denotes the Imám Husayn. (MW’s
note)
[46]
Generally referring to the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh,
e.g. Summons of the Lord of Hosts H33; in the opinion of this servant, an
allusion to Bahá (MW’s note).
[47] i.e.
‘Be’; See Qur’án 2:117: “To Him is due the
primal origin of the heavens and the earth: When He decreeth a matter, He saith
to it: ‘Be,’ and it is.” Alluded to in John 1:1: “In
the beginning was the Word..” (MW’s note).
[48] See
Qur’án 10:4, 10:34, and esp. 14:19 “Seest thou not that God
created the heavens and the earth in Truth? If He so will, He can remove you and
put (in your place) a new creation?” (MW’s note)
[49] In a
symbolic sense, the Body of Husayn could be seen as the Temple of the Cause
of Muhammad (MW’s note).
[50] In the
opinion of this servant, Bahá’u’lláh’s frequent
use of the phrase, ‘the Most Great Ocean’ as an allusion to the
kingdom of Revelation stems from a metaphor in the Qur’án:
“To God belong all things in heaven and earth: verily God is He (that is)
free of all wants, worthy of all praise. And if all the trees on earth were
pens and the ocean (were ink), with seven oceans behind it to add to its
(supply), yet would not the words of God be exhausted (in the writing): for God
is Exalted in Power, full of Wisdom.” (Qur’án 31:26-7)
(MW’s note)
[51] Nabil
has related the following anecdote from the time of the Báb’s
imprisonment at Máh-Kú: “A winter followed of such
exceptional severity that even the copper implements were affected by the
intensity of the cold. The beginning of that season coincided with the month of
Muharram of the year 1264 A.H. The water which the Báb used for His
ablutions was of such icy coldness that its drops glistened as they froze upon
His face. He would invariably, after the termination of each prayer, summon
Siyyid Husayn to His presence and would request him to read aloud to Him a
passage from the Muhriqu’l-Qulub, a work composed by the late
Hájí Mullá Mihdí, the great-grandfather of
Hájí Mírzá
Kamalu’d-Dín-i-Naraqí, in which the author extols the
virtues, laments the death, and narrates the circumstances of the martyrdom of
the Imám Husayn. The recital of those sufferings would provoke
intense emotion in the heart of the Báb. His tears would keep flowing as
He listened to the tale of the unutterable indignities heaped upon him, and of
the agonizing pain which he was made to suffer at the hands of a perfidious
enemy.” (The Dawn Breakers p. 251-2)
[52]
Bahá’u’lláh now turns to a recitation of some of the
virtues and stations of Husayn, and also the Imám’s authority.
The title that Bahá’u’lláh uses here, namely
‘Prince of martyrs’
(Siyyidu’sh-Shuhadá’), underscores the
importance of Husayn’s dramatic death in Shi’ih
religious polity. McCants writes:
The central position of Husayn’s martyrdom in the formation
of Shí’íh identity can find no greater parallel in
religious writing than the Passion of Jesus of Nazareth. Both men, as portrayed
in later accounts, were betrayed by their followers. Both were left to die
alone and abandoned, pierced with wounds and mourned by a few pious women.
Death, however, was merely a vehicle for victory in both narratives, granting
lasting influence to the men who had offered up their lives for Truth and
thereby demonstrated the falsity of their persecutors acts. This core narrative
of betrayal, abandonment, suffering, martyrdom, and victory forms the emotional
center of both Christianity and Shí’íh Islám.
(See McCants, William. “The Wronged One: Shí’íh
Narrative Structure in Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablet
of Visitation for Mulláh Husayn”) (MW’s
note).
[53] Also
concerning the effects of Husayn’s sacrifice,
Bahá’u’lláh writes: “By the righteousness of
God! Through his deed the fragrances of holiness were wafted over all things,
the proof of God was perfected, and His testimony made manifest to all
men.” (Summons of the Lord of Hosts, M52) (MW’s
note).
[54]
“Shoghi Effendi, in letters written on his behalf, has explained the
significance of the ‘letters B and E’. They constitute the word
Be’, which, he states, ‘means the creative Power of God Who through
His command causes all things to come into being” and ‘the power of
the Manifestation of God, His great spiritual creative force.’”
Universal House of Justice, Kitáb-i-Aqdas, n.188. (MW’s
note).
[55] A
reference to Qur’án 83:25-6: “Their [the righteous] thirst
will be slaked with Pure Wine sealed: The seal thereof will be Musk: And for
this let those aspire, who have aspirations.” (MW’s
note).
[56] See
Kitáb-i-Aqdas, ¶ 5 (MW’s note).
[57] A title
of Bahá’u’lláh. See Tablets of
Bahá‘u‘lláh, p.240 (MW’s note).
[58] Another
title of Bahá’u’lláh (MW’s note).
[59]
‘H’ and ‘W’ together i.e. Huwa refer to the
divine pronoun “He” (KF’s note).
[60] There
are many Qur’ánic references to the rivers of Paradise, e.g.: 2:25,
74, 3:15, 195, 4:57, 122, 5:88, 9:89, 14:23, 18:31, 25:10, 47:12, 15, 48:17,
54:54, 61:12, 65:11, 85:11, 98:8. These rivers symbolize the Word of God:
“Say: We have caused the rivers of Divine utterance to proceed out of Our
throne, that the tender herbs of wisdom and understanding may spring forth from
the soil of your hearts. Will ye not be thankful?” (Gleanings from the
Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Section XVIII, 43)
(MW’s note).
[61] Here,
again following the traditional form, Bahá’u’lláh is
recognizing the spiritual station of the Imám Husayn; yet, in a
deeper sense, in the opinion of this servant,
Bahá’u’lláh is actually addressing the ideal of
sacrifice, as embodied by Husayn and taught in all the Scriptures
(MW‘s note).
[62] i.e.
Bahá’u’lláh; see God Passes By, p. 94. In the
story as given in the Qur’án, Joseph is dumped into a well by his
brothers, but discovered by a waterboy from a passing caravan: “He said:
‘Ah there! Good news! Here is a (fine) young man!’ So they concealed
him as a treasure!” (Qur’án 12:19). Hence, in one of His
Tablets, Bahá’u’lláh also identifies Himself as the
‘Divine Joseph’; See Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá’u’lláh, 208. (MW’s note).
[63] Cf.
Qur’án 33:38: “And the command of God is a decree
determined.” (MW’s note).
[64]
Qur’án 24:35 (MW’s note).
[65]
“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven,
saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord,
and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.’”
Revelation 11:15 (MW’s note).
[66] One
possible interpretation: the religion of God (meaning, in this case, the Faith
of Muhammad) was one before Husayn’s martyrdom, but afterwards,
it became divided between the Shi’ih and Sunní communities.
The reference to diverse shades and hues could indicate the fall season, before
the coldness of the winter, at which time the faith began to suffer serious
disintegration (MW’s note).
[67] In
typical visitation texts, the believer asks to be numbered among
Husayn’s companions at His martyrdom;
Bahá’u’lláh, as a token of His grace, makes this plea
on behalf of all mankind, that they will be recognized as martyrs for
Husayn’s cause (MW’s note)
[68] Likely
a reference to Mount Hirrá’, where Muhammad received
revelation (MW’s note).
[69] In the
account given in Tabarí, before he was martyred, Husayn raised his
hands to God and prayed:
O God, it is You in Whom I trust amid all grief. You are my hope amid
all violence. You are my trust and provision in everything that happens to me,
(no matter) how much the heart may seem to weaken in it, trickery may seem to
diminish (my hope) in it, the friend may seem to desert (me) in it, and the
enemy may seem to rejoice in it. It comes upon me through You and when I
complain to You of it, it is because of my desire for You, You alone. You have
comforted me in (everything) and have revealed its (significance to me). You are
the Master of all grace, the Possessor of all goodness and the Ultimate Resort
of all desire. (MW’s note)
[70] i.e,
the Day of Judgement; many Qur’ánic references, e.g. : “They
ask, ‘When will be the Day of Judgment and Justice?’ (It will be) a
Day when they will be tried (and tested) over the Fire!”
(Qur’án 51:12-3) (MW’s note).
[71]
Commenting of Husayn’s possible motivations and the impact of his
sacrifice, S.H.M. Jafri, a modern Shí’íh historian, has
written:
...it is clear that Husayn, was fully aware of the dangers he
would encounter and that he had a certain strategy and plan in mind to bring
about a revolution in the consciousness of the Muslim community. Furthermore, it
is also very clear from the sources, as has been started before, that
Husayn did not try to organize or mobilize military support, which he
easily could have done in the Hijaz, nor did he even try to exploit whatever
physical strength was available to him...
Is it conceivable that anyone striving for power would ask his
supporters to abandon him?... What then did Husayn have in mind? Why was he
still heading for Kufa?
It is rather disappointing to note that Western scholarship on
Islám, given too much to historicism, has placed all its attention on the
discrete external aspects of the event of Karbalá and has never tried to
analyze the inner history and agonizing conflict in Husayn’s mind...
A careful study and analysis of the events of the Karbalá as a whole
reveals the fact that from the very beginning Husayn was planning for a
complete revolution in the religious consciousness of the Muslim. All of his
actions show that he was aware of the fact that a victory achieved through
military strength and might is always temporal [sic], because another stronger
power can in course of time bring it down in ruins. But victory achieved through
suffering and sacrifice in everlasting and leaves permanent imprints on
man’s consciousness... The natural process of conflict and struggle
between action and reaction was now at work. That is, Muhammad’s
progressive Islamic action had succeeded in suppressing Arab conservatism,
embodied in heathen pre-Islamic practices and ways of thinking. But in less than
thirty year’s time this Arab conservatism revitalized itself as a forceful
reaction to challenge Muhammad’s action once again.. The strength of
this reaction, embodied in Yazíd’s character, was powerful enough
to suppress or at least deface Muhammad’s action. Islám as
now, in the thinking Husayn, in dire need of reactivation of
Muhammad’s action against the old Arabian reactions and thus required
a complete shake-up...
Husayn’s acceptance of Yazíd, with the latter’s
openly reactionary attitude against Islámic norms, would not have meant
merely a political arrangement, as had been the case with Hasan and
Mu’awiya, but an endorsement of Yazíd’s character and way of
life as well...
Husayn prepared his strategy... He realized that more force of
arms would not have saved Islamic action and consciousness. To him it needed a
shaking and jolting of hearts and feelings. This, he decided, could only be
achieved through sacrifice and sufferings. This should not be difficult to
understand, especially for those who fully appreciate the heroic deeds and
sacrifices of, for example, Socrates and Joan of Arc, both of whom embraced
death for their ideals, and above all of the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ for
the redemption of mankind.
It is in this light that we should read Husayn’s replies to
those well-wishers who advised him not to go to ‘Iráq. It also
explains why Husayn took with him his women and children, though advised by
‘Ibn’Abbas [his father’s cousin] that should he insist on his
project, at least he should not take his family with him. Aware to the extent of
the brutal nature of the reactionary forces, Husayn knew that after killing
him, the Umayyads would make his women and children captives and take them all
the way from Kufa to Damascus. This caravan of captives of Muhammad’s
immediate family would publicize Husayn’s message and would force the
Muslim’s heart to ponder on the tragedy. It would make the Muslims think
of the whole affair and would awaken their consciousness. This is exactly what
happened. Husayn succeeded in his purposes. It is difficult today to
evaluate exactly the impact of Husayn’s action on Islamic morality
and way of thinking, because it prevailed. Had Husayn not shaken and
awakened Muslim consciousness by this method, who knows whether
Yazíd’s way of life would have become standard behaviour in the
Muslim community, endorsed and accepted by the grandson of the Prophet. No
doubt, even after Yazíd kingship did prevail in Islám, and the
character and behaviour in the personal lives of these kings was not very
different from that Yazíd, but the change of thinking which prevailed
after the sacrifice of Husayn always served as a line of distinction
between Islámic norms and the personal character of the rulers.
It would be difficult to exaggerate the impact and importance of the
martyrdom of Husayn for Shí’ís. Although it was
the usurpation of ‘Ali’s right that is looked upon by
Shí’íhs as the event initiating their movement and
giving it intellectual justification, it was Husayn’s martyrdom that
gave it its impetus and implanted its ideas deep in the heart of the people. To
this day it is the martyrdom of Husayn that is the most fervently
celebrated event in the Shí’íh calendar. During the first
ten days of Muharram, the whole Shí’í world is
plunged into mourning.
Above all, the martyrdom of Husayn has given
Shí’í Islám a whole ethos of sanctification
through martyrdom. Although the Shí’ís were
persecuted all through their early history and, according to their traditions,
every single one of the Imáms suffered martyrdom, it is above all the
martyrdom of Husayn that has given this characteristic to
Shí’í Islám; a characteristic that recent
events in Irán have demonstrated to be as strong as ever. (MW’s
note).
[72] In
Shi’ih visitation texts, the believer often testifies to the purity
of the Imám, or mentions that His blood was spilt solely for the path of
God (MW’s note).
[73] On this
point, Bahá’u’lláh writes:
“For instance,
consider the pervading power of those drops of the blood of Husayn which
besprinkled the earth. What ascendancy and influence hath the dust itself,
through the sacredness and potency of that blood, exercised over the bodies and
souls of men! So much so, that he who sought deliverance from his ills, was
healed by touching the dust of that holy ground, and whosoever, wishing to
protect his property, treasured with absolute faith and understanding, a little
of that holy earth within his house, safeguarded all his possessions. These are
the outward manifestations of its potency. And were We to recount its hidden
virtues they would assuredly say: ‘He verily hath considered the dust to
be the Lord of Lords, and hath utterly forsaken the Faith of God.’”
Kitáb-i-Íqán. p 127-8. (MW’s
note)
[74] A
subtle reference, indicating that Bahá’u’lláh does not
intend to recount the trials of the ’Imám, and, by extension, does
not wish to follow the form of a traditional Shi’ite mourning text
(MW’s note).
[75]
Bahá’u’lláh. See Tablets of
Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 50, 52, 107 (MW’s
note).
[76] lit.
crew and passengers (KF’s note)
[77]
‘Irfán (KF’s note)
[78] The
mentioning of Husayn’s struggle in the path of God
(mujáhada) is a common element in visitation Tablets in the
Shi’ih tradition (MW’s note).
[79] In the
Peak of Eloquence, the Imám ‘Alí states: “We
the people of the house (of the Prophet - Ahlu’l-Bayt) possess the
doors of wisdom and light of governance.” (MW’s note).
[80] the
Nuqtih (KF’s note).
[81] In the
Writing of Arabic Letters, in the sense that Letters reflect Spiritual
Realities, the Nuqtih [Point] resides below the Letter B
[Bá]. The Point refers to the dot under the Arabic letter
bá, symbolizing the entirety of the Qur‘án. By the
phrase, “left its most sublime position”, the ending of the
Qur’ánic dispensation is meant. The rest of the verse,
“..and sought for itself a station beneath the Letter
Bá’” refers to the rebirth of the Point as the second part of
the same letter, which now alludes to the dispensation of Bahá, i.e. the
Blessed Beauty. The implication of motion as applied to the Point, could also
allude to the Báb (the Point of the Bayán), as the forerunner.
The reason that these allusions are made in reference to the calamity of
Husayn’s martyrdom is that the spiritual and temporal consequences of
that act made the Missions of both the Báb and
Bahá’u’lláh all the more necessary (KF’s
note).
[82]
Bahá’u’lláh also speaks of Himself as the
“Preserved Tablet”. See Prayers and Meditations by
Bahá‘u‘lláh, p.286.
[83] This
address is used by Bahá’u’lláh throughout His Writings
exclusively as a reference to Himself. See Kitáb-i-Aqdas, n. 24:
“ ‘Pen of the Most High’, ‘the Supreme Pen’ and
‘the Most Exalted Pen’ are references to
Bahá’u’lláh, illustrating His function as Revealer of
the Word of God.” It also echoes the statement by ’Alí, the
first Imám, in the Khutbih-i-Tutunjiyyih (Sermon of the
Gulf): “I was with the Pen before the Pen” (Trans. Khazeh
Fananapazir) (MW’s note).
[84] The
mention of the weeping of Husayn’s family and his followers is a
common theme of Shí’íh Visitation Tablets for the martyred
Imám (MW’s note).
[85]
Following their martyrdom, the bodies of Husayn and his companions were
trampled on by horsemen, and then left for three days on the plain of
Karbilá; in October of 680 A.D. (61 A.H.) they were buried by a passing
tribe at the same spot. In August of 684, a small mosque was erected on the
site, consisting of two entrances and a single dome. In June, 787, during the
reign of Al-Rashíd, the dome and roof were destroyed. The building was
reconstructed in October of 808 by Amín. This reconstruction was
demolished by Mutawakkil who ordered that the land should be ploughed. Between
861 and 886, the gravesite was marked only by a single iron pillar. In August
977, Adzd ‘Ibn Boweih rebuilt the roof, the dome and the sepulchre, added
houses to surround the site, and raised a wall around the city. These buildings
were damaged by fire in 1016, and were rebuilt. In 1365, Sultán
Owais ‘Ibn Hasan Jalairí remodeled the dome and raised the
walls of the enclosure. In 1514, Sháh Ismail Safawí
visited the holy shrine and he added an inlaid sarcophagus over the grave. In
July, 1796 the Qájár monarch, Muhammad Sháh,
covered the dome of the shrine with gold. His grandson,
Nasír’id-Dín Sháh extended the courtyard of
the shrine in May of 1866. (MW’s note).
[86] Here
begins the final prayer (du‘a), which closes the Tablet. Unlike in
Shi’ih works of this nature, there are no genuflections performed
with this prayer, and it is addressed, not to Husayn, but to God. Also,
typically, before this closing devotion, the reciter asks God to curse
(la‘ana) the Imám’s enemies, since, in the
Qur’án, Alláh promises curses on those who reject true faith
or do wrong (See e.g. 11:18: “Behold! the Curse of God is on those who do
wrong!” and 2:161-2: “Those who reject Faith, and die rejecting,-
on them is God’s curse, and the curse of angels, and of all mankind; They
will abide therein: Their penalty will not be lightened, nor will respite be
their (lot).” This element is absent in
Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablet. However, the Báb
writes: “Erelong We will, in very truth, torment such as waged war against
Husayn, in the Land of the Euphrates, with the most afflictive torment, and
the most dire and exemplary punishment....” (MW’s note).
[87] In this
context, “Sinai” likely is a reference to the entire
Judeo-Christian-Islámic tradition, and “effulgent rays”
indicates divine revelation. Alternatively, it possibly refers to the
revelation of divine law (MW’s note).
[88] i.e.,
the Imám Husayn. See the statement from ‘Alí in the
Nahj-ul-Balagha (Peak of Eloquence): “I am among you like a lamp in
the darkness. Whoever enters by it will be lit from it.”
[89]
Bahá’u’lláh transforms the final prayer, usually a
request for intercession and forgiveness on behalf of the supplicant and his
family addressed to Husayn, to one of absolution and exaltation for His
followers, addressed to God Himself. Also of significance here is that the
suffering of all believers in God throughout history is portrayed as having
their fulfillment or consummation in this new dispensation (MW’s
note).
[90]
Properly, the Book of Law, i.e. the Bayán or the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas; generically, it refers to a book of divine
Revelation (MW’s note).
[91] See
Qur’án 7:151, 12:92, 23:109 and 23:118 (MW’s
note).
[92] We
recall the cry of David: “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is
none upon earth that I desire beside thee.” (Psalms 73:25) (MW’s
note).
[93]
Bahá’u’lláh uses this phrase in reference to the
Sublime Porte in Constantinople; likely, it refers to tyranny generally here
(MW’s note).