Bahá'u'lláh in Constantinople

"spot that art situate on the shores of the two seas" [KA217]

Upon arrival He and His family were driven to the residence of Shamsi Big near the Sharif Mosque. They stayed here about one month. His companions were given accommodation elsewhere in the city. [BKG197, 204; GPB157–61, HDBFXXVIII]

• See BKG197–204 for an account of Bahá'u'lláh's stay.
• His arrival in Constantinople and stay of about 5 years marked the first time in history that a Manifestation of God had set foot in the European continent. [Message from the Universal House of Justice dated 2 June 1982 addressed To the Friends gathered at the International Conference in Dublin.]
• Among the works Bahá'u'lláh revealed in Constantinople was Mathnaví-i-Mubárak. [RB2:29–54]

Prelude to the exile from Constantinople:
• It was during Bahá'u'lláh's stay in Constantinople that the conciliatory attitude of the authorities changed to that of hostility as a direct consequence of the intrigues and misrepresentations of the Persian Ambassador. [ALM16]
• News was brought to Bahá'u'lláh by Shamsí Big of the possibility that He would be transferred to Adrianople. [BKG199]
• Bahá'u'lláh refused to leave, on pain of martyrdom, but Mírzá Yahyá and his comrades, cowardly and fearful, persuaded Him to go. [BKG201–3]
• Sultán 'Abdu'l-'Azíz issued an edict banishing Bahá'u'lláh to Adrianople. It was issued "less than four months after the arrival of the exiles." [GPB159–60; RB2:57]
• The decision was taken to further exile Bahá'u'lláh in part due to the machinations of the Persian Ambassador Mírzá Husayn Khán and his accomplice, Hájí Mírzá Hasan-i-Safá whose government was continually pressing the Turkish forces to arouse hostility against HIm. [GPB159]
• See BBIC:34, note 68, BKG201 and GPB159 for reasons for the edict.
• On the same day Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Lawh-i-'Abdu'l-'Azíz-Va-Vukalá, a Tablet addressed to the Sultán. When the Grand Vizier perused it he turned pale. The text of this Tablet has been lost. [BKG206; GPB160]
• "...Sultán 'Abdu'l-'Azíz, the self-styled vicar of the Prophet of Islám and the absolute ruler of a mighty empire. So potent, so august a personage was the first among the sovereigns of the world to receive the Divine Summons, and the first among Oriental monarchs to sustain the impact of God's retributive justice." [GPB158]

Bahá'u'lláh and His companions left Constantinople for Adrianople. Carriages, wagons and pack animals were provided as well as ox-carts for their possessions. [BKG204; GPB161; RB2:427; ALM22]
• His departure has been described by Shoghi Effendi as the event that "closes the opening scene of one of the most dramatic episodes in the ministry of Bahá'u'lláh". [GPB162]
• The journey took twelve days and they passed through the following villages en route: [BKG204; GPB161; The Bahá'í Faith 1844-1953 :Information Statistical & Comparative p43]
• Kúchik-Chakmachih Three hours from Constantinople - spent one night [N7N21]
• Buyúk-Chakmachih Arrived about noon. [N&N23]
  • Picture of the bridge at Buyúk-Chakmachih (Büyükçekmece) which Bahá'u'lláh and His companions crossed on their way from Constantinople to Adrianople.
  • Map.
• Salvarí The procession left at midnight in the pouring rain and intense cold.
• Birkás
• Bábás
• Bábá-Iskí
• See BKG204–5, GPB161 and RB2:62 for the rigours of the journey. The winter was extremely cold and the travellers were not clad for freezing weather.

Bahá'u'lláh in Adrianople

Bahá'u'lláh and His companions arrived in Adrianople (the "remote prison") ("The Land of Mystery") (GPB174). It would be here where the sun of His revelation would ascend to its zenith, where He proclaimed the Message of His revelation to the whole world. [BKG206; GPB161; RB2:62]

• Picture.
• This was the furthest point from His native land that Bahá'u'lláh reached and the first time in known history that a Manifestation of God had lived on the European continent. [BKG217]
• See BKG218–19, 221–2; GPB161–2 and MRHK179–96 for a description of the houses Bahá'u'lláh lived in during this period.
• See BKG219–20 for the hardships of the first winter.
  "at a time when the forces of schism had rent asunder the ties that united the little band of exiles which had settled in Adrianople and whose fortunes seemed then to have sunk to their lowest ebb!" [BW5p175]

Bahá'u'lláh and His family stayed for one week at a house in the Murádíyyih quarter of the city, in the north-eastern section near Takyiy-i-Mawlavi. The house was located on high ground with a good view of the city and close to the Muradiyyih mosque. The rest of the exiles remained at the inn. [BKG218] During this time He revealed:
• Kitáb-i-Badí' (The Wonderous or Unique Book) .

Bahá'u'lláh and His family spent about six to ten months in another house in the Murádíyyih quarter near the Takyiy-i-Mawlaví. Those who were still in the caravanserai moved to the house thus vacated. Next door to this house a place was rented for Áqáy Ridá, Mírzá Yahyá and their families. [BW19p584; BKG221]

During this time He revealed the following:

• Lawh-i-Sayyáh (Tablet of the Traveller. [BKG220] (Leiden list suggests "following Separation, February - June 1867]
• Lah-i-Naqtih (Tablet of the Point). [BKG220]

'Abdu'l-Bahá wrote the Sharh-i Kuntu Kanzan Makhfiyan, the commentary on the well-known Islamic tradition 'I was a Hidden Treasure …' for 'Alí Shawkat Páshá.
• See Commentary on the Islamic Tradition "I Was a Hidden Treasure..." by Abdu'l-Bahá translated by Moojan Momen. In the article, he refers to another provisional translation done by Baharieh Ma'ani in collaboration with Hooper Dunbar.
• See 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Response to the Doctrine of the Unity of Existence by Keven Brown Fourth Section.
• See as well BNE52. Here, 'Abdu'l-Bahá is described as "about fifteen or sixteen years of age".
• Mention of this Tablet is made in Messages to Canada, p34-35, where, in a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, it is stated that the Tablet is about 50 pages in length and had been published in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's second volume of His Tablets published in Egypt.
• A Tablet of Baháʼuʼlláh, recently discovered by Necati Alkan and available in provisional translation by Adib Masumian, indicates that it was written during the sojourn in Edirne. The original text has been published in Safíniy-i-ʻIrfán, vol. 6, p. 10 (2003). In the Tablet Bahá'u'lláh says that Ali (Şevket/Shawkat) Pasha requested 'Abdu'l-Bahá to write His commentary "during the days of stopover/residence in the Land of Mystery" (dar ayyám-i tavaqquf dar Ard-i Sirr).

  And now concerning the extensive commentary on the Islamic tradition which begins, "I was a hidden treasure…" During the days of Our sojourn in the Land of Mystery, ʻAlí Páshá had asked the Most Mighty Branch of God—may My life be a sacrifice for the ground which His most pure footsteps have trodden—to provide a commentary on this hadith. This He did in accordance with the exigencies of the time, and His purpose was that all may benefit from it…

  As per a 1995 article prepared for The Bahá'í Encyclopedia, it was previously believed that 'Abdu'l-Bahá was 17 years old at the time of writing, if so, this would have dated the Tablet at about 1861. Given that this new evidence proves that it was written in Edirne, He would have been 19 years old but more probably in his early twenties. [Thanks to Necati Alkan for providing this correction and to Adib Masumian for doing the translation at his request.] iiiii

Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Suriy-i- 'Ibad (Tablet of the Servants) for Siyyid Mihdíy-i-Dahájí Ismu'lláh, who, at that time, was the custodian of the Most Great House in Baghdad.

In it the urges him to live a pious life, to cleanse his heart from the defilement of the world, and to become detached from his own self and all created things. Bahá'u'lláh extols His own Essence, and states that for many years He had revealed the Words of God in great profusion while hiding His glory behind many veils of concealment. When the appointed hour had struck, however, He unveiled His exalted station and shed an infinitesimal measure of the light of His countenance upon all created things. As a result of this outpouring, the Concourse on high and the chosen ones of God were awestruck and dumbfounded. [RoB2p274]

• The title Ismu'lláhu'l-Mihdí (The Name of God, the Guide) had been conferred upon the siyyid by Bahá'u'lláh but after His passing he became a Covenant-breaker and became known as Takhthe-Kanah-si (Bedbug) because of his stubborn personality. [MMoB720]

Bahá'u'lláh and His family moved to the house of Amru'lláh (The Cause of God) located to the north of the Mosque of Sultán Salím and close to it. They occupied the upper floor, Mírzá Muhammad-Qulí and his family the middle one and some of the attendants were housed on the ground floor. Other houses were found in the same quarter, one for Áqáy-i-Kalím and his family and one for Mírzá Yahyá and his. [BKG221, ALM35]
• Picture - The Mosque of Sultan Salim.
• Picture - The interior of the mosque.
• Picture - The interior of the mosque.
• It was while they were in this house that Mírzá Yahyá, a discontent since the early days in Baghdad, began to rebel more openly with support from Siyyid Muhammad-i-Isfahani. It was the "first major internal convulsion which seized a newly re-arisen community and which threatened to cause an irreparable breach in the ranks of its members". Bahá'u'lláh designated this period and the time following as Ayyám-i-Shidád (Days of Stress) . [BKG223-233; GPB163]

His name was mentioned in many Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, consoling his family. His son was appointed caretaker of the pilgrims in 'Akká and he served in this capacity until the days of Shoghi Effendi. [FAA8]

In their efforts to discredit Bahá'u'lláh and His companions, the followers of Azál made complaints to the authorities. They alleged that they had insufficient means of livelihood, blaming Bahá'u'lláh for depriving them of their share of the allowances. Àqá Ján Kajkuláh, instigated by Siyyid Muhammad, wrote to dignitaries and government representatives with the false accusation that Bahá'u'lláh had made an alliance with Bulgaria for the purpose of conquering Constantinople.
• The Persiana ambassador in Constantinople took advantage of the disturbance in Turkey to inform Persian Consuls in Iraq and in Egypt that the Turkish government had withdrawn protection for the Bábí sect. This news precipitated malice and mischief in both countries. [FAA7]

Mírzá Yahyá began his attempts on Bahá'u'lláh's life about one year after the arrival of the exiles. He invited Bahá'u'lláh to a feast and shared a dish, half of which was laced with poison. Bahá'u'lláh was ill for 21 days following this attempt and was left with a shaking hand for the rest of His life.
• Bahá'u'lláh was attended by a foreign Christian doctor named Shíshmán who died shortly after seeing Him. Bahá'u'lláh intimates that the doctor has sacrificed his life for Him.
• On another occasion he poisoned the well which provided water for the family and companions of Bahá'u'lláh. [BKG225]
• Mírzá Yahyá tried to convince the barber, Ustád Muhammad-'Alíy-i-Salmání, to assassinate Him at the public bath. This enraged the barber and, contrary to Bahá'u'lláh's instructions, he disclosed Mírzá Yahyá's intentions to the community thus causing further discontent. [CH60, BKG225–30, CB82–3, GPB165-166 and RB2:158–61]

Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Persian Tablet of Ahmad (Lawh-i-Ahmad-i-Fársi) sometime between 1864 and 1865 for Haji Mirza Ahmad-i-Kashani, "a self-professed devotee of His whose scandalous acts and insincere behaviour had outraged other members of Bahá'u'lláh's retinue. In this relatively long letter Bahá'u'lláh admonishes Mirza Ahmad and others like him to cast off their waywardness and direct themselves to the path of piety and righteousness." [BB.S118]
• Hájí Mírzá Ahmad-i-K´sháni was a close companion of Siyyid Muhammad-i-Isfahání. See BKG231 and EGB64-65 for his fate. [BKG222-223]
• Two passages can be found in Gleanings, CLII, CLIII.

Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Arabic Tablet of Ahmad (Lawh-i-Ahmad) for Ahmad, a believer from Yazd. [RB2:107]
• The Tablet may have been revealed as early as 1864.
• See RB2:107–66 for the story of Ahmad. He had walked from Baghdad to Constantinople, a distance of 1,600km on his way to visit Bahá'u'lláh in Adrianople. He was some 220km away when he received the Tablet. Upon reading it he understood that Bahá'u'lláh wanted him to proclaim that Bahá'u'lláh was the promised successor to the Báb and so he immediately started his journey to Persia, a 3,200km trip.
• See Bahá'í News No 432 March 1967 pg 1 for A Flame of Fire: The Story of the Tablet of Ahmad by A.Q. Faizi. Part 2 of the story can be found in the April 1967 edition. Alternatively see Blogspot and Bahá'í Library.
• The Ocean of His Words by John Hatcher deals with this Tablet in chapter7.
• See RB2:119–26 for an analysis of the Tablet.
• Shoghi Effendi states that the Tablet has a special potency and significance. [DG60]
• See "Ahmad, The Flame of Fire" by Darius Shahrokh.
• See Commentaries on Three Major Tablets by John Kolstoe pages 1-86.
• See Learn Well This Tablet by H. Richard Gurninsky, published by George Ronald Publisher, Oxford, 2000.
  • See the website.
• See YouTube On the Tablet of Ahmad by Richard Gurinsky.

Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Law-i-Laylatu'l-Quds in honour of Darvish Sidq-'Alí*. In this Tablet He exhorts His followers to be united in such wise that all traces of division and estrangement may vanish from among them. [* MoF36-8; BKG482] [RoB2p188]
• There is a partial translation of the Tablet in Gleanings.
• See Tablet of the Sacred Night by Bahá'u'lláh translated by Juan Cole.
• See Lawh-i-Laylatu'l-Quds: Letter from the Universal House of Justice, plus translator's introduction, notes by Sen McGlinn, Juan Cole, Ahang Rabbani. [BW19p584; N&N23]
• See The Lawh-i Laylat al-Quds by Stephen N. Lambden.
• See Bahaipedia.

Prior to and during the crisis that was to follow, Bahá'u'lláh began revealing Tablets at a prodigious rate. From about this time until approximately June, 1867 when He transferred His residence to the house of 'Izzat Áqá, Bahá'u'lláh had revealed the following Tablets among numerous others:
• The Lawḥ-i-Nuqṭih (The Tablet of the Point)
• The Lawḥ-i-Aḥmad-i-Arabí (The Tablet of Ahmad, Arabic), revealed in honour of Ahmad of Yazd.
• The Súriy-i-Aṣḥáb (Tablet of the Companions) addressed to Mírzá Áqáyi-Muníb. [BW19p584]
  • Introduction to the Tablet of Ashab by Juan Cole
  • . (Leiden List says "Cole: Winter about 1866; Lambden: circa 1964")
  • The Lawḥ-i-Sayyáḥ (Tablet of the Traveller) (Note there are several Tablets with this name revealed at different times to different recipients.)
  • The Súriy-i-Damm (The Tablet of Blood) addressed to Nabíl-i-A'zam. [N&N27]
  • The Súriy-i-Ḥajj (Tablet of Pilgrimage) for pilgrimage to the House of the Báb
  • The Lawḥu'r-Rúḥ (Tablet of the Spirit)
  • The Lawḥu'r-Riḍván
  • The Lawḥu't-Tuqá (The Tablet of Piety or the Fear of God)
    [GPB171; N&N23-29; BW13p1061-1062]
  • Súriy-i-Amr (Surih of Command) (Leiden list suggests late 1865 - early 1866]
• 1866-03-01 —
  The Most Great Separation

  Mírzá Yáhyá's behaviour could no longer be tolerated or concealed. Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Súriy-i-Amr (Súrih of Command) as a direct order to him. [CH60, 83, CB84; GBP166; BKG223-245]

  • This was the formal announcement to the nominee of the Báb of the station of 'Him Whom God shall make manifest' and a summons for him to pay allegiance to His Cause. [CB83–4; RB2:161]
    • It should be noted that the Báb never appointed a successor or an interpreter. Shoghi Effendi refers to him as the "titular head" and "a mere figurehead". [GPB90]
    • Bahá'u'lláh Himself conceived of the plan to elevate Yáhyá's status in the eyes of the public to divert attention from Himself. [TN37; RoB1p53-54]
    • See [RoB2p241-242] for the story of the nightingale and the crow.
    • See [UD631n] for information in his titles.
    • See as well the memorandum from the Research Department to the Uniververal House of Justice regarding the appointment of Azal and his titles.
  • Bahá'u'lláh directed his amanuensis to take the Tablet to Mírzá Yáhyá. Upon receipt he became very angry and a "jealous fire consumed him". He responded, after a requested day's respite, by claiming that he was the recipient of a divine revelation and all must turn to him. [CH60, BKG230; CB84; GPB166–7; RB2:162]
  • Shoghi Effendi described this event as "one of the darkest dates in Bahá'í history and was the signal for the open and final rupture between Bahá'u'lláh and Mírzá Yahyá. [GPB167]
  • The announcement that Bahá'u'lláh was the Promised One spread quickly to Iraq and to Persia. The followers were happy for the clarification and glad to be rid of Yáhyá. Only the express command of Bahá'u'lláh prevented them from ridding the world of such nefarious traitor. [CH61]
  • It is believed that Yáhyá's conduct and accusations precipitated the next exile. [CH61]
• 1866-03-02 — Khurshíd Páshá took up the governorship of Adrianople. [BBR487; BKG233]
• 1866-03-03 —
  Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Lawh-i-Bahá in honour of Khátún Ján, a believer and close friend of Táhirih. [RB2:171, 179]
  • It was probably revealed just before He took up residence in the house of Ridá Big. [RB2:171]
  • This was the first Tablet in which Bahá'u'lláh used the term 'people of Bahá' to refer to His followers, to distinguish them from the 'people of the Bayán'. [RB2:179]
• 1866-03-10 —
  Bahá'u'lláh and His family withdrew from the house of Amru'lláh, the residence shared with the exiles, and went to the house of Ridá Big. [BKG230; GPB167; RB2:162]
  • He stayed in this house for about one year. [GPB168]
  • See BKG235 for a description of the house of Ridá Big.
  • Bahá'u'lláh went into isolation for two months. He ordered that all of the family's goods should be divided. He even hed delivered to him certain relics he had long coveted such as the seals, rings and manuscripts in the handwriting of the Báb. The companions were to choose between Himself and Azal. This has become known as the 'Most Great Separation'. [BBRSM67; BKG230–2; GPB167–8; RB2:162]
  • See BKG231–2, GPB167 and RB2:163 for the effect of this.
  • See BBRSM59–60 for a description of Azal's leadership.
  • The continued efforts of Mírzá Yahyá and Siyyid Muhammad sullied the reputation of Bahá'u'lláh in Adrianople and in the capital. In addition, temporary beach had been made in the ranks of the supporters. [GPB170]
  • Mírzá Yahyá sent messengers to Persia with false accounts of the events. He sent one of his wives to the authorities claiming that Bahá'u'lláh had deprived him of his fair share of the allowances. [BKG233]
  • Photos of the ruins of the House of Ridá Big and the House of Amru'lláh. [BW5p587]
• 1866-03-10 — Lawh-i Nasir (The Tablet to Nasir). This Arabic and Persian scriptural Tablet was written around 1866-7 after the Azali-Baha'i `Most Great Separation'. It is a reply to a question of Hajji Muhammad Nasir Qazvini (d. Rasht, 1300/1883) about the position of Mirza Yahya Nuri who had challenged the claimed theophanic claims of Bahá'u'lláh. Therein Bahá'u'lláh maintains that "The origins [genesis] of this [Babi-Baha'i] Cause were concealed from all. No one was adequately aware thereof save two souls; one of these two being named Ahmad who suffered the martyrdom in the path of his Lord and returned unto the ultimate abode, while the other was he who was named [Mirza Musa Nuri] al-Kalim "the Speaker" ("He who [like Moses] conversed", with God) who at this moment can be found in our presence" (Majmu`a-yi Alwah-i Mubaraka, 174)". The largely Persian text of the Lawh-i Nasir can be found in MAM (Cairo : 1333/1920. Rep. 1978: 166-202). [UofCal MERCED]
• 1867-00-00 — Birth of Mírzá Badí'u'lláh, fourth son of Bahá'u'lláh and Mahd-i'Ulyá in Adrianople. [BKG247]
• 1867-03-00 —
  Bahá'u'lláh moved back to the now empty house of Amru'lláh. [GPB168]
  • He stayed for about three months. [GPB168]
  • BKG239 says that within six months of Bahá'u'lláh's return to the house the owner sold it.
• 1867-06-00 —
  Bahá'u'lláh rented the house of 'Izzat Áqá where He and His family lived until their departure from Adrianople. [BKG239; GPB168; ALM39]
  "The remaining months in the house of Izzat Aqa constituted the most fecund period in the whole course of the ministry of Bahá'u'lláh. Tablets and verses flowed continuously from his pen and His tongue." [ALM42]
  • See BKG241 for a description of this house.
  • Picture.
• 1867-08-00 —
  Bahá'u'lláh refused to draw the allowance granted Him by the Ottoman government. [RB2:327]
  • Mírzá Yahyá had twice petitioned the government to convince it that he ought to be the recipient of the allowance. [RB2:327]
  • Bahá'u'lláh sold some of His belongings to provide the necessities for Himself and His dependents. [RB2:327]
• 1867-09-02 —
  "The Most Great Idol" was cast out of the community.

  Mírzá Yahyá's henceman, Siyyíd Muhammad, convinced Yahyá to challenge Bahá'u'lláh to to face-to-face encounter in the mosque of Sultán Salím in a distant part of the city, believing that Bahá'u'lláh would not show. Bahá'u'lláh immediately set out to walk to the appointed mosque. Upon learning this Mírzá Yahyá postponed the interview for a day or two. Bahá'u'llah returned to His home and revealed a Tablet to be delivered to Siyyíd Muhammad when he produced a sealed note stating that should Mírzá Yahyá fail to appear at the trysting-place, he would produce a document refuting Yahyá's claims. Neither were forthcoming and the Tablet to Siyyid Muhammad remained undelivered.

  Prior to this the community had been divided however this incident firmly established His ascendency. The Covenant of the Báb had prevailed [GPB168-170]

  • A period of prodigious activity ensued. Bahá'u'lláh later stated in the Lawh-i-Siraj, "In those days the equivalent of all that hath been sent down aforetime unto the Prophets hath been revealed." [GPB171]
  • See The Azali-Bahai Crisis of September, 1867 by Juan Cole.
• 1867-09-03 —
  Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Kitáb-i-Badí', the Munájátháy-i-Síyám (Prayers for Fasting), the first Tablet to Napoleon III, the Lawh-i-Sultán written to Násiri'd-Dín Sháh, and the Súriy-i-Ra'ís. [BKG245; GBP172]
  • The Súriy-i-Ra'ís was published in the Summons of the Lord of Hosts. See Wikipedia for a synopsis of this Tablet.
  • See RB2:370–82 for details of the Kitáb-i-Badí'.
  • Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Súriy-i-Ghusn (Tablet of the Branch) in which 'Abdu'l-Bahá's future station was foreshadowed. [BBD218; BKG250; GPB177; GWB39]
  • See RB2:338–9 for a description of the Tablet.
  • It was probably about this time that the first Lawh-i-Salmán was revealed for Shaykh Salmán. [RoB2p281-290; Uplifting Words ]
• 1867-09-04 —
  Thinking that He will not accept, Mírzá Yahyá, prodded on by Mír Muhammad, challenged Bahá'u'lláh to a public confrontation in the mosque of Sultán Salím. In the end, it was Mírzá Yahyá who did not appear. [BKG239–41; GPB168–9; RB2:291–300, SDH22]
  • The incident gained Bahá'u'lláh respect in the eyes of the people. [RB2:289]
  • See [RB2:304] for a picture of the mosque.
• 1867-09-05 —
  In this period the extent of the Faith was enlarged with expansion in the Caucasus, the establishment of the first Egyptian centre and the establishment of the Faith in Syria. [GPB176]
  • While Nabil was in Khorasan in spring 1866, at his suggestion, the greeting Alláh-u-Abhá (God is the most Glorious) was adopted by the followers of Bahá'u'lláh, replacing the old salutation of Allāho Akbar (God is the Greatest), which was common among the Bábis. This was a significant action that gave group identity to the Bahá'ís and was a sign of their independence from the Bábís and the Azális, a Bábí faction that considered Mírzá Yaḥyā Ṣobḥ-e Azál as the legitimate successor to the Báb. The greeting Alláh-u-Abhá superseded the Islamic salutation and was simultaneously adopted in Persia and Adrianople. [BKG250; GPB176, "Nabil-e aʿzam Zaranadi, Mollā Mohammad," by Vahid Rafati, Encyclopædia Iranica,]
  • The phrase 'the people of the Bayán', which now denotes the followers of Mírzá Yahyá, was discarded and is replaced by the term 'the people of Bahá'. [BKG250; GBP176]
• 1867-12-15 —
  Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Súriy-Mulúk (Súrih of Kings). [BKG245; GPB171–2; RB2:301-336; BW19p584]
  • This is described by Shoghi Effendi as 'the most momentous Tablet revealed by Bahá'u'lláh', in which He, 'for the first time, directed His words collectively to the entire company of the monarchs of East and West'. [GPB171]
  • See GPB172–5 and RB2:301–325 for a description of the content of the Tablet.
  • Tablet to the Kings (Súratu'l-Mulúk): Tablet study outline by Jonah Winters.
  • See the Introduction to Summons of the Lord of Hosts piii.
  • See Wikipedia for a synopsis of the Tablets in the Summons of the Lord of Hosts.

    Chronological list of significant events related to Bahá'u'lláh's historic pronouncement in the Súriy-i-Múlúk
    

    • Fall of the French Monarchy (1870)
    • Virtual extinction of the Pope's Temporal Sovereignty (1870)
    • Assassination of Sultán 'Abdu'l-'Azíz (1876)
    • Assassination of Násiri'd-Dín Sháh (1896)
    • Overthrow of Sultán 'Abdu'l-Hamíd II (1909)
    • Fall of the Portuguese Monarchy (1910)
    • Fall of the Chinese Monarchy (1916)
    • Fall of the Russian Monarchy (1917)
    • Fall of the German Monarchy (1918)
    • Fall of the Austrian Monarchy (1918)
    • Fall of the Hungarian Monarchy (1918)
    • Fall of the Turkish Monarchy (1922)
    • Collapse of the Caliphate (1924)
    • Fall of the Qájár Dynasty (1925)
    • Fall of the Spanish Monarchy (1931)
    • Fall of the Albanian Monarchy (1938)
    • Fall of the Serbian Monarchy (1941)
    • Fall of the Italian Monarchy (1946)
    • Fall of the Bulgarian Monarchy (1946)
    • Fall of the Rumanian Monarchy (1947)
    [The Bahá'í Faith 1844-1952: Information Statistical & Comparative p41]
• 1867-12-31 —
  The Súratu'l-Haykal (Epistle of the Temple) was revealed during the years in Adrianople, and re-cast later in 'Akká in which messages addressed to individual potentates, Pope Pius IX, Napoleon III, Czar Alexander II, Queen Victoria and Násiri'd-Dín Sháh were incorporated. It was not written for a particular individual; when asked about the matter Bahá'u'lláh said that he himself was both the addresser and addressee.

  "Ranked as 'one of Bahá'u'lláh's most challenging works', The Surih of the Temple was composed... during the turbulent period which saw the formation of a schism within the rank and file of the Bábí community,. This eloquent and incisive Arabic epistle combines a mystical and proclamatory style to enunciate Bahá'u'lláh's Mission to those among the Báb's followers who had failed to recognize His Revelation. " [BBS132] [Tablet of the Temple (Suratu'l-Haykal) by John Balbridge]

  • The Tablet was published in its entirety in Summons of the Lord of Hosts by the World Centre in 2002.
  • See Wikipedia for a synopsis of this Tablet.
  • See The Body of God: A Reader's Guide to Bahá'u'lláh's Súrih of the Temple by John Hatcher and published by ABS 29 July 2022.
    See a review of the book by Tom Lysaght.
• 1868-07-26 —
  Bahá'u'lláh's banishment to 'Akká

  Sultán `Abdu'l-`Azíz, at the instigation of his Prime Minister, Ali Pasha, issued a firmán condemning Bahá'u'lláh to perpetual banishment. [BKG283–4; GPB179, 186; RB2:401–2]

  • See RB2:402 for a list of those included in the edict.
  • BKG261, GPB181 and RB2:403 indicate that it was not until the party reached Gallipoli that they were informed that their ultimate destination was `Akká.
  • BBD40 says that it was because of the disloyal Mírzá Yahyá's plotting against Bahá`u`lláh that the Turkish authorities condemned Him to perpetual imprisonment in `Akká.
• 1868-08-00 —
  One morning without warning Bahá'u'lláh's house was surrounded by soldiers. The inhabitants were rounded up and taken to government headquarters. They were told to make ready for their departure for Gallipoli. [BKG255; GPB179; RB2:403]
  • The party was given three days to prepare for the journey. It it had been rumoured that they were to be separated, Bahá'u'lláh to one place, 'Abdu'l-Bahá to another and the friends to still another place. [CH62]
  • One of the companions, Karilá'í Ja'far was so grieved by the threatened separation that he attempted to kill himself. He was prevented from do so but was too ill to travel. Bahá'u'lláh refused to leave until the Governor in Adrianople made a promise to care for him until he was well enough to travel. He joined the friends in 'Akká forty days after their arrival. [CH62, RoB1p97-98]
  • The Consuls of European powers offered assistance to Bahá'u'lláh and were prepared to ask the intervention of their governments. Bahá'u'lláh refused these offers. [BKG255, 257–8]
  • Western accounts of this incident suggest that Bahá`u`lláh asked for such assistance. [BBR187–91]
  • The next day the goods of the Bahá'ís were sold or auctioned for very low prices. [BKG255, 258]
  • Group and individual photographs were taken of the Bahá'í and Azalí exiles in Adrianople, including one of Bahá'u'lláh.
• 1868-08-12 —
  Bahá'u'lláh, His family and companions, escorted by a Turkish captain and a number of soldiers, set out for Gallipoli. The tablet, Súriy-i-Ra'is (The Epistle to the Chief) was revealed in Arabic in honour of Ḥájí Muḥammad Ismá'íl-i-Káshání, entitled Dhabíḥ (Sacrifice) and Anís (Companion) by Bahá'u'lláh, and addresses 'Álí Páshá, the Ottoman Prime Minister, referred to here as Ra'ís (Chief or Ruler). [BKG260; GPB180; RB2:409-417; BBS141; SLH141-149]
  • En route they passed through the villages of Uzún-Kuprí and Káshánih before reaching Gallipoli after 4 days. [The Bahá'í Faith 1844-1953: Information Statistical & Comparative p44]
  • N&N26 says the Lawh-i-Ra'ís (Tablet of Ra'ís) was revealed in Káshánih. This is incorrect; it should read the Súriy-i-Ra'ís. iiiii
• 1868-08-22 —
  See Bibliography for the Tablets of Baha'u'llah: List of citations and resources for Tablets revealed 1863-1868 compiled by Jonah Winters.
  • See also Notes and Commentary on the Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh: Wilmette Institute study materials by Jonah Winters.
• 1877-00-00 —
  As a result of the war between Russia and Turkey some 11 million people were freed from the Turkish yoke. Adrianople was occupied by the Russian ally, Bulgaria. The Ottoman enemies were brought to the gates of Istanbul. [BKG262; GPB225]
  • See BKG460 for the Siege of Plevna.
• 1892-09-03 —
  Nabíl, inconsolable at the death of Bahá'u'lláh, committed suicide by drowning himself in the sea. [AB56; BBD167; BKG265-268, , 427–8; MF32-37; DH81; EB268-270; GPB222; Rob1p201-206]
  • He left a note paying homage to `Abdu'l-Bahá, writing the date of his death in the single Arabic word `Gharíq' (drowned), the numerical value of which is AH 1310 (AD 1892–3). [MF35; RB1:205]
  • See OPOP86 for "Pilgrim's Note" concerning what Jináb-i-Fádil said that 'Abdu'l-Bahá said about Nabil's suicide.
  • See DH81 for his own epitaph.
  • He was buried in the Muslim Cemetery near `Akká. [DH81]
  • He was one of 19 Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh designated by Shoghi Effendi in recognition of distinguished services that those nineteen loyal and devoted Persian Bahá'ís have rendered to their faith. [BW3p80-81]
  • Nabíl was born in the village of Zarand on the 29th of July, 1831. He had become a Bábí around 1847 after over-hearing a conversation between two men about the Báb. He accepted the faith of Bahá'u'lláh in 1858. During his years as a Bábí, Nabil traveled to Lorestan, Kermanshah, Tehran, and Khorasan; he met with the Bábís and Bábí leaders in those provinces to foster the Bábí ideology and inspire the believers to arise, consolidate, and expand the new Bábí communities. He also transcribed and distributed Bábí literature among the rank and file of the society to promote the Bábí faith. He was jailed in Sāva for four months because of his pro-Bábí activities. In September 1854, he set out for Baghdad and Karbala, where he stayed until October 1856. During late 1856 to July 1858, he traveled to Hamadan, his hometown Zarand, and many major Babi communities in the capital province and returned to Baghdad on 19 July 1858.
    Nabil's life as a Bahá'í is summed up in his extensive travels throughout Iran, Iraq, Turkey, the Caucasus, Egypt, and Palestine. In his early travels as a Bahá'í, he met with the Bábí communities to invite them to the Bahá'í faith; he attracted the Bábi leaders to the recognition of Bahá'u'lláh as the fulfillment of the Báb's prophecies concerning the promised messianic figure and helped reinforce the belief of the new Bahá'ís in the teachings and principles that were being advanced by Bahá'u'lláh. Through these activities, Nabíl became an outstanding teacher, defender, and promulgator of the Bahá'í faith. [Dawn over Mount Hira, "The Poet Laureate" p19-104, or p85-98, "Nabil-e aʿzam Zaranadi, Mollā Mohammad," by Vahid Rafati, Encyclopædia Iranica, DB434-435]
  • Although known primarily as an historian in the West he was a gifted and prolific poet who devoted most of his poetry to the historical events in the Bábí and Bahá'í faiths. His most famous poem in couplet form about the history of the Bahá'í faith was published as Maṯnawi-e Nabil Zarandi in Cairo in 1924 in 65 pages and reprinted in Langenhain in 1995. In this poem he describes major historical events from the early days of the Bábí movement to the year 1869. His second poem, in 666 verses, deals with Bahá'u'lláh's banishment from Edirne to Akka. Other historical poetry of Nabil consists of his poem titled "Maṯnawi-e weṣāl wa hejr" in 175 verses (pub. in Rafati, 2014, Chap. 6; Ḏokāʾi, p. 416) and his poem on the life of Āqā Moḥammad Nabil Akbar Qāʾeni in 303 verses (Ḵušahā-i az ḵarman-e adab wa honar 13, pp. 108-16). In addition to those poems, Nabil left behind a great collection of poetry in different forms, only a fraction of which has been published.
    His other works in prose included a treatise on the Bábí-Bahá'í calendar, a treatise on Bahá'í inheritance laws (Fāżel Māzandarāni, IV pp. 1, 214), and his account on the event of the passing of Bahá'u'lláh (Nabil Zarandi, Maṯnawi-e Nabil Zarandi, Langenhain, 1995, pp. 67-108). But Nabil's most celebrated work is Maṭāleʿ al-anwār, an extensive historical narrative of the Bábí faith, written in Akka in 1888-90, which was edited and translated into English by Shoghi Effendi as The Dawn-Breakers. The work was first published in the United States in 1932. ["Nabil-e aʿzam Zaranadi, Mollā Mohammad," by Vahid Rafati, Encyclopædia Iranica; DB434-435]
• 1913-06-13 — The Second Balkan War broke out on 16 June 1913 when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with the territorial gains it had made in the Treaty of London (1913), attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece. Those armies repulsed the Bulgarian offensive and then attacked, penetrating into Bulgaria. Romania and the Ottomans used the opportunity to intervene against Bulgaria to make territorial gains. In the resulting Treaty of Constantinople (29 September 1913) with a redrawing of borders on ethnical lines they recovered Adrianople. [Colonialism, Nationalism and Jewish Immigration to Palestine: Abdu´l-Baha's Viewpoints Regarding the Middle East by Kamran Ekbal p6]