Proofs of Baháulláhs Mission, p. xvi THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF BAHAULLAH: BAHAULLAHS EXILE, part 1 of 2 Eventually, still without trial or recourse, Baháulláh was released from prison [Síyáh-Chál] and immediately banished from His native land to the neighboring territory of Iraq, then under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. This expulsion was the beginning of forty years of exile, imprisonment, and bitter persecution. By 1863, Baháulláh concluded that the time had come to begin acquainting some of those around Him with the mission which had been entrusted to Him in the darkness of the Síyáh-Chál, this decision coincided with a new stage in the campaign of opposition to His work, which had been relentlessly pursued by the Shíah Muslim clergy and representatives of the Persian government. Fearing the acclaim which Baháulláh was beginning to enjoy among influential Persian visitors to Iraq, the Shahs government pressed the Ottoman authorities to remove Him far from the borders and into the interior of the empire. Eventually, the Turkish government acceded to these pressures and invited the exile, as its guest to make His residence in the capitol, Constantinople. Despite the courteous terms of the message, the intention was clearly to require compliance. In late April, 1863, Baháulláh, on the eve of His departure for Constantinople, called together individuals among His companions, in a garden which was later to be given the name Ridván (Paradise), and confided the central part of His mission.... the news that the Bábs promises had been fulfilled and that the Day of God had dawned. The conditions surrounding Baháulláhs departure from Baghdad provided a dramatic demonstration of the potency of these principles. In only a few short years, a band of foreign exiles whose arrival in the area had aroused suspicion and aversion on the part of their neighbors had become one of the most respected and influential segment to of the population. They supported themselves through flourishing businesses; Asa group they were admired for their generosity and the integrity of their conduct; the lurid allegations of religious fanaticism and violence spread by the Persian consular officials and the Shíah Muslim clergy, had ceased to have an effect on the public mind.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 17:33:40 +0000
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