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Baháʼu'lláh

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An Early Bahá'í

Bahá'u'lláh (1817 - 1892) (Persian - Mírzá Husayn-'Alí (میرزا حسینعلی)) was the founder and prophet of the Bahá'í Faith. He was also known as Bahá'u'lláh ("The Glory of God" in Arabic), as "He Whom God will make manifest" (from the Báb's writings), and as "Father of the Poor". Bahá'u'lláh's also authored serveral religious works, including the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book) and the Kitáb-i-Íqán (Book of Certitude). He died in Bahji, Palestine (outside 'Akká, Acre).

Bahá'u'lláh's Life

Early years

Bahá'u'lláh was born in Tehran, Persia. His father was a distinguished nobleman in the court of the Persian King. As a young child, Bahá'u'lláh, even though he never had formal schooling, was known for his intelligence. When his father passed away, he was asked to take his father's position. He declined and instead opened a shelter for the poor.

Revelation in the Síyáh-Chál

At the age of 27, Bahá'u'lláh received a scroll from the Báb (Herald of the Bahá'í Faith). He immediately accepted the Báb's message and started to promote the Báb's teachings throughout Persia. After the Báb's martyrdom in 1850, the Bábís looked towards Bahá'u'lláh and Bahá'u'lláh's half-brother Mirza Yahya Nuri, known as Subh-i Azal, who was appointed as the leader of the movement by the Báb before his death, for guidance.

In 1852, as result of continued persecutions, a group of Bábís attempted to assassinate the King of Persia, Nasser-al-Din Shah. Although Bahá'u'lláh had no connection to the failed assassination attempt, he was arrested and imprisoned in the Síyáh-Chál (the Black Pit), an underground dungeon.

According to Bahá'u'lláh, it was during his imprisonment in the Síyáh-Chál that he received a vision of a Maiden from God, through whom he received his mission as a Messenger of God and as the One whose coming the Báb had prophesized. After four months in the Síyáh-Chál, and after the person who tried to kill the Shah confessed and exonerated the Bábi leaders, the authorities banished Bahá'u'lláh from Persia. Bahá'u'lláh chose to go to Baghdad, then a city in the Ottoman Empire.

Baghdad

In 1853, with limited supplies and food, and through the cold of winter, Bahá'u'lláh and his family travelled from Persia to Baghdad. In Baghdad, an increasing number of Bábí's would come to Bahá'u'lláh for guidance, instead of Mirza Yahya. Mirza Yahya felt that he should be the leader of the Bábís and started to sow doubt within the Bábí community about Bahá'u'lláh's intentions. The Bábí community started to become disunited. On April 10, 1854 Bahá'u'lláh, without telling anyone his purpose or destination left to the mountains of Kurdistan, northeast of Baghdad, near the city Sulaymaniyah. He later wrote that he left so as to avoid becoming the source of disagreement within the Bábí community.

Mountains of Kurdistan

For two years Bahá'u'lláh lived alone in the mountains of Kurdistan. He occasionally visited the surrounding towns and villages and news of a man living in the mountains spread to neighbouring areas. When the news of such a man reached Baghdad, Bahá'u'lláh's family realized who the man was and pleaded with him to come back to Baghdad, and Bahá'u'lláh accepted.

Return to Baghdad

When Bahá'u'lláh returned to Baghdad he saw that the Bábi community had become disheartened and divided. Bahá'u'lláh remained in Baghdad for seven more years. During this time, while keeping his station as the Manifestation of God hidden, he taught the Báb's teachings. He also revealed many books and verses including the Kitáb-i-Íqán (Book of Certitude) and the Hidden Words. According to the Bahá'ís, due to Bahá'u'lláh's rising prestige in the city, the clergy tried to have the Persian and Ottoman governments condemn Bahá'u'lláh. They were eventually successful in having the Ottoman government exile Bahá'u'lláh from Baghdad to Constantinople.

Declaration in the Garden of Ridvan

On April 22, 1863, Bahá'u'lláh left Baghdad and entered the Garden of Ridván near Baghdad. Bahá'u'lláh and those accompanying him would stay in the garden for twelve days before departing for Constantinople. It was during his time in the Garden of Ridván that Bahá'u'lláh declared to his companions his mission and his station as a Messenger of God. Some of the Bábí community, including Subh-i-Azal did not accept Bahá'u'lláh's declaration and became known az "Azali Bábís." Today Bahá'ís celebrate the twelve days that Bahá'u'lláh and his companions spent in the Garden of Ridván as the festival of Ridván.

Exile in Constantinople

Bahá'u'lláh and his family, along with a small group of Bábís, stayed in Constantinople for only four months. During this time the Persian Ambassador in the court of the Sultan mounted a systematic campaign against Bahá'u'lláh. Bahá'u'lláh was thus exiled to Adrianople. Before Bahá'u'lláh left for Adrianople, he wrote a Tablet to the Sultan, rebuking him about his and his minister's immaturity and incompetence.

Exile in Adrianople

During the month of December, Bahá'u'lláh and his family embarked on a twelve day journey to Adrianople. Bahá'u'lláh stayed in Adrianople for four and a half years. Mirza Yahya, who had not accepted Bahá'u'lláh declaration that he was the one whom the Báb had prophesized about, started to cause disunity within and harm to the Bahá'í community, including trying to poison Bahá'u'lláh. While Bahá'u'lláh recovered, his hand was left shaking until the end of his life.

Also, while in Adrianople, Bahá'u'lláh proclaimed the Bahá'í Faith further by addressing Tablets to the kings and rulers of the world including:

Imprisonment in Akka

The disagreements between the Bahá'ís and the Azali Bábis allowed the Ottoman and Persian authorities to exile Bahá'u'lláh once again. One morning, without any notice, soldiers surrounded Bahá'u'lláh's house and told everyone to get ready to depart to the prison-city of Akka, Palestine. Bahá'u'lláh and his family left Adrianople on August 12, 1868 and after a journey by land and sea arrived in Akka on August 31st. The inhabitants of Akka were told that the new prisoners were enemies of the state, of God and his religion, and that association with them was strictly forbidden.

The first years in Akka were a period of great suffering for Bahá'u'lláh; Mirzá Mihdí, Bahá'u'lláh's son was suddenly killed when he fell through a skylight when he was pacing back and forth in prayer and mediation. After some time, the people and officials of the city recognized Bahá'u'lláh's wisdom, and thus the conditions of the imprisonment were eased and eventually, after the Sultan Abd-ul-Aziz's death, he was allowed to leave the city and visit nearby places.

Final Years

File:Shrine of bahaullah.jpeg
Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh

The final years of Bahá'u'lláh's life were spent in the Mansion of Bahji, just outside Akka, even though he was still formally a prisoner of the Ottoman Empire. During his years in Akka and Bahji, Bahá'u'lláh produced many volumes of work including the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. On May 9, 1892 Bahá'u'lláh contracted a slight fever which grew steadily over the following days, abated, and then finally took his life on May 29, 1892.

Bahá'u'lláh's Works

Bahá'u'lláh wrote many books, tablets and prayers. Below are some that have been translated to English:

See also

References

  • British Broadcasting Corporation (2002). BBC Religion and Ethics Special: Bahá'í. Retrieved January 15, 2005.
  • Browne, E.G. (1891). A Traveller’s Narrative. Cambridge.
  • . ISBN 0-87743-020-9. {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help) Available online here.
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