# From Adrianople to Akka: A talk to the Oceanic Conference, Palermo, Sicily

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> Conqueror of Hearts table of contents
> 
> 
> Introduction
> 
> 
>         The glorious Sun of Truth rising from its homeland had ascended in its orbit,
> and in the years of banishment in Adrianople had mounted to its zenith of
> all-conquering majesty and might.
> 
>         As Bahá'u'lláh rose in His power and grandeur, believers from
> all walks of life abandoned their homes and sought haven and shelter in His
> nearness.  When faced with tests, trials and ordeals, rather than renounce
> their faith, the true companions of Bahá contended themselves with the
> bare necessities of life, intensified their spiritual fervor, welcomed any
> calamity in His path and through the sweat and strain of suffering offered
> their very lives as humble tokens of love at the sacred altar of the Lord of
> the Age.
> 
>         There were also those who, immersed in the trivialities of life, unmitigated
> in their hatred, enslaved by their own corrupt inclinations and assisted by
> persons drunk with pride and power, arose, with all the energy, evilness and
> bitterness of their sinful souls, to challenge the nascent and already
> vigorously-growing Cause of God.  The devastating effects of such deeds created
> clouds of suspicion, hatred and wrath that dimmed the radiant fame of the
> Greatest Name.
> 
>         Never should we think of Bahá'u'lláh as one amongst many.
> Though He appeared in a physical human temple, He remained always far
> above--immeasurably far above--the reach and ken of men.  No tempest could move
> the hem of His garment.  No waves of calamities could ever sprinkle a drop in
> His serene presence.  How can mortal man ever cover the face of the Sun with
> the veil of his evil plottings?  Nat, the sun shines above all clouds and
> eventually disperse them.  So was to be the destined mission of the Ancient
> Beauty throughout His eventful life.  Tough sorely tried He remained lofty and
> unshaken.  Though relentlessly calumnized,  He was never resentful or
> vindictive.  The evil deeds of the world could never be commensurate with His
> intense longing to save the children of men, to redeem their souls and to put
> them on the right path to God.
> 
>         No ingratitude, no lack of virtue could minimize His love.  No depths of
> infamy could prevent the seemingly hopeless and unrepentant humanity from
> receiving the open treasures of His clemency and compassion.
> 
>         In the innermost shrine of His own Being, He remained calm and serene.  He
> continued emitting rays of His redeeming light through the clouds of
> accumulated vice which had covered the sin-stained souls of men.
> 
>         With these thoughts in mind let us review the events that marked the different
> stages of Bahá'u'lláh's banishment from Adrianople to the
> Fortress of `Akká.
>    The Latter Days in Adrianople.
>    Events Preceding His Exile.
>    His Departure to Gallipoli and the Episode of Dhabih (surnamed
> Anís).
>    Smyrna and Ismu'lláhu'l-Muníb.
>    Haifa
>    `Akká
> 
> I.  The Latter Days in Adrianople
> 
>         The followers of Azal, long-standing enemies of Bahá'u'lláh,
> finding all their attempts to destroy the Faith abortive, tried to tarnish the
> luster His Cause had achieved through Himself, His family and His followers.
> 
>         First they sent people to the Court to complain that they had insufficient
> means of livelihood, blaming the Blessed Perfection for this.  Then `Aqá
> Ján Kajkuláh, instigated by Siyyid Muhammad, wrote letters to the
> dignitaries and government representatives containing the false accusation that
> Bahá'u'lláh had made an alliance with Bulgaria, and had gathered
> together many people under His sway for the sole purpose of conquering
> Constantinople.
> 
>         The Persian Ambassador in Constantinople, who had always been prepared to
> initiate or support any plot against Bahá'u'lláh and His
> followers, took advantage of the disturbance in Turkey and immediately informed
> the Persian Consuls in Egypt and `Iráq that the Turkish Government had
> withdrawn its protection of the Bábí Sect.  This news convulsed
> both countries and unleashed the hidden forces of malice and mischief.
> 
>         Abdu'r-Rasúl-Qumí, one of the exceptional souls and a true and
> enthusiastic lover of the Ancient Beauty, who had suffered long years of
> imprisonment in Tihrán, had, after his release, visited
> Bahá'u'lláh in Adrianople and was residing in
> Baghdád.  Every day he brought water in skin bags from the Tigris
> River and watered the roses in his Beloved's garden.  Thus he had become
> well-known and a target of the Muslims cruel attacks.  One day, at the hour of
> dawn, a number of these people, rushing out from their hiding places, stabbed
> him from all sides.  Though fatally wounded, with blood gushing forth in
> profusion, he succeeded in dispersing his attackers, retained his balance and
> dragged himself to the garden of his Beloved where, for the last time, he
> watered the flowers of the House before yielding his last heroic breath.[1]
> 
>         It was also during these latter days that Nabíl arrived in Adrianople
> after a very long, exhaustive, and successful teaching tour in Persia and
> `Iráq.  He became very sad when he looked upon the countenance of the
> Ancient Beauty.  He found Him as if suspended in boundless space, attacked with
> swords and spears by the whole world.  Bahá'u'lláh had no shelter
> except His Most Great Branch Who, like a compass, never ceased to turn to, and
> circle around, His Lord.
> 
>         Bahá'u'lláh's true and faithful brother, Mírzá
> Músá, with the permission of Bahá'u'lláh, had been
> in living in Smyrna.  Yayhá lived in Adrianople, unreasonably filled
> with fear because of the majesty and power with which the Tablets to the Kings
> had been revealed.  Such was the extent of his fear that he ventured to suggest
> to Bahá'u'lláh that it would have been better if
> Bahá'u'lláh's address to the Sultán described the Divine
> Message as a humble provision offered to the King.  Bahá'u'lláh's
> reply was that if He were the Divine Messenger He would describe His message as
> nothing short of abundant provision.  
> 
>         Nabíl was commissioned to deliver a Tablet of Bahá'u'lláh
> to His brother, Mírzá Músá, also known as
> Áqáy-I-Kalím.  On arriving at Smyrna Nabíl gave the
> Tablet to him who, after reading it, said, "The days of hardships are
> approaching.  At times of suffering I do not like to be away from His Holy
> Presence."  He therefore accompanied Nabíl on his return to Adrianople.
> On the way they received the news that some of the believers had already been
> arrested.  "These are the first waves of the ocean of Calamity" was
> Kalím's immediate remark as he heard the news.
> 
>         It was in the middle of winter and snow had covered the mountains and plains
> when our two precious travelers arrived in the Land of Mystery, only to find it
> in a state of confusion.
> 
>         Bahá'u'lláh had opened encouraged the friends to disperse as He
> did not want them to be inflicted with more hardships nor did He desire them to
> be exiled or imprisoned.  He would rather have them scattered around the world
> to propagate the Word of God and to win victories for His struggling Faith in
> various lands.  But those who lived in His nearness were so enthralled by His
> love that they remained heedless of His warnings, preferring hardship to
> separation from Him.
> 
>         Bahá'u'lláh instructed Nabíl to proceed to Egypt and
> appeal to the Khedive on behalf of the friends who had been unjustly
> treated.
> 
>         It was during these days also that the loving heart of the Supreme
> Manifestation was turned towards His persecuted friends in different parts of
> the world.  The shadow of the dark days ahead was slowly approaching and He
> could see the sorrow and grief of His lovers, who at times were utterly cut off
> from any news of Him and His family.  Therefore He revealed several brief
> Tablets to be dispatched to the friends.  These Tablets are extremely touching,
> intimate and uplifting.  They were meant to strengthen His oppressed followers
> so that they would not lose heart if they did not hear from or about Him for a
> long time.
> 
>         The contents of these Tablets are sources of delight and encouragement to all
> the friends throughout eternity.  In them He praises God and offers
> thanksgiving and gratitude for this further humiliation inflicted in the path
> of God.  In one instance He addresses Himself and says that He should remember
> God and bear in mind His promise[2] that He
> would stand with Him forever and would help and assist Him under all
> conditions.  The Ancient Beauty addresses the people of the earth in one of
> these Tablets, and lamentingly asks them how and when they could prevent the
> Divine Youth from mentioning the All Knowing God.  He asserts the utter failure
> of all the united forces of the world to extinguish the fire of His Faith.  He
> seeks to awaken in the hearts of men the consciousness that no power in the
> universe can prevent the blowing of winds, and that He Himself, like unto a
> leaf, is powerless to stir except when the winds of the Will of God are
> blowing.  In several places He exhorts the friends never to forget Him even if
> the cruel ones of the earth should cast Him in fathomless pits because, in the
> such a state, the fire of His love would burn more intensely than before.  This
> fire was of such a nature that if all the seas were poured on it would continue
> to burn.  In some places He explicitly mentions that the Prisoner of Adrianople
> says that the place of His incarceration is the Fortress of `Akká,
> well-known for its putrid air and foul water.  He furthermore points out that
> though the sole aim of such banishments is to humiliate the Manifestation of
> God, the friends should, under no circumstances, feel sad and despondent,
> because such sufferings in the path of the Lord are like unto the showers of
> rain on the plains, and serve as fuel for the celestial Lamp.  Were His head to
> adorn the point of the spear, His tongue would continue to proclaim the name of
> the All-Merciful.  At the end of one of these Tablets, He says that the Divine
> Youth is prevented from writing.  His enemies had imprisoned Him and His pen.
> The latter was more unbearable to Him.  Had it now been for such restrictions
> He would have sent a message to every one of the believers throughout the
> world.
> 
>         Thus He wrote His Tablets, and thus He dispersed His friends.  He sent the
> pilgrims away, He strengthened the hearts of His lovers in all lands, and He
> remained as ever contented and prepared to welcome the shafts of the enemy.
> 
> II.  Events Preceding His Exile
> 
>         The people in Turkey, and especially those who were privileged to live near
> Bahá'u'lláh, such as the inhabitants of Adrianople, had the
> highest respect and reverence towards Him and in the course of time they came
> to know and love Him from the depths of their beings.  The successive local
> governors of the city one after the other paid their homage to the Blessed
> Beauty.  Amongst them the noble and honest Khurshíd Páshá
> shines as the radiant sun from the horizon of faithfulness.  In answer to
> reports from Constantinople he courageously refuted the unjust accusations
> heaped upon Bahá'u'lláh.  As long as he was governor he visited
> Bahá'u'lláh on the occasions of Feasts and, whenever he went, he
> openly declared that nothing except sanctified words and holy deeds emanated
> from His Holy Presence.  He never approved of or agreed with the presumptuous
> deeds of the unjust rulers in the capital.  Bahá'u'lláh praised
> him in one of His Tablets by characterizing him as the strongest pillar of the
> Ottoman Government whose hearts enshrined the greatest amount of love.  Yet,
> Bahá'u'lláh continues, even to him no word was mentioned about
> personal affairs.  To Bahá'u'lláh this would have been the lowest
> of deeds.
> 
>         Kurshíd Páshá was very sad and disheartened when the
> authorities in Constantinople would not handle the affairs of
> Bahá'u'lláh with justice and faith.  When the hour struck and he
> found matters beyond his control, he felt so ashamed of such cruel treatment
> towards a great Person that he abandoned his official responsibilities and left
> everything in the hands of a  Registrar.
> 
>         The inhabitants of Adrianople were well acquainted with the friends and knew
> of the detached way they had lived amongst them.  The people really loved them
> and very much desires that they would be allowed to continue living in their
> town.  The news of the unexpected decrees, therefore, surprised and grieved
> them.  As they met in mosques, coffee-houses or markets, they invariably asked
> one another, "Why should these people be victims of such cruel treatment?  We
> have not seen anything from them except honesty and truthfulness."  When they
> found that Bahá'u'lláh and His companions were to be forced to
> depart, they all wept and bewailed.
> 
>         Not only did the people, dignitaries and authorities in Adrianople show their
> grief and sorrow, but the representatives of European countries were also moved
> and astounded.  Some of them sought the presence of Bahá'u'lláh
> and pleaded with Him to utter one word when they would arise to help Him and
> His friends and rescue them from their difficulties.  They even said that they
> would inform and appeal to their respective governments to resolutely prevent
> the perpetration of such inhuman deeds.  To all of them
> Bahá'u'lláh replied that He sought no remover of difficulties
> save God and would turn His face in supplication to no place except to His
> Threshold.  He then showered His love and bounties upon them and sent them away
> from His presence resigned and contented.  
> 
>         Meanwhile contradictory rumors had been spread which lent their share to the
> convulsion and confusion of affairs.  Some said that only those whose named had
> been registered in Government books could accompany their Lord.  Others
> reported that Bahá'u'lláh and His brothers and families would be
> taken to different destinations, the rest being sent to their own respective
> countries.  In the words of one of the companions, "I well remember as though
> it were only yesterday, the fresh misery into which we were plunged, to be
> separated from our Beloved; and He, what new grief was in store for Him?  He
> accepted all vicissitudes with His calm, beautiful smile, cheering us with
> wonderful words."
> 
>         Those who had lived day and night in or near His house, found separation the
> most unbearable of all sufferings.  They decided, therefore, that they would
> undergo any bitter test rather than be deprived of His presence.
> 
>         One night the friends were gathered in a house and naturally discussed the
> prevailing rumors of the city.  Hájí
> Ja`far-I-Tabrízí, one of the staunch followers of
> Bahá'u'lláh, was also there.  In the middle of their conversation
> they heard a faint voice from under the window--the voice of someone struggling
> for breath.  They rushed out and found Hájí Ja`far in a desperate
> condition.  He had cut his throat with a razor and blood was gushing out.  The
> friends first informed the Master Who immediately sent men to fetch a surgeon
> and a Qádí.  The surgeon's house was near and fortunately he came
> quickly, treated the cut and enable Hájí Ja`far to talk.  When
> the Qádí reached the scene, he asked who had been responsible for
> the deed.  He asked Hájí Ja`far several times, and every time he
> replied, "When I came to know that I would be deprived from His Holy Presence,
> I did not desire to live any more."  When asked again he confirmed, "Feeling
> lonely and separated from Him prompted me to sacrifice my life."  The people
> who loved the Bahá'ís and revered them increased in their
> wonderment as they witnessed such acts of love, detachment and spiritual
> consecration. It was remarked by them that the Bahá'ís knew that
> they would be taken to exile and imprisonment and yet they were ready to meet
> greater hardships, to offer their lives, and to welcome even death, as they
> could not bear the thought of separation from their Beloved.  What ties held
> them together?  How could they comprehend those mysterious bonds of love which
> were beyond the reach of men's concepts and standards?  Hájí
> Ja`far received assurance and treatment and became better.  On another day,
> shortly afterwards, Bahá'u'lláh received him, promised him that
> he would eventually attain his heart's desire, and exhorted him not to be sad.
> He must be patient, fix his gaze upon God, feel happy and abide by His Will.
> 
> III.  His Departure to Gallipoli and the Episode of
> Dhabíh (surnamed Anís)
> 
>         One day soldiers were posted at the doors of Bahá'u'lláh's
> residence in order to guard the House and allow no one to go in or out.
> 
>         His companions were also arrested, taken to the Governor's office and
> imprisoned one night.  In the course of the investigations they were asked
> whether they were followers of Bahá'u'lláh, to which they
> invariably answered with great courage and audacity, professing their faith in
> Him.  They were then commanded to sell their properties and get ready for
> departure.  Needless to say, the friends auctioned their belongings and lost
> almost everything they possessed, yet they stood firm and resolute, determined
> to accompany their Beloved to the ends of the earth.
> 
>         The day of departure was fixed.  Carriages were brought to the House, and the
> friends helped in loading them with luggage.  These went first.
> 
>         Mírzá Yahyá and Siyyid Muhammad also departed on the same
> day.  One week passed and then came the turn of Bahá'u'lláh.
> 
>         On the morning of departure, the members of the household took their seats in
> the carriages.  About noon Bahá'u'lláh came out of His House.
> 
>         Throngs of people had gathered at the door to bid Him farewell and look for
> the last time upon His countenance.  Their grief had no end.  Signs of anguish
> and sorrow were witnessed on all faces.  They approached the Ancient Beauty and
> either kissed His hand or knelt and touched the hem of His robe, reverently
> kissing it too.  They uttered words which expressed their sorrowful state and
> deprivation.  It was indeed a strange day.  It seemed that even the walls the
> gates of the town were lamenting.  Amidst such expressions of profound love and
> respect Bahá'u'lláh set out at midday on the last stage of His
> banishment, depositing "beneath every tree and every stone a trust, which God
> will ere long bring forth through the power of truth."[3]
> 
>         Thus the Sun of Truth pursued its course towards its setting point.
> _______
> 
>         They spent four days on their way to Gallipoli, a town on the shore of the
> Marmara Sea.  All the captives were to be gathered in this town, whence their
> journey on the sea would begin.
> 
>         Jináb-I-Dhabíh, afterwards surnamed Anís, and his
> friends, who had gone to Adrianople during the last days of
> Bahá'u'lláh's sojourn in that city and were instructed to proceed
> to Gallipoli, were already here and attained the presence of their Lord.
> 
>         Here again the companions of Bahá'u'lláh underwent fresh tests
> by hearing contradictory reports about the possible dispersion of the friends
> and the extermination of Bahá'u'lláh.
> 
>         Hasan Effendi, the Turkish Captain who had escorted Bahá'u'lláh
> and His companions to the port, sought His presence in absolute humility and
> submission to bid farewell.  Through him Bahá'u'lláh sent a
> verbal message to the Sultán in Constantinople.  "Tell the King that
> this territory will pass out of his hands, and his affairs will be thrown into
> confusion.  Not I speak these words, but God speaketh them."[4]  He then told the Captain that it would have been fair if
> the Sultán had arranged a gathering of the divines where
> Bahá'u'lláh could ring forth the proofs of His truthfulness.  If
> the Sultán could find anything in the community which created corruption
> and upheaval in his domains, then it would be just for him to treat them in the
> way that he had chosen.  What had been done, He affirmed, was according to the
> desires of those who had grudges in their hearts and followed their passions
> and base desires instead of the truth path of God.  They had committed
> unwarranted deeds without the least proof.  The Captain promised to convey
> Bahá'u'lláh's message to the King.
>  
> 	Thus was Hasan Effendi sent back to Constantinople.  A Major, `Umar Effendi,
> replaced him, who brought the confusion created by the rumors to an end.  He
> announced that those whose names had not been registered in the government
> books could board the ship, provided they would arrange their own affairs.
> 
>         Before leaving Gallipoli, Bahá'u'lláh informed the friends of
> the hard days ahead of them and warned them against the divine tests which
> would befall each and all of the companions.  He asked them to ponder His words
> and to return if they found themselves unprepared.  He even warned them against
> the impossibility of returning in case of remorse.
> 
>         To reach the Austrian boat which had anchored far away from the shore the
> passengers had to cross in small sailing boats.  At the same time that
> Bahá'u'lláh was entering one of those boats He was already
> uttering verses.  Jináb-I-Anís and his companions were standing
> on the shore watching their Beloved on His way to a destination as yet
> undisclosed; a poignant sorrow pressed their hearts and tears flowed down their
> cheeks.  Bahá'u'lláh, beholding them thus stricken with grief,
> consoled them and strengthened their hearts by showering His love and
> compassion upon them.  Thus He cheering the burning hearts of His lovers
> throughout the world in their moments of grief and separation.  When He took
> His seat in the small boat, He assured everyone they would sail in absolute
> safety even if every wave beat upon the boat or the strongest tempest surround
> it.	
> 
>         Boarding the Austrian steamer they found passengers, including some Persians.
> Bahá'u'lláh did not talk to any one, but went ahead to a spacious
> place where several chairs were arranged.  He occupied one of these chairs and
> permitted the friends to take their seats too.
> 
>         "In this small boat," one of the prisoners related, "we, seventy-two persons,
> were crowed together in unspeakable conditions for eleven days of horror.  Ten
> soldiers and two officers were our escort.  There was an appalling smell in the
> boat, and most of us were very ill indeed.  We had embarked so hurriedly that
> we had been unable to provide for the voyage and a few loaves and a little
> cheese. . . was all the food we had for those indescribably days. . . . There
> was no vessel. . . our lack of food had reduced us to a seriously weak state of
> health."  The steamer sailed in the evening and the next day at about sunrise
> touched the shores of Smyrna.
> 
> IV.  Smyrna and Ismu'lláhu'l-Muníb
> 
>         Jináb-I-Munír, surnamed Ismu'lláh'l-Muníb, was a
> very handsome and radiant young man from the city of Káshán,
> Persia.  Before embracing the Faith, he had led a comfortable life and, having
> had the opportunity to study, he had become accomplished in many of the
> accepted and prevailing notions of his time.  In calligraphy, which was
> consider the art par excellence, he was one of the few recognized
> masters.  He had also a melodious and penetrating voice and a gentle
> temperament.  His hearts brimmed with infinite love.  He was a great soul.
> 
>         When Bahá'u'lláh  was in Baghdád, he brought his
> God-given gifts and offered them at the altar of his Beloved.  Thus when the
> caravan of exiles started on their journey from Baghdád to
> Constantinople with all glory and might, he volunteered to walk beside the
> steed of the Blessed Perfection.  Great had been the honor conferred upon him,
> and tremendous too were the sufferings which he willingly accepted with joy and
> radiant acquiescence.  `Abdu'l-Bahá said that this noble soul traversed
> the distance between Baghdád and Constantinople on foot and,
> throughout the journey, was in perfect happiness.  Day and night he was in a
> state of prayer.  `Abdu'l-Bahá described him as the companion of His
> soul and the beloved of His heart.  Some nights the Master and Muníb
> would walk on the two sides of Bahá'u'lláh 's steed.  Their joy
> had no end and remained forever beyond words to describe.  Some night
> Muníb with his silvery voice would sing songs and odes of great Persian
> poets such as those of Hafíz.  His voice resounded through the silence
> of those memorable nights.
> 
>         When they reached Constantinople, Muníb was instructed to go on a
> teaching tour to Persia and `Iráq.  This he accomplished with
> distinction, and, after a long and arduous tour, he returned to Turkey in the
> latter days of Bahá'u'lláh s sojourn in Adrianople.  The teaching
> tour had been too exacting, however, but although his health was now in a
> precarious condition, he begged Bahá'u'lláh  to permit him to be
> included amongst those who had the honor of being exiled with Him.  He would
> not even consider remaining behind to undergo medical care and treatment, his
> only aim and aspiration being to sacrifice his life in the path of the Ancient
> Beauty.  His request was granted.  He was so weak that three persons had to
> carry him on board the ship, and by the time they reached Smyrna,
> Muníb's condition had deteriorated.  He was melting away like  a candle
> in the ignited fire of love within him; he could not even utter a word.  The
> Captain forced him to return to shore.  When the inevitable moment of
> separation came, he dragged his frail body until he reached the feet of
> Bahá'u'lláh, and burst into tears.  At that moment signs of
> intense grief were seen on the countenance of the Ancient Beauty.  It was clear
> that there and then Muníb had reached his exalted paradise of sacrifice
> and his Beloved had accepted the gift of his life.  `Abdu'l-Bahá has
> related that He and those in His company took him to the hospital in Smyrna and
> spent one hour with him before returning to the boat.  They laid his blessed
> body in bed and covered him with kisses, but had to leave soon as the officers
> bade them return.  They were immersed in sorrow as they left him alone in the
> hospital.[5]
> 
> V.  Alexandria and Nabíl
> 
>         Three days the Ancient Beauty had been sailing on the waters of the
> Mediterranean Sea between Smyrna and Alexandria.  In Alexandria they were to
> change boats and some were allowed to go ashore to purchase provisions.
> Muhammad Ibrahím, one of the companions who catered for
> Bahá'u'lláh's retinue, was amongst those who went ashore.
> 
>         This was providential, because one of the most interesting episodes of
> Nabíl's life took place as a result.
> 
>         We remember that Bahá'u'lláh ordered Nabíl to go to
> Egypt.  He obeyed, and went there, but after some time he was arrested and put
> in prison.  There he met a certain Christian physician and pries,
> Fárís Effendi, imprisoned on a charge of an offense in a
> financial transaction.  Nabíl taught him the Faith and in a short while
> he became a very ardent and enthusiastic follower of Bahá'u'lláh.
> Because of this the sorrow of being in prison was changed into joy and both
> felt extremely happy.  Sometimes they would sit at the window of their cell
> watching the people passing by, and one day when Nabíl was alone at his
> window, he was astounded to see Muhammad Ibrahím passing by.  He called
> to him.  When Muhammad Ibrahím saw Nabíl he was even more
> surprised.  Nabíl asked him what had brought him there.  Ibrahím
> related the story of Bahá'u'lláh's banishment and pointed out the
> steamer carrying the Blessed Perfection.  Nabíl's sorrows knew no
> bounds.  To be so near and yet so cruelly deprived from beholding the
> Countenance of the One Who was the point of his adoration!  This was
> unbelievable!
> 
>         After a little while, Fáris Effendi came to the cell and found the
> happy Nabíl drowned in oceans of sorrow.  When he heard the reason, he
> felt even sadder than Nabíl.  He longed for a single glance of Him, but
> this was utterly impossible.  There was only one thing for them to do: to send
> Him a message of love and loyalty.
> 
>         This was immediately written; but how to send it was the main problem.  God
> has always His own ways for those who supplicate Him with all their hearts.  He
> will never abandon them.  There passed by the window of the cell a young man by
> the name of Constantine who was known to Farís Effendi, who at once
> asked him if he could take a letter to someone on board the Austrian steamer.
> This was an unexpected and rather arduous task to demand.  But the young man
> agreed to do it, took the letters and made for the steamer.
> 
>         Nabíl and Fáris were watching intently from their prison cell.
> They even saw the young man get in a small boat and go out to reach the
> steamer.  But to their utter dismay and grief they heard the siren and saw the
> steamer sailing away before the small boat at reached her.
> 
>         What a disappointment to the two prisoners whose letters would not even reach
> their Beloved!
> 
>         Then that which seemed utterly impossible took place.  After proceeding for
> some distance, the steamer stopped.  The small boat reached her.  In the
> afternoon Constantine returned to the prison shouting: "By God!  My eyes fells
> on the face of the Father!"  Saying these words in great excitement, he gave a
> small parcel to Nabíl and Fáris Effendi.
> 
>         Afterwards the companions of Bahá'u'lláh related that although
> they witnessed many extraordinary events while in His Presence, the incident of
> the steamer in Alexandria was the most astonishing.  When the steamer was
> sailing away the Captain noticed a sailing boat hastening toward the ship.  He
> immediately anchored.  All were astonished at the unexpected halt for such a
> cause.  The passengers stood in a state of bewilderment.  They saw a young m an
> climb the companionway and, according to the indications given to him by
> Nabíl, go directly to the place occupied by Bahá'u'lláh
> and His retinue.
> 
>         After the perusal of the letter, a Tablet was immediately dictated by
> Bahá'u'lláh and, as there was not time to transcribe it, it was
> sent in the rough penmanship of the amanuensis.  The Master and the Purest
> Branch sent handkerchiefs, flowers and perfume as gifts for Nabíl and he
> co-prisoner.
> 
>         When Constantine returned, the steamer resumed its journey.
> 
>         In his letter Fáris Effendi had begged Bahá'u'lláh to
> accept him as one of His devoted servants and confirm him to teach the Faith of
> God.
> 
>         The receipt of this letter so pleased Bahá'u'lláh that He has
> related this story in one of His Tablets to the friends and at the end He has
> quoted the letter of Fáris Effendi.  The perusal of such words teaches
> us to read and study the Writings with the discerning eye of the spirit.  Let
> us ponder the situation of the Ancient Beauty when He received this
> communication.  Though captive in the hands of oppressors, He proclaimed in
> this Tablet that His banishment had marked the dawn of the day when the divine
> fragrances wafted throughout East and West, and the pearls of wisdom had been
> deposited under every stone and in the fullness of time would proclaim: "He is
> the Beloved of the world."  He then states that when the ship touched the
> harbor, one of the followers of the Son brought Him a letter from which the
> fragrance of sanctity could be inhaled, as its writer had been ignited with the
> fire of the love of his Lord.  Anyone who reads his letter will realize how the
> Almighty God changes the hearts of men.  Here are some fragments of the
> letter:
> 
>         "O Thou Glory of the All Glorious, and the Exalted One of the Most Exalted...!  I am honored to write and send this supplication to Thy Presence. . . They
> did to Thee what they did to Jesus, the Manifestation of His Wisdom. . . They
> became the scattered and lost sheep of the herd . . . May I entreat Thee to
> include my people and myself amongst those who are saturated by the bounties of
> the oceans of Thy grace. .. . Thou art the Ever-Abiding, Ever-Flowing Fountain
> of Purity and Holiness. . . I supplicate Thee by Thy innermost Secret, by Thy
> Kalím (Interlocutor),[6] by Thy Son,[7] by Thy Habib (Beloved),[8] and by Thy Forerunner Who embraced the Cross for the sake
> of His love for Thee. . . that Thou may not deprive me and my poor family from
> beholding the light of Thy Countenance. . . Make our faith complete, choose us
> to serve the chosen ones amongst Thy servants, and accept us as martyrs, who
> offered their blood for the sake of Thy love. . . We are weak, ignorant and
> unworthy, do not make us of the losers. . . Give us the bounty of love, faith
> and hope and enable us to tear away from our hearts that which pleaseth Thee
> not. . . make us forget ourselves.  We demand no comfort except in that which
> pleaseth Thee.  Thou art the Searcher of hearts. . . a wooden vessel is
> carrying Thee.  How intensely do I long to be in Thy company!. . . O Sea!  What
> hath befallen thee?  I see thee disturbed.  Is it because of the fear of thy
> Lord, the Most Great?  O, Alexandria!  I see thee sad because of the departure
> of thy Lord, the Living, the Most Patient.  The dilapidated city of
> `Akká is clapping its hands to welcome Thee with great joy.  It is
> rejoicing because it can welcome the Greatest of all Glories."
> 
> VI.  Haifa
> 
>         After a brief stop in Port Sa'id and Jaffa, the steamer touched Haifa where
> extreme consternation struck the party because of the cruel decision to
> separate some of the friends from Bahá'u'lláh and force them to
> go to Cyprus with Mírzá Yahyá.  This news fell like a
> thunderbolt from the blue on the friends and they recoiled in horror.
> 
>         "The friends, though prostrated by sickness, worn out by the wretchedness of
> the voyage and crushed by this further blow, determined to refuse submission,"
> as one of the companions reported.
> 
>         "The heat of that month was overpowering.  We were put into sailing boats.
> There being no wind, and no shelter from the burning rays of the sun, we spent
> eight hours of positive misery."
> 
>         A sailing boat was ready to take Bahá'u'lláh across the bay from
> Haifa to `Akká.  One of the believers condemned to this separation was
> `Abdu'l-Ghaffár.  When he saw the hand of the officer raised to take him
> away from his Beloved, he cast himself into the sea crying, "Yá
> Bahá'u'l-Abhá."
> 
>         Bahá'u'lláh in a tone of sadness rebuked the officers
> responsible for such unnecessary treatment,  telling them that their cruel
> decree resulted in this pitiful situation.  He then asked them to immediately
> rescue `Abdu'l-Ghaffár.  He was rescued, but pitilessly forced to go to
> Cyprus where he remained for some time.  As soon as possible, however, he
> traveled to `Akká and lived under the shadow of his Lord.
> 
> 
> VII.  `Akká
> 
>         "A generation of vipers," as described by the Son, were gathered on the
> seashore at `Akká to behold the Father.  They crowded on the walls of
> the Fortress and thronged the crooked lanes of the town.  Though steeped in the
> miseries and misfortunes of their fate, they shamelessly raised their voices
> shouting, "God of the Persians!", as the majestic figure of
> Bahá'u'lláh emerged from the oceans of His tribulations, passed
> through the Sea Gate and entered the last stage of His banishment in the
> Promised Land.  The members of His family and His friends followed in the
> footsteps of their Beloved, marching in with pride and calm.  The officers in
> charge counted them.  In the words of one of the prisoners, they were "counted
> as if they were sheep."
> 
>         "All the townspeople had assembled to see the arrival of the prisoners.
> Having been told that we were infidels, criminals and sowers of sedition, the
> attitude of the crowd was threatening.  Their yelling of curses and execrations
> filled us with fresh misery.  We were terrified of the unknown.  We knew not
> what the fate of our party, the friends and ourselves would be.  We were
> described as enemies of God, as the worst kind of criminals.  The people were
> exhorted to shun these vile malefactors. . . ."
> 
>         The Divine parade was led through the dark, crooked and filthy streets of
> `Akká, surrounded by the sneering laughter of the populace, till they
> reached the Army Barracks.
> 
>         The moment Bahá'u'lláh stepped into the citadel He stopped and
> made a remarkable pronouncement--remarks which will echo throughout eternity in
> the hearts of all the adherents of His Faith.  He pointed out to all who
> accompanied Him to the Most Great Prison the exalted position they occupied.
> He reminded them that thereafter their lives would take another form and would
> have a deeper significance.  Even a breath breathed in that atmosphere and a
> step taken along that path would be immortalized.  He saw a broken branch near
> His feet.  He looked at it and declared that even that broken twig would be
> mentioned in East and West.  Thus He demanded from his family and followers an
> unswerving rectitude of character and an unflinching devotion to the Cause of
> God, so that all their words and deeds would become worthy of eternity.	
> 
>         He entered His prison cell, placing the fate of humanity in the balance.
> 
>         Through His Writings we realize the significance of His banishments and
> imprisonment.  Through His words we behold the vistas behind all these scenes.
> He accepted to dwell in the most desolate town of the world so that the
> citadels of men's hearts might become pure and prosperous.  He carried the
> burdens of degradation so that the children of men might be glorified and
> rescued from humiliation.  He suffered the chains of captivity so that all the
> chains of human bondage might be broken asunder.
> 
>         Drowned in tempests of accusations and calumnies and snared in the traps of
> dismay and apparent frustration, He raised His clarion call and strengthened
> the hearts of His persecuted followers throughout the world.  He assured them
> that the drops of the blood of the martyrs, the oils and troubles of the
> teachers and the pioneers, and the hardships borne by each individual believer
> in His path would be amply rewarded.
> 
>         In the mirror of the knowledge of God a drop would be seen as an ocean and a
> pebble as a mountain.  Thus He proclaimed that His Faith would cover all lands,
> seas and islands.  He assured the friends that ere long they would hear the cry
> of, "Here am I, here am I," from all sides.  He comforted them in their
> sufferings by giving them the glad tidings of the splendid dawn of a day when
> no voice would be raised betwixt earth and heaven save in praise of His
> Cause.
> 
> Prophecies Fulfilled.
> 
>         Thus we see that when Bahá'u'lláh entered the Most Great Prison,
> the promises of all ages and religions of the past were fulfilled.  The
> dilapidated city of `Akká emerged from under the veils of centuries of
> obscurity and became the "Valley of Hope" for all mankind.  Pilgrims started to
> move to it.  The blessings of the Lord on lands in the neighborhood of
> Jerusalem, as foretold in the Qur'án, became known to all.  That
> illustrious Person Who was destined to adorn the plain of `Akká and
> change it into the Lord's "Banquet Hall" was drawn to it, by force of the
> Caliph's farmán, and imprisoned in its fortress.
> 
>         "Indeed such a consummation, He assures us, had been actually prophesied
> `through the tongue of the Prophets two or three thousand years before.'  God,
> `faithful to His promise,' had, `to some of the Prophets' `revealed and given
> the good news that the `Lord of Hosts should be manifested in the Holy Land.'
> Isaiah had, in this connection, announced in his Book: `Get thee up into the
> high mountain, O Zion that bringest good tidings; lift up thy voice with
> strength, O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings.  Lift it up, be not afraid;
> say unto the cities of Judah: "Behold your God!  Behold the Lord God will come
> with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him."' David, in his Psalms, had
> predicted: `Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting
> doors; and the King of Glory shall come in.  Who is this King of Glory?  The
> Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory.'  `Out of Zion, the perfection of
> beauty, God hath shined.  Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence.'
> Amos had, likewise, foretold His coming: `The Lord will roar from Zion, and
> utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall
> mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.'	
> 
>          `Akká, itself, flanked by the `glory of Lebanon,' and lying in full
> view of the `splendor of Carmel,' at the foot of the hills which enclose the
> home of Jesus Christ Himself, had been described by David as `the Strong City,'
> designated by Hosea as `a door of hope,' and alluded to by Ezekiel as `the gate
> that looketh towards the East,' whereunto `the glory of the God of Israel came
> from the way of the East,' His voice `like a noise of many waters.'  To it the
> Arabian Prophet had referred as `a city in Syria to which God hath shown His
> special mercy,' situated `betwixt two mountains ... in the middle of a meadow,'
> `by the shore of the sea ... suspended beneath the Throne,' `white, whose
> whiteness is pleasing unto God.'  `Blessed the man,' He, moreover, as confirmed
> by Bahá'u'lláh, declared, `that hath visited `Akká, and
> blessed he that hath visited the visitor of `Akká.'  Furthermore, `He
> that raiseth therein the call to prayer, his voice will be lifted up unto
> Paradise.'  And again: `The poor of `Akká are the kings of Paradise and
> the princes thereof.  A month in `Akká is better than a thousand years
> elsewhere.'   Moreover, in a remarkable tradition, which is contained in Shaykh
> Ibnu'l-`Arabi's work, entitled `Futúhát-i-Makkíyyih,' and
> which is recognized as an authentic utterance of Muhammad, and is quoted by
> Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl in his "Fará'id," this significant
> prediction has been made: `All of them (the companions of the Qá'im)
> shall be slain except One Who shall reach the plain of `Akká, the
> Banquet-Hall of God.'"[9]
> 
> Conclusion
> 
>         Now after the lapse of one century we can stand in the precincts of the
> Fortress to gaze at the windows of His prison cell.  We remember the dauntless
> pilgrims who crossed desserts and mountains on foot with the sole aim of
> beholding the countenance of their Beloved.  When they reached those sacred
> shores some were forbidden to enter; others came in, but could not behold His
> face, nor where their hearts attracted by hearing His melodious voice.  A
> few--only a few--saw His hand waving from the same windows.  They saw little
> and received physically less, but were so imbued with the spirit of pilgrimage
> that they returned home and consecrated their lives to the service of the
> Cause.
> 
>         We ask ourselves, "Where are the Caliphs, the Sultáns, their ministers
> and their officers who hand in hand and with all their material forces tried to
> exterminate the Faith of God?  We see with our own eyes that the dazzling
> lights of their vanishing glory have long been extinguished.  Their commanding
> voices have been stilled by the ignominious death they are suffered. Forsaken
> and forgotten, they are buried in the ruins of their own schemes, intrigues and
> plots.  Then once more we remember the sweet and assuring words of the Master,
> uttered in the darkest hour of His precious life when He said that all the
> plans made by the enemies of the Cause would eventually prove to be  nothing
> more but painting on water.  Then we behold the All-Conquering Figure of
> Bahá'u'lláh emerging from the mists of myriads of crises and
> upheavals like a beautiful silhouette against the evening sky above--far above
> the reach of men.  We feel His merciful hand raised to wipe away our tears, to
> touch our fever-laden brows, to comfort our suffering hearts, to assuage our
> pain and to give reassurance to our struggling souls.
> 
>         Let us renew the pledge of love and devotion we made to such a compassionate
> Lord and decide to return home with unflinching determination.  Let us
> disperse; yet, united in our aim and welded together in His love, let us take
> our place among the rank and file of the Army of Life and with a powerful and
> animated spirt raise the cry of "Yá Bahá'u'l-Abhá!" in all
> climes, countries, lands and plains and on all the seas and the mountain tops.
> Undaunted by the over-whelming tragedies of the world around us, let us tread
> the path of love and sacrifice, looking forward to the advent of that promised
> dawn when the world will bathe in the light and warmth of the Sun of Truth
> shining with all its God-given splendor, when man can live in abiding peace and
> unity and when the earth will become the true mirror of the Abhá
> Kingdom.
> 
> Notes
> 
> [1]   Bahá'u'lláh mentioned him in
> many Tablets, consoling his mother and relatives and appointed his nephew
> caretakers of the pilgrims in `Akká.  The nephew served in this post
> until the days of the beloved Guardian.  The Master advised Rasúl's
> relatives to perpetuate his name.
> [2]   The same promise is mentioned in the
> Tablet to the Son of the Wolf.
> [3]   Súriy-i-Ra'is
> [4]   God Passes By, p. 181.
> [5]   Muníb died two or three days after
> the departure of Bahá'u'lláh from Smyrna.
> [6]   Moses.
> [7]   Jesus
> [8]   Muhammad.
> [9]   God Passes By, pp. 183-184.
>
> — *From Adrianople to Akka: A talk to the Oceanic Conference, Palermo, Sicily (Used by permission of the curator)*