# A Gift of Love: Offered to the Greatest Holy Leaf

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Abu'l-Qásim Faizí, A Gift of Love: Offered to the Greatest Holy Leaf, bahai-library.com.
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> 
> A GIFT OF LOVE
> Offered to the Greatest Holy Leaf
> 
> A. Q. FAIZI
> 
> Compiled and edited by Gloria Faizi
> O GLORIA A. FAIZI 1982
> 
> All Rights Reserved
> 
> No part of this publication may be translated or
> reproduced in any form or by any means without
> the written permission of the copyright owner.
> 
> Cover design by Naysan Faizi
> PREFACE
> 
> Towards the end of his life, my husband, the Hand of the Cause
> AbG'1-Qiisim Faizi, had a great longing to prepare a small booklet on
> various topics related to the life of the Greatest Holy Leaf, and
> dedicate it as a gift of love to her memory on the occasion of the
> fiftieth anniversary of her passing. The Universal House of Justice
> encouraged him and felt that this was "a truly highly meritorious
> project" and a " noble undertaking " .
> But the condition of his health and his failing memory made it
> impossible for him to concentrate on writing. He started the work
> many times but could not continue, and this caused him much
> suffering. Once he wrote:
> 0 my Lord! Grant me the strength needed to begin this work.
> For me it is infinitely hard. I am like unto one who is at the edge
> of a frozen lake and invited to plunge in.
> After he passed away, I gathered all the scattered notes he had
> jotted down at different times for this project, and tried to piece
> them together. I found that, in order to prepare a coherent whole, it
> was necessary to decide on an order of topics, to add certain words
> and phrases of my'own and, in some instances, to fill in a few gaps.
> The final form this work has taken is, of a necessity, my choice; but
> it is from my husband's writings and descriptions that the choice has
> been made. Whenever it was impossible to avoid adding my own
> words, every effort was made to keep to the original style of the
> author himself.
> It should be mentioned that my husband's personal recollections
> of the Greatest Holy Leaf were closely linked to his memories of the
> Guardian of the Cause. Every time that he mentioned the Greatest
> Holy Leaf, he dwelt at some length on the Guardian and the effect
> that Shoghi Effendi had on him when he came on pilgrimage to
> Haifa as a young student from Beirut. His love for the Guardian
> became the motivating force of his being, and his whole life
> thereafter became a constant effort to please his beloved.
> It was to the Guardian that he and some of his fellow-students
> from Beirut owed the privilege of meeting the Greatest Holy Leaf,
> for it was not customary in those days for men to be admitted to the
> presence of the ladies of the household.
> Although my husband met the Greatest Holy Leaf only two times,
> and no conversation took place between them on those occasions, the
> impression made by her saintly presence on his sensitive heart was
> such that the very mention of her name filled him with the tenderest
> feelings of reverence and devotion.
> It is a great pity that he was unable to complete his labour of love
> in her sweet memory. Even so, what he has left with us captures the
> imagination and inspires the heart with deep feelings of affection
> and admiration for the one of whom Bahh'u'lliih has said:
> Verily, she is a leaf that hath sprung from this preexistent Root.
> She hath revealed herself in My name and tasted of the sweet
> savours of My holy, My wondrous pleasure. At one time We gave
> her to drink from My honeyed Mouth, at another caused her to
> partake of My mighty, My luminous Kaw&ar. Upon her rest the
> glory of My name and the fragrance of My shining robe.'
> 
> Gloria Faizi
> June, 1982
> 
> ' BabQyih Ginurn, The Greatest H o b Leaf(Haifa: Bahi'i World Centre, 1982)
> Page v
> A Gift of Love
> Offered to the Greatest Holy Leaf
> 
> Grief-stricken by the sudden passing of our beloved Guardian, I
> sought shelter beneath the slopes of a far-off range of mountains. I
> needed a fresh spirit of patience and endurance to withstand the
> many difficult tests ahead.
> A strong and yet mysterious force drew me out of the dust of
> despondency and opened my tearful eyes to the splendour of God's
> creation: the indescribable beauty of the firmament above, and the
> charm of the mountains resting calm and serene on the banks of a
> lake which stretched endlessly before me.
> I inhaled the fresh air of the early hour of dawn. The quiet solitude
> of that hour and the infinite beauty of the scenery around filled my
> heart with awe and reverence for the Creator.
> I turned my eyes to the majesty of the lofty mountains to learn
> from them the lesson of steadfastness if sorrows were to darken all
> horizons. Suddenly a moving image startled me! It was a figure clad
> in black which seemed to follow the turns and twists of the elevated
> mountain paths, dim in the morning mist. Was it a vision, or a
> hallucination caused by my intense grief? Or was it a mental
> realization of my deep longing to catch one more glimpse of the lost
> Beloved?
> Many a time I had followed that magnetic figure when he climbed
> the mountain of God, his rhythmic and determined steps enhancing
> the charm of his royal gait. It was he who had breathed life into my
> withered bones.
> And now an immeasurable distance separated us from each other.
> In no time the clouds, like a mass of cotton wool, their fringes on fire
> with the rays of the rising sun, enveloped that distant figure. The
> mountain peaks concealed him, nature sheltered him and the far-off
> horizons shielded him from the realm of man, the intruder.
> Unbearable pangs of loneliness swept over me. Dazed and
> dejected, whither could I turn my heart? I asked myself:
> Is this all we crave for?
> Are these the only gifts we receive:
> a swift glance, a sigh, a teardrop?
> And when possessions are plundered
> and all doors are shut, what remains?
> Only dismay which holds fast sway over us.
> At that early hour of morning, the lake seemed fast asleep,
> cradling the mountains in its bosom. Not even a ripple disturbed its
> serenity. It was like a large mirror reflecting the glory of the
> firmament and the exquisite beauty of its surroundings.
> The sun was slowly rising and one could feel the presence of the
> birds amongst the thick foliage. It would take them some time to
> beautify themselves before they made their appearance. A single
> bird, however, appeared on the topmost branches of a lofty arbor,
> but before it started singing its morning devotions, it had to make its
> ablutions. It spread its wings like a pair of ethereal Japanese fans to
> sustain its equilibrium. Then it swooped down to the water, yet its
> flight never broke the prevailing silence.
> The bird touched the surface of the lake with the tip of a wing and
> then took its flight to the pinnacle of the heavens above.
> By the touch of its wing, the bird, like an accomplished artist, had
> created ever-widening, harmonious circles which covered and
> ornamented the vast surface of the lake. The ripples, like welltrained soldiers, hastened to reach the shore. They rolled on and on.
> They seemed greedy and ready to confiscate the rich banks of the
> lake, but it was not so. Having reached their destination, they came
> back unstained by the red soil of the shore. Nor did they carry with
> them even a blade of grass as they returned, translucent and unsoiled
> to the bosom of the lake - now aglow in the first rays of the sun.
> The lake finished its game of circles and retained its calm to reflect
> the image of the rising sun, the mountains remained firm and
> unshaken, while the bird continued its upward flight. Its morning
> prayer was a celestial song which reverberated in all directions. The
> entire creation was awakened by the sweet melodies of that song. The
> bird soared higher and higher until it was reduced to a tiny dot.
> That beautiful bird reminded me of one of the statements of
> 'Abdu'l-Bahii. The Master said there are souls ushered into this
> world who keep themselves utterly detached from the defilements of
> this earthly life and return to their Lord absolutely pure and
> unsullied. They are like certain birds which swoop down but barely
> touch the surface of the earth before they fly back to their heavenly
> nest.
> Whenever I ponder upon this wondrous statement of 'Abdu'l-
> BahB, my thoughts are immediately drawn to His own beloved sister,
> the Greatest Holy Leaf, who is to me the exalted personification of all
> the sublime qualities of detachment. She came f ~ o mthe firmament
> on High and, though she touched the world of dust, she was not
> defiled by it. She lived on this planet but was never attached to this
> world. Though in the physical temple and surrounded by the
> pressures and cares of earthly life, she remained absolutely detached.
> Nor did she show any tendency towards the mundane habits of
> human life or any inclination to its material bonds.
> Throughout her tempestuous life, the progress of the Cause of
> God was her only aim for which she sacrificed all she had. She left no
> material riches. She had none. But we are embued by the perfume of
> her heavenly life which is the celestial legacy she has left for every
> Bahii'i.
> B a h i y y i h a h n u m , daughter of Bahh'u'llhh and designated by
> Him as the Greatest Holy Leaf, was born in Tihrhn in 1846. She was
> two years younger than her illustrious brother, 'Abdu'l-Bahii, and
> three years older than the Purest Branch. As I think of her now, my
> mind goes back to her childhood and, beyond that, to the time when
> the family of Bahh'u'llhh enjoyed fame and every comfort in their
> native land, Iran.
> The mansion in which Bahii'u'lliih was born is still considered one
> of the luxurious and magnificent dwelling places raised during the
> reign of the Q'ajiir dynasty. It is situated in the proximity of the
> palaces of the Qiijiirs and the central square of the capital.
> This mansion belonged to Mirzh Buzurg-i-Ntiri, the father of
> Bahh'u'llhh, who was a Vazir or Minister of the &&h. The Vazir
> traced his lineage to the ancient kings of Iran, and he was
> distinguished amongst the rest of the courtiers for his literary and
> artistic merits, especially his exquisite calligraphy. He was a very
> handsome person and his dignified presence commanded awe and
> reverence. He attracted people by his generosity, piety and nobility.
> He was known as the shelter of the oppressed, and victims who
> suffered the ill treatment of cruel government officials in far away
> regions of Iran would throng to the doors of his mansion, seeking
> help and justice.
> The residence of the Vazir had a spiritual influence on many
> people and, at the time of the birth of the Supreme Manifestation of
> God, Bah5'u'llhh, one of the neighbours dreamt that an
> extraordinary Child had been born in that exalted abode.
> 'Abdu'l-Bahh, the Greatest Holy Leaf and the Purest Branch were
> born into this noble household and they spent the first years of their
> lives surrounded by every wealth and comfort. But the day came
> when the solid foundations of the family of Bahii'u'llhh were shaken
> by severe adversities. They became the target of the wrath of a
> fanatical mob. Cruel hands were lifted up against them and voices
> were raised to insult and humiliate them. One day they heard the
> thunder of drums, bugles and cymbals in the street outside their
> house; then suddenly, a furious, savage crowd, shouting abuses and
> cursing the followers of the Biib, broke open the doors and
> descended upon them. The inhabitants of the house came under the
> brutal treatment of a mob inflamed with wrath against all Bhbis. Like
> a terrible storm the wild crowd swept through their richly furnished
> house and, when they had left, there remained nothing but a barren,
> empty place, the desolate ruins of the beautiful home.
> The reason for these disastrous events was to remain a mystery for
> the small children of Bahh'u'llhh for many years to come. At that
> time 'Abdu'l-Bahh was not yet nine years old, the Greatest Holy Leaf
> was six and the Purest Branch was only three.
> As long as the members of the family of Bahh'u'lliih had been
> under the shadow of His protection, they had had no worries, but
> now rumours reached them that Bahk'u'llhh had been chained,
> taken through the streets of Tihrhn and finally doomed to enter the
> most despicable of the prisons of the world - the Siyhh m a l ! His
> wife and children thought He was lost to them forever.
> Bahh'u'llLh had come to be known as the strongest defender of the
> Bkb's religion at a time when the Bkbis were unjustly suspected and
> mercilessly accused of plotting to assassinate the &kh. The attack on
> the followers of the B4b was a sudden upheaval which focused on
> Bahh'u'llkh the attention of all the authorities in the land and the
> mass of its population.
> The Muslim clergy, in the guise of protectors of their Faith,
> sanctioned monstrous actions and freely issued cruel verdicts against
> the Bkbis which were contrary to the explicit decrees of their Holy
> Book, the Qur'hn. Blasphemous falsehood became the rule of the
> day. There was no authority which could control these unbridled
> priests, nor was there any fair-minded and courageous person in
> command to punish their glaring disobedience to the texts of the
> Book they professed to believe in. No wonder that one of the Imkms
> of their Faith had prophesied that the clergy living in the days of the
> Promised One would be "the most wicked of the divines beneath the
> shadow of heaven " .
> We should know that the S_hilih Muslims had theological
> institutions to which students were drawn from surrounding areas.
> The graduates of these institutions became centres of authority
> around which clustered a large group of individuals. The lives of
> 
> The ~itib-i-fq&n(Wilmette: Bahb'i Publishing Trust, 1981) p. 247
> these people were safe as long as they obeyed such centres of
> authority, but as soon as a word was uttered against anyone who
> dared to disobey these religious leaders, that person, his entire family
> and property, would be in immediate danger. He would be
> persecuted, his possessions would be plundered and his house razed
> to the ground.
> The influence of the clergy was felt all over the country and the
> masses were completely under their control. Religious leaders
> discouraged the opening of schools in Iran because they wished their
> followers to remain illiterate and offer them blind obedience. Thus
> they suffocated the people in the dark and poisonous atmosphere of
> sheer ignorance so as to satiate their own thirst for power. In brief:
> life and death, wealth and poverty and every detail of the people's
> lives were under the strict rule of the clergy and they had no right to
> question the decrees issued by their ecclesiastical leaders.
> The sovereign, Nhsiri'd-Din &hh, was surrounded by religious
> potentates. He was afraid of their influence and their satanic plans
> and, as the Persian proverb goes, he did not dare to even drink a
> "
> 
> glass of water without their sanction". But after the attempt on his
> life, the %ah himself was so enraged that he said if he knew that a
> tree had been planted by a Bhbi he would uproot and burn it! No
> one dared approach him for the purpose of removing misunderstandings and assuring him that the Bhbis had never plotted against him.
> All doors were shut in their faces, and the followers of the B%bhad
> no chance to prove their loyalty to the Crown.
> The clergy needed no further encouragement. They unanimously
> spread the verdict that the Bhbis should be mowed down by the order
> of the &hh. They shouted the ugliest and most ignoble accusations
> against the new Faith from the top of their pulpits in the mosques
> where thousands of their followers gathered to hear them. They
> flung down their turbans in indignation and cried, "Do you call
> yourselves Muslims? Are you not ashamed to face your Prophet? How
> can you rest when the Bibis are multiplying around us? Anyone who
> kills even one of these infidels will reap abundant reward in
> heaven! "
> The illiterate and ignorant followers would unite to please their
> religious leaders. One of them would cry out, "Let us go and burn
> the home of a B%bi," and within a short time the house would be
> burned down and its inhabitants dispersed on the streets. In those
> days, friends and neighbours, members of one family or profession
> were like a rosary in the hands of a clergyman. All of a sudden he
> would break the thread that held them together and would scatter
> them in all directions.
> The people of Iran had not been ferocious by nature, but their socalled divines changed them into beasts. They were pushed towards
> insanity and savagery until they became like wolves with an insatiable
> thirst for blood. Even the youth and children were encouraged to
> wave banners, beat drums and take part in devilish activities.
> All the forces of the government and the clergy now became
> concentrated against the small Babi community dispersed in
> different quarters of Tihran. Exchange of news became impossible
> and the fate of every believer was unknown in those days of terror.
> The tide of hatred spread quickly from the capital throughout the
> whole country. Blind prejudice and sheer animosity drew
> bloodthirsty crowds to the home of anyone who was suspected of
> being a follower of the BBb. That moral force which controls beastly
> conduct in man had been slain in these people. They grew rich by
> plundering the homes of defenseless individuals. They became
> intoxicated by the sight of the blood of the innocent. At the
> instigation of the clergy, they went so far as to carry the decapitated
> heads of their victims through the streets of the town and then throw
> each head back to the bereaved family.
> The account of an incident will suffice to show the attitude of the
> clergy in those days: A crowd of people captured a man who was
> branded as a Babi and took him to the house of a priest so as to
> obtain a death-warrant and be able to kill their victim with a clear
> conscience. The priest was having his afternoon siesta when he heard
> the angry crowd clamouring outside his door. He did not so much as
> sit up to have a look at the man he was about to sentence. He cried
> out to the mob not to bring him in. If the man was a Babi, he said,
> they could kill him. Then he went back to sleep while the savage
> people tore their victim to pieces in the street.
> The clergy in Iran, inflated with pride, established the throne of
> their authority on the corpses of the followers of the Cause of God in
> order to consolidate the foundations of their supreme authority.
> Their thirst for the blood of these innocent souls was insatiable and
> they were determined to avail themselves of every opportunity to
> claim as many victims as they could.
> The early period of our Faith was the ripe season of trials and
> tribulations. They were replete with severe tests which, like a
> hurricane, struck down many strong and deeply rooted trees. The
> religion of God went through the process of purification and His true
> lovers were called upon to demonstrate their faith.
> Thousands of greetings and salutations to those invincible,
> dauntless and steadfast souls who waxed eloquent in the midst of
> persecutions, when surrounded by their ferocious enemies. They
> displayed the utmost courage and, whenever they had the slightest
> chance, proclaimed the advent of the Beloved of the World and tried
> to explain the verities of the Cause of God, though they received no
> response except foul accusations, blasphemous curses and
> indescribable torture. If they were not cut to pieces with knives and
> daggers on the streets, they were chained and forced into dark prisons
> where they were made to drink poison, face bullets or receive the
> stroke of the sword of the executioner. These heroic souls kept the
> doors of heaven open for any who were thirsty for the Water of Life.
> On the day when Bahh'u'lliih was taken to the Siyhh-%a1 and the
> brutal mob looted His house, His relatives and the servants of His
> household fled the place in terror. Bahh'u'llhh's small children were
> left alone with their mother, the saintly and gentle lady, Asiyih
> ahnum.
> To save her children from further assault, Asiyih Q P n u m took the
> youngest in her arms, told the other two to follow her, and hurried
> through unfamiliar streets and narrow, dusty lanes to a part of the
> town where they would not be easily recognized.
> The writer, in his childhood, lived in the quarter where the mother
> and her children had taken shelter years before. He recalls how the
> local inhabitants encouraged their young people to embitter the life
> of the Bahh'is by throwing stones at their children and cursing them
> on their way to the BahP'i school. He also remembers the streets and
> lanes through which Asiyih a h n u m and her children must have
> passed on the day they left their home to find a refuge in another
> part of the town.
> Coming out of the central section of the capital where the palace of
> the &%h and the mansions of the ministers are situated, they entered
> the covered bazaars of Tihrhn where there is little light even during
> the day. From the bazaars they emerged into a crowded area where
> people used to have religious gatherings and, issuing forth from this
> dangerous section of the road, they came to a large district which is
> called Sangdaj. Here they found a place to stay until their
> banishment from Iran.
> To the end of His life 'Abdu'l-Bah5 recalled the courage with
> which His gracious mother set out to save her children from the
> ferocious people around them.
> Isfandiyhr was a gem from Africa, pure and untarnished, and yet
> firm and steadfast as a diamond under all pressures and persecutions.
> He manifested his inherent qualities when faced with perils which
> endangered his life as a Bgbi. His wonderful countenance reflected
> the rays of love and courage.
> Isfandiyhr was a servant in the house of Bahh'u'llhh and, as a
> fruitful tree planted in good soil, he yielded a spiritual harvest. His
> love for Bah%'u'llhh was unlimited and, though many Ministers and
> other high government officials coveted him as a servant in their
> household, he remained ever-faithful to his own Master.
> At the time when the persecution of the Bhbis began in the capital
> and Bahh'u'llhh was taken to the Siykh-Chal, the enemies of the new
> Faith were looking for Isfandiykr so that they could force him to
> betray the followers of the Bkb whom he had seen in the house of
> Bahh'u'llhh. The &%h had commanded many people to find
> Isfandiyhr and they were searching for him everywhere. But when he
> heard of the misfortune which had befallen the family of his beloved
> Master, nothing could keep him away from them.
> We can imagine Isfandiyiir standing among the ruins of his
> Master's house, drowned in an ocean of tribulation, his heart heavy
> with the weight of anguish. He seemed to have lost everything in the
> world. He did not think of all the rich furnishings, clothes and jewels
> which had been looted from the house of Bahh'u'llkh. But the
> thought of his Master in the Siyhh-ma1 and the members of that
> noble family now dispersed and at the mercy of their foes was more
> than he could bear. "Where are the children?" he asked himself.
> "What has befallen their saintly mother?" Isfandiyhr decided to find
> them, but there was no trace of the family in the surrounding
> neighbourhood. No one knew where they had gone or what fresh
> misfortune had overtaken them.
> Isfandiyar pondered, planned and came to a decision; then he rose
> up like one of the lions of his own continent. But bravery alone was
> not enough and here is where we discover the purity of his heart. He
> put his trust in divine guidance and, as he went out to trace the steps
> of his lost ones, a mysterious force directed his steps and led him to
> his goal. It seemed as though he had become invisible as he walked
> on the streets and passed through the market-place, because no one
> recognized or molested him.
> The joy of the children at their reunion with Isfandiyiir was great,
> for they loved him dearly. Speaking of him years later, 'Abdu'l-BahP
> said, "Whenever I think of Isfandiyiir I am moved to tears although
> he passed away fifty years ago. " 1
> After her home was looted, Asiyih s a n u m had little to give her
> children to eat and they went hungry most of the time. She did not
> know whom to turn to or how to provide for them. Worst of all, she
> had no more news of her beloved Husband and wondered what had
> befallen Him in the SiyPh-Wal. She was surrounded by grave danger
> and in need of assistance and yet, when she saw their faithful servant
> standing before them, her first thoughts were for his safety. She said
> to him, "There are a hundred policemen seeking for you. If they
> catch you they will not kill you at once but will torture you with fire.
> They will cut off your fingers. They will cut off your ears. They will
> put out your eyes to force you to tell them the secrets of BahP'u'lliih.
> Go away! Do not stay here! ''2
> IsfandiyPr was deeply touched by her noble expressions of true
> concern, but he refused to go away. He told Asiyih w a n u m he could
> not leave until he had paid the family debts to shopkeepers from
> whom he had bought supplies. He could not bear to heat the fair
> name of his Master belittled in the market-place, and he did not
> leave until he had sold a few things he had and paid Bahii'u'llhh's
> debts to the last penny.
> ' Abdu'l-Bahii spoke most lovingly of Isfandiyiir during His tours
> of Europe and America. He praised him as "the essence of love,
> radiant with sanctity and perfection, luminous with light."3 He
> crowned his head with the diadem of eternity when He said, " If a
> perfect man could be found in the world, that man was
> Isfandiyht."4
> 
> * The Prorndgation of UniversaL Peace (Wilmette: Bahi'i Publishing Trust, 1982)
> p . 426
> lbid
> Ibid
> lbid
> A s l y i h a g n u r n now lived in an obscure corner of the town where
> she kept her children by her side all day, fearful for their safety. But
> one day, when they were hungry and there was no food in the house,
> she sent her eight-year-old son, 'Abbhs, to the house of an aunt to
> ask for a little money. ' Abdu'l-Bahh recounts how He was recognized
> as the son of a Bhbi and chased by a group of boys on His way back.
> He had to run for His life and when He reached home and threw
> Himself into the house, He was completely out of breath. But He
> had managed to bring back a small coin which His aunt had tied in
> the corner of a handkerchief.
> The children pined after their Father and longed to have as much
> as a single glance of His face. 'Abdu'l-Bahh repeatedly begged to be
> allowed to go to visit His Father until the faithful Isfandiyiir
> volunteered to take Him to the Siyhh-ma1.
> They went through long, crooked streets and dimly-lit, covered
> bazaars. They passed the famous district of Gal&-Bandak,which was
> the midway point to the prison, and reached a very crowded, busy
> street at the end of which was the gate to the a h h ' s palace. A few
> rooms had been built for the royal guards above the arched gateway,
> and in the evenings primitive musicians beat their drums and blew
> their trumpets there. Through the palace gate one could see a
> beautiful, spacious garden and a large pond of crystal-clear water
> with a fountain in the middle. There was a cannon near this pond
> which was claimed to be one of the booties of war brought from India
> by Niidir &Ph many years before. But the cannon had been
> gradually elevated in rank and had become a shrine for the ignorant
> people. Women would tie colourful pieces of cloth to its wheels,
> make vows and beg the cannon to grant them the realization of their
> wishes. Such was the depths of the misery and ignorance of the
> people who failed to see the light of the Sun of Truth which had risen
> from their country.
> The Siyhh-=a1 was not far from the palace of the &iih and, when
> they reached the place, Isfandiyhr was shown the way down to the
> door of the dungeon. He took 'Abdu'l-Bahh on his strong shoulders
> and slowly descended the steep, narrow steps. The entrance to the
> Siyhh-ma1 was in complete darkness, but before they could reach it,
> they heard the commanding voice of Bahh'u'llhh: "Do not bring the
> child here." They had to go up again and wait for the time when the
> prisoners were taken out for a short while each day.
> When they saw Bahh'u'llhh, He was tied to a number of other
> prisoners and stooped under the weight of an extremely heavy chain
> which hung around His neck. Lack of food and the absence of the
> least means of sanitation in that foul prison had left their terrible
> marks on His body, and 'Abdu'l-Bahh was heart-broken as He
> looked upon His beloved Father.
> His little sister, Bahiyyih, too had her share when, after four long
> months of suspense, Bahh'u'llhh was released from the Siyhh-Sal.
> Can we ever imagine the pangs of bitter grief which filled her heart at
> that tender age when she saw her Father at last? His clothes were torn
> and soiled; His hair and beard unkempt. He was so weak that He
> could only walk with great difficulty. His back was bent and His neck
> was blistered and swollen from the galling weight of the chains He
> had borne day and night for four months. He was ill from the foul air
> He had b-reached in that dark dungeon and His eyes were nor yet
> accustomed to daylight.
> As she looked on unbelievingly, Bahiyyih little realized that, from
> now on, she would be called upon to share her Father's sufferings.
> She would be raised and educated in the school of adversity, and the
> rest of her childhood would be spent as though in a rudderless boat
> tossed about by the storms raging around them. But, through all
> those years of repeated exile and persecution, imprisonment, poverty
> and illness, she stood firm by her Father's side, never wavering in her
> loyalty and devotion to Him and His Cause.
> Bahh'u'llhh had not yet had time to recover from the ordeals He
> had suffered in the Siyhh-gal when He was banished from Iran. It
> was rumoured that the &hh could not rest on his throne until
> Bahh'u'llhh and His family had left the country. The decree of the
> &kh was immediately confirmed by the flattering courtiers around
> him and enthusiastically applauded by all the religious dignitaries of
> the land. The hysterical cries of these relentless enemies of the Cause
> were raised from every pulpit. Their ignoble accusations against the
> B%bisknew no limits. "The religion of the Bkb," they said, " is
> worse than the outburst of a terrifying epidemic sweeping over our
> country, and the &hh is determined to wipe it out.1' The news of the
> banishment of Bahh'u'llhh and His family filled them with joy and
> excitement. They congratulated each other as they passed on the
> news: "The Bhbis are banished, and this supreme victory is won by
> no less a personage than the &hh himself!" They showered
> exaggerated titles upon the sovereign, calling him the Protector of
> the Religion of God, the Supporter of Islam in the world, the Shield
> and Shelter of all true believers.
> The small band of Bahh'u'llhh's friends were immersed in an
> ocean of poignant sorrow. They had leaned on Him in their weakness, and had received the light of His guidance. Now that He was
> leaving them, they did not know whom they could turn to for help.
> But the Sun of Truth, which had risen in Iran, was destined to
> reach its zenith in other lands and shed its light from the prison-city
> of 'Akkh. Bahh'u'llhh was to ascend the throne of fame and glory,
> while the &hh, now filled with pride, was doomed to perish and
> leave no trace.
> The day came when the family of Bahh'u'llhh set out from Tihdn,
> never to return to their homeland. The two older children, 'Abbhs
> and Bahiyyih, had thought that their worries were over now that
> their Father had come back, but when they realized that their little
> brother, Mihdi, had to be left behind in Tihrhn, there was no end to
> their sorrow. They missed the innocent look of his large black eyes
> and the sweet smiles which always adorned his heavenly face. Their
> beautiful mother had surrendered her will to the Will of her Lord
> and was content to follow her beloved Husband wherever He went,
> but for her, too, the parting with Mihdi was heart-rending. How
> could she explain to him the reason for this sudden, cruel separation
> as he followed her with his eyes?
> An Arab poet has said that the ground where lovers bid each other
> farewell is set aflame by the fire in their hearts.
> O n c e , when I was in a meeting in Baghdad, I met a wonderful
> person. His name was Jalil. He was tall, well-built and wore a long,
> spotless, Arab gown. He had a penetrating, warm voice which rang
> out like a bell when he chanted the Arabic Tablets of Bahii'u'lliih. I
> was drawn to this man and felt a deep love for him in my heart.
> After the meeting, Jalil approached me with a smiling face and
> conversed with me in pure, beautiful Persian. I was astonished at his
> command of the language, and asked, "How is it that you speak
> such fluent Persian?" He said, "Our mother spoke to us in the
> language of Bahii'u'lliih. If any of her children addressed her in
> Arabic, she would not answer."
> "Was your mother a Persian?" I inquired. He said, "No, our
> mother was born into an Arab tribe." Then he added, "When the
> Ancient Beauty resided in Baghdad, the ladies of His household had
> to remain inside the house almost all the time. Bahiyyih a i i n u m
> was only a child and felt lonely being by herself all day. Our mother,
> who was a young girl of the same age, became Bahiyyih KhPnum's
> playmate and learned Persian from her."
> I was eager to know more, and Jalil continued: "The two girls
> became inseparable friends. Bahiyyih g a n u m called her playmate
> 'Habibati' (my dear one). Our mother lived in the house of
> Bahii'u'lliih almost all the time and her parents were very happy.
> This went on for almost ten years. Then BahP'u'lliih and His family
> were exiled from Baghdad, and Bahiyyih a h u r n had to leave for an
> unknown destination. Habibati was heart-broken and no one could
> console her in her grief.
> "After the family left, she became like a bird without wings. She
> would sit in a cornet all day and lament in the anguish of her
> separation from her beloved companion. She was not embittered.
> She just sat chanting prayers and reciting sad poetry. Imagine! She
> was not sorrowing for an ordinary friend. No, the one who had left
> her was the daughter of Bahii'u'lliih! Even pilgrims who met
> Bahiyyih w a n u m for only a few days grew to love her. Habibati,
> who had been her close companion for many years, could not bear to
> be parted from her and she suffered from this separation all her life.
> "Our mother was illiterate, but she would at times dictate letters
> for Bahiyyih & h u m . Every word of her letters was a drop of the
> blood of her heart, a gem of pure love offered to her exalted
> beloved. "
> Jalil related another moving incident in the life of his mother. He
> said that they sometimes held meetings in their home. Though their
> house was very modest and the gatherings quite simple, the friends
> vied with each other to be present at those meetings. Many prayers
> and Tablets were chanted and the meetings went on till after
> midnight.
> Habibati sat in a small adjacent room by herself and prepared tea
> and coffee for her guests. One night, when the meeting had come to
> an end and the friends had dispersed, her children found Habibati in
> physical agony and unable to move from her seat on the floor.
> "When I was serving tea," she told them, "this large pot of boiling
> water spilled over my leg." They removed her clothes and saw that
> she was severely burned. "Why did you not call us?" they asked,
> " The burn should have been attended to immediately."       "What! "
> she said, "Did you expect your mother to cry out for help and
> disturb a meeting held in the name of Bahii'u'lliih?"
> Habibati was blessed with wonderful children who were stalwart,
> enthusiastic members of the BahP'i community in Baghdad. She
> died very peacefully, and her long years of separation from her
> beloved Bahiyyih u a n u m came to an end at last.
> B a h i y y i h a l n u m grew to be a beautiful young woman. BY the
> time she began to carry the load of her mother's family
> responsibilities, she came to be known as a i i n u r n "the lady of the
> household" . Many asked for her hand in marriage but she preferred
> to remain single. Incessant pleading did not change her plan of life.
> She was determined to spend all her days and every ounce of her
> energy in the service of the Cause of God.
> & h u m was a solace to her Father and, though she was not
> physically strong, she followed Him through all the stages of His
> exile. She faced every deprivation and endured every hardship, firm
> and unshaken in her faith.
> To fathom a life which was lived under the shadow of the Supreme
> Manifestation of God is indeed beyond the scope of man's
> imagination. These inadequate lines written in memory of the most
> exalted woman of the Universal Faith of Bahii'u'lliih, are put down
> with the hope that we may become.acquainted with the walks of life
> trodden by great souls and learn the essence and reality of our
> stupendous Cause. Thus, love will find its way easily into our hearts
> and show us the road we must follow when bewildered among the
> many paths of life.
> The Greatest Holy Leaf showed magnanimity when confronted
> with savagery, endurance and perseverance when burdened with
> sorrows, and never failed to be gentle and loving towards those who
> poisoned her life. She suffered with absolute acquiescence the bitter
> stages of exile from country to country, the many changes of
> residence, the lack of the barest necessities of life and, above all, the
> merciless acts of cruelty committed by those who were in charge when
> she and her family were in prison. She remained a moving spirit of
> detachment and passed through the darkest periods of her life with
> unparalleled dignity.
> In the Most Great Prison where the guards, bereft of any kind of
> clemency, made conditions as difficult as possible for them, she
> never complained. The filthy environment and the appalling
> conditions within the prison walls, and the never-ending sickness
> around her could not embitter her life or induce her into a state of
> inactivity. She desired nothing but to follow 'Abdu'l-Bah5 in the
> path of servitude. When their fellow-prisoners were in distress, she
> tried to alleviate their suffering; when they were ill, she helped
> 'Abdu'l-Bahh to care for them.
> Khhnum had boundless love for her younger brother, Mihdi, the
> ~ u & t Branch. She suffered bitterly when he fell through a skylight
> in the prison and died in pain before her very eyes. She suffered, too,
> when the followers of Bahh'u'llhh, who had walked on foot for many
> months to reach 'Akkii, were forbidden to meet their Lord, or when a
> fellow-prisoner was not allowed to buy a little milk for his dying
> child. But she suffered in silence.
> Years later, whenever pilgrims asked m a n u m to tell them of those
> days, she would smile and say they should talk of happy times, for
> those sad days were over.
> After Bahh'u'lliih passed away, the Greatest Holy Leaf held fast to
> His Covenant and became 'Abdu'l-Bahii's staunchest supporter. Her
> greatest joy was to be near Him and assist Him in His work. She
> demonstrated the same qualities of faith during the Master's lifetime
> as she had shown in the days of her Father and, in the midst of the
> fresh calamities heaped upon them through the machinations of the
> Covenant-breakers, she never wavered from the straight path though
> the road she trod was strewn with many thorns.
> w a n u m was a jewel around which revolved the life of every
> member of the family of 'Abdu'l-Bahh. The Master Himself could
> not be parted from her for long. We can see this from some of the
> words He wrote to her when only the distance between Haifa and
> 'Akkh separated them from each other:
> Thou didst leave for 'Akkh to remain but two days or so and then
> return, but now thou hast been gone from us for quite a while. We
> have stayed behind in Haifa, all alone, and it is very difficult to get
> along .. ..
> In any case, no matter how things are, come thou here today,
> because my heart is longing for thee.
> The tender and celestial relationship between 'Abdu'l-Bah5 and
> His sister is beyond description. Their hearts were cemented together
> in their love for the Ancient Beauty. They shared every joy and, when
> sorrows abounded, B h n u m was ready to lighten her Brother's
> 
> Babiyyzb a h u r n , The Greatest Holy Leaf; p. 13
> burden by taking on more than any other person around Him could
> endure. In a letter to her, the Master writes:
> 0 my well-beloved sister, 0 Most Exalted Leaf!
> . . . There is no way but to endure the toil and trouble of God's
> path. If thou dost not bear these hardships, who could ever bear
> them?'
> And again, contemplating the extent of her tribulations, He says:
> Dear and deeply spiritual sister! At noon and eventide, with the
> utmost ardour and humility, I supplicate at the Divine Threshold,
> and offer this, my prayer:
> 'Grant, 0 Thou my God, the Compassionate, that that pure
> and blessed Leaf may be comforted by Thy sweet savours of
> holiness and sustained by the reviving breeze of Thy loving care
> and mercy. Reinforce her spirit with the signs of Thy Kingdom,
> and gladden her soul with the testimonies of Thy everlasting
> dominion. Comfort, 0 my God, her sorrowful heart with the
> remembrance of Thy face, initiate her into Thy hidden mysteries,
> and inspire her with the revealed splendours of Thy heavenly
> light. Manifold are her sorrows, and infinitely grievous her
> distress. Bestow continually upon her the favour of Thy
> sustaining grace and, with every fleeting breath, grant her the
> blessing of Thy bounty. Her hopes and expectations are centred in
> Thee; open Thou to her face the portals of Thy tender mercies and
> lead her into the ways of Thy wondrous benevolence. Thou art the
> Generous, the All-loving, the Sustainer, the All-bountiful.' . . . 2
> 
> Bah2jyzh Khdnurn, The Greatest Holy Leaf; p. 13
> Ibid, page v
> T h e life of the Greatest Holy Leaf cannot be separated from that of
> either the Master or the Guardian. With the passing of 'Abdu'l-
> Bah5, w a n u m lost the support she had depended on all her life. She
> was now called upon to shoulder fresh responsibilities which required
> all her strength. But the love of the Guardian of the Cause
> surrounded her; and in him she found her joy and comfort.
> Ever since Shoghi Effendi's childhood there had always been a very
> close relationship between him and the Greatest Holy Leaf. When
> the Master passed away the Guardian became wanum's only love in
> life. Her thoughts were centred in him, and his happiness and
> comfort was all that she desired.
> In the literature of the East many stories are told about two lovers,
> Layli and Majniin. Because of the intensity of his love for Layli,
> Majniin could think of nothing else. Once a man went to him and
> complained about his partner in trade. He talked for hours and
> explained the details of their dispute. At the end he asked Majniin,
> "In your judgement, which of us is right?" Majnhn's reply was
> "Layli" . This is given as an example of true love because nothing
> could distract the lover from the thought of his beloved.
> In The Seven Valleys, Bah5'u'll&h recounts another story about
> Layli and Majniin: Majniin was found looking through a pile of dust.
> They asked him what he was searching for, and again his reply was
> " Layli " . Such extreme concentration of thought is considered the
> 
> sublime sign of selfless love.
> This was the quality of the love which the Greatest Holy Leaf had
> for the Guardian. Once, when tea was being served to a group of
> pilgrims visiting m a n u m , the girl who carried the large tray piled
> with teapots, cups and saucers, dropped it on her way to the room
> and a terrific noise resounded through the house. m a n u m put
> her hands on her heart and exclaimed, "Where is Shoghi Effendi? "
> When she was assured that he was upstairs and all right, she calmed
> down and told the attendant, "Do not worry about the cups and
> saucers. We have others in the house."
> The Guardian reciprocated a a n u m ' s feelings, and the love and
> reverence he had for her was far beyond anything he showed toward
> all others.
> Every afternoon the Guardian would go up Mount Carmel to visit
> the Shrines and spend some time with the pilgrims. If he was later
> than usual in conling back, @inurn would grow restless and send
> someone to bring her news that Shoghi Effendi was on his way to the
> house. The Guardian would visit her in the evenings and would
> often have his dinner in her room.
> It was not very long after the passing of the Master when a pilgrim,
> by the name of Rawhiiniyyih, came to visit the Holy Land. She
> belonged to a family of early believers from a Jewish background.
> Rawhhiyyih was a charming person and she chanted prayers with a
> voice which was penetrating and full of sweet resonance. Her
> beautiful chanting brought much comfort to the heart of the
> Greatest Holy Leaf and, when the Guardian heard of this, he asked
> Rawhiiniyyih to extend her stay for a few months after the days of her
> pilgrimage had come to an end.
> The sweet stream of manum's love purified the hearts and
> uplifted the souls of those who came in touch with her, and the spell
> of that love was cast on all the pilgrims who came to the Holy Land.
> One of the Persian believers once recounted to the writer that
> when he came on pilgrimage with a group of fellow-believers, he
> brought along his wife who was not a Baha'i. In those days the
> journey to Haifa was long and difficult. Coming from Iran, they had
> to travel by car for days and cross a stretch of hot desert between
> Baghdad and Damascus. Some of the travellers, under the hardships
> of the journey, grew somewhat short-tempered and were rude to the
> Muslim woman. She was very sad at heart but did not say anything.
> Then the day came when the pilgrims found themselves at the
> door of the Master's house. It was the custom for the womenfolk to
> be led into a room where they would have the privilege of meeting
> the daughter of Bahh1u'll2h. But on that day, they found manurn
> waiting expectantly outside. The pilgrims hastened to meet her. She
> greeted them all but was still waiting outside. Waiting for whom?
> Finally they saw the Muslim woman slowly approaching, full of
> uncertainty and concern. The Greatest Holy Leaf advanced toward
> her and took the woman in her arms. Then, holding her by the hand,
> she led her into the room and invited her to sit next to herself. When
> all the pilgrims had taken their seats, a a n u m took off her own ring
> and put it on the finger of her guest of honour. This brought tears to
> the eyes of everyone in the room as they learned a lesson in
> universal love.
> The husband of the Muslim woman told me that his wife did not
> embrace the Faith, but she would never part with the ring, and she
> died with the name of G h n u m on her lips.
> 1  was a new Bahh'i when I first came to Haifa as a pilgrim in 1927. 1
> was young and inexperienced and my knowledge of the Faith was
> limited to a few elementary books I had gone through in Bahh'i
> classes in Tihr5.n.
> I waited in the garden of the Master's house to be called to meet
> the Guardian and it seemed an infinitely long while before someone
> came to invite me in. The room I entered was beautiful though very
> simply furnished, and I thought I could sense the heartfelt prayers of
> countless visitors resounding and vibrating in that place.
> I sat facing the door when suddenly the Guardian came in
> unannounced and without the least ceremony. He was in the prime
> of youth, with a heavenly countenance and a divine majesty. I was
> overcome by emotion and could not move. The Guardian, seeing my
> plight, came forward and said, "Let us embrace like two brothers."
> My head rested on his shnulder and tears filled my eyes as I received
> my spiritual baptism.
> From the moment I saw the Guardian, I lost my heart to him
> completely. I came to realize how a single glance of the Beloved can
> change the entire course of a person's life. I understood the meaning
> of pure love and stepped into a world which cannot be fathomed
> through the knowledge p~evalentamong men.
> The Guardian showered his love upon me. He asked about my
> studies at the American University of Beirut and encouraged me to
> concentrate on the study of English, Persian and Arabic.
> The beloved Guardian had advised the Persian Bahh'i youth to
> come from Iran to Beirut for their higher education and a number of
> us, coming from different walks of life, gathered in Beirut during the
> twenties. Most of us were at the American University and we had
> formed a weekly gathering in the house of the Iqbhl family to study
> Bah%'ihistory, principles and other aspects of our Faith.
> The guide and leader in all our activities was Hasan Balyuzi who
> was indeed a true brother to each one of us. Every word of guidance
> he uttered was a gem; whatever standards he set we followed. Hasan
> assumed no rank or title, but he was like a candle which threw light
> on the path to honour and success. Had it not been for him I, as a
> new Bahh'i, would have been lost in my strange environment. His
> warm, sweet voice still rings in my ears and his love is imprinted on
> my heart forever.
> At Hasan's suggestion, the Bahh'i students in Beirut wrote to the
> Guardian and asked if they might be permitted to come on
> pilgrimage to Haifa, a few at a time, during their Christmas or Easter
> holidays. The Guardian graciously granted us this favour and there
> was no limit to our youthful enthusiasm and happiness.
> We came to Haifa each year with hearts brimful with the love of
> our young Guardian who was himself a fountainhead of love. He
> welcomed us and inquired about each student's welfare, his studies
> and the news he had received from his parents. He remembered his
> own contemporaries at the American University of Beirut. He asked
> about them from the relatives they had amongst us, and sent them
> his love. Once he said, "Tell them that I never forget them."
> The Guardian did his utmost to make us happy and hopeful about
> our future. He taught us the lesson of detachment and breathed in us
> the spirit of servitude to the divine Threshold.
> We loved him beyond measure and never wanted to part with
> him. The days we spent in the Guardian's presence were like rays of
> sunshine penetrating the rest of our dark lives, and the memory of
> those blissful days is still a source of spiritual nourishment and
> inspiration.
> Every afternoon we would go to the door of the Master's house to
> wait for the time when the Guardian, exhausted from the burden of
> his work and heavy correspondence, would come out to go to the
> Shrines on Mount Carmel. We could discern the signs of fatigue
> from his tired eyes as he emerged from the house, but his heavenly
> countenance was always smiling when he greeted us. We followed
> him up the mountain and listened to the sweet stream of the
> utterances of the Sign of God as he shared with us news he received
> each day from the Bahg'is of the world. He uplifted our spirits with
> the glad tidings of the progress of the Cause and helped us to
> understand the grandeur of our Faith.
> As we walked through the gardens around the Shrines, the
> Guardian spoke to the few gardeners, asked after their health and
> gave them his instructions. One day he told one of the gardeners to
> gather fruit for us students from the trees around. Then, turning his
> wonderful gaze on us, he added with a heavenly smile, "I am sure
> you must have a good appetite."
> The gardens were not so extensive or developed in those days, but
> the Guardian had a clear vision of what should be done and he
> pursued a definite course of action, never wavering in his
> determination. He did not rest until he had changed the rugged
> mountainside into a garden of paradise and had completed the
> construction of the Shrine of the Bhb in accordance with the wishes of
> his beloved Grandfather, 'Abdu'l-Bahh.
> What a bounty it was to accompany the Guardian to the Shrines!
> When he approached the resting places of the Biib and 'Abdu'l-
> Bahh, it seemed as if he was in Their presence and was advancing
> towards Them carrying the hearts of thousands of supplicants with
> him to Their sacred Thresholds. When he chanted the Tablets of
> Visitation, it was no ordinary chanting. It was the lamentations of a
> Nightingale of the Abhh Kingdom caught in the cage of this material
> world. No one who has heard the Guardian chanting can ever forget
> that celestial and soul-stirring voice.
> After visiting the Shrines, we would accompany the Guardian part
> of the way back; then he would ask us to go to the Pilgrim House and
> rest while he himself went back to the pile of work on his desk.
> One night we stayed awake, standing on the balcony of the
> Pilgrim House and watching the light in the upper room of the
> Master's house where the Guardian worked. We wanted to know
> when he would go to bed and we stayed up until two in the morning!
> The next day when the Guardian met us outside the Master's
> house, his first remark was, "You should go to bed early at night. I
> am sometimes obliged to stay up because I have much to do." How
> considerate he was towards others, and how utterly unmindful of his
> own rest and comfort!
> T h e Guardian, though burdened under the weight of his
> multifarious obligations, would invariably sacrifice his own few hours
> of leisure to uplift the spirits of the Bahii'is around him. In those
> days there were two meetings for the men in Haifa each week, one in
> the Pilgrim House close to the Shrines and another in the Master's
> house.
> On Sundays, when the men gathered in the presence of the
> Guardian in the Pilgrim House, the women would cluster around the
> Greatest Holy Leaf in another building close by. On Wednesdays,
> when the Guardian sat with the men in the room where 'Abdu'l-
> Bahii used to receive His visitors, the Greatest Holy Leaf would often
> sit in an adjacent room where she could hear the Guardian as he
> spoke to the friends.
> These were wonderful gatherings which we students from Beirut
> attended as pilgrims. All the Baha'is who lived in Haifa and the
> surrounding areas would be present. The gardeners and caretakers of
> the Shrines came in very simple, clean, white garments which we
> knew they had set aside for these meetings and which contrasted well
> with their weather-beaten, shining faces. Among them were Ustiid
> Abu'l-Qiisim, the embodiment of love and detachment, who had
> served in the Holy Land for many years; Yadu'lliih-i-Saysiini, a
> vigorous young man from A&arbiiyjiin; and Ismii'il Aqii, the
> faithful gardener of ' Abdu'l-Bahii with whom the Master had shared
> His sorrows and concerns.
> When 'Abdu'l-Bahii passed away, Ismii'il Aqii could not bear to
> go on living and he cut his own throat. Fortunately, he was found in
> time and taken to hospital. There they stitched the wound but
> Ismg'il Aqh jerked his head and split the wound open again and
> again. He had decided that he did not wish to live after his beloved
> Master had left this world, and the doctors could do nothing about
> it. When the Greatest Holy Leaf heard of this, she sent him a
> message saying that she longed to see him working in the Master's
> garden once more, and he allowed his wound to heal.
> We students loved Ismii'il Aqii and we sometimes gathered around
> him as he worked in the garden. He would say to us, "When you are
> on pilgrimage, fix your attention on your Guardian. There are many
> others here, but you have only one master.' Try to make him happy.
> The load of work and responsibility on his shoulders is more than one
> person can carry. "
> The meetings in Haifa were often attended by a number of elderly
> pilgrims from the East who had endured many hardships in the path
> of God. Indescribable feelings stirred my heart whenever I looked at
> these veteran soldiers of the Army of Life. These men had been on
> many fronts and had fought innumerable spiritual battles with
> courage and self-sacrifice. They had withstood the opposition of
> fierce enemies of the Cause and had gallantly defended the Faith
> against the cruel Covenant-breakers in the days of 'Abdu'l-Bahh.
> And now, after long years of service, they were gathered beneath the
> shadow and protection of their youthful commander, their beloved
> Guardian. As they sat in the meeting room with their eyes fixed on
> the entrance, waiting for his arrival, God knows what waves of
> memories of bygone days surged within their pure souls.
> Some of them had known Shoghi Effendi long before he was
> appointed Guardian of the Cause, and had realized that he was
> unique even in his childhood. There seemed to be a mysterious
> connection between them and the Guardian. Suddenly one would
> see them arranging their clothes and preparing to stand up to receive
> him, and then within seconds one would hear the rhythmic footsteps
> of the Guardian approaching from the hall. Their eyes glittered with
> the light of pure love, and the rest of the world did not exist for them
> anymore, when he stepped into the room and lifted up his hand in
> greeting.
> Imagine the spiritual atmosphere prevalent in that heavenly
> gathering with the Guardian of the Cause present and the Greatest
> Holy Leaf sitting close by, behind the open door leading to the
> adjacent room! Those meetings were indeed a sign and token of
> celestial feasts. Prayers and Tablets were chanted; then the Guardian
> spoke, encouraging the believers and giving them news of the spread
> of the Faith of Bah5'u'llhh throughout the countries of the world.
> Sometimes he would ask the group of students from Beirut to sing
> Bahh'i songs to cheer the hearts of the friends.
> 
> Ismk'il Aqii was referring to Shoghi Effendi's brothers and cousins who later became
> Covenant-breakers.
> '   I
> 
> One day, when the meeting had just begun, the beloved Guardian                1 ;
> i I
> ~1
> turned to me and said, "Will you chant something?" I was taken by                !
> surprise, but I had to obey him. Fortunately I had a collection of
> 
> ~ 'I
> Tablets in my pocket. I took it out and started to chant one of the
> .,
> beautiful, long Tablets of Bahii'u'lliih in which He teaches man how             1
> I
> to tread the.path that leads to reunion with the Beloved.                        ;   I
> After chanting about two pages, I stopped and whispered, "It is a             1   I
> very long Tablet." The Guardian smiled and said, "Yes, it is one of
> the early Tablets revealed in Baghdad." Then he turned to one of
> the very old believers and remarked, "Hiiji Husayn, it is a long time
> since you heard such chanting!" He addressed me once again and
> said, "You have a warm, resonant voice. Do you chant in your
> -I!  ,
> I
> ,
> I
> I
> I       !
> /       i
> meetings in Beirut?"                                                         , !I
> I
> 
> The day after that, when the group of students was following the          ,       1
> 
> Guardian up the Vineyard of God, he said, "The Greatest Holy Leaf            ; !/
> heard your chanting last night and would like to hear you again. Will                I
> you all go to her and make her happy?"
> This rare, heavenly bounty was offered to us so suddenly that we          I
> could not immediately grasp its significance. But our joy was
> boundless and we spent more than half a day deciding on a suitable
> :       1
> program of prayers, poems and songs which we could present to the
> II
> daughter of Bah%'u'll%h.                                                             i
> I
> I
> A f t e r rhe elapse of half a century, I still remember very clearly and
> vividly, the impression of those few blissful hours when I had the
> bounty of feasting my eyes on the beauteous countenance of the
> Greatest Holy Leaf.
> The tender charm of that personality possessed my entire being. Its
> fascination has never faded, nor has its influence waned. Every detail
> is remembered, every nuance of that experience is faithfully retained,
> untouched and unaltered by the passage of time. This most precious
> memory scintillates in the treasure-house of my heart and soul as an
> immortal relic of infinite grace and loveliness.
> Whenever the dust of despondency, rising from the path of my
> life, veils or dims the lustre of my joy, tears of longing shed in
> remembrance of the Greatest Holy Leaf wash away that dust and
> cause the light of happiness to shine and envelope my being.
> Like a wealthy man who opens his safe at midnight, counts his
> diamonds with the utmost care and satisfaction, and gently removes
> the dust from his gold coins, delighting at their touch, I too find
> happiness in dwelling upon my treasured recollections in the
> midnight of loneliness and deprivation. I remember those precious
> incidents of my life and cover them with my tears of thanksgiving
> and gratitude, thus keeping them forever clear and untarnished.
> In the world of my imagination, I once more follow our beloved
> Guardian up the slopes of Mount Carmel and breathe in the fresh air
> of the paradise surrounding the Holy Shrines. And I find myself in
> the presence of the Greatest Holy Leaf - the one who was called
> upon to tread the path of living martyrdom. Such is my spiritual
> sustenance. Time and distance have proved too feeble to weaken my
> grasp from the hem of the Sign of God on earth or to deter my gaze
> from beholding the beauty of Khanurn's celestial countenance.
> When our small group of students from Beirut was ushered into
> the presence of the Greatest Holy Leaf, she was seated at the upper
> end of a large room, facing the door. The wife of the Master, Munirih
> u a n u m , sat next to her and other ladies of the household sat on
> either side in a semi-circle, but the mother of the Guardian,
> Diyii'iyyih a % n u m ,stood behind the Greatest Holy Leaf with her
> hands resting on the shoulders of her beloved aunt. We students
> were given seats facing this beautiful audience.
> The Greatest Holy Leaf was very frail at that time; the many years
> of toil and suffering had left their marks on her, but her graceful
> I
> personality, her delicate smile and her heavenly blue eyes made a                   i
> lasting impression on us all. For us who had not had the privilege of
> beholding the majestic countenance of 'Abdu'l-Bahh, seeing the
> ~~
> I
> 
> Greatest Holy Leaf was an unexpected bounty because she greatly
> resembled the Master. Her penetrating eyes, especially, reminded us
> of 'Abdu'l-Bahh.
> .-
> ~~
> I
> 
> I
> 
> a h n u m sat still, her lily-white hands resting gently on her lap.
> She was a queen who inspired love and reverence, and at her throne                  ~
> I
> 
> of grandeur we offered our grateful hearts. Her glance was full of
> love, but she did not speak to us. The Master's wife, Munirih                        I
> 
> Khhnum, spoke on her behalf. She greeted us when we arrived, and
> thanked us warmly, in m a n u m ' s name, at the end of our program                  ,
> of prayers, songs and Bahh'i poems. Then we were served tea and we                   i
> left the Master's house exhilarated with joy because we had had the                  1
> I
> honour of creating an hour of rest and pleasure in the life of the                  Ii
> Greatest Holy Leaf.
> We arrived at the Pilgrim House later in the evening and found
> that a h n u m had sent us boxes of nuts and special sweets. We had
> ~
> I
> known of a h n u m ' s extreme generosity, a trait she had inherited not
> only from her Father, but from her gracious mother as well. We knew
> how she always gave gifts to everyone who came to see her, and we
> i,1
> remembered having heard that once, when some Arab ladies had                             I
> 
> arrived unannounced, and Q h n u m had found her store of gifts
> empty, she gave them the only thing she could think of - large
> handfuls of cube sugar - to take away!
> The day after we had visited a h n u m , when we were walking
> towards the Shrines with the Guardian as usual, he turned around
> I
> 
> and asked us, "Did you go to @ b u m yesterday? Did you chant
> 
> ~~
> I : ,
> prayers and sing songs for her? Did she like them?" We bowed and
> answered him. Then, with a celestial smile of contentment he said,
> " I, too, had left the door of my room wide open." We knew that the
> 
> Guardian had also enjoyed our humble program.
> T h e next time a group of us were coming from Beirut, we prepared
> a one-act play called The Light of Faith in the Darkness of the
> Dungeon which depicted the sufferings of one of the martyrs in Iran.
> We asked the Guardian in Haifa if he would permit us to show it in
> the Master's house. His immediate reply was, "No, it would sadden
> the heart of the Greatest Holy Leaf." Such delicate expressions of
> concern for Khhnum's feelings touched the depths of our hearts
> because we knew how much the Guardian loved her. But he allowed
> us to go to the Master's house once more and entertain the Greatest
> Holy Leaf with songs and poems.
> This time we had begged one of our fellow-students to bring his
> tcir' with him to Haifa. He had learned to play the instrument from
> one of the great masters in Iran and he had a lovely touch - "his
> fingers were sweet" as we say in Persian. Our friend was very
> reluctant to bring his t2r along and said it was not the proper thing to
> do, but we managed to persuade him to bring it.
> Q k n u m was delighted with the program we had prepared for her.
> Among other things, we sang a group song with the refrain, "0
> 'Abdu'l-Bahh, my hand is stretched out in longing to reach Thy
> robe." It was a simple, but deeply moving song. I chanted a Tablet
> revealed by 'Abdu'l-Bahh which is addressed to a man who had
> suffered all kinds of tribulations in the path of the Blessed Beauty. In
> the Tablet, 'Abdu'l-Baha recounts the blessings we have in this
> Cause, and after each section He repeats, "Why, then, should we be
> sad?" When I finished chanting, Munirih @ h u m said the Greatest
> Holy Leaf would like to have a copy of this Tablet. I was very thrilled
> to know that w a n u m was pleased with my choice. Later, in the
> Pilgrim House, I spent hours in order to choose the right kind of
> paper and pen with which to write, and made copy after copy before
> I was pleased with one which was sent to beloved m a n u m .
> After our program had come to an end, Munirih a a n u m spoke to
> us on behalf of the Greatest Holy Leaf and told us how much
> Q h n u m had enjoyed listening to our chanting, music and songs.
> Then she said something which touched our hearts and brought tears
> to our eyes. The Greatest Holy Leaf, she said, would love to hear one
> 
> 1 A Persian string musical instrument
> of the songs which labourers sing in Iran as they go home in the
> evenings on their way back from work. She asked if there was anyone
> among us who knew those songs. We were surprised that s a n u m
> should still remember songs which she must have heard on the streets
> of Tihrhn during her early childhood. Perhaps the sight of a group of
> young Persians, or the music of the trir, had taken her back to those
> days.
> One of us, who sang well, began to sing for her in a beautiful
> penetrating voice. The songs m a n u m had referred to are known as
> Lzi&ih-bZ&i. They have a sad tune which fills the heart with
> poignant emotion. Who knows what memories and reminiscences of
> bygone days that nostalgic tune awakened in a 5 n u m ' s tender heart
> that evening! We, too, were carried back to her years of exile and
> imprisonment, and to the times of sorrow she had known - not so
> much because of her own deprivations, but because of the
> tribulations suffered by those she loved.
> In my reverie, I saw her as a little girl, clinging to her mother when
> their house was being looted in Tihrhn, and crouching in a corner
> when she had no bed to sleep in during the bitterly cold nights of
> that terrible, long journey to Baghdad. I saw her as a young girl
> saying farewell to the loving companion of her childhood when she
> was taken from Iraq to Turkey; as a gracious woman attending to the
> needs of her fellow-prisoners in 'AkkP; and as a gentle lady
> comforting 'Abdu'l-Bahh when He was bowed down under the
> weight of sorrow heaped upon Him by the Covenant-breakers.
> The sun had set and the light in the room was fast fading. All I
> could now see through the mist of tears was the long, delicate white
> scarf on manurn's head and the soft, white hands on her lap. Those
> hands had a strange effect on me. They appeared to me as the wings
> of a white bird flying over the dark city of 'Akkh, bringing the
> message of strength and courage. I saw a h n u m ' s hands removing
> the chains placed around her Father's neck, and drying her mother's
> tears when the Purest Branch was dying. And again I beheld them
> raised in prayer when she heard the lamentations of Bah5'u'llBh in
> His cell the night He had offered His beloved son as a sacrifice in the
> path of God: " Mihdl, Mihdi!"
> Had it not been for all those bitter tests, these hands, as white as a
> lily, as strong as the grip of destiny, would not have been able to hold
> the reins of the affairs of the Bahh'is around the world for almost two
> years when 'Abdu'l-BahL had passed away and the Guardian was
> absent from the Holy Land.
> As I bowed my head in gratitude to the daughter of BahL'u1ll%h,      I
> did not realize that this was the last time I would ever see her on this
> earthly plane.
> O u r pilgrimage came to an end. Once again it was time for us to
> part with the Guardian and leave our paradise to go back to studies
> in Beirut. The hired car was waiting outside the Master's house where
> we had gathered that morning to say goodbye to Shoghi Effendi.
> Our hearts were heavy and, as the Guardian entered the main hall,
> we wept without shame. He put his arms around each of us and
> whispered words of comfort, "Do not be sad, you will come back
> again ... Be happy, concentrate on your studies.",
> In Beirut, we heard from the Guardian through his powerful
> messages to the Bah5'i World. These were like a balm for our aching
> hearts while we counted the days of the year, waiting for the time we
> could go back to him again.
> That was a fateful year. Some months after we left Haifa, the
> Guardian said his last farewell to the Greatest Holy Leaf when he was
> going away from the Holy Land for the summer. I have heard that he
> held her in his arms longer than usual. She asked him to decide on a
> resting-place for her and he answered that the place had already been
> assigned. What can one say of the relationship between heavenly
> souls?
> It  was the end of summer, and the Guardian was back in Haifa.
> With throbbing hearts we waited for him at the foot of the stairs in
> front of the Master's house.
> Coming down the steps, the Guardian's first words to us were:
> "Do you know that the Greatest Holy Leaf has passed away?" With
> what depths of sorrow those words were uttered! It seemed as though
> the Guardian himself was reluctant to believe it. The tone of his
> voice was a reminder of his great loss, for the last remnant of the
> Heroic Age of the Bahh'i Dispensation, and the solace of his own
> life, had left this world.
> As he led us up the mountain path this time, the Guardian turned
> left before coming to the gardens around the Shrine of the Bhb. A
> new garden had sprung up here around the resting-place of
> the Greatest Holy Leaf. We followed the Guardian as he
> circumambulated that holy spot. Then we stopped for a few
> moments of prayer.
> The blue Mediterranean stretched out before us and we stood
> facing, across the water, the Qiblih of the Bah5'i World, the Shrine
> of Bahh'u'll5h in Bahji.
>
> — *A Gift of Love: Offered to the Greatest Holy Leaf (Used by permission of the curator)*