In this connection it is necessary to mention the following
occurrence, that haply men may take fast hold of the cord of justice and
truthfulness. Hájí Shaykh Muhammad ‘Alí—upon him be the glory of God, the
Ever-Abiding—was a merchant of high repute, well-known unto most of the
inhabitants of the Great City (Constantinople). Not long ago, when the Persian
Embassy in Constantinople was secretly engaged in stirring up mischief, it was
noticed that this believing and sincere soul was greatly distressed. Finally,
one night he threw himself into the sea, but was rescued by some passers-by who
chanced to come upon him at that moment. His act was widely commented upon and
given varied interpretations by different people. Following this, one night he
repaired to a mosque, and, as reported by the guardian of that place, kept
vigil the whole night, and was occupied until the morning in offering, ardently
and with tearful eyes, his prayers and supplications. Upon hearing him suddenly
cease his devotions, the guardian went to him, and found that he had already
surrendered his soul. An empty bottle was found by his side, indicating that he
had poisoned himself. Briefly, the guardian, while greatly astonished, broke the
news to the people. It was found out that he had left two testaments. In the
first he recognized and confessed the unity of God, that His Exalted Being had
neither peer nor equal, and that His Essence was exalted above all praise, all glorification and description. He also
testified to the Revelation of the Prophets and the holy ones, and recognized
what had been written down in the Books of God, the Lord of all men. On another
page, in which he had set down a prayer, he wrote these words in conclusion: “This
servant and the loved ones of God are perplexed. On the one hand the Pen of the
Most High hath forbidden all men to engage in sedition, contention or conflict,
and on the other that same Pen hath sent down these most sublime words: ‘Should
anyone, in the presence of the Manifestation, discover an evil intention on the
part of any soul, he must not oppose him, but must leave him to God.’
Considering that on the one hand this binding command is clear and firmly
established, and that on the other calumnies, beyond human strength to bear or
endure, have been uttered, this servant hath chosen to commit this most
grievous sin. I turn suppliantly unto the ocean of God’s bounty and the heaven
of Divine mercy, and hope that He will blot out with the pen of His grace and
bounteousness the misdeeds of this servant. Though my transgressions be
manifold, and unnumbered my evildoings, yet do I cleave tenaciously to the cord
of His bounty, and cling unto the hem of His generosity. God is witness, and
they that are nigh unto His Threshold know full well, that this servant could
not bear to hear the tales related by the perfidious. I, therefore, have
committed this act. If He chastise me, He verily is to be praised for what He
doeth; and if He forgive me, His behest shall be obeyed.”
- Baha’u’llah (‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’)