Husayn Khán, [Governor] vindictive, relentless, exasperated
by the reports of his sleepless agents that his Captive’s [The Báb] power and
fame were hourly growing, decided to take immediate action. It is even reported
that his accomplice, Hájí Mírzá Aqásí, [the Prime Minister] had ordered him to
kill secretly the would-be disrupter of the state and the wrecker of its
established religion. By order of the governor the chief constable,
‘Abdu’l-Hamíd Khán, scaled, in the dead of night, the wall and entered the
house of Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí, where the Báb was confined, arrested Him, and
confiscated all His books and documents. That very night, however, took place
an event which, in its dramatic suddenness, was no doubt providentially
designed to confound the schemes of the plotters, and enable the Object of
their hatred to prolong His ministry and consummate His Revelation. An outbreak
of cholera, devastating in its virulence, had, since midnight, already smitten
above a hundred people. The dread of the plague had entered every heart, and
the inhabitants of the stricken city were, amid shrieks of pain and grief,
fleeing in confusion. Three of the governor’s domestics had already died.
Members of his family were lying dangerously ill. In his despair he, leaving
the dead unburied, had fled to a garden in the outskirts of the city.
‘Abdu’l-Hamíd Khán, confronted by this unexpected development, decided to
conduct the Báb to His own home. He was appalled, upon his arrival, to learn
that his son lay in the death-throes of the plague. In his despair he threw
himself at the feet of the Báb, begged to be forgiven, adjured Him not to visit
upon the son the sins of the father, and pledged his word to resign his post,
and never again to accept such a position. Finding that his prayer had been
answered, he addressed a plea to the governor begging him to release his
Captive, and thereby deflect the fatal course of this dire visitation. Husayn
Khán acceded to his request, and released his Prisoner on condition of His
quitting the city.
- Shoghi Effendi (‘God Passes By’)
