The first
incarceration to which He was subjected as a result of the helping
hand He had extended to the captives of Qazvín; the ability with which He
achieved the
deliverance of Táhirih; the exemplary manner in which He steered the course
of the turbulent proceedings
in Badasht; the manner in which He saved the life of Quddús in Níyálá;
the wisdom which He showed in His handling of the delicate situation created by
the impetuosity of Táhirih, and the vigilance He exercised for her protection;
the counsels which He gave to the defenders of the fort of Tabarsí; the plan He
conceived of joining the forces of Quddús to those of Mullá Ḥusayn and his
companions; the spontaneity with which He arose to support the exertions of
those brave defenders; the magnanimity which prompted Him to offer Himself as a
substitute for His companions who were under the threat of severe indignities;
the serenity with which He faced the severity inflicted upon Him as a result of
the attempt on the life of Náṣiri’d-Dín Sháh; the indignities which were heaped
upon Him all the way from Lavásán to the headquarters of the imperial army and
from thence to the capital; the galling weight of chains which He bore as He
lay in the darkness of the Síyáh-Chál of Ṭihrán—all these are but a few
instances that eloquently testify to the unique position which He occupied as
the prime Mover of the forces which were destined to reshape the face of His
native land. It was He who had released these forces, who steered their course,
harmonised their action, and brought them finally to their highest consummation
in the Cause He Himself was destined at a later time to reveal.
- Shoghi
Effendi (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, by Nabil; translated and edited by Shoghi
Effendi)