When I visited the dungeon in Tihrán, as a child, in order
to see Bahá’u’lláh — when the door was opened there were some steps leading
down into the place. They took me as far as midway. I peered through the
darkness; I could not find any one; it was exceedingly gloomy. Then I heard the
Blessed voice saying: "Take him away." When I heard His voice I tried
to see the Blessed Beauty, but because of the great darkness I could not. Then
I was taken out; they seated me. They said it is customary, about midday, to
take the prisoners out for their meals; so there I sat. About noontime the
jailers were all ready and the prisoners were taken out. I saw Bahá’u’lláh’s
neck in chains, bound to another, both of them chained to the same link, one
about His neck and another about the person who was chained to Him. The weight
of the chains was so excessive that His neck was bent and He walked with great
difficulty, and He was in a very sad condition. His clothes were tattered and
battered; even the hat on His head was torn. He was in the utmost of ordeal and
His health was quite visibly failing. They brought me and seated me, and they
took Him to the place where there was a pond, in order that He might wash His
face. After that they took Him back to the dungeon, and I, although I was a
child, was so overcome I was unconscious. And then Bahá‘u’lláh said: "Take
the child away to the house," and therefore I was taken away. 
Siyah-Chal (The Black Pit) of Tehran - a depiction
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk, October 19, Los Angeles; ‘World Order magazine, January 1945)
