The Rise of Baha
10. Baha’s Sudden Flight to Suleymaniyya
Baha arrived in Baghdad upon expulsion from Iran, on “Jamad Thani 28, 1269 A.H. (April 8, 1853), Shoghi Effendi’s god passes by, P. 109.
Baha’s activities in Iraq from the time of his arrival in Baghdad till his removal to Istanbul on “Dhil Qa’da 14, 1279 A.H. May 3rd, 1863”, ibid, P. 133.
10.9 Merits of the Accounts
10.9.1. Delegation of Authority from Subh-i Azal to Baha
The delegation of authority to Baha to act for Subh-i-Azal appears in Subh-i-Azal’s Kitab-i-Nur of the Baghdad Period. The relevant passage runs as follows:
“And in truth we have commanded those who have believed in the verses of god to follow thy word in the command [i.e. the Cause] of thy lord, and we have made thee a warner on our part to impart knowledge and wisdom to their hearts from this book [i.e. Kitab-i-Nur].”
This delegation of authority appears in old BÁBi manuscripts. Baha refers to the Kitab-i-Nur in his Baghdad period letter marked No. 46, (see section 12.4.1.2 (this link is not currently available), and commands the Book to the people of the Bayan. (See also Bayani version of the accounts of Baha's sudden departure to Suleymaniyya, and Subh-i Azal's account).
The delegation of authority was on the grounds that Baha had turned over a new leaf. In the light of subsequent developments Subh-i-Azal’s confidence in Baha turned out to be misplaced, and the delegation of authority played into the hands of Baha to the detriment of Subh-i-Azal.
Under this arrangement Subh-i-Azal retired into a seclusion invisible save to a chosen few. This seclusion was pursuant to the Point’s document of testamentary disposition addressed to Subh-i Azal, P.3, line 4, wherein the Primal Point tells him “Preserve thyself, preserve thyself.”
To read more about Baha's members of family, got to the main page, select 'Bahaism -> The Rise of Baha' and navigate through the index.