|
|
The Fate of the Point’s Writings
14. Subh-i Azal’s Account
The Traveller’s Narrative, English Translation, Vol II, PP. 335-347:
“On October 11th 1889, I
(i.e. Prof. Browne) received a letter from Captain Young (dated September 30th)
endorsing a letter and sundry other documents from Subh-i Azal. Amongst these
documents was a list of some of the writings of the BAB and Subh-i Azal written
out by the latter …. “
In the letter accompanying this list Subh-i Azal wrote as follows
concerning the fate of the BAB’s works generally and of those above enumerated
in particular:
“As to what you asked concerning the existence of certain epistles,
it is even as you have heard, leaving out of account that which from first to
last passed into the hands of strangers, whereof no copy was preserved. At the
time of the martyrdom [of the Point] at Tabriz, as they wrote from thence, many
of the original writings passed into the hands of persons belonging to the
country of your Excellency or to Russia, amongst these being even autograph
writing of his Highness the Point.
Search is necessary, for to read the originals is difficult. If this
humble one be applied to, copies thereof will be sent. What I myself arranged
and copied out while at Baghdad, and what was commanded to be collected of
previous and subsequent [writings] until the day of martyrdom [of the Point]
was nigh upon thirty volumes of bound books. I myself wrote them with my own
hand, and up to the present time I have written many. The originals and copies
of these together with what was in the writing of others, sundry other [books]
written in proof of this religion by certain learned friends, and what I myself
wrote and compiled annotated to numerous volumes, as [regard in] the list
thereof [which] I
have sent. For some years all these were in a certain place in the hands of a
friend as a trust. Afterwards they were deposited in
another place (One of
these depositaries, as I subsequently learned from Subh-i-Ezel, was Aka Seyyid
Jawad, who died lately at Kirman. The other was a certain merchant of great
wealth whom I cannot more particularly designate).
Eventually I entrusted them to my own relatives (By his relatives' Subh-i-Ezel
means his half-brother Beha'u'llah and those of his kindred who followed him. I
never heard Subh-i-Ezel allude to Beha'u'llah and his followers by name. When
he spoke of them at all (which he did but rarely) it was as his 'relatives,'
the 'people at Acre,' or the 'Mirza'is'), [in whose keeping] they were
preserved for a while; for, inasmuch as the friends of this recluse [i.e.
myself] had attained unto martyrdom through the equity and justice
of the oppressors of the age, who consider themselves as seekers after truth
and just men, there was no resource but that this humble one [i.e. myself]
should make his relatives his trustees. So did this humble one; and whatever [was mine] of books
and epistles was [deposited] in their house. The vicissitudes of the world so fell out that
these also unsheathed the sword of hatred and wrought what they would. They
cruelly put to the sword the remnant of friends who stood firm, and,
making strenuous efforts, got into their hands such of the books of His
Highness the Point as were obtainable, with the idea of destroying them, and rendering
their own works more attractive. They also carried off my trust [i.e. the books above referred to committed
to their care], and fell not short in anything which
can be effected by foes."
|
|