Baha’s Writings
Release of ‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’
4. Baha’s Writings
4.3 Release of ‘Epistle to the Son of the Wolf’
In his revelation to expurgate his revelations Baha speaks of downpour of down sending which no one was able to take down at the time of their descent.
Baha's downpour of sending-down at Baghdad into relief in his Epistle to the son of the wolf of 1890. The release of the epistle was forbidden by Baha during his lifetime. It was published posthumously. This fact is corroborated by Sir Abbas Effendi :
هوالله
این بنده آستان مقدس مکتوب نامه جمعیت لاهای ارسال گردید اگر طبع و نشر خواهید ضرر ندارد آنچه در این ایّام جائز الطبع است اجازه داده میشود زیرا هر زمانی را اقتضای رساله ای که خطاب به ابن الذئب است در ایّام مبارک اجازه استنساخ به نفس نفرمودند چنین اقتضا میکرد حال طبع و نشر شد کتاب اقدس اگر طبع شود نشر خواهد شد در دست اراذل متعضبین خواهد افتاد لهذا جائز نه – بلی بعضی از ملحدین مثل میرزا مهدی بیگ از متزلزلین بدست آوردند ولی این در رسائل ملحدین مندرج چون عداوت و بغضشان مسلم در نزد عموم قول و روانتشان مجهول و نشر دادند مبهم است ولی اگر بهائیان نشر دهند حکمی دیگر دارد قرآن بیست و شش سال در نزد کتاب وحی محصور بود در زمان خلفاء انتشار یافت و آن نیز محصور بود در نسخ معدوده و علیک البهاء
عبد البهاء عباس
( جواب نامه جمعیت لاهای صفحه 36 و 37 چاپ مصر سنه 1336)
The relevant passage in the Epistle to the son of the Wolf Julie Chamler's translation, P.17- sums as follows:
"When I was released from prison in accordance with the order of H.M the Shah toward Iraq [Baghdad], escorted by a Persian and a Russian officer. Here through divine forces, the mercy and loving kindness of the lord were revealed in verses, as a continuos rain and were sent into all the countries of the world; and I set myself, by means of exhortation and instructions, to address counsels to all beings, and especially to the BÂBis."
The strange part of it is that records of these verses and "counsels" are nowhere to be found, neither in Baha's sacred texts, nor in any Bahai literature, as their original draft to evidencing these "verses" and "counsels" on Baha's own admission were destroyed in their entirety in the Shatt-Al-Arab at the time, as pure eyes to contemplate them are few and far believers.
says Baha in his Risala (tract) of A.H 1286 (1869), manuscript, pp. 101-102, addressed to a questioner named Ali but actually for the people of Bayan (Ahl-i Bayan) who did not follow him:
فوالله الذی لا اله الاّ هو که این عبد ابداً اراده نداشته که آنچه از سماء مشیّت به دعا نازل میشود به بلاد اشتهار یابد چه که انظر مطهره بسیار قلیل مشاهده میشود که قابل ملاحظه آثار الله باشد لذا لازال مستور میداشتم و چه مقدار از آیات الله که در عراق نازل و جمیع در شط محو شد
In his Istidlaliyya composed by him in Edirne in support of Baha, his amanuensis Mirza Aqa Jan of Kashan corroborates Baha's statement in following terms :
و جمیع آنچه از سماء قدم نازل میشد نظر بسکون نار حاسدین و غّل مخّلین در سط محو بنمودم
On the other hand, in his lithographed will and testament, A.H 1344 (1925), pp. 7-8, Baha's son Mirza Muhammad Ali, head of the Unitarians, states in unmistakable terms that Baha produced inspired words or verses only after his general manifestation at Edirne and not before. Baha's private manifestation at Baghdad was not accompanied by production of verses.
The text sums as follows:
و شمس آفاق در عراق بر اهل و خاص تجّلی فرمود و من یظهره الله بیان در یوم قیامت فرقان پرده از چهره تابان برداشت ولکن آن تجّلی خصوصی بود و در تمانین جلوه عمومی فرمود آیات نازل شد و بیّنات ظاهر گشت.
Baha left Baghdad for Istanbul on Dhul-Qa'da 13, A.H 1279 (May, 1, 1863 : It should read May 2, 1863) Vide Wuestenfald's tablets). Materials for the study of BÂBi Religion by Prof. Edward Browne, P. 16.
Baha reached Edirne after a short stay in Istanbul, on Rajab 1, A.H 1280 (December 12, 1863). Materials ibid, p.19.
It is curious indeed that so glaring a discrepancy exists between the statements of the father and the son, as regards the place of production of verses by Baha more especially as both places Baghdad and Edirne are used evidentially.