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.
10.3 Bahiyya Account on Baha’s Sudden Departure
The spoken chronicle of Baha’s daughter Bahiyya Khanum surnamed Supreme Leaf, the Chosen Highway by Lady Blomfield.
(P. 48): [i.e. Mirza Yahya Subh-i-Azal] much resented the attitude of reverence shown by all the friends to his majestic elder brother. He claimed the leadership of the BÁBis, asserting that His Holiness the BÁB had named him his successor, this was manifestly an untruth.”
(PP. 50-51): “At length my father decided to leave for a time. During his absence Subh-i-Azal could convince himself whether or no the BÁBis desired to turn their faces to him as their leader … before my father left for his retreat into the wilderness, he commanded the friends to treat Subh-i-Azal with consideration. He offered him and his family the shelter and hospitality of our home. He asked Mirza Musa, my mother and me, to care for them and to do everything in our power to make them comfortable. Our grief was intense when my father left us. He told none either where he was going or when he would return.”
(PP. 53-54): “Now, our great anxiety was connecting the whereabouts of Jamal-i-Mubarak [i.e. the blessed Beauty, Baha] …. He [i.e. Sir Abbas Effendi], and our uncle Mirza Musa overheard two people speaking of a marvellous one, living as a Dervish in the wild mountain district of Suleymaniyya; they described him as ‘the homeless one’, who had magnetized the countryside with his love, and they immediately knew that this must be our beloved. Here at last was a clue. Without delay, Shaykh Sultan our faithful friend, with one of the other disciples, set forth on their quest …. At Last! At last! As my mother, my brother, and I sat in a breathless state of expectations, we heard a step. It was a dervish. Through the disguise we saw the light of our beloved one’s presence!”
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