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.
10.5 Analysis of the Accounts on Baha's Sudden Departure
In his Historical Epitome, Materials for the Study of the BÁBi Religion by Prof. Browne, P. 16, Mirza Jawad states that "In those days [of Ridvan] His Holiness our lord Baha declared his mission in his writings; and this is reckoned a second declaration, as is fully set forth in more lengthy treaties on the subject."
Mirza Jawad has, however, failed to reproduce one single passage from these alleged "writings" and "treaties" in support of his statement.
The first declaration would appear to have taken place on Baha's arrival in Baghdad upon expulsion from Iran. According to Mirza Jawad, ibid, P.7., "this happened on Muharram 1, 1269 (October 15, 1853)."
In her spoken chronicle, the Chosen Highway by Lady Blomfield, P. 58, Baha's daughter Bahiyya Khanum states that "It was during Baha's stay in this garden [of Ridvan] that the declaration was made of his eldest son, [sir] Abbas Effendi, and a few friends, that he was 'Him Whom God Will Make Manifest'".
In ibid, P.59, Bahiyya Khanum adds: "Subh-i-Azal left Baghdad about a fortnight before our departure, and joined our party on the way, having discovered our whereabouts."
"He, therefore, had heard nothing of the declaration in the Ridvan."
Shoghi Effendi's quotation (see section 9.2.2) from Baha to the effect that "By the aid of god and His divine grace and mercy are revealed, as a copious rain, our verses, and sent them to various parts of the world ..." is proceeded by a passage which Shoghi Effendi has suppressed. The passage runs as follows: The Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, Shoghi Effendi's translation, PP. 21-22: "And when this wronged one went out of his prison, we journeyed .... To Iraq .... After our arrival, we revealed, as a copious rain, by the aid of god and his divine grace and mercy, Our verses, and sent them to various parts of the world."
This indicates that these "verses" were already written by Baha after his arrival in Baghdad before his flight to Suleymaniyya and not after his return from Suleymaniyya to Baghdad.
At any rate these alleged "verses" as well as his alleged "verses which he either dictated or wrote himself" (supra), according to Baha in his Risala of 1869, "were destroyed by him in their entirety in the Shat-al-Arab river at Baghdad] as pure eye to contemplate them were few and far between." (See section 24.4.1).
According to Bayani sources (section 24.4.1 refers), what Baha actually destroyed were his exercise-book in which he practiced to acquire rapidity in delivery and style. The story of "Unrecorded verses that streamed from his lips" is manifestly an untruth.
The unwritten eight Wلhids (Unities) of the Bayan refer both to the Arabic and the Persian Bayan (see section 5.8.7.1), Shoghi Effendi's allegation that the Kitab-i-Iqan was written in fulfilment of the BÁB's prophecy (supra) is also manifestly an untruth.
As regards the Hidden Words designated the Hidden Book of Fatima, supra, as alleged, this misname was detected by Prof. Browne in his translation of the Traveller's Narrative by Sir Abbas Effendi (see ---).
With regard to the "Miracle" (see ---), it is also manifestly an untruth.
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