The Rise of Baha
5. The Alleged Interview Between Baha and Mulla Husayn
5.1 Mirza Musa’s Account
Quoting Baha’s brother Mirza Musa “as his authority, whose authority in turn was “Mulla Muhammad-i-Mu’allim, a native of Nur,” Nabil’s story goes that, ibid, PP. 104-107, “Mulla Muhammad-Mu’allim had overheard the conversation between Mulla Husayn and Haji Mirza Muhammad Khurassani from beginning to end.” To satisfy his curiosity, Mulla Muhammad-i-Mu’allim visited Mulla Husayn and introduced himself whereupon “Mulla Husayn enquired from him “whether there is to-day among the family of the late Mirza Buzurg-i-Nuri [Baha’s father] anyone who has proved himself capable of maintaining the high traditions of that illustrious house,” to which he replied in the affirmative: “Among his sons now living, one has distinguished himself by the very traits which characterized his father ….. His name is Husayn Ali.”
“Mulla Husayn gave me,” Mulla Muhammad-i-Mu’alim relates, “a scroll wrapped in a piece of cloth, and requested me to hand it to him [i.e. Baha].” Mulla Muhammad-i-Mu’allim visited Baha through the instrumentality of Mirza Musa and “presented the scroll to Mirza Musa, who laid it before Baha. Baha read aloud certain of its passages.” Baha observed that “these soul-stirring words are endowed with the same regenerating power” like the Quran. Baha “changed me”, Mulla Muhammad-i-Mu’allim concludes, “to take to Mulla Husayn, as a gift from him, a loaf of Russian sugar and a package of tea, and to convey to him the expression of his love and appreciation. I hastened back to Mulla Husayn and delivered to him the gift and message of Baha …. A few days later, Mulla Husayn left for Khurasan, as he bade me farewell, he said: “Breathe not to anyone what you have heard and witnessed, let him be a secret hidden within your heart. Divulge not his name, for they who envy his position will arise to harm him.”
Nabil’s story goes that, ibid 123, Mulla Husayn was introduced by the Primal Point to send him a progress report, the Primal Point is quoted as saying to Mulla Husayn, “not until I receive your letter from Khurasan, shall be ready to set out from the city [i.e. Shiraz] on my pilgrimage to Hijaz”.
Mulla Husayn, ibid, P. 126, “addressed a written report concerning his activities to the BÁB.” In his communication, he referred to his activities in Isfahan, Kashan, “described the account of his experience with Baha” and dealt with his activities in Khurasan.
The references in Mulla Hussein’s letter, ibid, P. 128, to “Baha’s immediate response to the divine message …. Cheered and gladdened the BÁB.”
“The letter of Mulla Husayn, ibid, P.129, decided the BÁB to undertake his contemplated pilgrimage to Hijaz.”
The content of the scrollare not quoted in the Dawn-Breakers, Nabil’s Narrative.
This was Nabil’s account of the “scroll” delivered to Baha by Mulla Husayn through a third party, completed with Baha’s ‘Expression of his appreciation and love to Mulla Husayn,” without Baha and Mulla Husayn meeting each other as recorded in the Dawn-Breakers Nabil’s Narrative of 1890.
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