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Bahá'u'lláh spent the month preceding His exile in the house of His
half-brother Mirza Rida-Quli, a physician. The latter was not a
believer though his wife Maryam, a cousin of Bahá'u'lláh, had been
converted by Him in the early days of the Faith and was one of His
most sincere and faithful followers within the family. With great
care and affection Maryam, together with Asiyih Khanum, the wife of
Bahá'u'lláh, nursed Him until His condition improved and, though not
fully recovered, He had 13 gathered sufficient strength to enable
Him to leave Tihran for Iraq.
Throughout His exile, Bahá'u'lláh often recalled the loyalty and
devotion of Maryam and showered His bounty and blessings upon her. To
her, from Iraq, He addressed some of His Tablets known as the Alwah-i-
Maryam which are unique in their tone and sentiment. In language at
once moving and tender He poured out His heart to her and recounted
the afflictions heaped on Him by some of His unfaithful kinsmen and
friends within the community:
The wrongs which I suffer have blotted out the wrongs
suffered by My First Name [the Bab] from the Tablet of
creation... O Maryam! From the land of Ta [Tihran], after
countless afflictions, We reached Iraq, at the bidding of the
Tyrant of Persia,[1] where, after the fetters of Our foes, We
were afflicted with the perfidy of Our friends. God knoweth
what befell Me thereafter!... I have borne what no man, be
he of the past or of the future, hath borne or will bear.(2)
[1 Násiri'd-Dín Sháh.]
Maryam was devoted to the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh. She longed to attain
the presence of her Lord again, but some members of the family who
were ill disposed towards the Faith prevented her from leaving home
and she died sad and disappointed. Bahá'u'lláh favoured Maryam
throughout her life, honoured her with the appellation 'Crimson Leaf'
and, after her death, revealed a special Tablet of visitation in her
memory.
Bahá'u'lláh departed from Tihran for Iraq on 12 January 1853....
(Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 1, p. 12)
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Sen McGlinn http://senmcglinn.wordpress.com
***
Let the friends recall and ever bear in mind
the repeated exhortations and glowing promises of our beloved
Master
with reference to the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar,
the crowning institution in every Baha'i community.
(Shoghi Effendi, Baha'i Administration, page
108)
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