Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era

by J. E. Esslemont

Footnotes

[1.]

Written shortly after the First World War.

There are now the incomparable translations by Shoghi Effendi from the Persian and Arabic, of the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. These, together with his own considerable writings covering the history of the Faith, the statements and implications of its fundamental verities and the unfoldment of its Administrative Order, make the modern inquirer’s task infinitely easier than in Dr. Esslemont’s time.

The “a” pronounced as in Sháh.

One of the two great factions—Shí’ih and Sunní—into which Islám fell soon after the death of Muḥammad, was the first legitimate successor of the Prophet, and that only his descendants are the rightful caliphs.

First day of Muharram, 1235 A.H.

On this point a historian remarks: “The belief of many people in the East, especially the believers in the Báb (now Bahá’ís) was this: that the Báb received no education, but that the Mullás, in order to lower him in the eyes of the people, declared that such knowledge and wisdom as he possessed were accounted for by the education he had received. After deep search into the truth of this matter we have found evidence to show that in childhood for a short time he used to go to the house of Shaykh Muḥammad (also known as Abid) where he was taught to read and write in Persian. It was this to which the Báb referred when he wrote in the book of Bayán: ‘O Muḥammad, O my teacher! ...’

“The remarkable thing is this, however, that this Shaykh, who was his teacher, became a devoted disciple of his own pupil, and the uncle of the Báb who was like a father to him, whose name was Ḥájí Siyyid ‘Alí, also became a devout believer and was martyred as a Bábí.

“The understanding of these mysteries is given to seekers after truth, but we know this, that such education as the Báb received was but elementary, and that whatever signs of unusual greatness and knowledge appeared in him were innate and from God.”