Isfandíyár, the Faithful Servant

Isfandíyár was a gem from Africa, pure and untarnished, and yet firm and steadfast as a diamond under all pressures and persecutions. He manifested his inherent qualities when faced with perils which endangered his life as a Bábí. His wonderful countenance reflected the rays of love and courage.

Isfandíyár was a servant in the house of Bahá'u'lláh and, as a fruitful tree planted in good soil, he yielded a spiritual harvest. His love for Bahá'u'lláh was unlimited and, though many Ministers and other high government officials coveted him as a servant in their household, he remained ever-faithful to his own Master.

At the time when the persecution of the Bábís began in the capital and Bahá'u'lláh was taken to the Síyáh-Chál, the enemies of the new Faith were looking for Isfandíyár so that they could force him to betray the followers of the Báb whom he had seen in the house of Bahá'u'lláh. The Shah had commanded many people to find Isfandíyár and they were searching for him everywhere. But when he heard of the misfortune which had befallen the family of his beloved Master, nothing could keep him away from them.

We can imagine Isfandíyár standing among the ruins of his Master's house, drowned in an ocean of tribulation, his heart heavy with the weight of anguish. He seemed to have lost everything in the world. He did not think of all the rich furnishings, clothes and jewels which had been looted from the house of Bahá'u'lláh. But the thought of his Master in the Síyáh-Chál and the members of that noble family now dispersed and at the mercy of their foes was more than he could bear. "Where are the children?" he asked himself. "What has befallen their saintly mother?" Isfandíyár decided to find them, but there was no trace of the family in the surrounding neighbourhood. No one knew where they had gone or what fresh misfortune had overtaken them.

Isfandíyár pondered, planned and came to a decision; then he rose up like a lion. But bravery alone was not enough and here is where we discover the purity of his heart. He put his trust in divine guidance and, as he went out to trace the steps of his lost ones, a mysterious force directed his steps and led him to his goal. It seemed as though he had become invisible as he walked on the streets and passed through the market-place, because no one recognized or molested him.

The joy of the children at their reunion with Isfandíyár was great, for they loved him dearly. Speaking of him years later, 'Abdu'l-Bahá said, "Whenever I think of Isfandíyár, I am moved to tears, although he passed away fifty years ago." [1]

After her home was looted, Ásíyih Khánum had little to give her children to eat and they went hungry most of the time. She did not know whom to turn to or how to provide for them. Worst of all, she had no more news of her beloved Husband and wondered what had befallen Him in the Síyáh-Chál. She was surrounded by grave danger and in need of assistance and yet, when she saw their faithful servant standing before them, her first thoughts were for his safety. She said to him, "There are a hundred policemen seeking for you. If they catch you they will not kill you at once but will torture you with fire. They will cut off your fingers. They will cut off your ears. They will put out your eyes to force you to tell them the secrets of Bahá'u'lláh. Go away! Do not stay here." [2]

Isfandíyár was deeply touched by her noble expressions of true concern, but he refused to go away. He told Ásíyih Khánum he could not leave until he had paid the family debts to shopkeepers from whom he had bought supplies. He could not bear to hear the fair name of his Master belittled in the market-place, and he did not leave until he had sold a few things he had and paid Bahá'u'lláh's debts to the last penny.

'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke most lovingly of Isfandíyár during His travels in America. He praised him as "the essence of love, radiant with sanctity and perfection, luminous with light." [3] He crowned his head with the diadem of eternity when He said, "If a perfect man could be found in the world, that man was Isfandíyár." [4] “He was a point of light. Although his color was black, yet his character was luminous; his mind was luminous; his face was luminous. Truly, he was a point of light.” [5]

[1] 'Abdu'l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, talk of 10 November 1912 at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Hannen, Washington, D.C.

[2] Ibid

[3] Ibid

[4] Ibid

[5] Ibid

Source: Hand of the Cause Abu'l-Qásim Faizi, A Gift of Love Offered to the Greatest Holy Leaf (ed. Gloria Faizi, 1982); 'Abdu'l-Bahá's words from The Promulgation of Universal Peace (10 November 1912); as posted on the Baha'i Stories Blog (https://bahaistories.blogspot.com/2017/08/bahaullahs-servant-isfandiyar-essence.html).

Various. *Baha'i Stories Blog*. https://bahaistories.blogspot.com/2017/08/bahaullahs-servant-isfandiyar-essence.html