A Faithful Servant from Shíráz
Bahá'í Chronicles editors, Bahá'í Chronicles · Read original
When in Bahá'í history
A retelling for children of the account of Hájí Muhammad-Ridáy-i-Shírází in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Memorials of the Faithful, as given in Bahá'í Chronicles.
Ḥájí Muḥammad-Riḍá came from Shíráz. 'Abdu'l-Bahá described him as humble, calm and full of faith. As soon as he heard the call of God, he answered, "Yea, verily!" and, in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's words, "became as a lamp to the people's feet."
For a long time he served Ḥájí Mírzá Muḥammad-'Alí, one of the Afnán, the relatives of the Báb. He was his loyal and close companion and was trusted in everything.
Later, after a journey to distant countries, he came to the Holy Land. There he humbly bowed his head at the Sacred Threshold and was allowed into the presence of Bahá'u'lláh. He stayed for quite a long time and was with Bahá'u'lláh almost every day. He was patient and gentle and wanted nothing for himself. 'Abdu'l-Bahá wrote: "His one desire was to please his Lord, his one hope, to walk the holy path."
Then he went to Beirut, where he went on serving the Afnán. For a long time he came back again and again to see Bahá'u'lláh.
Later he fell ill in Sidon and could not make the journey to 'Akká. He died there, peaceful and content. 'Abdu'l-Bahá wrote that he was one of the loyal and the steadfast, and that many times He had heard Bahá'u'lláh praise him. His grave is in Sidon.
This is a retelling for children. For the fuller account, see "Hájí Muhammad-Ridáy-i-Shírází".
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editors, B. C.. *Bahá'í Chronicles*. https://bahaichronicles.org/haji-muhammad-riday-i-shirazi/
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