The Man Who Dove In

A retelling for children, based on Bahá'í Chronicles, "Mullá ‘Alí-Akbar Shahmírzádí."

There was once a young man named Mullá ‘Alí-Akbar who loved to learn. Day and night he studied. He read the great books, he sat with the wise teachers of his city, and he went from one circle of thinkers to the next, asking his questions.

But something was wrong, and he could not figure out what.

No matter how much he learned, he never felt happy inside. His mind grew full, but his heart stayed empty. He felt like a thirsty traveler who keeps drinking and drinking and is never less thirsty. In all those grand schools and clever conversations, he could not find the one thing he was really looking for: joy. There was no love in any of it.

Then one day he heard about the new Faith of Bahá'u'lláh — and at last his heart filled up like a fountain. The thirsty traveler had finally reached the water. He didn't tiptoe carefully toward this new truth, the way you might test cold water with one toe. He dove straight in.

And once he believed, he could not keep the good news to himself. He told person after person, and many, many people came to believe because of him.

But being a Bahá'í in that city was not easy. When ‘Alí-Akbar walked through the streets and the busy markets, people pointed their fingers and called out his name. They laughed at him. And whenever any trouble started anywhere, he was always the very first person the guards came to arrest.

Here is the surprising part. ‘Alí-Akbar was not afraid. In fact, he got so used to being taken away that whenever he heard shouting begin outside, he would calmly put on his turban, wrap his cloak around himself, and sit down to wait — ready for the knock at the door. He was even put in chains and into prison. There is an old photograph of him sitting in those chains beside another brave believer, and you know what? They both look completely calm, peaceful, and unbothered, as if nothing in the world could shake them.

Through all of it, ‘Alí-Akbar was kept safe. His enemies wanted to harm him, yet year after year he came through unhurt. It was as though he could stand in the middle of a roaring fire and stay perfectly cool, or sink to the bottom of the sea and somehow stay dry.

Long before, when Bahá'u'lláh was still alive, ‘Alí-Akbar's longing had been so strong that he hurried to meet Him, and Bahá'u'lláh welcomed him kindly and blessed him. After that, ‘Alí-Akbar gave the rest of his life to serving the Faith. He spoke the truth right to the faces of the powerful men who threatened him, and never once backed down. He was so trusted and so steady that he became one of the special helpers called the Hands of the Cause of God.

Sometimes the bravest people are not the loudest. ‘Alí-Akbar's courage was quiet — a man calmly tying his turban while others shouted. When you love something with your whole heart, you can be brave about it too, even when other people laugh, and even when it would be much easier to give up.

This is a retelling for children. For the fuller account, see ["Mulla`Ali-Akbar Shahmirzadi"](/stories/bc-mulla-ali-akbar-shahmirzadi).

editors, B. C.. *Bahá'í Chronicles*. https://bahaichronicles.org/mulla-ali-akbar/