A Scroll Delivered to Bahá'u'lláh at Dawn

*A retelling based on **The Dawn-Breakers**, Nabíl's narrative of the early days of the Faith, as translated by Shoghi Effendi. It follows the account of Mullá Muḥammad-i-Mu'allim of Núr, as Bahá'u'lláh's brother Mírzá Músá recounted it to Nabíl. Words in quotation marks are quoted from that history.*

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Before Mullá Ḥusayn left Shíráz in 1844, the Báb directed him north through Iṣfahán, Káshán and Qum to Ṭihrán. "A secret lies hidden in that city," He told him. "When made manifest, it shall turn the earth into paradise."

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In Ṭihrán Mullá Ḥusayn took a room in the madrisih of Mírzá Ṣáliḥ. He spoke with Ḥájí Mírzá Muḥammad-i-Khurásání, the leader of the Shaykhí community of the city, who taught there, but the Ḥájí rejected the Message and accused him of betraying the Shaykhí cause. During his stay in the capital Mullá Ḥusayn left his room early each morning and came back only an hour after sunset.

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One of the Ḥájí's favoured pupils, Mullá Muḥammad-i-Mu'allim, a native of Núr in Mázindarán, had the room next to his teacher's. He overheard the whole discussion. He was moved by "the ardour, the fluency, and learning of that youthful stranger," and troubled by his teacher's arrogance. He kept his feelings to himself, but at midnight he went and knocked at Mullá Ḥusayn's door. He found him awake, seated beside his lamp.

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Mullá Ḥusayn received him warmly, and the young man wept as he opened his heart. "I can now see," Mullá Ḥusayn said, "the reason why I have chosen to dwell in this place. Your teacher has contemptuously rejected this Message and despised its Author. My hope is that his pupil may, unlike his master, recognise its truth."

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Learning that his visitor came from Núr, Mullá Ḥusayn asked whether anyone in the family of the late Mírzá Buzurg-i-Núrí was keeping up the high traditions of that house. One of his sons, the student said, had distinguished Himself by His virtuous life, His attainments, His loving-kindness and liberality. Mullá Ḥusayn asked more. His occupation? "He cheers the disconsolate and feeds the hungry." His rank? "He has none, apart from befriending the poor and the stranger." His name?

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"Husayn-‘Ali." How did He spend His time? "He roams the woods and delights in the beauties of the countryside." His age? "Eight and twenty."

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The student was surprised at how eagerly Mullá Ḥusayn took in every answer. Mullá Ḥusayn asked whether he often met Him, and when he said that he frequently visited His home, asked: "Will you deliver into His hands a trust from me?" He gave him a scroll wrapped in a piece of cloth, to be handed over at dawn the next day, and asked to be told of any reply.

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At daybreak the student went to the house of Bahá'u'lláh. Mírzá Músá, His brother, was standing at the gate; he went in and came back with a message of welcome. The student was shown into Bahá'u'lláh's presence and gave the scroll to Mírzá Músá, who laid it before Bahá'u'lláh. He bade them both be seated, unfolded it and read some of its passages aloud. When He had read a page He turned to His brother and said:

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> Musa, what have you to say? Verily I say, whoso believes in the Qur'an and > recognises its Divine origin, and yet hesitates, though it be for a moment, to > admit that these soul-stirring words are endowed with the same regenerating > power, has most assuredly erred in his judgment and has strayed far from the > path of justice.

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He said no more. He sent the student back to Mullá Ḥusayn with a gift of a loaf of Russian sugar and a package of tea, and with an expression of His appreciation and love. Mullá Ḥusayn rose to his feet, received the gift with bowed head and kissed it, then took the student in his arms and kissed his eyes. The student could not understand what bond could make so small a gift mean so much to him.

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A few days later Mullá Ḥusayn left for Khurásán. His parting words to the student were: "Breathe not to anyone what you have heard and witnessed. Let this be a secret hidden within your breast. Divulge not His name, for they who envy His position will arise to harm Him."

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*This is a retelling. For the fuller account, see **The Dawn-Breakers**, Nabíl's narrative, translated by Shoghi Effendi.*

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