Four Months in the Siyah-Chal

While Bahá’u’lláh remained under chains in the Siyah-Chal, His enemies were busy trying to obtain His death sentence from the King. Bahá’u’lláh, however, was loved by people high and low alike and could not be executed so easily. Proof was needed that would connect Him with the attempt on the King’s life. But the more they tried to find proof, the more it became evident that He was entirely innocent. Unable to prove guilt, these ruthless enemies decided to poison His food. So strong was the poison, however, that its initial effects were quickly noticed and Bahá’u’lláh stopped eating the poisonous meal they had offered Him. In the end, the authorities had no other choice but to release Him from prison, but this they did only on the condition that He would leave the country and go into exile.

Bahá’u’lláh had endured four months in prison. He was now ill and exhausted. The inhumane conditions of the prison, the chain of some 50 kilos around His neck, and finally the poison, had left Him in such a weakened state that He was confined to His bed under watchful care. The links of the chain had made deep wounds in His neck and, although these healed with time, the scars remained until the end of His life.

Source: Ruhi Book 4: The Twin Manifestations, p. 106. See also H. M. Balyuzi, Bahá’u’lláh, The King of Glory, pp. 99–100.

Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: siyah-chal).

Various. *bahaistories.com archive*. https://bahaistories.com/subject/siyah-chal