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Dear friends, dear diligent readers.
I'll tell you about another woman martyr, Tahirih , "the Pure One".
Let me first tell you that Bahaullahs Herald, the Bab is to be understood as the returned Elijah, See: Malaki 4:5. Now you may protest and say this is Johannes (John), the Baptist. I agree that He has come once before Christ yes. So, this is then Elijah once again, namely the Elijah Spirit in a new second personage, the Bab. In Johannes(John) the Baptist we find the Elijah Spirit, and it is the same with the Bab.
In Malaki we find :
"...I shall send to you the prophet Elijah, before the Great and terrible Day of the Lord." Mal. 4:5. The great and terrible day of the Lord is to occur in "the latter days" and not at the time of the first coming of Jesus. So Elijah is associated with the coming of the Day of the Lord Himself, with the "Coming of the Son in the Glory of His Father."
(or, The Glory of God, which is Bahaullah).
The martyred Bab, also founded a religion that lasted for nine years.
Among His adherents was the courageous Tahirih.
From her earliest childhood, she was regarded by her fellow-townsmen as a prodigy. Her knowledge and gifts were so outstanding that her father often was heard to lament,"Would that she had been a boy, for he would have shed illumination upon my household, and would have succeeded me."
She was renowned for both her intelligence and her beauty. She became wellknown throughout the country, which otherwise treated women nearly as low as cattle.
"Her brothers dared not speak in her presence, her learning so intimidated us;.. and if we ventured to express some hypothesis upon a disputed point of doctrine, she demonstrated in such a clear, precise and conclusive manner that we were going astray, that we instantly withdrew confused."
"A.L.M. Nicolas historical account tells us that "her reputation became universal throughout Persia, and the most haughty 'Ulamas' (scholars) consented to adopt some of her hypothesis and opinions.' "
Just like the westerners who were eagerly studying "their" scripts to be able to find the returned Christ,(forgetting Elijah) Tahirih studied the same in certain interpretations of Islamic scriptures that were regarded as "modern" and on the line with heresy.." Her father raised violent objections", but she went out, escaping from him to visit one of these authors who spoke about the coming of a promised Messenger.
This was 1843. She came to study his scriptures , but just ten days before her arrival at his home, she found to her great grief that he had died.1.) Still she was invited to stay there. This was in Karbila. "During those days she thought only of his promise: the approaching appearance of a new spiritual Teacher in the World. Tahirih said she wanted to be the first woman to serve Him when He appeared.
Oh, when will the day come, when new laws will be revealed on earth! I shall be the first to follow those new Teachings and to give my life for my sisters..."
"In each of his scriptures she discovered that same thrilling promise of a great Figure soon to appear on earth."
She met others too who who had set out in search for the Promised One. "Her hopes were set ablaze and she spent her time in prayer and meditation.
One night in a dream, a young man appeared before her. He raised His hands towards heaven and in a beautiful voice recited wonderful verses, one of which she wrote down. She awakened with a feeling of joy which flooded her being.
One day, some time later, a friend placed in her hands certain writings of the Bab. As her eyes looked down the upon a page, she discovered the exact same words she had written down from her dream. To her intense delight she realized that the Message of the Author was true.
Tahirih wrote immediately to the Bab, telling Him that she believed in Him to be that Promised Messenger foretold in all the Holy Books, and so long and eagerly awaited. To the one who delivered the letter for het, she added:"Say to Him, from me, 'The effulgence of Thy face hath flashed forth, and the rays of Thy visage arose on high. Then speak the word, 'Am I not your Lord??' and 'Thou art, Thou art!" we will all reply.'"
Her acceptance of the Bab brought immediate and violent protests from her father, her uncle, her husband, and her brothers. Because of the illustrious name of her family, they all tried to quiet her and to curb her teaching.
Tahirih was aflame with the message of the Bab. Sho won many to His Faith in Karbila. "All who met her were ensnared by her bewitching eloquence and felt the fashination of her words. None could resist her charm; few could escape the contagion of her belief. All testified to the extraordinary traits of her character, marveled at her amazing personality, and were convinced of the sincerity of her convictions."
Tahirih was not satisfied with a passiv sympathy for the Faith of the Bab." (Nor am I)" She openly confessed her belief in Him. She tried to awaken those around her to the Coming of a Great New Day in the affairs of mankind. Many people began to share her enthusiasm and flocked to listen to her.
When the learned religious leaders of Karbila learned that she was an ardent follower of the Bab and was teaching His Faith in the very center of their religious life, they complained bitterly to the government. "( Here we can see, is the" return of the pharisees" that I have told you about earlier)
Officials were dispatched at once to arrest her, but they sezed a friend of hers by mistake. Tahirih wrote immediately to the governor and told him that she was the one for whom they were looking and to release her friend.The governor put Tahirih's residence under guard so that no one could go in or out for three months.
Her family was upset and "tried to persuade her to return home. Failing this, they urged her to be more calm and reserved and not to let her conduct reflect on the good name of the family.
Word came to her that the disciples of the Bab were gathering for a great conference in Khurasan, so Tahirih started on her way immidiately.
Before her departure from Karbila she unburdened her heart by writing a letter to each of the priests of that city, condemning their bigotry. These leaders gave to women a rank little higher than that of animals and even denied them the possession of a soul. Tahirih ably defended her Faith in this letter and exposed their unjust and backward views.
The very day that Tahirih arrived in Baghdad she began teaching the Cause. She spoke with such power and eloquence that those who had seen and heard her before she became a follower of the Bab were amazed. They said: "This is not the same woman we knew before"
Her lectures began to attract very large audiences from among the peoples of all religions. One of the most outstanding of her characteristics was her ability to arouse a keen desire in her listeners to investigate the truth of the Babs mission for themselves. Within a short time her extraordinary attraction had won many supporters. A large number of had followed her from Karbila to Baghdad in order to attend her classes.
The priests of Baghdad became aroused as her words began to woo away their own followers. She was emptying their classes. Many rose up against her, so she challenged them publicly. Through the governor she invited them all to meet her in a great public discussion upon the truth or falsehood of the Babs Faith."
Do you think they dared to come?
And, do you wonder who is my female heroine in my Faith?
I'll continue shortly
Ponder upon this in the meantime.
Bye for now
Kind regards from Laila
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