- 1856-03-20 —
During Bahá'u'lláh's absence Mírzá Musá rented a house near the Al-Kazimiyya mosque and shrine, in the Kādhimayn district in Baghdad. (It is the burial place of Imam Musa Al-Kadhim and Imam Muhammad Al-Jawad, they are respectively the Seventh and the Ninth of the Twelve Imams.) The house was large, two or three stories, and was made of simple mud brick with a surrounding central courtyard. At some point before His departure on the 22nd of April, 1863, the house was purchased. He later named it "The Most Great House" (Bayt-i-‘Aẓam) and designated it a place of pilgrimage. It is also referred to as the "Throne of His Glory", and the "Lamp of Salvation between earth and heaven". [CEBF66; Bahaipedia]
- After His departure the House was held in the names of various custodians and allowed to fall into disrepair. [CEBF66]
- Bahá'u'lláh revealed a Tablet to be used when making a pilgrimage to the House. [GWB111-114; 114-115]
- 1863-09-17 — Because the Shamsi Big residence was too small Bahá'u'lláh and His family were moved to the house of Visi Pasha, situated near the mosque of Sultan Fatih Mehmet. They spend three months in this residence. [ALM21]
- 1863-12-12 —
Bahá'u'lláh in Adrianople
Bahá'u'lláh and His companions arrived in Adrianople (the "remote prison") ("The Land of Mystery") (GPB174). It would be here where the sun of His revelation would ascend to its zenith, where He proclaimed the Message of His revelation to the whole world. [BKG206; GPB161; RB2:62]
- Picture.
- This was the furthest point from His native land that Bahá'u'lláh reached and the first time in known history that a Manifestation of God had lived on the European continent. [BKG217]
- See BKG218–19, 221–2; GPB161–2 and MRHK179–96 for a description of the houses Bahá'u'lláh lived in during this period.
- See BKG219–20 for the hardships of the first winter.
"at a time when the forces of schism had rent asunder the ties that united the little band of exiles which had settled in Adrianople and whose fortunes seemed then to have sunk to their lowest ebb!" [BW5p175]
- 1863-12-13 — Bahá'u'lláh and His party spent three nights in the Khán-i-'Aráb caravanserai. [BKG218]
- 1863-12-15 —
Bahá'u'lláh and His family stayed for one week at a house in the Murádíyyih quarter of the city, in the north-eastern section near Takyiy-i-Mawlavi. The house was located on high ground with a good view of the city and close to the Muradiyyih mosque. The rest of the exiles remained at the inn. [BKG218] During this time He revealed:
- Kitáb-i-Badí' (The Wonderous or Unique Book) .
- 1863-12-22 —
- 1864-09-01 —
Bahá'u'lláh and His family moved to the house of Amru'lláh (The Cause of God) located to the north of the Mosque of Sultán Salím and close to it. They occupied the upper floor, Mírzá Muhammad-Qulí and his family the middle one and some of the attendants were housed on the ground floor. Other houses were found in the same quarter, one for Áqáy-i-Kalím and his family and one for Mírzá Yahyá and his. [BKG221, ALM35]
- Picture - The Mosque of Sultan Salim.
- Picture - The interior of the mosque.
- Picture - The interior of the mosque.
- It was while they were in this house that Mírzá Yahyá, a discontent since the early days in Baghdad, began to rebel more openly with support from Siyyid Muhammad-i-Isfahani. It was the "first major internal convulsion which seized a newly re-arisen community and which threatened to cause an irreparable breach in the ranks of its members". Bahá'u'lláh designated this period and the time following as Ayyám-i-Shidád (Days of Stress) . [BKG223-233; GPB163]
- 1867-03-00 —
Bahá'u'lláh moved back to the now empty house of Amru'lláh. [GPB168]
- He stayed for about three months. [GPB168]
- BKG239 says that within six months of Bahá'u'lláh's return to the house the owner sold it.
- 1867-06-00 —
Bahá'u'lláh rented the house of 'Izzat Áqá where He and His family lived until their departure from Adrianople. [BKG239; GPB168; ALM39]
"The remaining months in the house of Izzat Aqa constituted the most fecund period in the whole course of the ministry of Bahá'u'lláh. Tablets and verses flowed continuously from his pen and His tongue." [ALM42]
- See BKG241 for a description of this house.
- Picture.
- 1870-10-00 —
Bahá'u'lláh was moved to the house of Malik in the Fákhúrah quarter, in the western part of `Akká. [BBRXXIX, 209; BKG315; GPB189; RB3:221]
- Bahá'u'lláh's occupation of this house lasted three months. BBR209–10; BKG315; GPB189]
- This occurred approximately four months after the death of the Purest Branch. [BKG315; GPB189; RB3:221]
- The movement of troops required the use of the barracks and the prisoners were shifted to alternative accommodations. 'Abdu'l-Bahá rented a caravanserai (Khán-i-Avamíd) and had it renovated so that it was habitable and ready to accommodate Bahá'í pilgrims when they start arriving. [BKG315; RB3:221; 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Egypt p78]
- See PG121 where 'Abdu'l-Bahá describes the first seven years of confinement in 'Akká.
- 1871-01-00 —
Bahá'u'lláh was moved to the house of Khavvám, across the street from the house of Malik. [BBR209–10; BKG315; GPB189]
- His occupation of this house lasted a few months. [BKG319]
- 1871-05-00 —
Bahá'u'lláh was transferred to the house of Rábi`ih. [GPB189]
- His occupation of this house lasted four months. [BKG319; DH38–9]
- 1871-09-00 —
Bahá'u'lláh was transferred to the house of `Údí Khammár in `Akká. [BBD109; BKG317; DH39, 203; GPB189]
- The house was so small that 13 people of both sexes occupy one room. The remainder of Bahá'u'lláh's companions took up residence in other houses and the Khán-i-`Avámíd. [GPB189]
- More information on the Khán-i-`Avámíd that became the first Pilgrim House and eventually a Bahá'í School.
- Bahá'u'lláh's occupation of this house lasted two years. [BKG319]
- See BKG317 for the initial response of His neighbour, Ilyás `Abbúd.
- See DH201–3 for a biography of `Údí Khammár.
- 1872-01-22 —
Three Azalís were murdered by seven Bahá'ís in 'Akká. [BBD163; BKG3256 DH41; GPB189; RB3:235]
- Siyyid Muhammad Isfahání, Nasr'ulláh Tafríshí, Áqá Ján Ka'j Kuláh and Ridá Qulí, these four kept vigil from the second story window of a building overlooking the land gate to ensure no followers of Bahá'u'lláh would have access to the prison city. For some time they had been successful at preventing the entrance of pilgrims, some of whom who had spend some six months even traveling on foot. This also precluded the possibility of communications from 'Akká reaching the believers in other lands. After two years and a few months, Bahá'u'lláh was released from the His cell and was free to walk among the prison population. Some of the friends, including Salmání, decided to get rid of these enemies and, during the night, went to their place and killed Siyyid Muhammad, Áqá Ján and another person. [Sweet and Enchanting Stories, Aziz Rohani, p. 31.]
- Bahá'u'lláh was taken to the Governorate where He was interrogated and held for 70 hours. [BKG317-330; GBP190; RB3:234-239, AB34-36]
- `Abdu'l-Bahá was thrown into prison and kept in chains the first night. Twenty–five of the companions were also imprisoned and shackled. [BKG328; GBP190; RB3:237]
- See BKG331, GPB191 and RB3:238 for the effect of the murders on the local population.
- Ilyás `Abbúd put a barricade between his house and the house of `Údí Khammár, which he had rented for use by Bahá'u'lláh's family. [BKG331; GPB191]
- See BKG330; DH44 and RB3:239 for the fate of the murderers, who were imprisoned for seven years.
- Siyyid Muḥammad-i-Isfahání has been described by Shoghi Effendi as the "Antichrist of the Bahá'í Revelation." He was a man of corrupt character and great personal ambition who had induced Mírzá Yaḥyá to oppose Bahá'u'lláh and to claim prophethood for himself. Although he was an adherent of Mírzá Yaḥyá, Siyyid Muḥammad was one of the four Azalis exiled with Bahá'u'lláh to 'Akká. He continued to agitate and plot against Bahá'u'lláh. In describing the circumstances of his death, Shoghi Effendi has written in God Passes By:
A fresh danger now clearly threatened the life of Bahá'u'lláh. Though He Himself had stringently forbidden His followers, on several occasions, both verbally and in writing, any retaliatory acts against their tormentors, and had even sent back to Beirut an irresponsible Arab convert, who had meditated avenging the wrongs suffered by his beloved Leader, seven of the companions clandestinely sought out and slew three of their persecutors, among whom were Siyyid Muḥammad and Áqá Ján .
The consternation that seized an already oppressed community was indescribable. Bahá'u'lláh's indignation knew no bounds. "Were We," He thus voices His emotions, in a Tablet revealed shortly after this act had been committed, "to make mention of what befell Us, the heavens would be rent asunder and the mountains would crumble." "My captivity," He wrote on another occasion, "cannot harm Me. That which can harm Me is the conduct of those who love Me, who claim to be related to Me, and yet perpetrate what causeth My heart and My pen to groan." [GPB189-190]
- The Lawh-i Istintaq ("Tablet of the Interrogation") was revealed.
- 1873-12-01 —
Bahá'u'lláh acquired the house of `Abbúd. It is joined to the house of `Údí Khammár to make one residence and Bahá'u'lláh moved to the side of the house previously occupied by `Abbúd. [BBD106, 109; BKG319; DH51]
- He lived here for four years. [BBD106, 109; BKG319; DH51]
- See BBD1 for information on Ilyás `Abbúd.
- 1877-00-00 — `Abdu'l-Bahá rented the house of Mazra`ih for Bahá'u'lláh's use. [BKG357; DH87; RB3:416]
- 1877-06-03 —
Bahá'u'lláh took up residence at Mazra`ih. [BBD154]
- It took the repeated pleadings of Shaykh `Alíy-i-Mírí, the Muftí of `Akká, to persuade Him to go. [BBD 154; BKG358–9; GPB192–3]
- See BKG359 and DH89 for a description.
- Bahá'u'lláh resided there for two years with some members of His family while `Abdu'l-Bahá, the Greatest Holy Leaf and Navváb continued to live in the House of `Abbúd. [BBD13, 106; DH89–90]
- See CH136 for the reason why `Abdu'l-Bahá did not live at Mazra`ih.
- Also see DH8994.
- 1879-09-00 —
Bahá'u'lláh moved to the empty mansion at Bahjí after two years' residence at Mazra`ih. [BBD42; BKG362]
Note: The date of Bahá'u'lláh's first arrival at the Mansion of Bahji is given as
September 1879 in Bahá'u'lláh: The King of Glory, p. 362. However, in a Tablet
dated 11 Rabí`u'l-Avval 1298 A.H. [11 February 1881], Bahá'u'lláh tells Núri'd-
Dín that it had been only a month since He arrived at the Mansion; see Núri'd-
Dín's Collection, p. 43. [Memories of the Báb,
Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá by Mírzá Habíbu'lláh Afnán p32]
- Mírzá Muhammad-'Alí, Mírzá Badí'u'lláh, Zia'u'llah (Mírzá Díyá'u'lláh) and their mother Mahd-i-'Ulyá along with Gawhar and her daughter, Furúghíyyih Khánum, stayed at Bahji with Bahá'u'lláh. 'Abdu'l-Bahá and His mother, Khadíjih Khánum, and His sister, Bahíyyih Khánum as well as and His own family continued to live in 'Akká.
- See BBD42 and GPB216 for a list of Tablets revealed by Bahá'u'lláh during His occupation of the mansion of Bahjí.
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