- 1825-00-00 — Birth of Áqá Husayn-i-Isfahání (Mishkín-Qalam), Apostle of Bahá'u'lláh and well-known calligrapher, in Shíráz.
- 1868-04-00 —
Seven Bahá'ís in Constantinople were arrested and interrogated by a commission of inquiry whose mandate it was to verify the claims of Bahá'u'lláh and Mírzá Yahyá. [BKG250–2; GPB179; MF99–100 RB2:3289]
- See RB2:329–32 for the conduct of the interrogations.
- Among those arrested was Mishkín-Qalam, the calligrapher. He was particularly distraught because he is not allowed pen or paper. Eventually these were given to him. [BKG252]
- 1868-08-21 —
Bahá'u'lláh and His companions left Gallipoli on an Austrian-Lloyd steamer. [BKG263; GPB182; RB2:411]
- CH62 says it was a Turkish boat.
- There were 72 exiles, 10 soldiers and 2 officers. The journey took 11 days. [CH63]
- See BKG270 for map of the journey.
- Towards sunset the same day the steamer touched on Madellí and stopped for a few hours. It continued on to Smyrna the same night where they stayed for two days and left at night. [BKG264; N&N22]
- 1868-08-31 —
The ship arrived in Haifa in the early morning. [BKG269; GPB182; RB3:11]
- Bahá'u'lláh and His companions — 70 in all — disembarked and were taken ashore in sailing boats. [RB3:11]
- One of the Bahá'ís, Áqá `Abdu'l-Ghaffár, one of the four companions of Bahá'u'lláh condemned to share the exile of Mírzá Yahyá, threw himself into the sea when he learned he was to be separated from Bahá'u'lláh. [BKG269; GPB182]
- A few hours later Bahá'u'lláh's party was put aboard a sailing vessel and taken to `Akká. [RB3:12]
- Mírzá Yahyá and the four Bahá'ís arrested at Constantinople, including Mishkín-Qalam, were sent on to Famagusta in Cyprus. [BKG268; GPB179]
- See also The Cyprus Exiles
by Moojan Momen.
- See photo of the sea gate by which the exiles entered the citadel.
- See CH66 for Bahíyyih Khánum's account of the journey.
- The exiles landed in `Akká and began a confinement in the citadel that was to last two years, two months and five days. [CH67, BBR205; BKG169; DH12; RB3:11]
- Photo of the citadel.
- See BKG277–9 for a list of the exiles. Two others joined them immediately after arrival. [BBR205]
- See BR205–6 for `Abdu'l-Bahá's account of the journey of exile.
- See RB32:2 and RB3:21 for prophecies regarding Bahá'u'lláh's exile to `Akká.
- See DH17–24 for a history of `Akká before the arrival of Bahá'u'lláh.
- See DH26–8 and GPB186–7 for a description of the exiles' walk to the prison.
- See GPB186–7 for Bahá'u'lláh's description of the citadel and the conditions there on His arrival.
- See BKG275–7 for Áqá Ridá's description of the citadel and the conditions there.
- See DH30–1 for a description of the citadel building and the accommodation used by Bahá'u'lláh.
- The first night the exiles were refused both food and drink. [GPB187]
- Afterwards each prisoner was allocated three loaves of stale black bread as a daily food ration plus filthy water. [GBP187]
- Within two days all fell ill with typhoid but for two, 'Abdu'l-Bahá and another man who was able to help Him nurse and care for the others. [CH234]
- Three of the exiles died soon after arrival. Soon after their death, Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Lawh-i-Ra'ís, the second Tablet to `Alí Páshá. [BKG283; GPB187; RB3:20, 34]
- See BKG317–21 and CH250–1 for the story of the Azalís who were confined to `Akká with the exiles.
- See BBRSM69–70 for details on the system of communications used between the Holy Land and the Bahá'í communities.
- At first the Governor was disinclined to relax the strict rules of the exiles but eventually allowed Mírzá Ja'far to go into town, accompanied by a soldier, to purchase food. 'Abdu'l-Bahá had sent Mírzá 'Abdu'l-Ahad ahead sometime before with instructions to open a shop. It was six months before the exiles could make contact with him. During this time a Greek, Dr. Petro, became a friend and, after having made investigations, assured the Governor that the exiles were not criminals. [CH67]
- The King of Martyrs and his brother The Beloved of Martyrs were the first to make contact with the exiles by telegraph. They were able to provide much needed assistance. [CH67]
- After the restrictions had been relaxed somewhat Shaykh Salmán was able to function as a courier carrying Tablets and letters to and from Persia. When he was arrested in Aleppo, carrying a most important supplication from a friend in Persia to Bahá'u'lláh, he swallowed the letter to avoid detection. [CH67-68]
- 1868-09-05 —
The ship that had delivered the exiles to 'Akká carried on and Mírzá Yahyá arrived in Cyprus with his entire family but without a single disciple or even a servant. [BBR306]
- Also exiled to Cyprus were four loyal Bahá'ís and they were:
Mishkín-Qalam (Áqá Hussain Isfahání)
Mirzá 'Alíy-i-Sayyáh-i-Maraghih'í (Mullá Ádí-Guzal)
Áqá 'Abdu'l-Ghaffár
Áqá Muḥammad-Báqir (Qahvih-chiy-i Mahallátí) (coffee-maker)
- With their arrival Cyprus became the first island in the Mediterranean to receive the Faith.
- See also GPB 182 and AB285, 523.
- 1871-08-04 —
Shaykh `Alíy-i-Sayyáh, one of the Bahá'ís imprisoned in Cyprus, died, allegedly of poisoning. [BBR306, FOI,Forward]
- Subsequently Mishkín-Qalam married the widow of Sayyáh. [BBR 306, FOIp24]
- Born Mulla Adi Guzal, a trustee and courier of The Báb during the days of Mah-Ku and Chiriq. He visited the Fort of Shaykh Tabarsi (Mazindaran) at the request and on behalf of the Báb carrying His Tablet of Visitation for the martyrs of Fort Shaykh Tabarsi. [from Anita Graves, National Bahá'í Archivist Cyprus]
- He was one of the four Exiles ordered to Famagusta by the Ottoman Sultan at the time that Baha'u'llah was exiled to 'Akka. These four Exiles, including Mishkin-Qalam, arrived in Famagusta on 5 September 1868. [from Anita Graves, National Bahá'í Archivist Cyprus]
- 1872-11-22 —
Muhammad-Báqir-i-Mahallátí, one of the Bahá'ís imprisoned in Cyprus, died. [BBR306]
- He had begun his service to Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdad and was a member of the entourage that accompanied Him to Constantinople in 1863 and further served in His household in Adrianople. See FOIp9-12 for a brief description of his service.
- This left Mishkín-Qalam as the only Bahá'í in Cyprus. [BBR306]
- 1879-06-20 — Mishkín-Qalam was given permission to move from Famagusta to Nicosia. [BBR307]
- 1880-08-15 —
Mishkín-Qalam addressed a petition to the High Commissioner of Cyprus begging to be released from his confinement. [BBR307]
- See BBR307–11 for consequences of this.
- 1886-09-14 — Mishkín-Qalam, who had been living in Larnica, left Cyprus on a Syrian vessel going direct to `Akká. [BBR311, FOI24]
- 1901-00-00 — Siyyid Mustafá Rúmí sent from Rangoon a sample of the marble that the sarcophagus for the remains of the Báb was to be made from. Mishkin-Qalam asked for permission to design a Greatest Name for the sarcophagus, and, as was his custom, he signed the design. In the time of Bahá'u'lláh he signed his work with "The servant of the Threshold of Bahá,
Mishkin-Qalam" but for this work his proposal had the signature, "The servant of `Abdu'l-Bahá, Mishkin-Qalam." 'Abdu'l-Bahá did not approve. Throughout His ministry, `Abdu'l-Bahá greatly disapproved of believers composing verses about, or glorifying, His Person in any way. He would admonish them to focus their praise on Bahá'u'lláh. [MBBA155-157]
- 1912-00-00 —
Mishkín-Qalam (b.1826, Shiraz, Iran) passed away in the Holy Land. He was buried in the Bahá'í Cemetery Bahjí. [BBD157; EB272]
In an interview in 1979
with Gol Aidun, Hand of the Cause Mr. ‘AbduT-Qasim Faizi recounted the
story of Mishkin-Qalam’s acceptance of the BaháT Faith:
. . . before Mishkin Qalam accepted the Bahá'í Faith, he was a “dervish” with long,
flowing hair, detached from the world and attached only to his calligraphy. One day,
while he was breaking his journey, he was given a room to share with a stranger.
When Mishkin-Qalam entered the room, he greeted the stranger with the invocation
"Yá Alláh!” (O God!). The stranger who happened to be a Bahá'í, asked him whether
he knew God since he had mentioned His name. Mishkin-Qalam replied, “Of
course.” The stranger replied, “No, for you must know the Prophet of your time to
know God.” The stranger then told Mishkin-Qalam all about Bahâ’u’llâh, and by
dawn the latter accepted the Bahá'í Faith and the next day accompanied the stranger
on his journey towards Baghdad and eventually came into the presence of
Bahá'u'lláh in Adrianople. (Aidun, “Mishkin-Qalam” 25) [The Calligraphy of Mishkin-Qalam p4 by
Julie Oeming Badiee and Heshmatollah Badiee]
- See Bahá'í Chronicles.
- See Memorials of the Faithful #38.
- He was appointed as one of the Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh.
- 1913-06-16 —
'Abdul-Baha began His third stay in Egypt which lasted 5 months and 16 days.
- At some time during His stay in Egypt 'Abdu'l-Bahá met with Sir Ronald Storrs who presented Him to Lord Kitchener. [BW10p192,194]
- 'Abdu'l-Bahá presented him with a specimen of writing by Mishkín-Qalam and His own Persian pen box. [CH226]
- 1934-08-28 — Mishkín-Qalam's calligraphic rendering of the Greatest Name was registered as a trademark with the United States patent office. [BW6:350]
|
Wiki tags
