My grandfather had many colored maids and servants. When the Blessed Perfection became the head of the family He liberated all of them, and gave them permission to leave or stay, but if they desired to remain it would, of course, be in a different manner. However, all of them, revelling in their newfound freedom preferred to leave, except Isfandiyar, who remained in the household and continued to serve us with proverbial faithfulness and chastity.
Then when Bahá'u'lláh became known as a Bábí, and He was teaching many people, the populace rose against Him, and with the tacit consent of the government, our house was pillaged and ransacked. My Father was put into prison and we were persecuted on all sides. For days the rabble in their fanatical fury and rage threw stones into our house, broke the windows and damaged everything. At that time I was probably six or seven years old. Everybody had left us, and our family then consisted of my mother, my sister (the Greatest Holy Leaf) and Aqa Mussa.[Bahá’u’lláh’s faithful brother] Fearing that the stones thrown into the house might hit one of us, my mother set out and rented a small house in an entirely different quarter of the city, and for fear of recognition she carried us safely to our new, humble quarters by night.
On the other hand, the enemies of my father, who had poisoned the mind of the Shah by saying that He harbored secret plans against the throne, were convinced that Isfandiyar was the guardian of all the secret plans of Bahá'u'lláh. Therefore, they imagined that if once they laid their hands on Isfandiyar they would force out of him everything, and then be able to substantiate their vague accusations with these solid facts. Hence they commissioned one hundred and fifty policemen to find him and bring him before them. Isfandiyar had a chum with whom he passed most of his time. At first they tried to get hold of his chum, thus he might divulge the hiding-place of Isfandiyar, but they failed in their purpose.
One midnight we were roused out of our sleep by a loud knocking at the door. It was opened, and lo, and behold, it was Isfandiyar. My mother said to him with anxiety: "How is it that thou art yet in the city? Dost thou not know that there are one hundred and fifty policemen after thee? Fly as quickly as thou canst. If they get hold of thee, thy life will be in danger." But he smiled and answered: "No, I will not leave Teheran, even if an hundred or a thousand policemen are after me. I am not afraid. I have many debts in the bazaar. I owe money to many shopkeepers, and before I leave this city I must pay off all the debts. I do not want the people to say afterward that the negro servant of Bahá'u'lláh escaped without paying his debts.
Then he left us, and for one month and a half he walked in broad daylight in the streets and bazaars, and finally succeeded in clearing off all his financial obligations. All this time the policemen were after him, but could not catch him. Then, one night he appeared again, and said: "I am now free. I have actually paid all my debts and will leave the city with a clear conscience." He went to Mazandaran, and the governor, who was not a Bahai, engaged him in his service, made him the chief of his equerry and protected him from the pursuit of his enemies.
Years lapsed, and the governor, being a religious man, desired to make a pilgrimage to the holy city of Karbila. Naturally, he took with him Isfandiyar, who by this time had grown so much in his favor that he could not bear to be separated from him. When they reached the city of Baghdad, Isfandiyar was overjoyed to stand again in the presence of Bahá'u'lláh, because he loved Him most intensely. He requested Bahá'u'lláh to keep him, saying that he would rather leave the governor and serve his old master. But Bahá'u'lláh said to him: "You must act in this matter in accord with the wish of the governor. You owe him a debt of deep gratitude, because at a time when your life was in danger, he gave you a position and stopped the persecution of your enemies. Now, if he is willing to have you remain with us, we will accept you; otherwise you must continue to serve him with the same zeal and sincerity that you have served Us in the past."
Isfandiyar went to the governor and explained his case. He answered: "It is impossible. I cannot find in this wide world another man as honest and faithful as thyself. Thou must continue to stay with me. I have grown to love thee and will do everything to add to thy comfort and happiness." Of course Isfandiyar was heartbroken over this decision, but he had to abide by the decision of the Blessed Perfection. He in turn consoled him with His blessings showered upon him. Isfandiyar returned to Mazandaran with the governor and stayed with him until his last day.
Such was the sterling faithfulness of Isfandiyar that whenever I think of him, my eyes grow dim with tears. He was a king among men, a glorious star in the heaven of humanity. Although his face was black, his heart was white as the snow. He was peerless and had no equal. I cannot sufficiently praise him. I love him. He was a glory and a jewel on the crown of the colored race, for his life was a noble record of proud achievement, and the whole world may learn a lesson from it.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of 'Abdu'l-Baha, from the Diary of Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, October 25, 1913; Star of the West, vol. 9, no. 3, April 28, 1918)
