...Among those who left their homeland were two
carpenters, Ustád Báqir and Ustád Ahmad. These two were brothers, of pure
lineage, and natives of Káshán. From the time when both became believers each
held the other in his embrace. They harkened to the voice of God, and to His
cry of “Am I not your Lord?” they replied, “Yea, verily!”
For a time they stayed on in their own country, occupied
with the remembrance of God, characterized by faith and knowledge, respected by
friend and stranger alike, known to all for righteousness and trustworthiness,
for austerity of life and the fear of God. When the oppressor stretched forth
his hands against them, and tormented them beyond endurance, they emigrated to
‘Iráq, to the sheltering care of Bahá’u’lláh. They were two most blessed souls.
For some time they remained in ‘Iráq, praying in all lowliness, and
supplicating God.
Then Ustád Aḥmad departed for Adrianople, while Ustád Báqir
remained in ‘Iráq and was taken as a prisoner to Mosul. Ustád Ahmad went on with
the party of Bahá’u’lláh to the Most Great Prison, and Ustád Báqir emigrated
from Mosul to Akká. Both of the brothers were under the protection of God and
free from every earthly bond. In the prison, they worked at their craft,
keeping to themselves, away from friend and stranger alike. Tranquil,
dignified, confident, strong in faith, sheltered by the All-Merciful, they
happily spent their days. Ustád Báqir was the first to die, and some time
afterward his brother followed him.
These two were firm believers, loyal, patient, at all times
thankful, at all times supplicating God in lowliness, with their faces turned
in His direction. During that long stay in the prison they were never
neglectful of duty, never at fault. They were constantly joyful, for they had
drunk deep of the holy cup; and when they soared upward, out of the world, the
friends mourned over them and asked that by the grace of Bahá’u’lláh, they
should be favored and forgiven. These two were embosomed in bounty, and
Divinely sustained, and the Blessed Beauty was well pleased with them both;
with this provision for their journey, they set out for the world to come. Upon
them both be the glory of God the All-Glorious; to each be a seat of truth in
the Kingdom of Splendors.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk; ‘Memorials of the
Faithful’)
