Against the background of the bloody events in Persia,
Bahá’u’lláh not only told His followers that “if ye be slain, it is better for
you than to slay,” but urged them to set an example of obedience to civil
authority: “In every country where any of this people reside, they must behave
towards the government of that country with loyalty, honesty and truthfulness.”
The conditions surrounding Bahá’u’lláh’s departure from
Baghdad provided a dramatic demonstration of the potency of these principles.
In only a few years, a band of foreign exiles whose arrival in the area had
aroused suspicion and aversion on the part of their neighbors had become one of
the most respected and influential segments of the population. They supported
themselves through flourishing businesses; as a group they were admired for
their generosity and the integrity of their conduct; the lurid allegations of
religious fanaticism and violence, sedulously spread by Persian consular
officials and members of the Shi‘ih Muslim clergy, had ceased to have an effect
on the public mind. By May 3, 1863, when He rode out of Baghdad, accompanied by
His family and those of His companions and servants who had been chosen to
accompany Him to Constantinople, Bahá’u’lláh had become an immensely popular
and cherished figure. In the days immediately preceding the leave-taking a
stream of notables, including the Governor of the province himself, came to the
garden where He had temporarily taken up residence, many of them from great
distances, in order to pay their respects. Eyewitnesses to the departure have
described in moving terms the acclaim that greeted Him, the tears of many of
the onlookers, and the concern of the Ottoman authorities and civil officials
to do their visitor honor.
(From ‘Baha’u’llah’: A statement prepared by the Bahá'í
International Community Office of Public Information, at the request of the
Universal House of Justice and published in 1992)
