s swiftly passing world and
soared away to the realms of God. Greetings and praise be unto him, and
mercy from his bountiful Lord. May his grave be encircled with lights that
stream from the exalted Companion. His resting-place is in Haifa.

HAJI 'ALI-'ASKAR-I-TABRIZI

The distinguished 'Ali-'Askar was a merchant from Tabriz. He was much
respected in A_dh_irbayjan by all who knew him, and recognized for
godliness and trustworthiness, for piety and strong faith. The people of
Tabriz, one and all, acknowledged his excellence and praised his character
and way of life, his qualities and talents. He was one of the earliest
believers, and one of the most notable.

When the Trumpet first sounded, he fainted away, and at the second blast,
he was awakened to new life.(95) He became a candle burning with the love
of God, a goodly tree in the Abha gardens. He led all his household, his
other kindred and his friends to the Faith, and successfully rendered many
services; but the tyranny of the wicked brought him to an agonizing pass,
and he was beset by new afflictions every day. Still, he did not slacken
and was not dispirited; on the contrary, his faith, his certitude and
self-sacrifice increased. Finally he could endure his homeland no more.
Accompanied by his family, he arrived in Adrianople, and here, in
financial straits, but content, he spent his days, with dignity, patience,
acquiescence, and offering thanks.

Then he took a little merchandise with him from Adrianople, and left for
the city of Jum'ih-Bazar, to earn his livelihood. What he had with him was
trifling, but still, it was carried off by thieves. When the Persian
Consul learned of this he presented a document to the Government, naming
an enormous sum as the value of the stolen goods. By chance the thieves
were caught and proved to be in possession of considerable funds. It was
decided to investigate the case. The Consul called in Haji 'Ali-'Askar and
told him: "These thieves are very rich. In my report to the Government, I
wrote that the amount of the theft was great. Therefore you must attend
the trial and testify conformably to what I wrote."

The Haji replied: "Your Honor, _Kh_an, the stolen goods amounted to very
little. How can I report something that is not true? When they question
me, I will give the facts exactly as they are. I consider this my duty,
and only this."

"Haji," said the Consul, "We have a golden opportunity here; you and I can