of the court declared His
purity and freedom from this charge; and it became apparent and clear that
what had been done with regard to Him was due to the efforts of His foes
and the hasty folly of the Hajibu'd-Dawlih. Therefore did the government
of eternal duration desire to restore certain properties and estates which
had been confiscated, that thereby it might pacify Him. But since the
chief part of these was lost and only an inconsiderable portion was
forthcoming, none came forward to claim them. Indeed Baha'u'llah requested
permission to withdraw to the Supreme Shrines(15) [of Karbila and Najaf]
and, after some months, by the royal permission and with the leave of the
Prime Minister, set out accompanied by one of the King's messengers for
the Shrines.

Let us return, however, to our original subject. Of the Bab's writings
many remained in men's hands. Some of these were commentaries on, and
interpretations of the verses of the Qur'an; some were prayers, homilies,
and hints of [the true significance of certain] passages; others were
exhortations, admonitions, dissertations on the different branches of the
doctrine of the Divine Unity, demonstrations of the special prophetic
mission of the Lord of existing things [Muhammad], and (as it hath been
understood) encouragements to amendment of character, severance from
worldly states, and dependence on the inspirations of God. But the essence
and purport of His compositions were the praises and descriptions of that
Reality soon to appear which was His only object and aim, His darling, and
His desire.(16) For He regarded His own appearance as that of a harbinger
of good tidings, and considered His own real nature merely as a means for
the manifestation of the greater perfections of that One. And indeed He
ceased not from celebrating Him by night or day for a single instant, but
used to signify to all His followers that they should expect His arising:
in such wise that He declares in His writings, "I am a letter out of that
most mighty book and a dewdrop from that limitless ocean, and, when He
shall appear, My true nature, My mysteries, riddles, and intimations will
become evident, and the embryo of this religion shall develop through the
grades of its being and ascent, attain to the station of 'the most comely
of forms,'(17) and become adorned with the robe of 'blessed be God, the
Best of Creators.'(18) And this event will disclose itself in the year
[A.H. one thousand two h