Dr Boris Handal is the author of “Mírzá Mihdí, The Purest Branch” which has been translated into Spanish and Persian. Dr Handal is a Professor of Learning Technologies at the University of Notre Dame Australia. He was also a Visiting Professor at the University of Alberta. He has taught in schools and universities in South America, Asia and Australia for over thirty-five years. His publications comprise over 100 conference and journal papers, books and books chapters published in Australia, the United States of America, Europe, Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia.
Transcript
Dr Boris Handal is the author of “Mírzá Mihdí, The Purest Branch” which has been translated into Spanish and Persian.
Dr Handal is a Professor of Learning Technologies at the University of Notre Dame Australia. He was also a Visiting Professor at the University of Alberta. He has taught in schools and universities in South America, Asia and Australia for over thirty-five years. His publications comprise over 100 conference and journal papers, books and books chapters published in Australia, the United States of America, Europe, Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia.
“Thou art, verily, the trust of God and His treasure in this land.”
Baha’u’llah
Presented by Boris HandalMay 2020
I – The Holy Family
II – Life in Exile
III - The Long Journey to ‘Akká
IV – Life in the Barracks
V –The First Bahá’í Pilgrims
VI –The Great Redemptive Sacrifice of the Purest Branch
‘during the most dangerous and trying times of His imprisonment Bahá’u’lláh would ask each member of the family to relate the most amusing incident or story they had experienced or heard that day. After the tale had been told, they would all roar with laughter’. Abdu’l-Bahá
‘
Colonel Ahmad-i-Jarráh. Commander of the Guard during Bahá'u'lláh's imprisonment in the barracks. He later became a believer.
Source: The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh by Adib Taherzadeh
Grant Hindin-Miller sings about Mirza Mihdi, The Purest Branch
“It is not possible for anyone to visualize the measure of humility and self-effacement and the intensity of devotion and meekness which the Purest Branch evinced in his life.” Ḥusayn-i-Áshchí
Ḥusayn-i-Áshchí, quoted in Taherzadeh, Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh , vol. 3 , p. 206 .
”I testify that thou didst
return in meekness unto
thine abode.”Bahá’u’lláh
” to whose ‘meekness the Supreme Pen had testified …”
Shoghi Effendi
Mírzá Mihdí “was a pillar of strength amongst the companions, from the days they came out of Baghdád to the day a tragic mishap brought his short and unsullied life to its conclusion, sitting with them at their gatherings, reading to them of that which flowed from the Supreme Pen, teaching them the lessons of courtesy and patience, of dignity and radiant submission to the will of God.” Áqá Riḍá
Áqá Riḍá quoted in Hasan Balyuzi, Baha’u’llah King of Glory, p. 314
“… truly the brother of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
extremely modest and self-effacing”.
Mirza Mihdi, The Purest Branch, p. 16
Ustád Muhammad-`Alíy-i-Salmání
“… endowed with a character of
superlative spiritual beauty”.
Mirza Mihdi, The Purest Branch, p. 16
Mírzá Asadu'lláh Fádil Mázandarání
“… of a very gentle and sweet
disposition”.
Mirza Mihdi, The Purest Branch, p. 16
Bahíyyih Khánum
“The Purest Branch, the martyred son, the companion, and amanuensis of Bahá’u’lláh, that pious and holy youth…”.
Shoghi Effendi
“The Blessed Perfection passed his time in his room, writing tablets or rather dictating them to my younger brother [Mírzá Mihdí], who was a rapid penman. Abbas Effendi [‘Abdu’l-Bahá] would copy them and send them out by the physician …”
Bahíyyih Khánum
Mirza Mihdi, The Purest Branch, p. 19
Dr Boutros carried the Tablets away in the lining of his hat
Who was Dr Boutros?
Part 5The First Bahá’í ́Pilgrims
Music “Mírzá Mihdí –Life in the Exile” by Jack Lenz
“Later We entered this Prison, wherein the hands of Our loved ones were torn from the hem of Our robe.” Bahá’u’lláh
The courtyard of the barracks, c. 1920. The waterpool is in the centre. It is probably in this courtyard that the tent was pitched for the washing of the body of the Purest Branch.
Source: The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh by Adib Taherzadeh.
I offered him up, O my God, as a sacrifice in Thy path. Thou well knowest what they who love Thee have endured through this trial that hath caused the kindreds of the earth to wail, and beyond them the Concourse on high to lament.
Thereat have the dwellers of the Abhá Tabernacle wept with a great weeping, and such as have suffered imprisonment with this Youth in the path of God, the Lord of the promised Day, lamented.
Bahá’u’lláh
Bahá’u’lláh’s only rug is exchanged
Old grave of the Purest Branch
Source: The Bahá’í World (87 and 88 of the Bahá’í Era -1930-1932 A. D.), page 8
Original headstone in Mírzá Mihdí’s grave
“When thou wast laid to rest in the earth, the earth itself trembled in its longing to meet thee.”
Graves of Mírzá Mihdí and his mother Navváb on Mount Carmel
Mírzá Mihdí’s grave
Blessed art thou, and blessed he that turneth unto thee, and visiteth thy grave, and draweth nigh, through thee, unto God, the Lord of all that was and shall be.
