…in the latter days the Shí‘ihs of Persia had forgotten the
truth of the religion of God and had become entirely devoid and deprived of the
morals of the spiritually minded. They were cleaving to empty husks and
remained entirely heedless of the pith and substance. They had nothing to show
but outward observances, such as prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, almsgiving, and
the commemoration of the blessed Imáms. The people of true knowledge would
therefore call them “Qishrí” (superficial), for amongst them the inner truths
and meanings were absent, spiritual perceptions were non-existent, and heavenly
morals had become but an idle matter.
When the night of separation approached the dawn—that is,
when the concealment of the True One ran its course and the dawn of the morn of
God drew nigh—Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsá’í appeared. He guided the people to inner
truths and meanings and expounded the secrets and mysteries of the Qur’án. The
Shí‘ihs then became divided into two camps: Some followed the august Shaykh and
became known as Shaykhís, while others kept to their prior condition and were
called “Qishrí”.
The illustrious Shaykh began to invite the people to
anticipate the advent of God’s revelation and the blazing of the Fire of Sinai.
He proclaimed, in his writings and in his lessons, that the dawn was fast
approaching and that the appearance of the promised Manifestation was imminent.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Table Talks at Akka; Online Baha’i Reference Library of the
Baha’i World Center)
