July 25

…these two illustrious souls [Shaykh Ahmad and Siyyid Kázim] endowed their followers with the greatest receptivity. That is why after the passing of the late Siyyid his disciples sought with all their might after the Promised Beauty. Mullá Husayn and some of his disciples departed from Iraq, made for Persia, and were taken up with the search till they entered the city of Shíráz. As Mullá Husayn had met the Báb before in Karbilá and knew Him, he became His guest. On the night of the fifth of Jamádíyu’l-Avval,[ 23 May 1844] Mullá Husayn was seated in the presence of the Báb, who was preparing the tea. As the Báb was serving the tea, He recited certain verses. Mullá Husayn was amazed and astonished to hear a young man, with no religious education or training in the Arabic tongue, recite verses of the utmost eloquence and power, a feat which he could have never thought possible. This led to his awakening and allegiance. The following day he told his disciples and others that he had found the Object of their search and proceeded to describe and portray Him, but he concealed His identity and did not divulge His name. However, he so extolled His attributes that his disciples and the others were enthralled with this news and with unrelenting thirst continued to search for the life-giving waters. Finally, after a few days, he specified His blessed Name. A great commotion ensued. Seventeen people bore allegiance to Him, and the letter of Táhirih, which was with a certain Mírzá Muhammad-‘Alí, was presented to the Báb. For Táhirih had given him this letter and asked him to present it to the Promised One when once they had found Him. In that letter she had included the following ode, the opening of which reads:

The effulgence of Thy face flashed forth,

And the rays of Thy visage arose on high.

Then speak the word, ‘Am I not your Lord?’

And ‘Thou art, Thou art!’ we will all reply.

Thus Táhirih became the eighteenth believer. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk, new resources prepared by the Baha’i World Center, 2019; Online Baha’i Reference Library)