Now when the news of this beating [of the Báb by a leading clergy
in Tabriz], chastisement, imprisonment, and rigor reached all parts of Persia,
learned divines and esteemed lawyers who were possessed of power and influence
girt up the loins of endeavor for the eradication and suppression of this sect,
exerting their utmost efforts therefore. And they wrote notice of their
decision, to wit “that this person and his followers are in absolute error and
are hurtful to Church and State.” And since the governors in Persia enjoyed the
fullest authority, in some provinces they followed this decision and united in
uprooting and dispersing the Bábís. But the late King Muhammad Sháh
acted with deliberation in this matter, reflecting, “This Youth is of the Pure
Lineage and of the family of him addressed with ‘were it not for thee.’ So long
as no offensive actions which are incompatible with the public peace and
well-being proceed from him, the government should not interfere with him.” And
whenever the learned doctors appealed to him from the surrounding districts, he
either gave no answer, or else commanded them to act with deliberation. (‘Abdu’l-Baha,
‘A Traveler’s Narrative’)
