Now the Siyyid Báb had disposed all His affairs before
setting out from Chihríq towards Tabríz, had placed His writings and
even His ring and pen-case in a specially prepared box, put the key of the box
in an envelope, and sent it by means of Mullá Báqir, who was one of His first
associates, to Mullá ‘Abdu’l-Karím of Qazvín. This trust Mullá Báqir delivered
over to Mullá ‘Abdu’l-Karím at Qum in presence of a numerous company. At the
solicitations of those present he opened the lid of the box and said, “I am
commanded to convey this trust to Bahá’u’lláh: more than this ask not of me,
for I cannot tell you.” Importuned by the company, he produced a long epistle
in blue, penned in the most graceful manner with the utmost delicacy and
firmness in a beautiful minute shikastih hand, written in the shape of a
man so closely that it would have been imagined that it was a single wash of
ink on the paper. When they had read this epistle [they perceived that] He had
produced three hundred and sixty derivatives from the word Bahá. Then Mullá
‘Abdu’l-Karím conveyed the trust to its destination.
(‘Abdu’l-Baha, ‘A
Traveler’s Narrative’)
