The Exile of Bahá'u'lláh
Upon
His release, Bahá'u'lláh was banished from His native land, the
beginning of 40 years of exile, persecution. He was sent first to
neighboring Baghdad. After about a year, He left for the mountainous
wilderness of Kurdistan, where He was entirely alone for two years. The
time was spent reflecting on the implications of the task to which He
had been called. The period is reminiscent of the periods of seclusion
undertaken by the Founders of the world's other great Faiths, calling
to mind the wanderings of 40 days and nights spent by Christ in the
desert, and Muhammad's retreat in the cave on Mt. Hira.
In 1856, at the urging of the exiled Bábis, Bahá'u'lláh returned to
Baghdad. Under His renewed leadership, the stature of the Bábi
community grew and Bahá'u'lláh's reputation as a spiritual leader
spread throughout the city. Fearing that Bahá'u'lláh's acclaim would
re-ignite popular enthusiasm for the movement in Persia, the Shah's
government successfully pressed the Ottoman authorities to send him farther into
exile.
In April 1863, before leaving Baghdad, Bahá'u'lláh and His companions
camped in a garden on the banks of the Tigris River. From 21 April to 2
May, Bahá'u'lláh shared with those Bábis in His company that He was the
Promised One foretold by the Báb--foretold, indeed, in all the world's
scriptures.
The garden became known as the Garden of Ridvan, which indicates
"paradise" in Arabic. The anniversary of the twelve days spent there
are celebrated in the Bahá'í world as the most joyous of holidays,
known as the Ridvan Festival.
On 3 May 1863, Bahá'u'lláh rode out of Baghdad, on His way to
Constantinople, the imperial capital, accompanied by His family and
selected companions. He had become an immensely popular and cherished
figure. Eyewitnesses described the departure in moving terms, noting
the tears of many scholars, government officials and onlookers and the
honor paid to Him by the authorities.
Map of Baha'u'llah's exiles - Click to enlarge
After four months in Constantinople, Bahá'u'lláh was sent as a virtual
state prisoner to Adrianople (modern Edirne), arriving there on 2
December 1863. During the five years He spent there, Bahá'u'lláh's
reputation continued to grow, attracting the intense interest of
scholars, government officials and diplomats.
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