The Wronged One
(al-Mathlum)
Be at all times a “Wronged One,” for this is one of My attributes, though none but the sincere are aware of it. Verily, the sighs of patience uttered by one wronged (al-Mathlum) are more precious to God than any other deed, did you but know. (Baha’u’llah, Suriy-i-Damm)
Dear friends,
Allah’u’Abha! May this letter find you in good spirits and in good health!
One of the mysteries enshrined throughout the writings of Baha’u’llah is His reference to Himself as “the Wronged One of the world” or this “wronged one.” As it turns out, in the Suriy-i-Damm, Baha’u’llah explains that what is meant by this is a certain essential and important quality and attribute of God that we should all strive to obtain that is directly related to the first and foremost quality and attribute of God “patience” (See His Tablet of Job for more) and also to severance and detachment from the things of this mortal world.
The knowledge of “the wronged one” as a quality and attribute of God that we can all demonstrate in our character and spiritual personality, is an essential guideline from Baha’u’llah on how our behavior is to be transformed in our transactions with people, in order that we shall successfully walk the spiritual path with practical feet and tend to do that which will elevate our spiritual stations in certitude and experience of the nearness of God within our very own lives, hearts and souls. He explains:
“Adorn yourself with My Character, in such wise that should anyone treat you unjustly you would take no heed of him, nor oppose him. Leave him to the judgment of your Lord, the Powerful, Omnipotent and Self-Subsisting. Be at all times a “Wronged One,” for this is one of My Attributes, though none but the sincere are aware of it. Verily, the sighs of patience uttered by one wronged are more precious to God than any other deed, did you but know. Therefore, be patient in the face of whatever befalls you, and set your trust in your Lord God in all your affairs. He, verily, suffices you against all the harm that any created thing can wreak toward you, and preserves you in the shelter of His Cause and the mighty fortress of His guardianship. There is no God but Him. His are the worlds of creation and command (alam-i-khalq va amr) and all seek His aid. Should anyone slander you, you must not retaliate against him in kind lest you become as he is. Turn aside from him and set your face toward the Holy Tabernacle in this exalted and sacred Canopy. Be among men as a sweet-scented knoll, that the fragrance of sanctity may be wafted among them. In such wise, you might succeed in attracting them to the court of the Holy and Beloved One. Should you find a helper among the friends of God, seek his company at eventide and dawn, throughout the months and years. In all matters, emulate God, your Succorer. Walk among men with His dignity and peace, and teach them the Cause of their Lord to the extent that they are able to hear it.” (Baha’u’llah, Suriy-i-Damm)
This concept of al-Mathlum contains within its powers and precincts a depth of right conduct and an experience of inner blissful-joy of severance and detachment, that no other religious dispensation has seen its like. Much can be said and written about this–to fill a thousand thousand books, letters and epistles!
For example consider the events manifested in the personal life and personal conduct of Baha’u’llah, Himself. In all times He remained quiescent and patient with daily troubles and personal afflictions against Himself and His character. He never arose to defend his own ego, or wrangled uselessly with worldly or mortal affairs. It was only when things escalated to necessitating protection of the Cause, or the promulgation of this soul-stirring message that He arose to teach, guard the faith, and win the hearts minds and souls over to God. In fact His behavior of patience, detachment, trusting in God, laying “all His affairs in God’s Hands” and having this peculiar characteristic of the “Wronged One” and the accompanying thoughts, words, and deeds that go along with that–also safeguarded the Cause, and His own relationship with God, as He navigated His own personal affairs of His human life, throughout His own personal journey back to God. Radiant acquiescence (rida).
This calls for pause for deep thought, reflection and consideration, as we prepare ourselves in our own personal lives for the “consecration” in the faith, that ‘Abdu’l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi have spoken about, in order to successfully pass the tests, trials, and tribulations, that are to come upon the world this very year.
I would like to close this letter with the prayer that states “I lay all my affairs in Thy Hand”and then a story from the lifetime of Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha that amplifies what this more deeply means when we give something over to God for Him to resolve, trusting in Him, and patiently awaiting the outcome–without expectations or pre-conceived ideas–but with that deep sense of love and gratefulness for whatsoever shall befall us on our path of reunion with the Beloved of All the Worlds!
Your servant
Refresh and Gladden My Spirit
O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life.
O God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord.
The Unfailing Protection of God
When ‘Abdu’r-Rahman Pasha received the note from the Sublime Porte condemning the exiles to imprisonment, it boosted his arrogance. He decided to use it as a means of extracting some money for himself… Having failed to do this, one evening he called on Shaykh ‘Aliy-i-Miri, the Mufti of ‘Akka who was an admirer of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, and shared with him his plan of arresting the Baha’is in the morning. His plan was to arrest them as they came to open their shops and send them to prison. He also planned to restrict ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s freedom of movement in the city. He solicited the support of the Mufti in this plan… That same night the Mufti went to ‘Abdu’l-Baha, told him the news and strongly urged the Master to bribe the Governor, as otherwise everyone would be arrested in the morning. Disapproving the Mufti’s solution, ‘Abdu’l-Baha assured him that God was compassionate and merciful, and that He would leave this matter in the hand of God. He advised him to go home and to rest assured of the outcome. It was late and Baha’u’llah had just retired. Nevertheless, ‘Abdu’l-Baha went to Him and gave Him the news. Baha’u’llah ordered that the believers be advised not to go to work in the morning. Everyone was informed and they all assembled in the reception room of ‘Abdu’l-Baha in the morning.
I was, at the time, confined to prison… but each morning was permitted to go to the house of Baha’u’llah where I worked as a cook and at night I returned to prison. On that morning, on my way, I noticed that the shop of Aqa Muhammad-Ibrahim, the coppersmith, was closed and so were other shops belonging to the believers. I was very surprised and wondered what had happened. I hastened to the house of Baha’u’llah where I found all the shopkeepers assembled in the reception room. I was told the news and went into the kitchen to work. It was approximately two hours after sunrise when a man pushed aside the curtain in front of the door with his walking stick. I looked up and it was Iskandar Effendi, the head of the telegraph office. He was in great haste but signs of joy could be detected in his appearance. He wanted to see the Master who was upstairs at the time. I went up and found that He was in the presence of Baha’u’llah. I told the Master that Iskandar Effendi had come to see Him and he was in a happy mood. The Blessed Beauty smiled and said [to ‘Abdu’l-Baha] ‘Go downstairs, Aqa! He has good news. No one can frustrate God in His purpose.’
‘Abdu’l-Baha went to the reception room where He was shown a telegram just received containing the order of dismissal of ‘Abdu’r-Rahman Pasha. After a few minutes He went hurriedly upstairs. Halfway up, I asked Him if he could tell me the news. He smiled and said in a loud voice, ‘God has struck a severe blow at the Pasha.’ He then went to convey the news to Baha’u’llah.
As to ‘Abdu’r-Rahman Pasha, in the morning, accompanied by a few soldiers, he went to arrest the believers at their shops and send them to prison. To his surprise he found the shops were closed. At first he thought the late opening was perhaps due to the month of Ramadan when people were going late to work. Soon after, he went to the Police Station where he waited for the shops to open up. During this time he was unaware of God’s intervention… The above telegram was addressed to Shaykh ‘Aliy-i-Miri, the Mufti of ‘Akka, who communicated its content to the Pasha… The Mufti had been truly astonished by this event. For it was late in the evening when the Governor’s scheme had come to light, and in the morning the telegram arrived. He considered this incident to have been a miracle. He said to the Master, “I am almost on the verge of losing my mind over this episode. Please tell me, what did Baha’u’llah say late that evening when you informed Him of the plot?” ‘Abdu’l-Baha responded by saying that the Blessed Beauty ordered the believers not to open their shops in the morning and advised them to leave their affairs in the hand of God Baha’u’llah also declared that when a person leaves hisaffairs to God, he ought not to take any other measures himself, otherwise he could frustrate the plan of God. (The Revelation of Baha’u’llah, Vol. III, pp. 411-412)
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