From: Baha'i Talks, Messages and Articles
[Notes of a talk given by
Universal House of Justice Member Hartmut Grossman to the first group of Baha’i
Pilgrims to enter the Cell of Baha’u’llah, in Akka, after a break of eight
years. This talk was given on the evening of October 30th, 2003.]
The Universal House of Justice views the re-opening of the Cell of Baha’u’llah
as being a very significant event, so much so that prior to the pilgrims’
visit, all of the members went to the Cell as a Body to say special prayers.
We should remember the suffering that occurred at this prison - the prison
designated by Him as the Most Great Prison, which is deeply significant
considering the conditions under which He suffered in the ‘Black-Pit’, the
Siyah-Chal, in Tehran. He had just arrived when he was forced to sell His
carpet, the carpet He used to sleep on, to pay for the funeral expenses of one
of the members of His entourage. Even after paying the expenses, the body was
still treated very disrespectfully, but He had to make the attempt. It was
while confined to this Cell that He sacrificed His son. Many, many other
afflictions were faced by Him there.
Many events of note also took place in this Cell, one of which was His giving
the Tablet to the Shah of Persia to Badi for its delivery. Baha’u’llah had
written the Tablet prior to His arrival in Acco, but there was not a believer
at that time who exhibited the necessary levels of devotion and sacrifice. So
to give the Tablet to Badi, He bound the eyes of the guards so that Badi could
be smuggled into His presence and safely back out again. The second Tablet to Napoleon
and the Tablet to Queen Victoria were also written from this Cell.
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