The Light in the Night

One evening, Khadijih Baghum, the wife of the Bab, joined the Bab and His mother for tea. This was not unusual, for He often had tea with His mother in the evening. That evening though, He said that He was not hungry, and so although He sat with the others while they ate, He Himself did not have much. Shortly thereafter, He went off to bed.

Around midnight, though, she noticed that He was was no longer asleep in their room. Concerned, she went to look for Him.

She searched the courtyard. She looked in His mother's room. She looked around the bottom floor of the house, but couldn't find Him anywhere.

Then, to her surprise, she found herself climbing the staircase to the second floor of the house, and saw a light coming from the upper room. As this was the guest room, and there were no guests that evening, she was greatly puzzled. Where was the light coming from?

Then, to her astonishment, she saw her Husband. He, Himself, was the source of the light. There He was, in the middle of the room, arms upraised. Praying. Radiating light.

A feeling of both awe and fright began to overtake her when He motioned for her to leave the room. She went back downstairs to her bed, and tried to sleep, but as you can imagine, was unable. All the rest of the night she lie awake wondering about her Husband, and what was happening. She prayed to God for understanding until she heard the mu-adhdhin call the morning prayer at the neighbouring mosque.

It was then that the Bab came downstairs and joined her.

As her eyes fell on His beautiful countenance, she found herself trembling.

Later, when breakfast was served, she was still trembling. Tried as she might, she was unable to hide it.

The Bab, her loving Husband, asked her what was the matter.

"What was the condition in which I saw you?"

"Know that the Almighty God", He replied, "is manifested in Me. I am the One whose advent the people of Islam have expected for over a thousand years. God has created Me for a great Cause, and you witnessed the divine revelation. Although I had not wished that you see Me in that state, yet God had so willed that there may not be any place in your heart for doubt and hesitation."

This story, or one similar, is recorded in a few different places, by a few different people. It speaks, to me at least, of the close bond between the Manifestation and His wife.

It is a beautiful story of the tender love He must have felt for her, and the mercy of God, helping her come to understand the station of the Bab.

It also speaks to me of the love I should feel for my own wife, the love I do feel for her, and the love I know she feels for me. And although it also speaks of accepting my wife for who she is, neither of us have to deal with the trials associated with being married to a Manifestation. That, I can't even begin to imagine.

I am also reminded of the importance of getting to know one's spouse before getting married. And sure, you won't know everything about them when the wedding takes place, but at least you won't be in for as much of a shock as Khadijih Baghum was. I mean, she already knew that He was kind and loving, patient and compassionate, but a Manifestation? Ok. She has me beat by a longshot.