Third Time's the Charm

Oh no. It's Thursday already, and I'm leaving for Edmonton tomorrow morning for the weekend, and I haven't come up with a story for this week. What to do?

I know. I'll grab the nearest book about the Bab, Hour of Dawn, flip to a random page and see what comes up.

Ok.

Ready?

Siyyid Yahya, and his first meetings with the Bab.

Hmmm.

Well, Siyyid Yahya was a very famous and influential Mulla in Iran in the 1840s. The Shah had such faith and trust in him that when the news of the Bab began to spread, it was Siyyid Yahya that the Shah sent to investigate the claims. Three interviews were arranged.

At the first one, after courteous greetings, he spoke for two hours asking the Bab about the most difficult and obscure teachings in Islam he could think of. The Bab listened to this entire discourse very calmly, and then, when the Siyyid had finished, replied. Siyyid Yahya was astonished at the simple and clear answers the Bab gave. He was overcome by a sense of shame, feeling his own lowliness before the Bab. He, who had been the centre of attention for so long, now only felt his own mis-placed sense of pride and presumption.

During the second interview, he had prepared a list of further questions he wished to ask, but upon attaining the presence of the Bab, he discovered that his mind was a complete blank. Bewildered, he found that all he could do was ask some trivial and minor questions. But then he was even more astonished to discover that the Bab was answering, with the same clarity and simplicity, those same questions he had actually wanted to ask.

Vowing to approach the Bab with a more appropriate attitude for the third interview, he decided to ask only a single question. He wanted to know if the Bab would reveal a commentary on the Surih of Kawthar, but he decided to ask this only in his heart. He would not voice the question aloud.

As soon as he entered the room for that third interview, he found himself seized with a great sense of fear. He who had faced the Shah many times without the least trace of concern was now so shaken at the presence of this young Siyyidi merchant, the Bab, that he found himself swaying on his feet.

The Bab rose and took him gently by the hand, saying, "Seek from Me whatever is your heart's desire. I will readily reveal it to you."

Siyyid Yahya could not reply.

The Bab smiled and said, "Were I to reveal for you the commentary on the Surih of Kawthar, would you acknowledge that My words are born of the Spirit of God? Would you recognize that My utterance can in no wise be associated with sorcery or magic?"

At this, Siyyid Yahya began to weep. "O our Lord," he quoted from the Qur'an, "with ourselves have we dealt unjustly; if Thou forgive us not, and have not pity on us, we shall surely be of those who perish."

It was then that the Bab called for His pen-case and began to reveal that commentary.

Siyyid Yahya has left us a beautiful description of that time, describing the majesty of the Bab's presence, and the power of His words. But I'm not going to quote it here.

No. What interests me is what we can learn from this.

So often we find ourselves with some knowledge, and feeling a sense of pride on our little bit of learning. I see this over and over again when people are discussing various issues of which they may have a little bit of knowledge, but refusing to admit that someone with years, or even decades, of experience may know more. We often see this when people are discussing hot topics like vaccines or gun control, or even climate change. Someone may read a headline, or research an issue for a few minutes on Google, and suddenly be filled with the ego to claim themselves some sort of expert on the subject.

But really, if we want to learn, we need to accept a recognized authority on the subject. And we need to be humble enough to approach those without that recognized authority in such a manner that we are willing to listen to them, and judge whether or not their argument makes sense.

Siyyid Yahya was a recognized authority. The Bab was not. And Siyyid Yahya's true character emerged not when he questioned the Bab on obscure and minor details, but when he was willing to actually listen to what the Bab really had to say.

Today, we need to be willing to offer that same courtesy, for that's really what it is, to those with whom we disagree, for who knows? They may be right.

But that also doesn't mean just blindly accepting what they say. Siyyid Yahya questioned the Bab first. He tested to see if the Bab really knew what He was talking about. And then, with great humility, he accepted the Bab's superior knowledge and wisdom.

Why, though, was he filled with fear during that third interview? Possibly because he felt that he had not been humble enough during the first two interviews.

And that, dear Reader, is what really stands out to me. I pray that I do not approach any conversation with such haughtiness that I feel that reason for fear later on.

Whew. I'm so glad that book was nearby.

See you next week, dear Friends.