he necessary sentence against the Babis. He it was whom
Baha'u'llah later extolled in the "Lawh-i-Sultan," and numbered among
"those doctors who have indeed drunk of the cup of renunciation," and
"never interfered with Him," and to whom 'Abdu'l-Baha referred as "the
illustrious and erudite doctor, the noble and celebrated scholar, the seal
of seekers after truth." Pleading insufficient knowledge of the tenets of
this community, and claiming to have witnessed no act on the part of its
members at variance with the Qur'an, he, disregarding the remonstrances of
his colleagues, abruptly left the gathering, and returned to Najaf, after
having expressed, through a messenger, his regret to Baha'u'llah for what
had happened, and his devout wish for His protection.

Frustrated in their designs, but unrelenting in their hostility, the
assembled divines delegated the learned and devout Haji Mulla
Hasan-i-'Ammu, recognized for his integrity and wisdom, to submit various
questions to Baha'u'llah for elucidation. When these were submitted, and
answers completely satisfactory to the messenger were given, Haji Mulla
Hasan, affirming the recognition by the 'ulamas of the vastness of the
knowledge of Baha'u'llah, asked, as an evidence of the truth of His
mission, for a miracle that would satisfy completely all concerned.
"Although you have no right to ask this," Baha'u'llah replied, "for God
should test His creatures, and they should not test God, still I allow and
accept this request.... The 'ulamas must assemble, and, with one accord,
choose one miracle, and write that, after the performance of this miracle
they will no longer entertain doubts about Me, and that all will
acknowledge and confess the truth of My Cause. Let them seal this paper,
and bring it to Me. This must be the accepted criterion: if the miracle is
performed, no doubt will remain for them; and if not, We shall be
convicted of imposture." This clear, challenging and courageous reply,
unexampled in the annals of any religion, and addressed to the most
illustrious _Sh_i'ah divines, assembled in their time-honored stronghold,
was so satisfactory to their envoy that he instantly arose, kissed the
knee of Baha'u'llah, and departed to deliver His message. Three days later
he sent word that that august assemblage had failed to arrive at a
decision, and had chosen to drop the matter, a decision to which he
himself later gave wide publicity, in the course of his visit to Persia,