Mulla Muhammad-i-Zarandi, surnamed Nabil-i-A'zam, was one of Baha’u’llah’s outstanding Apostles who played a great role in the propagation of His Message and the dissemination of His words. He is immortalized by his detailed narratives, a part of which, The Dawn-Breakers, mainly dealing with the story of the Báb, has been translated into English by Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Faith. The other part dealing with the ministry of Bahá'u'lláh remains to be published.
In his early days Nabil was a shepherd. He had a great love of nature and would often spend the night lying on the ground in contemplation of the stars and in solitary communion with his Creator. While following his flock over the fields he would chant the verses of the Qur'án and pray to God that He might enable him to find the truth during this life.
One day in 1847 he overheard two men telling the story of the Báb. His heart was immediately attracted to the new Message and soon afterwards he came in contact with a believer who taught him the Faith. He became an ardent follower of the Báb and, in spite of many obstacles which were placed in his path, remained active in the promotion of His Message.
His first meeting with Bahá'u'lláh was in Tihran around the year 1850. At that stage, however, Nabil did not appreciate the loftiness of His station. Later, when the Bábí community seemed leaderless and the believers dispirited and confused, Nabil in his delusion claimed to be 'Him Whom God shall make manifest', and disseminated some of his own writings among the Bábís. Then he came to Baghdad and attained the presence of Bahá'u'lláh. This time his inner eyes beheld the glory of His Revelation and his soul was quickened by His mighty Spirit. He prostrated himself at His feet and begged forgiveness for his presumption. As an act of repentance and in order to demonstrate the measure of his humility towards Bahá'u'lláh, he cut his beard, which in those days was the symbol of a man's dignity, made a brush and with it swept the approaches to the house of Bahá'u'lláh.
Animated by an ardent desire to serve Bahá'u'lláh and fortified by His unfailing grace, Nabil was enabled to render notable services to His Cause. His loyalty and devotion to Him were exemplary. He stands out among all the companions of Bahá'u'lláh as one who was dominated by a passionate love for Him. So intense was this love that those who came in contact with him could not fail to detect its fire burning within his soul.
Nabil was a gifted poet, an inspired genius who wrote most fluently. Some of his narratives are actually composed in verse. These poems reveal the intensity of his faith, and the ardour of his love.
Bahá'u'lláh sent him on many important missions to Persia. In these travels, wherever he went he imparted the news of Bahá'u'lláh and inspired the believers to arise and serve Him. When Bahá'u'lláh left Baghdad for Constantinople, Nabil could not stay behind. He dressed in the garb of a dervish and followed the route to Constantinople on foot and incognito, joining Bahá'u'lláh's party on the way. From Constantinople Bahá'u'lláh directed him to Persia, to teach and to spread the news of the Cause there. From Persia he proceeded to Adrianople, the scene of the proclamation of Bahá'u'lláh's Message. Again Bahá'u'lláh sent him to Persia to disseminate His Writings and help the believers to appreciate the significance of His Revelation. With great zeal and enthusiasm he travelled far and wide and assisted in establishing the basis of a growing Bahá'í community…
Another mission with which Nabil was entrusted by Bahá'u'lláh after this journey was to proceed to Egypt to appeal to the Khedive on behalf of seven fellow-believers who had been committed to prison at the instigation of one of the enemies of the Faith, the Persian Consul-General in that country. Soon after his arrival, however, Nabil himself was cast into a prison in Alexandria. There he came in contact with Faris Effendi, a Christian physician and clergyman who was also a prisoner. Nabil taught him the Faith and Faris Effendi became a deep and devoted believer, probably the first Christian to do so.
When Bahá'u'lláh was exiled to 'Akká, the ship that carried Him anchored in Alexandria close to the prison. By a strange coincidence Nabil was informed of this. He and Faris Effendi sent a letter to Bahá'u'lláh on the ship informing Him of their fate. Bahá'u'lláh sent a Tablet in reply, expressing His pleasure at receiving their letter and assuring them of His loving-kindness. He especially wrote words of encouragement to Faris Effendi, who, addressing Bahá'u'lláh as his glorious Lord, begged that he might be accepted as one of His devoted servants.
Some time later Nabil was able to leave Egypt. He travelled to the Holy Land and came to the gate of 'Akká in disguise, but the enemies of Bahá'u'lláh recognized him and reported him to the authorities, who expelled him from the city. After that he lived in various parts of the Holy Land and for some time in a cave on Mount Carmel. He spent his days in prayer and supplication, longing for the time when he could enter the presence of his Lord again. At last his prayers were answered, the doors of the prison were flung open to the believers, and Nabil entered the presence of Bahá'u'lláh with tremendous joy. That was the moment of victory for him. He spent the rest of his life in 'Akká and often had the privilege of attaining His presence. It was in 1887 that he began the important task of writing his narratives which he begins with these words as a preface:
"It is my intention, by the aid and assistance of God, to devote the introductory pages of this narrative to such accounts as I have been able to obtain regarding those twin great lights, Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsa'i and Siyyid Kazim-i-Rashti, after which it is my hope to recount, in their chronological order, the chief events that have happened since the year '60,[1260 A.H. (A.D. 1844)] the year that witnessed the declaration of the Faith by the Báb, until the present time, the year 1305 A.H.[2 A.D. 1887-8]
In certain instances I shall go into some detail, in others I shall content myself with a brief summary of events. I shall place on record a description of the episodes I myself have witnessed, as well as those that have been reported to me by trustworthy and recognized informants, specifying in every case their names and standing. Those to whom I am primarily indebted are the following: Mirza Ahmad-i-Qazvini, the Báb's amanuensis; Siyyid Isma'il-i-Dhabih.; Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunuzi; Shaykh Abu-Turab-i-Qazvini and, last but not least, Mirza Musa, Aqay-i-Kalim, brother of Bahá'u'lláh.
I render thanks to God for having assisted me in the writing of these preliminary pages, and for having blessed and honoured them with the approval of Bahá'u'lláh, who has graciously deigned to consider them and who signified, through His amanuensis Mirza Aqa Jan, who read them to Him, His pleasure and acceptance. I pray that the Almighty may sustain and guide me lest I err and falter in the task I have set myself to accomplish."
When Bahá'u'lláh passed away, Nabil was inconsolable. He could not live without his Beloved. The fire of love, which had burned within him so fiercely and so long, had now engulfed him and was about to set him aflame with the blaze of sacrifice. For some time, he tried very hard to adjust but this became increasingly difficult and, at last, unable to contain the ocean of love which surged within his soul, he took his life by drowning in the sea. He was truly a lover of the Blessed Beauty. He left behind a note paying homage to 'Abdu'l-Bahá, writing the date of his death in a single Arabic word 'Ghariq' (drowned). The numerical value of this word is 1310 A.H. (A.D. 1892-3).
One of his last contributions was to write an account of the passing of Bahá'u'lláh which stirs the heart. He was, moreover, chosen by 'Abdu'l-Bahá to select from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh those passages which now constitute the text of the Tablet of Visitation. This Tablet is recited in the Most Holy Tomb and the Shrine of the Báb, and for the commemoration of the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh and the martyrdom of the Báb. The recital of this Tablet outside the Shrines is limited to these two occasions.
Nabil's contribution to Bábí and Bahá'í history is enormous in its scope. The believers find his already published narratives not only informative, but also a source of inspiration and deepening in the Faith. He has left behind a treasure-house which the passage of time shall never destroy, and from which generations yet unborn will reap their own harvest of knowledge and inspiration. (Adapted from The Revelation of Baha'u'llah, v 1, by Adib Taherzadeh; and A Basic Baha’I Chronology, by Glenn Cameron)