house. Since the local authorities had still received no reply from
Baghdád, Táhirih referred her case to the Governor, saying: “No word has come from either Ba
ghdád or
Constantinople. Accordingly, we will ourselves proceed to Ba
ghdád and await the answer there.” The Governor gave her leave to go, and she set out, accompanied by
Shamsu’d-Ḍuḥá and the Leaf of Paradise (the sister of
Mullá Ḥusayn) and her mother. In Ba
ghdád she stayed first in the house of
Shay
kh Muḥammad, the distinguished father of Áqá Muḥammad-Muṣṭafá. But so great was the press of people around her that she transferred her residence to another quarter, engaged night and day in spreading the
Faith, and freely associated with the inhabitants of Ba
ghdád. She thus became celebrated throughout the city and there was a great uproar.
Táhirih also maintained a correspondence with the ‘ulamás of Kazímayn; she presented them with unanswerable proofs, and when one or another appeared before her she offered him convincing arguments. Finally she sent a message to the
Shí’ih divines, saying to them: “If you are not satisfied with these conclusive proofs, I challenge you to a trial by ordeal.”
1 Then there was a great outcry from the divines, and the Governor was obliged to send Táhirih and her women companions to the house of Ibn-i-Álúsí, who was muftí of Ba
ghdád. Here she remained about three months, waiting for word and directions from Constantinople. Ibn-i-Álúsí would engage her in learned dialogues, questions would be asked and answers given, and he would not deny what she had to say.
On a certain day the muftí related one of his dreams, and asked her to tell him what it meant. He said: “In my dream I saw the
Shí’ih ‘ulamás arriving at the holy tomb of
Imám Ḥusayn, the Prince of Martyrs. They took away