Mulla Huseyn of Bushraweyh (in the province of Mazarandan) was the
embodied ideal of a Babi chief such as the primitive period of the
faith produced--I mean, that he distinguished himself equally in
profound theosophic speculation and in warlike prowess. This
combination may seem to us strange, but Mirza Jani assures us that
many students who had left cloistered ease for the sake of God and the
Bab developed an unsuspected warlike energy under the pressure of
persecution. And so that ardour, which in the case of the Bab was
confined to the sphere of religious thought and speculation and to the
unlocking of metaphorical prison-gates, was displayed in the case of
Mulla Huseyn both in voyages on the ocean of Truth, and in
warfare. Yes, the Mulla's fragile form might suggest the student,
but he had also the precious faculty of generalship, and a happy
perfection of fearlessness.

Like the Bab himself in his preparation-period, he gave his adhesion
to the Sheykhi school of theology, and on the decease of the former
leader (Sayyid Kazim) he went, like other members of the school, to
seek for a new spiritual head. Now it so happened that Sayyid Kazim
had already turned the eyes of Huseyn towards 'Ali Muhammad;
already this eminent theosophist had a presentiment that wonderful
things were in store for the young visitor from Shiraz. It was
natural, therefore, that Huseyn should seek further information and
guidance from 'Ali Muhammad himself. No trouble could be too great;
the object could not be attained in a single interview, and as 'Ali
Muhammad was forbidden to leave his house at Shiraz, secrecy was
indispensable. Huseyn, therefore, was compelled to spend the
greater part of the day in his new teacher's house.

The concentration of thought to which the constant nearness of a great