conspicuous for his humility, the other for his soaring spiritual
ambition.

But let us return to the evangelistic journey. The first signs of the
approach of Kuddus were a letter from him to the Bab's Deputy (the
letter is commonly called 'The Eternal Witness'), together with a
white robe [Footnote: White was the Babite colour. See _NH_, p. 189;
_TN_, p. xxxi, n. 1.] and a turban. In the letter, it was announced
that he and seventy other believers would shortly win the crown of
martyrdom. This may possibly be true, not only because circumstantial
details were added, but because the chief leaders of the Babis do
really appear to have had extraordinary spiritual gifts, especially
that of prophecy. One may ask, Did Kuddus also foresee the death of
his friend? He did not tell him so in the letter, but he did direct
him to leave Khurasan, in spite of the encyclical letter of the Bab,
bidding believers concentrate, if possible, on Khurasan.

So, then, we see our Babi apostles and their followers, with
changed route, proceeding to the province of Mazandaran, where
Kuddus resided. On reaching Miyami they found about thirty
believers ready to join them--the first-fruits of the preaching of the
Kingdom. Unfortunately opposition was stirred up by the appearance of
the apostles. There was an encounter with the populace, and the
Babis were defeated. The Babis, however, went on steadily till
they arrived at Badasht, much perturbed by the inauspicious news of
the death of Muhammad Shah, 4th September 1848. We are told that the
'Gate's Gate' had already foretold this event, [Footnote: _NH_,
p. 45.] which involved increased harshness in the treatment of the
Bab. We cannot greatly wonder that, according to the Babis,
Muhammad Shah's journey was to the infernal regions.