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Boris Handal has written a new biography of Quddus, the most prominent disciple of the Bab and the 18th and final Letter of the Living. Titled Quddus: The First in Rank, this is the first time a comprehensive biography of Quddus has been published in English and I’m delighted Boris was able to tell us all about it!
Can you please tell us about your latest book, Quddus: The First in Rank?
The book presents the story of Quddus, the son of a poor Persian rice farmer who rose to become the most illustrious disciple of the Bab. It is a story of the rugged journey, filled with pathos and exhilarating triumph at every turn, during the five short, eventful years he spent in absolute servitude to the Bab. The reader can experience the vivid details of a life which left no room for settling down, promoting and defending a new world religion, fraught with opposition and intrigue, yet filled with spiritual confirmations culminating in the massacre of Shaykh Tabarsi. In addition to the detailed narrative, this work also features new translations of select Tablets by Baha’u’llah and the Bab, as well as previously unpublished writings of Quddus. The book spans 605 pages and includes 87 illustrations.
How the book is structured ?
Quddus: The First in Rank has 31 self-contained chapters each involving a central concept like modules. Although history books are to be read chronologically, this biography permits any reading entry point. As such, readers may go through the book content linearly or in any order. Therefore, each chapter can be read individually and used for story-telling purposes. Another way to read the book is thematically using nine reading pathways representing nine dimensions of Quddus’ life: seeker, promoter of the Faith of the Bab, scholar, leader, Prophet’s companion, martyr, saint, hero and citizen.
What inspired you to write it?
I have been thinking about Quddus for a long time in my Baha’i life. After my first pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1984, I decided to dedicate myself fully to the task of collecting my biographical notes on the main characters in the history of the Babi/Baha’i Faith. My notes had previously served as study material for use at Baha’i Institutes and Summer Schools. As a result, I wrote a chapter on the life of Quddus that was published as part of a book in 1985. Nearly forty years later, I felt there was a need in the English Baha’i literature for a book focused solely on the figure of Quddus. I was amazed to find much more research material in English and Persian, both printed and electronic, which helped me to write a more extensive narrative. The original account has now been augmented with more information about Quddus’ life and writings, and from extracts from especially translated Tablets of the Bab and Baha’u’llah that magnified his exalted station.
What is something unexpected you learned in the process of writing this book?
The research took me to some mysterious alleys. Iranian relatives of my wife and several friends who were also born in the land of Quddus personally mesmerised me with tales and descriptions that vividly recreated in my mind those historical events in the Cradle of the Baha’i Faith. Knowing of my interest in the episode of Shaykh Ṭabarsi, an Iranian Baha’i friend returning from a trip to her country brought me an envelope containing dust from the fort itself, the place where Quddus and Mulla Ḥusayn fought their memorable battles as legendary warriors. I put that red dust in a transparent glass jar and kept it in my drawing room, an arm’s length away from my desk, to be more inspired to write the book. The Bab said that such a soil is “holy earth”.
You have written several books about 19th century Persian history and culture and the early history of the Baha’i Faith. What is it about Quddus’ life that keeps calling you back?
Quddus’ legacy is forever bright, guiding each generation with his example of service, obedience and sacrifice. During his relatively short lifetime, Quddus experienced the realities of being raised in a farming family, the airiness of the academic rooms, the sublimity of the divine presence, the wonders of the distant travels, the affronts of the ecclesiastics, the harshness of the battlefield and the ultimate altar of sacrifice. Quddus was a radiant star from the dawn of the Faith of the Bab. He journeyed far away with His Beloved, and later he shared His message, undeterred, to cultivate once-barren souls with the waters of his faith and knowledge. Educated personally by the Prophet Himself during a year, Quddus best embodied His attributes, and, therefore can be considered the finest mirrors reflecting His Revelation. Quddus embraced the path of sacrifice with love and became a strong pillar never to fall. With unyielding courage, he stood tall and steadfast. On becoming the most eminent disciple of the Bab and His mirror, he guided the faithful with leadership, wisdom, authority and love.
What can that Quddus’ story tells us about our role as believers and in our communities?
Touching many hearts, Quddus’ life has enthralled both the simple believer and the educated follower, the adversary and the admirer, the ill-informed and the scholar. His soul, a detached spirit, glowed with sublime values and love and compassion for his fellowman. During the battles and the violent conflicts that followed, his spirit remained unwavering and rejuvenated. In deadly clashes, Quddus displayed matchless bravery leaving a testament of his unwavering certainty, leadership and uncompromising defence of his belief. Amidst a prevailing atmosphere of deceit, opposition and hostility, Quddus always remained worthy of being the bearer of such a sacred name. His light burns brightly in the garden of the martyrs for giving his life so heroically to vivify humanity.
What can that time period teach us about our work to build vibrant communities today?
Considering the historical contexts of Quddus and our current one, the lesson remaining is that Quddus’ short life was an instrument to change society, meaning that his Faith had the power to fight against the forces of obscurantism and prejudice. Nowadays, the challenge is to use the same forces to combat materialism and secularism, whose influence is corroding the entrails of humanity at a rapid speed. We should actively transform neighbourhoods and society, with the welfare of the world as the ultimate goal of social realisation.
Are you working on a new literary work at the present?
I’m writing a book about the early American pioneers who brought the Baha’i Faith to Latin America, with a particular emphasis on the First Seven Year Plan (1937–1944). That was a pivotal time in the Baha’i Faith’s history, when a steady stream of unwavering believers—mostly women—left everything behind and braved uncharted territory.
Thank you so much, Boris, for taking the time to share this with us!
You can purchased Quddus: The First in Rank from a variety of book retailers including Amazon and Bahaibooks.com.au in Australia!
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