The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys
Introduction
Thou afraid, for Thou art in safety. Ere long will God raise up the treasures of the earth—men who will aid Thee through Thyself and through Thy name, wherewith God hath revived the hearts of such as have recognised Him.”
In January 1853,
Bahá’u’lláh and His family were banished from
Persia. He chose
Baghdád as the place of exile. The midwinter journey followed a tortuous through the icy mountains of Kirmán
sháh westward to the city astride the Tigris. As the years went by, the popularity of Bahá’u’lláh grew and leaders of thought would gather informally around Him along the riverside and seek His views.
He would walk along the Tigris, sometimes resting at a mosque that remains as a witness of those days, and compose
The Hidden Words, lovely verses that sum up the essentials of religion. His foremost work in Ba
ghdád was
The Book of Certitude. This dealt with the theme of progressive revelation, the doctrine that Prophets reveal teachings according to the needs and capacity of the people. His influence waxed too strong to suit the rulers of Persia and Turkey and they decided to send Him farther from His homeland.
On April 22, 1863, He left His home, crossed the Tigris, and pitched His tent in a garden which He named the
Garden of Riḍván or
Paradise.
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