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Who Was Muhammad Hadi?
There was this interesting man from Isfahan, Persia, by the name of Muhammad Hadi, who was a master bookbinder by trade. I was not able to find any of his work, but it may have looked something like this illumined tablet of Baha’u’llah’s writing, pictured below, which I found on https://bahaisacredrelics.blogspot.com/:
We are not told much about this man aside from his spiritual qualities of humility, devotion, and incredible faith. Yet, some other things can probably be assumed due to his trade and his ability to get himself across 1000 miles of a dangerous continent. A person such as this would probably not only be a very thoughtful, meticulous, and patient craftsman but would also have high degrees of endurance, adaptability, courage, and focus.
A Deadly Journey
Sometime after Baha’u’llah’s imprisonment at Akka in 1868, Muhammad Hadi travelled there to be close to Baha’u’llah.
At this time, it would have been a harrowing months-long trip of around 1500 total miles due to having to find survival sources such as water, shelter, supplies, etc. Lack of these things would mean certain death.
All this while avoiding dangerous geographical conditions and predation by humans and animals.
The danger of wild animals, everything from wolves and bears in the mountains to scorpions and snakes in the deserts, not to mention the accompanying dangerous temperatures of the bitter cold in the mountains, such as the ones Baha’u’llah and His family crossed, or the high heat of the deserts, such as the Syrian Desert.
Add to this the organised trade route and tribal banditry made possible by the lack of police power of enormous empires such as those of the Persian or the Ottoman.
Add to all this the “crime” of being a follower of Baha’u’llah during a time of extreme persecution of Baha’is.
He probably carried a sturdy staff of some kind to aid in walking or to test the ground before stepping on it, or for protection from wolves, etc.
Miraculously Arriving at Akka
When he finally arrived at Akka, he was imprisoned with his beloved Baha’u’llah.
His Devoted Service
One of the things he did while there was that he took it upon himself to maintain the physical approach to Baha’u’llah.
Every detail, from a speck of dust to the watering down of the area, would have been done with the same care one would expect from a master bookbinder.
Baháʼu’lláh noticed his dedication and work, saying, “Muhammad-Hadi has turned the square in front of this prison into the bridalbower of a palace.”
Still The Master Bookbinder
Muhammad Hadi also continued his master craft of bookbinding. After taking care of the courtyard, he would apply his masterful craftsmanship to various books and tablets.
A mysterious Illness
Muhammad-Hadi suffered from a chronic disease that eventually claimed his life.
One day, a fellow believer found him burning up with an extreme fever, measured at 107.6 °F (42 ℃), constituting an emergency that took his life.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, also in Akka at the time, would have seen to it that Muhammad Hadi received a proper burial and also remembered him in Memorials of the Faithful.
Unfortunately, Baha’u’llah and Abdu’l-Baha were unlikely to have attended Muhammad’s funeral personally, as the Baha’i cemetery was located outside of Akka near Bahji, and their movements at the time were still heavily restricted.
This account is just one of many inspiring stories of the wonderful believers in Baha’u’llah.
I worked with Gemini and Suno AI to create this song in remembrance of Muhammad Hadi:
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