One day I went to the Holy Presence of the Blessed Beauty and áullásaid: "the palace at Mazra'ih is ready for You, and a carriage to drive You there." (At that time there were no carriages in Akká or Haifa.) He refused to go, saying: "I am a prisoner." Later I requested Him again, but got the same answer. I went so far as to ask Him a third time, but He still said "No!" and I did not dare to insist further. There was, however, in Akká a certain Muhammadan _Sh_ay_kh_, a well-known man with considerable influence, who loved Bahá'u'lláh and was greatly favored by Him. I called this _Sh_ay_kh_ and explained the position to him. I said, "You are daring. Go tonight to His Holy Presence, fall on your knees before Him, take hold of His hands and do not let go until He promises to leave the city!" He was an Arab.... He went directly to Bahá'u'lláh and sat down close to His knees. He took hold of the hands of the Blessed Beauty and kissed them and asked: "Why do you not leave the city?" He said: "I am a prisoner." The _sh_ay_kh_ replied: "God forbid! Who has the power to make you a prisoner? You have kept yourself in prison. It was your own will to be imprisoned, and now I beg you to come out and go to the palace. It is beautiful and verdant. The trees are lovely, and the oranges like balls of fire!" As often as the Blessed Beauty said: "I am a prisoner, it cannot be," the _Sh_ay_kh_ took His hands and kissed them. For a whole hour he kept on pleading. At last Bahá'u'lláh said, "_Kh_aylí _kh_ub (very good)" and the _Sh_ay_kh_'s patience and persistence were rewarded. He came to me with great joy to give the glad news of His Holiness's consent. In spite of the strict firman of 'Abdu'l-'Azíz which prohibited my meeting or having any intercourse with the Blessed Perfection, I took the carriage the next day and drove with Him to the palace. No one made any objection. I left Him there and returned myself to the city.
For two years He remained in that charming and lovely spot. Then it was decided to remove to another place, at Bahjí. It so happened than an epidemic disease had broken out at Bahjí, and the proprietor of the house fled away in distress, with all his family, ready to offer the house free of charge to any applicant. We took the house at a very low rent, and there the doors of majesty and true sovereignty were flung wide open. Bahá'u'lláh was nominally a prisoner (for the drastic firmans of Sultán 'Abdu'l-'Aziz were never repealed), yet in reality He showed forth such nobility and dignity in His life and bearing that He was reverenced by all, and the Rulers of Palestine envied His influence and power. Governors and Mutasarrifs, generals and local officials, would humbly request the honor of attaining His presence--a request to which He seldom acceded.