In the early summer of 1848, Baha’u’llah hosted a gathering
at a village of Badasht in northern Perisa. He “rented, amidst pleasant
surroundings, three gardens, one of which He assigned to Quddus, another to
Tahirih, whilst the third He reserved for Himself." (Shoghi Effendi, ‘God
Passes By’) This gathering was called for by the Bab for His most eminent
followers, known as Babis, to attend. “The primary purpose of that gathering
was to implement the revelation of the Bayan by a sudden, a complete and
dramatic break with the past -- with its order, its ecclesiasticism, its
traditions, and ceremonials. The subsidiary purpose of the conference was to
consider the means of emancipating the Báb from His cruel confinement in
Chihriq. The first was eminently successful; the second was destined from the
outset to fail.” (Shoghi Effendi, ‘God Passes By’) It became known as the
Badasht Conference. It is estimated that there were 81 Babis in attendance.
They were all guests of Baha’u’llah for the entire duration of the conference
which lasted about twenty-two days.
“On each of the twenty-two days of His sojourn in that
hamlet He [Baha’u’llah] revealed a Tablet, which was chanted in the presence of
the assembled believers. On every believer He conferred a new name, without,
however, disclosing the identity of the one who had bestowed it. He Himself was
henceforth designated by the name Baha. Upon the Last Letter of the Living was
conferred the appellation of Quddus, while Qurratu'l-'Ayn was given the title
of Tahirih. By these names they were all subsequently addressed by the Báb in
the Tablets He revealed for each one of them.” (Shoghi Effendi, ‘God Passes
By’)
