- 1868-07-26 —
Bahá'u'lláh's banishment to 'Akká
Sultán `Abdu'l-`Azíz, at the instigation of his Prime Minister, Ali Pasha, issued a firmán condemning Bahá'u'lláh to perpetual banishment. [BKG283–4; GPB179, 186; RB2:401–2]
- See RB2:402 for a list of those included in the edict.
- BKG261, GPB181 and RB2:403 indicate that it was not until the party reached Gallipoli that they were informed that their ultimate destination was `Akká.
- BBD40 says that it was because of the disloyal Mírzá Yahyá's plotting against Bahá`u`lláh that the Turkish authorities condemned Him to perpetual imprisonment in `Akká.
- 1868-09-03 —
The firmán of the Sultán `Abdu'l-`Azíz condemning Bahá'u'lláh to life imprisonment was read out in the Mosque of Al-Jazzár. [BKG284–5; GPB186; RB3:18]
- See CH64, BKG283–4, 286; GBP186, RB2:402 and RB3:18 for the terms of the edict. They were labelled as malefactors, sowers of sedition, hardened criminals, enemies of the pure religion of God and of man. The faithful were commanded to shun these outcasts. All of those that did a disservice to the captives might flatter themselves that they "did service to God".
- See RB3:18–19 for `Abdu'l-Bahá's response.
- See BKG283–8, RB3:19-20 for conditions of life in the barracks.
- The local authorities and the clerics did their part to stir up the populus against the exiles. See DH197 and CH239-242 for the story of a man who made an attempt on the life of Bahá'u'lláh.
- From this time forward Bahá'u'lláh met only with His followers.
- 1877-04-00 —
`Abdu'l-Bahá held a banquet for the notables of `Akká in a pine grove near Bahjí. [BKG358; DH54, 87]
- He received permission from its Christian owner, Jirjis al-Jamál. [DH54]
- The acceptance of the invitation by the notables signalled the fact that the firmán of `Abdu'l-`Azíz, though still in force, was a dead letter. [DH54; GPB193]
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