Subh-i Azal's first epistle addressed to the Primal Point is reproduced in old BÂBi manuscripts. In his work the BÂB refers to him as having appeared in “the year of Waw و [6] of the Point’s declaration. The Primal Point’s declaration took place on Jamad Awwal 5, 1260 A.H. (May 23, 1844). The sixth year or ‘the year Waw’ begins on Jamad Awwal 5, A.H. 1265 (March 29, 1849) and ends on Jamad Awwal 5, A.H. 1266 (March 19, 1850).

“Now, the remainder of the history of His Holiness the ‘Reminder’ [Zikr, i.e. the Primal Point] (may my life be his sacrifice) is as follows. After the martyrdom of Hazrat-i Quddus [see 4.5.1] and his companions, the Master was filled with sadness, until such a time as the writings of Janab-i Azal [i.e. Subh-i Azal] met his gaze, when through the violence of his delight, he rose up and sat down several times, pouring forth his gratitude to God whom he worshipped.

Subh-i Azal met and became acquainted His Holiness Quddus on the way to Barfurush and went with him to Barfurush, where he met with Qurrat-al-Ayn. Both these leaders showed great kindness and attention. At the command of Quddus, Qurrat-al-Ayn conducted Mirza Yahya to the place she was directed to take namely, to Nur district in Mazandaran. Mirza Jani in Nuqta-al-Kaf (New History), pp. 377-378.
به دستور قدوس صبح ازل را به جائی که مأمور بوده برده.

From the Nur district Mirza Yahya returned to Teheran and later went back to Mazandaran with the intention of reaching Shaykh Tabarsi. He was captured en route. Subh-i Azal’s Sata’at, Sat’a 186. (For Sata’at see Materials, p.313).

Subh-i-Azal rose to prominence after May 22, 1849, and allowing for the time consumed in travelling and probable delays for purposes of correspondence, Subh-i-Azal’s appointment as the Primal Point’s successor took place in 1850.

Notice in writing of Subh-i-Azal’s appointment as such was given by the Primal Point to prominent BÂBis, including his Letters of the Living. These communications are reproduced in old BÂBi manuscripts. Subh-i-Azal was 19 years old at the time of his appointment.

As ‘Ali’ had been the Wasi (executor) of the prophet or possessed the general Wilaya (guardianship or saintship) in the Quranic cycle so was Subh-i Azal the Mirror (مرأت) of the Primal Point or possessed the general Mirror-ness (مرأتیت) in the Bayanic Dispensation of the Mirror is the image which it reflects. That is why the Primal Point in his writings refers to Subh-i Azal as the Mirror of the Bayan (Mirat’al-Bayan). Hence the term Mirror replaces the terms وصایه or ولایه.
The first communication from Subh-i Azal addressed to the Point in his prison at Chihriq was conveyed to him by means of Mirza (Shaykh) Ali Sayyah. T.A Note W, p.352; ibid, pp.380-381, footnote 2.

This historic document is reproduced in all manuscripts of A.H. 1287 (1870). According to Subh-i Azal in his Sata’at (Sata’ 151 the receipt of the first communication by the Primal Point coincided with the twenty fifth of Day of Naw-Ruz, Farvardin (of the Iranian Solar year 1229) (1850), when the Primal Point appointed him as his successor and commanded his followers to celebrate that day as feast.

Appendix II to the Tarikh-i Jadid (The New History) of Mirza Husayn of Hamadan, translated into English by Professor Browne:
“Now, when the letters of Janab-i Azal [i.e. Subh-i Azal] came to His Holiness “the Reminder” [i.e. the Primal Point], he rejoiced exceedingly, and thenceforth began the deadline of the Sun of ‘the Reminder’ and the rising of the Moon of Azal. So he [i.e. the Primal Point] sent of his personal effects, such as pen-cases, paper, writings, his own blessed raiment, and his holy rings, [refer to the Point’s personal Diary], according to the “number of the Unity [Wáhid = 19], that the outward form might correspond with the inward reality.”

“He also wrote a testamentary disposition, explicitly nominating him [i.e. Subh-i Azal] as his successor, and added, ‘Write the eight [unwritten] Wáhids [Unities] of the Bayan, and if “He Whom God shall manifest” should appear in His Power in thy time, abrogate the Bayan; and put into practice which we shall inspire into thine heart.’ Now the mystery of his bestowing his effects on Azal according to the ‘Number of the Unity” is perfectly evident, namely he intended the inner meaning thereof, that it might be known to all his followers that after himself Azal should bear the divine influences. And his object in explicitly nominating him as successor also was to re-assure the hearts of the weak so that they might not be bewildered as to his real nature, but enemies and friends alike might know that there is no intermission in god’s grace and that god’s religion is a thing which he made manifest.

And the reason why [the Point] himself refrained from writing eight [unwritten] Wáhids of the Bayan, but left them to Azal, was that all men might know that the Tongue of god is one, and that He in Himself is a sovereign Proof.
And what he meant by ‘Him Whom God Shall Manifest’ after himself was Hazrat-i Azal [a personal mistake by Mirza Jani] and none other than him, for there may not be two “Points” at one time. And the secret of the Point’s saying, ‘_ thus and thus,’ while Azal was himself also a ‘Proof’ was that at this time His Holiness ‘the Reminder’ was the Heaven of Volition, and Azal was accounted the Earth of Devotion and the product of purified gift, wherefore was he thus addressed.”

“In short, as soon as this time had come the ‘Eternal Fruit’ [Thamara-i Azaliyya] had reached maturity, the Red Blossom of Reminder-hood [i.e. the Primal Point] casting itself from the branch of the Blessed Tree of the Qarmate (which is neither of the East nor of the West’ [Quran, xxiv, 35) to the simoon-wind of the malice of foes, destroyed itself, and prepared to ascend from the outward and visible ‘world of dominion’ to the inward realm of the mystery of god head. Therefore it was that the accessories of his martyrdom appeared in the world; for it is sufficiently obvious that, had he not himself been content with martyrdom, none would have had proven to harm him.”

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