Ibn-i-Abhar aroused the believers to great heights of spirituality and particularly prepared them for martyrdom

Ustad 'Ali-Akbar took a leading role in the building of the House of Worship. But God had other plans for him. Barely six months had passed from the laying of the foundation stone when he received a Tablet from 'Abdu'l- Baha urging him to go on a visit to Yazd in the spring. He advised him not to hesitate or delay his departure. Ustad 'Ali-Akbar immediately arranged his affairs and in the spring of 1903, after twenty years of absence, he arrived in his native city. His arrival coincided with a period of unusual activity by the Bahá'ís of Yazd. Some well-known teachers of the Cause were coming and going, and the Bahá'ís were very active in teaching the Faith. The arrival of Ustad 'Ali-Akbar in particular created a stir among the non- Bahá'ís, who circulated rumours that he was about to build a Bahá'í House of Worship in Yazd. The people who lived in his neighbourhood were particularly angry, because over the years he had succeeded in converting many souls to the Faith in that area.

In the meantime, 'Abdu'l-Bahá despatched Jinab-i-Ibn-i-Abhar, one of the Hands of the Cause, to Yazd with a special mission. Some large gatherings were held and Ibn-i-Abhar aroused the believers to great heights of spirituality and particularly prepared them for martyrdom should the occasion arise. Consequently a great many souls stood ready to sacrifice their lives in the path of God. This was the summer of 1903, a few months after the arrival of Ustad 'Ali-Akbar. Ibn-i-Abhar left Yazd; he had hardly reached a neighbouring town when suddenly a great uprising against the Bahá'ís erupted in the city, which soon spread to several villages around Yazd. This was the greatest upheaval that had occurred in Persia during the Ministries of Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá since the blood-bath of Tihran after the attempt on the life of Nasiri'd-Din Shah in 1852.

(Revelation of Baha'u'llah volume four, by Adib Taherzadeh)

https://bahai-library.com/rev_bahaullah_4/taherzadeh_revelation_bahaullah_4.txt