Idol Chatter

Here’s a single sentence that captures Bahá’u'lláh’s megalomania and narcissistic self-pity to an extent that perhaps no other statement of his does:

Verily, no God is there but Me, the Wronged One, the Exile.

—Tablets of Bahá’u'lláh …

The term “Wronged One” is a title that he appears to have adopted early in his career, and taken a great liking to later in life.

Here’s a tally of instances of “this Wronged One” or “the Wronged One” in selected volumes of Bahá’u'lláh’s writings:

• Epistle to the Son of the Wolf: 102
• Tablets … after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas: 55
• The Summons of the Lord of Hosts: 5
• Proclamation of Bahá’u'lláh: 4
• The Book of Certitude: 2
• The Most Holy Book: 0

Bahá’u'lláh’s son`Abdu’l-Bahá also referred to himself as the Wronged One, it turns out. In his Will and Testament, he refers to himself as “this Wronged One” ten times.