The Great Baha’i Proselytizer, Sobhi’s Penitence

“Fazl Allah Mohtadi known as Sobhi”

Baha’ismiran: In this article, we will introduce Sobhi and how he has done penance towards Islam by his own words. But before that, we should point out his special stand among Baha’is.

 

Numerous articles have been written and published about those who have turned against Baha’ism over and over. But concerning the Excellency Fazl Allah Mohtadi known as Sobhi, it is said and written less. It is also said less about how he has hesitated toward Baha’ism.

Abdulbaha, the second head of the Colonial man-made cult of Baha’ism put credence in Sobhi as his confident and favored him as a person born in a Baha’i family. He has said some statements about Sobhi that indicates the special reliance of Baha’i heads to late Fazl Allah Mohtadi Sobhi.

Abdulbaha says Sobhs father about him: Thank God for having such life-giving boy. The Ecellency Sobhi is busy with referred services and this is due to our Lord’s grace who is the Beneficent the Merciful. The Excellency Sobhi is present and busy day and night. Thank God because the Excellency Sobhi has become successful to drink morning draught every morning and to serve and ask that dynasty for help and patronage.

One day when Abdulbaha was alive, Sobhi becomes ill and Abbas Affendi comes for a visit and says :” O’ Sobhi, see I am so kind! I came for a visit when I heard you are sick. A day will come when you become ill and nobody will appease you.” Of course, this prediction of the great predictor would never be done.

“Fazl Allah Mohtadi known as Sobhi”

Sobhi becomes so intimate with Abbas Effandi and attracts his confidence so much that they become really intimate with each other according to himself and live alongside with each other. They go to bathroom together. Sobhi wears wrapper for Abdulbaha. They sometimes go out with each other and go into seclusion. There is nobody to serve food for them and Sobhi cooks and Abdulbaha says: “There is nobody here to cook lunch for us. Peel some squash and fry them for lunch.”

After a while, Abdulbaha considers Sobhi as ready and prone for proselytizing after training him. Abdulbaha says to him:” I want to elect you to do such a great task ( proselytizing) and to send you to cities.”

Serving Baha and Abdulbaha for too many years, Sobhi becomes ready for proselytizing trips. He is providing proselytizing means that Abdulbaha comes to see him: Abdulbaha came to my house and he was so kind with me that I was ashamed.”

Abdulbaha and Sobhi become busy speaking the last words. When speaking with each other, Sobhi sharpens some pens for Abdulbaha and himself and Abbas Effandi thanks him so: I remember you whatever I write with these pens and I don’t forget you. Then we sat together for some moments at the top of the stairs

After some days being together, they became attached with each other. They can’t leave each other. Abdulbaha himself conveys him and writes a letter for Sobhi at nthe last moments of separation. He introduces Sobhi as a great famous Baha’i proselytizer and orders everybody to obey him. This letter indicates that Abbas Effandi was fond of Sobhi.

“Abbas Effandi (Abdulbaha)”

After a while, Sobhi became homesick about Abbas Effandi and sends him a letter bearing affection and love between them. The letter has been in Abbas Effandi’s pocket forever. When he becomes homesick about Sobhi, he looks at the letter and becomes relaxed.

After narrating this introduction, I relate Sobhi’s penitence that he could find the path through God’s light with his own words:

In the name of Allah, the best name

After praising the creation God and hailing praised messenger’s pure spirit and cherished Imams, Fazl Allah Mohtadi known as Sobhi who is the humble God’s slave writes so:

In 1305 when I came back Azirbayjan from Tehran, some people from this cult who hated me found opportunity to change my friend’s ideas towards me as an atheist and adulterer one openly and secretly and to investigate in my inner issues and personal reputation because of changes and transitions in my ideas and spiritual thoughts and my speech which was against Baha’is.

Some months passed so and this fracas continued; so that the new year of 1307 approached. At this time a person from “the spiritual coterie”(the Baha’i association)wrote a note and published it immediately in a printing house which had been secretly established for publishing such notes and distributed among Baha’is fast. Because the author of the note was my enemy he wrote all kinds of lies and calumnies as long as he could. He wrote bad and hideous words, too.

Because I had a great status in Baha’ism apart from my fame; that is I was the secretary of works and the confidential of Abdul Baha and because I was the first person among confidants and I was the author of revelation and the mediator of blessing between right and people, most Baha’is didn’t accepted the writing and the note and were waiting for me to say some comments to judge.

But after so many thoughts and investigating the issues, I deemed it advisable not to counteract and try to reform my status and to be quiet.

Perhaps I would get rid of this uproar and follow gaining perfection. I suspected this is the right path and our claimants would be satisfied to leave me alone. But they assumed this humbleness as inability and essence weakness.

Thus they were bothering every day and they were attributing me to an opinion and idea each moment. They intrigued Baha’i agents against me and forced them to cut their relationship with me; so that they tyrannized me. So I deemed it necessary to end 5-year silence and to tell my friends some facts to defend myself.

For this reason, I requested my almighty God to make me successful and keep my pen away from hideous spleens and matters in order for what I say and write to be right.

So Sobhi turned against Baha’ism having lots of difficulties and wrote his memoirs in the presence of Baha’i heads for those who have trapped and would trap while he was observing contradictions among these people and other seniors of this spy party.

He finally found the right path and turned towards Islam.

The books written by this great former Baha’i man resemble a bright gem in darkness for those who have gotten stuck on the way.

May he rest in peace. May his way be headed off by many followers. We cherish his remembrance.