A Reward in Service of Baha’i Faith

Gamal Naseer

“It is incumbent upon all to aid those souls who are the day-springs of authority and dawning points of command, and who are adorned with the ornament of equity and justice. Blessings be upon the princes and learned ones in Baha. These are My trusted ones amongst My servants; and the rising points of My commandments amongst My creatures. Upon them be My Glory, My Mercy and My Grace which have surrounded all existence.”

Will and Testaments of Bah’a’ullah (kitabe Ahadi).

“you’re with me or you’re against me”
your answer will decide my “Axe of Ex-communication.”

A Reward in Service of Baha’i Faith:

As I mentioned in my previous posts, that my independent investigation of truth made me more clear on Bahai faith, and the question which I put forward to self proclaim learned Counselor (who claimed that they are replacement for Hand of Cause of God (Ayadi Amrullah) was stunt and speechless, here I don’t want to take their name since they are serving currently in International Teaching Center in Holy Land, and would be most probably the future members of House of Justice.

To know about the fact of any religion history is best source which will connect you to past and present. My question was, why these pioneer and sincere Baha’is who served the faith in best of their capacity, and stood firm in thick and thin during the period of Bah’a’ullah were ex-communicated for what reason? Is this was the gift which Sir Abbas Effendi has given to Ayadi Amrullah?, or simply they realize that what they are preaching is not in accordance of teachings of Bah’a’ullah?, or they refuse to propagate for Sir Abbas Effendi ?, which he was forcing his followers to do.

By studying their biography a reader can easily realize that Sir Abbas Effendi was forcing his views on teaching of Bah’a’ullah, like calling himself a center of covenant, an interpreter of Bah’a’ullah’s writing, where as Bah’a’ullah himself has said that there will be no manifestation after me till 1000 years of my declaration. And no one should interpret his writing; Baha’is should understand it, as it is written and well documented.

Mirza Aqa Jan of Kashan 
Titled
Janab Khadimullah (by Bah’a’ullah)
(called “The First to believe in Baha اوّل مَن آمن)

A noble soul, this man stuck to Baha through thick and thin. According to the Historical Epitome of Mirza Jawad of Qazwin, , P.9 and P.88, Materials for the Study of the BABI Religion by Professor Browne, Mirza Aqa Jan of Kashan was surname by Baha “the Servant of the Presence” (Abd-i Hazir) and “the Servant of God” (Janab-i Khadimullah). He was amanuensis to Baha. He ranked after the sons of Baha whose followers were commended by him to “show honor to the Servant who stands before the throne in a laudable station.”

Mirza Aqa Jan identified himself with Baha during the latter period of the Bahai exiles sojourn at Baghdad, and conducted many activities in favor of him. When Baha started out his to Edirne he became Baha\'s companion and wrote his Ishraqiyya in support of Baha\'s. He also wrote a tract (Risala), touching the Acre murders, and Baha\'s arrest and imprisonment. Both these works are in manuscripts.

In acknowledgment of his service he was surnamed \"the servant of god,\" \"the servant of the presence,\" \"the servant who stands before God”, \"the throne in a laudable station\" into whom the Baha’is were enjoined upon by Baha in a special tablet to show honor.\"-

(Materials for the study of BABI Religion by Browne, P. 9 and P. 88 )

Baha\'s Epistolary protocol at Acre required that communications addressed to Baha by the Baha’is and replies issued from the throne, namely, Baha, should be sent through his trusted Mirza Aqa Jan.

After acknowledging the receipt of a petition and stating which it was laid before the throne. Mirza Aqa Jan took a point in the petition, and quoted Baha\'s reply in the conventional Arabic annotation marks known as \"بقوله\" and \"انتهی\".

This system of treatment continued until the whole petition was processed. In the course of time Baha’is came to take for granted that body of such replies, with the exception of their portion or portions quoted in the conventional Arabic quotation marks emanated not from Baha but from Mirza Aqa Jan. Baha died and Sir Abbas Effendi wore the mantle of the Bahai hierarchy. Differences dissension arose between Sir Abbas Effendi and his half brother Mirza Muhammad Ali. But as the dissension gained momentum, and became acute, Mirza Aqa Jan, a man of standing and experience, thoroughly acquainted and Baha\'s sacred writings with whom he had been intimately associated from the days of Baghdad, thought that the auspicious time had arrived for him to step in and seek to effect a reconciliation between the two brothers.

The occasion was the first anniversary of Baha\'s death, the Baha’is had assembled in a room in the vicinity of Baha\'s tomb to commemorate him.

Baha\'s servant of god Mirza Aqa Jan took the floor, broke his long silence, and began to deliver himself of a discourse replete and criticism of the deeds and words of Sir Abbas Effendi and his servants of god on the grounds that they were inconsistent with, and repugnant to, Baha\'s sacred text.

Acting on tip off from his son-in-law Mirza Hadi Afnan, Shoghi Effendi’s father, Sir Abbas Effendi put in an appearance on the scene, interrupted Mirza Aqa Jan in the middle of his discourse, seized him by the hand and expelled him from the room bare headed and bare-footed, which Sir Abbas Effendi’s servants of god beat Baha\'s servant of god Mirza Aqa Jan on the head and face.

Maltreated, beaten, imprisoned in a stable, robbed of his books, threatened with strangulation Baha\'s servant’s of god was excommunicated.

(Prof. Browne\'s materials for the study of the BABI Religion. PP. 87-91; PP. 197-198.)

Thus Mirza Aqa Jan of Kashan, the companion and trusted servant of Baha, to whom he stuck so through thick and thin the servant of god, the servant of presence, the servant of god who stood before the throne in a laudable station, unto whom Baha’is were to show honor, privilege, excommunicated and denounced as \"reprobate, apostate croaker, hypocrite, and devil,\" passed to the mercy of god as an outcast.-

(Materials, ibid, P. 88.)

According to Mirza Jawad’s historical Epitome, PP. 87-91, Materials for the study of BABI Religion by Professor Browne, “The Servant of God” passed strictures on Abdul Baha Abbas for his acts and deeds contrary to God’s command.” On being informed of the “Servant of God’s words by Sayyid Hadi the father of Shoghi Effendi, Abdul Baha Abbas “appeared on the scene, seized him by the hand, and expelled him from the house bare-headed and bare footed, while his followers beat him on the head and face.”

The “Servant of God” was denounced as “reprobate, apostate, croaker, hypocrite and devil”. The Historical Epitome seeks to tone down the incident. The “Servant of God”  wrote a book titled ‘The Dreaded Calamity of the Servant of God in the Blessed and Supreme Garden” (Waqaia-i Haila-i Khadim-i Baha dar Rawza-i Mubaraka-i Ulya), (the manuscript is available) PP 197-198, Materials for the Study of the BABI Religion by Professor Browne, contains “an account of the cruel treatment to which the “servant of god” was exposed in the garden of Bahja at Acre in May 1899, at the hands of the partisans of Abdul Baha Abbas. ….. “He was grievously maltreated, beaten, imprisoned in a stable, rubbed of his books, threatened with strangulation and excommunication by the followers of Abdul Baha.”

Nabil Zarandi
Baha’s Poet
Most Great Noble (نبیل اعظم)

Nabil’s full name was \"Yar-Muhammad son of Gulam Ali, son of Hussayn-i-Arab of the village of Zarand, a shepherd by profession.\" The Dawn Breakers, Nabil\'s Narrative, P. 434. He was commonly known as Mirza Muhamad Nabil of Zarand, the tongue-tied.

Nabil was Baha\'s poet – Laureate. Materials for the Study of Babi Religion by Prof. Browne, P.346; PP. 353-351. Nabil was Baha\'s historian, He wrote Nabil\'s Narrative, which carries the history of the BABI movement up to the death of Baha  at Acre in 1892. Shoghi Effendi translated the first half of the narrative closing with the expulsion of Baha from Iran. For reasons not far to seek, Shoghi Effendi did not translate the second half of the work, covering the first half of the work, covering the Baghdad and Edirne periods of the BABI exiles.- Shoghi Effendi’s introduction to the Dawn Breakers, Nabil\'s Narrative, P. xxxvii.

Nabil\'s words exist only in manuscript and are not available. In acknowledgment of his services Nabil was surnamed by Baha the Most Great Noble (نبیل اعظم). The Dawn Breakers - Nabil\'s Narrative, Index P. 684.

If Shoghi Effendi is to be credited, Nabil ranked twelfth amongst the apostles of Baha. – (The Bahai World, 1928-1930, Vol II PP. 80-91.)

According to Nabil, during Sir Abbas Effendi term of office the situation at Acre in so far as the Bahais interest  were concerned had become intolerable.- 

(a) to acknowledge the supremacy of Sir Abbas Effendi over Baha.
(b) to regard Baha\'s sacred texts as corrupt; and 
(c) vilify and excommunicate Baha\'s surviving wife Bibi Fatima surnamed Supreme cradle (مهد علیا) by Baha, Sir Abbas Effendi’s half brothers, and other members of the Baha\'s family, failing which he was accounted a violator of the covenant, and a vacillator - Baha\'s youngest son Mirza Badiullah memoirs; Materials for the Study of Babi Religion by Prof. Browne, PP.80 - 80 – 81) P.111.

Apparently Nabil would not submit to the new order and when his request to transfer his residence from Acre to Haifa was turned down by Sir Abbas Effendi, he had no other choice but to take his own life with his own hands, as mentioned by Shoghi Effendi.

Now look at what history has recorded:

One year after Baha’s death, Nabil visited Bah’a’ullah grave in Haifa. He was distressed. Nabil said to Badiullah:
“I can no longer stay at Acre. The situation there has deteriorated. By dint of violence, abusive language and cursing, one has to act against his own faith, has to regard and hold the Most Mighty Branch [Ghusn-i Azam, i.e. Abdul Baha Abbas] superior in station to the Blessed Beauty [Janab-i Mubarak, i.e. Baha] has to write corrupted [versions of] all the holy writings and epistles, and has to vilify and excommunicate [Baha’s] sons, [Baha’s] words and [Baha’s] family [i.e. all the members of Baha’s household in opposition to Abdul Baha Abbas], failing which one is branded as covenant-breaker [Naqiz] or Vacillator [Mutezalzil, i.e. opposed to Abdul Baha Abbas and partisan of Muhammad Ali] and becomes the object of untold calumnies and falsehoods.”
Nabil requested Badiullah to find him a suitable room at the foot of Mount Carmel. Which Badiullah has arranged for him knowing his sacrifices and his position in the eyes of Bah’a’ullah.

Nabil\'s Death

Apparently Nabil is the bearer of the Point’s works referred to in Note G. According to Mirza Jawad’s Historical Epitome,P. 25, Materials for the study of the Babi Religion by Prof. Browne” Nabil cast himself into the sea a little while after the death of Baha.”

According to Kitab-i Subhi, PP. 116-123, Nabil was implicated in the plot to dispose of Mirza Aqa Jan of Kashan by foul play. Denying that he came in firing line of Sir Abbas Effendi.

According to Kashful-Hiyal Vol. I. P. 75, “ABDUL BAHA ABBAS BECAME ON BAD TERMS WITH NABIL. HE CAST NABIL INTO THE SEA, DROWNED HIM WITH HIS OWN HANDS, OR THROUGH HIS PARTISANS, AND AFTERWARDS SPREAD THE RUMOR THAT NABIL HAD DROWNED HIMSELF.”

According to the memoirs of Baha’s son Mirza Badiullah surnamed the Most Luminous Branch by Baha: One year after Baha’s death, Nabil visited Bah’a’ullah in Haifa. He was distressed. Nabil said to Badiullah: “I can no longer stay at Acre. The situation there has deteriorated. By dint of violence, abusive language and cursing, one has to act against his own faith, has to regard and hold the Most Mighty Branch [Ghusn-i Azam, i.e. Abdul Baha Abbas] superior in station to the Blessed Beauty [Janab-i Mubarak, i.e. Baha] has to write corrupted [versions of] all the holly writings and epistles, and has to vilify and excommunicate [Baha’s] sons, [Baha’s] words and [Baha’s] family [i.e. all the members of Baha’s household in opposition to Abdul Baha Abbas], failing which one is branded as covenant-breaker [Naqiz] or Vacillator [Mutezalzil, i.e. opposed to Abdul Baha Abbas and partisan of Muhammad Ali] and becomes the object of untold calumnies and falsehoods.” Nabil requested Badiullah to find him a suitable room at the foot of Mount Carmel. He went back to Acre to fetch his things. Nothing was heard of him for sometimes. Later “limbs of his body and his clothing” were discovered near the see shores at Acre. These were collected together and buried. Abdul Baha Abbas “shed crocodile tears” during the burial service of Nabil, “although he was exceedingly annoyed with him

Ibrahim George Khayrullah
“Baha’s Peter” 
“Columbus the Second”
“conqueror of America”
“Shepherd of god’s flock in America”

Dr. Ibrahim George Khayrullah was the pioneer who flagged the trail for Bahai faith in the United States, and touted for converts there. When he visited Sir Abbas Effendi at Acre, he was hailed by him as \"Baha\'s Peter\", and shepherd of god\'s flock in America.

The visit was instructive and informative; Mr. Ibrahim George Khayrullah was not impressed by Sir Abbas Effendi’s interpretations of Baha\'s sacred texts. In his views, Sir Abbas Effendi sanctioned deceit and practiced duplicity.

On his return to the United States, Mr Ibrahim George Khayrullah transferred his allegiance from Sir Abbas Effendi to Mirza Muhammad Ali. Material for the Study of Babi Religion by Prof. Browne, PP. 93-112.

Undeterred and undaunted by this setback, Sir Abbas Effendi dispatched to America (Materials, ibid, PP 154-155) Mirza Hasan of Khurasan, to bring Mr . Ibrahim George Khayrullah back to the fold of Sir Abbas Effendi by fair means or foul, commenting on which in his introduction to the Materials of the study of the babi Religion, P. x, Prof. Browne observes that \"Khayrullah\'s Narrative (PP. 154-155) of the threats addressed to him on account of his apostasy from Sir Abbas Effendi by Mirza Hasan of Khurasan reads like extracts from history of the assassins of Alamut and \'the old man of the Mountain.

From the statement of one Mirza Hasan Khurasani (undated but located sometime between June 1898 and November 1900) in possession of Ibrahim George Khayrullah who forwarded it to Professor Edward Granville Browne at Cambridge University on February 26, 1901, together with other related items. Browne translated these items in his Materials for the Study of the Babi Religion (Cambridge: 1916), pp.154-167.

\"I came here especially to bring you back to your allegiance to Abbas Effendi, and am prepared to stay ten years if necessary. If you return to Abbas Effendi, I will cause the American believers to follow you as head in everything even better than heretofore. If you will not listen to me and become a follower of Abbas, your abode will be in the bowels of the earth. I come here because of pity for you, and to save you. If you will not listen, your life will be short. If Abbas Effendi should give me the word to cut you to pieces, or tear your eyes out, or to kill you, I will do so at once. I fear not the consequences to myself. You know that I am from Khurasan, and that the sword of Khurasan is so powerful that if a blow is struck with it, it will cut from above the stars to the depth of the earth, and will cut even the fishes of the sea.\'”

\"On Saturday, December 1st, 1900, Mirza Hassan-i-Khurasani again called in the company of Mirza Asadu\'llah, and their interpreter Mirza Husayn [Ruhi]. We all discussed the difference of faith for about eight hours in the presence of my son-in-law Amir Hani Shihab and his wife Mrs Shihab (my daughter), also my daughter Labiba, and my son George Kheyrullah M.D. During this discussion Mirza Hasan-i-Khurasani mentioned to those present that the day before, while talking to me alone, he had plainly told me the consequences of not acceding to their wishes. Upon this I repeated to all present the threatening words he had uttered the day before, and he acknowledged before all that he had said the words above reported to me.

\"I.J.K.\" [Kheyrullah\'s initials]

“Mr. Ibrahim George Khayrullah refused to truckle to Sir Abbas Effendi, and stuck to his guns.

Sir Abbas Effendi could not tolerate the three question put forwarded by Ibrahim George Kharullah (which even he printed a book let) and it was open challenged to Sir Abbas Effendi, (someone here should have reminded him about love, unity, kindness, elimination of prejudice) he sent an assassin to kill Ibrahim George Khairullah.

Reader can find more about Ibrahim George Khairullah on

http://unitarianbahaikhairullah.wordpress.com/

Mirza Muhammad Jawad of Qazwini

Having broken the record in his flight from Tabriz to Edirne he was surnamed by Baha Jawad or Jued (fleet-footed).

In the several pamphlets he wrote and published, he criticized the acts and deeds of Sir Abbas Effendi Mirza Jawad\'s criticism was tantamount to lose - Majesty according to sir Abbas Effendi, by whom he was swept out of the faith at the stroke of the pen. It would appear that the Baha’i faith was the pleasure and one could hold it during Sir Abbas Effendi\'s pleasure.

Mirza Jawad\'s most important accomplishment was his historical Epitome of the Baha’i movement, of the life of Baha. The Historical Epitome was completed in Safar, A.H. 1322 (April, 1904). Originally drafted and approved by Mirza Muhammad Ali, the Historical Epitome was rendered into Arabic by the latter. Prof. Browne translated the Arabic version of the Historical Epitome into English and incorporated it in his Materials For the Study of Babi Religion

Treatment of the Acre murders in the Historical Epitome infuriated Sir Abbas Effendi who labored under the miss-apprehension that Baha’i history books should be modeled on the lines of \"Traveller’s Narrative\" written by him anonymously, in he invoked himself for himself in support of his tales in the Narrative.

Mirza Muhammad Jawad of Qazwin, who took to his heels from Tabriz to Edirne, for which feat he was surnamed fleet-foot, an accessory before the fact on his own admission passed to the mercy of God, blessed and consecrated by Baha and ex-communicated by Abdul Baha, the son.

Rosamand Dale Owen

She was the author of \'Author of ‘My perilous life in Palestine\'. Her statement and accounts are historically correct. In his memoirs, manuscript, typed, pp. 78-81, Ibn-al-Baha Badiullah deals at length with Mrs Rosamond Templeton’s good offices for mediation. Her attempt at mediation or arbitration between two parties aborted as Sir Abbas Effendi backed out of the arrangement at the eleventh hour.

Conclusion:

Sir Abbas Effendi after the death of Blessed Beauty Bah’a’ullah, has kept aside teachings of his father, and started proclaiming and bragging about himself, like he modified history as per his requirement, started promoting his position, some of his claims which above noted personalities denies and came under his wrath were….

1. He claimed he is center of covenants where as Bah’a’ullah said God is only the Center of covenant.

2. He claimed he is interpreter of writings of Bah’a’ullah, where as Bah’a’ullah said in Tablet of Wisdom (Lawh-i-Hikmat) that there is no interpreter to his writing except he himself.

3. He declare himself that he is manifestation of servitude, and Bah’a’ullah declared this title for himself only and said next manifestation will be after 1000 years from his declaration.

4. He claimed infallibility by calling his letters and writing sacred, Bah’a’ullah said after his death the divine pen is dried and carpet is rolled up.

5. He claimed this divine dispensation has three chiefs Bab, Bah’a’ullah and He himself. Whereas Bah’a’ullah said there is no one in kingdom of god except him.

6. He was spreading his teachings instead of Bah’a’ullah, he was appointed for that.

These were objections raised by many of Bah’a’ullah’s loyal custodian in faith, and when they objected to it were threaten with dire consequences and Sir Abbas Effendi could not able to answer them and was helpless and finally used his last AXE OF EX-COMMUNICATION.

Alas! A religion which came to unite mankind failed within the span of 5 years to keep united followers and family households.

Similar question when I asked from some of the  noted Baha’i figures of today, I understood that they are true follower of Sir Abbas Effendi, I was warned to get similar treatment of EXCOMMUNICATION , and was told to recite some tablets of Abdul Baha for my spiritual diseases, focus on his teaching, leave history of BAB and Bah’a’ullah aside, just obey Universal House of Justice as they are infallible.

www.bahaileaders9.blogspot.com