Tanbeeun Naemeen - Know Baha’i Faith Through The Sister of Bahaullah

IMRAN SHAYKH

It is generally accepted that members of a family are more familiar with the events that takes place within the confines of the family. The following article is compiled from the writings of Ms Sultan `Izziyyih Khanum Noori (the half sister of Baha’u’llah, Mirza Husainali Noori) from her book named Tanbih-u-Naemeen (warning to the sleeping ones).

This book was composed by Izziyya Khanum known as Khanum-i-Buzurg. The book is commonly called ‘The Aunt’s Epistle’. Notes: \". . . part of a complilation known as Tanbih al-na\'imin, in three parts 
1) a letter from `Abbas Effendi `Abd al-Baha\' to his Azali aunt, Sultan Khanum (or `Izziyyih Khanum); 
2) her reply, the Risala-yi `amma (\"Aunt\'s Epistle\"); and 
3) a homily by the Azali writer Shaykh Ahmad Ruhi Kirmani.

There are three copies of this work in the Browne Collection in the CUL (F.60, F.61, and F.62). The compilation was published in Tehran without date. The first portion (`Abbas Effendi\'s letter) is also printed in Makatib-i `Abd al-Baha\', vol. 2 (Cairo, 1330/1912), pp. 162-86.\" - Denis MacEoin, Sources for Early Baha\'i Doctrine and History, p. 27 n. 88.\"

She died in A.H. 1332 (1904 AD). Sir Abbas Effendi stepped into the shoes of his father Baha’u’llah after his death in 1892 A.D. Hence Tanbih-u-Naemeen must have been composed between the years 1892 A.D. and 1904 A.D.

1-It was written in reply to Sir Abbas Effendi’s communication inviting her to embrace Bahaism.

2. A long reply from Khanum-i Buzurg, containing a considerable amount of interesting historical and biographical matter about Bahais, especially during the Baghdad period and the schism between the Bahais and Azalis; this portion of the book being commonly called the Aunt’s Epistle; the reply rebuts the pretensions of Baha’u’llah;

3. She points out to the inhuman massacres of the Baha\'is in various parts of the book and names many people who had been killed through cutting off their necks or ripping off their bellies, or suffocating them in the river or shooting them, because of not believing in Baha\'u\'llah.(Ref: Tanbihun Naimeen, page 15-16)

Revelation of Aunt of Abdul Baha - I 
In her book which is a reply to the statement issued by Abbas Effendi, She reveals some of the characteristics of Baha\'u\'llah and tumult created by him.

A-One of the most important features of all Prophets is their being unlettered (Not taking any Education in this World, rather being divine inspired) which is most important proof of their Divine Prophethood. In this way Bahaism also claims that Mirza Husainali was unlettered (1).

She denies this and says that Bahaullah began learning Arabic and literature in childhood and also continued in adolescence, and he was coming and going with mystics and philosophers (2).

B-Another fact that she states that in spite of belief in the Bab and His book (Bayan) in which Subh-i-Azal had been chosen as his successor, Baha\'u\'llah, because of his lust for power, began to plot and act against his brother (Subh-i-Azal). To despose him (Subh-i-Azal) and weaken him. He ordered for massive killing of his followers. She says nearly eighty Azalis were murdered by him. (3).

C-Then he began to collect all the documents relating to Bab\'s Will, that introduced Subh-i-Azal as his successor (4) (so that these documents cannot be used by others) In the process he committed many atrocities on the people so as to erase any evidence of Bab’s Nomination for Subh- i- Azal, as his successor. As a result, a lot of Babis left him.

1- Maqale Shakhsi Sayah pages 87 & 116 
2- Tanbih-u-Naemeen, pages 6-7 
3- Tanbih-u-Naemeen, pages 7-8 
4- Tanbih-u-Naemeen, page 14

Revelation of Aunt of Abdul Baha - II 
A-She believed that Baha\'u\'llah had collected the whole versions of Bayan in order to imitate it in his writings and deceive the people, Secondly to destroy the all the verses of Bayan, in order to make them beyond reach of people and thirdly to destroy Bab\'s Will about Subh-i-Azal appointment (1) and of course in this way he used the policy of dissension.

Outwardly, He paid great deal of respect to Subh-i-Azal, for instance he never sat without his brother\'s permission or in another move he offered one of his daughters (Abdul Baha\'s sister) as a gift to Subh-i-Azal and insisted him to accept her as his servant but Subh-i-Azal refused (2).

B-She then refers to a series of Bab\'s letters about Subh-i-Azal and even a letter to Baha\'u\'llah (3) asking him to obey Subh-i-Azal and she makes a conclusion with three probabilities about Baha\'u\'llah:

1-Baha’u’llah never believed in Bab and he wanted to see the end of Bab’s movement in order to take advantage from it.

2. Earlier he accepted Bab but later because of high mania of sovereignty he apostatized.

3. He absolutely denied all Prophets and their missions, disbelieved in God and considered all the miracles of God as fiction. (4)

1- Tanbih-u-Naemeen, page 17 
2- Tanbih-u-Naemeen, page 20 
3- Tanbih-u-Naemeen, page 28-31 
4- Tanbih-u-Naemeen, page 21

Revelation of Aunt of Abdul Baha - III 
In continuation of reply to Abdul Baha, She emphaised that Bab has damned all false pretenders of his substitution (1). Then she says let us assume that Baha’u’llah claim is true, should we accept any claim without any proof or any sign or miracles as all the former prophets have shown to their people? We have no reason to do this because there were many claimants before him although, they were more justified such as; Seyyed Hindi, Hosein Milani, Asadollah Dayan (with some nice writings belong to him), Ghoga and so on. (2)

Still, these reasons should be through unusual way of gaining knowledge, not after studying and learning for about 60 to 70 years, frequenting with philosophers and mystics as Baha’u’llah did, as otherwise Books such as Ehya-o-Olum, Mahboobul-Gholoob, Mahajatul-Bayza were more profound but their writers never claim themselves as prophet. (3)

1- Tanbih-u-Naemeen, page 42 
2- Tanbih-u-Naemeen, page 43 
3- Tanbih-u-Naemeen, pages 44-45

Revelation of Aunt of Abdul Baha - IV 
In another section of her book, she says that “Aim of Sending Messengers from God is to inform all the Servants of God about the divine Commandments. Now the question is why in a short time from Bab’s Declaration (While his book hasn’t been known completely) Baha’u’llah appeared?

Baha’u’llah says:\"In my dream, Bab asked me not to eradicate his book and I obeyed and didn’t spoil it except a few of them.\"

Now, if Bab is the messenger of God, what is the position of Baha’u’llah? We don’t have any answer unless we say that Bab was a liar, otherwise by accepting Bab as a Messenger of God, how he can agree with some part of the book and refuse the other parts?(1)

In some other part of Bab’s writings, we see that Bab has ordered Subh-i-Azal to complete his book \"Bayan\" and then he continues to say that “after every 66 years, one messenger of God will appear and this system will be continued up to 19 persons” (2). But Baha’u’llah appeared as a new Messenger in a short time (less than 20 years ) after Bab, in the life time of Subh-i-azal himself the real successor of Bab. Is it not a avedent lie?

1- Tanbih-u-Naemeen, page 46 
2- Tanbih-u-Naemeen, page 47 
3- Tanbih-u-Naemeen, page 48

Revelation of Aunt of Abdul Baha - V 
In continuation, she severely criticizes the writings of Abdul Baha and declares that these writings/letters are full of grammatical mistakes.

Then she says that Baha’u’llah was in collision with a person named Haji Amin (who presented himself as tax-agent of Subh-i-azal without informing Subh-i-azal of doing so) and with collusion of another person named Salman (one of Baha’u’llah’s friend) in the guise of offering letters of Subh-i-Azal, gathered a huge amounts of variety of gifts, edibles, beverages and so on and shared among themselves. In fact he never thought about the difficulties and problems faced by Babi believers(1).

Then she reveals that by Using the people who were appearing to be believer but actually disbeliever of Bayan (such as Shah Mirza Naeeni) Baha’u’llah got many of the Bab’s followers killed. This person was also the agent for the terror of Naser-din-shah, which caused much resentment and disgust among people against Babi’s believers (2).

Then she says that normally all prophet determine and appoint their successor and Bab also introduced Subh-i-Azal(1). Moreover his hand written documents also confirmed it(3) but Baha’u’llah after frequenting with mystics and clergies and after undergoing long period of practice of writing and adopting Bab’s writings and with a minor change in it , Baha’u’llah declared his book as a Holy Scripture and claimed as a miracle although he had no miracle except this .

1- Tanbih-u-Naemeen, page 53 
2- Tanbih-u-Naemeen, page 54 
3- Tanbih-u-Naemeen, page 58-59

Revelation of Aunt of Abdul Baha - VI 
In reply to her nephew, she writes :\"For God’s sake, Hasn\'t Your father taught you anything?\"

Resistance against Bab (Hazrat-e-nuqte); opposition against the sacred Bayan and sentence some of Bayani Believers such as Haji Seyyed Mohammad Isphahani in Acre, Mulla Rajabali in Karbala, Mirza Buzurg Kermanshahi in Kazmein to death while Bab had recommended to respectful behaviour among his believers, let alone, murder and assassination (1).

Then she continues that Baha\'ullah had no manner except: Deception of people, assassination of important persons, denial of the truth, unjust claims, Verification of Evil people (Horof-e-Naphy), Denial of Resurrection, Preference of Abu Hanifa to Imam Sadeq (who was the main pillar of religion), calling Jafar e Kazzab as honest, abuse the four special deputies of Imam Mahdi especially Husein bin-Rouh, smoking drugs, ruling the forbidden, lying frankly, accusing people unduly, labeling (while calling this Divine politic) Bab the liar, etc( 2).

In another part of her writings she says: \"your father was suffering from Tremor and Hernia for his whole life and we know of course that prophets are free from all of these kind of diseases Now the question is while he was suffering from the above mentioned diseases, how can he cure the “people’s diseases \" (3).

1- Tanbih-u-Naemeen, page 63 
2- Tanbih-u-Naemeen, page 64 
3- Tanbih-u-Naemeen, page 65

Revelation of Aunt of Abdul Baha - VII 
While she insists on a large amount of grammatical and literary(1) mistakes of Baha’u’llah, she asks that your father have said that Bab hasn’t understood a few subjects or he has agreed with Bab not to discover the whole verses in order to complete those verses by Subh-I-azal (who is the most humble villainous of people) and in this way people’s attention was drown to him until Baha’u’llah remain safe and completed Bayan

Now the question is; When and where this meeting with Bab took place and who has been the witness? What is the reason for all of these lies? In fact your father has called Bab a liar because Bab had introduced Subh-i-azal as his substitute and had praised him a lot (2).

Then she says that the name ABHI is for Subh-I-Azal, not for Baha’u’llah. Baha’u’llah is a name that Tahereh has given to your father(3). Then she presents a few Psalms of Baha’u’llah addressed to Subh-I-Azal (4).

1- Tanbih-u-Naemeen:page 69 
2- Tanbih-u-Naemeen:page 70-71 
3- Tanbih-u-Naemeen:page 80 
4- Tanbih-u-Naemeen:page 83

Excerpts From The Book:Tanbih-u-Naemeen 
(P. 5): Baha had “an ordinate desire for universal sway” and “an idle fancy for throne” as exalted as the heavens”. He labored under the misapprehension that if the Shah of Iran were come to grief one day, he was bound to step into his shoes.

(P.4) Baha received “private tuition” at home in accordance with the norms then obtaining in Iran as regards persons whose parents were in affluent circumstances. He practiced calligraphy and learned the “rudiments of Arabic and literature”. He displayed an aptitude for the “science of philosophy” and for matters connected with “spiritual knowledge (Irfan). He frequented the company of philosophers, knowers of spiritual knowledge and Dervishes”. (PP. 7-8): Baha’s release from imprisonment following the attempt on the Shah’s life in August 1852 was subject to his expulsion from Iran.

(PP. 11-14), obsessed with his “inordinate desire” and “idle fancy”, during his stay in Baghdad, Baha uttered some remarks, which pointed to his “wickedness and insubordination” and exposed his “ulterior motives”. Believers of the first class who would not brook such “words and absurdities” called Subh-i-Azal’s attention thereto. “Reprimanded” by Subh-i-Azal for his attempt to “deviate the people of the Bayan from the fundamental Cause” and “re-enact the case of Samiri, Baha was strictly forbidden by him to make such statements in future.

With his ulterior motives thus disclosed, Baha took to flight towards Sulaymaniyya. For a time he associated with the leaders of various Orders in those regions, manoeuvring to create a position of ascendancy for himself. His labors came to naught. For a while he studied the occult science, wearied of life, and in his attempts to achieve his purpose, he appealed to Subh-i-Azal and prayed for forgiveness. Pardoned by him, he was brought back to Baghdad, and put in charge of his affairs.

(P. 13): In his petition of repentance addressed to Subh-i-Azal from his self-imposed exile in Kurdistan during the Baghdad period, Baha concludes: “How am I to make mention, My God!, of what has taken possession of me by the wonders of thy dominance, and by the flashes of thy irresistible power. I would either be a pigeon in thy house or a bird in the valley of thy Oneness, or a gnat in the desert of thy Ever-abidingness or a mosquito in the wilderness of thy Eternity. My bones are dried up, and my limbs are broken. If thou forgivest me thou art in truth the Best Compassionate and if thou chastised me verily thou art the Much Forgiver, the Compassionate.”

Appropriation of the title of Baha or Bahaullah by Mirza Husayn Ali is confirmed by Tanbihun-Naimin, P.5. No such title was conferred on Mirza Husayn Ali commonly called Bahaullah.

Baha\'s Will and Testament of the Baghdad period is reproduced in facsimile at the end of the Tanbih-al-Naemin.

Baha\'s Will and Testament consists of three pages. The body of the Will appears to be in the hand-writing of Mirza \'Abd-al-Jawad of Khurasan also known as Mirza Wahab of Khurasan. The colophon at the beginning & in the end of the Will are however penned in the handwriting of Baha himself.

The colophon at the beginning sums as follows:

\"This is my book of Testament of People of concourse, take notice.\" “……. Hear the call of the Holy Leaf [i.e. Subh-i Azal] ………… speaking unto you from behind the veils [Subh-i Azal lived in seclusion in accordance with the Point’s instructions] ………… He [i.e. Subh-i Azal] is the One whom god [i.e. the Point] hath appointed as Qayyum [self-existent, title by which Subh-i Azal is addressed by the Point in the nomination document in page 1 of the Collection entitled the Epistles of the Point and His amanuensis Sayyid Husayn] “unto …. He is the Eternal [Azaliyya] luminary ……… whomsoever turns aside from him doth perish …… He is the White Hand [alluding to the miracle of Moses] in the Mount …. For Israel of the Bayan …… There is no god but He, the Living, [Al-Hayy, title conferred on Subh-i Azal by the Point.], the powerful, the self-Existent [al-Qayyum]. …. God has ordained in the Book that after the Remainder [Az-Zikr, the name by which the Point calls himself in the nomination document] one should turn himself to the Quibble of the Cause [i.e. authority is to vest in Subh-i Azal as dictated in the nomination document ….. ‘O People of the Bayan, can anyone produce verses like unto those revealed in the Book [of Bayan]? Verily the Remnant of god [Baqiyyatullah, one of the titles of the absent Imam; this title was assumed by the Point] in these days is the Apparition of light [Tal’at-an Nur].

Nur is one of the titles conferred on Subh-i Azal by the Point. In his Dalail-i Sab’a (The Seven Proofs) the Point points out that the term ‘light’ in the passage of the prophet’s tradition of Kumayl “and in the first year thou shall see (fulfilled), there shone forth a light from the Morning of Eternity, if thou dost not thyself flee away and become troubled,” refers to Imam Husayn, son of Ali-Ibn Abi Talib, as the light is like a lamp that burns itself to illuminate others. Hence the designation of Subh-i Azal as Nur (light), or Husayn, and the Morning of Eternity by the Point. The prophetic tradition of Kumayl concerning the events of five successive years of the Point’s dispensation is quoted by Baha in his Kitab-i Iqan, in support of the Point’s divine mission, composed by him in his pre-‘manifestation’ days.

After a lengthy exordium in exaltation of Subh-i-Azal, in page 2, 1st column line 19, Baha asseverates: \"In truth has god decreed in the Book, that after the reminder [i.e. Sayyid Ali Muhammad, the BaB] reference is made to the face of the cause [i.e. Subh-i Azal, title conferred on him by the Point, see Epistle in page 10 of the Epistles of the Point and his amanuensis] in these days and whoso turns aside from the injunction of his lord has in fact turned his back on the path of God.\"

In page 2, 2nd column, line 33, Baha affirms with solemnity: \"Bear witness in your hearts that appearance of light [i.e. Subh-i-Azal], and that the Remnant of God [i.e. He-Whom-God-Will-Make-Manifest] who will appear in the Mustaghath is truth, about which there is no doubt. And verily we are all expecting.\" In page 3, 1st column, line 3 Baha reiterates his allegiance to Subh-i-Azal: \"Bear witness that I am a servant who has believed in God and in the appearance of light.\"

In page 3, 1st column, line 25, Baha makes a further solemn declaration: \"Say, Is not the Face of the light all-sufficient unto you, who, from behind the veils, because of a command from God, the overseen, the self-subsistence. O people of the concourse, have I not summoned you unto god and his verses and, unto the appearance of light?\"

\"On you be the reminder [i.e. Sayyid Ali Muhammad] and on those who prostrate themselves before Face of God [i.e. Subh-i-Azal].

The colophon at the end runs as follows: 
\"Also, has God made Joseph the light [i.e. Subh-i-Azal] king of the truth in the city of the Bayan. But all the people are dead within the veils of their own selves and verily these papers are proof of my servitude to his Face, if you will know it, otherwise destroy them in the Shatt [i.e. al-Arab, in Iraq] haply [those in the realm of the possible might have faith in the verses of God, their Lord.\"

Baha suffered from dystaxia. P. 65 the Tanbihun Naimin (The Sleeper Awakened). This infinity affected Baha’s hands which had become shaky. Traces of this disease were noticeable in Baha’s writings written with a shaky hand.

\"For long years\", to quote from the Tanbih-al-Naimin (Awakening of the Sleepers, P.65,\" the disease ) of hernia was inseparable from the person of Baha, and those present and absent were an eyewitness to his hand\'s shaking continuously from palsy.\"

P.16: Husayn [i.e. the Imam] was the wronged-one (Mazlum) and not the wrongdoer [Yazid].” As admitted by Shoghi Effendi also, god passes by, p.114, Subh-i Azal and members of his family lived in a dilapidated quarter of the city. Their meals were provider from Baha’s kitchen. The Awakening of Sleepers (Tanbihun-Naimin), PP. 18-19.

PP. 16-17: Acting ostensibly on behalf of Subh-i Azal, Baha in Baghdad addressed circular letters to the BaBis in Persia calling upon them to return to him the Point’s writings in their possession, including Baha’s own letters wherein he acknowledged Subh-i Azal’s authority as the Point’s successor and offered his allegiance to him. Having received some of the documents, he despatched to Persia his wife Mahd-i Ulya, his own son Muhammad Ali and an attendant who went about the country and collected the Point’s writings. Laden with two chests containing the Point’s writings, they returned to Baghdad and delivered the writings to Baha.

The Bab’s epistle addressed to Baha appears in old Babi manuscript. Following is from page 32 of the Tanbih-al-Naimin in which this historic epistle is reproduced textually.

Reference is also made to it in the Dawn Breakers, Nabil’s Narrative.

Contents of the epistle: To “238” [Husayn Ali].
In the preamble of the epistle the BaB stresses Subh-i-Azal’s station, refers to him as “the Most Glorious [Abha] Element called Yahya”; Subh-i-Azal’s name, and notes with thanks “the tablets which have been made manifest by that Essence of Ecstasy and pure Magnet. Exercise,” the BaB then directs and instructs Mirza Husayn Ali, “the utmost vigilance for his spirit and vitality, so that simoom-winds settle not on his heart. Make available for him,” the BaB commands Mirza Husayn Ali, “the most perfect means of encouragement for calligraphy and orthography, so that he exhibits not absolutely, sorrow, overt or covert.”

“Take the utmost Care,” the BaB enjoins upon Mirza Husayn Ali, “of him, and of his latent works [signs] till their [appearance in] due course of time, and god is with those that are patient.”

In the Badasht conference Mirza Husayn Ali was in attendance of Tahira together with a number of companions. He received the title of Baha from that great and pure lady. He became privileged by this title of which he was proud, and which he gloried among his equals.”

PP 87-90, the authoress takes her nephew Abdul Baha Abbas to severe task for his violent campaign against Subh-i Azal to involve the latter in the murder of Dayyan and quotes a passage from a letter written by Bahaullah, addressed to Aqa Mirza Muhammad Hadi wherin Baha takes full credit for having carried into effect the judgment of god to dispose of Dayyan, from which the authoress comes to the conclusion that either the father or the son is a liar, the former for his admission to have killed Dayyan and the latter for his attempt to contradict and whitewash him.

(PP 5-8) corroborates Baha’s complicity in the attempt. From the outset Baha was obsessed with personality cult. He had an inordinate lust for power; the hankered after world conquest and monarchy. He laboured under the misapprehension that if the Shah were to come to grief, he was destined to step into his shoes and accedes to the throne.

The authoress of the Tanbihun-Naimin PP. 16-18 confirms Baha’s practice of verse-writing [ayat] preparatory to declaration of his mission.

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