In fact, this foolish advice was used as a pretext by the timeservers to pose a new claim and to divide the Babis into two branches. Yahya Sobhji Azal was one of the main Bab’s eighteen companions and his brother Hussein Ali Nouri (Baha) was too. When Babis was prosecuted by the government, Sobhi Azal was living secretly and has assigned Babis responsibilities and guardianship to his brother who was his assistant. Indeed, Baha had a direct relationship with Bab’s followers. He often did the Babis’ affairs.
Mirza Hussein Ali Nouri obeyed his brother at first and like other Babis accepted him as Bab’s successor. After the criminal attempt against the king Nasiruddin by the Babis, Sobih Azal escaped from Iran and headed off towards Iraq because the government pressed hard upon the Babis. His brother was imprisoned for several month. Then he was released mediated by the Russian ambassador. He joined his brother in Iraq, too.
They lived in Iraq for ten years peacefully. Then, Hussein Ali Baha rebelled and claimed to be Bab’s real successor. However, the Babi heads didn’t accept his claim and drove him out of Baqdad city. He was vagrant for two years as a dervish. Then, he wrote a letter to his brother and asked him to forgive him. Sobhi Azal absolved and called him again. At that time, the special secretary of Sobhi Azal who had been elected and introduced to Sobhi Azal by Bab claimed for “the one whom God will manifest”; but whatever the Babi dignitaries argued with him, he urged his claim. So, he was killed and thrown into Shattul Arab while a stone was fastened to his foot.
At that time, the number of Babis increased in Iraq. They were moved to “Adreneh” due to the clergymen’s opposition and Nasiruddin Shah’s plea from the Ottoman government to banish the Babis out of the Iranian borders. Mirza Hussein Ali Baha who was thinking of faking possession of the brother’s position, repeated his clam and turned successful. He attracted many Babis to himself. Babis split caused the bloody conflicts among them to such an extent that the Ottoman government decided to separate them and to exile to various places. The Ottoman government appointed several spies in each group to supervise them closely and to report their activities for the Ottoman government.
Azalis were exiled to Cyprus island and the Baha’is to a port in Palestine.
However, Bahaullah planned to kill and assassination several Babi dignitaries belonged to Azali companions when he wanted to leave. He continued this project in Akka port. He murdered the Azalis who had been sent to Akka along with them savagely. The book written by these two brothers’ sister about the Azalis’ legitimacy concerning Bab’s succession and the Babi dignitaries’ assassinations by Mirza Hussein Ali Baha’s agents expresses this fact that how has the humanitarian and peace cult firmed its bases on the savage assassination and massacre of its members.
The important note is that it should be known that the quarrel between Mirza Yahya and Mirza Hussein Ali just caused disunion and differences among Babis and also caused Babis to fight very much following these differences.[1]
Most important, during these differences and struggles, many secrets were revealed which had been concealed for many years by the Babi heads and that was story of Bab’s succession and a rival who had been made by Hussein Ali for himself and been confirmed by Bab. Now, he must stood against him and fight. Yes, now, Hussein Ali fought with Mirza Yahya, Bab’s successor whom Hussein Ali had made him achieve this position to such an extent that these false claimants of prophethood called each other as ox, donkey, calf, fly, snake and beetle.[2]
I am ashamed; but I should note that Mirza Hussein Ali himself points out that his mother has been unchaste. He has also accused those who deny him as unchased ones. As you know, the most important people who have denied him were his brother Mirza Yahya and his sister Ezziyeh Khanom.
From that time on, those false claimants of prophethood uncovered the modesty veil and accused themselves of chastity accusations in order to beat each other using this pretext.
Mirza Hussein Ali reveals that his brother Mirza Yahya Sobhi Azal who had been Bab’s successor had had sex with Bab’s second wife after Bab’s execution and had rapped. Not only he had rapped her; but also according to his commandment which he had endowed her to the public all of his companions had rapped her.[3] Mirza Hussein Ali’s words caused Bab’s wife to be called “the mother of prostitutes” among Babis.[4]
Insulting each other didn’t end. Each of them started accusing. Mirza Hussein Ali introduced Yahya Sobhi Azal as the vassal of Turkish and British governments who is under their protections.[5] He also writes about Sobhi Azal:
“It is certain that Azal is busy drinking wine and having sexual relation with the virgin and the actions which I am ashamed to mention (according to the book “Aqdas”, he means buggery).”[6]
Mirza Yahya Sobhi Azal’s associates have accepted his affairs with Bab’s wife. They add that the Excellency Bahaullah has offered his daughter to Azal for flattery when he was the head of Babis.[7] So, isn’t it merited for the Excellency Hussein Ali to cure his humane pains before treating his Parkinson[8] and hernia and then to claim for prophethood and divinity.[9]
[1] Memoirs of decline and collapse, Fazlullah Mohtadi, p. 83.
[2] The heavenly food, the first part, p. 40.
[3] The same, part 4, p. 337.
[4] Badi’a, p. 379.
[5] Baha’ism in Iran, p. 196.
[6] Baha’ism in Iran, p. 196
[7] Azalis, Bita, p. 19.
[8] The Parkinson was caused by a poisioning caused by Yahya Sobhi Azal.
[9] Azalis, Bita, p. 65.