In the book, Asrarul Athar written by Fadhel Mazandarani, a statement by Ali Muhammad Bab addressing Mirza Aqasi has been mentioned insulting Turkish people:

"اُتْرکُوا التُرُوک و لَوْ کان اَبوک. اِن اُحِبُّوک اکُلوک و اِن ابغضُوک قَتَلُوک"

     “Avoid Turkish people; although they are your fathers. Because if they love you, they will eat you and if they feud you, they will kill you.[1]”

     Consequently, in order to justify their leader’s statement, the Baha’i proselytizers have written an article entitled “insulting of those who are against Baha’is to the holy prophet Muhammad (P.H.).

     Citing the statement, “avoid Turkish person”, to the holy prophet (P.H.), the Baha’i proselytizers were trying to introduce Muslim opposing against the insulting and discriminating sentence of Ali Muhammad Shirazi as an opposition against the holy prophet (P.H.). Thus, the following is a part of the Baha’i proselytizers’ declarations:

     Concerning the works of the first four years of the Excellency Bab’s emergence in the Islamic Iran during Qajar dynasty and alongside with new works, verses and statements in the new Babi religion, the Excellency Bab applies the literature and idioms of the holy Quran, traditions and the Islamic and Shiite cultures. The sentence, “avoid Turkish person”, hasn’t stated by Bab; but it is one of the traditions of Islam stated by Bab to Hajji Mirza Aghasi because this tradition was common among Muslims and Hajja Aghasi had tyrannized Bab.[2]”

     To attest their claim, the Baha’i proselytizers have mentioned to traditions from the Islamic resources: “in the book “Feydhul Qadir”, Al-Manawi, vol. 1, p. 152, it is stated:

"اُتْرکِ التُرکَ اِن اَحَبُّوکَ اَکَلوُکَ وَ اِنْ اَبْغَضُوکَ قَتَلُوکَ"

And also the historians have written: the first caliph who employed Turks in administrative affairs was Mo’tasam Abbasi. The Turkish people killed Motawakel Abbasi. This issue confirms the holy prophet’s statement narrated by Tabarani proved by Ibn Masoud:

"اُتْرِکُو اتُّرْکَ ما تَرَکُوکُم؛ فَاِنَّ اَوَّلَ مَنْ یَسْلِبُ اُمَّتی مُلْکَهُم وَ مَا خَوَّلَهُمُ اللهُ بَنُو قُنطو راء" [تاریخ الخلفاء/ 28]

     “As long as you don’t make an attack against Turkish peole, you will be attacked by them; since the Turkish people are the first people who capture divine kingdom and donations.”

     “The Baha’i proselytizers also claimed that Bab’s intention about insulting to Turks has merely been Mirza Aghasi, the Iranian chancellor.

     The following are several notes to answer the article justification:

1)   In this article, the Baha’i proselytizers tried to accuse their critics with nonchalance; but they made a mistake in mentioning the sources of these two traditions. So, the exact sources of these two traditions will be mentioned in the footnote.[3]

2)   The second tradition mentioned by the Baha’i proselytizers in order to introduce it as insulting to Turkish people not only isn’t considered as insulting to the Turk tribe; but also is considered as a kind of praise and prediction because the holy prophet has prevented aggression against Turks and introduced them as the inheirs of divine government and donations.[4]

3)   In the first tradition, the Baha’i proselytizers have mentioned the Sunni source to prove their claim! On the other hand, the Baha’i proselytizers have found themselves in need of citing Sunni traditions as the mere reason for their claim! Isn’t it a kind of demagogy?!

4)   The Baha’i proselytizers have introduced the reason for applying the statement (avoid the Turkish people) by Ali Muhammad Bab as the popularity and prevalence of it among Muslim and Shiite community during Qajar period of time! While they not only hadn’t any reason for proving their claim; but also it is quite illogical for Sunni sources to be prevalent among Shiite Muslim community in Iran.

5)   Although the Baha’i proselytizers couldn’t introduce a similar tradition in Shiite sources, we found a Shiite one[5]. However, before the Baha’i proselytizers misuse this tradition, it is necessary to be known that:

1) Contrary to the claim by the Baha’i proselytizers, this statement is narrated by the commander of the faithful Ali (P.H.) not by the holy prophet Muhammad (P.H.).

2) The author (Feyz Kashani) have doubted about the correctness of document and its implication and definitely called it false and incorrect.

3) One of the most important criteria of the holy Imams *peace be upon them) to accept traditions and to identify the correct from the false or forged one is comparing with the holy Quran; as the holy prophet (peace be upon him) has stated:

"ان علی کل حق حقیقه، و علی کل صواب نورا، فما وافَقَ کتاب الله فخذوه و ماخالفَ کتاب الله فدعوه"

     Lo! Each right has reality and each true action has right. So, what is agreed with Allah’s book is worthy to be taken and what is disagreed must be quitted.[6]”

Or Imam Reza (P.H.) stated:

"مَا جاءک عنّا فَقِسهُ علی کتاب الله عزوجل و احادیثنا فان کانَ یشبههما فهو مِنّا وَ اِنْ لَمْ یشبههما فلیسَ مِنّا"

     “Compare with Allah’s book whatever you received from us. If they are similar, it will be from us; but if not, it won’t be ours.[7]”

     The phrase (اِنْ احبوک اکلوک) is a sort of insulting to special tribe. If we compare it with the holy Quran, we will figure out that it is false because the holy Quran has considered the human being temperament as equal and the criterion for the superiority of human being is divine virtue:

"يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ وَأُنْثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ" [حجرات/13]

     “O’ mankind, Lo! We have created you male and female and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one another. Lo! The noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the best in conduct. Lo! Allah is knower, Aware.” [Al-Hujurat/13]