Birth:

Mirza Hussein Ali Nouri Mazandarani was born on the Lunar Month of Moharram, 2, 1233 A.H. in Tehran city. His father, Mirza Abbas Nouri known as Mirza Bozorg was one of the secretaries and ministers of King Muhammad Qajar. Mirza Bozorg’s descendents were famous for good handwriting and writing. He himself was skillful in this regard. Most courtmen were taking him example.

Shah Soltan Khanom

Bahaullah’s mother

Mirza Bozorg Nouri

Trying for offspring to learn

Mirza Abbas was trying hard to educate his offspring. For this reason, he had employed private teachers among his friends to teach them. So, his elder son called Mirza Hassan Nouri became merited for being the Russian embassy secretary.

Educating Mirza Hussein Ali Nouri

Mirza Hussein Ali learned the rudimentary sciences and techniques by his father, relatives and private teachers; so he didn’t need to go to school when he was a child. When he was young, he was spending his time studying, recreating, reciting and taking part in the assemblies of learned people, sages and poets.

Claiming for being illiterate

Like Ali Muhammad Shirazi, he claimed for being illiterate and uneducated. As he writes for Naseruddin Shah:

"مَا قَدَئتُ مَا عِندَ النّاسِ مِنَ العُلُومِ وَ مَا دَخَلتُ المَدارسَ. فسئَلِ المَدینَة الَّتی کُنتُ فیها لِتُوقِنَ بِاَنّی لَستُ مِنَ الکاذِبینَ"

Childhood education

1)   In the book “the Excellency Bahaullah”, p. 18, Muhammad Ali Feyzi writes:

“Apparently, he has learned the rudiments of reading and writing by his father and relatives. He hasn’t entered into any school of that period of time.”

2)   Dr. Esselment says in the book Bahaullah and the new era, p. 28:

“He didn’t enter any school or primary school. He just studied a bit at home. 

Bahaullah, p. 18

Youth education

In the book “Al0 Kawakeb al-Dorriyeh pp. 256- 257, vol. 1, Avareh writes:

“When he learned reading and writing he was a child, he increased his importance and he seemed strange in public. When he got mature, he introduced himself skillful in speech, wisdom and conscience.”

The extent of Rudimentry knowledge

The approximate extent of his rudimentary education is acquired from this speech of the book “Asrarul Athar”, vol.2, p. 17.

In the book “the history of Nabil, p. 90, it is described narrated by Mulla Muhammad Nouri: “His blessed name is Mirza Hussein Ali. His style of writing used in lithography is good.”

Participating at the scholars assembly

In the book “Bahaullah”, p. 14, it has been written about the story of going to Mojtahed Nori’s class narrated by Abbas Effandi:

“Mirza Muhammad Taqi Mojtahed had nearly one thousand students… At night, he was discussing about scientific issues and they were narrating some difficult traditions. When they got astonished, the Blessed Beauty was stating the meaning of tradition. For instance, one night…”

Having interpretation class (assembly)

Feyzi writes in the book Bahaullah, p. 18 that he has had interpretation of the holy Quran class in Nour city, Mazandaran: “The two people visited the Blessed Beauty in Darkala while the Excellency was busy interpreting the chapter Al-Fatihah for large number of people.”

The justification of studying

In the book “Asrarul Athar, vol. 1, p. 193, Fadhel Mazandarani considers Bab’s education as the history certainties and his being illiterate as the unusual way of studying: “It is also true about Bahaullah himself. His handwriting and his brothers’ testify that their father’s beautiful handwriting is inherited.”

The strange claim

In the book “the highest pen works”, vol. 3, p. 118, the Excellency Mirza has said:

“I don’t like the previous mentionings are being expressed.”

The Excellency Mirza answers:

"اِنّا مَا قَرَئنا کُتُبَ القَومِ وَمَا اَطعَنا ِّمَا عِندَهُم مِنَ العُلُومِ. کُلّها اَرَدنا اَن نَذکُرَ بیانات ِ الُلماءِ و الحُکَماءِ یَظهَرُ مَا ظَهَرَ فیِ العالَم وَ ما فیِ الکُتُبِ و الزُّبُر فی لوحٍ اماَ وجهِ رَبَّکَ نری و نَکتُبُ"

The skillful buffoon

In the beginning of Bab’s claim, Mirza Hussein Ali joined him and gradually became the buffoon of many of that time events. Due to the assassination of Muhammad Taqi Qazvini, he was imprisoned. He was the main operator of the shameful Badasht events. However, the most dramatic part of his life is spying for the Czar Russian emperor government.

Secret character

By the date of Badasht event, Mirza Hussein Ali Nouri didn’t let his name to be called. Everybody was calling him “he: ایشان”. However, after the story of Badasht, Zarrin Taj entitled him Bahaullah.