Mulla Muhammad Jafar of Naraq was a spiritual guide in the Kashan area in Iran. Consequent upon the martyrdom of the Primal Point on the July 8, 1850, Subh-i-Azal, as the Point's successor and vicegerent, assumed the leadership of the BÁBi movement. He appointed Witnesses to administer regional BÁBi affairs under his control. They included Sayyid Muhammad of Isfahan, murdered by Baha’s men in Acre, and Mulla Muhammad Jafar of Naraq entitled Raqib, who died in prison in Teheran.

Mulla Muhammad Jafar of Naraq was one of the prominent BÁBi leaders who remonstrated with Baha for his tendency to innovation during the early period of the BÁBi exiles' sojourn at Baghdad. As a result Baha retired into voluntary exile in the northern Iraq where he spent two years.

He has also written a tract called 'Question and Answer' in A.H. 1278 (1861-2) at the request of members of the Babis in which he set forth the reasons for strained relations between him and Baha.

Mulla Muhammad Jafar of Naraq knew Mirza Husayn-Ali Nuri (Baha) and his household very well and had often held discussions on various topics with him. In page 120, he says: "Very often topics of (religious) science were discussed between me and the claimant (Baha). Nothing but ignorance became apparent of him. So often, I would ask him question and it would come to pass with (his) silence."

Page 119: "In all manifestations, the stronger one is devoted to God, the more exalted is his station … With Mirza Husayn Ali Nuri (Baha) it was the opposite. The better someone served him at his house with house duties, sent more and better presents and souvenir into his house or expressed affection for him, the greater ranking was given to him by Mirza Husayn Ali (Baha)."

The present work is in the handwriting of the well known Bayani scribe Mirza Mustafa.

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