Baha'i Allegations Against Subh-i Azal - Mirza Jawad’s Account of Edirne Period
5. Mirza Jawad’s Account of Edirne Period
Mirza Jawad’s Account, Historical Epitome, Materials for the Study of the BÁBi Religion by Prof. Browne:
(PP. 2122): “In A.H. 1280 (1863-1864) there was promulgated [by Baha] the Tablet of Command, which openly gladdened all men with the tidings of advent of Him who was promised in the Bayan; and the Servant [of god] [i.e. Mirza Aqa Jan of Kashan] bore the above-mentioned tablet, which was in the writing of the holy Pen, according to the instructions of our master, to Mirza Yahya [Subh-i-Azal], and read it to him. Mirza Yahya did not openly reject the tablet, but the fire of envy blazed forth in his bosom more than before, and then appeared then the schism mentioned in the Holy Tablet, and the days named the Days of Stress, and there befell the Supreme Separation, and Our Master, together with his sons, and wives and the Servant, went forth from amongst the community, and took up their abode in another house, left all and ceased to converse and associate with them, and for some while none of the companions.”
(PP. 23-24): “Sayyid Muhammad of Isfahan, who was even bent on opposition and schism, and who was finally expelled on account of some of his actions, thought the time propitious, and united himself to Mirza Yahya. The two busied themselves with mischief and forwardness, both within and without [the community]; they left nothing undone in the way of enmity and opposition … they wrote letters to the different countries ascribing all their own deeds to His Holiness [Our Master], and devoting themselves with all their energies to falsehood and calumny.”
(P. 26): “Sayyid Muhammad of Isfahan went to Istanbul to lay a complaint, and there foregathered with a man named Aqa Jan [beg] and nick-named Kaj-Kulah (skew-cap). These two left undone nothing in the way of dishonor, mischief, falsehood, and calumny, and the Iranian ambassador found in them a suitable means for carrying out the design which he constantly harboured in his bosom, to wit the inquiring of Our master, and making mischief between him and the ministers of the Ottoman government.
By these false statements, in short they troubled the minds of the Ottoman ministers, and caused the issue of an edict by Sultan Abd al-Aziz banishing our Master to Acre.”
Sayyid Muhammad had a time-honored association with Subh-i-Azal (see section 5.13.1). Aqa Jan Beg Kaj-Kulah, an Iranian, was an officer in the Ottoman army, and a follower of Subh-i-Azal. He was afterwards murdered by Baha’s men in Acre (Materials, P. 55). Mirza Jawad’s allegation boils to this: “Subh-i-Azal and Sayyid Muhammad “busied themselves with mischief and forwardness”. Sayyid Muhammad went to Istanbul and allied himself with Aqa Jan Beg. They both indulged themselves in “mischief, falsehood and calumny”. They thus played into the hands of the Iranian ambassador who, allegedly prejudiced against Baha, played up to the Ottoman ministers under fake pretensions and brought about the Baha’s banishment to Acre, as though the ministers were in leading-strings of the ambassador.
The BÁBi exiles were Ottoman subjects, answerable to the Ottoman law. The ambassador had no jurisdiction over them. What in fact brought about Baha’s removal to Acre was the result of his own information against Subh-i-Azal (see section 9.12.9.12). Compare Shoghi Effendi’s account of Baha’s service of notice of his mission on Subh-i-Azal (See section 9.12.9.8).
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