6.   Allegations against Mirza Muhammad Ali

6.10  Allegation of "tampering with the Book”
Sir Abbas Effendi's allegation against Mirza Muhammad Ali is as follows:

1. "the centre of sedition Mirza Muhammad Ali has tampered with the verses of the book."
2. "which deviation is more grievous than that of tampering with verses and of omitting and deleting verses and words.".
3. "You know what the centre of sedition Mirza Muhammad Ali and his adherents have done. One of this man's metier is to tamper with the book, which, praise be to god, you all know, and which is established and evident, proved on the evidence of his brother Mirza Badiullah, written in his own handwriting and signed by him, which is extant and printed. This is one of his evils. Can there be imagined any other deviation more flagrant than lapse from the [decisive] text? No by god. His evils are recorded in a special paper, if god please, you will consider it." (Text, s/n 4).

Sir Abbas Effendi's allegation is not designated.
Sir Abbas Effendi's proof to corroborate the allegation is Mirza Badiullah's "written evidence" which is not attached to the original will and testament.

Sir Abbas Effendi's additional proof is his own followers:, to whom he refers as "you all know; who may have been fed with this allegation for Sir Abbas Effendi's ulterior motives.

To substantiate his allegation proper course for Sir Abbas Effendi was to publish facsimile of the "written evidence" embodying the allegation, accompanied by the text from the authorised version of the passage or passages, or word or words alleged to have been tampered with or omitted and deleted. Such a course would have enabled an investigation to verify the handwriting of the owner of the "written evidence" and collate the allegation with the authorised version. Furthermore Mirza Muhammad Ali challenged Sir Abbas Effendi to produce documentary evidence in support of the allegation. (See Mirza Muhammad Ali's Testament (not available yet))
In the absence of documentary evidence Sir Abbas Effendi's allegation is untenable.
This disposes of the allegation of "tampering with the book".
The "special paper" containing Mirza Muhammad Ali's "evils which, if god please you will consider” is not attached to the original will & testament.

Allegations of holding back part of Baha’s Will and Testament, and tampering with Baha’s writings are in turn preferred against Sir Abbas Effendi and his followers.
“The first difference which happened after Baha’s death within this community was that Sir Abbas Effendi concealed some part of the book of [Baha’s] Testament [i.e. Baha’s Will and Testament]. On the ninth day after the death of Baha, Sir Abbas Effendi chose nine persons from amongst the companions, one of whom was the author [of this book], and disclosed to them this document, concealing, however, a portion of it with a blue leaf [of paper] without any reason or justification. One of them named Aqa Rida of Shiraz, read it at a sign from him down to the place concealed by the blue leaf, whereupon Sir Abbas Effendi said to the persons above mentioned, “verily a portion of this book is concealed for a good reason, because the time doth not admit of its full closure’. On the afternoon of that day Majduddin Effendi [son of Baha’s brother Mirza Musa] read it again, by command of Sir Abbas Effendi, in the Holy Place, before a company of the Aghsan (sons of Baha), Afnan (alleged kinsmen of the Primal Point), Muhajirin (exiles), Mujawirin (settlers at Acre), and Musafirin (temporary visitors), down to the above mentioned passage, as narrated above”. Mirza Jawad’s Historical Epitome, Materials for the Study of the BÂBi Religion by Prof. Browne, P. 75.

"certain verses of the Sura-al-Amr [i.e. the tablet of command] in which Baha announced his appearance at Edirne, P.21, [ibid] were taken and made into a special tablet, which they [i.e. Sir Abbas Effendi's followers] asserted, was Sir Abbas Effendi's so that they might establish for him a glory proper only to divine theophanies.” P.83 ibid.
Sir Abbas Effendi himself made allegation in one of the servant's [i.e. Baha's amanuensis Mirza Aqa Jan] letters to Muhammad Mustafa of Baghdad in Beirut, that is to say added to it and diminished from it, saying that it has a tablet which the Lord had reserved to him, moreover he claimed that the Holy Tablet specially addressed to his brother Muhammad Ali Effendi was shared by himself." P.83, ibid.
Sir Abbas Effendi's asserted that his brother Muhammad Ali Effendi had tampered not the published divine verses, I mean the [edition of the] Kitab-al-Hayakel lithographed in the days of Baha, whereof many exist in the writing of Zayn-[al-Mugharrabin] (who is well known amongst the community and who collected the lithographed edition), and said that the verses which were not to be relied on, intending to prevent his followers from reflecting to these divine verses, lest they should become aware of his [Abbas Effendi’s] opposition to the Holly writings in word, deed, declaration, and writing." P.84 ibid.

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