6.   Allegations against Mirza Muhammad Ali

6.11  Abbas Effendi’s Verdict on Mirza Muhammad Ali
On the strength of the allegations hereinover noticed Sir Abbas Effendi declared Mira Muhammad Ali to have forfeited his “branch-hood”, and cut off this “Branch” from the “Blessed Tree” of Baha. (table above S/N 4).
Sir Abbas Effendi rested his verdict of guilty on truncated “passages” from Baha’s “blessed verse”, quoted by him in his Will and Testament:
“But my ignorant friends [i.e. Baha’s followers] took him [i.e. Mirza Muhammad Ali] for a partner with myself, acted disorderly in the hands, and were authors of disorder. Consider to what extent men are ignorant. Souls were in audience with the Presence [i.e. Baha].
Nevertheless they went away, and bruited about such statements … If, for a moment, he [i.e. Mirza Muhammad Ali] were to stray away from beneath at the shadow of the Cause he shall turn into utter nothingness”. (Text, S/N 1).
The writing from which the truncated “passage” are quoted is addressed by Baha to his most prominent missionary, Ism-al-allah-al-Mahdi (See Ibrahim George Kheyrullah).

The passage immediately preceding "But my ignorant friends .." and supposed by Sir Abbas Effendi in his Will and Testament sums as follows:
"Verily we have made al-Nabil before Ali articulate [i.e. caused him to speak] in his tender age, whereby to give proof to men of my strength and sovereignty, then of my majesty grandeur. But my ignorant friends …" (Text, s/n 2).
Nabil is numerically equivalent to Muhammad, the sum of each according to Abjad notation being 92; so that "Nabil before Ali" is simply another way of saying "Muhammad Ali," namely Baha's son Mirza Muhammad Ali. Baha imitated the Primal Point in the way of saying.
The passage immediately following "he shall burn into utter nothingness." and suppressed by Sir Abbas Effendi in his Will and Testament runs as follows: "Say, O people, verily all else besides myself have in fact been created by a word of mine. He [i.e. Mirza Muhammad Ali and his likes [i.e. Sir Abbas Effendi and Baha's other sons] from those whom god has caused to grow from this Tree [i.e. Baha] are clouds of mercy, $ of grace, lamps of guidance, and my proofs amongst (people if shall be steadfast in my cause." (Text, s/n 3).

When, therefore the truncated "passage" are read together with those which immediately precede and follow them and which were suppressed in the Will and Testament in order to give an altogether different slant to the "blessed verse" Sir Abbas Effendi's deliberate and flagrant misrepresentation becomes patent and his ulterior motives to oust Muhammad Ali as successor in office to him under Baha's Will and Testament, and to pitchfork his own grandson Shoghi Effendi into his place expose themselves.
The "blessed verse" is crystal clear and of no ambiguity:
Baha "Caused Mirza Muhammad Ali to speak in his tender age, whereby to give proof of manifestation of Baha's "Majesty and Grandeur."
Mirza Muhammad Ali's utterances to that effect were misconceived by Baha's "ignorant friends, who took him for a partner about myself"
To remove the misconception and set doubts at rest, Baha promulgated the "blessed verse", in which he declared that "he [i.e. Mirza Muhammad Ali] and his likes [i.e. Baha's other sons, Sir Abbas Effendi including] from those whom god caused to grow from this Tree [i.e. Baha] are my proof amongst people, if they shall be steadfast in my cause."
Otherwise, Baha's sons, Sir Abbas Effendi including, became "Sheer Nonentity." Sir Abbas Effendi is hoist with his own petard.

No meaning of condemnation Mirza Muhammad Ali by Baha may be read into Baha's "blessed verse" as alluded by Sir Abbas Effendi. On the contrary the terms in which the "blessed verse" is couched demonstrate the high esteem in which Mirza Muhammad Ali was held by Baha. This fact becomes more pronounced in Baha's another writing, where he states that "only six years had elapsed from the age of Mirza Muhammad Ali when in truth we caused him to speak, thereby to be a pilot of the announcement [i.e. the appearance] of the greater [i.e. Baha] than [the appearance of] the great [i.e. the Primal Point]."
Now, according to the Materials for the Study of the BÂBi Religion by Prof. Browne, P. 63, Mirza Muhammad Ali was born at Baghdad in 1270 A.H. (1853). On this basis he must have become a pilot in 1858 or 1859.
Mirza Muhammad Ali was also highlighted in Baha's special "revelation" addressed to him, wherein Mirza Muhammad Ali was exalted to the skies. (Text, s/n 5).
It was the special 'revelation' which Sir Abbas Effendi claimed that it was shared by himself (see allegation of tampering with the books). Mirza Muhammad Ali also had the privilege of expurgating Baha's "holy writing" in collaboration with Zayn-al-Abedin surnamed Zayn-al-Mugharrabin, at Baha's instance.

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