2.     Concealment of religious opinions by Sir Abbas Effendi
Sir Abbas Effendi was born of Moslem parents. According to his followers he was born on Jamad-al-Awal 5, A.H. 1260 (23 May 1844), the date of the declaration of the Primal Point. According to Mirza Jawad in his Historical Epitome, Materials for the Study of the BÂBi Religion by Prof. Browne, P.62, he was born in A.H 1257 (A.H 1841). Like his father, to all appearance, Sir Abbas Effendi was a practising Moslem. He kept the Moslem Ramadan and said to his Friday prayers at the mosque at Acre or Haifa. He married lady Munira according to Moslem rites, his funeral and burial services were held according to Moslem rites.
Upon Moslem seekers after truth sir Abbas Effendi impressed that Bahaism was a sect or an order of Islam. To his followers sir Abbas Effendi stressed that his practice to dissemble his faith was dictated by the exigencies of the time, and requirements of expediency and caution.

Outwardly a practising Moslem till end of his days and inwardly a Bahai according to him, i.e. Abbas Effendi, the "Centre of the Covenant", the "Mystery of God", the "Master of Mankind," etc. etc. passed to the mercy of God, having ended a successful career as Sir Abbas Effendi, K.B.E thus joining the Agha Khan as a divinity with the honour of a British Knighthood."- Cyprus by sir Harry Luke, P.123.

In his Payam-i-Padar, PP. 153-155, Mirza Subhi Fazlullah Muhtadi, one time Sir Abbas Effendi’s Persian Scribe and a Bahai missionary who abjured Bahaism and returned to the fold of Islam, says: “On Fridays he [i.e. Sir Abbas Effendi] went to the Mosque [in Haifa] and attended the congregational prayers, led by the officiating Minister of the Moslem Sunni faith of the Hanafi rite, and posed as a Moslem. In Ramadan [the ninth month of the Moslem year, the time of the great annual feast] observed the feast. On occasions he met with Moslem scholars and personages and spoke on the superiority of Islamic Faith. He conducted himself in such wise that the people of that land [i.e. the Holy Land] know them [i.e. Bahais] to be Moslems; they did not suspect that Bahais had introduced a new religion, had abrogated the commandments of the Quran, had brought in new things in law of the regular prayer, the fast and other laws of Islam, and had put into practice brand new precepts. If Sir Abbas Effendi were asked why they called themselves Bahais he replied: “Bahai is not a separate religion. It is a branch of the Islamic Faith’.

« روز های آدینه (عباس افندی) پیش از نیم روز به مسجد میرفت و پشت سر پیشوای مسلمانان سنی که در آنجا مروّت حنفی داشتند دست بسته نماز میخواند و خود را مسلمان مینمود و در ماه رمضان هم خویش را روزه دار نشان میداد و گاهی که در انجمن با دانشمندان و بزرگان مسلمانان روبرو میشد از برتری کیش مسلمانی سخن میگفت و چنان رفتار میکرد کهمردم آن سرزمین آنها را مسلمان میدانستند و گمان نمیکردند که دین تازه آورده اند و فرمانهای قرآن را ستوده و به جای نماز و روزه و دستور های دیگر مسلمانی چیزی تاره آورده اند و فرمانها نوی به کار بسته و اگر میپرسیدند چرا خویشتن را بهائی مینامید میگفت « بهائی دین جداگانه نیست شاخه ای از مسلمانی است» به خط من روزی به یکی که این پرسش را کرده بود به تازی نوشت « اما التمسیه بالبهائیه کتسمیه باشاذلیه » میگوید نام نهادن به بهائی گری چون نام نهادن به گروه شاذلی هاست.»

To a questioner who had put this question he replied in writing in Arabic, penned in my own handwriting, as follows: ‘Designation of Bahaism [called after its founder Baha] is like unto that of Shadhiliya [an order of Dervishes, called after its founder al-Shadhili].’ The head of this Order in Acre was Shaykh Shamati, whom I saw when he visited Sir Abbas Effendi. What helped this practice [of dissimulation] was the fact that Iranians are Shia. When Baha left Iran, Iranian Shias used abusive language towards Caliphs of the Prophets for which Baha rebuked them. Those who followed Baha and befriended the three Caliphs came to be known as Bahais. These remarks [in explanation of the designation of Bahaism] were placed at the disposal of the people of that land [i.e. the Holy Land] … In the company of others and persons who were not after religiousness Sir Abbas Effendi did not regard this faith [i.e. Bahaism] as one of the religions of the past and said: “People were involved in adversity, strife, bloodshed and avarice. Baha appeared and brought things, which are of use to people and which bring them tranquillity. Occasionally when European scholars visited him and asked him how he regarded Baha, Sir Abbas Effendi replied: ‘ We look upon Baha as a teacher and instructor of mankind for truth, integrity, purity and freedom.’ There was, however, no word of Baha being the Sent One of God, superior to all the prophets, and in receipt of help from on high, or of his being God who appeared in human garment.”

« شاذلی یک دسته خداشناسند که پیرو کیش مسلمانیند نام شاذلی برخود نهاده اند. من در عکا سرکرده این گروه را که نامش شیخ محمود شامان و به سراغ عبدالبهاء آمده بود دیدم، چون درویشان خودمان بودند که خویش رابیدار دل و آگاه روان میدانستند. آنچه به این کار کمک میکرد شیعی بودن ایرانیان بود که چون بهاء از ایران بیرون شد و شیعه ایرانی به جانشین پیغمبر را دوست گرفتند بهائی نامیده شدند. این سخنان دریافت مردم آن سرزمین بود .... در نزد دیگران و کسانی که دیبال دینداری نمیرفتند عبدالبهاء این کیش را مانند دین های گذشته به شمار نمی آورد و میگفت : مردم گرفتار بدبختی و جنگ و خونریزی و آروزمندی بودند بها آمد و چیزهایی آورد که به درد مردم میخورد و انها را به آسایش میرساند. گاهی به دانشمندان فرنگ در پاسخ میگفت: ما بهاء را استاد و پرورش دهنده مردم جهان را به داستی و پاکی و آزادگی میدانیم.» « دیگر سخن از اینکه بهاء فرستاده خدا و برتر از همه پیغمبران است و از جهان بالا به او کمک میرسد و یا خدائی است که در جامه آدمی پدیدار شده در میان نبود. »

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