Baha’s Wealth & Inheritance From Mirza Musa Jawaheri
3. Baha’s Wealth & Inheritance From Mirza Musa Jawaheri
In his letter marked no. 138, in the collection of Baha's writings of the earlier period of Baha's (manuscripts) addressed to one Ismail, Baha lays down the rule that "god will surely chastise those who treasure up gold and silver and expand it not in the way of god" represents the "esoteric" aspect of his cause, which apparently preponderates over the "exoteric" aspect of his cause, viz. hands off men's wealth. The text sums up as follows:
« بسم الله الوفی الاوفی ذکر الله عبده الذی سمّی باسمعیل لیکون له شرفاً و ذکراً و افتخاراً ان یا عبد لا تحزن عن الضراء و البأسآء فارضی بما رضی الله لک و انّه خیر ناصر و معینا قد قدر بعد کل عسر فی امّ الالواح علی العمر یسرا و کل ماورد علیک قد ورد علی محبوبک و لکن الناس فی غفلة عظیماً لعن الله من غصب حقکم و منعکم عمّا خلفه لکم لان ما علی الارضی قد خلفه لاجناء الله و الفیائه و کذلک قضی الامر من لدن عزیز حکیما ان الذین یکنزون الذهب و الفقته و لاینعقونها فی سبیل الله فسوف یعذّبهم الله بما کنزوا و من احمدیه من الله قلیل و هذا فی باطن الامر ولکن فی الظاهر حرم علیکم اموال الناس ایامکم ان تحاتوا باحد من العباد او تصرفوا فی اموالهم و غیر اذنهم و ان هذا خطاً قد کان فی اللوح اکبیر »
Baha's chief alms-raiser in Iran was Mulla Abu-al-Hasan of Ardakan surnamed by Baha the trusty (Amin). This man's metier was to solicit contributions, and to receive loaves and fishes of the office held by Baha, to remit both to Baha, and to feather his own nest at the same time. This illiterate man ranks fourth among the apostles of Baha, "Pillars of the faith: - Bahai Worlds 1928-1930, Vol II, PP. 80-81.
There appears to be nothing wrong for Baha to employ loaves and fishes of his office, but the following passage in his will and testament sounds unreal and strides one as odd:
اگر افق اعلی از زخرف دنا خالیست ولکن در خزائن توکل و تفویض از برای میراث مرغوب لاعدل له گذاشتیم گنج نگذاشتیم و بر رنج نیفزودیم د ر ثروت خوف مستور و خطر مکنون
During his lifetime Baha made full provision for his four sons, namely, Sir Abbas Effendi, Mirza Muhammad Ali, Mirza Ziyaullah and Mirza Badiullah.
He assigned lands and orchards for them in the villages of Samra, Nugayb, Adasiyya, Asfiya, BÂBya, and new Acre in Palestine. Although his external affairs minister Sir Abbas Effendi and had then registered in their names in the land registers. The account of the purchases as given in the Chosen Highway by Lady Blomfield, O.209, that "Sir Abbas Effendi bought from time to time some land in various villages, and bestowed them on his younger brothers at the request of Baha." is devoid of historical foundation. The order to purchase emanated from Baha, by whom the purchaser price was provided. Sir Abbas Effendi received his own share in the properties.
In fairness to Baha his action was a precautionary measures designed to safeguard the interests of all his sons lest Sir Abbas Effendi should take the law into his own hands, and cut off his brothers with a shilling after Baha's demise.
It may be noted in passing that by contributions is meant pecuniary existence rendered voluntarily and gladly by the faithful for the upkeep and maintenance of the Baha's family and by loaves and fishes of the affair one meant God's money (Mal-Allah) or duties owned to God.(Hughugh-Allah) a prescribed tax levied on and payable by the faithful to Baha in pursuance of the relevant provision in the Aqdas, PP. 50-51, English translation. A subsequent ruling given by Baha thereon, as set forth in the Question and Answer, amends the prescribed tax to the best advantage of Baha.
While there is no quotable text to serve as fas as the influx of contributions after Baha's death, loaves and fishes of the office, exclusive to Baha as god according to him, were not hesitated and assignable rights and ceased and determined on Baha's death. Baha is explicit on this point, and a specific provision in Baha's will and testament decrees that Baha's "Sons have no claim on men's wealth"
محبت اغصان بر کل لازم است ولکن ماقدرالله لهم حقا فی اموال الناس
Baha expected that his immediate successor Sir Abbas Effendi would maintain Baha's time-honoured practice, and apply contributions received to the best interest of members of Baha's family and through them to the pretensions of the cause.
When Sir Abbas Effendi begun to run the Bahai affairs, he jettisoned overboard Baha's practice, deprived his brothers of their entitlement in the contributions, ostensibly to compel their submission, reinstated the system of loaves and fishes of the office, clammed and reviewed them, and diverted both the contributions and the loaves and fishes of the office to the best interest of the members of his family and through them to the furtherance of the cause.
When the time arrived for his exit, Sir Abbas Effendi, in his will and testament, vested in Shoghi Effendi, the right to receive and enjoy loaves and fishes of the office as a gesture of the divine favour with which Sir Abbas Effendi, very kindly obliged the servants of god. The text sums as follows:
ای یاران عبدالبهاء محض الطاف بی پایان حضرت یزدان به تعیین حقوق الله بر عباد خویش منت گذاشت و الا حق و بندگانش مستصئ از کائنات بوده و الا غنی عن العالمین اما معروض حقوق سبب ثبوت و رسوخ نفوس و برکت در جمیع شئون گردد و حقوق الله راجع به ولی امر الله است تا در نشر نفحات الله و ارتفاع کلمة الله و اعمال خیریه و مناعف عمومیه مصرف گردد.
If Sir Abbas Effendi could suit impunity and in flagrant violation of Baha's will and testament(9), oust Mirza Muhammad Ali successor, designate of the Sir Abbas Effendi and install in his place his own grandson Shoghi Effendi in the female line; and (k) reinstate, and vest in Shoghi Effendi, loaves and fishes of the office, wherewith to endow the family settlement created by him certainly Shoghi Effendi, in the exercise of his absolute authority under Sir Abbas Effendi's will and testament, could toy and trifle with his powers.
Emulating his grandfather Sir Abbas Effendi but disregarding his established practice Shoghi Effendi, in his turn, impropriated the contributions to the entire exclusion of the members of Sir Abbas Effendi's family, who had to keep their mouths shut lest they would "make a breach in the cause of god." They were already amply provided for during the lifetime of Sir Abbas Effendi.
Inheritance From Mirza Musa Jawaheri
In Baghdad Baha acquired Ottoman nationality. He also acquired a free grant of movable and immovable property from Mirza Musa, the son of Haji Muhammad Hadi Al-Jawaheri.
Instrument of grant:
The document of conveyance whereunder Mirza Musa son of Haji Muhammad Hadi al-Jawaheri of Baghdad conveyed, and delivered possessions of all his immovables, movables, species, sum of ready money and debts receivable, to Mirza Hussein Ali commonly called Bahaullah.
The conveyance is drawn up in Persian and Arabic in legal form, duly executed and witnessed.
In the conveyance, the grantee is described as Mirza Hussein Ali without the appellation Bahaullah. The grantor was a BÂBi resident of Baghdad and the grant was made during the sojourn of the BÂBi exiles in Baghdad between the years 1854 and 1863.
The document of conveyance was handed down to the heirs of Baha and found its way to me. The grant under the conveyance includes the house tenanted by Baha in Baghdad, for the loss of title to which Shoghi Effendi blames Hussein Afnan, grandson of Baha.
According to Abdul Baha’s memorials of the Faithful in Persian, the grantor did in fact offer his properties to Baha but the latter refused the offer. No mention is however made of the document of conveyance in the memorials.
In his memorials of the faithful (Tazkarat-al-wafa) Sir Abbas Effendi refers to this grant and assets that the grantor Mirza Musa did in fact make the offer and that Baha did not accept the offer.
There appears to be nothing wrong and objectionable in the offer and acceptance, but it is the historical misrepresentation of facts by Sir Abbas Effendi that is to be strongly depreciated.
The Awakening of Sleepers, P.38. With the acquisition of these properties and with the abundant funds which came to Subh-i Azal from the loyal BÂBis in Iran, in accordance with the laws of the Primal Point, and which were at his disposal Baha was able to set an impressive establishment.
In Baha’s Will & Testament quoted in Baha’s son Muhammad Ali’s Will & Testament, section 11, we are told that “no ornament of gold were available in Bahaullah’s holy court to require an executor for division.”
Again in Abdul Baha’s Will & Testament, the Bahai World 1926-1928, P. 86 and P. 87, Bahaullah is designated as “the Supreme Manifestation of God and the Day-spring of His Divine Essence”, and “the Hands of the Cause of God”, are commanded to be, at all times, and under all conditions, sanctified and detached from earthy things”.
Confronted with the document of conveyance, Baha’s claim that he owned no earthly things rings fake. Confronted with the document of conveyance, Abdul Baha’s version of the grant in the memorials and Abdul Baha’s commandment to Bahais “to eschew “earthly things”, from which “the supreme manifestation of god”, himself was not “sanctified and detached”, stands hypocritical and hollow.
Fortunately and by the merest accident, the document of conveyance survived destruction at the hands of the Bahai hierarchy and sees the light of day for the first time.
There appears to be nothing wrong or objectionable in the grant itself, it is the deliberate misrepresentation of facts and the Bahai hierarchy’s “mammonism”, to quote Avareh in his Kashf-al-Hiyal (The Uncovering of Deceptions), P. 130, Vol. I, 6th impression, which the document of conveyance brings into bold relief.