Whi is who: Nabil

Nabil’s full name was "Yar-Muhammad son of Gulam Ali, son of Hussayn-i-Arab of the village of Zarand, a shepherd by profession." The Dawn Breakers, Nabil's Narrative, P. 434. He was commonly known as Mirza Muhamad Nabil of Zarand, the tongue-tied.

Nabil was Baha's poet – Laureate. Materials for the Study of BءBi Religion by Prof. Browne, P.346; PP. 353-351. Nabil was Baha's historian, He wrote Nabil's Narrative, which carries the history of the BءBi movement. up to the death of Baha. at Acre in 1892. Shoghi Effendi translated the first half of the narrative closing with the expulsion of Baha from Iran. For reasons not far to seek, Shoghi Effendi did not translate the second half of the work, covering the first half of the work, covering the Baghdad and Edirne periods of the BءBi exiles.- Shoghi Effendi’s introduction to the Dawn Breakers, Nabil's Narrative, P. xxxvii.

Nabil's words exist only in manuscript and are not available. In acknowledgment of his services Nabil was surnamed by Baha the Most Great Noble (نبیل اعظم). The Dawn Breakers - Nabil's Narrative, Index P. 684.

If Shoghi Effendi is to be credited, Nabil ranked twelfth amongst the apostles of Baha. - The Bahai World, 1928-1930, Vol II PP. 80-91.

According to Nabil, during Sir Abbas Effendi term of office the situation at Acre in so far as the Bahais inter se were concerned had become intolerable.-

A Bahai was reburied by Sir Abbas Effendi
(a) to acknowledge the paramountcy of Sir Abbas Effendi over Baha;
(b) to regard Baha's sacred texts as corrupt; and
(c) vilify and excommunicate Baha's surviving wife BiBi Fatima surnamed Supreme cradle (مهد علیا) by Baha, Sir Abbas Effendi’s half brothers, and other members of the Baha's family, failing which he was accounted a violator (ناقض) of the covenant, and a vacillator (متزلزل).- Baha's youngest son Mirza Badiullah memoirs[1]; Materials for the Study of BABi Religion by Prof. Browne, PP.80 - 80 – 81) P.111.

Apparently Nabil would not submit to the new order and when his request to transfer his residence from Acre to Haifa was turned down by Sir Abbas Effendi, he had no other choice but to take his own life with his own hands.- memoirs:

One year after Baha’s death, Nabil visited Bahaullah in Haifa. He was distressed. Nabil said to Badiullah: “I can no longer stay at Acre. The situation there has deteriorated. By dint of violence, abusive language and cursing, one has to act against his own faith, has to regard and hold the Most Mighty Branch [Ghusn-i Azam, i.e. Abdul Baha Abbas] superior in station to the Blessed Beauty [Janab-i Mubarak, i.e. Baha] has to write corrupted [versions of] all the holly writings and epistles, and has to vilify and excommunicate [Baha’s] sons, [Baha’s] words and [Baha’s] family [i.e. all the members of Baha’s household in opposition to Abdul Baha Abbas], failing which one is branded as covenant-breaker [Naqiz] or Vacillator [Mutezalzil, i.e. opposed to Abdul Baha Abbas and partisan of Muhammad Ali] and becomes the object of untold calumnies and falsehoods.” Nabil requested Badiullah to find him a suitable room at the foot of Mount Carmel.

The text sums as follows:

مذکرات ابن البهاء
بدیع الله

یکروز جناب نبیل اعظم زرندی معروف به حیفا آمدند، از صعود (Baha's death) یکسال گذشته بود بسیار دلتنگ بودند گفتند نمیتوانم در عکا بمانم وضع بسیار بد است. باید انسان به زور و فحش و لعن مخالف اعتقادش قائل شود و غصن اعظم (Abbas Effendi) را فوق جمال مبارک بداند و بگوید و بنویسد همة نوشتجات و الواح مقدسه منحرف و اغصان و حرم و آل را قدح و تکفیر نماید و الاّ ناقض ومتزلزل است و مورد هزار افترا و کذب.

یک اطاق در دامنه کوه کرمل برای من بگیرید میخواهم بقیه عمر را تنها در دامنة این جبل مبارک به سر برم.

گفتم حاضر است.

[1] Mirza Badiullah memoirs will be published in near future on this site.

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