The Babis’ narration about Babism movement shows us that must of the followers of Sheikh Ahmad Ehsaee and Seyyed Kazem Rashti were based on the teachings of Sheikh Ahmad (The founder of the thought and movement of Sheikism in Iran) and Seyyed Kazem Rashti’s predictions in the years ended in 1260 A.H. and were waiting for the emergence of the twelfth Imam.

By starting Bab’s invitation, many Sheikism followers joined him and Babism movement started in Iran. In his first book called “Qayyomul Asma’” whose other name is “the interpretation of Yosof chapter”, Bab teaches his followers based on which they start their riot to overthrow Qajar dynasty and to establish Bayan creed kingdom in order to provide the facilities for the emergence of the twelfth Imam and to create his government. Consequently; by starting Bab’s invitation, both Qajar dynasty and the Islamic scholars encountered it.

Babi’s riot

In the mid 1260 to 1265 three great wars happened between the Babis and their opponents in Mazandaran, Zanjan and Neyriz. When king Naseruddin gained power, Amir the great decided for the trial and execution of Bab. The general invitation of Bab to Imam of the Time and providing opportunity for his emergence continued by the year 1264.however; after this year, Bab announced for the abolishment of the religion of Islam and introduced himself as the prophet of a new religion and the one whom God will manifest. Those beliefs were contrary to the Islamic ones. It caused several of his followers to leave him, but some remained with him and accepted his creed as a new one.

At the end of his lifetime, Bab ordered the Babis to obey a 19-year-old young man called Mirza Yahya Nouri known as Sobhi Azal. Bab believed that Yahya is the next one who God will manifest. According to Babi literature and Bab’s promise in the book “Bayan”, the one whom God will manifest will happen between 1450 to 2004 years after Bab’s death. After Bab’s death, Sobhi Azal’s elder brother called Mirza Hussein Ali Nouri Bahaullah claimed for the one who God will manifest and most of the Babis joined him and the Baha’ism creed was created. This event caused differences between Azalis and the Baha’is.

The Babis failed debating with the Shia scholars

After the general announcement, Bab failed encountering with the Shia scholars. He debated them and failed. After him, the martyrs of Bayan and also the Baha’i claimants debated with the Shia scholars and dialed continually. According to the book Bayan, the Babism leader are divided as follows:

“The sun of reality“ that is the Bab himself is the head of the creed. Bab announced 14 mirrors would come to the time when the one who God will manifest emerges after his death. The first mirror was Sobhi Azal. The lower stage after the sun of reality are the martyrs of Bayan. The martyrs of Bayan are the Babi scholars who are authorized on people’s lives extensively.

The extensive invitation of Bab to Imam of the Time and providing facilities for his emergence continued by 1264. However; after this year, Bab announced that the Islamic religious law has been abolished and he introduced himself as the new prophet and the source of the one whom God will manifest. Bab’s dialogues with the Islamic scholars and clergymen have been published in a book by Hassan Morselvand and other debates have been published in the historical sources, too. Nevertheless, one of the debates which is really important due to the entrance of debaters into the philosophical issues is the debate between Sheikh Ibrahim Zanjani with Mira Narqa, the important claimant of Baha’ism. The summary of the debate is being presented to the readers from the book “the memoirs of Sheikh Ibrahim Zanjani”

Who was Sheikh Ibrahim Zanjani?

Sheikh Ibrahim Zanjani was the offspring of Sheikh Hadi Khamsei who was born in and died in 1314. He was one of the virtuous thinkers of Zanjan city and of the liberals during the Constitutional periods. He was elected as the representative of Zanjan city during the first Parliament and the representative of Tabriz city during the second parliament and the representative of Zanjan city during the third and forth parliament.

Zanjan was fond of novels such as “three gunmen”, “The Count of Monte Cristo” both written by Elexander Dumas and “The travelogue of Ibrahim Beik” by Zeinul Abedin Maraqehi. A dark point of his life was taking over the responsibility of a court where was formed for Sheikh Fadhlullah Nouri after the victory of the constitutionalists over the minor tyranny of Muhammad Ali Shah. In this court, a verdict was issued to sentence the Sheikh.

About Mirza Varqa, the claimant of Baha’ism

Mirza Varqa was the offspring of Mullah Mehdi Yazdi (of Babi and Baha’i origin). Abbas Effendi has praised him and his descendants in his sermons very much. He has exaggerated to praise Mirza’s son called Valiullah Khan Varqa and has cherished Mira Varqa’s father, Paternal uncle and forefather over and over. In general, Hussein Ali Nouri, Bahaullah, and Abbas Effendi were specially in love with him, and issued many tablets in his honor.

Mirza Varqa was Hajji Mirza Abdullah Khan Nouri’s bridegroom. Mirza’s wife was a virtue Shia believer. So, she was extremely against Baha’ism creed and her husband and Hajji Mirza Mousa Theqqatul Islam supported her. Consequently, Mirza divorced her inevitably and remarried with another woman from the Babis.

Due to proselytizing for Baha’ism in Yazd city in 1300 A.H. Varqa was arrested and imprisoned for a year in Yazd city. Then, he was transferred to Isfahan prison. After Baha’s death, Mirza Varqa came to Acre along with his two sons, Azizullah and Rouhullah and lives with Abbas Effendi for a while there. Then, he was ordered to proselytize in Iran.

In 1312 A.H., he entered into Zanjan city from Caucasus and proselytized for Baha’ism there. Alaudduleh, Zanjan ruler arrested him and made him debate with Sheikh Ibrahim Zanjani in governor’s seat where many wealthy people of the city had been gathered.

In that debate, Zanjani condemned Mirza Varqa and wrote a book called “Rajm al-Dajjal Fi Radd Bab al-Dhalal” to criticize and reject Babism and Baha’ism creeds. The triumphant debate of Sheikh with Mirza Varqa was dangerous for him because the center of Baha’ism ordered him to be assassinated.

After the debate, Mirza Varqa and his son Ruhullah were arrested and imprisoned. Although they weren’t going to be executed, but after Naseruddin Shah’s assassination by Mirza Reza Kermani, Mirza Varqa and his son were executed, too.

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It is continued