The two Factions of Babism - The Baha'is and The Azalis

The Baha'is
Baha'is are those who believe that the Promised of Bayan (i.e. He Whom God Shall Make Manifest) who according to Bayan is to appear after 1511 to 2001 Bayani years was Mirza Hussayn Ali Nuri commonly known as Baha or Baha’u’llah who claimed the office of the promised of Bayan when Bayan was at its infancy.

Given the description provided under ‘Babi’ here, Baha'is correctly no longer identify themselves as Babis.
To Bayanis, Bahaism is a diversionary offshoot of the Bayani faith.


The Baha'i Community (1910)

The Azalis Generally, historians have referred to those followers of the Bab who rejected the claims of Mirza Husayn Ali Nuri and followed the Bab's successor Mirza Yahya Nuri (entitled Subh-i Azal) as Azalis.

This naming was mainly used to make a distinction between what they called two factions of Babis (i.e. Azalis and Baha'is).

It also suited the Baha'i purpose, as it would hide away the relationship between Bayanis and the Bab. In fact this is how Baha'is refer to Bayanis even though Aqdas (the Baha'i principal book) uses same term that was used in Persian Bayan i.e. People of Bayan (or Bayanis).

The term Azali may also imply that Subh-i Azal had a claim of his own and that perhaps he was the author of new teachings which is incorrect. In essence, Bayanis need not be re-labelled. The term Bayani fully and uniquely identifies them and qualifies their belief. In summary, there is no such thing as Azali as all Azalis are Bayanis and all Bayanis are Azalis.