The Appointment of Mirza Yahya
Following the martyrdom of the Bab in 1850, the nascent Babi community was left leaderless and scattered. To comprehend the schism that would soon irrevocably tear the movement apart, one must first examine the initial, ostensibly cooperative relationship between the two most prominent figures to emerge from the chaos: the half-brothers Mirza Husayn-'Ali (later Baha'u'llah) and Mirza Yahya. In the immediate aftermath, it was to the younger Mirza Yahya that many Babis looked for guidance. He was installed as the nominal head of the community, bearing the august title Subh-i-Azal, or “Morn of Eternity.” Crucially, the historical record indicates that this very title was conferred upon him by the Bab not independently, but specifically at Baha'u'llah's suggestion—a fact that makes his subsequent campaign to systematically dismantle Yahya's authority all the more striking. This calculated act of deference by the elder, more influential Baha'u'llah positioned him as a magnanimous supporter while placing his younger, less capable half-brother in a role he was seemingly destined to fail. This initial arrangement, however, was less a gesture of fraternal loyalty than a strategic maneuver, establishing a façade of continuity that would soon crumble under the weight of Baha'u'llah's own burgeoning ambition and his rival's perceived inadequacies.
Baha'u'llah's Grief and Yahya's Jealousy
During their shared exile in Baghdad, this fragile fraternity began to fracture under the weight of personal rivalry and competing claims to authority. The writings from this period reveal that Baha'u'llah was consumed by a profound sadness, a state he attributed to two primary causes: the deteriorating moral condition of the Babi community and, more pointedly, "the clandestine but increasing opposition of His half-brother Mirza Yahya, 'Subh-i-Azal'."
A pivotal event that crystallized this animosity involved a Babi seeker named Haji Mirza Kamal al-Din Naraqi. Dissatisfied with a commentary provided by Mirza Yahya, Naraqi approached Baha'u'llah with the same query. In response, Baha'u'llah seized the opportunity to reveal the "Tablet of All Food," a work of such spiritual potency that Naraqi was instantly won over to his faction. This public display of intellectual and spiritual superiority served not only to impress the seeker but to "further inflame the jealousy of Mirza Yahya." The incident starkly contrasted the two half-brothers: while Mirza Yahya "hid from everyone in fear," producing "words and writings...devoid of any light," Baha'u'llah was actively demonstrating the spiritual authority necessary to command a following and undermine his brother's standing. The seeds of discord, sown in jealousy and perceived inadequacy, were beginning to bear the bitter fruit of outright condemnation.
Accusation and Rejection
The culmination of this animosity is laid bare in the visceral text of the "Tablet of All Food" itself. The finality of this break is rendered all the more severe when recalling that the target of this visceral condemnation was the very man Baha'u'llah himself had first proposed as the community's leader. In the tablet, Baha'u'llah moves from veiled allusions to a direct and shocking denunciation of his rival. The most severe accusation is a startling one:
"And You know that a son of adultery willfully desired to shed My blood."
This accusation, attacking not only his rival's actions but his very parentage, is followed by an unequivocal rejection of any allegiance to the man Baha'u'llah had once promoted. He declares with absolute finality:
"Nay, by the presence of Thy Might! I do not pledge allegiance unto him, either in secret or publicly."
With these words, the unraveling was complete. The relationship had devolved from a strategic, if disingenuous, alliance to open warfare. Mirza Yahya, once the installed "Morn of Eternity," was recast as a would-be murderer of illegitimate birth, a condemned enemy whose authority was utterly and publicly repudiated.
Questions for Reflection
This historical record of internecine conflict, culminating in accusations of attempted murder and illegitimate birth, sits uneasily with the hagiographic accounts of Baha'u'llah's divine station. The evidence demands a critical interrogation of the man's character and the nature of his claims:
- On Divine Character: How can the use of an insult like "son of adultery", a term attacking another's parentage, be reconciled with the station of a Divine Manifestation meant to embody perfect character and elevate humanity?
- On Leadership and Ambition: Given that Baha'u'llah himself suggested the title for Mirza Yahya, does his later campaign against him suggest a change of divine will, or does it point to a more human struggle for power and leadership within the Babi community?
- On Prophetic Fulfillment: If Baha'u'llah's claim as "Him Whom God shall make manifest" was self-evident, as he suggests in the Tablet, why was it necessary to engage in such personal and severe condemnation of a rival rather than allowing the power of his own revelation to suffice?
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