Pargar program BBC Farsi TV. was the one which was challenging held each week with thought oriented topics in which pundits were present. It claimed for trying to investigate the topics independently. If you are following debates about Bahaism, you will be aware of the debate between Mrs. Mina Yazdani and Mr. Dr. Majid Tafreshi. This dialogue caused various reactions of contemporary Muslim thinkers and historians and some famous people in the Baha’i community entitled the character and influence of Tahireh Qorratul Ein (Zarrin Tayj Qazvini) in Babism history. The following is the investigation of some questions and reactions concerning Qurratul Ein’s character.
Dr. Majid Tafreshi’s attention over this note that Qorratul Ein’s death had been happened before Bahaullah’s claim and she had existed based on Bab’s creed and believed in Bab’s teachings and died on that creed is really important. Separating Babis and their beliefs from Bahaism is a really important and crucial issue in two aspects: The Baha’is aren’t the mere people who are admiring Bab and his followers, but Azalis who are Bahaism’s enemies consider Bab and his followers such as Qorratul Ein as belong to themselves and can’t stand confascating Bab and the Babis by the Baha’is. The issue pointed out by Dr. Tafreshi and caused Mina Yazdani to be excited to such an extent that she wanted to reject all Azalis’ published works and the differences between Bab and Bahaullah’s teachings and beliefs at least in appearance are very much and can’t be hidden. Some measures by Qorratul Ein such as discovering mask can’t be praised or can’t be spoken about cos it is conformable with the current Baha’i creed teachings and she is introduced as the model of the Iranian woman. The violent background of Qorratul Ein’s behavior and beliefs must be pointed out.
Concerning Tahireh’s thoughts, the most suitable historical source is the one Learned by Tahireh. According to history, she had taught these learnings to others. What caused her to believe in Bab is the interpretation of Yosof chapter (Golpaygani, Kashful Qita’; Muhammad Husseini, the Excel Excellency Tahireh, p. 189).
The following is some violent sentence by Bab written in this book to be discovered that the early followers of Bab including Qorratul Ein was going to prove their beliefs’ legitimacy and what their course was to achieve their goal.
The Babis and Qorratul Ein believed that according to Bab’s order: “The punishment of those who turned against Bab and cursed him is to be killed. Because the consequence of turning against the divine word and Bab who is a young Arabic man is execution and to be killed by sword.”
Bab writes:”
“و انّا نحن ان شاءالله فی یوم الذّکر لننزّل علی سرآئر حمرآء و نقتّلکم باذن الله باسیافنا علی الحقّ کما تکفرون و تعرضون عن کلمتنا الاکبر هذا الفتی العربیّ الّذی قد کان فی امّ الکتاب علیّا حکیماً”
“God willing, we will be sent down in the remembrance day and will fight against you on red throne allowed by God with our swords. Because you cursed and turned against this young Arabic man” (Qayyoum al-Asma’, Eshareh Surrah: 34).
It can’t be accepted that Qorratul Ein has been the preacher and proselytizer of a book having such quibs while she is indifferent with buying weapons or exercising violence. Her using sword was also paid attention by Darius Karimi, the announcer of Pargar program where he said calling Tahireh as radical possibly narrated by the history of Nabil: “In Badasht, when Tahireh entered into the room, she was carrying a sword. As a matter of fact, she is the symbol of drawing sword and violence.” Of course, this adventure hasn’t been narrated in such a manner in Nabil history, but a similar narration can be seen on pages 325 and 326 of part three of the book “the history of right emergence written by Baha’i proselytizer Fadhel Mazandarani as follows: “During Badasht days, the Excellency Qoddus expanded prayer carpet for prayer. He was praying with extreme ceremonies, spirituality, taking refuge, closeness and mentioning. Suddenly at that time, the Excellency Tahireh appeared carrying sword and said fluently, bravely and powerfully: “Finish it because mentioning and praying and praying carpet are expired. You must be re ready in love and loyalty field… Also; one day, she was riding a horse unveiling and going out of her garden wearing cashmere poncho sent by the Blessed Beauty and said:
اَینَ سَعیدُ العُلَماءِ وَ اَتباعَهُ؟””
Where is Saeed-Al-Olama and his followers? All of them answered: “They were died.” She said again:
اَینَ اَشقَی الاَشقِیاءِ وَ اَشیاعَهُ؟””
They answered: All of them were died.
It can be seen that not only Qorratul Ein believed in Bab’s works, buying and carrying weapon and being prepared for fighting and killing opponents, but also she was telling intriguing words for Babis to kill Saeed al Olama Mazandarani due to his opposition against Bab.
The first note which is important in this part of Qayyoumul Asma is that in this chapter and subsequent one, Bab is repeatedly calling his followers to kill his opponents. An issue which can be embedded to his follow like Qorratul Ein.
The second note in this part is that Bab has written these statements inspired by the verses 65 & 66 of Anfal Surah. In these verses, the holy Quran encourages Muslims to fight against the atheists.
It is narrated that when Mullah Yahya Darabi, the head of Babis in the interior war of Neyriz was speaking about Bab’s teachings, Tahireh suddenly became excited and said: O’ Yahya, it isn’t the proper time for narration. It is the time for clear verses and perseverance… It is the time for being sacrificed in God’s path… (Noqabaee, Tahireh Qorratul Ein, p. 23, Tazkaratul Vafa, p.306).
Undoubtedly, Bab was going to settle Mahdism thought in Shia using the military triumph and according to Islamic tradition, he was going to dominate various lands as long as he could to remind the victorious banner of Mahdi Islamic traditions.
Qorratul Ein’s violent beliefs and Bab’s commandments can’t be searched just in Qayyumul Asma statements. According to Baha’i leaders and proselytizers, Bab’s commandments were violent and disgusting and couldn’t be accomplished. For this reason, Baha’ism pride is that Bahaullah abolished these commandments and omitted Jihad’s (the holy war) verdict and replaced the general peace and the oneness of humane world instead of murder and plundering in Babism beliefs. Of course; at that time, Qurratul Ein had died and couldn’t agree or disagree with Bahaullah’s copy for humanity. However, the following two documents can distinct the difference in the view of previous leaders and proselytizers of Baha’ism with Mrs. Mina Yazdani’s one for Qorratul Ein’s beliefs and behaviors to be peaceful:
۱) The Excellency Abbas Effendi writes in one of his letters: “And in the day of the Excellency the highest, the Bayan is figured out, those who are disbelievers of Bayan are beheaded and massacred, the books are made fire and tombs are destroyed, but in these new periods of time and great century, the base of God’s religion, and the issue of God’s religious rule is the greatest affection, the greatest mercy and kindness will all nations and being loyal and trustful and kind with all tribes and announcing the oneness of humane world.” (Abdul Baha, Makatib, vol. 2, p. 266).
۲) The materials written by Abul Fadhl Golpaygani in the book Kashful Qita’ answering Edward Browne. This Baha’i proselytizer writes in this book: “Does Mr. Browne want Bahaullah to issue a verdict for making all books fire like Bab? Does Mr. Browne want Bahaullah to destroy all statues, synagogues, mosques, tombs, Mecca and Jerusalem like Bab?… Does the basis of current civilization in which the call of peace is arisen from the regions and borders proceed by these teachings? We Baha’is say it is advisable for these commandments to be changed and destroying tombs, cursing and killing people are replaced by peace and loyalty, isn’t it better?
These documents indicate that contrary to Mrs. Yazdani’s view, Bab, Qorratul Ein and other Babis believed in radical and violent behaviors which were not even acceptable to Abbas Effendi and proselytizers like Golpaygani. It needs impartial research for Mrs. Yazdani to pay attention to these sources and documents and to investigate historical facts rather than read the Baha’i history expected by her.
One of the other notes of this TV. debate which was posed by Dr. Tafreshi, but Mrs. Dr. Yazdani preferred passing it was the reason for Tahireh to unveil in Badasht event. Dr. Tafreshi pointed out that Badasht was formed aiming the abolition of Islam by Bahaullah and Tahireh’s unveiling wasn’t done to be the model for women freedom. According to Dr. Tafreshi, Tahireh unveiled to abolish Islam as she opposed praying by Qoddous. She asked him to set prayer carpet aside (Fadhel Mazandarani, the history of the emergence of right, vol.3, p. 325).
The opposition of Mullah Hussein Boshrouyee and Mullah Muhammad Ali Bar Foroushi entitled Qoddous was more serious than a superficial one. According to them, Bab was the forth pillar and the gate for the Excellency Mahdi (P.H.). They didn’t believe in the abolition of Islam.
Bahaullah was originally from Mazandaran, Noor. At the time of the event, he was living in Mazandaran. The Baha’i sources report about his meeting with Mullah Hussein and Qoddous before Tabarsi fort battle. The main director of Badasht were Bahaullah and Tahireh. So, the more exact analysis of history must be reviewed based on the separation of Goddous from Qorratul Ein and Bahaullah and joining with Mullah Hussein.
According to a believed Baha’i such as Mrs. Dr. Yazdani who loves to read history based on her ideology, Mirza Yahya Sobhi Azal is a dark character which no positive characteristic can be attributed to him because after Bahaullah’s claim, he didn’t accept and confronted him. The result of this belief and thought is that all services of Azal for development of Babism must be censored and all of his narrations about the history of Babism aren’t acceptable for the Baha’is. However, the fact is that Azal and Bahaullah were two brothers who cooperated and helped each other very much when they were present in Iran. They were both the disciples of Bab and tried to proceed his creed. The separation of Azal and Bahaullah refer to the years when they were in Baghdad. During Tahireh’s period of time, their relationships were so good. So, it is expected for Tahireh to praise both two brothers.
Bahaullah view towards Tahireh:
As you know Bahaullah was of the followers of Bab and was of Tahireh companions in Badasht event. He was proselytizing for Bab’s creed, but later on, he called the followers of Bab as the earth fierce animals who are acting by sharp swords instead of nice deed and speech. According to Bahaullah, Bab’s followers’ thoughts including Tahireh were petrified.
When Tahireh turned to Bab’s creed in Karbala, she celebrated Bab’s birthday and wore colorful cloths instead of mourning for Imam Hussein (P.H.) in the first day of the lunar month of Moharram, because Bab has born at that date. (Muhammad Husseini, the Excellency Tahireh, p.p.190-191).
Bahaullah writes about this behavior of Tahireh: “The first sedition emerged in Iraq because the first day of Moharram is the time for sadness. So, this action was malice. (The heavenly food, vol. 8, p. 186).
This document indicates that according to Bahaullah that action was false and seditious.
Abdul Baha’s view about Tahireh:
In a part of Kashful Qita’, Golpaygani considers Tahireh’s belief all burning non-Babi books and destroying all statues and artistic works. (Kashful Qita’, pp. 367-368).
In the book Makatib by Abdul Baha, Bab’s school obeyed by Tahireh has been introduced as bloodthirsty. (Abdul Baha, Makatib, vol. 2, p.266).
Conclusion:
It is good for dear Baha’s to be present with impartial researchers and paying attention to documents and absolute historical facts because everybody knows that what is right is based on science and wisdom and right can’t be covered and hidden.
As mentioned above, the attribution of ISIS thought isn’t limited according to the statements of. Mr. Tafreshi and Bahaullah and Abdul Baha have repeatedly described the followers of Bab including Tahireh so. Preaching violence and ordering for the holy war have been ordered by Bab to the Babis including Bahaullah contrary to the statements of Mrs. Yazdani and Bahaullah has tried hard to obey Bab’s order based on the historical documents.
First part of my speech was started by the statements of Mrs. Yazdani to know Tahireh and the end of it will be finished by a statement by Mr. Tafreshi as follows: “The important note here is generalization of being oppressed to rightfulness.” That is, if a person is oppressed, his/her creed and beliefs won’t be right and correct.
