The Baha’is claim that Sheikh Morteza Ansari who was one of the greatest scholars of Shia and contemporary to Hussein Ali Nouri hasn’t excommunicated him and hasn’t criticized him at all.
Answer: Narrated by Sheikh Ansari’s pupil, Hajji Mirza Nasrullah Torab Dezfouli was even careful about Seyyed Kazem Rashti and didn’t consider him as merited for faking possession of Imam’s property.[1] Hajji Mullah Ali Kani, the influential jurisconsult of Tehran living in Naseruddin Shah’s era, was considered as one the firm opponents of Bab.
Hajji Mullah Hadi Sabzevari, famous Shia sage living in Naseruddin Shah’s era, has considered Sheikh Ahmad Ehsaee’s knowledge rank as inferior. When a person like Ehsaee is considered as inferior according to sage Sabzevari, Bab and Azal’s conditions are clear and obvious![2]
Seyyed Ahmad Mousavi Madadi writes in book Bab’s sedition that it was considered as the greatest social event. Late Sheikh Ansari didn’t show any reaction. I myself have heard orally that he considered the movement as a directed political game by the court.[3]
The scholar who issued the verdict for the excommunication of Mirza Hussein Ali Nouri and the necessity for killing Babism and Baha’ism followers were mostly of Sheikh Ansari’s school.
Mirza Hussein Ali Nouri was pretending to be Muslim. So, since his residence in Baqdad to earlier period living in Acre he didn’t consider himself as the one who God will manifest and was trying not to perk himself to be out of Islam circle and he was performing Islamic rituals in Acre.[4]
Shoqi said: many Muslims participated at his funeral reciting the holy Quran verses and Haifa Mufti gave a speech there.[5]
In the last days of Abdul Baha’s lifetime, he pretended to be Muslim like his father, Hussein Ali Baha. He was going to mosque to pray in group and he didn’t quit it till two days before his death.[6]
In his books, Sheikh Ansari has declared clearly that the rejecter of prayer, and the fifth and the physical resurrection as pagan and unclean. For this reason, it is impossible for Hussein Ali Nouri to pose his claims in the presence of Sheikh Ansari. Surely, he has pretended to be oppressed and absolved himself for the fear of Sheikh’s verdict for his excommunication.
Sometimes, the scholars weren’t participating at such games due to political reasons. Because, they assume as a kind of game by the arrogance. For instance, Imam Khomeini (P.H.) had advised his son Hajji Ahmad Agha (P.H.). “Don’t enter into differences between the scholars and the pulpit concerning books or other things.[7]”
Imam Khomeini (P.H.) considered this issue as a kind of game by the arrogance like Fishing in troubled water.
It seems Sheikh Ansari’s view towards Bab’ism and Baha’ism resembles Imam’s one concerning this issue that both of them are from arrogance to plunder the Islamic countries particularly if Hussein Ali Nouri told lies and absolved himself.
[۱] Ansari, 1369, Vol. 3, pp. 109-110.
[۲] Rowhani, 1386.
[۳] Mousavi Madadi, 1371, p. 15.
[۴] Kasrawi, 1323, pp. 60-62.
[۵] Great Islamic Encychlopedia, 1381, Vol. 11, p. 118.
[۶] Mohtadi, 1344, pp. 151-230.
[۷] Sahifeh, Imam Khomeini (P.H.), Vol. 3, p. 18.
