Scandal in Debates
According to the historical documents, Bab directly debated with his contemporary scholars in Shiraz, Isfahan and Tabriz. After failure, he turned to asking for forgiveness and denial; as confessed by Hussein Yazdi- the writer and assistant of Bab- Ali Muhammad Bab denies all of his claims on pulpit of Vakil mosque, Shiraz in the presence of scholars and people and says specified by Nabil Zarandi, the Baha’i known writer: Damn on whom he/she calls me the gate for Imam.” [1]
After that he turned against his claims for Babism and being the deputy for Imam of the Time (May God hasten his reappearance) after specifying the eternality of Islamic commandments. In Isfahan, Bab evaded answering the scientific questions of the scholars of Isfahan![2]
Bab’s debate with Nezam Al-Olama in the meeting with Naveruddin Mirza’s prince which ended in the superficial repentance of Bab:
Nezamul Olama:… state your claim in the presence of the scholars of Islam for confirmation or denial. Although I am not of science and out of purpose, my confirmation will be useful. I have three questions to ask you:
– Are these books written on the basis of tradition, the holy Quran and incantation published across Iran from you or not? Have they compiled by you or attributed to you?
Bab: They are from God.
Nezamul Olama: I am ill-educated. If they are from you, say yes otherwise say no.
Bab: They are from me.
Nezamul Olama: You said they were from God. What did you mean. Do you mean you resemble Tour tree?
Bab: It is admissible for a tree to say I am right. Why isn’t admissible to be said by a lucky person.
Nesamul Olama: Were all those voices from the king?
Bab: Mercy on you. It is so.
Nezamul Olama: You are called Bab/ the gate. Who, when and where were you called so? What’s the meaning of Bab? Are you satisfied with this name or not?
Bab: This name has been given to me by God.
Nezamul Olama: Where? In Kaaba, Jerusalem or Baitul Ma’mour?
Bab: It is a divine name everywhere.
Nezamul Olama: Of course, you are satisfied. What’s the meaning of Bab?
Bab: Muhammad Ibn Abdullah said: I am the city of science and Ali is its gate.
Nezamul Olama: Are you the gate for the science City?
Bab: Yes.
Nezamul Olama: Thanks God. It is forty years, I am walking to serve one of the gates, but it was impossible. Now, thanks God, he came to me in my land. Let me serve you.
Bab: As if, you are Hajj Mullah Mahmoud?
Nezamul olama: Yes.
Bab: You have a great dignity. You should be given a great post.
Nezamul Olama: I have just it. It is enough for me.
Prince: We submit this office to you who are the gate.
Nezamul Olama: Narrated by the holy prophet or another sage: In body science, it is asked what’s happened in stomach that indigestion- is happened for a person?
Bab: I haven’t studied medicine.
Prince: However, you are the gate for sciences and you are saying. I haven’t studied medicine! It is contradictory with your claim.
Nezamul Olama: It isn’t matter. Are listening and the power of eyesight personage or not?
Bab: Personage.
Nezamul Olama: So, God becomes numerous and compound. Personage and science are two things.
Bab: I haven’t studied wisdom
Nezamul Olama: What’s the meaning of this tradition:
لعن الله العيون الثلاثة فانها ظلمت عيناً واحداً
Bab: I don’t Know
Nezamul Olama: What should a person do when he/she is doubtful to perform two units of prayer or three?
Bab: He/she must assume it two.
Mullah Muhammad Mamaghani: O’ irreligious! You don’t know doubts in prayer, while you are claiming for being the gate!
Bab: He/she must assume it three.
Mullah Muhammad Mamaghani: If it is not two, it will be three.
Alamul Hoda: God has said in the holy Quran that one fifth of the property must be paid in God’s path, but you have said one-third! Why?
Bab: One third is the half of one-fifth. It isn’t different. (Everybody laughed)
Nezamul Olama: His Majesty is afflicted gout. What should he do to be cured?
Bab: I don’t know.
Bab: I am the one for whom you are waiting one thousand years.
Nezamul Olama: That is, you are Imam of the Time?
Bab: Yes.
Nezamul Olama: His name is Muhammad Ibn Hassan and his mother’s name is Narjes, but your name is Ali Muhammad and your father and mother’s name are another one. That Excellency’s residing place is Samara, but yours is Shiraz. He is more than one thousand years, but you are less than forty years of age. I haven’t sent you.
Bab: Are you claiming for divinity?
Nezamul Olama: Such an Imam wants a god like me!
So, Bab failed ludicrously debating with the scholars. Then, he wrote a letter of repentance and turned against all of his claims.
Bab’s letter of repentance
The original copy of Bab’s letter of repentance is existent in the library of the Islamic council parliament. Confessed by Fadhlullah Mohtadi- the secretary and writer of Abbas Effendi who turned against Bahaism later on-Babis and Baha’is didn’t want it to be dispersed among people in order for people not to know that Seyyed Bas has turned against his words and statements[3] “ and for this reason, they have always tried to steal the original document using various methods to vanish it.[4]
So, Ali Muhammad Shirazi denied all of his claims like the other false prophets by a single trivial punishment. An issue which hasn’t been existent in the divine prophets’ methods of life at all. This is a clear reason for the falsehood of Bab’s claims.
Source:
Mehdi pour, the doubts about Mahdism in our periods of time, (a criticism on Bahaism), pp.32-41.
[۱] In this regard refer to the Baha’i sources: The summary of Nabil Zarandi’s history, translated by Ishraq Khawari, the national assembly of the faith works, Tehran 1325 S.H., – 1329, p. 103; Badi’a, p.138.
[۲] Jem magazine, year: 5, No. 7, Mehr 1356 S.H., p. 501 on, Master Mohit’s article, about Bab and the scholars of Isfahan, and criticizing statements of Baha’i sources.
[۳] Documents about Bahaism (second volume of Sobhi’s memoirs), printed by Seyyed Hadi Khorramshahi, p.97
[۴] Refer to the book “the Baha’s”, previous, p.224
