Hájí Muhammad-Ibrahim-i-Muballigh

Hájí Muhammad-Ibrahim-i-Muballigh

Hájí Muhammad-Ibrahim, granted the title Muballigh by Bahá’u’lláh, was an early Persian Bahá’í.

Biography

Muballigh's father was 'Abdu'r-Rasul who was a merchant of Jewish descent from Shiraz who had converted to Islam. In his professional career he also became a merchant. He had a sister, Hájíyyih Bíbí Gawhar, who was married to Khál Asghar the youngest Uncle of the Báb. In approximately 1863 he became a Bábí while residing in Yazd and later became a Bahá’í.

In approximately 1867 Muballigh relocated to Shiraz from Yazd where he met with members of the Afnán family convincing them of the Báb's claims. He remained in Shiraz for an extended period and received a Tablet from Bahá’u’lláh while living in the city answering questions he had regarding a Tablet of the Báb. His presence in Shiraz and promotion of the Bábí Faith became widely known and the Islamic clergy decided to take action against him prompting him to return to Yazd in around 1868. After returning to Yazd he met with members of the Afnán family in that city teaching them about the claims of Bahá’u’lláh resulting in Afnán-i-Kabír and his sons becoming Bahá’ís.

Muballigh's activities promoting the Bahá’í Faith resulted in a fatwá of death being declared against him by the Islamic clergy in the late 1860's and he fled Iran going to Akka. After a brief time in the Holy Land he moved to Bombay in India where he was able to work as a merchant. He actively taught the Bahá’í Faith while living in Bombay alongside some other Bahá’ís living in the city.

After living in Bombay for eleven years Muballigh returned to Yazd.