Mírzá Músá

Áqáy-i-Kalím
Died	1887 ‘Akka, Israel
Media

Mírzá Músá (Arabic: میرزا موسى), also known by the title Áqáy-i-Kalím, (d. 1887) was the only full brother of Bahá’u’lláh. He served his brother in various capacities including attending to the logistics of travel during His exiles and meeting with public officials on His behalf. Shoghi Effendi named him one of the nineteen Apostles of Bahá’u’lláh.

Biography

Life in Persia

Músá was the son of prominent nobleman Mírzá Buzurg and his wife Khadíjih Khánum and he was born some time after 1817. In his youth Músá's father lost his position in the Persian aristocracy and much of his wealth after clashing with Ḥájí Mírzá Áqásí, the Prime Minister of the country. As a result, and after Músá's brother Bahá’u’lláh was married, a separate household near the Shimran Gate in Tehran was established in 1835 where Bahá’u’lláh housed and provided for His younger siblings, including Músá.

Músá was introduced to the Bábí religion in approximately July or August 1844 when a Tablet from the Báb was delivered to the household Bahá’u’lláh. Músá greeted Mullá Muhammad-i-Mu’allim, who delivered the Tablet, at the door of Bahá’u’lláh’s home and was present when Bahá’u’lláh read it. Bahá’u’lláh discussed the Tablet with Músá expressing His acceptance of the claims of the Báb and Músá also became a Bábí. Shortly before the Martyrdom of the Báb in 1850 Bahá’u’lláh advised the Báb to nominate His younger half-brother, Mírzá Yaḥyá, as the leader of the Bábí community in the event of His passing as a means of avoiding too much attention being placed on Bahá’u’lláh Himself and Músá was one of only two people other than the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh who was made aware of the arrangement.

Painted portrait of Áqáy-i-Kalím in his younger years.

When Bahá’u’lláh departed Tehran in 1851 to visit Iraq Músá was one of the people He entrusted with safeguarding the remains of the Báb and he organized for them to be concealed within the Shrine of Imam-Zadih Hasan. He remained active in the Bábí community of Tehran however he became alarmed at reports of an increase in extreme rhetoric from Husayn Jan Milani, a Bábí who was holding regular meetings and achieving increasing prominence in the community. He attempted to attend one of the meetings to exert a mediating influence but was initially turned away. Others in the meeting heard he was denied entry and intervened allowing him to attend and he observed the majority of the attendees were venerating Milani and bowing towards him and he did not participate and left after objecting to the conduct at the meeting.

In 1852 ‘Azim, a former associate of Milani, met with Músá to express concerns that he was a danger to the community due to his extreme rhetoric, advising he was going to meet with him to dissuade him from plans of action. The following day Bábís acting alone but encouraged by Milani attempted to assassinate the Shah triggering a period of intense and violent persecution of the Bábí community with many being martyred. While Bahá’u’lláh was imprisoned in the Siyah-Chal in the latter half of 1852 in the wake of the assassination attempt Músá helped His wife and children go into hiding in Tehran to shelter from the persecution and he visited the family throughout Bahá’u’lláh’s imprisonment.

Exiles

When Bahá’u’lláh was exiled from Iran in January 1853 Músá accompanied His family on their exile to Baghdad. By the time he had moved to Baghdad he had married Fatimih-Sultan Khanum, a daughter of Arabic Bábí Shaykh Sulṭán-i-Karbilá’í, and their son Majdu’d-Din was born in approximately 1854. He later married a second concurrent wife named Havva. Músá traveled with Bahá’u’lláh on all His exiles and would generally travel at the rear of the company attending to the logistics and other requirements of traveling. The family passed through Kirmanshah while traveling to Baghdad and Mírzá Yaḥyá was living in hiding in the city and was afraid to contact Bahá’u’lláh in case it exposed his identity. Músá visited him and convinced him to meet with Bahá’u’lláh who allowed him to come to Baghdad. While in Baghdad Músá served Bahá’u’lláh and also served as a means for Bábí’s to contact Mírzá Yaḥyá who was still regarded as a leader of the community but was attempting to live in hiding in Baghdad and could not be contacted directly.

Due to conflict in the Bábí community of Baghdad, especially caused by Mírzá Yaḥyá, Bahá’u’lláh left the city for Sulaymániyyih in 1854. Two years later, when news reached Baghdad of a holy man in Sulaymániyyih, Músá concurred with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that the individual was likely Bahá’u’lláh, and they sent two Bábí’s to Sulaymániyyih to convince Him to return to Baghdad. During Bahá’u’lláh's absence Músá had rented a large house in the Karkh district of Baghdad which Bahá’u’lláh occupied until leaving Baghdad and named the Most Great House. During their final years in Baghdad Músá would occasionally meet with the Persian Consul, Mirza Buzurg Khan, on Bahá’u’lláh’s behalf.

In 1863, Músá accompanied Bahá’u’lláh on His exile from Baghdad to Constantinople. While in Constantinople he began to be assisted by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá while attending to tasks for Bahá’u’lláh such as meeting with government officials. Músá lived in his own separate house in Constantinople and when Bahá’u’lláh met with officials or received messages from the government He would do so in Músá’s home. In late 1863, Músá accompanied Bahá’u’lláh on His second exile that year to Adrianople. Shortly after arriving he and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá met with an envoy representing the Ottoman Sultan on behalf of Bahá’u’lláh - when they conveyed the envoy’s message to Bahá’u’lláh, He revealed the Lawḥ-i-‘Abdu’l-‘Azíz-Va-Vukalá.

Bahá’u’lláh’s entourage settled in Adrianople in the Muradiyyih quarter of the city with Músá and Mírzá Yaḥyá and their families residing in a house separate from the house of Bahá’u’lláh and His family. The houses were next door to one another and Bahá’u’lláh would visit Músá. In June 1864, the House of Amru’lláh was rented for Bahá’u’lláh in a more accessible part of Adrianople and Músá secured a separate house for his own family to live in nearby; Mírzá Yaḥyá and his family resided in a third separate house. Although the households were separate, meals for Músá’s family were prepared at the House of Amru’lláh and delivered to them. At some point Mírzá Yaḥyá began consulting Músá on medicines and poisons as he was knowledgeable on the topic, then Yaḥyá used what he learnt to poison Bahá’u’lláh. During His recovery from the poisoning Bahá’u’lláh frequently visited Músá’s home and a nearby orchard. Bahá’u’lláh survived, but was left with a shaking hand for the rest of His life, an affliction very noticeable in His Writings after that time.

Áqáy-i-Kalím in Adrianople, c. 1868.

In March 1866, Bahá’u’lláh moved out of the House of Amru’lláh, going into seclusion with His family in the House of Rida Big in an attempt to stop the hostility and disunity within the Bábí community caused by tensions between His supporters and supporters of Mírzá Yaḥyá. He instructed Músá to divide all of the furnishings in the House of Amru’lláh evenly and to deliver half to Him in the House of Rida Big and half to Mírzá Yaḥyá, also entrusting him to deliver several artifacts Mírzá Yaḥyá desired from him. Bahá’u’lláh instructed Músá to attend to Yaḥyá’s household by shopping for supplies for them. This time period, known as "The Most Great Separation", resulted in the Bahá’í community becoming distinct from the Bábí community and Bahá’u’lláh used the term "the people of Bahá" instead of the people of the Bayan (followers of the Báb) for the first time.

Músá moved his family to a house near the House of Rida Big after a time but moved again when Bahá’u’lláh returned to the House of Amru’lláh in 1867. He moved a final time in Adrianople when Bahá’u’lláh moved to the House of ‘Izzat Aqa. Later in 1867, Músá visited Smyrna, traveling via Salonica and spending some time in Anatolia until Bahá’u’lláh sent Nabíl-i-A‘ẓam to summon him back to Adrianople.

In the Holy Land

In 1868, Músá and his family were exiled again to the prison-city of 'Akka with Bahá’u’lláh and His entourage. Shortly after arriving the vast majority of the exiles fell ill with malaria and dysentery while imprisoned in the citadel of the city. Músá was one of only two exiles who were well enough to assist ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with nursing the others. In October 1870, shortly after the martyrdom of Bahá’u’lláh's youngest son Mírzá Mihdí, the exiles were allowed to leave the prison-city with the majority of companions moving to a caravanserai and Músá and his family moving to a house near that caravanserai.

In the early 1870’s Munírih Khánum lived in Músá’s household when she first arrived in 'Akka to marry ‘Abdu’l-Bahá - they were married in 1873. By the late 1870’s, Músá had moved his residence in Akka to a house above Khan-i-Pahlavan and near the city's marketplace. Bahá’u’lláh would regularly visit his home even after He had moved to the Mansion of Bahjí in 1879.

In 1887 Músá passed away in 'Akka. Shortly before his passing he had begun personally assisting Nabíl-i-A‘ẓam with his composition of the early history of the Bábí Faith which was later translated and published as The Dawn-Breakers by Shoghi Effendi.

See Also

Bahai.media has a related page: Category:Mírzá Músá

• Apostles of Bahá’u’lláh