Mirza ‘Ata’u’llah Siraj ul-Hukama

Mirza ‘Ata’u’llah Siraj ul-Hukama

Mirza ‘Ata’u’llah Khan (1843 - November 14, 1913), also known by the title Siraj ul-Hukama, was a Persian Bahá’í who helped establish the Bahá’í community of Ábádih.

Biography

Khan was born in 1843 and his father was Aga Muhammad Husayn Hakim-bashi of Ábádih. As of 1861 he was living in Isfahan and studying traditional medicine at a theological college. He was introduced to the Bábí Faith by Mirza Asadullah Hakim-Ilahi who introduced him to Mirza Hasan Nahri and he converted to the religion ultimately becoming a Bahá’í. When it became known that he was a Bahá’í he was forced to leave Isfahan and he returned to Ábádih in approximately 1870.

Upon arriving in Ábádih Khan began openly teaching the Faith inviting friends to study Bahá’u’lláh's Tablet the Lawḥ-i-Sulṭán with him claiming that he needed assistance in understanding it. His friends Mulla Muhammad Husayn Jinab and Dai Husayn accpted the Faith as did his brother Mirza Ishaq, although Ishaq passed while young. Mirza Husayn Khan, his brother-in-law, and Haji Ali Khan also became Bahá’ís both of whom served as mayors of Ábádih. In 1900 he was granted the title Siraj ul-Hukama by the Shah of Iran. In 1883 he purchased the site in Ábádih where the heads of executed Bábí martyrs of Nayriz had been buried in 1854 and a shrine was built there in 1908.

Khan passed away in 1913. He had at least two children who became active Bahá’ís: a son, Dr Muhammad Husayn Khan Diya’ ul-Hukama Agah (1870 - 1955), and a daughter, Tal‘at Khanum Vafa who helped establish the girls school of Ábádih in 1920.