Mirza Mahdi ‘Atri Yazdi

Mirza Mahdi ‘Atri Yazdi

Mirza Mahdi ‘Atri Yazdi (d. c. 1879) was an early Persian Bahá’í who actively taught the religion in Iran.

Biography

Yazdi was from Yazd. He became a Bábí in 1850 when Vahíd visited the city and actively proclaimed the new religion. In 1858 his son Mirza Husayn visited Baghdad and upon returning to Yazd advised that Mírzá Yaḥyá, then considered the leader of the Bábí community, seemed to be hostile to Bahá’u’lláh who had impressed him more and Yazdi became a Bahá’í at some point after Bahá’u’lláh declared Himself to be a Manifestation of God in 1863.

Yazdi actively and openly taught the Faith in Yazd and he was arrested several times for doing so. In 1873 he hosted a celebration of Ridvan in his house which was attended by two hundred people. He was attacked and beaten shortly afterwards and when his son reported the assult to the authorities he was ignored.

Shortly after the meeting the clergy of the city submitted a request to a mujtahid for him to be sentenced to death. While the mujtahid declined to sign the order Yazdi left Yazd with his two sons Varqá and Mirza Husayn and travel taught across the country before settling in Tabriz later in 1873.

In 1879 Yazdi went on pilgrimage with his sons however he passed away shortly before they arrived in Akka before being able to meet with Bahá’u’lláh.