Mullá Aḥmad-i-Ibdál Marághi'í

Mullá Aḥmad-i-Ibdál Marághi'í
Declared	1844
Died	February 2, 1849

Mullá Aḥmad-i-Ibdál Marághi'í (d. February 2, 1849) was a Letter of the Living, the first eighteen Bábí's. He was martyred at the Battle of Fort Shaykh Tabarsí.

Biography

Marághi'í was from Maraghih in the Azerbaijan Province of Persia. He was influenced by the Shaykh of Maraghih who actively taught that the appearance of the Mahdi was imminent. He traveled to Karbila at some point where he became a Shaykhí and studied under Siyyid Káẓim. He later returned to Maraghih and in mid-1844 he traveled to Shiraz from Maraghih where he recognized the Báb and was appointed a Letter of the Living.

After a short time the Báb instructed the Letters of the Living to disperse to teach His claims, and Marághi'í returned to Maraghih where he actively promoted the Bábí Faith. Although he did not play a leadership role in the development of the community he was successful in teaching the Bábí religion establishing a small community in Maraghih. In 1848 he attended and participated in the Conference of Badasht.

In 1849 Marághi'í joined Mullá Ḥusayn and his company in Mazandaran when he raised the Black Banner. The company became besieged at the Shrine of Shaykh Tabarsí and resisted for an extended period. Eventually the Bábí's negotiated terms of surrender, however government troops violated the terms of surrender and began executing those captured. Marághi'í was martyred during the conflict on February 2, 1849, the same day that Mulla Husayn was martyred.