Mullá Yúsúf-i-Ardibílí

Mullá Yúsúf-i-Ardibílí
Declared	1844
Died	May 1849

Mullá Yúsúf-i-Ardibílí (d. May 1849) was among the first eighteen Bábí's and a Letter of the Living.

Biography

Yúsúf was a Shaykhí, originally from Ardabil in the Persian province Azerbaijan, and came to be one of the senior students of Siyyid Káẓim, the leader of the Shaykhí school. Yúsúf was extremely interested in prophecies regarding the Qá'im and he came to believe that Siyyid Káẓim was the Qá'im and began promoting his views. This resulted in him becoming considered an extremist, and Káẓim denounced his suggestions that he may be the Qá'im and cautioned him not to speak publicly about his views that the coming of the Qá'im may be imminent.

In 1843 Siyyid Káẓim passed away and instructed his followers to disperse and seek out the prophesized Qá'im. In March 1844 Yúsúf traveled to a Mosque near Kufa where Mullá Ḥusayn had stopped to fast and pray in preparation for searching for the Qá'im and joined him in prayer and fasting.

In late May, 1844, Yúsúf and several other Shaykhí's accompanied Mullá 'Alíy-i-Bastámí to Shiráz where Mullá Ḥusayn had established himself. Mullá Ḥusayn had become a Bábí but did not tell Bastámí's company the identity of the Báb however after a short time Bastámí and his companions including Yúsúf became Bábís, reportedly deducing the Báb's identity and station through prayer and meditation, around the start of July, 1844. Mullá Ḥusayn accompanied them to meet with the Báb individually and they were personally appointed Letters of the Living.

In mid-July 1844 the Báb instructed the Letters of the Living to disperse to spread the new religion and Yúsúf was instructed to go to the Persian province of Azerbaijan. He traveled extensively across the province of Azerbaijan visiting cities for periods of less than a week to teach and he secured large numbers of conversions in Milan, Usku, Salmas, and Saysan. He then visited other provinces notably spending time teaching in Yazd, Kirman, and Qazvin.

It was around 1845 when Yúsúf visited Yazd and he was violently expelled from the city due to opposition to the Bábí Faith. When he visited Kirman Mulla Sádiq-i-Muqaddas was also in the city and they attempted to teach members of the cities Shaykhí community who had largely accepted Hájí Mírzá Karím Khán as leader of the community. They were attacked by some of Khán's followers and forced to leave the city. In approximately 1847 Yúsúf established himself in Milan where a large Bábí community had been established through his efforts and he announced to the community that they were forbidden from smoking in accordance with the teachings of the Báb. He actively taught the Faith in the area which resulted in a sizeable Bábí community being established in Tabriz by the time the Báb was taken to the city in July 1847.

In 1848 Yúsúf was directed by the Báb to travel to Mazandaran to assist Quddús. He was instructed to teach in settlements along the way but to arrive in Mazandaran in November. By the time he arrived in the province Quddús and a company of Bábís had been besieged in the Shrine of Shaykh Tabarsí and he was captured upon arriving and imprisoned in the camp of the sieging forces. He was rescued when Quddús led an assault on the government encampment and joined the Bábís in the Shrine.

In early May 1849 Quddús designated Yúsúf as one of his representatives to meet with the commander of the besieging forces to discuss peace terms. He was martyred in May 1849 after the Bábís surrendered at Shaykh Tabarsí with the government forces violating the terms of surrender and taking the Bábís prisoner. Yúsúf was placed in chains along with some other notable Bábís who had been at Tabarsí and they were beaten while being paraded before the public. He was martyred a short time after the end of the siege.