Mírzá Áqá Ján

Mírzá Áqá Ján.

Mírzá Áqá Ján (1837 - May 5, 1901) was the amanuensis of Bahá'u'lláh, who bestowed the title Khadimu'llah (Servant of God) upon him. Shoghi Effendi identified him as the first to believe in Bahá'u'lláh as 'He Whom God shall make manifest', however he broke the Covenant after the Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh.

Biography

Early Life

Mirza Aqa Jan worked making soap in Kashan in his youth and became a Bábi at some point. After reading some of Bahá'u'lláh's writings he decided that he wanted to meet Him, traveling to Baghdad, but was informed that Bahá'u'lláh was on pilgrimage, and traveled to Karbala where he met Him in September, 1853 at the age of 16. He said of the experience:

"As it was summer-time, Bahá'u'lláh was in the habit of passing His evenings and of sleeping on the roof of the House.... That night, when He had gone to sleep, I, according to His directions, lay down for a brief rest, at a distance of a few feet from Him. No sooner had I risen, and ... started to offer my prayers, in a corner of the roof which adjoined a wall, than I beheld His blessed Person rise and walk towards me. When He reached me He said: 'You, too, are awake.' Whereupon He began to chant and pace back and forth. How shall I ever describe that voice and the verses it intoned, and His gait, as He strode before me! Methinks, with every step He took and every word He uttered thousands of oceans of light surged before my face, and thousands of worlds of incomparable splendor were unveiled to my eyes, and thousands of suns blazed their light upon me! In the moonlight that streamed upon Him, He thus continued to walk and to chant. Every time He approached me He would pause, and, in a tone so wondrous that no tongue can describe it, would say: 'Hear Me, My son. By God, the True One! This Cause will assuredly be made manifest. Heed thou not the idle talk of the people of the Bayán, who pervert the meaning of every word.' In this manner He continued to walk and chant, and to address me these words until the first streaks of dawn appeared.... Afterwards I removed His bedding to His room, and, having prepared His tea for Him, was dismissed from His presence."

Bahá’u’lláh appointed Mírzá Áqá Ján to be His amanuensis, despite him only having an elementary education in his youth.

Secretary of Bahá’u’lláh

An example of Mírzá Áqá Ján's 'revelation' handwriting.

Mírzá Áqá Ján was responsible for recording what Bahá’u’lláh said or chanted during Revelation, and due to the speed at which Bahá’u’lláh spoke he needed a bowl of ink and twelve reeds in order to take dictation. He often needed to rewrite his initial dictation due to the speed making it illegible. Bahá’u’lláh would assist him in this task, correcting any mistakes he had made. He also assisted Bahá’u’lláh in other capacities, Who often addressed him as Abd-i-Hadir (Servant in Attendance). When Nabíl-i-Akbar visited Bahá’u’lláh in Baghdad Ján was instructed by Bahá’u’lláh to host him.

Mírzá Áqá Ján was sometimes responsible for distributing Tablets revealed by Bahá’u’lláh. On March 27, 1863, Mírzá Áqá Ján publicly recited the Tablet of the Holy Mariner to the Bábís in Baghdad on the fifth day of Naw-Ruz. In 1866, in Adrianople, Mírzá Áqá Ján personally delivered Bahá’u'lláh's Súriy-i-Amr, (in which He formally claimed to be 'He whom God shall make manifest'), to Mírzá Yahyá and read the tablet out loud to him.

Later Life

Shortly before His ascension Bahá’u’lláh expelled Mírzá Áqá Ján from His presence due to his exorbitant financial demands, and reluctance to explain to the believers that Tablets revealed in his handwriting were dictated to him by Bahá’u’lláh, and that he played no role in the composition of Tablets. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá reportedly interceded on his behalf and three times asked for him to be forgiven. Mirza Aqa Jan did admit that he was not involved in composing the Tablets after the Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh, writing the following letter:

"Not one word has originated from this servant. Every word was revealed from the Kingdom of God -- my Lord, yours, and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and on earth. Always, after obtaining permission, I would, in His most holy and exalted presence, read the letters which were addressed to this servant. He would then direct me to take my pen and write the answer which, from the beginning to end, was revealed by His blessed tongue. This practice was not limited to this servant alone. Many times has the Tongue of Grandeur revealed in the words of His companions or those believers who came from abroad what amounts to a mighty book for all the world... I was only a servant recording His words in His presence..."

After the ascension of Bahá’u’lláh his life was threatened by the covenant-breakers, who wished to seize his wealth. He approached ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for assistance, and was allowed to reside in the Masters home. At this time the covenant-breakers accused Mírzá Áqá Ján of poisoning Bahá’u’lláh, however they maintained contact with him and he became involved in a plot to oppose ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

In 1897 he wrote a tablet that leveled many severe accusations against ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the instructions of the covenant-breakers and claimed that it had been revealed to him in green ink by Bahá’u’lláh in a dream. He called a group of Bahá'ís to a meeting in ‘Akká on the anniversary of the ascension of Bahá’u’lláh where he intended to present the tablet, but ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was warned and Mírzá Áqá Ján fled the meeting when he saw the Master approaching. The tablet, and other writings that attacked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá were seized from Mírzá Áqá Ján before they could be distributed and Mírzá Áqá Ján fled to the covenant-breakers at the Mansion of Bahjí.

He regretted his association with the covenant-breakers shortly before his death on May 5, 1901.