Núrayn-i-Nayyirayn (Arabic: نورين نيران), which translates to Twin Shining Lights, were two Persian Bahá’í brothers, Mírzá Muhammad Husayn and Mírzá Muhammad-Hasan Nahrí, who were martyred in 1879.
Numerous letters and tablets were written in their honor by Bahá’u’lláh, who gave Muhammad-Hasan the title King of Martyrs and Muhammad Husayn the title Beloved of Martyrs.
Context[edit]
Mírzá Muhammad Husayn and Mírzá Muhammad-Hasan Nahrí were the eldest sons of Mírzá Ibrahim Nahrí of Isfahan. The brothers were introduced to the Bábí religion by their uncle Mírzá Muḥammad ‘Alíy-i-Nahrí and accompanied him to Baghdad in 1856 where they met Bahá’u’lláh.[1] They became highly successful businessmen trading with the Afnán family,[2] and they used their wealth to engage in philanthropic pursuits including alleviating a famine in 1871.[2][3]
They were well known as Bahá’ís and a prominent mujtahid of Isfahan, Shaykh Muhammad-Baqir, was highly prejudiced against them however as Muhammad-Hasan was the commercial officer of the Imam-Jum‘ih the Imam ensured they were not harmed. In 1874 the Imam-Jum‘ih passed and was succeeded by Mir Muhammad Husayn who retained Muhammad-Hasan as his commercial officer. The Imam had incurred heavy debts to secure the position and authorized Muhammad-Hasan to make payments on his behalf incurring a debt of 18,000 tumans to him.[2] When the Imam became aware of the amount he owed he decided to have the brothers killed to avoid having to pay off his debt.[4]
Martyrdom[edit]
On March 11, 1879, the Anniversary of the Birth of the Prophet Muhammad the Imam-Jum‘ih had Mírzá Muhammad Husayn arrested upon visiting him and also had Mírzá Muhammad-Hasan arrested while he was visiting another cleric and the brothers were detained in the home of the Governor with their homes being looted on the behalf of the Imam-Jum‘ih. Several merchants of Isfahan protested their arrest and the Governor of Isfahan encouraged them to recant their Faith in order to secure their release.[5] The Imam-Jum‘ih sent a request to Tehran for permission to execute the brothers however he was instead instructed to send them to Tehran. As the Imam knew they would be found innocent of any charges he instead shut down the Bazaar of Isfahan and, with the assistance of Shaykh Muhammad-Baqir, incited a mob to storm the Governor's house after securing the signatures of sixty clerics for a fatwa for the brothers execution.[6]
The brothers were executed by beheading on March 17, 1879,[7] and their bodies were paraded through the streets of Isfahan. Their younger brother was able to secure their remains and they were ultimately buried in secret.[8]
Aftermath[edit]
Bahá’u’lláh strongly condemned the executions stating that their Martyrdom was more influential and heart-breaking than the Martyrdom of the Báb Himself. He recounted and lamented their Martyrdoms in approximately one hundred Tablets, referring to them as the Núrayn-i-Nayyirayn and granting them their titles.[9] He entitled Shaykh Muhammad-Baqir as Dhi'b meaning Wolf due to his role in the Martyrdoms,[9] and rebuked him in the the Tablet Lawh-i-Burhan and also addressed a Tablet rebuking Mir Muhammad Husayn for their roles in the Martyrdoms.[9] The Lawh-i-Burhan was sent to the Bahá’ís of Tehran and Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl began producing copies ensuring one was delivered to the Shaykh and Mir Muhammad Husayn.[10]
A few days after the Martyrdoms Mir Muhammad Husayn came into conflict with a Qajar Prince over the division of the brothers seized assets and he was arrested and exiled to Mashhad in 1880 where he died the following year due to a severe abscess on his neck.[11] Shaykh Muhammad-Baqir was also exiled from Isfahan and died in Najaf in 1883.[12]
See Also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ Moojan Momen, The Baha'i Communities of Iran 1851-1921: Volume 2, George Ronald: Oxford, 2021, p 18
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Moojan Momen, The Baha'i Communities of Iran 1851-1921: Volume 2, George Ronald: Oxford, 2021, p 20
- ↑ Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah: Volume 4, George Ronald: Oxford, 1987, p 80
- ↑ Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah: Volume 4, George Ronald: Oxford, 1987, p 75
- ↑ Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah: Volume 4, George Ronald: Oxford, 1987, p 76
- ↑ Moojan Momen, The Baha'i Communities of Iran 1851-1921: Volume 2, George Ronald: Oxford, 2021, p 21
- ↑ Moojan Momen, The Baha'i Communities of Iran 1851-1921: Volume 2, George Ronald: Oxford, 2021, p 22
- ↑ Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah: Volume 4, George Ronald: Oxford, 1987, p 79
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah: Volume 4, George Ronald: Oxford, 1987, p 73 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "adib" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah: Volume 4, George Ronald: Oxford, 1987, p 268
- ↑ Moojan Momen, The Baha'i Communities of Iran 1851-1921: Volume 2, George Ronald: Oxford, 2021, pp 22-23
- ↑ Moojan Momen, The Baha'i Communities of Iran 1851-1921: Volume 2, George Ronald: Oxford, 2021, p 23
