Varqá
| Mírzá ‘Alí-Muhammad | |
|---|---|
 Varqá | |
| Born | c. 1856 Yazd, Iran |
| Died | 1896 Tehran, Iran |
| Title(s) | Hand of the Cause Apostle of Bahá’u’lláh |
| Spouse(s) | Fatimih Liqa’iyyih |
| Children | ‘Azíz’ulláh, Rúhu’lláh, Valíyu'lláh, and Badí‘ulláh. |
Mírzá ‘Alí-Muhammad (Arabic: ميرزا علي محمد), better known by the title Varqá (Arabic: ورقا) (c. 1856 - 1896), was an early Persian Bahá’í. He was posthumously named a Hand of the Cause by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and an Apostle of Bahá’u’lláh by Shoghi Effendi.
Varqá served the religion as a prominent travel teacher in the province of Adhirbayjan and later lived in Zanjan. His other pursuits were practicing medicine and writing poetry. He was arrested and martyred in Tehran for his religious beliefs.
Biography[edit]
Early Life in Yazd and Tabriz[edit]
Varqá was born in Yazd in approximately 1856 and raised in the city.[1][2] He was the son of Mirza Mahdi ‘Atri Yazdi who was an active Bahá’í teacher. Mihdi's activity resulted in the clergy of Yazd requesting that he be sentenced to death and although the mujtahid of Ardikan refused to confirm the order he left Yazd accompanied by Varqá and his brother Mirza Husayn in approximately 1873.[3][4]
From Yazd Varqá, his father, and his brother settled in Tabriz.[2] While in Tabriz Varqá practiced medicine and successfully cured a case of infertility in the wife of Mirza ‘Abdu’llah Khan-i-Nuri, a local Bahá’í who served the Crown Prince of Iran. As a result Nuri proposed that Varqá marry his daughter, Fatimih, and while she was initially reluctant they eventually married.[5]
After Varqá married he traveled to the Holy Land on pilgrimage with his father and brother arriving in 1879.[6] His father passed before arriving but Varqá and his brother were able to meet Bahá’u’lláh in the Mansion of Mazra'ih.[7] He then returned to Tabriz and his father-in-law introduced him to the Court of the Crown Prince of Iran where he often participated when intellectual discussions were held at the invitation of the Crown Prince. He made frequent travel teaching trips across the province of Adhirbayjan from Tabriz in order to promote the religion and while he was met with some hostility the prominence of his father-in-law protected him from serious danger.[5]
Imprisonment and Family Challenges[edit]
Between 1882 and 1883 Varqá visited Yazd and was arrested due to general prejudice against the Bahá’í Faith. He was transported in chains to Isfahan where he was kept imprisoned in a jail for the worst criminals of the city and the Bahá’ís of Isfahan made attempts to have him transferred to less severe conditions. He was transferred to a prison for nobility after the Isfahan Bahá’ís contacted a relative of the Royal Qajar family and informed him that Varqá was the son-in-law of Mirza ‘Abdu’llah Khan-i-Nuri.[8]
After being transferred Varqá was imprisoned alongside Isfandiyar Khan, the son of a Bakhtiyari chieftain who had been executed by the Governor of Isfahan, and Varqá befriended him with Isfandiyar becoming a Bahá’í. The Governor of Isfahan was impressed by this and released Varqá intending to utilize the Bahá’í community to support his political goals however Varqá immediately returned to Tabriz having been imprisoned for about one year.[9]
After returning to Tabriz Varqá lived in his father-in-laws household and had four sons who were ‘Azíz’ulláh, Rúhu’lláh, Valíyu'lláh, and Badí‘ulláh.[10] While Varqá's father-in-law was a Bahá’í his mother-in-law was a strong Muslim with an extremely negative opinion of the Faith. She was strongly prejudiced against Varqá with ‘Abdu’llah Khan-i-Nuri advising him to spend his time traveling to teach across Adhirbayjan to reduce tension in the household.[11]
In approximately 1891 Varqá and his two eldest sons went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land and during their time there Varqá provided medical treatment to Bahá’u’lláh. The Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh took place the following year.[12] At some point after Varqá's second pilgrimage his father-in-law was accused of plotting against the government with Bahá’í gatherings in his home being used as evidence he was conducting anti-government activities and he fled to Tehran. Around the same time Varqá's mother-in-law attempted to have Varqá murdered, offering a reward to a servant in the household who instead informed Varqá. She then approached the religious authorities to request a fatwa for his death be issued.[13]
Due to his mother-in-laws actions Varqá fled to Zanjan with his two eldest sons while his younger sons remained with their mother due to being too young to travel. His son, Badí‘ulláh, passed a short time after his departure.[10] Varqá's departure resulted in the dissolution of his marriage and his wife remarried, many years later becoming a Bahá’í.[14] Varqá also remarried in Zanjan with his second wife being Liqa’iyyih Khanum, daughter of Zanjan Bahá’í Haji Iman.[15]
Martyrdom[edit]
Around the time Varqá moved to Zanjan Mírzá Muhammad ‘Alí's opposition to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the legitimate successor of Bahá’u’lláh was beginning to become known throughout Iran and Varqá made a third pilgrimage to the Holy Land.[15] During this pilgrimage ‘Abdu’l-Bahá advised Varqá to move his collection of Tablets and Bahá’í archival material out of Zanjan. Varqá decided to move to Tehran where his former father-in-law had re-established himself beginning preparations in 1896.[16]
While making preparations to leave Zanjan Varqá visited the cities Telegraph Office to say goodbye to the director who he was friendly with. A member of the clergy in the city saw them meeting and reported this to the Governor of the city as a cause of concern due to Varqá's religion.[16] Varqá was arrested shortly after leaving Zanjan alongside his son Rúhu'lláh and father-in-law Haji Iman. While he was imprisoned in Zanjan the packages containing his Bahá’í archives were not seized and were able to reach Bahá’ís in Qazvin.[17]
While imprisoned Varqá was interrogated by the Governor and religious authorities of Zanjan,[18] and was pressured to recant his faith in Bahá’u’lláh which he refused to do. After several weeks the Governor of Zanjan had Varqá and other imprisoned Bahá’ís, including his son Rúhu'lláh, transported to Tehran.[19] During the journey although he remained a prisoner Varqá was asked to provide medical advice to locals when they passed through the village of Sultaniyyih.[20]
After they arrived in Tehran Varqá's eldest son ‘Azíz’ulláh was able to speak with him and Varqá instructed him not to visit again in order to preserve his safety.[21] While imprisoned in Tehran the Bahá’ís were interrogated, tortured with heavy chains being placed on their necks, and starved.[22]
While Varqá was imprisoned in Tehran Nasiri'd-Din Shah was assassinated on May 1, 1896. As individual Bábí's acting alone had been involved in an assassination attempt in the 1850's Hajibu'd-Dawlih, who was overseeing the imprisonment of the Bahá’ís in Tehran, determined to respond to the assassination by taking action against his prisoners.[23] Shortly after the assassination Varqá and his son Rúhu'lláh were taken to a room by Hajibu'd-Dawlih who stabbed Varqá in the chest and then asked him whether he would prefer for him or his son to be killed first. Varqá responded by saying it did not matter and four men then killed him by tearing his limbs off. Hajibu'd-Dawlih then told Rúhu'lláh that he could secure him an allowance and position in the court of the Shah and Rúhu'lláh rejected his offer and was strangled to death.[24]
See Also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ Barron Harper, Lights of Fortitude, George Ronald: Oxford, 2007, p 38
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 H.M. Balyuzi, Eminent Baha'is in the Time of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1985, p 76
- ↑ H.M. Balyuzi, Eminent Baha'is in the Time of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1985, p 75
- ↑ Moojan Momen, The Baha'i Communities of Iran 1851-1921, Volume 1, George Ronald: Oxford, 2015, p 418
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 H.M. Balyuzi, Eminent Baha'is in the Time of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1985, p 77
- ↑ Moojan Momen, The Baha'i Communities of Iran 1851-1921, Volume 1, George Ronald: Oxford, 2015, p 372
- ↑ Barron Harper, Lights of Fortitude, George Ronald: Oxford, 2007, p 40
- ↑ H.M. Balyuzi, Eminent Baha'is in the Time of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1985, p 79
- ↑ H.M. Balyuzi, Eminent Baha'is in the Time of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1985, p 80
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1970). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 13 (1954-1963), Pg(s) 872. View as PDF.
- ↑ H.M. Balyuzi, Eminent Baha'is in the Time of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1985, p 82
- ↑ H.M. Balyuzi, Eminent Baha'is in the Time of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1985, p 81
- ↑ H.M. Balyuzi, Eminent Baha'is in the Time of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1985, p 83
- ↑ Barron Harper, Lights of Fortitude, George Ronald: Oxford, 2007, p 42
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 H.M. Balyuzi, Eminent Baha'is in the Time of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1985, p 84
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 H.M. Balyuzi, Eminent Baha'is in the Time of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1985, p 85
- ↑ H.M. Balyuzi, Eminent Baha'is in the Time of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1985, p 86
- ↑ H.M. Balyuzi, Eminent Baha'is in the Time of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1985, p 87
- ↑ H.M. Balyuzi, Eminent Baha'is in the Time of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1985, p 88
- ↑ H.M. Balyuzi, Eminent Baha'is in the Time of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1985, p 90
- ↑ H.M. Balyuzi, Eminent Baha'is in the Time of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1985, p 91
- ↑ H.M. Balyuzi, Eminent Baha'is in the Time of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1985, p 92
- ↑ H.M. Balyuzi, Eminent Baha'is in the Time of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1985, p 94
- ↑ H.M. Balyuzi, Eminent Baha'is in the Time of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1985, p 96
