Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín
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Mullá Zaynul-ʻÁbidín (May 1818 − 1903) was a prominent Iranian Baháʼí who served as a secretary to
Baháʼu'lláh Baháʼu'lláh (, born Ḥusayn-ʻAlí; 12 November 1817 – 29 May 1892) was an Iranian religious leader who founded the Baháʼí Faith. He was born to an aristocratic family in Iran and was exiled due to his adherence to the messianic Báb ...
, was listed by
Shoghi Effendi Shoghí Effendi (; ;1896 or 1897 – 4 November 1957) was Guardian of the Baháʼí Faith from 1922 until his death in 1957. As the grandson and successor of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, he was charged with guiding the development of the Baháʼí Faith, in ...
as one of nineteen
Apostles of Baháʼu'lláh The Apostles of Baháʼu'lláh were nineteen prominent followers of Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith. The apostles were designated as such by Shoghi Effendi, head of the religion in the earlier half of the 20th century, and the ...
, and biographied by
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (; Persian: , ;, 23 May 1844 – 28 November 1921), born ʻAbbás (, ), was the eldest son of Baháʼu'lláh, founder of the Bahá’í Faith, who designated him to be his successor and head of the Baháʼí Faith from 1892 un ...
in ''Memorials of the Faithful''. With a background as an
Islamic jurist Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number 2 billion worldwide and are the world's second-largest religious populatio ...
, he posed the clarifying legal questions to Baháʼu'lláh about the ''
Kitáb-i-Aqdas The ''Kitáb-i-Aqdas'' () is the central religious text of the Baháʼí Faith, written by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the religion, in 1873. Though it is the main source of Baháʼí laws and practices, much of the content deals with other ...
'' that became the supplement "Questions and Answers" now published along with the original text. His arrangement of the ''
Hidden Words ''The Hidden Words'' (, , ) is a book written by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, around 1858. He composed it while walking along the banks of the Tigris river during his exile in Baghdad. The book is written partly in Arabi ...
'', another major work of Baháʼu'lláh, became the numbered order that is now currently used by Baháʼís. Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín was known for transcribing, illuminating, and copying numerous writings of Baháʼu'lláh. Baháʼu'lláh gave him the title Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín ('The Ornament of the Near Ones'), the name for which he is known to Baháʼís. He is sometimes referred to as Jináb-i-Zayn (The Excellent Zayn), or Harfu'z-Zá (the Letter Z).


Background

He was born in the month of
Rajab Rajab () is the seventh month of the Islamic calendar. The lexical definition of the classical Arabic verb ''rajaba'' is "to respect", which could also mean "be awe or be in fear", of which Rajab is a derivative. This month is regarded as one ...
1233 AH (May 1818 AD) in one of the villages of Najafábád, Iran, near
Isfahan Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...
, to a family of Muslim clerics. He himself became a preacher at a mosque in Najafábád.


Life as a Bábí

In 1851, Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín became a follower of the
Báb The Báb (born ʻAlí-Muḥammad; ; ; 20 October 1819 – 9 July 1850) was an Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbai ...
, and began teaching his newfound faith in his hometown, causing opposition from his previous admirers. Under his leadership the Bábí faith grew in the area. Around August 1852, Shaykh ʻAzíz Alláh Núrí sent two letters to Nasír al-Dín Sháh with names of several prominent Bábís whom he considered dangerous and deserving of punishment, including his nephews
Baháʼu'lláh Baháʼu'lláh (, born Ḥusayn-ʻAlí; 12 November 1817 – 29 May 1892) was an Iranian religious leader who founded the Baháʼí Faith. He was born to an aristocratic family in Iran and was exiled due to his adherence to the messianic Báb ...
and
Azal Azerbaijan Airlines (), also known as AZAL, is the national flag carrier and largest airline of Azerbaijan. Based in Baku, adjacent to Heydar Aliyev International Airport, the carrier operates to destinations across Asia, the Commonwealth of Ind ...
, and Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín. According to the letters, several of the men claimed to be manifestations of various figures of the past, and he listed Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín as claiming to be the return of Imam Zayn al-ʻÁbidín. Sometime after 1852 Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín tried to visit Bábí leaders in Baghdad, but failed to find
Subh-i-Azal Subh-i-Azal (1831–1912, born Mīrzā Yahyā Nūrī) was an Iranian religious leader and writer who was the second head of the Bābī movement after the execution of its founder, the Bāb, in 1850. He was named the leader of the movement afte ...
and Baháʼu'lláh was away from Baghdad at the time. During that visit he met only with Kalím before going on to Kárbilá. On his return journey, while approaching Najafábád, Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín learned of violent persecution against Bábís there, and decided to return to
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
. He arrived in Baghdad again in 1856, after Baháʼu'lláh had returned from Sulaymáníyyih, and was confirmed in his faith after meeting him. After returning to Najafábád, he accepted Baháʼu'lláh's claim of prophethood when it was announced in 1863. A transcribed 23-page letter he wrote to a fellow Bábí, inviting him to accept Baháʼu'lláh, was held in the collection of E. G. Browne.


In Iraq

According to ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, during this time after becoming a Baháʼí, "In Persia his life was in imminent peril; and since remaining at Najaf-Ábád would have stirred up the agitators and brought on riots, he hastened away to Adrianople" to meet Baháʼu'lláh again, then returned to Iran. In 1864 he left Iran for the last time and moved to Baghdad. In 1867, Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín and 52 other Baháʼís of Baghdad wrote an appeal to the Congress of the United States for assistance in freeing Baháʼu'lláh from confinement by Ottoman authorities. This appeal arrived at the American Consul in
Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...
and was commented upon by American missionary
Henry Harris Jessup Henry Harris Jessup (1832–1910) was an American Presbyterian missionary and author who devoted his distinguished career to evangelical missionary work in Syria (now Lebanon). Biography He was born at Montrose, Pennsylvania, son of the jurist ...
. Beginning in 1868, and instigated by conversions of
Sunni Muslims Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Musli ...
to the Baháʼí Faith, the Baháʼís of Baghdad, including Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín, were arrested and imprisoned repeatedly. In April-May 1868, three or four Baháʼís of Baghdad were killed by Persian Shias, likely offended by Baháʼís celebrating holy days during their mourning ceremonies. In preparation for a pilgrimage by Nasiru'd-Din Shah to shrines in Iraq, the Consul-General of Persia petitioned the governor of Baghdad to expel all Baháʼís from the city. In 1870, about seventy Baháʼís, men, women, and children, were sent under military escort from Baghdad to
Mosul Mosul ( ; , , ; ; ; ) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. It is the second largest city in Iraq overall after the capital Baghdad. Situated on the banks of Tigris, the city encloses the ruins of the ...
, in northern Iraq. Their arrival was met with stones thrown at them from rooftops and businesses refusing to trade with them. Pilgrims returning from ʻAkká brought goods from Baháʼu'lláh to relieve their suffering. In Mosul Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín acted as leader of the Baháʼí community and he was also the main conduit of the writings of Baháʼu'lláh passing from ʻAkká to Iran. Under his supervision the Baháʼís of Mosul began the first charity fund ever organized by Baháʼís. E. G. Browne visited Iran in 1887-88 and records that a Baháʼí of Kirmán told him, " aynu'l-Muqarrabín in Mosulis one of the most notable of 'the Friends', and to him is entrusted the revision and correction of all copies of the sacred books sent out for circulation, of which, indeed the most trustworthy are those transcribed by his hand."


In ʻAkká

In 1886 he left Mosul and moved to ʻAkká, living in the Khán-i-ʻAvámid, and served as a secretary of Baháʼu'lláh. In April 1890, when
Edward Granville Browne Edward Granville Browne FBA (7 February 1862 – 5 January 1926) was a British Iranologist. He published numerous articles and books, mainly in the areas of history and literature. Life Browne was born in Stouts Hill, Uley, Gloucestershire, ...
held four interviews with Baháʼu'lláh, he reviewed and copied from many Baháʼí manuscripts, all in the hand of Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín. Browne was given two of them to take with him: the ''
Kitáb-i-Íqán The ''Kitáb-i-Íqán'' (, "Book of Certitude") is a book written by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith. It is the religion's primary theological work and one of many texts that Baháʼís hold sacred. It is considered the seco ...
'' and ''A Traveller's Narrative''. The latter was later translated to English and published by Browne in 1891. After each transcription, Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín left a colophon that usually indicated his name, location, number, and date of the copy. For example, the colophon on the transcription of the ''Kitáb-i-Íqán'' that Browne received indicated that it was the 67th copy by Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín: After Baháʼu'lláh's death in 1892, Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín stayed in the ʻAkká/Haifa area and served ʻAbdu'l-Bahá until he died in 1903. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá described his final years: He was buried in a portion of the Muslim cemetery of ʻAkká on the grounds that later became the Israel School for Naval Officers. The portion of the cemetery used for Baháʼís after 1880 was later walled off to prevent vandalism.


Legacy

Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín was known for transcribing the Writings of Baháʼu'lláh and ensuring their distribution. Baháʼí author
Adib Taherzadeh Adib Taherzadeh (29 April 1921 in Yazd, Iran – January 26, 2000) was a Baháʼí author who also served as a member of the Universal House of Justice, the supreme governing body of the Baháʼís, between 1988 and 2000. Biography Taherzadeh was ...
wrote the following about him, E. G. Browne used his colophons to calculate the
Badíʻ calendar Badíʻ (18521869) was an eminent early follower of Baháʼu'lláh, founder of the Baháʼí Faith, and considered one of his chief apostles. At the age of 17 he delivered a letter from Baháʼu'lláh to Náṣiri'd-Dín S͟háh, for which he w ...
, remarking, A copy of the ''
Kitáb-i-Aqdas The ''Kitáb-i-Aqdas'' () is the central religious text of the Baháʼí Faith, written by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the religion, in 1873. Though it is the main source of Baháʼí laws and practices, much of the content deals with other ...
'' from January 1887, in the handwriting of Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín, is housed at the
British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. Based in London, it is one of the largest libraries in the world, with an estimated collection of between 170 and 200 million items from multiple countries. As a legal deposit li ...
. The library's description mentions, "His copies are highly regarded for their accuracy." Sara Blomfield, a prominent early British Baháʼí, described Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín as, "one of the most devoted Baháʼís". His son, Mírzá Munír, translated some writings of the Bab into English for her. Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín, along with Mishkín-Qalam, were known for their sense of humor and making jokes with Baháʼu'lláh. There are two known tablets written by Baháʼu'lláh, addressed to Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín. They are known as ''Lawh-i-Zaynu'l-Muqarrabin I'' (in ''Majmu'ih-i-Alwah-i-Mubarakih'', 1920, pp. 337–338) and ''Lawh-i-Zaynu'l-Muqarrabin II'' (upublished). He may have written a manuscript of his memoirs.His 'Khatirat' (Memoirs) is listed as a desired manuscript by bot
Ahang Rabbani
an
Juan Cole
His son, Núruʼd-Dín Zayn, later published his own memoirs of his experience with Baháʼu'lláh and his father (''Khátirát-i Hayát dar Khidmat-i Mahbúb'').


Notes


References

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External links


The Story of Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín
- Biography by a Baháʼí
Zaynul-Muqarrabin (Mulla Zaynul-Abidin)
- Appearances in ''Chronology of the Bábí and Bahá'í Faiths and related history'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Zaynul-Muqarrabin 1818 births 1903 deaths Iranian Bahá'ís 19th-century Bahá'ís 20th-century Bahá'ís