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Custodians

2023-02-01T15:56:05Z

Trident765: Created page with "The Custodians were the de facto leaders of mainstream Baha'i Faith after the death of Shoghi Effendi in 1957 until the formation of the Universal House of Justice in 1957. The Custodians were: Rúhíyyih Khánum 1957 - 1963 Charles Mason Remey 1957 - 1959 Amelia Collins 1957 - 1962 Leroy Ioas 1957 - 1963 Hasan Balyuzi 1957 - 1959 1962 - 1963 'Alí-Akbar Furútan 1957 - 1963 Jalal Khazeh 1957 - 1963 Paul Haney 1957 - 1963 Abu'l-Qásim Faizi 1957 - 1963 John Fer..."

The Custodians were the de facto leaders of mainstream Baha'i Faith after the death of Shoghi Effendi in 1957 until the formation of the Universal House of Justice in 1957.

The Custodians were:

Rúhíyyih Khánum 1957 - 1963

Charles Mason Remey 1957 - 1959

Amelia Collins 1957 - 1962

Leroy Ioas 1957 - 1963

Hasan Balyuzi 1957 - 1959
1962 - 1963
'Alí-Akbar Furútan 1957 - 1963

Jalal Khazeh 1957 - 1963

Paul Haney 1957 - 1963

Abu'l-Qásim Faizi 1957 - 1963

John Ferraby 1959 - 1963

Horace Holley 1959 - 1960

William Sears 1960 - 1963

2023-01-30T05:50:59Z

Trident765:

Welcome to the Unitarian Baha'i Wiki!

== Articles ==
* [[Khadimullah]]

== Resources ==

* Unitarian Baha'i article on Russian Wikipedia: [https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A3%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%B1%D0%B0%D1%85%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%BC]

* "The Baha'i Community of Acre" by Erik Cohen: [http://www.hgworld.org/bahai/the_bahai_community_of_acre.pdf]

2023-01-30T05:20:21Z

Trident765:

[[File:Mirza-Aqa-Jan.jpg|right|thumb|upright=0.95|Mirza Agha Jan Kashani - Khadimullah, Private Secretary [[Bahá'u'llá|Bahá'u'lláh]] (1837 [[Kashan (Iran)|Kashan]], [[Supreme State of Iran]] – 5 May 1901, [[Akko]], [[Ottoman Palestine]]]]

Mirza Agha Jan Kashani, in his youth, became a devoted follower of the [[Bab]] and a zealous servant of his cause. After his death, he continued the search for "[[He Who God Shall Make Manifest]]" and became the very first to believe in the mission of Bahá'u'lláh<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bahai-library.com/uhj_sdc_capital_punishment|title=The First Person to Recognize Bahá'u'lláh as a Manifestation of God|date=1991-06-20|publisher=Baha 'i Library|language=en|access-date=2020-06-06|archive-date=2020-06-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606162257/https:// bahai-library.com/uhj_sdc_capital_punishment|deadlink=no}}</ref>. Agha Jan joined Baha'u'llah back in 1853 in [[Baghdad]], moved with him to [[Istanbul]], then to [[Adrianople]] {{ref+|In 1866, it was he who received and read aloud Bahá'u'lláh's Sura-yi-Amr tablet (in which he formally proclaimed himself "He Whom God shall make manifest") to [[Sobh-i-Azal|Mirzeh Yahye]]|"comm."}} and thence to [[Acre]]. For forty years, until the death of Bahá'u'lláh, Aga Jan faithfully served him as his personal secretary, recording all his sayings and messages, and disseminating his teachings. The bulk of the Baha'i sacred books are written by his hand{{ref+|Bahá'u'lláh's personal secretary Mirza Agha Jan Kashani (Khadimullah) usually kept a direct record of Bahá'u'lláh's dictation. During his life in Adrianople, his records were most often processed by Baha'u'llah's eldest son [[Abdu'l-Bahá|Abbas Effendi]] and Baha'u'llah's brother {{np3|Musa Kalim|Musa Kalim|en|Mírzá Músá}}. After moving to Akka, Abdu'l-Bahá's brother Mirza Mihdi helped Khadim for a short time before his death, and the duties of editor and copyist were mainly taken over by Muhammad Ali. Later, the son of Musa Kalim Mirza Majdeddin, who also began to help Khadim, and the younger brothers Ziyaulla and Badiulla joined the editorial work. The main holy book in the Baha'i Faith, [[Kitab-i-Aqdas]], and other texts for publication during Bahá'u'lláh's lifetime were prepared by Muhammad Ali and Hadimullah.|"comm."|name="scribe"}}. For his service, he received the titles of "Khadimullah" (servant of God), "servant who is always near" and "servant who is present before the Throne in honorary status", and is mentioned under them in hundreds of messages of Bahá'u'lláh<ref>{{cite web| url=http://therightofgod.blogspot.com/2017/12/story-thousands-of-worlds-of.html|title=Story: "...thousands of worlds of incomparable splendor were unveiled to my eyes…” – a spiritual experience by a youth|publisher=Huqúqu'lláh - God's 'special favour' to humanity|date=2017-11-28|language=en|access-date=2020-06-06|archive-date=2020-06 -06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606162628/http://therightofgod.blogspot.com/2017/12/story-thousands-of-worlds-of.html|deadlink=no }}</ref>. In all of Baha'u'llah's circle of companions, there was no one who was as close to him as his companion, the attorney and master of ceremonies, who was the main channel of communication between Baha'u'llah and the believers{{sfn|Taherzadeh|1992|loc =Mirza Agha Jan|s=181-186}}. Bahá'u'lláh foresaw that even after his death, Khadim would continue to have an important status in the Faith, second only to his sons. He wrote:

{{quote start}}
“O people! Hold fast after Me to the Branches [sons] that came from this preexisting root. Verily, through them the fragrances of My Garments will spread among the people of the world... Beware lest you follow every ignorant sinner. And after the Branches, prominence is assigned to the Servant who is present before the Throne. You should honor the family from which the Beloved of the world came ... And whoever turns away from them, verily, he is one of those who do not believe in God and become a polytheist.
- Baha'u'llah . Tablet "O creator of all creation" (Lauh-i-badi) {{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Shua Ullah Behai — Some Notable Baha'is|pp=267—269}}{{sfn|Jalal Azal |2004|loc=18.4. Baha's Swam Song on Ghiyath & Mustaghath|pp=184-186}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bahaism.blogspot.com/2013/03/bahaullahs-senile-ramblings-tablet-of-o .html|title=Baha'u'llah's senile ramblings: The tablet of O Creator of all creation|publisher=Bahaism|author=Emtesali, Naser|date=2013-03-25|language=en|access-date=2020- 07-07|archive-date=2020-07-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200707205045/https://bahaism.blogspot.com/2013/03/bahaullahs-senile- ramblings-tablet-of-o.html|deadlink=no}}</ref>}}
{{quote end}}

[[File:Front of the Shrine of Baha'u'llah.jpg|left|thumb|[[Bahá'í World Center Buildings#Tomb of Baha'u'llah|Tomb]] [[Bahá'u'lláh|Bahá'u'llah]]<br>
Coordinates: {{coord|32|56|37|N|35|5|30.5|E|noosm=1|noyandex=1}}]]

When dissension began to grow among the sons of Baha'u'llah, Mirza Agha Jan, as an experienced man who was thoroughly familiar with all the writings of Baha'u'llah, tried to intervene and achieve reconciliation between the parties. On the fifth anniversary of Bahá'u'lláh's death, Hadimullah called a meeting of the Bahá'ís and addressed them with a speech declaring that many of the sayings and actions of 'Abdu'l-Bahá were contrary to the instructions of Bahá'u'lláh as laid down in the scriptures {{ref+|"This servant was silent all this time and did not utter a single words for fear of stirring up controversy. Now, however, I feel that my silence is only causing dissension in the Faith; therefore I tell you that the deeds and words coming from Abbas Effendi and his company are all contrary to God's commandments and His instructions revealed in the sacred scriptures. The Testament and Promise mentioned above in the blameless writings refer exclusively to the previous and subsequent [[Theophany]]s, but Abbas Effendi appropriated them to himself, and you accepted it, but you are greatly mistaken.|"comm."}}. Hearing about this speech, 'Abdu'l-Bahá with his 12 associates, fearing that the Agha Jan might declare himself the "Keeper of the Faith", broke into the premises, attacked Khadim and, after beating him and taking away all the texts (which included drafts of letters to famous believers), threatened with strangulation and locked in a barn. After this, 'Abdu'l-Bahá proclaimed Khadim "a scoundrel, an apostate, a liar, a hypocrite and a devil" {{sfn|Browne|1918|loc=An Epitome of Babi and Baha'i history to A.D. 189|p=88}}. The description of these events was later set forth by Hadimullah himself and published in a treatise entitled "The Terrible Incident of the Servant of Baha in the Blessed and Supreme Garden"<ref>{{book|title=Vaqi`ih-i Ha'ilih-i Khadim-i Abha dar Rawdih-i Mubarakih-'i `Ulya|link=https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/areprint/vol6/khadim1/khadim1.htm|language=fa|author=Mirza Aqa Jan "Khadimu'llah " Kashi}} {{Wayback|url=https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/areprint/vol6/khadim1/khadim1.htm |date=20200606162250 }}</ref>. After this incident, Khadimullah finally bowed to the side of Muhammad Ali, who and his brothers helped him to move under his protection to the building of the tomb of Baha'u'llahwhere he lived until his death on May 17, 1901{{ref+|Hadim made another attempt at reconciliation by going to 'Abdu'l-Bahá's house to discuss the differences with him. Not being allowed inside, he sat on the ground for 2 hours and called on the supporters of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to show the documents in their possession that would confirm the correctness of their interpretations. In response, 'Abdu'l-Bahá sent his son-in-law, Muhsin Afnan, to the Turkish authorities, stating that Khadim wanted to harm his house - and he was taken away by the guards.|"comm."}}. After the death of Khadim Abdu'l-Bahá, having obtained permission from the nominal owner of the building of the tomb of Haji Sayyid Ali Afnan, the husband of Furugia Khanum, seized all of his heritage, in accordance with the desire of the deceased, left for storage in the tomb of Baha'u'llah: 12 sacred portraits, 217 tablets that were at his disposal Baha'u'llah, Baha'u'llah's clothes, other religious literature, as well as many of his own writings and personal correspondence.

Shortly before his death, Aga Jan sent a letter to a believer from Bombay, Haji Hussein Ali Jahrumi, who came to Acre to form an unbiased opinion on the current situation and conducted a series of interviews{{ref+|Muhammad Ali also wrote a response to Jahrumi, and, as stated in his autobiography, sent a copy through his follower Agha Muhammad Kaeni 'Abdu'l-Bahá. He refused to accept it and asked the courier what his brother wanted from him. When the bearer of the letter explained that his goal was to eliminate the current strife, 'Abdu'l-Bahá cut him off by remarking that the only way to achieve this was to come to him and repent, as did their brother Badi'ullah{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014| loc=Mohammad Ali Bahai — Autobiography of Mohammed Ali Bahai|p=214}}.|"comm."}}. An excerpt from this message was published by Ibrahim Khairullah in 1901 in Facts for the Baha'is, and in its entirety as a 223-page treatise it was published in Cairo in April 1902. In it he systematized his accusations against 'Abdu'l-Bahá{{ref+||"comm."|name="Khadimullah"}}:

* 'Abdu'l-Bahá persuaded his followers that it was their duty to curse his brothers, sisters and Bahá'u'lláh's widow Mahd-i-Ula and recognize all these relatives and their supporters as "apostates".
* Repeatedly, in order to inflict bodily harm, he physically attacked Mahd-i-Ulya and his half-sister Furugia Khanum, who, due to the suffering, fell ill with paralysis and was bedridden for 5 years; treated other relatives harshly, speaking with them in a rude language {{ref+|Later, the historian Jawad Ghazwini also accused 'Abdu'l-Bahá of attempting to forcibly kidnap the wife of his late brother Ziya'ullah Soraya Samandari because she did not want to go over to his side{ {sfn|Browne|1918|loc=An Epitome of Babi and Baha'i history to A.D. 189|pp=86-87}}. In 'Abdu'l-Bahá's version, the "covenant breakers" kept the widow of Ziya'ullah in Bahji against her will, and when her father tried to take her home with him, he was severely attacked and beaten on the orders of Mirza Muhammad Ali{{sfn|Taherzadeh|1992|loc=Mirza Agha Jan|s=181-186}}.|"comm."}}.
* He forbade followers to conduct any correspondence, discussion, conversations and even trade with those who do not recognize his claims, thus sowing enmity between relatives, which led to the destruction of many families.
* He did not allow to send a single letter outside Akko to anyone without his personal censorship and fastening it with his own seal.
Banned the distribution and publication of the writings of Bahá'u'lláh, ordering his followers to read and distribute only his own writings {{ref+|Abdu'l-Bahá stopped [[Printing|printing books]]] of Bahá'u'lláh and did his utmost to prevent his followers from using previously printed literature. After 1896, [[Kitab-i-Agdas]] in the original Arabic was no longer officially published, in 1973 excerpts in English were published, and only in 1992 - an official English translation. Only eight percent of Bahá'u'lláh's works have been translated into English.|"comm."}}.
* He issued a strict order to reject every sacred tablet of Baha'u'llah if it was not approved by him and sealed with his seal, rejected the contents of the "Sacred Tablet", written by Baha'u'llah's hand and dedicated to his son Muhammad Ali, and ordered the destruction of the tablets of Baha'u'llah written by the pen of his younger brothers.
* Concealed the last part of Bahá'u'lláh's will, which was never published in the original{{ref+|Abdu'l-Bahá made it possible for his brothers to get acquainted with the full text of Bahá'u'lláh's will, which contained lines of special recognition for the merits of his personal secretary Mirza Agha Jan Kashani (Hadimullah){ {sfn|Jalal Azal|2004|loc=3.2 Mirza Aqa Jan of Kashan|pp=69-73}}, subsequently excommunicated by 'Abdu'l-Bahá for fear of his claim to leadership, and exhorting them both to remain loyal to Bahá'u'lláh (which demonstrates that Bahá'u'lláh did not endow his son with infallibility and considered him capable of committing errors). The presence of a postscript addressed to Hadimullah was confirmed (without publication) by the International House of Justice in 2013<ref>{{article|edition=Baha'i Studies Review|title=The 1893 Russian Publication of Baha'u'llah's Last Will and Testament </ref>. The American Rosamond Templeton volunteered to mediate and called upon the brothers, in the presence of their chosen witnesses, an English translator and a photographer, to meet at the tomb of Bahá'u'lláh on December 7, 1900, to read "[[Testament (Bahá'í)#Lesser Testament|Testament of Bahá'u'lláh]]" and take photographs its full text - however 'Abdu'l-Bahá refused the invitation, citing the fact that it was his father's own wish to keep the full text secret{{sfn|A Lost History...|2014|loc=Rosamond Templeton - Letters About the Sons of Baha' u'llah|pp=329—341}}.|"comm."|name="Khadim"}}{{sfn|Warburg, Margit|2006|loc=Abdu'l Baha and the Covenant|pp=181}} <ref name="stoic">{{article|edition=San Francisco Call|title=Bahai Leader A Stoic|volume=CXIL|number=136|pages=1-2|link=https://www.h-net .org/~bahai/docs/vol14/San_Francisco_Call_13-14_Oct_1912.pdf|language=en|type=newspaper|day=14|month=10|year=2013|archivedate=2018-04-21|archiveurl=https:// web.archive.org/web/20180421171020/http://www.h-net.org/%7Ebahai/docs/vol14/San_ Francisco_Call_13-14_Oct_1912.pdf}}</ref>{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Mohammad Ali Bahai - Autobiography of Mohammed Ali Bahai|pp=207-209}}, and misinterpreted part of its content.

[[File:Abdul Baha Abbas Funeral.jpg|thumb|right|The funeral of [[Abdu'l-Bahá]] November 29, 1921.]]

Recognizing that 'Abdu'l-Bahá's supporters are in the majority among the believers {{ref+|The number of Baha'is living in [[Akko]] in 1902 was about ninety, and of these thirty to forty were opponents of 'Abdu'l-Bahá{{sfn|Wilson |1915|loc=The Quarrel over the Succession|p=259}}. Due to great opposition in Akko, almost immediately after the restrictions were lifted by the Ottoman authorities, in 1909 'Abdu'l-Bahá moved to neighboring [[Haifa|Haifa]]. In general, during the early 20th century, [[Palestine within the Ottoman Empire|Palestine]] was dominated by Muhammad Ali's supporters, but 'Abdu'l-Bahá drew his support primarily from followers in Iran, and increasingly from the late 1890s onwards from the growing communities in the United States where a cult based on his personality developed{{sfn|Warburg, Margit|2006|loc=Abdu'l Baha and the Covenant|pp=181}}{{sfn|Encyclopædia Iranica|1989|loc=Bahai and Babi Schisms|pp=447-449}}.|"comm.}}, Muhammad Ali, his children and followers have repeatedly called for dialogue, including by proposing to hold a unification conference of the faith {{ref+|One of the last such attempts was the proposal to hold in 1912 a conference of peace and spirituality in [[Chicago]], [[USA]]. On the Baha'i Unitarian side, Bahá'u'lláh's grandson Shua Ullah Behai and Ibrahim George Khairullah were to attend. The official language is [[English|English]], translation from [[Arabic|Arabic]] would have to be done by an independent translator. The conference would be recorded by the [[Associated Press]] agency, with three American scientists acting as witnesses and judges. The conference was to compare the positions of the parties with the scriptures of Baha'u'llah.|"comm."|name="conference"}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bahaisects.wordpress.com/2013/02/ 07/an-open-letter-to-sir-abbas-effendi-abdul-baha/|title=An open letter to Sir Abbas Effendi|publisher=Baha'i 'Faith'|date=2013-02-07|language= en|access-date=2019-06-04|archive-date=2019-06-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604162019/https://bahaisects.wordpress.com/ 2013/02/07/an-open-letter-to-sir-abbas-effendi-abdul-baha/|deadlink=no}}</ref>{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Mohammad Ali Bahai — Autobiography of Mohammed Ali Bahai|p=227}}{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Shua Ullah Bahai — An Interview with Ghusn-i-Akbar|p=182}}{{sfn|Browne|1918 |loc=An Epitome of Babi and Baha'i history to A.D. 189|p=82}}{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Shua Ullah Bahai — A Reminiscence: The Purpose, Condition and Potential of the Baha'i Faith|p=487}} to try to reconcile differences. The brother even attempted to personally visit 'Abdu'l-Bahá after the latter's return from America in early 1914. However, all their appeals were rejected or ignored <ref>{{cite web|url=http://unitarianbahais.blogspot.com/2013/11/efforts-of-mohammad-ali-effendi.html|title=Mohammad Ali Effendi's Effort to save the Faith|date=2013-11-14|publisher=Unitarian Bahai's|language=en|access-date=2019-05-29|archive-date=2019-05-29|archive-url=https:/ /web.archive.org/web/20190529174133/http://unitarianbahais.blogspot.com/2013/11/efforts-of-mohammad-ali-effendi.html|deadlink=no}}</ref> - the complete refusal of dialogue completely removed the current need for 'Abdu'l-Bahá to issue any detailed rebuttals of his brother's criticism {{sfn|Cole, Juan R.I.|2005|p=332}}. Only in a will written between 1901 and 1908 and made public after his death in 1921 did 'Abdu'l-Bahá voluminously accuse Muhammad Ali of conspiracy and apostasy , declaring him and his supporters " Covenant Breakers " for refusing to obey him and accept his understanding of religion. <ref name="covenant" /> . Most of Bahá'u'lláh's family, including his two wives living at that time, Fatima and Gavhara, and their children, supported the side of Gusn-i-Akbar. 'Abdu'l-Bahá's side was preserved only by his own family and Bahiyyeh Khanum , his younger full-blooded sister {{sfn|Miller|1974|loc=The Rule of Abdu'l-Baha|p=178}}. In 1922 there were 158 Bahá'ís in Palestine <ref>{{book|title=The handbook of Palestine|part=The Baha'is|year=1922|pages=59|publisher=London Macmillan|link=https://archive. org/details/handbookofpalest00lukeuoft/|language=en|ref=Luke|author=Luke, Harry Charles}}</ref>. Subsequently, 'Abdu'l-Bahá's successor Shoghi Effendi Rabbani {{ref+|Abdu'l-Bahá directed his eldest daughter and her husband to give their children the surname Rabbani, {{lang-ru|divine}}, in order to distinguish them from branches of Afnan. Shoghi Rabbani used this surname before his appointment as the "Guardian", and after that he began to call himself Shoghi Effendi, in accordance with the will of his grandfather.|"comm."}} excommunicated everyone from the faith {{ref+|The entire family of Baha'u'llah - his wife , children, grandchildren and their spouses (with the exception of the early deceased wife of Baha'u'llah Asiya Khanum, the children of Baha'u'llah 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahiyeh Khanum and Mirza Mihdi (who died in his youth), as well as the great-grandson of Baha'u'llah Shoghi Effendi and his wife Ruhiyya) - was ultimately excommunicated by 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi, expelled from the Baha'i community and declared "violators of the [[Covenant (Bahá'i)|Covenant]]", including some posthumously. By the end of [[Shoghi Effendi]]'s life, there was not a single possible heir of Bahá'u'lláh who had not been excommunicated{{sfn|Taherzadeh, Adib|2000|loc=The Family of Baha'u'llah|pp=16-27 }}{{sfn|Jalal Azal|2004|loc=7.1 Baha's Family Chart|pp=179—181}}<ref name="covenant" />. The excommunications of the descendants of Baha'u'llah on behalf of the Universal House of Justice continue to this day. Thus, in 1996, the excommunication of Baha'u'llah's great-granddaughter, the creator of the family website of the descendants of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Parveen Afnan Shahid, was confirmed, as well as the New Zealand Baha'i Pauline Smith, who was accused of communicating with her<ref>{{book|title=Lights of Irfan , Volume 10|part=Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit|link=https://bahai-library.com/momen_blasphemy_holy_spirit|language=en|author=Momen, Moojan|publisher=Wilmette, IL:Irfan Colloquia|year=2009}} {{Wayback|url=https://bahai-library.com/momen_blasphemy_holy_spirit |date=20200616065922 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://fglaysher .com/bahaicensorship/shun1.htm|title=New Zealand shunning of non-Baha'i|publisher=The Baha'i Faith & Religious Freedom of Conscience|date=1998-02-08|language=en|access-date= 2020-06-16|archive-date=2020-06-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616065920/https://fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/shun1.htm|deadlink= no}}</ref>|"comm."|name="excommunicated"}} of their relatives {{ref+|These relatives were mostly excommunicated for marriages that Shoghi Effendi did not approve of or for refusing to consider formerly excommunicated relatives<ref>{{cite web|url=https://excommunicatedbahais.wordpress.com/2017/02/27/excommunication-by-shoghi-effendi/|first=Helen T.|last=Wilson|title =Excommunicated by Shoghi Effendi|publisher=Excommunication in the Bahai Faith|date=2017-02-27|language=en|access-date=2019-07-02|arc hive-date=2019-07-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702105018/https://excommunicatedbahais.wordpress.com/2017/02/27/excommunication-by-shoghi- effendi/|deadlink=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bahaiawareness.com/excom7.html|title=Excommunication by Central Figures of the Bahai Faith|publisher=Bahai Awareness|date=2012-08|language=en|access-date=2019-07-29|archive-date=2017-05-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510193006/ http://www.bahaiawareness.com/excom7.html|deadlink=no}}</ref>. Doctrinal differences may also have played a role, in particular with regard to the degree of authority of the "Guardian" and the personal freedom of the Bahá'ís. Anthropologist Eric Cohen believes that the key differences were over the spread of the faith to the West and its universalization, which the Palestinian Bahá'ís saw as a "sale"<ref name= "Coen" />. However, unlike the previous generation of relatives who were excommunicated from the faith of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, his own descendants, who were excommunicated by Shoghi Effendi, did not attempt to create rival Baha'i movements - on the contrary, they avoided any public statements for decades.|"comm."}} , ordering them to leave the territory of Palestine {{ref+|First [[Shoghi Effendi|Effendi]] sent to [[Iran]], [[Syria|Syria]], [[Lebanon]] or [[Egypt]] those families who had no business ties in Akko and Haifa, promising them financial assistance at the place of arrival, but, for example, those who went to Iran - they never received it. Further, those who were engaged in business were sent away, and a small number of those who refused were excommunicated. Last came the turn of property owners and government employees, most of whom refused - and were also excommunicated.|"comm."}}, and depriving them of basic religious rights, including the right to visit the shrine of Bahá'u'lláh in Acre {{ref+|The Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh is located in the northwestern corner house, which once belonged to Haji Sayyid Ali Afnan, husband of Furugiya Khanum, the youngest daughter of Bahá'u'lláh. This house was purchased by Afnan from its Christian owner. Sayyid Ali was a Russian subject, which protected him from possible attacks from the Persian or Turkish government. He supported the Unitarians for a while, then reconciled with 'Abdu'l-Bahá, but was ultimately excommunicated posthumously from the faith of Shoghi Effendi, following all his descendants{{sfn|A Lost History...|2014|pp=207,326,428}}. After the death of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Muhammad Ali claimed the right to be the guardian of the [[Bahá'í World Center Buildings#Tomb of Bahá'u'lláh|Tombs of Bahá'u'lláh]] (in accordance with [[Islamic inheritance law|Muslim law]], applicable also to [[Bahá'í] ], the son is the legal guardian of his father's tomb). Initially, [[British Mandate for Palestine|British authorities]] gave equal access to the shrine to both sides and offered to hold a Congress of Baha'i representatives from all over the world, but in February 1923, due to friendly relations with the Governor of Haifa, Colonel {{np3|Stuart Simes| J. Stewart Symes|en|Stewart Symes}}, Shoghi Effendi succeeded in persuading them to return the keys to the inner tomb to his possession{{sfn|Ruhiyyih Rabbani|1969|loc=Death of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and its immediate consequences}}, whereupon he denied admission to the tomb of the "apostates"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bahai-library.com/wilson_dispensation_bahaullah/|first=Helen T.|last=Wilson|title=The Dispensation of Baha'u'llah:Its Continuing Place In History|publisher=Baha'i Library|date=2004|language=en|access-date=2019-06-01|archive-date=2019-06-01|archive-url=https://web. archive.org/web/20190601115449/http://bahai-library.com/wilson_dispensation_bahaullah/|deadlink=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://bahaitalks.blogspot.com/ 2016/01/the-greatest-holy-leafs-unparalleled.html|first=Baharieh Rouhani|last=Ma'ani|title=The Greatest Holy Leaf's unparalleled role in religious history|publisher=Baha'i Talks|date=2016- 01-16|language=en|access-date=2019-07-23|archive-date=2019-07-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723064551/http://bahaitalks.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-greatest-holy-leafs-unparalleled.html|deadlink=no}}</ref><ref>{{книга|заглавие=Letter to the Baha’i Spiritual Assembly of Iran|часть=Forbidding me from visiting the Shrines|год=1970|ссылка=http://www.abdulbahasfamily.org/documents/Ruhi-Afnan-1970-letter.pdf|язык=en|автор=Afnan, Ruhi}} {{Wayback|url=http://www.abdulbahasfamily.org/documents/Ruhi-Afnan-1970-letter.pdf |date=20201111202145 }}</ref>.|"комм."|name="shrine"}}{{sfn|Kamar|1953|loc=Statements on the Dispute Between the Baha'i Family}}{{sfn|Jalal Azal|2004|loc=9.25 Restricting of Access to Baha's Shrine|pp=330—331}}.

File:Abdul Baha Abbas Funeral.jpg

2023-01-30T05:19:47Z

Trident765:

Khadimullah

2023-01-30T05:16:45Z

Trident765:

[[File:Mirza-Aqa-Jan.jpg|right|thumb|upright=0.95|Mirza Agha Jan Kashani - Khadimullah, Private Secretary [[Bahá'u'llá|Bahá'u'lláh]] (1837 [[Kashan (Iran)|Kashan]], [[Supreme State of Iran]] – 5 May 1901, [[Akko]], [[Ottoman Palestine]]]]

Mirza Agha Jan Kashani, in his youth, became a devoted follower of the [[Bab]] and a zealous servant of his cause. After his death, he continued the search for "[[He Who God Shall Make Manifest]]" and became the very first to believe in the mission of Bahá'u'lláh<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bahai-library.com/uhj_sdc_capital_punishment|title=The First Person to Recognize Bahá'u'lláh as a Manifestation of God|date=1991-06-20|publisher=Baha 'i Library|language=en|access-date=2020-06-06|archive-date=2020-06-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606162257/https:// bahai-library.com/uhj_sdc_capital_punishment|deadlink=no}}</ref>. Agha Jan joined Baha'u'llah back in 1853 in [[Baghdad]], moved with him to [[Istanbul]], then to [[Adrianople]] {{ref+|In 1866, it was he who received and read aloud Bahá'u'lláh's Sura-yi-Amr tablet (in which he formally proclaimed himself "He Whom God shall make manifest") to [[Sobh-i-Azal|Mirzeh Yahye]]|"comm."}} and thence to [[Acre]]. For forty years, until the death of Bahá'u'lláh, Aga Jan faithfully served him as his personal secretary, recording all his sayings and messages, and disseminating his teachings. The bulk of the Baha'i sacred books are written by his hand{{ref+|Bahá'u'lláh's personal secretary Mirza Agha Jan Kashani (Khadimullah) usually kept a direct record of Bahá'u'lláh's dictation. During his life in Adrianople, his records were most often processed by Baha'u'llah's eldest son [[Abdu'l-Bahá|Abbas Effendi]] and Baha'u'llah's brother {{np3|Musa Kalim|Musa Kalim|en|Mírzá Músá}}. After moving to Akka, Abdu'l-Bahá's brother Mirza Mihdi helped Khadim for a short time before his death, and the duties of editor and copyist were mainly taken over by Muhammad Ali. Later, the son of Musa Kalim Mirza Majdeddin, who also began to help Khadim, and the younger brothers Ziyaulla and Badiulla joined the editorial work. The main holy book in the Baha'i Faith, [[Kitab-i-Aqdas]], and other texts for publication during Bahá'u'lláh's lifetime were prepared by Muhammad Ali and Hadimullah.|"comm."|name="scribe"}}. For his service, he received the titles of "Khadimullah" (servant of God), "servant who is always near" and "servant who is present before the Throne in honorary status", and is mentioned under them in hundreds of messages of Bahá'u'lláh<ref>{{cite web| url=http://therightofgod.blogspot.com/2017/12/story-thousands-of-worlds-of.html|title=Story: "...thousands of worlds of incomparable splendor were unveiled to my eyes…” – a spiritual experience by a youth|publisher=Huqúqu'lláh - God's 'special favour' to humanity|date=2017-11-28|language=en|access-date=2020-06-06|archive-date=2020-06 -06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606162628/http://therightofgod.blogspot.com/2017/12/story-thousands-of-worlds-of.html|deadlink=no }}</ref>. In all of Baha'u'llah's circle of companions, there was no one who was as close to him as his companion, the attorney and master of ceremonies, who was the main channel of communication between Baha'u'llah and the believers{{sfn|Taherzadeh|1992|loc =Mirza Agha Jan|s=181-186}}. Bahá'u'lláh foresaw that even after his death, Khadim would continue to have an important status in the Faith, second only to his sons. He wrote:

{{quote start}}
“O people! Hold fast after Me to the Branches [sons] that came from this preexisting root. Verily, through them the fragrances of My Garments will spread among the people of the world... Beware lest you follow every ignorant sinner. And after the Branches, prominence is assigned to the Servant who is present before the Throne. You should honor the family from which the Beloved of the world came ... And whoever turns away from them, verily, he is one of those who do not believe in God and become a polytheist.
- Baha'u'llah . Tablet "O creator of all creation" (Lauh-i-badi) {{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Shua Ullah Behai — Some Notable Baha'is|pp=267—269}}{{sfn|Jalal Azal |2004|loc=18.4. Baha's Swam Song on Ghiyath & Mustaghath|pp=184-186}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bahaism.blogspot.com/2013/03/bahaullahs-senile-ramblings-tablet-of-o .html|title=Baha'u'llah's senile ramblings: The tablet of O Creator of all creation|publisher=Bahaism|author=Emtesali, Naser|date=2013-03-25|language=en|access-date=2020- 07-07|archive-date=2020-07-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200707205045/https://bahaism.blogspot.com/2013/03/bahaullahs-senile- ramblings-tablet-of-o.html|deadlink=no}}</ref>}}
{{quote end}}

[[File:Front of the Shrine of Baha'u'llah.jpg|left|thumb|[[Bahá'í World Center Buildings#Tomb of Baha'u'llah|Tomb]] [[Bahá'u'lláh|Bahá'u'llah]]<br>
Coordinates: {{coord|32|56|37|N|35|5|30.5|E|noosm=1|noyandex=1}}]]

When dissension began to grow among the sons of Baha'u'llah, Mirza Agha Jan, as an experienced man who was thoroughly familiar with all the writings of Baha'u'llah, tried to intervene and achieve reconciliation between the parties. On the fifth anniversary of Bahá'u'lláh's death, Hadimullah called a meeting of the Bahá'ís and addressed them with a speech declaring that many of the sayings and actions of 'Abdu'l-Bahá were contrary to the instructions of Bahá'u'lláh as laid down in the scriptures {{ref+|"This servant was silent all this time and did not utter a single words for fear of stirring up controversy. Now, however, I feel that my silence is only causing dissension in the Faith; therefore I tell you that the deeds and words coming from Abbas Effendi and his company are all contrary to God's commandments and His instructions revealed in the sacred scriptures. The Testament and Promise mentioned above in the blameless writings refer exclusively to the previous and subsequent [[Theophany]]s, but Abbas Effendi appropriated them to himself, and you accepted it, but you are greatly mistaken.|"comm."}}. Hearing about this speech, 'Abdu'l-Bahá with his 12 associates, fearing that the Agha Jan might declare himself the "Keeper of the Faith", broke into the premises, attacked Khadim and, after beating him and taking away all the texts (which included drafts of letters to famous believers), threatened with strangulation and locked in a barn. After this, 'Abdu'l-Bahá proclaimed Khadim "a scoundrel, an apostate, a liar, a hypocrite and a devil" {{sfn|Browne|1918|loc=An Epitome of Babi and Baha'i history to A.D. 189|p=88}}. The description of these events was later set forth by Hadimullah himself and published in a treatise entitled "The Terrible Incident of the Servant of Baha in the Blessed and Supreme Garden"<ref>{{book|title=Vaqi`ih-i Ha'ilih-i Khadim-i Abha dar Rawdih-i Mubarakih-'i `Ulya|link=https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/areprint/vol6/khadim1/khadim1.htm|language=fa|author=Mirza Aqa Jan "Khadimu'llah " Kashi}} {{Wayback|url=https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/areprint/vol6/khadim1/khadim1.htm |date=20200606162250 }}</ref>. After this incident, Khadimullah finally bowed to the side of Muhammad Ali, who and his brothers helped him to move under his protection to the building of the tomb of Baha'u'llahwhere he lived until his death on May 17, 1901{{ref+|Hadim made another attempt at reconciliation by going to 'Abdu'l-Bahá's house to discuss the differences with him. Not being allowed inside, he sat on the ground for 2 hours and called on the supporters of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to show the documents in their possession that would confirm the correctness of their interpretations. In response, 'Abdu'l-Bahá sent his son-in-law, Muhsin Afnan, to the Turkish authorities, stating that Khadim wanted to harm his house - and he was taken away by the guards.|"comm."}}. After the death of Khadim Abdu'l-Bahá, having obtained permission from the nominal owner of the building of the tomb of Haji Sayyid Ali Afnan, the husband of Furugia Khanum, seized all of his heritage, in accordance with the desire of the deceased, left for storage in the tomb of Baha'u'llah: 12 sacred portraits, 217 tablets that were at his disposal Baha'u'llah, Baha'u'llah's clothes, other religious literature, as well as many of his own writings and personal correspondence.

Shortly before his death, Aga Jan sent a letter to a believer from Bombay, Haji Hussein Ali Jahrumi, who came to Acre to form an unbiased opinion on the current situation and conducted a series of interviews{{ref+|Muhammad Ali also wrote a response to Jahrumi, and, as stated in his autobiography, sent a copy through his follower Agha Muhammad Kaeni 'Abdu'l-Bahá. He refused to accept it and asked the courier what his brother wanted from him. When the bearer of the letter explained that his goal was to eliminate the current strife, 'Abdu'l-Bahá cut him off by remarking that the only way to achieve this was to come to him and repent, as did their brother Badi'ullah{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014| loc=Mohammad Ali Bahai — Autobiography of Mohammed Ali Bahai|p=214}}.|"comm."}}. An excerpt from this message was published by Ibrahim Khairullah in 1901 in Facts for the Baha'is, and in its entirety as a 223-page treatise it was published in Cairo in April 1902. In it he systematized his accusations against 'Abdu'l-Bahá{{ref+||"comm."|name="Khadimullah"}}:

* 'Abdu'l-Bahá persuaded his followers that it was their duty to curse his brothers, sisters and Bahá'u'lláh's widow Mahd-i-Ula and recognize all these relatives and their supporters as "apostates".
* Repeatedly, in order to inflict bodily harm, he physically attacked Mahd-i-Ulya and his half-sister Furugia Khanum, who, due to the suffering, fell ill with paralysis and was bedridden for 5 years; treated other relatives harshly, speaking with them in a rude language {{ref+|Later, the historian Jawad Ghazwini also accused 'Abdu'l-Bahá of attempting to forcibly kidnap the wife of his late brother Ziya'ullah Soraya Samandari because she did not want to go over to his side{ {sfn|Browne|1918|loc=An Epitome of Babi and Baha'i history to A.D. 189|pp=86-87}}. In 'Abdu'l-Bahá's version, the "covenant breakers" kept the widow of Ziya'ullah in Bahji against her will, and when her father tried to take her home with him, he was severely attacked and beaten on the orders of Mirza Muhammad Ali{{sfn|Taherzadeh|1992|loc=Mirza Agha Jan|s=181-186}}.|"comm."}}.
* He forbade followers to conduct any correspondence, discussion, conversations and even trade with those who do not recognize his claims, thus sowing enmity between relatives, which led to the destruction of many families.
* He did not allow to send a single letter outside Akko to anyone without his personal censorship and fastening it with his own seal.
Banned the distribution and publication of the writings of Bahá'u'lláh, ordering his followers to read and distribute only his own writings {{ref+|Abdu'l-Bahá stopped [[Printing|printing books]]] of Bahá'u'lláh and did his utmost to prevent his followers from using previously printed literature. After 1896, [[Kitab-i-Agdas]] in the original Arabic was no longer officially published, in 1973 excerpts in English were published, and only in 1992 - an official English translation. Only eight percent of Bahá'u'lláh's works have been translated into English.|"comm."}}.
* He issued a strict order to reject every sacred tablet of Baha'u'llah if it was not approved by him and sealed with his seal, rejected the contents of the "Sacred Tablet", written by Baha'u'llah's hand and dedicated to his son Muhammad Ali, and ordered the destruction of the tablets of Baha'u'llah written by the pen of his younger brothers.
* Concealed the last part of Bahá'u'lláh's will, which was never published in the original{{ref+|Abdu'l-Bahá made it possible for his brothers to get acquainted with the full text of Bahá'u'lláh's will, which contained lines of special recognition for the merits of his personal secretary Mirza Agha Jan Kashani (Hadimullah){ {sfn|Jalal Azal|2004|loc=3.2 Mirza Aqa Jan of Kashan|pp=69-73}}, subsequently excommunicated by 'Abdu'l-Bahá for fear of his claim to leadership, and exhorting them both to remain loyal to Bahá'u'lláh (which demonstrates that Bahá'u'lláh did not endow his son with infallibility and considered him capable of committing errors). The presence of a postscript addressed to Hadimullah was confirmed (without publication) by the International House of Justice in 2013<ref>{{article|edition=Baha'i Studies Review|title=The 1893 Russian Publication of Baha'u'llah's Last Will and Testament </ref>. The American Rosamond Templeton volunteered to mediate and called upon the brothers, in the presence of their chosen witnesses, an English translator and a photographer, to meet at the tomb of Bahá'u'lláh on December 7, 1900, to read "[[Testament (Bahá'í)#Lesser Testament|Testament of Bahá'u'lláh]]" and take photographs its full text - however 'Abdu'l-Bahá refused the invitation, citing the fact that it was his father's own wish to keep the full text secret{{sfn|A Lost History...|2014|loc=Rosamond Templeton - Letters About the Sons of Baha' u'llah|pp=329—341}}.|"comm."|name="Khadim"}}{{sfn|Warburg, Margit|2006|loc=Abdu'l Baha and the Covenant|pp=181}} <ref name="stoic">{{article|edition=San Francisco Call|title=Bahai Leader A Stoic|volume=CXIL|number=136|pages=1-2|link=https://www.h-net .org/~bahai/docs/vol14/San_Francisco_Call_13-14_Oct_1912.pdf|language=en|type=newspaper|day=14|month=10|year=2013|archivedate=2018-04-21|archiveurl=https:// web.archive.org/web/20180421171020/http://www.h-net.org/%7Ebahai/docs/vol14/San_ Francisco_Call_13-14_Oct_1912.pdf}}</ref>{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Mohammad Ali Bahai - Autobiography of Mohammed Ali Bahai|pp=207-209}}, and misinterpreted part of its content.

[[File:Abdul Baha Abbas Funeral.jpg|mini|right|The funeral of [[Abdu'l-Bahá]] November 29, 1921.]]

Recognizing that 'Abdu'l-Bahá's supporters are in the majority among the believers {{ref+|The number of Baha'is living in [[Akko]] in 1902 was about ninety, and of these thirty to forty were opponents of 'Abdu'l-Bahá{{sfn|Wilson |1915|loc=The Quarrel over the Succession|p=259}}. Due to great opposition in Akko, almost immediately after the restrictions were lifted by the Ottoman authorities, in 1909 'Abdu'l-Bahá moved to neighboring [[Haifa|Haifa]]. In general, during the early 20th century, [[Palestine within the Ottoman Empire|Palestine]] was dominated by Muhammad Ali's supporters, but 'Abdu'l-Bahá drew his support primarily from followers in Iran, and increasingly from the late 1890s onwards from the growing communities in the United States where a cult based on his personality developed{{sfn|Warburg, Margit|2006|loc=Abdu'l Baha and the Covenant|pp=181}}{{sfn|Encyclopædia Iranica|1989|loc=Bahai and Babi Schisms|pp=447-449}}.|"comm.}}, Muhammad Ali, his children and followers have repeatedly called for dialogue, including by proposing to hold a unification conference of the faith {{ref+|One of the last such attempts was the proposal to hold in 1912 a conference of peace and spirituality in [[Chicago]], [[USA]]. On the Baha'i Unitarian side, Bahá'u'lláh's grandson Shua Ullah Behai and Ibrahim George Khairullah were to attend. The official language is [[English|English]], translation from [[Arabic|Arabic]] would have to be done by an independent translator. The conference would be recorded by the [[Associated Press]] agency, with three American scientists acting as witnesses and judges. The conference was to compare the positions of the parties with the scriptures of Baha'u'llah.|"comm."|name="conference"}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bahaisects.wordpress.com/2013/02/ 07/an-open-letter-to-sir-abbas-effendi-abdul-baha/|title=An open letter to Sir Abbas Effendi|publisher=Baha'i 'Faith'|date=2013-02-07|language= en|access-date=2019-06-04|archive-date=2019-06-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604162019/https://bahaisects.wordpress.com/ 2013/02/07/an-open-letter-to-sir-abbas-effendi-abdul-baha/|deadlink=no}}</ref>{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Mohammad Ali Bahai — Autobiography of Mohammed Ali Bahai|p=227}}{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Shua Ullah Bahai — An Interview with Ghusn-i-Akbar|p=182}}{{sfn|Browne|1918 |loc=An Epitome of Babi and Baha'i history to A.D. 189|p=82}}{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Shua Ullah Bahai — A Reminiscence: The Purpose, Condition and Potential of the Baha'i Faith|p=487}} to try to reconcile differences. The brother even attempted to personally visit 'Abdu'l-Bahá after the latter's return from America in early 1914. However, all their appeals were rejected or ignored <ref>{{cite web|url=http://unitarianbahais.blogspot.com/2013/11/efforts-of-mohammad-ali-effendi.html|title=Mohammad Ali Effendi's Effort to save the Faith|date=2013-11-14|publisher=Unitarian Bahai's|language=en|access-date=2019-05-29|archive-date=2019-05-29|archive-url=https:/ /web.archive.org/web/20190529174133/http://unitarianbahais.blogspot.com/2013/11/efforts-of-mohammad-ali-effendi.html|deadlink=no}}</ref> - the complete refusal of dialogue completely removed the current need for 'Abdu'l-Bahá to issue any detailed rebuttals of his brother's criticism {{sfn|Cole, Juan R.I.|2005|p=332}}. Only in a will written between 1901 and 1908 and made public after his death in 1921 did 'Abdu'l-Bahá voluminously accuse Muhammad Ali of conspiracy and apostasy , declaring him and his supporters " Covenant Breakers " for refusing to obey him and accept his understanding of religion. <ref name="covenant" /> . Most of Bahá'u'lláh's family, including his two wives living at that time, Fatima and Gavhara, and their children, supported the side of Gusn-i-Akbar. 'Abdu'l-Bahá's side was preserved only by his own family and Bahiyyeh Khanum , his younger full-blooded sister {{sfn|Miller|1974|loc=The Rule of Abdu'l-Baha|p=178}}. In 1922 there were 158 Bahá'ís in Palestine <ref>{{book|title=The handbook of Palestine|part=The Baha'is|year=1922|pages=59|publisher=London Macmillan|link=https://archive. org/details/handbookofpalest00lukeuoft/|language=en|ref=Luke|author=Luke, Harry Charles}}</ref>. Subsequently, 'Abdu'l-Bahá's successor Shoghi Effendi Rabbani {{ref+|Abdu'l-Bahá directed his eldest daughter and her husband to give their children the surname Rabbani, {{lang-ru|divine}}, in order to distinguish them from branches of Afnan. Shoghi Rabbani used this surname before his appointment as the "Guardian", and after that he began to call himself Shoghi Effendi, in accordance with the will of his grandfather.|"comm."}} excommunicated everyone from the faith {{ref+|The entire family of Baha'u'llah - his wife , children, grandchildren and their spouses (with the exception of the early deceased wife of Baha'u'llah Asiya Khanum, the children of Baha'u'llah 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahiyeh Khanum and Mirza Mihdi (who died in his youth), as well as the great-grandson of Baha'u'llah Shoghi Effendi and his wife Ruhiyya) - was ultimately excommunicated by 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi, expelled from the Baha'i community and declared "violators of the [[Covenant (Bahá'i)|Covenant]]", including some posthumously. By the end of [[Shoghi Effendi]]'s life, there was not a single possible heir of Bahá'u'lláh who had not been excommunicated{{sfn|Taherzadeh, Adib|2000|loc=The Family of Baha'u'llah|pp=16-27 }}{{sfn|Jalal Azal|2004|loc=7.1 Baha's Family Chart|pp=179—181}}<ref name="covenant" />. The excommunications of the descendants of Baha'u'llah on behalf of the Universal House of Justice continue to this day. Thus, in 1996, the excommunication of Baha'u'llah's great-granddaughter, the creator of the family website of the descendants of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Parveen Afnan Shahid, was confirmed, as well as the New Zealand Baha'i Pauline Smith, who was accused of communicating with her<ref>{{book|title=Lights of Irfan , Volume 10|part=Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit|link=https://bahai-library.com/momen_blasphemy_holy_spirit|language=en|author=Momen, Moojan|publisher=Wilmette, IL:Irfan Colloquia|year=2009}} {{Wayback|url=https://bahai-library.com/momen_blasphemy_holy_spirit |date=20200616065922 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://fglaysher .com/bahaicensorship/shun1.htm|title=New Zealand shunning of non-Baha'i|publisher=The Baha'i Faith & Religious Freedom of Conscience|date=1998-02-08|language=en|access-date= 2020-06-16|archive-date=2020-06-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616065920/https://fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/shun1.htm|deadlink= no}}</ref>|"comm."|name="excommunicated"}} of their relatives {{ref+|These relatives were mostly excommunicated for marriages that Shoghi Effendi did not approve of or for refusing to consider formerly excommunicated relatives<ref>{{cite web|url=https://excommunicatedbahais.wordpress.com/2017/02/27/excommunication-by-shoghi-effendi/|first=Helen T.|last=Wilson|title =Excommunicated by Shoghi Effendi|publisher=Excommunication in the Bahai Faith|date=2017-02-27|language=en|access-date=2019-07-02|arc hive-date=2019-07-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702105018/https://excommunicatedbahais.wordpress.com/2017/02/27/excommunication-by-shoghi- effendi/|deadlink=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bahaiawareness.com/excom7.html|title=Excommunication by Central Figures of the Bahai Faith|publisher=Bahai Awareness|date=2012-08|language=en|access-date=2019-07-29|archive-date=2017-05-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510193006/ http://www.bahaiawareness.com/excom7.html|deadlink=no}}</ref>. Doctrinal differences may also have played a role, in particular with regard to the degree of authority of the "Guardian" and the personal freedom of the Bahá'ís. Anthropologist Eric Cohen believes that the key differences were over the spread of the faith to the West and its universalization, which the Palestinian Bahá'ís saw as a "sale"<ref name= "Coen" />. However, unlike the previous generation of relatives who were excommunicated from the faith of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, his own descendants, who were excommunicated by Shoghi Effendi, did not attempt to create rival Baha'i movements - on the contrary, they avoided any public statements for decades.|"comm."}} , ordering them to leave the territory of Palestine {{ref+|First [[Shoghi Effendi|Effendi]] sent to [[Iran]], [[Syria|Syria]], [[Lebanon]] or [[Egypt]] those families who had no business ties in Akko and Haifa, promising them financial assistance at the place of arrival, but, for example, those who went to Iran - they never received it. Further, those who were engaged in business were sent away, and a small number of those who refused were excommunicated. Last came the turn of property owners and government employees, most of whom refused - and were also excommunicated.|"comm."}}, and depriving them of basic religious rights, including the right to visit the shrine of Bahá'u'lláh in Acre {{ref+|The Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh is located in the northwestern corner house, which once belonged to Haji Sayyid Ali Afnan, husband of Furugiya Khanum, the youngest daughter of Bahá'u'lláh. This house was purchased by Afnan from its Christian owner. Sayyid Ali was a Russian subject, which protected him from possible attacks from the Persian or Turkish government. He supported the Unitarians for a while, then reconciled with 'Abdu'l-Bahá, but was ultimately excommunicated posthumously from the faith of Shoghi Effendi, following all his descendants{{sfn|A Lost History...|2014|pp=207,326,428}}. After the death of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Muhammad Ali claimed the right to be the guardian of the [[Bahá'í World Center Buildings#Tomb of Bahá'u'lláh|Tombs of Bahá'u'lláh]] (in accordance with [[Islamic inheritance law|Muslim law]], applicable also to [[Bahá'í] ], the son is the legal guardian of his father's tomb). Initially, [[British Mandate for Palestine|British authorities]] gave equal access to the shrine to both sides and offered to hold a Congress of Baha'i representatives from all over the world, but in February 1923, due to friendly relations with the Governor of Haifa, Colonel {{np3|Stuart Simes| J. Stewart Symes|en|Stewart Symes}}, Shoghi Effendi succeeded in persuading them to return the keys to the inner tomb to his possession{{sfn|Ruhiyyih Rabbani|1969|loc=Death of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and its immediate consequences}}, whereupon he denied admission to the tomb of the "apostates"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bahai-library.com/wilson_dispensation_bahaullah/|first=Helen T.|last=Wilson|title=The Dispensation of Baha'u'llah:Its Continuing Place In History|publisher=Baha'i Library|date=2004|language=en|access-date=2019-06-01|archive-date=2019-06-01|archive-url=https://web. archive.org/web/20190601115449/http://bahai-library.com/wilson_dispensation_bahaullah/|deadlink=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://bahaitalks.blogspot.com/ 2016/01/the-greatest-holy-leafs-unparalleled.html|first=Baharieh Rouhani|last=Ma'ani|title=The Greatest Holy Leaf's unparalleled role in religious history|publisher=Baha'i Talks|date=2016- 01-16|language=en|access-date=2019-07-23|archive-date=2019-07-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723064551/http://bahaitalks.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-greatest-holy-leafs-unparalleled.html|deadlink=no}}</ref><ref>{{книга|заглавие=Letter to the Baha’i Spiritual Assembly of Iran|часть=Forbidding me from visiting the Shrines|год=1970|ссылка=http://www.abdulbahasfamily.org/documents/Ruhi-Afnan-1970-letter.pdf|язык=en|автор=Afnan, Ruhi}} {{Wayback|url=http://www.abdulbahasfamily.org/documents/Ruhi-Afnan-1970-letter.pdf |date=20201111202145 }}</ref>.|"комм."|name="shrine"}}{{sfn|Kamar|1953|loc=Statements on the Dispute Between the Baha'i Family}}{{sfn|Jalal Azal|2004|loc=9.25 Restricting of Access to Baha's Shrine|pp=330—331}}.

2023-01-30T05:06:26Z

Trident765:

Khadimullah

2023-01-30T05:04:33Z

Trident765:

[[File:Mirza-Aqa-Jan.jpg|справа|мини|upright=0.95|Mirza Agha Jan Kashani - Khadimullah, Private Secretary [[Bahá'u'llá|Bahá'u'lláh]] (1837 [[Kashan (Iran)|Kashan]], [[Supreme State of Iran]] – 5 May 1901, [[Akko]], [[Ottoman Palestine]]]]

Mirza Agha Jan Kashani, in his youth, became a devoted follower of the [[Bab]] and a zealous servant of his cause. After his death, he continued the search for "[[He Who God Shall Make Manifest]]" and became the very first to believe in the mission of Bahá'u'lláh<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bahai-library.com/uhj_sdc_capital_punishment|title=The First Person to Recognize Bahá'u'lláh as a Manifestation of God|date=1991-06-20|publisher=Baha 'i Library|language=en|access-date=2020-06-06|archive-date=2020-06-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606162257/https:// bahai-library.com/uhj_sdc_capital_punishment|deadlink=no}}</ref>. Agha Jan joined Baha'u'llah back in 1853 in [[Baghdad]], moved with him to [[Istanbul]], then to [[Adrianople]] {{ref+|In 1866, it was he who received and read aloud Bahá'u'lláh's Sura-yi-Amr tablet (in which he formally proclaimed himself "He Whom God shall make manifest") to [[Sobh-i-Azal|Mirzeh Yahye]]|"comm."}} and thence to [[Acre]]. For forty years, until the death of Bahá'u'lláh, Aga Jan faithfully served him as his personal secretary, recording all his sayings and messages, and disseminating his teachings. The bulk of the Baha'i sacred books are written by his hand{{ref+|Bahá'u'lláh's personal secretary Mirza Agha Jan Kashani (Khadimullah) usually kept a direct record of Bahá'u'lláh's dictation. During his life in Adrianople, his records were most often processed by Baha'u'llah's eldest son [[Abdu'l-Bahá|Abbas Effendi]] and Baha'u'llah's brother {{np3|Musa Kalim|Musa Kalim|en|Mírzá Músá}}. After moving to Akka, Abdu'l-Bahá's brother Mirza Mihdi helped Khadim for a short time before his death, and the duties of editor and copyist were mainly taken over by Muhammad Ali. Later, the son of Musa Kalim Mirza Majdeddin, who also began to help Khadim, and the younger brothers Ziyaulla and Badiulla joined the editorial work. The main holy book in the Baha'i Faith, [[Kitab-i-Aqdas]], and other texts for publication during Bahá'u'lláh's lifetime were prepared by Muhammad Ali and Hadimullah.|"comm."|name="scribe"}}. For his service, he received the titles of "Khadimullah" (servant of God), "servant who is always near" and "servant who is present before the Throne in honorary status", and is mentioned under them in hundreds of messages of Bahá'u'lláh<ref>{{cite web| url=http://therightofgod.blogspot.com/2017/12/story-thousands-of-worlds-of.html|title=Story: "...thousands of worlds of incomparable splendor were unveiled to my eyes…” – a spiritual experience by a youth|publisher=Huqúqu'lláh - God's 'special favour' to humanity|date=2017-11-28|language=en|access-date=2020-06-06|archive-date=2020-06 -06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606162628/http://therightofgod.blogspot.com/2017/12/story-thousands-of-worlds-of.html|deadlink=no }}</ref>. In all of Baha'u'llah's circle of companions, there was no one who was as close to him as his companion, the attorney and master of ceremonies, who was the main channel of communication between Baha'u'llah and the believers{{sfn|Taherzadeh|1992|loc =Mirza Agha Jan|s=181-186}}. Bahá'u'lláh foresaw that even after his death, Khadim would continue to have an important status in the Faith, second only to his sons. He wrote:

{{quote start}}
“O people! Hold fast after Me to the Branches [sons] that came from this preexisting root. Verily, through them the fragrances of My Garments will spread among the people of the world... Beware lest you follow every ignorant sinner. And after the Branches, prominence is assigned to the Servant who is present before the Throne. You should honor the family from which the Beloved of the world came ... And whoever turns away from them, verily, he is one of those who do not believe in God and become a polytheist.
- Baha'u'llah . Tablet "O creator of all creation" (Lauh-i-badi) {{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Shua Ullah Behai — Some Notable Baha'is|pp=267—269}}{{sfn|Jalal Azal |2004|loc=18.4. Baha's Swam Song on Ghiyath & Mustaghath|pp=184-186}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bahaism.blogspot.com/2013/03/bahaullahs-senile-ramblings-tablet-of-o .html|title=Baha'u'llah's senile ramblings: The tablet of O Creator of all creation|publisher=Bahaism|author=Emtesali, Naser|date=2013-03-25|language=en|access-date=2020- 07-07|archive-date=2020-07-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200707205045/https://bahaism.blogspot.com/2013/03/bahaullahs-senile- ramblings-tablet-of-o.html|deadlink=no}}</ref>}}
{{quote end}}

[[File:Front of the Shrine of Baha'u'llah.jpg|left|mini|[[Bahá'í World Center Buildings#Tomb of Baha'u'llah|Tomb]] [[Bahá'u'lláh|Bahá'u'llah]]<br>
Coordinates: {{coord|32|56|37|N|35|5|30.5|E|noosm=1|noyandex=1}}]]

When dissension began to grow among the sons of Baha'u'llah, Mirza Agha Jan, as an experienced man who was thoroughly familiar with all the writings of Baha'u'llah, tried to intervene and achieve reconciliation between the parties. On the fifth anniversary of Bahá'u'lláh's death, Hadimullah called a meeting of the Bahá'ís and addressed them with a speech declaring that many of the sayings and actions of 'Abdu'l-Bahá were contrary to the instructions of Bahá'u'lláh as laid down in the scriptures {{ref+|"This servant was silent all this time and did not utter a single words for fear of stirring up controversy. Now, however, I feel that my silence is only causing dissension in the Faith; therefore I tell you that the deeds and words coming from Abbas Effendi and his company are all contrary to God's commandments and His instructions revealed in the sacred scriptures. The Testament and Promise mentioned above in the blameless writings refer exclusively to the previous and subsequent [[Theophany]]s, but Abbas Effendi appropriated them to himself, and you accepted it, but you are greatly mistaken.|"comm."}}. Hearing about this speech, 'Abdu'l-Bahá with his 12 associates, fearing that the Agha Jan might declare himself the "Keeper of the Faith", broke into the premises, attacked Khadim and, after beating him and taking away all the texts (which included drafts of letters to famous believers), threatened with strangulation and locked in a barn. After this, 'Abdu'l-Bahá proclaimed Khadim "a scoundrel, an apostate, a liar, a hypocrite and a devil" {{sfn|Browne|1918|loc=An Epitome of Babi and Baha'i history to A.D. 189|p=88}}. The description of these events was later set forth by Hadimullah himself and published in a treatise entitled "The Terrible Incident of the Servant of Baha in the Blessed and Supreme Garden"<ref>{{book|title=Vaqi`ih-i Ha'ilih-i Khadim-i Abha dar Rawdih-i Mubarakih-'i `Ulya|link=https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/areprint/vol6/khadim1/khadim1.htm|language=fa|author=Mirza Aqa Jan "Khadimu'llah " Kashi}} {{Wayback|url=https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/areprint/vol6/khadim1/khadim1.htm |date=20200606162250 }}</ref>. After this incident, Khadimullah finally bowed to the side of Muhammad Ali, who and his brothers helped him to move under his protection to the building of the tomb of Baha'u'llahwhere he lived until his death on May 17, 1901{{ref+|Hadim made another attempt at reconciliation by going to 'Abdu'l-Bahá's house to discuss the differences with him. Not being allowed inside, he sat on the ground for 2 hours and called on the supporters of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to show the documents in their possession that would confirm the correctness of their interpretations. In response, 'Abdu'l-Bahá sent his son-in-law, Muhsin Afnan, to the Turkish authorities, stating that Khadim wanted to harm his house - and he was taken away by the guards.|"comm."}}. After the death of Khadim Abdu'l-Bahá, having obtained permission from the nominal owner of the building of the tomb of Haji Sayyid Ali Afnan, the husband of Furugia Khanum, seized all of his heritage, in accordance with the desire of the deceased, left for storage in the tomb of Baha'u'llah: 12 sacred portraits, 217 tablets that were at his disposal Baha'u'llah, Baha'u'llah's clothes, other religious literature, as well as many of his own writings and personal correspondence.

Shortly before his death, Aga Jan sent a letter to a believer from Bombay, Haji Hussein Ali Jahrumi, who came to Acre to form an unbiased opinion on the current situation and conducted a series of interviews{{ref+|Muhammad Ali also wrote a response to Jahrumi, and, as stated in his autobiography, sent a copy through his follower Agha Muhammad Kaeni 'Abdu'l-Bahá. He refused to accept it and asked the courier what his brother wanted from him. When the bearer of the letter explained that his goal was to eliminate the current strife, 'Abdu'l-Bahá cut him off by remarking that the only way to achieve this was to come to him and repent, as did their brother Badi'ullah{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014| loc=Mohammad Ali Bahai — Autobiography of Mohammed Ali Bahai|p=214}}.|"comm."}}. An excerpt from this message was published by Ibrahim Khairullah in 1901 in Facts for the Baha'is, and in its entirety as a 223-page treatise it was published in Cairo in April 1902. In it he systematized his accusations against 'Abdu'l-Bahá{{ref+||"comm."|name="Khadimullah"}}:

* 'Abdu'l-Bahá persuaded his followers that it was their duty to curse his brothers, sisters and Bahá'u'lláh's widow Mahd-i-Ula and recognize all these relatives and their supporters as "apostates".
* Repeatedly, in order to inflict bodily harm, he physically attacked Mahd-i-Ulya and his half-sister Furugia Khanum, who, due to the suffering, fell ill with paralysis and was bedridden for 5 years; treated other relatives harshly, speaking with them in a rude language {{ref+|Later, the historian Jawad Ghazwini also accused 'Abdu'l-Bahá of attempting to forcibly kidnap the wife of his late brother Ziya'ullah Soraya Samandari because she did not want to go over to his side{ {sfn|Browne|1918|loc=An Epitome of Babi and Baha'i history to A.D. 189|pp=86-87}}. In 'Abdu'l-Bahá's version, the "covenant breakers" kept the widow of Ziya'ullah in Bahji against her will, and when her father tried to take her home with him, he was severely attacked and beaten on the orders of Mirza Muhammad Ali{{sfn|Taherzadeh|1992|loc=Mirza Agha Jan|s=181-186}}.|"comm."}}.
* He forbade followers to conduct any correspondence, discussion, conversations and even trade with those who do not recognize his claims, thus sowing enmity between relatives, which led to the destruction of many families.
* He did not allow to send a single letter outside Akko to anyone without his personal censorship and fastening it with his own seal.
Banned the distribution and publication of the writings of Bahá'u'lláh, ordering his followers to read and distribute only his own writings {{ref+|Abdu'l-Bahá stopped [[Printing|printing books]]] of Bahá'u'lláh and did his utmost to prevent his followers from using previously printed literature. After 1896, [[Kitab-i-Agdas]] in the original Arabic was no longer officially published, in 1973 excerpts in English were published, and only in 1992 - an official English translation. Only eight percent of Bahá'u'lláh's works have been translated into English.|"comm."}}.
* He issued a strict order to reject every sacred tablet of Baha'u'llah if it was not approved by him and sealed with his seal, rejected the contents of the "Sacred Tablet", written by Baha'u'llah's hand and dedicated to his son Muhammad Ali, and ordered the destruction of the tablets of Baha'u'llah written by the pen of his younger brothers.
* Concealed the last part of Bahá'u'lláh's will, which was never published in the original{{ref+|Abdu'l-Bahá made it possible for his brothers to get acquainted with the full text of Bahá'u'lláh's will, which contained lines of special recognition for the merits of his personal secretary Mirza Agha Jan Kashani (Hadimullah){ {sfn|Jalal Azal|2004|loc=3.2 Mirza Aqa Jan of Kashan|pp=69-73}}, subsequently excommunicated by 'Abdu'l-Bahá for fear of his claim to leadership, and exhorting them both to remain loyal to Bahá'u'lláh (which demonstrates that Bahá'u'lláh did not endow his son with infallibility and considered him capable of committing errors). The presence of a postscript addressed to Hadimullah was confirmed (without publication) by the International House of Justice in 2013<ref>{{article|edition=Baha'i Studies Review|title=The 1893 Russian Publication of Baha'u'llah's Last Will and Testament </ref>. The American Rosamond Templeton volunteered to mediate and called upon the brothers, in the presence of their chosen witnesses, an English translator and a photographer, to meet at the tomb of Bahá'u'lláh on December 7, 1900, to read "[[Testament (Bahá'í)#Lesser Testament|Testament of Bahá'u'lláh]]" and take photographs its full text - however 'Abdu'l-Bahá refused the invitation, citing the fact that it was his father's own wish to keep the full text secret{{sfn|A Lost History...|2014|loc=Rosamond Templeton - Letters About the Sons of Baha' u'llah|pp=329—341}}.|"comm."|name="Khadim"}}{{sfn|Warburg, Margit|2006|loc=Abdu'l Baha and the Covenant|pp=181}} <ref name="stoic">{{article|edition=San Francisco Call|title=Bahai Leader A Stoic|volume=CXIL|number=136|pages=1-2|link=https://www.h-net .org/~bahai/docs/vol14/San_Francisco_Call_13-14_Oct_1912.pdf|language=en|type=newspaper|day=14|month=10|year=2013|archivedate=2018-04-21|archiveurl=https:// web.archive.org/web/20180421171020/http://www.h-net.org/%7Ebahai/docs/vol14/San_ Francisco_Call_13-14_Oct_1912.pdf}}</ref>{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Mohammad Ali Bahai - Autobiography of Mohammed Ali Bahai|pp=207-209}}, and misinterpreted part of its content.

[[File:Abdul Baha Abbas Funeral.jpg|mini|right|The funeral of [[Abdu'l-Bahá]] November 29, 1921.]]

Recognizing that 'Abdu'l-Bahá's supporters are in the majority among the believers {{ref+|The number of Baha'is living in [[Akko]] in 1902 was about ninety, and of these thirty to forty were opponents of 'Abdu'l-Bahá{{sfn|Wilson |1915|loc=The Quarrel over the Succession|p=259}}. Due to great opposition in Akko, almost immediately after the restrictions were lifted by the Ottoman authorities, in 1909 'Abdu'l-Bahá moved to neighboring [[Haifa|Haifa]]. In general, during the early 20th century, [[Palestine within the Ottoman Empire|Palestine]] was dominated by Muhammad Ali's supporters, but 'Abdu'l-Bahá drew his support primarily from followers in Iran, and increasingly from the late 1890s onwards from the growing communities in the United States where a cult based on his personality developed{{sfn|Warburg, Margit|2006|loc=Abdu'l Baha and the Covenant|pp=181}}{{sfn|Encyclopædia Iranica|1989|loc=Bahai and Babi Schisms|pp=447-449}}.|"comm.}}, Muhammad Ali, his children and followers have repeatedly called for dialogue, including by proposing to hold a unification conference of the faith {{ref+|One of the last such attempts was the proposal to hold in 1912 a conference of peace and spirituality in [[Chicago]], [[USA]]. On the Baha'i Unitarian side, Bahá'u'lláh's grandson Shua Ullah Behai and Ibrahim George Khairullah were to attend. The official language is [[English|English]], translation from [[Arabic|Arabic]] would have to be done by an independent translator. The conference would be recorded by the [[Associated Press]] agency, with three American scientists acting as witnesses and judges. The conference was to compare the positions of the parties with the scriptures of Baha'u'llah.|"comm."|name="conference"}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bahaisects.wordpress.com/2013/02/ 07/an-open-letter-to-sir-abbas-effendi-abdul-baha/|title=An open letter to Sir Abbas Effendi|publisher=Baha'i 'Faith'|date=2013-02-07|language= en|access-date=2019-06-04|archive-date=2019-06-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604162019/https://bahaisects.wordpress.com/ 2013/02/07/an-open-letter-to-sir-abbas-effendi-abdul-baha/|deadlink=no}}</ref>{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Mohammad Ali Bahai — Autobiography of Mohammed Ali Bahai|p=227}}{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Shua Ullah Bahai — An Interview with Ghusn-i-Akbar|p=182}}{{sfn|Browne|1918 |loc=An Epitome of Babi and Baha'i history to A.D. 189|p=82}}{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Shua Ullah Bahai — A Reminiscence: The Purpose, Condition and Potential of the Baha'i Faith|p=487}} to try to reconcile differences. The brother even attempted to personally visit 'Abdu'l-Bahá after the latter's return from America in early 1914. However, all their appeals were rejected or ignored <ref>{{cite web|url=http://unitarianbahais.blogspot.com/2013/11/efforts-of-mohammad-ali-effendi.html|title=Mohammad Ali Effendi's Effort to save the Faith|date=2013-11-14|publisher=Unitarian Bahai's|language=en|access-date=2019-05-29|archive-date=2019-05-29|archive-url=https:/ /web.archive.org/web/20190529174133/http://unitarianbahais.blogspot.com/2013/11/efforts-of-mohammad-ali-effendi.html|deadlink=no}}</ref> - the complete refusal of dialogue completely removed the current need for 'Abdu'l-Bahá to issue any detailed rebuttals of his brother's criticism {{sfn|Cole, Juan R.I.|2005|p=332}}. Only in a will written between 1901 and 1908 and made public after his death in 1921 did 'Abdu'l-Bahá voluminously accuse Muhammad Ali of conspiracy and apostasy , declaring him and his supporters " Covenant Breakers " for refusing to obey him and accept his understanding of religion. <ref name="covenant" /> . Most of Bahá'u'lláh's family, including his two wives living at that time, Fatima and Gavhara, and their children, supported the side of Gusn-i-Akbar. 'Abdu'l-Bahá's side was preserved only by his own family and Bahiyyeh Khanum , his younger full-blooded sister {{sfn|Miller|1974|loc=The Rule of Abdu'l-Baha|p=178}}. In 1922 there were 158 Bahá'ís in Palestine <ref>{{book|title=The handbook of Palestine|part=The Baha'is|year=1922|pages=59|publisher=London Macmillan|link=https://archive. org/details/handbookofpalest00lukeuoft/|language=en|ref=Luke|author=Luke, Harry Charles}}</ref>. Subsequently, 'Abdu'l-Bahá's successor Shoghi Effendi Rabbani {{ref+|Abdu'l-Bahá directed his eldest daughter and her husband to give their children the surname Rabbani, {{lang-ru|divine}}, in order to distinguish them from branches of Afnan. Shoghi Rabbani used this surname before his appointment as the "Guardian", and after that he began to call himself Shoghi Effendi, in accordance with the will of his grandfather.|"comm."}} excommunicated everyone from the faith {{ref+|The entire family of Baha'u'llah - his wife , children, grandchildren and their spouses (with the exception of the early deceased wife of Baha'u'llah Asiya Khanum, the children of Baha'u'llah 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahiyeh Khanum and Mirza Mihdi (who died in his youth), as well as the great-grandson of Baha'u'llah Shoghi Effendi and his wife Ruhiyya) - was ultimately excommunicated by 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi, expelled from the Baha'i community and declared "violators of the [[Covenant (Bahá'i)|Covenant]]", including some posthumously. By the end of [[Shoghi Effendi]]'s life, there was not a single possible heir of Bahá'u'lláh who had not been excommunicated{{sfn|Taherzadeh, Adib|2000|loc=The Family of Baha'u'llah|pp=16-27 }}{{sfn|Jalal Azal|2004|loc=7.1 Baha's Family Chart|pp=179—181}}<ref name="covenant" />. The excommunications of the descendants of Baha'u'llah on behalf of the Universal House of Justice continue to this day. Thus, in 1996, the excommunication of Baha'u'llah's great-granddaughter, the creator of the family website of the descendants of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Parveen Afnan Shahid, was confirmed, as well as the New Zealand Baha'i Pauline Smith, who was accused of communicating with her<ref>{{book|title=Lights of Irfan , Volume 10|part=Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit|link=https://bahai-library.com/momen_blasphemy_holy_spirit|language=en|author=Momen, Moojan|publisher=Wilmette, IL:Irfan Colloquia|year=2009}} {{Wayback|url=https://bahai-library.com/momen_blasphemy_holy_spirit |date=20200616065922 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://fglaysher .com/bahaicensorship/shun1.htm|title=New Zealand shunning of non-Baha'i|publisher=The Baha'i Faith & Religious Freedom of Conscience|date=1998-02-08|language=en|access-date= 2020-06-16|archive-date=2020-06-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616065920/https://fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/shun1.htm|deadlink= no}}</ref>|"comm."|name="excommunicated"}} of their relatives {{ref+|These relatives were mostly excommunicated for marriages that Shoghi Effendi did not approve of or for refusing to consider formerly excommunicated relatives<ref>{{cite web|url=https://excommunicatedbahais.wordpress.com/2017/02/27/excommunication-by-shoghi-effendi/|first=Helen T.|last=Wilson|title =Excommunicated by Shoghi Effendi|publisher=Excommunication in the Bahai Faith|date=2017-02-27|language=en|access-date=2019-07-02|arc hive-date=2019-07-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702105018/https://excommunicatedbahais.wordpress.com/2017/02/27/excommunication-by-shoghi- effendi/|deadlink=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bahaiawareness.com/excom7.html|title=Excommunication by Central Figures of the Bahai Faith|publisher=Bahai Awareness|date=2012-08|language=en|access-date=2019-07-29|archive-date=2017-05-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510193006/ http://www.bahaiawareness.com/excom7.html|deadlink=no}}</ref>. Doctrinal differences may also have played a role, in particular with regard to the degree of authority of the "Guardian" and the personal freedom of the Bahá'ís. Anthropologist Eric Cohen believes that the key differences were over the spread of the faith to the West and its universalization, which the Palestinian Bahá'ís saw as a "sale"<ref name= "Coen" />. However, unlike the previous generation of relatives who were excommunicated from the faith of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, his own descendants, who were excommunicated by Shoghi Effendi, did not attempt to create rival Baha'i movements - on the contrary, they avoided any public statements for decades.|"comm."}} , ordering them to leave the territory of Palestine {{ref+|First [[Shoghi Effendi|Effendi]] sent to [[Iran]], [[Syria|Syria]], [[Lebanon]] or [[Egypt]] those families who had no business ties in Akko and Haifa, promising them financial assistance at the place of arrival, but, for example, those who went to Iran - they never received it. Further, those who were engaged in business were sent away, and a small number of those who refused were excommunicated. Last came the turn of property owners and government employees, most of whom refused - and were also excommunicated.|"comm."}}, and depriving them of basic religious rights, including the right to visit the shrine of Bahá'u'lláh in Acre {{ref+|The Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh is located in the northwestern corner house, which once belonged to Haji Sayyid Ali Afnan, husband of Furugiya Khanum, the youngest daughter of Bahá'u'lláh. This house was purchased by Afnan from its Christian owner. Sayyid Ali was a Russian subject, which protected him from possible attacks from the Persian or Turkish government. He supported the Unitarians for a while, then reconciled with 'Abdu'l-Bahá, but was ultimately excommunicated posthumously from the faith of Shoghi Effendi, following all his descendants{{sfn|A Lost History...|2014|pp=207,326,428}}. After the death of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Muhammad Ali claimed the right to be the guardian of the [[Bahá'í World Center Buildings#Tomb of Bahá'u'lláh|Tombs of Bahá'u'lláh]] (in accordance with [[Islamic inheritance law|Muslim law]], applicable also to [[Bahá'í] ], the son is the legal guardian of his father's tomb). Initially, [[British Mandate for Palestine|British authorities]] gave equal access to the shrine to both sides and offered to hold a Congress of Baha'i representatives from all over the world, but in February 1923, due to friendly relations with the Governor of Haifa, Colonel {{np3|Stuart Simes| J. Stewart Symes|en|Stewart Symes}}, Shoghi Effendi succeeded in persuading them to return the keys to the inner tomb to his possession{{sfn|Ruhiyyih Rabbani|1969|loc=Death of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and its immediate consequences}}, whereupon he denied admission to the tomb of the "apostates"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bahai-library.com/wilson_dispensation_bahaullah/|first=Helen T.|last=Wilson|title=The Dispensation of Baha'u'llah:Its Continuing Place In History|publisher=Baha'i Library|date=2004|language=en|access-date=2019-06-01|archive-date=2019-06-01|archive-url=https://web. archive.org/web/20190601115449/http://bahai-library.com/wilson_dispensation_bahaullah/|deadlink=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://bahaitalks.blogspot.com/ 2016/01/the-greatest-holy-leafs-unparalleled.html|first=Baharieh Rouhani|last=Ma'ani|title=The Greatest Holy Leaf's unparalleled role in religious history|publisher=Baha'i Talks|date=2016- 01-16|language=en|access-date=2019-07-23|archive-date=2019-07-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723064551/http://bahaitalks.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-greatest-holy-leafs-unparalleled.html|deadlink=no}}</ref><ref>{{книга|заглавие=Letter to the Baha’i Spiritual Assembly of Iran|часть=Forbidding me from visiting the Shrines|год=1970|ссылка=http://www.abdulbahasfamily.org/documents/Ruhi-Afnan-1970-letter.pdf|язык=en|автор=Afnan, Ruhi}} {{Wayback|url=http://www.abdulbahasfamily.org/documents/Ruhi-Afnan-1970-letter.pdf |date=20201111202145 }}</ref>.|"комм."|name="shrine"}}{{sfn|Kamar|1953|loc=Statements on the Dispute Between the Baha'i Family}}{{sfn|Jalal Azal|2004|loc=9.25 Restricting of Access to Baha's Shrine|pp=330—331}}.

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Khadimullah

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Mirza Agha Jan Kashani, in his youth, became a devoted follower of the [[Bab]] and a zealous servant of his cause. After his death, he continued the search for "[[He Who God Shall Make Manifest]]" and became the very first to believe in the mission of Bahá'u'lláh<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bahai-library.com/uhj_sdc_capital_punishment|title=The First Person to Recognize Bahá'u'lláh as a Manifestation of God|date=1991-06-20|publisher=Baha 'i Library|language=en|access-date=2020-06-06|archive-date=2020-06-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606162257/https:// bahai-library.com/uhj_sdc_capital_punishment|deadlink=no}}</ref>. Agha Jan joined Baha'u'llah back in 1853 in [[Baghdad]], moved with him to [[Istanbul]], then to [[Adrianople]] {{ref+|In 1866, it was he who received and read aloud Bahá'u'lláh's Sura-yi-Amr tablet (in which he formally proclaimed himself "He Whom God shall make manifest") to [[Sobh-i-Azal|Mirzeh Yahye]]|"comm."}} and thence to [[Acre]]. For forty years, until the death of Bahá'u'lláh, Aga Jan faithfully served him as his personal secretary, recording all his sayings and messages, and disseminating his teachings. The bulk of the Baha'i sacred books are written by his hand{{ref+|Bahá'u'lláh's personal secretary Mirza Agha Jan Kashani (Khadimullah) usually kept a direct record of Bahá'u'lláh's dictation. During his life in Adrianople, his records were most often processed by Baha'u'llah's eldest son [[Abdu'l-Bahá|Abbas Effendi]] and Baha'u'llah's brother {{np3|Musa Kalim|Musa Kalim|en|Mírzá Músá}}. After moving to Akka, Abdu'l-Bahá's brother Mirza Mihdi helped Khadim for a short time before his death, and the duties of editor and copyist were mainly taken over by Muhammad Ali. Later, the son of Musa Kalim Mirza Majdeddin, who also began to help Khadim, and the younger brothers Ziyaulla and Badiulla joined the editorial work. The main holy book in the Baha'i Faith, [[Kitab-i-Aqdas]], and other texts for publication during Bahá'u'lláh's lifetime were prepared by Muhammad Ali and Hadimullah.|"comm."|name="scribe"}}. For his service, he received the titles of "Khadimullah" (servant of God), "servant who is always near" and "servant who is present before the Throne in honorary status", and is mentioned under them in hundreds of messages of Bahá'u'lláh<ref>{{cite web| url=http://therightofgod.blogspot.com/2017/12/story-thousands-of-worlds-of.html|title=Story: "...thousands of worlds of incomparable splendor were unveiled to my eyes…” – a spiritual experience by a youth|publisher=Huqúqu'lláh - God's 'special favour' to humanity|date=2017-11-28|language=en|access-date=2020-06-06|archive-date=2020-06 -06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606162628/http://therightofgod.blogspot.com/2017/12/story-thousands-of-worlds-of.html|deadlink=no }}</ref>. In all of Baha'u'llah's circle of companions, there was no one who was as close to him as his companion, the attorney and master of ceremonies, who was the main channel of communication between Baha'u'llah and the believers{{sfn|Taherzadeh|1992|loc =Mirza Agha Jan|s=181-186}}. Bahá'u'lláh foresaw that even after his death, Khadim would continue to have an important status in the Faith, second only to his sons. He wrote:

{{quote start}}
“O people! Hold fast after Me to the Branches [sons] that came from this preexisting root. Verily, through them the fragrances of My Garments will spread among the people of the world... Beware lest you follow every ignorant sinner. And after the Branches, prominence is assigned to the Servant who is present before the Throne. You should honor the family from which the Beloved of the world came ... And whoever turns away from them, verily, he is one of those who do not believe in God and become a polytheist.
- Baha'u'llah . Tablet "O creator of all creation" (Lauh-i-badi) {{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Shua Ullah Behai — Some Notable Baha'is|pp=267—269}}{{sfn|Jalal Azal |2004|loc=18.4. Baha's Swam Song on Ghiyath & Mustaghath|pp=184-186}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bahaism.blogspot.com/2013/03/bahaullahs-senile-ramblings-tablet-of-o .html|title=Baha'u'llah's senile ramblings: The tablet of O Creator of all creation|publisher=Bahaism|author=Emtesali, Naser|date=2013-03-25|language=en|access-date=2020- 07-07|archive-date=2020-07-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200707205045/https://bahaism.blogspot.com/2013/03/bahaullahs-senile- ramblings-tablet-of-o.html|deadlink=no}}</ref>}}
{{quote end}}

[[File:Front of the Shrine of Baha'u'llah.jpg|left|mini|[[Bahá'í World Center Buildings#Tomb of Baha'u'llah|Tomb]] [[Bahá'u'lláh|Bahá'u'llah]]<br>
Coordinates: {{coord|32|56|37|N|35|5|30.5|E|noosm=1|noyandex=1}}]]

When dissension began to grow among the sons of Baha'u'llah, Mirza Agha Jan, as an experienced man who was thoroughly familiar with all the writings of Baha'u'llah, tried to intervene and achieve reconciliation between the parties. On the fifth anniversary of Bahá'u'lláh's death, Hadimullah called a meeting of the Bahá'ís and addressed them with a speech declaring that many of the sayings and actions of 'Abdu'l-Bahá were contrary to the instructions of Bahá'u'lláh as laid down in the scriptures {{ref+|"This servant was silent all this time and did not utter a single words for fear of stirring up controversy. Now, however, I feel that my silence is only causing dissension in the Faith; therefore I tell you that the deeds and words coming from Abbas Effendi and his company are all contrary to God's commandments and His instructions revealed in the sacred scriptures. The Testament and Promise mentioned above in the blameless writings refer exclusively to the previous and subsequent [[Theophany]]s, but Abbas Effendi appropriated them to himself, and you accepted it, but you are greatly mistaken.|"comm."}}. Hearing about this speech, 'Abdu'l-Bahá with his 12 associates, fearing that the Agha Jan might declare himself the "Keeper of the Faith", broke into the premises, attacked Khadim and, after beating him and taking away all the texts (which included drafts of letters to famous believers), threatened with strangulation and locked in a barn. After this, 'Abdu'l-Bahá proclaimed Khadim "a scoundrel, an apostate, a liar, a hypocrite and a devil" {{sfn|Browne|1918|loc=An Epitome of Babi and Baha'i history to A.D. 189|p=88}}. The description of these events was later set forth by Hadimullah himself and published in a treatise entitled "The Terrible Incident of the Servant of Baha in the Blessed and Supreme Garden"<ref>{{book|title=Vaqi`ih-i Ha'ilih-i Khadim-i Abha dar Rawdih-i Mubarakih-'i `Ulya|link=https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/areprint/vol6/khadim1/khadim1.htm|language=fa|author=Mirza Aqa Jan "Khadimu'llah " Kashi}} {{Wayback|url=https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/areprint/vol6/khadim1/khadim1.htm |date=20200606162250 }}</ref>. After this incident, Khadimullah finally bowed to the side of Muhammad Ali, who and his brothers helped him to move under his protection to the building of the tomb of Baha'u'llahwhere he lived until his death on May 17, 1901{{ref+|Hadim made another attempt at reconciliation by going to 'Abdu'l-Bahá's house to discuss the differences with him. Not being allowed inside, he sat on the ground for 2 hours and called on the supporters of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to show the documents in their possession that would confirm the correctness of their interpretations. In response, 'Abdu'l-Bahá sent his son-in-law, Muhsin Afnan, to the Turkish authorities, stating that Khadim wanted to harm his house - and he was taken away by the guards.|"comm."}}. After the death of Khadim Abdu'l-Bahá, having obtained permission from the nominal owner of the building of the tomb of Haji Sayyid Ali Afnan, the husband of Furugia Khanum, seized all of his heritage, in accordance with the desire of the deceased, left for storage in the tomb of Baha'u'llah: 12 sacred portraits, 217 tablets that were at his disposal Baha'u'llah, Baha'u'llah's clothes, other religious literature, as well as many of his own writings and personal correspondence.

Shortly before his death, Aga Jan sent a letter to a believer from Bombay, Haji Hussein Ali Jahrumi, who came to Acre to form an unbiased opinion on the current situation and conducted a series of interviews{{ref+|Muhammad Ali also wrote a response to Jahrumi, and, as stated in his autobiography, sent a copy through his follower Agha Muhammad Kaeni 'Abdu'l-Bahá. He refused to accept it and asked the courier what his brother wanted from him. When the bearer of the letter explained that his goal was to eliminate the current strife, 'Abdu'l-Bahá cut him off by remarking that the only way to achieve this was to come to him and repent, as did their brother Badi'ullah{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014| loc=Mohammad Ali Bahai — Autobiography of Mohammed Ali Bahai|p=214}}.|"comm."}}. An excerpt from this message was published by Ibrahim Khairullah in 1901 in Facts for the Baha'is, and in its entirety as a 223-page treatise it was published in Cairo in April 1902. In it he systematized his accusations against 'Abdu'l-Bahá{{ref+||"comm."|name="Khadimullah"}}:

* 'Abdu'l-Bahá persuaded his followers that it was their duty to curse his brothers, sisters and Bahá'u'lláh's widow Mahd-i-Ula and recognize all these relatives and their supporters as "apostates".
* Repeatedly, in order to inflict bodily harm, he physically attacked Mahd-i-Ulya and his half-sister Furugia Khanum, who, due to the suffering, fell ill with paralysis and was bedridden for 5 years; treated other relatives harshly, speaking with them in a rude language {{ref+|Later, the historian Jawad Ghazwini also accused 'Abdu'l-Bahá of attempting to forcibly kidnap the wife of his late brother Ziya'ullah Soraya Samandari because she did not want to go over to his side{ {sfn|Browne|1918|loc=An Epitome of Babi and Baha'i history to A.D. 189|pp=86-87}}. In 'Abdu'l-Bahá's version, the "covenant breakers" kept the widow of Ziya'ullah in Bahji against her will, and when her father tried to take her home with him, he was severely attacked and beaten on the orders of Mirza Muhammad Ali{{sfn|Taherzadeh|1992|loc=Mirza Agha Jan|s=181-186}}.|"comm."}}.
* He forbade followers to conduct any correspondence, discussion, conversations and even trade with those who do not recognize his claims, thus sowing enmity between relatives, which led to the destruction of many families.
* He did not allow to send a single letter outside Akko to anyone without his personal censorship and fastening it with his own seal.
Banned the distribution and publication of the writings of Bahá'u'lláh, ordering his followers to read and distribute only his own writings {{ref+|Abdu'l-Bahá stopped [[Printing|printing books]]] of Bahá'u'lláh and did his utmost to prevent his followers from using previously printed literature. After 1896, [[Kitab-i-Agdas]] in the original Arabic was no longer officially published, in 1973 excerpts in English were published, and only in 1992 - an official English translation. Only eight percent of Bahá'u'lláh's works have been translated into English.|"comm."}}.
* He issued a strict order to reject every sacred tablet of Baha'u'llah if it was not approved by him and sealed with his seal, rejected the contents of the "Sacred Tablet", written by Baha'u'llah's hand and dedicated to his son Muhammad Ali, and ordered the destruction of the tablets of Baha'u'llah written by the pen of his younger brothers.
* Concealed the last part of Bahá'u'lláh's will, which was never published in the original{{ref+|Abdu'l-Bahá made it possible for his brothers to get acquainted with the full text of Bahá'u'lláh's will, which contained lines of special recognition for the merits of his personal secretary Mirza Agha Jan Kashani (Hadimullah){ {sfn|Jalal Azal|2004|loc=3.2 Mirza Aqa Jan of Kashan|pp=69-73}}, subsequently excommunicated by 'Abdu'l-Bahá for fear of his claim to leadership, and exhorting them both to remain loyal to Bahá'u'lláh (which demonstrates that Bahá'u'lláh did not endow his son with infallibility and considered him capable of committing errors). The presence of a postscript addressed to Hadimullah was confirmed (without publication) by the International House of Justice in 2013<ref>{{article|edition=Baha'i Studies Review|title=The 1893 Russian Publication of Baha'u'llah's Last Will and Testament </ref>. The American Rosamond Templeton volunteered to mediate and called upon the brothers, in the presence of their chosen witnesses, an English translator and a photographer, to meet at the tomb of Bahá'u'lláh on December 7, 1900, to read "[[Testament (Bahá'í)#Lesser Testament|Testament of Bahá'u'lláh]]" and take photographs its full text - however 'Abdu'l-Bahá refused the invitation, citing the fact that it was his father's own wish to keep the full text secret{{sfn|A Lost History...|2014|loc=Rosamond Templeton - Letters About the Sons of Baha' u'llah|pp=329—341}}.|"comm."|name="Khadim"}}{{sfn|Warburg, Margit|2006|loc=Abdu'l Baha and the Covenant|pp=181}} <ref name="stoic">{{article|edition=San Francisco Call|title=Bahai Leader A Stoic|volume=CXIL|number=136|pages=1-2|link=https://www.h-net .org/~bahai/docs/vol14/San_Francisco_Call_13-14_Oct_1912.pdf|language=en|type=newspaper|day=14|month=10|year=2013|archivedate=2018-04-21|archiveurl=https:// web.archive.org/web/20180421171020/http://www.h-net.org/%7Ebahai/docs/vol14/San_ Francisco_Call_13-14_Oct_1912.pdf}}</ref>{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Mohammad Ali Bahai - Autobiography of Mohammed Ali Bahai|pp=207-209}}, and misinterpreted part of its content.

[[File:Abdul Baha Abbas Funeral.jpg|mini|right|The funeral of [[Abdu'l-Bahá]] November 29, 1921.]]

Recognizing that 'Abdu'l-Bahá's supporters are in the majority among the believers {{ref+|The number of Baha'is living in [[Akko]] in 1902 was about ninety, and of these thirty to forty were opponents of 'Abdu'l-Bahá{{sfn|Wilson |1915|loc=The Quarrel over the Succession|p=259}}. Due to great opposition in Akko, almost immediately after the restrictions were lifted by the Ottoman authorities, in 1909 'Abdu'l-Bahá moved to neighboring [[Haifa|Haifa]]. In general, during the early 20th century, [[Palestine within the Ottoman Empire|Palestine]] was dominated by Muhammad Ali's supporters, but 'Abdu'l-Bahá drew his support primarily from followers in Iran, and increasingly from the late 1890s onwards from the growing communities in the United States where a cult based on his personality developed{{sfn|Warburg, Margit|2006|loc=Abdu'l Baha and the Covenant|pp=181}}{{sfn|Encyclopædia Iranica|1989|loc=Bahai and Babi Schisms|pp=447-449}}.|"comm.}}, Muhammad Ali, his children and followers have repeatedly called for dialogue, including by proposing to hold a unification conference of the faith {{ref+|One of the last such attempts was the proposal to hold in 1912 a conference of peace and spirituality in [[Chicago]], [[USA]]. On the Baha'i Unitarian side, Bahá'u'lláh's grandson Shua Ullah Behai and Ibrahim George Khairullah were to attend. The official language is [[English|English]], translation from [[Arabic|Arabic]] would have to be done by an independent translator. The conference would be recorded by the [[Associated Press]] agency, with three American scientists acting as witnesses and judges. The conference was to compare the positions of the parties with the scriptures of Baha'u'llah.|"comm."|name="conference"}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bahaisects.wordpress.com/2013/02/ 07/an-open-letter-to-sir-abbas-effendi-abdul-baha/|title=An open letter to Sir Abbas Effendi|publisher=Baha'i 'Faith'|date=2013-02-07|language= en|access-date=2019-06-04|archive-date=2019-06-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604162019/https://bahaisects.wordpress.com/ 2013/02/07/an-open-letter-to-sir-abbas-effendi-abdul-baha/|deadlink=no}}</ref>{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Mohammad Ali Bahai — Autobiography of Mohammed Ali Bahai|p=227}}{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Shua Ullah Bahai — An Interview with Ghusn-i-Akbar|p=182}}{{sfn|Browne|1918 |loc=An Epitome of Babi and Baha'i history to A.D. 189|p=82}}{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Shua Ullah Bahai — A Reminiscence: The Purpose, Condition and Potential of the Baha'i Faith|p=487}} to try to reconcile differences. The brother even attempted to personally visit 'Abdu'l-Bahá after the latter's return from America in early 1914. However, all their appeals were rejected or ignored <ref>{{cite web|url=http://unitarianbahais.blogspot.com/2013/11/efforts-of-mohammad-ali-effendi.html|title=Mohammad Ali Effendi's Effort to save the Faith|date=2013-11-14|publisher=Unitarian Bahai's|language=en|access-date=2019-05-29|archive-date=2019-05-29|archive-url=https:/ /web.archive.org/web/20190529174133/http://unitarianbahais.blogspot.com/2013/11/efforts-of-mohammad-ali-effendi.html|deadlink=no}}</ref> - the complete refusal of dialogue completely removed the current need for 'Abdu'l-Bahá to issue any detailed rebuttals of his brother's criticism {{sfn|Cole, Juan R.I.|2005|p=332}}. Only in a will written between 1901 and 1908 and made public after his death in 1921 did 'Abdu'l-Bahá voluminously accuse Muhammad Ali of conspiracy and apostasy , declaring him and his supporters " Covenant Breakers " for refusing to obey him and accept his understanding of religion. <ref name="covenant" /> . Most of Bahá'u'lláh's family, including his two wives living at that time, Fatima and Gavhara, and their children, supported the side of Gusn-i-Akbar. 'Abdu'l-Bahá's side was preserved only by his own family and Bahiyyeh Khanum , his younger full-blooded sister {{sfn|Miller|1974|loc=The Rule of Abdu'l-Baha|p=178}}. In 1922 there were 158 Bahá'ís in Palestine <ref>{{book|title=The handbook of Palestine|part=The Baha'is|year=1922|pages=59|publisher=London Macmillan|link=https://archive. org/details/handbookofpalest00lukeuoft/|language=en|ref=Luke|author=Luke, Harry Charles}}</ref>. Subsequently, 'Abdu'l-Bahá's successor Shoghi Effendi Rabbani {{ref+|Abdu'l-Bahá directed his eldest daughter and her husband to give their children the surname Rabbani, {{lang-ru|divine}}, in order to distinguish them from branches of Afnan. Shoghi Rabbani used this surname before his appointment as the "Guardian", and after that he began to call himself Shoghi Effendi, in accordance with the will of his grandfather.|"comm."}} excommunicated everyone from the faith {{ref+|The entire family of Baha'u'llah - his wife , children, grandchildren and their spouses (with the exception of the early deceased wife of Baha'u'llah Asiya Khanum, the children of Baha'u'llah 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahiyeh Khanum and Mirza Mihdi (who died in his youth), as well as the great-grandson of Baha'u'llah Shoghi Effendi and his wife Ruhiyya) - was ultimately excommunicated by 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi, expelled from the Baha'i community and declared "violators of the [[Covenant (Bahá'i)|Covenant]]", including some posthumously. By the end of [[Shoghi Effendi]]'s life, there was not a single possible heir of Bahá'u'lláh who had not been excommunicated{{sfn|Taherzadeh, Adib|2000|loc=The Family of Baha'u'llah|pp=16-27 }}{{sfn|Jalal Azal|2004|loc=7.1 Baha's Family Chart|pp=179—181}}<ref name="covenant" />. The excommunications of the descendants of Baha'u'llah on behalf of the Universal House of Justice continue to this day. Thus, in 1996, the excommunication of Baha'u'llah's great-granddaughter, the creator of the family website of the descendants of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Parveen Afnan Shahid, was confirmed, as well as the New Zealand Baha'i Pauline Smith, who was accused of communicating with her<ref>{{book|title=Lights of Irfan , Volume 10|part=Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit|link=https://bahai-library.com/momen_blasphemy_holy_spirit|language=en|author=Momen, Moojan|publisher=Wilmette, IL:Irfan Colloquia|year=2009}} {{Wayback|url=https://bahai-library.com/momen_blasphemy_holy_spirit |date=20200616065922 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://fglaysher .com/bahaicensorship/shun1.htm|title=New Zealand shunning of non-Baha'i|publisher=The Baha'i Faith & Religious Freedom of Conscience|date=1998-02-08|language=en|access-date= 2020-06-16|archive-date=2020-06-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616065920/https://fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/shun1.htm|deadlink= no}}</ref>|"comm."|name="excommunicated"}} of their relatives {{ref+|These relatives were mostly excommunicated for marriages that Shoghi Effendi did not approve of or for refusing to consider formerly excommunicated relatives<ref>{{cite web|url=https://excommunicatedbahais.wordpress.com/2017/02/27/excommunication-by-shoghi-effendi/|first=Helen T.|last=Wilson|title =Excommunicated by Shoghi Effendi|publisher=Excommunication in the Bahai Faith|date=2017-02-27|language=en|access-date=2019-07-02|arc hive-date=2019-07-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702105018/https://excommunicatedbahais.wordpress.com/2017/02/27/excommunication-by-shoghi- effendi/|deadlink=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bahaiawareness.com/excom7.html|title=Excommunication by Central Figures of the Bahai Faith|publisher=Bahai Awareness|date=2012-08|language=en|access-date=2019-07-29|archive-date=2017-05-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510193006/ http://www.bahaiawareness.com/excom7.html|deadlink=no}}</ref>. Doctrinal differences may also have played a role, in particular with regard to the degree of authority of the "Guardian" and the personal freedom of the Bahá'ís. Anthropologist Eric Cohen believes that the key differences were over the spread of the faith to the West and its universalization, which the Palestinian Bahá'ís saw as a "sale"<ref name= "Coen" />. However, unlike the previous generation of relatives who were excommunicated from the faith of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, his own descendants, who were excommunicated by Shoghi Effendi, did not attempt to create rival Baha'i movements - on the contrary, they avoided any public statements for decades.|"comm."}} , ordering them to leave the territory of Palestine {{ref+|First [[Shoghi Effendi|Effendi]] sent to [[Iran]], [[Syria|Syria]], [[Lebanon]] or [[Egypt]] those families who had no business ties in Akko and Haifa, promising them financial assistance at the place of arrival, but, for example, those who went to Iran - they never received it. Further, those who were engaged in business were sent away, and a small number of those who refused were excommunicated. Last came the turn of property owners and government employees, most of whom refused - and were also excommunicated.|"comm."}}, and depriving them of basic religious rights, including the right to visit the shrine of Bahá'u'lláh in Acre {{ref+|The Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh is located in the northwestern corner house, which once belonged to Haji Sayyid Ali Afnan, husband of Furugiya Khanum, the youngest daughter of Bahá'u'lláh. This house was purchased by Afnan from its Christian owner. Sayyid Ali was a Russian subject, which protected him from possible attacks from the Persian or Turkish government. He supported the Unitarians for a while, then reconciled with 'Abdu'l-Bahá, but was ultimately excommunicated posthumously from the faith of Shoghi Effendi, following all his descendants{{sfn|A Lost History...|2014|pp=207,326,428}}. After the death of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Muhammad Ali claimed the right to be the guardian of the [[Bahá'í World Center Buildings#Tomb of Bahá'u'lláh|Tombs of Bahá'u'lláh]] (in accordance with [[Islamic inheritance law|Muslim law]], applicable also to [[Bahá'í] ], the son is the legal guardian of his father's tomb). Initially, [[British Mandate for Palestine|British authorities]] gave equal access to the shrine to both sides and offered to hold a Congress of Baha'i representatives from all over the world, but in February 1923, due to friendly relations with the Governor of Haifa, Colonel {{np3|Stuart Simes| J. Stewart Symes|en|Stewart Symes}}, Shoghi Effendi succeeded in persuading them to return the keys to the inner tomb to his possession{{sfn|Ruhiyyih Rabbani|1969|loc=Death of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and its immediate consequences}}, whereupon he denied admission to the tomb of the "apostates"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bahai-library.com/wilson_dispensation_bahaullah/|first=Helen T.|last=Wilson|title=The Dispensation of Baha'u'llah:Its Continuing Place In History|publisher=Baha'i Library|date=2004|language=en|access-date=2019-06-01|archive-date=2019-06-01|archive-url=https://web. archive.org/web/20190601115449/http://bahai-library.com/wilson_dispensation_bahaullah/|deadlink=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://bahaitalks.blogspot.com/ 2016/01/the-greatest-holy-leafs-unparalleled.html|first=Baharieh Rouhani|last=Ma'ani|title=The Greatest Holy Leaf's unparalleled role in religious history|publisher=Baha'i Talks|date=2016- 01-16|language=en|access-date=2019-07-23|archive-date=2019-07-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723064551/http://bahaitalks.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-greatest-holy-leafs-unparalleled.html|deadlink=no}}</ref><ref>{{книга|заглавие=Letter to the Baha’i Spiritual Assembly of Iran|часть=Forbidding me from visiting the Shrines|год=1970|ссылка=http://www.abdulbahasfamily.org/documents/Ruhi-Afnan-1970-letter.pdf|язык=en|автор=Afnan, Ruhi}} {{Wayback|url=http://www.abdulbahasfamily.org/documents/Ruhi-Afnan-1970-letter.pdf |date=20201111202145 }}</ref>.|"комм."|name="shrine"}}{{sfn|Kamar|1953|loc=Statements on the Dispute Between the Baha'i Family}}{{sfn|Jalal Azal|2004|loc=9.25 Restricting of Access to Baha's Shrine|pp=330—331}}.

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Khadimullah

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Mirza Agha Jan Kashani, in his youth, became a devoted follower of the [[Bab]] and a zealous servant of his cause. After his death, he continued the search for "[[He Who God Shall Make Manifest]]" and became the very first to believe in the mission of Bahá'u'lláh<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bahai-library.com/uhj_sdc_capital_punishment|title=The First Person to Recognize Bahá'u'lláh as a Manifestation of God|date=1991-06-20|publisher=Baha 'i Library|language=en|access-date=2020-06-06|archive-date=2020-06-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606162257/https:// bahai-library.com/uhj_sdc_capital_punishment|deadlink=no}}</ref>. Agha Jan joined Baha'u'llah back in 1853 in [[Baghdad]], moved with him to [[Istanbul]], then to [[Adrianople]] {{ref+|In 1866, it was he who received and read aloud Bahá'u'lláh's Sura-yi-Amr tablet (in which he formally proclaimed himself "He Whom God shall make manifest") to [[Sobh-i-Azal|Mirzeh Yahye]]|"comm."}} and thence to [[Acre]]. For forty years, until the death of Bahá'u'lláh, Aga Jan faithfully served him as his personal secretary, recording all his sayings and messages, and disseminating his teachings. The bulk of the Baha'i sacred books are written by his hand{{ref+|Bahá'u'lláh's personal secretary Mirza Agha Jan Kashani (Khadimullah) usually kept a direct record of Bahá'u'lláh's dictation. During his life in Adrianople, his records were most often processed by Baha'u'llah's eldest son [[Abdu'l-Bahá|Abbas Effendi]] and Baha'u'llah's brother {{np3|Musa Kalim|Musa Kalim|en|Mírzá Músá}}. After moving to Akka, Abdu'l-Bahá's brother Mirza Mihdi helped Khadim for a short time before his death, and the duties of editor and copyist were mainly taken over by Muhammad Ali. Later, the son of Musa Kalim Mirza Majdeddin, who also began to help Khadim, and the younger brothers Ziyaulla and Badiulla joined the editorial work. The main holy book in the Baha'i Faith, [[Kitab-i-Aqdas]], and other texts for publication during Bahá'u'lláh's lifetime were prepared by Muhammad Ali and Hadimullah.|"comm."|name="scribe"}}. For his service, he received the titles of "Khadimullah" (servant of God), "servant who is always near" and "servant who is present before the Throne in honorary status", and is mentioned under them in hundreds of messages of Bahá'u'lláh<ref>{{cite web| url=http://therightofgod.blogspot.com/2017/12/story-thousands-of-worlds-of.html|title=Story: "...thousands of worlds of incomparable splendor were unveiled to my eyes…” – a spiritual experience by a youth|publisher=Huqúqu'lláh - God's 'special favour' to humanity|date=2017-11-28|language=en|access-date=2020-06-06|archive-date=2020-06 -06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606162628/http://therightofgod.blogspot.com/2017/12/story-thousands-of-worlds-of.html|deadlink=no }}</ref>. In all of Baha'u'llah's circle of companions, there was no one who was as close to him as his companion, the attorney and master of ceremonies, who was the main channel of communication between Baha'u'llah and the believers{{sfn|Taherzadeh|1992|loc =Mirza Agha Jan|s=181-186}}. Bahá'u'lláh foresaw that even after his death, Khadim would continue to have an important status in the Faith, second only to his sons. He wrote:

{{quote start}}
“O people! Hold fast after Me to the Branches [sons] that came from this preexisting root. Verily, through them the fragrances of My Garments will spread among the people of the world... Beware lest you follow every ignorant sinner. And after the Branches, prominence is assigned to the Servant who is present before the Throne. You should honor the family from which the Beloved of the world came ... And whoever turns away from them, verily, he is one of those who do not believe in God and become a polytheist.
- Baha'u'llah . Tablet "O creator of all creation" (Lauh-i-badi) {{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Shua Ullah Behai — Some Notable Baha'is|pp=267—269}}{{sfn|Jalal Azal |2004|loc=18.4. Baha's Swam Song on Ghiyath & Mustaghath|pp=184-186}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bahaism.blogspot.com/2013/03/bahaullahs-senile-ramblings-tablet-of-o .html|title=Baha'u'llah's senile ramblings: The tablet of O Creator of all creation|publisher=Bahaism|author=Emtesali, Naser|date=2013-03-25|language=en|access-date=2020- 07-07|archive-date=2020-07-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200707205045/https://bahaism.blogspot.com/2013/03/bahaullahs-senile- ramblings-tablet-of-o.html|deadlink=no}}</ref>}}

[[File:Front of the Shrine of Baha'u'llah.jpg|left|mini|[[Bahá'í World Center Buildings#Tomb of Baha'u'llah|Tomb]] [[Bahá'u'lláh|Bahá'u'llah]]<br>
Coordinates: {{coord|32|56|37|N|35|5|30.5|E|noosm=1|noyandex=1}}]]

When dissension began to grow among the sons of Baha'u'llah, Mirza Agha Jan, as an experienced man who was thoroughly familiar with all the writings of Baha'u'llah, tried to intervene and achieve reconciliation between the parties. On the fifth anniversary of Bahá'u'lláh's death, Hadimullah called a meeting of the Bahá'ís and addressed them with a speech declaring that many of the sayings and actions of 'Abdu'l-Bahá were contrary to the instructions of Bahá'u'lláh as laid down in the scriptures {{ref+|"This servant was silent all this time and did not utter a single words for fear of stirring up controversy. Now, however, I feel that my silence is only causing dissension in the Faith; therefore I tell you that the deeds and words coming from Abbas Effendi and his company are all contrary to God's commandments and His instructions revealed in the sacred scriptures. The Testament and Promise mentioned above in the blameless writings refer exclusively to the previous and subsequent [[Theophany]]s, but Abbas Effendi appropriated them to himself, and you accepted it, but you are greatly mistaken.|"comm."}}. Hearing about this speech, 'Abdu'l-Bahá with his 12 associates, fearing that the Agha Jan might declare himself the "Keeper of the Faith", broke into the premises, attacked Khadim and, after beating him and taking away all the texts (which included drafts of letters to famous believers), threatened with strangulation and locked in a barn. After this, 'Abdu'l-Bahá proclaimed Khadim "a scoundrel, an apostate, a liar, a hypocrite and a devil" {{sfn|Browne|1918|loc=An Epitome of Babi and Baha'i history to A.D. 189|p=88}}. The description of these events was later set forth by Hadimullah himself and published in a treatise entitled "The Terrible Incident of the Servant of Baha in the Blessed and Supreme Garden"<ref>{{book|title=Vaqi`ih-i Ha'ilih-i Khadim-i Abha dar Rawdih-i Mubarakih-'i `Ulya|link=https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/areprint/vol6/khadim1/khadim1.htm|language=fa|author=Mirza Aqa Jan "Khadimu'llah " Kashi}} {{Wayback|url=https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/areprint/vol6/khadim1/khadim1.htm |date=20200606162250 }}</ref>. After this incident, Khadimullah finally bowed to the side of Muhammad Ali, who and his brothers helped him to move under his protection to the building of the tomb of Baha'u'llahwhere he lived until his death on May 17, 1901{{ref+|Hadim made another attempt at reconciliation by going to 'Abdu'l-Bahá's house to discuss the differences with him. Not being allowed inside, he sat on the ground for 2 hours and called on the supporters of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to show the documents in their possession that would confirm the correctness of their interpretations. In response, 'Abdu'l-Bahá sent his son-in-law, Muhsin Afnan, to the Turkish authorities, stating that Khadim wanted to harm his house - and he was taken away by the guards.|"comm."}}. After the death of Khadim Abdu'l-Bahá, having obtained permission from the nominal owner of the building of the tomb of Haji Sayyid Ali Afnan, the husband of Furugia Khanum, seized all of his heritage, in accordance with the desire of the deceased, left for storage in the tomb of Baha'u'llah: 12 sacred portraits, 217 tablets that were at his disposal Baha'u'llah, Baha'u'llah's clothes, other religious literature, as well as many of his own writings and personal correspondence.

Shortly before his death, Aga Jan sent a letter to a believer from Bombay, Haji Hussein Ali Jahrumi, who came to Acre to form an unbiased opinion on the current situation and conducted a series of interviews{{ref+|Muhammad Ali also wrote a response to Jahrumi, and, as stated in his autobiography, sent a copy through his follower Agha Muhammad Kaeni 'Abdu'l-Bahá. He refused to accept it and asked the courier what his brother wanted from him. When the bearer of the letter explained that his goal was to eliminate the current strife, 'Abdu'l-Bahá cut him off by remarking that the only way to achieve this was to come to him and repent, as did their brother Badi'ullah{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014| loc=Mohammad Ali Bahai — Autobiography of Mohammed Ali Bahai|p=214}}.|"comm."}}. An excerpt from this message was published by Ibrahim Khairullah in 1901 in Facts for the Baha'is, and in its entirety as a 223-page treatise it was published in Cairo in April 1902. In it he systematized his accusations against 'Abdu'l-Bahá{{ref+||"comm."|name="Khadimullah"}}:

* 'Abdu'l-Bahá persuaded his followers that it was their duty to curse his brothers, sisters and Bahá'u'lláh's widow Mahd-i-Ula and recognize all these relatives and their supporters as "apostates".
* Repeatedly, in order to inflict bodily harm, he physically attacked Mahd-i-Ulya and his half-sister Furugia Khanum, who, due to the suffering, fell ill with paralysis and was bedridden for 5 years; treated other relatives harshly, speaking with them in a rude language {{ref+|Later, the historian Jawad Ghazwini also accused 'Abdu'l-Bahá of attempting to forcibly kidnap the wife of his late brother Ziya'ullah Soraya Samandari because she did not want to go over to his side{ {sfn|Browne|1918|loc=An Epitome of Babi and Baha'i history to A.D. 189|pp=86-87}}. In 'Abdu'l-Bahá's version, the "covenant breakers" kept the widow of Ziya'ullah in Bahji against her will, and when her father tried to take her home with him, he was severely attacked and beaten on the orders of Mirza Muhammad Ali{{sfn|Taherzadeh|1992|loc=Mirza Agha Jan|s=181-186}}.|"comm."}}.
* He forbade followers to conduct any correspondence, discussion, conversations and even trade with those who do not recognize his claims, thus sowing enmity between relatives, which led to the destruction of many families.
* He did not allow to send a single letter outside Akko to anyone without his personal censorship and fastening it with his own seal.
Banned the distribution and publication of the writings of Bahá'u'lláh, ordering his followers to read and distribute only his own writings {{ref+|Abdu'l-Bahá stopped [[Printing|printing books]]] of Bahá'u'lláh and did his utmost to prevent his followers from using previously printed literature. After 1896, [[Kitab-i-Agdas]] in the original Arabic was no longer officially published, in 1973 excerpts in English were published, and only in 1992 - an official English translation. Only eight percent of Bahá'u'lláh's works have been translated into English.|"comm."}}.
* He issued a strict order to reject every sacred tablet of Baha'u'llah if it was not approved by him and sealed with his seal, rejected the contents of the "Sacred Tablet", written by Baha'u'llah's hand and dedicated to his son Muhammad Ali, and ordered the destruction of the tablets of Baha'u'llah written by the pen of his younger brothers.
* Concealed the last part of Bahá'u'lláh's will, which was never published in the original{{ref+|Abdu'l-Bahá made it possible for his brothers to get acquainted with the full text of Bahá'u'lláh's will, which contained lines of special recognition for the merits of his personal secretary Mirza Agha Jan Kashani (Hadimullah){ {sfn|Jalal Azal|2004|loc=3.2 Mirza Aqa Jan of Kashan|pp=69-73}}, subsequently excommunicated by 'Abdu'l-Bahá for fear of his claim to leadership, and exhorting them both to remain loyal to Bahá'u'lláh (which demonstrates that Bahá'u'lláh did not endow his son with infallibility and considered him capable of committing errors). The presence of a postscript addressed to Hadimullah was confirmed (without publication) by the International House of Justice in 2013<ref>{{article|edition=Baha'i Studies Review|title=The 1893 Russian Publication of Baha'u'llah's Last Will and Testament </ref>. The American Rosamond Templeton volunteered to mediate and called upon the brothers, in the presence of their chosen witnesses, an English translator and a photographer, to meet at the tomb of Bahá'u'lláh on December 7, 1900, to read "[[Testament (Bahá'í)#Lesser Testament|Testament of Bahá'u'lláh]]" and take photographs its full text - however 'Abdu'l-Bahá refused the invitation, citing the fact that it was his father's own wish to keep the full text secret{{sfn|A Lost History...|2014|loc=Rosamond Templeton - Letters About the Sons of Baha' u'llah|pp=329—341}}.|"comm."|name="Khadim"}}{{sfn|Warburg, Margit|2006|loc=Abdu'l Baha and the Covenant|pp=181}} <ref name="stoic">{{article|edition=San Francisco Call|title=Bahai Leader A Stoic|volume=CXIL|number=136|pages=1-2|link=https://www.h-net .org/~bahai/docs/vol14/San_Francisco_Call_13-14_Oct_1912.pdf|language=en|type=newspaper|day=14|month=10|year=2013|archivedate=2018-04-21|archiveurl=https:// web.archive.org/web/20180421171020/http://www.h-net.org/%7Ebahai/docs/vol14/San_ Francisco_Call_13-14_Oct_1912.pdf}}</ref>{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Mohammad Ali Bahai - Autobiography of Mohammed Ali Bahai|pp=207-209}}, and misinterpreted part of its content.

[[File:Abdul Baha Abbas Funeral.jpg|mini|right|The funeral of [[Abdu'l-Bahá]] November 29, 1921.]]

Recognizing that 'Abdu'l-Bahá's supporters are in the majority among the believers {{ref+|The number of Baha'is living in [[Akko]] in 1902 was about ninety, and of these thirty to forty were opponents of 'Abdu'l-Bahá{{sfn|Wilson |1915|loc=The Quarrel over the Succession|p=259}}. Due to great opposition in Akko, almost immediately after the restrictions were lifted by the Ottoman authorities, in 1909 'Abdu'l-Bahá moved to neighboring [[Haifa|Haifa]]. In general, during the early 20th century, [[Palestine within the Ottoman Empire|Palestine]] was dominated by Muhammad Ali's supporters, but 'Abdu'l-Bahá drew his support primarily from followers in Iran, and increasingly from the late 1890s onwards from the growing communities in the United States where a cult based on his personality developed{{sfn|Warburg, Margit|2006|loc=Abdu'l Baha and the Covenant|pp=181}}{{sfn|Encyclopædia Iranica|1989|loc=Bahai and Babi Schisms|pp=447-449}}.|"comm.}}, Muhammad Ali, his children and followers have repeatedly called for dialogue, including by proposing to hold a unification conference of the faith {{ref+|One of the last such attempts was the proposal to hold in 1912 a conference of peace and spirituality in [[Chicago]], [[USA]]. On the Baha'i Unitarian side, Bahá'u'lláh's grandson Shua Ullah Behai and Ibrahim George Khairullah were to attend. The official language is [[English|English]], translation from [[Arabic|Arabic]] would have to be done by an independent translator. The conference would be recorded by the [[Associated Press]] agency, with three American scientists acting as witnesses and judges. The conference was to compare the positions of the parties with the scriptures of Baha'u'llah.|"comm."|name="conference"}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bahaisects.wordpress.com/2013/02/ 07/an-open-letter-to-sir-abbas-effendi-abdul-baha/|title=An open letter to Sir Abbas Effendi|publisher=Baha'i 'Faith'|date=2013-02-07|language= en|access-date=2019-06-04|archive-date=2019-06-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604162019/https://bahaisects.wordpress.com/ 2013/02/07/an-open-letter-to-sir-abbas-effendi-abdul-baha/|deadlink=no}}</ref>{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Mohammad Ali Bahai — Autobiography of Mohammed Ali Bahai|p=227}}{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Shua Ullah Bahai — An Interview with Ghusn-i-Akbar|p=182}}{{sfn|Browne|1918 |loc=An Epitome of Babi and Baha'i history to A.D. 189|p=82}}{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Shua Ullah Bahai — A Reminiscence: The Purpose, Condition and Potential of the Baha'i Faith|p=487}} to try to reconcile differences. The brother even attempted to personally visit 'Abdu'l-Bahá after the latter's return from America in early 1914. However, all their appeals were rejected or ignored <ref>{{cite web|url=http://unitarianbahais.blogspot.com/2013/11/efforts-of-mohammad-ali-effendi.html|title=Mohammad Ali Effendi's Effort to save the Faith|date=2013-11-14|publisher=Unitarian Bahai's|language=en|access-date=2019-05-29|archive-date=2019-05-29|archive-url=https:/ /web.archive.org/web/20190529174133/http://unitarianbahais.blogspot.com/2013/11/efforts-of-mohammad-ali-effendi.html|deadlink=no}}</ref> - the complete refusal of dialogue completely removed the current need for 'Abdu'l-Bahá to issue any detailed rebuttals of his brother's criticism {{sfn|Cole, Juan R.I.|2005|p=332}}. Only in a will written between 1901 and 1908 and made public after his death in 1921 did 'Abdu'l-Bahá voluminously accuse Muhammad Ali of conspiracy and apostasy , declaring him and his supporters " Covenant Breakers " for refusing to obey him and accept his understanding of religion. <ref name="covenant" /> . Most of Bahá'u'lláh's family, including his two wives living at that time, Fatima and Gavhara, and their children, supported the side of Gusn-i-Akbar. 'Abdu'l-Bahá's side was preserved only by his own family and Bahiyyeh Khanum , his younger full-blooded sister {{sfn|Miller|1974|loc=The Rule of Abdu'l-Baha|p=178}}. In 1922 there were 158 Bahá'ís in Palestine <ref>{{book|title=The handbook of Palestine|part=The Baha'is|year=1922|pages=59|publisher=London Macmillan|link=https://archive. org/details/handbookofpalest00lukeuoft/|language=en|ref=Luke|author=Luke, Harry Charles}}</ref>. Subsequently, 'Abdu'l-Bahá's successor Shoghi Effendi Rabbani {{ref+|Abdu'l-Bahá directed his eldest daughter and her husband to give their children the surname Rabbani, {{lang-ru|divine}}, in order to distinguish them from branches of Afnan. Shoghi Rabbani used this surname before his appointment as the "Guardian", and after that he began to call himself Shoghi Effendi, in accordance with the will of his grandfather.|"comm."}} excommunicated everyone from the faith {{ref+|The entire family of Baha'u'llah - his wife , children, grandchildren and their spouses (with the exception of the early deceased wife of Baha'u'llah Asiya Khanum, the children of Baha'u'llah 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahiyeh Khanum and Mirza Mihdi (who died in his youth), as well as the great-grandson of Baha'u'llah Shoghi Effendi and his wife Ruhiyya) - was ultimately excommunicated by 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi, expelled from the Baha'i community and declared "violators of the [[Covenant (Bahá'i)|Covenant]]", including some posthumously. By the end of [[Shoghi Effendi]]'s life, there was not a single possible heir of Bahá'u'lláh who had not been excommunicated{{sfn|Taherzadeh, Adib|2000|loc=The Family of Baha'u'llah|pp=16-27 }}{{sfn|Jalal Azal|2004|loc=7.1 Baha's Family Chart|pp=179—181}}<ref name="covenant" />. The excommunications of the descendants of Baha'u'llah on behalf of the Universal House of Justice continue to this day. Thus, in 1996, the excommunication of Baha'u'llah's great-granddaughter, the creator of the family website of the descendants of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Parveen Afnan Shahid, was confirmed, as well as the New Zealand Baha'i Pauline Smith, who was accused of communicating with her<ref>{{book|title=Lights of Irfan , Volume 10|part=Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit|link=https://bahai-library.com/momen_blasphemy_holy_spirit|language=en|author=Momen, Moojan|publisher=Wilmette, IL:Irfan Colloquia|year=2009}} {{Wayback|url=https://bahai-library.com/momen_blasphemy_holy_spirit |date=20200616065922 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://fglaysher .com/bahaicensorship/shun1.htm|title=New Zealand shunning of non-Baha'i|publisher=The Baha'i Faith & Religious Freedom of Conscience|date=1998-02-08|language=en|access-date= 2020-06-16|archive-date=2020-06-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616065920/https://fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/shun1.htm|deadlink= no}}</ref>|"comm."|name="excommunicated"}} of their relatives {{ref+|These relatives were mostly excommunicated for marriages that Shoghi Effendi did not approve of or for refusing to consider formerly excommunicated relatives<ref>{{cite web|url=https://excommunicatedbahais.wordpress.com/2017/02/27/excommunication-by-shoghi-effendi/|first=Helen T.|last=Wilson|title =Excommunicated by Shoghi Effendi|publisher=Excommunication in the Bahai Faith|date=2017-02-27|language=en|access-date=2019-07-02|arc hive-date=2019-07-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702105018/https://excommunicatedbahais.wordpress.com/2017/02/27/excommunication-by-shoghi- effendi/|deadlink=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bahaiawareness.com/excom7.html|title=Excommunication by Central Figures of the Bahai Faith|publisher=Bahai Awareness|date=2012-08|language=en|access-date=2019-07-29|archive-date=2017-05-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510193006/ http://www.bahaiawareness.com/excom7.html|deadlink=no}}</ref>. Doctrinal differences may also have played a role, in particular with regard to the degree of authority of the "Guardian" and the personal freedom of the Bahá'ís. Anthropologist Eric Cohen believes that the key differences were over the spread of the faith to the West and its universalization, which the Palestinian Bahá'ís saw as a "sale"<ref name= "Coen" />. However, unlike the previous generation of relatives who were excommunicated from the faith of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, his own descendants, who were excommunicated by Shoghi Effendi, did not attempt to create rival Baha'i movements - on the contrary, they avoided any public statements for decades.|"comm."}} , ordering them to leave the territory of Palestine {{ref+|First [[Shoghi Effendi|Effendi]] sent to [[Iran]], [[Syria|Syria]], [[Lebanon]] or [[Egypt]] those families who had no business ties in Akko and Haifa, promising them financial assistance at the place of arrival, but, for example, those who went to Iran - they never received it. Further, those who were engaged in business were sent away, and a small number of those who refused were excommunicated. Last came the turn of property owners and government employees, most of whom refused - and were also excommunicated.|"comm."}}, and depriving them of basic religious rights, including the right to visit the shrine of Bahá'u'lláh in Acre {{ref+|The Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh is located in the northwestern corner house, which once belonged to Haji Sayyid Ali Afnan, husband of Furugiya Khanum, the youngest daughter of Bahá'u'lláh. This house was purchased by Afnan from its Christian owner. Sayyid Ali was a Russian subject, which protected him from possible attacks from the Persian or Turkish government. He supported the Unitarians for a while, then reconciled with 'Abdu'l-Bahá, but was ultimately excommunicated posthumously from the faith of Shoghi Effendi, following all his descendants{{sfn|A Lost History...|2014|pp=207,326,428}}. After the death of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Muhammad Ali claimed the right to be the guardian of the [[Bahá'í World Center Buildings#Tomb of Bahá'u'lláh|Tombs of Bahá'u'lláh]] (in accordance with [[Islamic inheritance law|Muslim law]], applicable also to [[Bahá'í] ], the son is the legal guardian of his father's tomb). Initially, [[British Mandate for Palestine|British authorities]] gave equal access to the shrine to both sides and offered to hold a Congress of Baha'i representatives from all over the world, but in February 1923, due to friendly relations with the Governor of Haifa, Colonel {{np3|Stuart Simes| J. Stewart Symes|en|Stewart Symes}}, Shoghi Effendi succeeded in persuading them to return the keys to the inner tomb to his possession{{sfn|Ruhiyyih Rabbani|1969|loc=Death of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and its immediate consequences}}, whereupon he denied admission to the tomb of the "apostates"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bahai-library.com/wilson_dispensation_bahaullah/|first=Helen T.|last=Wilson|title=The Dispensation of Baha'u'llah:Its Continuing Place In History|publisher=Baha'i Library|date=2004|language=en|access-date=2019-06-01|archive-date=2019-06-01|archive-url=https://web. archive.org/web/20190601115449/http://bahai-library.com/wilson_dispensation_bahaullah/|deadlink=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://bahaitalks.blogspot.com/ 2016/01/the-greatest-holy-leafs-unparalleled.html|first=Baharieh Rouhani|last=Ma'ani|title=The Greatest Holy Leaf's unparalleled role in religious history|publisher=Baha'i Talks|date=2016- 01-16|language=en|access-date=2019-07-23|archive-date=2019-07-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723064551/http://bahaitalks.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-greatest-holy-leafs-unparalleled.html|deadlink=no}}</ref><ref>{{книга|заглавие=Letter to the Baha’i Spiritual Assembly of Iran|часть=Forbidding me from visiting the Shrines|год=1970|ссылка=http://www.abdulbahasfamily.org/documents/Ruhi-Afnan-1970-letter.pdf|язык=en|автор=Afnan, Ruhi}} {{Wayback|url=http://www.abdulbahasfamily.org/documents/Ruhi-Afnan-1970-letter.pdf |date=20201111202145 }}</ref>.|"комм."|name="shrine"}}{{sfn|Kamar|1953|loc=Statements on the Dispute Between the Baha'i Family}}{{sfn|Jalal Azal|2004|loc=9.25 Restricting of Access to Baha's Shrine|pp=330—331}}.

Khadimullah

2023-01-30T00:38:21Z

Trident765: Starting article with Google translation of Russian Wikipedia article on Unitarian Baha'is

Mirza Agha Jan Kashani, in his youth, became a devoted follower of the [[Bab]] and a zealous servant of his cause. After his death, he continued the search for "[[He Who God Shall Make Manifest]]" and became the very first to believe in the mission of Bahá'u'lláh< ref>{{cite web|url=https://bahai-library.com/uhj_sdc_capital_punishment|title=The First Person to Recognize Bahá'u'lláh as a Manifestation of God|date=1991-06-20|publisher=Baha 'i Library|language=en|access-date=2020-06-06|archive-date=2020-06-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606162257/https:// bahai-library.com/uhj_sdc_capital_punishment|deadlink=no}}</ref>. Agha Jan joined Baha'u'llah back in 1853 in [[Baghdad]], moved with him to [[Istanbul]], then to [[Adrianople]] {{ref+|In 1866, it was he who received and read aloud Bahá'u'lláh's Sura-yi-Amr tablet (in which he formally proclaimed himself "He Whom God shall make manifest") to [[Sobh-i-Azal|Mirzeh Yahye]]|"comm."}} and thence to [[Acre]]. For forty years, until the death of Bahá'u'lláh, Aga Jan faithfully served him as his personal secretary, recording all his sayings and messages, and disseminating his teachings. The bulk of the Baha'i sacred books are written by his hand{{ref+|Bahá'u'lláh's personal secretary Mirza Agha Jan Kashani (Khadimullah) usually kept a direct record of Bahá'u'lláh's dictation. During his life in Adrianople, his records were most often processed by Baha'u'llah's eldest son [[Abdu'l-Bahá|Abbas Effendi]] and Baha'u'llah's brother {{np3|Musa Kalim|Musa Kalim|en|Mírzá Músá}}. After moving to Akka, Abdu'l-Bahá's brother Mirza Mihdi helped Khadim for a short time before his death, and the duties of editor and copyist were mainly taken over by Muhammad Ali. Later, the son of Musa Kalim Mirza Majdeddin, who also began to help Khadim, and the younger brothers Ziyaulla and Badiulla joined the editorial work. The main holy book in the Baha'i Faith, [[Kitab-i-Aqdas]], and other texts for publication during Bahá'u'lláh's lifetime were prepared by Muhammad Ali and Hadimullah.|"comm."|name="scribe"}}. For his service, he received the titles of "Khadimullah" (servant of God), "servant who is always near" and "servant who is present before the Throne in honorary status", and is mentioned under them in hundreds of messages of Bahá'u'lláh<ref>{{cite web| url=http://therightofgod.blogspot.com/2017/12/story-thousands-of-worlds-of.html|title=Story: "...thousands of worlds of incomparable splendor were unveiled to my eyes…” – a spiritual experience by a youth|publisher=Huqúqu'lláh - God's 'special favour' to humanity|date=2017-11-28|language=en|access-date=2020-06-06|archive-date=2020-06 -06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606162628/http://therightofgod.blogspot.com/2017/12/story-thousands-of-worlds-of.html|deadlink=no }}</ref>. In all of Baha'u'llah's circle of companions, there was no one who was as close to him as his companion, the attorney and master of ceremonies, who was the main channel of communication between Baha'u'llah and the believers{{sfn|Taherzadeh|1992|loc =Mirza Agha Jan|s=181-186}}. Bahá'u'lláh foresaw that even after his death, Khadim would continue to have an important status in the Faith, second only to his sons. He wrote:

{{quote start}}
“O people! Hold fast after Me to the Branches [sons] that came from this preexisting root. Verily, through them the fragrances of My Garments will spread among the people of the world... Beware lest you follow every ignorant sinner. And after the Branches, prominence is assigned to the Servant who is present before the Throne. You should honor the family from which the Beloved of the world came ... And whoever turns away from them, verily, he is one of those who do not believe in God and become a polytheist.
- Baha'u'llah . Tablet "O creator of all creation" (Lauh-i-badi) {{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Shua Ullah Behai — Some Notable Baha'is|pp=267—269}}{{sfn|Jalal Azal |2004|loc=18.4. Baha's Swam Song on Ghiyath & Mustaghath|pp=184-186}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bahaism.blogspot.com/2013/03/bahaullahs-senile-ramblings-tablet-of-o .html|title=Baha'u'llah's senile ramblings: The tablet of O Creator of all creation|publisher=Bahaism|author=Emtesali, Naser|date=2013-03-25|language=en|access-date=2020- 07-07|archive-date=2020-07-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200707205045/https://bahaism.blogspot.com/2013/03/bahaullahs-senile- ramblings-tablet-of-o.html|deadlink=no}}</ref>}}

[[File:Front of the Shrine of Baha'u'llah.jpg|left|mini|[[Bahá'í World Center Buildings#Tomb of Baha'u'llah|Tomb]] [[Bahá'u'lláh|Bahá'u'llah]]<br>
Coordinates: {{coord|32|56|37|N|35|5|30.5|E|noosm=1|noyandex=1}}]]

When dissension began to grow among the sons of Baha'u'llah, Mirza Agha Jan, as an experienced man who was thoroughly familiar with all the writings of Baha'u'llah, tried to intervene and achieve reconciliation between the parties. On the fifth anniversary of Bahá'u'lláh's death, Hadimullah called a meeting of the Bahá'ís and addressed them with a speech declaring that many of the sayings and actions of 'Abdu'l-Bahá were contrary to the instructions of Bahá'u'lláh as laid down in the scriptures {{ref+|"This servant was silent all this time and did not utter a single words for fear of stirring up controversy. Now, however, I feel that my silence is only causing dissension in the Faith; therefore I tell you that the deeds and words coming from Abbas Effendi and his company are all contrary to God's commandments and His instructions revealed in the sacred scriptures. The Testament and Promise mentioned above in the blameless writings refer exclusively to the previous and subsequent [[Theophany]]s, but Abbas Effendi appropriated them to himself, and you accepted it, but you are greatly mistaken.|"comm."}}. Hearing about this speech, 'Abdu'l-Bahá with his 12 associates, fearing that the Agha Jan might declare himself the "Keeper of the Faith", broke into the premises, attacked Khadim and, after beating him and taking away all the texts (which included drafts of letters to famous believers), threatened with strangulation and locked in a barn. After this, 'Abdu'l-Bahá proclaimed Khadim "a scoundrel, an apostate, a liar, a hypocrite and a devil" {{sfn|Browne|1918|loc=An Epitome of Babi and Baha'i history to A.D. 189|p=88}}. The description of these events was later set forth by Hadimullah himself and published in a treatise entitled "The Terrible Incident of the Servant of Baha in the Blessed and Supreme Garden"<ref>{{book|title=Vaqi`ih-i Ha'ilih-i Khadim-i Abha dar Rawdih-i Mubarakih-'i `Ulya|link=https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/areprint/vol6/khadim1/khadim1.htm|language=fa|author=Mirza Aqa Jan "Khadimu'llah " Kashi}} {{Wayback|url=https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/areprint/vol6/khadim1/khadim1.htm |date=20200606162250 }}</ref>. After this incident, Khadimullah finally bowed to the side of Muhammad Ali, who and his brothers helped him to move under his protection to the building of the tomb of Baha'u'llahwhere he lived until his death on May 17, 1901{{ref+|Hadim made another attempt at reconciliation by going to 'Abdu'l-Bahá's house to discuss the differences with him. Not being allowed inside, he sat on the ground for 2 hours and called on the supporters of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to show the documents in their possession that would confirm the correctness of their interpretations. In response, 'Abdu'l-Bahá sent his son-in-law, Muhsin Afnan, to the Turkish authorities, stating that Khadim wanted to harm his house - and he was taken away by the guards.|"comm."}}. After the death of Khadim Abdu'l-Bahá, having obtained permission from the nominal owner of the building of the tomb of Haji Sayyid Ali Afnan, the husband of Furugia Khanum, seized all of his heritage, in accordance with the desire of the deceased, left for storage in the tomb of Baha'u'llah: 12 sacred portraits, 217 tablets that were at his disposal Baha'u'llah, Baha'u'llah's clothes, other religious literature, as well as many of his own writings and personal correspondence.

Shortly before his death, Aga Jan sent a letter to a believer from Bombay, Haji Hussein Ali Jahrumi, who came to Acre to form an unbiased opinion on the current situation and conducted a series of interviews{{ref+|Muhammad Ali also wrote a response to Jahrumi, and, as stated in his autobiography, sent a copy through his follower Agha Muhammad Kaeni 'Abdu'l-Bahá. He refused to accept it and asked the courier what his brother wanted from him. When the bearer of the letter explained that his goal was to eliminate the current strife, 'Abdu'l-Bahá cut him off by remarking that the only way to achieve this was to come to him and repent, as did their brother Badi'ullah{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014| loc=Mohammad Ali Bahai — Autobiography of Mohammed Ali Bahai|p=214}}.|"comm."}}. An excerpt from this message was published by Ibrahim Khairullah in 1901 in Facts for the Baha'is, and in its entirety as a 223-page treatise it was published in Cairo in April 1902. In it he systematized his accusations against 'Abdu'l-Bahá{{ref+||"comm."|name="Khadimullah"}}:

* 'Abdu'l-Bahá persuaded his followers that it was their duty to curse his brothers, sisters and Bahá'u'lláh's widow Mahd-i-Ula and recognize all these relatives and their supporters as "apostates".
* Repeatedly, in order to inflict bodily harm, he physically attacked Mahd-i-Ulya and his half-sister Furugia Khanum, who, due to the suffering, fell ill with paralysis and was bedridden for 5 years; treated other relatives harshly, speaking with them in a rude language {{ref+|Later, the historian Jawad Ghazwini also accused 'Abdu'l-Bahá of attempting to forcibly kidnap the wife of his late brother Ziya'ullah Soraya Samandari because she did not want to go over to his side{ {sfn|Browne|1918|loc=An Epitome of Babi and Baha'i history to A.D. 189|pp=86-87}}. In 'Abdu'l-Bahá's version, the "covenant breakers" kept the widow of Ziya'ullah in Bahji against her will, and when her father tried to take her home with him, he was severely attacked and beaten on the orders of Mirza Muhammad Ali{{sfn|Taherzadeh|1992|loc=Mirza Agha Jan|s=181-186}}.|"comm."}}.
* He forbade followers to conduct any correspondence, discussion, conversations and even trade with those who do not recognize his claims, thus sowing enmity between relatives, which led to the destruction of many families.
* He did not allow to send a single letter outside Akko to anyone without his personal censorship and fastening it with his own seal.
Banned the distribution and publication of the writings of Bahá'u'lláh, ordering his followers to read and distribute only his own writings {{ref+|Abdu'l-Bahá stopped [[Printing|printing books]]] of Bahá'u'lláh and did his utmost to prevent his followers from using previously printed literature. After 1896, [[Kitab-i-Agdas]] in the original Arabic was no longer officially published, in 1973 excerpts in English were published, and only in 1992 - an official English translation. Only eight percent of Bahá'u'lláh's works have been translated into English.|"comm."}}.
* He issued a strict order to reject every sacred tablet of Baha'u'llah if it was not approved by him and sealed with his seal, rejected the contents of the "Sacred Tablet", written by Baha'u'llah's hand and dedicated to his son Muhammad Ali, and ordered the destruction of the tablets of Baha'u'llah written by the pen of his younger brothers.
* Concealed the last part of Bahá'u'lláh's will, which was never published in the original{{ref+|Abdu'l-Bahá made it possible for his brothers to get acquainted with the full text of Bahá'u'lláh's will, which contained lines of special recognition for the merits of his personal secretary Mirza Agha Jan Kashani (Hadimullah){ {sfn|Jalal Azal|2004|loc=3.2 Mirza Aqa Jan of Kashan|pp=69-73}}, subsequently excommunicated by 'Abdu'l-Bahá for fear of his claim to leadership, and exhorting them both to remain loyal to Bahá'u'lláh (which demonstrates that Bahá'u'lláh did not endow his son with infallibility and considered him capable of committing errors). The presence of a postscript addressed to Hadimullah was confirmed (without publication) by the International House of Justice in 2013<ref>{{article|edition=Baha'i Studies Review|title=The 1893 Russian Publication of Baha'u'llah's Last Will and Testament </ref>. The American Rosamond Templeton volunteered to mediate and called upon the brothers, in the presence of their chosen witnesses, an English translator and a photographer, to meet at the tomb of Bahá'u'lláh on December 7, 1900, to read "[[Testament (Bahá'í)#Lesser Testament|Testament of Bahá'u'lláh]]" and take photographs its full text - however 'Abdu'l-Bahá refused the invitation, citing the fact that it was his father's own wish to keep the full text secret{{sfn|A Lost History...|2014|loc=Rosamond Templeton - Letters About the Sons of Baha' u'llah|pp=329—341}}.|"comm."|name="Khadim"}}{{sfn|Warburg, Margit|2006|loc=Abdu'l Baha and the Covenant|pp=181}} <ref name="stoic">{{article|edition=San Francisco Call|title=Bahai Leader A Stoic|volume=CXIL|number=136|pages=1-2|link=https://www.h-net .org/~bahai/docs/vol14/San_Francisco_Call_13-14_Oct_1912.pdf|language=en|type=newspaper|day=14|month=10|year=2013|archivedate=2018-04-21|archiveurl=https:// web.archive.org/web/20180421171020/http://www.h-net.org/%7Ebahai/docs/vol14/San_ Francisco_Call_13-14_Oct_1912.pdf}}</ref>{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Mohammad Ali Bahai - Autobiography of Mohammed Ali Bahai|pp=207-209}}, and misinterpreted part of its content.

[[File:Abdul Baha Abbas Funeral.jpg|mini|right|The funeral of [[Abdu'l-Bahá]] November 29, 1921.]]

Recognizing that 'Abdu'l-Bahá's supporters are in the majority among the believers {{ref+|The number of Baha'is living in [[Akko]] in 1902 was about ninety, and of these thirty to forty were opponents of 'Abdu'l-Bahá{{sfn|Wilson |1915|loc=The Quarrel over the Succession|p=259}}. Due to great opposition in Akko, almost immediately after the restrictions were lifted by the Ottoman authorities, in 1909 'Abdu'l-Bahá moved to neighboring [[Haifa|Haifa]]. In general, during the early 20th century, [[Palestine within the Ottoman Empire|Palestine]] was dominated by Muhammad Ali's supporters, but 'Abdu'l-Bahá drew his support primarily from followers in Iran, and increasingly from the late 1890s onwards from the growing communities in the United States where a cult based on his personality developed{{sfn|Warburg, Margit|2006|loc=Abdu'l Baha and the Covenant|pp=181}}{{sfn|Encyclopædia Iranica|1989|loc=Bahai and Babi Schisms|pp=447-449}}.|"comm.}}, Muhammad Ali, his children and followers have repeatedly called for dialogue, including by proposing to hold a unification conference of the faith {{ref+|One of the last such attempts was the proposal to hold in 1912 a conference of peace and spirituality in [[Chicago]], [[USA]]. On the Baha'i Unitarian side, Bahá'u'lláh's grandson Shua Ullah Behai and Ibrahim George Khairullah were to attend. The official language is [[English|English]], translation from [[Arabic|Arabic]] would have to be done by an independent translator. The conference would be recorded by the [[Associated Press]] agency, with three American scientists acting as witnesses and judges. The conference was to compare the positions of the parties with the scriptures of Baha'u'llah.|"comm."|name="conference"}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bahaisects.wordpress.com/2013/02/ 07/an-open-letter-to-sir-abbas-effendi-abdul-baha/|title=An open letter to Sir Abbas Effendi|publisher=Baha'i 'Faith'|date=2013-02-07|language= en|access-date=2019-06-04|archive-date=2019-06-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604162019/https://bahaisects.wordpress.com/ 2013/02/07/an-open-letter-to-sir-abbas-effendi-abdul-baha/|deadlink=no}}</ref>{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Mohammad Ali Bahai — Autobiography of Mohammed Ali Bahai|p=227}}{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Shua Ullah Bahai — An Interview with Ghusn-i-Akbar|p=182}}{{sfn|Browne|1918 |loc=An Epitome of Babi and Baha'i history to A.D. 189|p=82}}{{sfn|A Lost History…|2014|loc=Shua Ullah Bahai — A Reminiscence: The Purpose, Condition and Potential of the Baha'i Faith|p=487}} to try to reconcile differences. The brother even attempted to personally visit 'Abdu'l-Bahá after the latter's return from America in early 1914. However, all their appeals were rejected or ignored <ref>{{cite web|url=http://unitarianbahais.blogspot.com/2013/11/efforts-of-mohammad-ali-effendi.html|title=Mohammad Ali Effendi's Effort to save the Faith|date=2013-11-14|publisher=Unitarian Bahai's|language=en|access-date=2019-05-29|archive-date=2019-05-29|archive-url=https:/ /web.archive.org/web/20190529174133/http://unitarianbahais.blogspot.com/2013/11/efforts-of-mohammad-ali-effendi.html|deadlink=no}}</ref> - the complete refusal of dialogue completely removed the current need for 'Abdu'l-Bahá to issue any detailed rebuttals of his brother's criticism {{sfn|Cole, Juan R.I.|2005|p=332}}. Only in a will written between 1901 and 1908 and made public after his death in 1921 did 'Abdu'l-Bahá voluminously accuse Muhammad Ali of conspiracy and apostasy , declaring him and his supporters " Covenant Breakers " for refusing to obey him and accept his understanding of religion. <ref name="covenant" /> . Most of Bahá'u'lláh's family, including his two wives living at that time, Fatima and Gavhara, and their children, supported the side of Gusn-i-Akbar. 'Abdu'l-Bahá's side was preserved only by his own family and Bahiyyeh Khanum , his younger full-blooded sister {{sfn|Miller|1974|loc=The Rule of Abdu'l-Baha|p=178}}. In 1922 there were 158 Bahá'ís in Palestine <ref>{{book|title=The handbook of Palestine|part=The Baha'is|year=1922|pages=59|publisher=London Macmillan|link=https://archive. org/details/handbookofpalest00lukeuoft/|language=en|ref=Luke|author=Luke, Harry Charles}}</ref>. Subsequently, 'Abdu'l-Bahá's successor Shoghi Effendi Rabbani {{ref+|Abdu'l-Bahá directed his eldest daughter and her husband to give their children the surname Rabbani, {{lang-ru|divine}}, in order to distinguish them from branches of Afnan. Shoghi Rabbani used this surname before his appointment as the "Guardian", and after that he began to call himself Shoghi Effendi, in accordance with the will of his grandfather.|"comm."}} excommunicated everyone from the faith {{ref+|The entire family of Baha'u'llah - his wife , children, grandchildren and their spouses (with the exception of the early deceased wife of Baha'u'llah Asiya Khanum, the children of Baha'u'llah 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahiyeh Khanum and Mirza Mihdi (who died in his youth), as well as the great-grandson of Baha'u'llah Shoghi Effendi and his wife Ruhiyya) - was ultimately excommunicated by 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi, expelled from the Baha'i community and declared "violators of the [[Covenant (Bahá'i)|Covenant]]", including some posthumously. By the end of [[Shoghi Effendi]]'s life, there was not a single possible heir of Bahá'u'lláh who had not been excommunicated{{sfn|Taherzadeh, Adib|2000|loc=The Family of Baha'u'llah|pp=16-27 }}{{sfn|Jalal Azal|2004|loc=7.1 Baha's Family Chart|pp=179—181}}<ref name="covenant" />. The excommunications of the descendants of Baha'u'llah on behalf of the Universal House of Justice continue to this day. Thus, in 1996, the excommunication of Baha'u'llah's great-granddaughter, the creator of the family website of the descendants of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Parveen Afnan Shahid, was confirmed, as well as the New Zealand Baha'i Pauline Smith, who was accused of communicating with her<ref>{{book|title=Lights of Irfan , Volume 10|part=Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit|link=https://bahai-library.com/momen_blasphemy_holy_spirit|language=en|author=Momen, Moojan|publisher=Wilmette, IL:Irfan Colloquia|year=2009}} {{Wayback|url=https://bahai-library.com/momen_blasphemy_holy_spirit |date=20200616065922 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://fglaysher .com/bahaicensorship/shun1.htm|title=New Zealand shunning of non-Baha'i|publisher=The Baha'i Faith & Religious Freedom of Conscience|date=1998-02-08|language=en|access-date= 2020-06-16|archive-date=2020-06-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616065920/https://fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/shun1.htm|deadlink= no}}</ref>|"comm."|name="excommunicated"}} of their relatives {{ref+|These relatives were mostly excommunicated for marriages that Shoghi Effendi did not approve of or for refusing to consider formerly excommunicated relatives<ref>{{cite web|url=https://excommunicatedbahais.wordpress.com/2017/02/27/excommunication-by-shoghi-effendi/|first=Helen T.|last=Wilson|title =Excommunicated by Shoghi Effendi|publisher=Excommunication in the Bahai Faith|date=2017-02-27|language=en|access-date=2019-07-02|arc hive-date=2019-07-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702105018/https://excommunicatedbahais.wordpress.com/2017/02/27/excommunication-by-shoghi- effendi/|deadlink=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bahaiawareness.com/excom7.html|title=Excommunication by Central Figures of the Bahai Faith|publisher=Bahai Awareness|date=2012-08|language=en|access-date=2019-07-29|archive-date=2017-05-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510193006/ http://www.bahaiawareness.com/excom7.html|deadlink=no}}</ref>. Doctrinal differences may also have played a role, in particular with regard to the degree of authority of the "Guardian" and the personal freedom of the Bahá'ís. Anthropologist Eric Cohen believes that the key differences were over the spread of the faith to the West and its universalization, which the Palestinian Bahá'ís saw as a "sale"<ref name= "Coen" />. However, unlike the previous generation of relatives who were excommunicated from the faith of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, his own descendants, who were excommunicated by Shoghi Effendi, did not attempt to create rival Baha'i movements - on the contrary, they avoided any public statements for decades.|"comm."}} , ordering them to leave the territory of Palestine {{ref+|First [[Shoghi Effendi|Effendi]] sent to [[Iran]], [[Syria|Syria]], [[Lebanon]] or [[Egypt]] those families who had no business ties in Akko and Haifa, promising them financial assistance at the place of arrival, but, for example, those who went to Iran - they never received it. Further, those who were engaged in business were sent away, and a small number of those who refused were excommunicated. Last came the turn of property owners and government employees, most of whom refused - and were also excommunicated.|"comm."}}, and depriving them of basic religious rights, including the right to visit the shrine of Bahá'u'lláh in Acre {{ref+|The Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh is located in the northwestern corner house, which once belonged to Haji Sayyid Ali Afnan, husband of Furugiya Khanum, the youngest daughter of Bahá'u'lláh. This house was purchased by Afnan from its Christian owner. Sayyid Ali was a Russian subject, which protected him from possible attacks from the Persian or Turkish government. He supported the Unitarians for a while, then reconciled with 'Abdu'l-Bahá, but was ultimately excommunicated posthumously from the faith of Shoghi Effendi, following all his descendants{{sfn|A Lost History...|2014|pp=207,326,428}}. After the death of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Muhammad Ali claimed the right to be the guardian of the [[Bahá'í World Center Buildings#Tomb of Bahá'u'lláh|Tombs of Bahá'u'lláh]] (in accordance with [[Islamic inheritance law|Muslim law]], applicable also to [[Bahá'í] ], the son is the legal guardian of his father's tomb). Initially, [[British Mandate for Palestine|British authorities]] gave equal access to the shrine to both sides and offered to hold a Congress of Baha'i representatives from all over the world, but in February 1923, due to friendly relations with the Governor of Haifa, Colonel {{np3|Stuart Simes| J. Stewart Symes|en|Stewart Symes}}, Shoghi Effendi succeeded in persuading them to return the keys to the inner tomb to his possession{{sfn|Ruhiyyih Rabbani|1969|loc=Death of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and its immediate consequences}}, whereupon he denied admission to the tomb of the "apostates"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bahai-library.com/wilson_dispensation_bahaullah/|first=Helen T.|last=Wilson|title=The Dispensation of Baha'u'llah:Its Continuing Place In History|publisher=Baha'i Library|date=2004|language=en|access-date=2019-06-01|archive-date=2019-06-01|archive-url=https://web. archive.org/web/20190601115449/http://bahai-library.com/wilson_dispensation_bahaullah/|deadlink=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://bahaitalks.blogspot.com/ 2016/01/the-greatest-holy-leafs-unparalleled.html|first=Baharieh Rouhani|last=Ma'ani|title=The Greatest Holy Leaf's unparalleled role in religious history|publisher=Baha'i Talks|date=2016- 01-16|language=en|access-date=2019-07-23|archive-date=2019-07-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723064551/http://bahaitalks.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-greatest-holy-leafs-unparalleled.html|deadlink=no}}</ref><ref>{{книга|заглавие=Letter to the Baha’i Spiritual Assembly of Iran|часть=Forbidding me from visiting the Shrines|год=1970|ссылка=http://www.abdulbahasfamily.org/documents/Ruhi-Afnan-1970-letter.pdf|язык=en|автор=Afnan, Ruhi}} {{Wayback|url=http://www.abdulbahasfamily.org/documents/Ruhi-Afnan-1970-letter.pdf |date=20201111202145 }}</ref>.|"комм."|name="shrine"}}{{sfn|Kamar|1953|loc=Statements on the Dispute Between the Baha'i Family}}{{sfn|Jalal Azal|2004|loc=9.25 Restricting of Access to Baha's Shrine|pp=330—331}}.