Haji Mirza Siyyid Ali, The Greatest Uncle – the first of the Seven Martyrs
Born: Unknown
Death: February 1850
Place of Birth: Unknown
Location of Death: Tehran, Iran
Burial Location: No cemetery details
Haji Mirza Siyyid Muhammad, The Greater Uncle
Born: Unknown
Death: Unknown
Place of Birth: Unknown
Location of Death: Unknown
Burial Location: No cemetery details
Haji Mirza Hassan Ali, The Younger Uncle
Born: Unknown
Death: Unknown
Place of Birth: Unknown
Location of Death: Unknown
Burial Location: No cemetery details
Let me first begin with the following quote:
“In the Name of Our Lord, The Exalted, The Most High. No man shall attain the shores of the ocean of true understanding except he be detached from all that is in heaven and on earth. Sanctify your souls, O ye peoples of the world, that haply ye may attain that station which God hath destined for you and enter thus the tabernacle which, according to the dispensations of Providence, hath been raised in the firmament of the Bayan.”
The Bab’s three uncles: Haji Mirza Siyyid Ali aka the Greatest Uncle – he was the middle brother, Haji Mirza Siyyid Muhammad aka the Greater Uncle – he was the eldest of the three brothers, and Haji Mirza Hassan Ali, the younger Uncle.
Haji Mirza Siyyid Ali was the guardian to the Báb, after the death of His own father in 1828. He was taught about the faith by Quddus who was the last Letter of the Living. Haji Mirza Siyyid Ali was the first believer in Shiraz after the Letters of the Living. He took full responsibility for the Bab after He was arrested and visited him in Chihriq in 1849. In February 1850 he was martyred as one of the Seven Martyrs in Tehran. All the ’Seven Martyrs of Tehran’ were executed in public by beheading.
Haji Mirza Siyyid Muhammad, traded with the Báb in Bushihr. He was not a Bahá’í during the life of the Báb but staunchly supported and defended his nephew during his 6 years of ministry. In 1862, he travelled to Karbila with his younger brother (mentioned above) and were invited to meet Bahá’u’lláh. Bahá’u’lláh asked him what was standing in his way of accepting the Báb. So he wrote down his questions and gave them to Bahá’u’lláh as a result Bahá’u’lláh revealed his answers in 48 hours in the Book of Certitude. After receiving this book Haji Mirza Siyyid Muhammad became a Bahá’í. This book (the original copy was transcribed by Abdu’l-Baha with corrections and additions made by Bahá’u’lláh) was later donated to the Bahá’í archives by his great-granddaughter in 1948.
If you would like to read the 4 questions that were asked please click on this link:
Haji Mirza Siyyid Muhammad Questions
Haji Mirza Hassan Ali journeyed with his eldest brother to the Shia Holy Places in Baghdad but adamantly refused to visit Bahá’u’lláh. However, later he became a believer in both Manifestations.
Source:
Nabil. The Dawn Breakers. Wilmette, Illinois: Bahá’í Publishing Trust. pp. 455-457
Images:
Art Design by Joe Paczkowski
