His
successor, and intrigued against Baha'u'llah, even attempting to have Him
murdered. When Baha'u'llah formally declared His Mission to him in
Adrianople, Mirza Yahya responded by going to the length of putting
forward his own claim to be the recipient of an independent Revelation.
His pretensions were eventually rejected by all but a few, who became
known as Azalis (see note 177). He is described by Shoghi Effendi as the
"Arch-Breaker of the Covenant of the Bab" (see God Passes By, chapter X).

191. remember how We nurtured thee by day and by night for service to the
Cause #184

In _God Passes By_, Shoghi Effendi refers to the fact that Baha'u'llah,
Who was thirteen years older than Mirza Yahya, had counselled him and
watched over his early youth and manhood.

192. God hath laid hold on him who led thee astray. #184

A reference to Siyyid Muhammad-i-Isfahani, who is described by Shoghi
Effendi as the "Antichrist of the Baha'i Revelation". He was a man of
corrupt character and great personal ambition who induced Mirza Yahya to
oppose Baha'u'llah and to claim prophethood for himself (see note 190).
Although he was an adherent of Mirza Yahya, Siyyid Muhammad was exiled
with Baha'u'llah to Akka. He continued to agitate and plot against
Baha'u'llah. In describing the circumstances of his death, Shoghi Effendi
has written in God Passes By:

A fresh danger now clearly threatened the life of Baha'u'llah.
Though He Himself had stringently forbidden His followers, on
several occasions, both verbally and in writing, any retaliatory
acts against their tormentors, and had even sent back to Beirut an
irresponsible Arab convert, who had meditated avenging the wrongs
suffered by his beloved Leader, seven of the companions
clandestinely sought out and slew three of their persecutors,
among whom were Siyyid Muhammad and Aqa Jan.

The consternation that seized an already oppressed community was
indescribable. Baha'u'llah's indignation knew no bounds. "Were
We", He thus voices His emotions, in a Tablet revealed shortly
after this act had been committed, "to make mention of what befell
Us, the heavens would be rent asunder and the mountains would
crumble." "My captivity", He wrote on another occasion, "cannot
harm Me. That which can harm Me is the conduct of those who love
Me, who claim to be related to Me, and yet perpetrate what causeth
My hear