# Memories of Haji Muhammad Nayrizi

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-20 — 1 clipping.*

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Haji Muhammad Nayrizi, Memories of Haji Muhammad Nayrizi, bahai-library.com.
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> 
> Memories of Hájí Muhammad Nayrízi
> 
> Haji Muhammad Nayrizi
> 
> Ahang Rabbani, translator
> 
> 1999
> 
> Introduction:
> 
> Among the important eyewitness accounts of the Nayríz-II event
> is the one narrated by Hájí Muhammad Nayrízi, a survivor
> of both the 1850 and 1853 episodes. At the age of fourteen, Hájí
> Muhammad and his father, Hájí Qasim Nayrízi, had stood
> with Vahíd at fort Khájíh and fought fearlessly for their
> new found Faith. At the conclusion of that event and following the general
> massacre of the believers, Hájí Qasim was seized and for a year
> subject to every manner of torment and torture in the prison, including being
> thrown in the ice-filled pool in the middle of winter and while still wet being
> flogged with sticks until he lost consciousness. These afflictions were
> intended to, and succeeded in, extracting from him his entire estate. At long
> last one of his friends, Haydar, was able to secure his freedom by the payment
> of one hundred tumans, a considerable sum at that time.
> 
> Once freed from captivity, Hájí Qasim left the region quickly
> and proceeded to Tihrán to revenge the wrongs that he was subjected to,
> as he considered the person of the Shah the source of all evil in the despotic
> regime of Qájár.[1] In
> Tihrán, he joined forces with a group of Babi dissidents who had
> gathered for the express purpose of eliminating the monarch, and on 15 August
> 1852, he, Sadiq Tabrizi and Mullá Muhammad Nayrízi, attempted
> their ill-conceived plot of killing Nasiri'd-Din Shah. Tabrizi was killed on
> the spot, while Mullá Muhammad was slain some days later after extensive
> introgression and torture. The same fate awaited Hájí Qasim. The
> following is reported in Waqayi' Ittifaqiyya Newspaper, issue no. 81:
> 
> His [Mullá Muhammad Nayrízi's] work was not
> finished when a third evil-one, much like his two comrades, suddenly appeared
> and fired upon the exalted one [i.e. the Shah]. Those in company of the monarch
> at first thought that his bullet had also missed the mark as there was no
> change in the countenance of the King, however when at the request of the prime
> minister and the Mustufi'l-Mamalik and some others, the monarch arrived at the
> nearby gardens of Sanduq-Khanih, it was determined that a few pellets had
> penetrated the skin above the collarbones and only caused a superficial scratch
> and a slightly deeper cut.
> 
> And the following week, on 26 August 1852, the same newspaper reported:
> 
> Hájí Sulayman Khán, the son of Yahyá Khán
> Tabrizi, whose situation was described earlier, together with
> Hájí Qasim Nayrízi who was the successor of Siyyid
> Yahyá [i.e. Vahíd] were brought [from Niavaran] to the city by
> Áqá Hasan, the vice-general. Their bodies were pierced with lit
> candles and to the sound of trumpets were paraded in the streets for the people
> to see, but were prevented from being stoned. At the gate leading to [the
> shrine of] Shah 'Abdu'l-'Azim, the executioners cut their bodies into four
> pieces, each piece being displayed by one of the city's gates.[2]
> 
> It is reported that when they wanted to slay Sulayman Khán, he had
> said, "First martyr Hájí Qasim Nayrízi and let him attain
> unto this exalted bounty, as he is eminent over me."[3]
> 
> Hájí Qasim was survived by two sons, Hájí
> Muhammad and Mullá Husayn.
> 
> Having weathered the storm of Nayríz-I, Hájí Muhammad was
> once again caught in the midst of the second interlude, where he and his family
> were made prisoner.
> 
> The oral memoirs left by Hájí Muhammad describe the events
> through the time that the captives, himself among them, were taken to Shiraz.
> He was fortuitously released from captivity at that time, but decided to stay
> in that city for a while. A few years later, he moved to Dariyun[4], but some time later returned to his native town of
> Nayríz as the new governor, Fath-'Alí Khán, had taken a
> solemn oath to remedy the past misdeeds of his father.
> 
> In Nayriz, Haji Muhammad was occupied with farming and raising sheep, and as
> he was a robust man, often was engaged in working the fields himself. Soon
> Fath-'Alí Khán, having explicit faith in the trustworthiness of
> Bahá'ís, asked Hájí Muhammad to supervise his personal properties
> in the Rastaq region. The house of the Hájí at both Rastaq and
> Nayríz was the abode of all Bahá'í teachers passing though the region
> and he served the Cause with great distinction and devotion. He married a niece
> of the renown 'Alí Sardar[5], who was a
> daughter of Mullá Husayn, and she brought him six children: Fadlu'llah;
> Muhammad-Qasim; Faraju'llah; Habibu'llah; Qudratu'llah; and Sakinih. His
> descendents suffered bitterly in the course of Nayríz-III in 1909 - this
> family is one of the chains that connect the believers of Nayríz across
> the span of several generations in this panorama of suffering and
> steadfastness. In all his days, Hájí Muhammad was fond of
> recalling the events of his youth, particularly the 1853 episodes. He lived to
> be nearly a hundred years old and passed away in 1935 in Nayríz[6]. A Tablet revealed in his honor by
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá immortalizes his memory.
> 
> The value of his memoirs lies foremost in the fact that it is told by one who
> participated in the events. Though in many ways it does not convey the rich
> detail of the narrative of Mullá Muhammad Shafi', it is nevertheless an
> independent description which closely collaborates the account of the former,
> and in a few instances provides some additional amplifications. However, one
> must note that by the time this narrative was committed to paper,
> Hájí Muhammad was at a relatively advanced age and the passage of
> time has taken its toll, so that a few of the minor details are conflated, (see
> footnotes below). The original of this recollection was published in
> Muhammad-'Alí Faizi, Nayríz-i Mushkbiz, pages 108-116.
> 
> This account begins in the spring of 1853 when once more the
> Bábís commenced reorganizing and re-emerging as a distinct
> community and tells of the brutal response that awaited them.
> 
> Memoirs of Hájí Muhammad Nayrízi
> 
> After the arrival of soldiers, they launched an attack against us and
> while doing so were aided by many from the town. This resulted in the believers
> retreating from Nayríz and taking refuge at the foot of the mountains at
> a location known as Bid Najviyyih, famous for its fresh air and vivifying
> nature. The attackers continued to pursue us to that spot and with increased
> intensity and severity, continually assaulted our camp. For that reason, we
> proceeded further up the mountain to an area known as Darb Shiguft, and raised
> a number of makeshift dwellings commonly referred to as yurd constructed from
> wood and tree branches and roofed by twigs and leafs.
> 
> Each day witnessed a considerable increase in the number of besiegers who had
> surrounded us from all sides and we were placed in dire need and grave
> hardship. In response, led by Mírzá 'Alí Sardar, our group
> put forth defensive measures and pushed back the attackers who beseeched Shiraz
> to augment their number with additional forces. At this time,
> Mírzá Na'im went forth to Shiraz and in his reports exaggerated
> the scope of the events which resulted in a large number of artillery pieces,
> ammunition and cannons being sent back with him, supplemented by several groups
> of tribal gunmen. Soon a large camp was raised, surrounding us from all
> directions, and they launched a massive offensive. A devastating battle took
> place between the opposing sides that resulted in our dwellings (yurds) being
> burned completely. Even though our numbers were relatively few in comparison to
> the armed camp, by spectacular bravery, coupled with undaunted fortitude and
> steadfastness, the believers were able to deliver a decisive defeat to the foes
> resulting in complete disarray and flight of the attackers. In the course of
> their retreat, the soldiers left behind a large cache of arms including a
> cannon that was brought up to the mountain and used thereafter.[7]
> 
> At that time, we proceeded to another section of the mountain known as
> Bala-Taram and stayed there for a while. This was beneficial as it allowed us
> relative safety and tranquility, and we even organized several weddings during
> this period. On the instructions of Mírzá 'Alí Sardar, our
> group constructed nineteen fortifications in the number of
> vahíds[8] of the Bayan. Each was
> named after a certain participant, such as, one was named after 'Alí
> Sardar, and another after Khájíh Qutba and yet another that was
> defended by the womenfolk was known as Madar Sami' [mother of Sami']. The
> remains of these fortifications stand to this day.
> 
> During this time a number of clashes took place, until Mírzá
> Na'im was once again able to gather a considerable number of soldiers and
> gunmen, and from the direction of Darb Shiguft entered the region and raised
> his camp. Mírzá 'Alí Sardar organized two groups of
> nineteen men each to rush and surprise the camp, one attacking from the higher
> elevations while the other was to circle and attack from beneath the camp.
> However, in the dark of the night and having frail eyesight, Siyyid Husayn, the
> leader of one of the two groups, tripped over a rock that was dislodged and
> rolled down the hill. This caused the camp to become aware that a night attack
> was underway and eliminated the element of surprise. A fierce battle was waged
> between the two sides that witnessed great many gallantries by
> Mírzá 'Alí Sardar who at each instance, single-handedly,
> would raise the cry of "Ya Sahib Zaman" as he fearlessly rushed the soldiers
> with his saber and scattered their forces. The other believers and companions
> also manifested exceptional courage, fortitude and self-sacrifice in their
> efforts, and even the womenfolk joined in by throwing rocks and stones at the
> enemy. All of this resulted in a bitter defeat for the camp and flight of the
> soldiers from the field of battle. Even the camp's leader, Mírzá
> Na'im, was so overwhelmed with trepidation that he was unable to escape on his
> own and soldiers had to carry him away on their backs to save his life. Fearing
> for their very being, every person in the soldiers' camp escaped and scattered
> throughout the countryside.
> 
> After this defeat, Mírzá Na'im wrote to the Prince
> Mu'ayyi'd-Dawlih, the governor of Fars, explaining the pathetic condition of
> his own and his fallen men and yet again asked for military assistance, a
> request that was awarded with four regiments of men. That is, orders were
> issued that gunmen from all villages, hamlets and tribes in the neighboring
> regions were to be gathered at [Mírzá Na'im's] camp so that once
> and for all the Bábís would be eliminated. Lutf-'Alí
> Khán Qashqa'i came accompanied with both foot and cavalry forces, and
> they were joined with Ahmad Khán Bahárlu who brought five hundred of his
> well-known sharpshooters. The enemy's camp was rapidly growing in number and
> each day their encompassing increased in intensity.
> 
> Prior to this, Sardar assembled and informed us that our remaining days were
> but a few, and said that if anyone wished not to suffer at the hand of the
> enemy, it would be best for them to leave at once. None among the believers
> preferred to abandon him and all remained faithful and steadfast. The number of
> our group at that time was four hundred men and six hundred women.
> 
> This time the battle was particularly severe. Sardar, in accordance with his
> usual practice, raised the cry of "Ya Zahib Zaman" and riding high on a mount
> charged the enemy. In this campaign, a number of Bahárlu gunmen had hidden
> behind the rocks and trees and from there were able to severely shoot Sardar,
> who dragged himself to our fortification where the bird of his spirit was
> released from the prison of self. He was buried next to the fortification named
> after him.
> 
> After Mírzá 'Alí Sardar was slain, his companions
> remained steadfast until the last breath, even though a number of them were
> killed and the rest seized by the soldiers and tribal gunmen, who perpetrated
> uncountable cruelties upon their prisoners. Of the captives, all men aged
> twenty and older were slain and their heads piled in large baskets which,
> together with the women and children and some remaining elderly men, were
> paraded back to Nayríz in the company of an exuberant army. Upon
> arrival, the prisoners were confined to the Madrisih Khán and guards
> ensured that no one contacted us.
> 
> After we were kept in such miserable conditions for a few days, together with
> the basket of heads, we were sent to Shiraz. En route, because of the
> sufferings and hardships, a number of the captives expired and they too were
> decapitated and their [severed] heads added to the piles. One such case was
> Mullá 'Abdu'l-Husayn, the judge and the soothsayer of Nayríz, who
> had stood with the illustrious Vahíd and had survived the first episode
> and was among the baqiyatu's-Sayf, and now was included in the company of the
> captives. As the incarcerated believers were being conducted from Shiraz to
> Tihrán, upon reaching the village of Siyyidan, a distance of two days
> journey to Abadih, having endured immeasurable afflictions, Mullá
> 'Abdu'l-Husayn passed away and the soldiers beheaded his body, taking the head
> with them and burying the remains in that locality.
> 
> Proceeding under such heart-wrenching conditions, when our caravan of
> captives reached Tang Sa'di, news was sent to the governor of Fárs and
> inquiry was made about the manner of entry into the city. The governor sent
> long spears equal to the number of the severed heads and instructed that each
> be raised above these lances, and in the company of the drums and cymbals to
> enter Shiraz. In such sorrowful and tormented state, the women, children and
> elderly men walked bare footed in the midst of columns of soldiers, who each
> carried a spear bearing the severed head of one of the loved ones of our
> pitiful band. By order of the governor, a number of noble and distinguished
> citizens of the city had come forth to observe this sad spectacle. On seeing
> their condition, many of the citizens were moved to tears over the miserable
> state of the prisoners and sobbed loudly, while others were bewildered by the
> cruelty of the armed men, and yet others tormented the wronged captives by
> assaulting them verbally and heaping abuse upon them and indeed some even spit
> on their faces. It was in the course of this agonizing scene, where every
> observer was profoundly moved with deep emotions of regret, that the
> Qavamu'l-Mulk Shirazi, who was among the onlookers, was moved to cry out to
> Mírzá Na'im, reproaching him with such words: "O Na'im! Have you
> sought to recreate Karbila? Even the plane of Karbila did not witness such
> misery!"[9]
> 
> In such poignant and pitiful state, our band of wronged ones was
> brought forth to the city and placed in Shah-Mir Hamzih caravansary. One day
> the governor of Fárs called a number of the captives to his presence and
> in the course of interrogation instructed some to repudiate their faith [in the
> Bab], and as they remained steadfast, issued orders for their execution. These
> included: Sadiq, son of Salih; 'Alí Garmsiry; Husayn, son of Hadi;
> Hájí, son of Asghar; and Muhammad, son of Muhsin.
> 
> Soon, instructions were received from Tihrán to send the severed heads
> to that city and to free the women and children and so the baskets of heads and
> the elderly men were sent forth towards Tihrán. However, when they
> reached Abadih, further orders were received to bury the heads in that spot.
> The captives were taken to Tihrán though, and there some were freed
> while others were martyred.
> 
> Notes
> 
> [1] Lama'atu'l-Avar 1:155 reports that he
> participated in Nayríz II events and survived that event as well. The
> information provided by Mullá Muhammad Shafi' and Tarikh Shuhaday Amr
> 3:254-6, as well as other sources consulted by the author, indicate that he was
> among the Bábís who went to Tihrán to assassinate the
> Shah. Haqayiqu'l-Akhbar Nasiri 116-7 reports that Hájí
> Qasim claimed to be the successor to Vahíd. The same is noted in
> Mu'inu'd-Din Mihrabi's Quratu'l-'Ayn 126.
> 
> [2] The two newspaper extracts appear in
> Tarikh Shuhaday Amr 3:255. For other details on the failed assassination
> attempt see Haqayiqu'l-Akhar Nasiri 113-7 and the Dawn-Breakers chapter
> 26.
> 
> [3] Muhammad-Rida Fishahi, Vapasin
> Junbish Qurun Vusta Dar Duran Fu'adali 131.
> 
> [4] A village at a distance of 180
> kilometers from Nayríz and 42 kilometers from Shiraz and had been on the
> path of the caravan leading the Babi captives to Shiraz.
> 
> [5] Babi leader during Nayriz-II battles.
> 
> [6] Nayriz Mushkbiz 116 suggests that he
> lived to the age of 115. However since it is known that he was 14 years old at
> the time of Vahíd's arrival in 1850, that suggests his birth took place
> circa 1836, placing his age at the time of passing at about 100.
> 
> [7] Most sources indicate that the
> capture of this cannon occurred at the next battle.
> 
> [8] Vahid has the numerical value of 19.
> 
> [9] Lam'atu'l-Anvar 1:196 reports that
> afterwards, the indignant Qavam sought an audience with the governor of
> Fárs and stated, "With these heinous deeds, Mírzá Na'im
> has indeed recreated the field of Karbila and the taking of the Holy Household
> to Damascus. The only thing lacking is decorating the city; and once that is
> accomplished, then the scene is completely recreated!"
> 
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> — *Memories of Haji Muhammad Nayrizi (Used by permission of the curator)*