# Haj Mihdi Arjmand

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-19 — 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: Iraj Ayman, Haj Mihdi Arjmand, bahai-library.com.
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> 
> Háj Mihdí Arjmand
> Iraj Ayman
> 
> Background
> One century ago Háj Mihdí Á’Rafú‘á became a legendary name
> among the residents of Hamadán, southwest of Tehran and one of
> the oldest Persian cities. The city was at the busy crossroad of trade
> and travel within the country and between Iran and Europe. It had a
> thriving economy, attracting new migrants from other parts of the
> country. The city was then the home of a multi-cultural, multi-
> religious community and was the scene of strong religious tensions.
> An ancient Jewish shrine, tombs of Esther and Mordechai, the graves
> of the leading Muslim philosopher and scientist Avicenna and the
> famous and popular Persian poet Bábá Táhir ‘Uryán made the city
> the desired abode of Jews, Muslims and Christians alike. Western
> Christian missionaries had also been dispatched to the city to convert
> people of Jewish, Armenian and Muslim backgrounds to Protestant
> Christianity. As one of the earliest centres of Bahá’í teaching
> activities, Hamadán also had a sizeable and growing community of
> Bahá’ís of both Muslim and Jewish background. The Bahá’ís were
> facing resistance and opposition from the leaders of other religious
> communities—Jews, various sects of Muslims, and Christians,
> including those newly converted from Judaism to Christianity.
> It was in such a setting that a young Talmudist, Mi’ír Á’Rafú‘á,
> who belonged to a highly respected Jewish household, accepted the
> Bahá’í Faith and became a most erudite
> 
> Bahá’í teacher and polemist. His erudition in the holy scriptures of
> Judaism, Christianity and Islam impressed friends and foes, both the
> highly learned as well as the rank and file. Arjmand proved himself a
> successful defender and leading spokesman and protagonist of the
> new Faith. His humility, magnanimity and forbearance were
> exemplary and deeply appreciated by everyone.
> Early Years
> The given name of Háj Mihdí Arjmand was Mi’ír. His parents
> were Á’Rafú‘á (shortened form of Áqá Rafá’íl) and Khátún, Á’Rafú‘á’s
> second wife and sister of Hakím Áqá Ján the first Bahá’í from among
> the Jewish community of Hamadán. Háj Mihdí Arjmand was born in
> Hamadán in 1861 (1240 AHS), one of the two sons of Khátún. He
> was known as Mihdí Á’Rafú‘á (i.e. Mihdí son of Áqá Rafú‘á). When
> identity cards began to be issued and everyone was required to
> choose a surname, he chose to be named Arjmand (valued). This
> choice was based on a Tablet written in his honour in which ‘Abdu’l-
> Bahá, while encouraging him and praising his acceptance of the
> Faith, refers to him as the valued child (Persian farzand-i arjmand)
> and learned son of Abraham.
> In his early years, Háj Mihdí attended the Talmud Torah
> maktab (Hebrew school)1 in Hamadán and was literate only in
> Hebrew. His teacher was Mullá Ibráhím, son of Mullá Ya‘qúb. Háj
> Mihdí was a very intelligent and eager student. Because he
> progressed quickly in his studies, his teacher became tired of having
> to attend to him continuously and give him new lessons.
> Embracing the Bahá’í Faith
> In 1878 (1295 AHL) a learned and prominent Bahá’í teacher,
> Mírzá ‘Alí-Muhammad known as Ibn-i-Asdaq,2 arrived in Hamadán.
> He had come from Khurásán and was
> 
> the house guest of Áqá Mírzá Báqir and Áqá Muhammad Javád. 3
> Ibn-i-Asdaq was constantly engaged in teaching the Bahá’í Faith and
> meeting with seekers of truth. Hakím Áqá Ján was one of those
> seekers who spent many days and nights discoursing with the famous
> Bahá’í travelling teacher and was finally convinced and became a
> Bal-al. He was the son of Il‘ázár Káhin (Jewish chief priest), whose
> lineage went back to the prophet Aaron. Thus he was highly
> respected in the Jewish community in Hamadán. Owing to his
> spirituality, virtue and probity, Hakim Áqá Ján was a very popular
> and trusted physician in the city. He had been attracted to the piety
> of Áqá Muhammad Javád and, as a result, gradually became a Bahá’í.
> Hakim Áqá Ján, in turn, became an active and erudite teacher of his
> new faith and succeeded in converting a large number of the
> members of the Jewish community, both male and female, to the
> new religion.
> Háj Mihdí, Hakim Áqá Jan’s nephew, has recorded the following
> account of his conversion to the Bahá’í. Faith in the first chapter of
> his book Gulshan-i-Haqáyiq (Rose Garden of Truths).
> I was encouraged by Hakim Áqá Ján to investigate the new
> Cause. I eagerly engaged in such investigation because my
> understanding of certain verses in the Book was that God guides
> the steps of the true seeker. I especially remembered such
> verses as Proverbs 8:17, ‘I love them that love me; and those that
> seek me early shall find me’; and Psalms 119:18, ‘Open thou
> mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law’;
> and Jeremiah 6:16 where the Lord says: ‘… ask for the old
> paths, wherein [is] the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall
> find rest for your souls’; and Matthew 7:7–9, ‘Ask, and it shall be
> given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened
> unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that
> seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or
> what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give
> him a stone?’; and in Qur’án 29:69, ‘Whoso maketh efforts for
> Us, in Our Ways shall We
> 
> assuredly guide him. For verily God is with those who do right.’
> I also realized that blindly imitating our forefathers and their
> prejudices misleads the people and causes depravity. Thus I did
> my best to differentiate between truth and falsehood, using my
> reason as well as my knowledge and I supplicated God to guide
> me. I especially tried to gather together all that I could find in
> the holy scriptures of the signs and proofs for the validity of the
> claim of the true messengers of God. I found that all of those
> proofs and signs perfectly matched this Most Great
> Manifestation and I embraced His Faith. 4
> Arjmand was the recipient of a special Tablet from Bahá’u’lláh
> in which He expresses His delight in Háj Mihdí’s recognition of the
> Manifestation of God and praises him for overcoming the prevailing
> prejudices and veils. He then bids him to rise to the service of His
> Cause. This Tablet ends with a special prayer revealed for Háj Mihdí
> to recite.
> Háj Mihdí learned how to be a goldsmith from his father and
> engaged in that as his profession. He was a man of means and had a
> good name in the community. However, he became so engrossed in
> teaching the Bahá’í Faith that he later left his profession and devoted
> all his time and energy to teaching and propagating the religion and
> training Bahá’í teachers.
> His erudition and character
> After becoming a Bahá’í and attending Bahá’í gatherings, Háj
> Mihdí felt severely handicapped because of his illiteracy in Persian
> and Arabic. Consequently he started to study Persian and soon
> mastered it. He then realized that the Bahá’í scriptures are in both
> Persian and Arabic. Therefore he also studied Arabic and mastered
> that language too. As he knew Hebrew, mastering Arabic was not a
> difficult task for him. He soon became quite learned not only in
> Bahá’í literature but also Quranic and Islamic studies. He had
> 
> learned the scriptures by heart and during his debates he could easily
> recite proofs from the holy books of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
> Bahá’ís in Hamadán used to say that Háj Mihdí always carried three
> books in his pocket: the Torah, the Gospel and the Qur’án. If an
> enquirer asked him where in our Book such a verse is written, he
> would take out one of these books from his pocket and show the
> verses he was reciting. His mastery of the Bible was so great that
> once during a debate in. Hamadán with Dr Holmes, an American
> missionary, the latter turned to Háj Mihdí in amazement and said,
> ‘You are so knowledgeable and well-versed in the Holy Book, it is as
> if you had revealed it yourself!’
> Músá Amánat has related that one night Háj Mihdí was engaged
> in a lengthy discussion about the Faith with a Jew from Kurdistan.
> The latter was highly prejudiced but quite knowledgeable in the
> Torah and its commentaries. He advanced that the Báb, as a ‘nabí
> (prophet), should have overpowered His enemies and prevented His
> own execution by them. Háj Mihdí in reply mentioned the
> tribulations and sufferings of the biblical prophets. He especially
> mentioned the slaying of the prophet Zechariah in the Holy Temple
> in Jerusalem. The Kurdistání Jew denied the occurrence of such an
> event. Háj Mihdí emphatically and repeatedly invited him to accept
> what he said. Finally he asked Amánat to fetch the Torah. Háj Mihdí
> took the hook and, without hesitation and without looking at the
> table of contents, opened the hook to the very page that he wanted to
> show. He then read the verse referring to the slaying of the prophet.
> The seeker was amazed and swore that he had read the Torah many
> times but had not noticed that point.
> Músá Amánat, who met Háj Mihdí for the first time in 1925 in
> Hamadán, relates the following about Háj Mihdí’s insight into the
> Bible:
> Once Háj Mihdí, referring to a Tablet of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in his
> honour, told me, ‘I had read and studied biblical texts many
> times but it was when I was honoured by a Tablet
> 
> from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá appreciating my humble services and
> praising my endeavours in teaching the Faith, adding that God
> willing I might discover the secrets of the words of the prophets,
> the prophecies mentioned in the Book, and might explain them
> for seekers, that I found a new insight into the scriptures, an
> insight which I did not have prior to that time.’ Háj Mihdí then
> recited the Tablet from memory.
> In addition to the Jewish and Christian scriptures, Háj Mihdí
> had a profound knowledge of their laws, history and traditions to the
> extent that high-ranking Jewish and Christian scholars were unable
> to win debates with him on religious subjects. He was known to be
> an unequalled master at demonstrating the truth of Islam and the
> Bahá’í Faith to both Jews and Christians, even the very
> knowledgeable among them.
> Those who were contemporary to Háj Mihdí have recorded their
> admiration of his character and his way of life. His dress, while
> modest, was always very clean. He was calm and dignified. He had
> magnanimity and a sense of sacrifice. Well-known and prominent
> Bahá’ís such as Ishráq-Khávarí,5 ‘Azízu’lláh Sulaymání, Músá
> Amánat, Háfizu’s-Sihhih, Fádil-i Mázandarání and Fádil-i Shírází
> have testified to the exemplary character of Háj Mihdí and to his
> profound knowledge of the scripture. Fádil-i Mázandarání, himself a
> renowned teacher of the Bahá’í Faith, said Háj Mihdí was
> unparalleled when debating on the basis of biblical texts.
> Sulaymání in Masábíh-i-Hidáyat quotes the following account
> found in the daily memoirs of Háj Mihdí Akhaván-i-Safá, a
> prominent Bahá’í teacher:
> A Bahá’í goldsmith by the name of Áqá Rafá’íl (surnamed
> Umídvarán) had developed a difference with Háj Mihdí and was
> defaming and casting aspersions upon him. The Spiritual
> Assembly decided to ask Áqá Rafá’íl to pledge not to continue
> such behaviour. Furthermore, it was decided that if he repeated
> his behaviour, he should pay a fine
> 
> of nine túmáns6 to the Spiritual Assembly’s fund and be
> punished according to the wish of Háj Mihdí. The assembly also
> decided that some of its members should take Áqá Rafá’íl to Háj
> Mihdí’s home and try to mediate and ameliorate the relations
> between them by asking Háj Mihdí to forgive and forget Áqá
> Rafá’íl’s unseemly behaviour. That evening Áqá Mírzá Yúsif and
> I went to Háj Mihdí’s home. Our conversation with Háj Mihdí,
> however, gave us the impression that he would never forgive
> Áqá Rafá’íl. At the suggestion of Háj Mihdí, we accompanied
> him the same evening to the home of Áqá Rafá’íl. Much to our
> surprise, in that meeting, Háj Mihdí apologized to Áqá Rafá’íl
> and demonstrated a deep and impressive humility and
> magnanimity. We were very happy indeed that our mission was
> accomplished in the best possible way. The next morning Áqá
> Rafá’íl came to me asking my advice on how he could ever
> compensate the magnanimity that Háj Mihdí had demonstrated.
> He said he was so ashamed of what he had done to Háj Mihdí
> that he did not know how to ask his forgiveness. This behaviour
> of Háj Mihdí was a great lesson to many friends and favourably
> influenced their conduct.7
> Músá Amánat has quoted the following account from a letter
> written by Dr Habíb’u’lláh Thábití:
> Rabqá, a female maternal cousin of Háj Mihdí and the wife of
> Áqá Sulaymán, the goldsmith, passed away in her youth while
> she had very small children. The Jews in Hamadán prevented
> her body from being buried in the Jewish cemetery. With the
> help of Muslims, they began to make life difficult for Áqá
> Sulaymán and finally managed to put him in gaol and cause the
> arrest of a number of Bahá’ís who had come for the funeral of
> Rabqá. The Bahá’ís had to pay 300 túmáns in order to be
> released. However Áqá Sulaymán was kept in gaol and was
> severely tortured and bastinadoed so that his feet were
> lacerated. Háj Mihdí rushed to the rescue of Áqá Sulaymán and
> said to the officials, ‘Why are you torturing a young man who
> has lost his wife and whose small children are left unattended
> and
> 
> have no one to take care of them? Let him go and attend to his
> children.’ His plea was not accepted until he volunteered to take
> the place of Áqá Sulaymán in gaol for four months.
> Unfortunately by the time Áqá Sulaymán was released and could
> attend to his children, his infant daughter had already passed
> away.
> This is another example of Háj Mihdí’s readiness to sacrifice for
> the sake of the Bahá’í Faith and to help others.
> Pilgrimage and Travels
> In 1908 (1326 AHL) ‘Abdu’l-Bahá granted permission for a group
> of Bahá’ís from Hamadán to come on pilgrimage, among them Háj
> Mihdí. The group remained in the Holy Land for a period of about
> three weeks. When Háj Mihdí returned to Iran, he went to Rasht
> where he stayed, at the request of the Bahá’ís, to teach the Bahá’í
> Faith, especially to prominent persons in the city. Since Jews, like
> Muslims, used to call a person who had performed a pilgrimage
> (visiting Jerusalem according to the religious rites) a Hájí, meaning a
> person who has performed Háj (pilgrimage), it was at this time that
> Áqá Mihdí ibn-i-Áqá Rafú‘á became known as Hájí Mihdí and was so
> called from then on.
> In addition to his uninterrupted and untiring teaching activities
> in Hamadán, Háj Mihdí undertook a number of trips for the purpose
> of propagating the Bahá’í Faith. The first was in 1907 (1325 AHL) to
> Kirmánsháh, where he stayed for four months. Another trip was to
> Shiraz in 1936 (1315 AHS) at the request of the Spiritual Assembly of
> the Bahá’ís of Tehran. The success of his teaching activities in Shiraz
> brought the opposition of Muslim clergy who appealed to the
> governor for the expulsion of Háj Mihdí. At first the governor was
> not willing to do the bidding of the mullás but finally he summoned
> Háj Mihdí and forced him to make a pledge to leave the town within
> three days.
> 
> Teaching the Bahá’í Faith
> Háj Mihdí served as a member of the Spiritual Assembly of the
> Bahá’ís of Hamadán for many years. In addition to conducting many
> classes for those enquiring about the Bahá’í Faith, he initiated special
> classes in Hamadán for training teachers of the Faith. Some other
> learned Bahá’ís in Hamadán followed his example and started
> similar classes. ‘Abdul-Baba, in a Tablet addressed to Mírzá Mihdí
> Akhávan-i-Safá and Mírzá Samímí-Qamsarí, praises the service
> rendered by Háj Mihdí and calls it the establishment of a magnificent
> structure and the preparation for the expansion of the ‘straight way’. 8
> The acme of Háj Mihdí’s teaching feats was his success in
> teaching the Bahá’í Faith to Sadru’s-Sudúr, a very prominent
> religious leader and Islamic scholar in Hamadán who was known
> throughout the country. Sadru’s-Sudúr later became a leading
> teacher of the Bahá’í Faith and the renowned founder of teacher
> training classes in Iran. He was repeatedly eulogized and highly
> praised by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.9
> One day in 1897 (1276 AHS) Hakím Múshih Hay’ím, a Jew who
> was Sadr’s family physician, was visiting him in his home. Sadr
> invited his physician to become a Muslim. Hakim told him, ‘This
> new group, the Bahá’ís, claim that the Promised One (Qá’im) has
> come. I am busy investigating this matter. If you can refute this
> claim in a way that convinces me, I will become a Muslim.’ Sadr
> accepted this challenge. The Bahá’ís arranged a meeting at FA
> Mihdí’s home and asked him to lead the debate. Háj Mihdí
> presented proof for the validity of the claims of Moses, Jesus,
> Muhammad and Bahá’u’lláh by reciting the first few verses of
> chapter 33 of Deuteronomy.10 Sadr was very impressed and asked
> his host whether, since he was about to make a trip to Tehran, he
> would kindly introduce him to one of the Bahá’ís in Tehran so that he
> could follow the debate there. He was given the name and address of
> a Bahá’í in
> 
> Tehran. After contacting and meeting with the Hands of the Cause of
> God and other Bahá’í teachers, he became a Bahá’í. Hájí Yuhanná
> Khán Háfizí has recorded the account of a meeting in Tehran in
> which some very prominent Bahá’ís such as Fádil-i-Shírází11 were
> present together with Háj Mihdí. Sadr gave an account of his
> investigations into the Bahá’í Faith. Then he turned to Háj Mihdí
> and said, ‘You were the one who originally caused me to become a
> Bahá’í.
> In 1888 (1267 AHS) Háj Mihdí began a successful project
> teaching the Bahá’í Faith in the village of Bahár, near Hamadán. The
> first Bahá’í of Bahár was Shaykh Ahmad Khán, who became a Bahá’í
> in that year. He had first learned about the Bahá’í Faith from
> Muhammad Shír-‘Alí Zanjání and was taught the Faith by Háj Mihdí.
> Shaykh Ahmad Khán himself became an ardent teacher of the Bahá’í
> Faith and brought some others into the Faith.
> The teaching of Ridá-Qulí Khán (entitled Sarvar-i-Shuhadá or
> Leader of Martyrs) was another example of Háj Mihdí’s teaching
> feats. In 1897 (1276 AHS) Mírzá Ridá-Qulí Khán, who was from the
> village of Khánbághí, came to Hamadán to purchase certain items.
> One night he was the guest of Ustád Muhammad ‘Alí Khayyátbáshí
> (master tailor); Mírzá Yúsif Saráju’l-Hukamá, the eldest son-in-law
> of Háfizu’s-Sihhih, was also there. They did not talk about the Bahá’í
> Faith before bedtime. Mírzá Yúsif used to talk in his sleep in a very
> clear way. That night while he was asleep, he began to talk about the
> Bahá’í Faith as if debating with someone. This awakened other
> guests. They turned the light on and found him sound asleep. While
> continuing to sleep he started chanting in his melodious voice one of
> the Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh addressed to a physician, followed by some
> of the poems of Bahá’u’lláh. Ridá-Qulí Khán awakened him and
> asked him what he was talking about. He found the words unique
> and marvellous. Mírzá Yúsif Khán did not give him a clear answer
> but later on informed the Bahá’ís. After two nights the Bahá’ís
> 
> invited Ridá-Qulí Khán to the home of Háfizu’s-Sibbih and asked Háj
> Mihdí to be present as well.
> Háj Mihdí and Ridá-Qulí Khán discussed the Bahá’í Faith for six
> hours. Ridá-Qulí Khán was convinced and related to those present
> the episode of Mirth Yúsif Khán’s talking in his sleep. He asked for a
> book to study before going to bed. They gave him the Kitáb-i-Íqán.
> He could not go to sleep that night and concentrated on reading it.
> He became a steadfast Bahá’í and eventually a well-known martyr of
> the Faith.
> Owing to his unique mastery of these holy scriptures, Arjmand
> was usually asked to represent the Bahá’í community in various
> public encounters. Músá Amánat has recorded an interesting
> encounter between Háj Mihdí and Protestant missionaries in
> Hamadán. He writes that one night during a very cold and bitter
> winter, some of the members of the Jewish community who had
> debated with the Bahá’ís and had not been able to refute the proofs
> they presented, invited them to Dr Allen’s home. Dr Allen was the
> leader of the Christian Protestant missionaries who had been sent to
> Hamadán to convert Jews and, if possible, Muslims to Christianity.
> That night a number of American Christians, Jews, Armenians and
> Bahá’ís (including Músá Amánat) were present. Representing the
> Bahá’ís were Háj Mihdí and Ishráq-Khávarí. Ishráq-Khávarí spoke
> first, giving an excellent talk. Suddenly, one of the Armenians
> present in the room protested, saying, ‘What are these verses and
> complicated matters you are presenting? We cannot understand
> their meanings and we do not believe in such verses.’ Ishráq-Khávarí
> decided to stop speaking and remain silent.
> Then Háj Mihdí proposed that if those gathered wanted to come
> to a conclusion, it would be better to appoint one spokesman and the
> Bahá’ís would do the same. The others should remain as an audience
> to witness the discussion. Everybody accepted this procedure. The
> Christians intro-
> 
> duced Dr Daniel Khán Irshádí. The Bahá’ís chose Háj Mihdí. From
> then on the debate centred on the content of the Bible. The Christian
> strongly argued that the words of the Gospels have no metaphorical
> meaning and that the prophecies should be fulfilled in a
> straightforward and literal manner. Háj Mihdí tried hard to
> convince them that the prophecies were allegorical and had inner
> meanings. Finally Háj Mihdí asked Dr Daniel Irshádí, ‘Do you have
> faith in Jesus Christ?’ Dr Daniel: ‘Yes, may my life be a sacrifice to
> Him.’ (It should be noted that Dr Daniel Irshádí was a true believer
> in Christ and he said this in all sincerity.) Háj Mihdí: ‘As you have
> such an unshakable belief in Christ, please consider Matthew 17:20
> which says, “verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of
> mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to
> yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible
> unto you.” Have you read this verse?’ Dr Daniel: ‘Yes, it is true.’
> And he started to recite this verse by heart. Háj Mihdí: ‘I am very
> happy that you have such a strong faith. I dispense with the
> mountain. Please say to this sugar bowl which is here on the table in
> front of me to be moved to the table near yourself.’ Obviously the
> sugar bowl did not move! There was a tumult in the room. Háj
> Mihdí: ‘You see that the apparent meaning of the words are not
> intended. They indicate inner and deeper meanings. Thus we realize
> that the prophecies in the Bible have inner spiritual meanings that
> are different from their apparent material connotations.’
> This discourse made the Bahá’ís extremely happy. They left the
> meeting in triumphant mood.
> Tribulations and Sufferings
> One day in 1891, when ‘Izzu’d-Dawlih12 was the governor of
> Hamadán, Háj Mihdí, accompanied by some of the
> 
> Bahá’ís, set out to climb to the summit of Mount Alvand as
> recreation. The Jewish clergy found it an opportunity to do some
> harm to the Bahá’ís. They petitioned the governor that the Bahá’ís
> were going to desecrate the summit of Alvand, which is a sacred and
> blessed spot for Muslims. The governor ordered the arrest of Háj
> Mihdí and his companions, had them punished and put in gaol for
> some days. Háj Mihdí had to pay a fine to be released.
> On another occasion in 1898, when A‘dudu’d-Dawlih13 was
> governor of Hamadán, the Jewish mullás slandered Háj Mihdí to an
> official who was the agent for minorities. They caused this agent to
> be so angered that he summoned Háj Mihdí to the government office
> and ordered that his head be shaved as punishment. For some time
> afterwards Háj Mihdí had to wear a long hat of lamb skin to protect
> his head from the cold weather of Hamadán and to conceal what had
> happened to him. Since the hat was too loose for his head, it covered
> his forehead and made him look rather funny. As a result the
> children in the street used to mock him.
> In 1907 (1283 AHS) the governor of Hamadán was Sálaru’s-
> Saltanih,14 son of Násiri’d-Dín Sháh. He had a close confidant,
> Sayyid Muhsin Mahallátí entitled Sadru’l-Ashráf, who was an ill-
> natured and very wicked man. Hájí Mírzá Mihdí Mujtahid, one of
> the leading mullás, colluded with this Sayyid to create problems for
> the Bahá’ís. Their plan was to accuse Bahá’ís of wanting to build a
> temple for themselves and then forcing the Bahá’ís to pay a
> considerable bribe to them to prevent the inevitable uproar. In order
> to achieve their end, they caused the arrest of four well-known
> Bahá’ís: Háj Mihdí Arjmand, Hájí Sulaymán the physician, Dá’í
> (Uncle) Rúbín and Hájí Músá Mubín. The governor dealt with the
> arrested Bahá’ís in a harsh manner and ordered that they remain
> gaol overnight and be expelled from the city the next morning.
> The relatives of those arrested sought to find out what had
> happened to their dear ones. Náyib Ismá’íl, one of the
> 
> servants of Sadru’l-Ashráf, informed them that the way to obtain the
> release of the arrested men was to meet with Sadru’l-Ashráf. They
> arranged for the arrested Bahá’ís to meet with Sadru’l-Ashráf the
> same night. He told them that the only solution was to submit a sum
> of one thousand túmáns to the governor as a gift. Then it would be
> possible to arrange their release. He also added that the other
> condition was to pay him a gift of 200 túmáns as his commission. In
> short he asked for 1200 túmáns.          The friends rejected this
> proposition on the ground that they had not committed any crime
> requiring such a fine, Sadru’l-Ashráf was angered by the attitude of
> the Bahá’ís and ordered the arrested men to be put into stocks and
> fetters and gaoled with murderers and highwaymen under appalling
> conditions.
> The Bahá’ís finally had to pay a fine of 250 humans to the
> governor for the release of the prisoners. On their release the
> prisoners sought asylum in the telegraph office and sent a telegraph
> to Muzaffaru’d-Dín Sháh, petitioning against the action of the
> governor. They remained there for 19 days. Eventually came the
> decree of the Shah requiring that the injustices done to the four
> Bahá’ís be compensated properly. The government returned the
> money to the Bahá’ís and let them go free.
> In 1908 (1287 AHS) the Bahá’ís in Hamadán established a
> Bahá’í school for children called Madrisih-yi Ta’yíd.15 For about two
> years the school was left in peace by the towns-people. Then in 1911
> (1389 AHS), the Jewish community felt that it needed to build a new
> public bath in addition to the one it already had. It had an annual
> income of 2,000 túmáns from its bath and butcher’s shop and paid
> 500 túmáns of this to the government, using the rest for its own
> school, the Alliance School.. The leaders of the Jewish community
> decided to invite the Bahá’ís to become partners in the new venture
> and to make a donation towards its cost. The Bahá’ís took this
> proposal to the Spiritual Assembly. The Assembly decided that
> Bahá’ís could only
> 
> participate in the project if the Jewish community allocated a certain
> amount of the income from the bath to the Ta’yíd School.
> On the appointed date, the Bahá’ís (including Háj Mihdí) and
> some of the leaders of the Jewish community gathered together at
> the Alliance School. Háj Mihdí was the spokesman for the Bahá’ís.
> As the Jewish leaders wanted the Bahá’ís to give financial support to
> their project but receive no share of the income for their own school,
> the meeting could not agree on the proposed arrangement. This
> provoked the Jews to increase their opposition to the Bahá’ís.
> During Muzaffaru’l-Mulk’s16 governorship of Hamadán, the
> Jews told the management of the Alliance School that the Bahá’ís
> were belittling the school, the principal and its teachers. As the
> result, two French ladies who were teaching there petitioned the
> governor. The governor ordered that the sign of the Ta’yíd school be
> removed and a new sign erected saying that owing to disrespectful
> acts against the Alliance school, the Ta’yíd school was closed for ten
> days. He then expelled Háj Mihdí and two other Bahá’ís from
> Hamadán and sent them to Tehran. After six months of efforts in
> Tehran, they convinced the central government to dismiss the
> governor of Hamadán and allow them to return to their homes.
> On another occasion, the Christians in Hamadán persuaded the
> manager of the telegraph office to commission a few people to go as
> telegraph office employees to the home of Háj Mihdí and beat him.
> Háj Mihdí was so injured that he had to remain in bed for ten days.
> Activities in Tehran
> In 1933 (1312 AHS) Háj Mihdí had to leave Hamadán owing to
> the increasing pressure on him from the clergy of all three main
> religions in the town, Muslims, Christians and Jews. He settled in
> Tehran for the rest of his life.
> 
> While Háj Mihdí was living in Tehran during these latter years
> of his life, he continued his teaching activities, conducting meetings
> to teach the Bahá’í Faith twice a week. These were organized in the
> Udlaján district of Tehran, where the majority of the Jewish
> community resided. Háj Mihdí, who was then an old man and very
> frail, would walk through the streets at night to the meeting place.
> The district was known for its very narrow lanes, full of turns and
> twists. It was very difficult to walk these lanes, particularly in winter
> when they were muddy and slippery and unlit at night. In spite of
> such difficulties, Háj Mihdí continued this practice for seven years, to
> the last days of his life.
> Following the advice in a Tablet from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá which
> encouraged him to do his utmost to bring the children of Israel into
> the fold of the Bahá’í community, Háj Mihdí managed to teach the
> Bahá’í Faith to a large number Jews in Hamadán, Shiraz,
> Kirmánsháhán, Kurdistan and Tehran, including most of his own
> relatives. Some of them became prominent Bahá’ís themselves, such
> as Áqá Mírzá Áqá Ján, a physician who was Háj Mihdí’s nephew.
> Áqá Mírzá Áqá Ján became a very active and successful teacher of the
> Bahá’í Faith and received three Tablets from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
> In his notes Músá Amánat has described an incident that took
> place in Tehran at the home of Mr ‘Azízu’lláh ‘Azízí. Mr ‘Azízí also
> recorded it in his memoirs.17 ‘Azízu’lláh ‘Azízí’s home was located in
> the Jewish district in Tehran. Once a very important fireside
> meeting was held there at which a number of prominent and learned
> Bahá’í teachers were present, including Hand of the Cause Adíb-i-
> Iláhí, Mírzá Khalíl Arjumand, Háj Áqá Muhammad ‘Aláqband-Yazdí
> (surnamed Fá’iz),18 Áqá Sayyid Hasan Háshimízádih (surnamed
> Mottavajih),19 Hand of the Cause Háj Mullá ‘Alí Akbar Shahmírzádí,
> Hand of the Cause Ibn-i-Asdaq, Jináb-i Rahím Mullá Bákháj, Hand
> of the Cause Ibn-i-Abhar and Háj Mihdí Arjmand. On the Jewish
> side were present such prominent persons as Mullá Rahím Múrih,
> 
> Mullá Ibráhím Rínú, Mullá Ya‘qúb Babá’í and his brother Ilí Sáfán,
> Mullá Il‘ázár Rahím and Mullá Dániyál (father of ‘Azíz’u’lláh ‘Azízí).
> The meeting was arranged to discourse with the rabbis and Jewish
> scholars.
> After some lengthy exchanges without any conclusion, Háj
> Mihdí proposed to continue the discussion under three conditions:
> first, that each side appoint a representative and the debate be left to
> those two; second, that whatever was said by each party be written
> down so there would be no doubt about it, while the transcript could
> be used in the future by other interested parties; and third, that after
> the end of the discourse, all the pages of the written records be
> signed and endorsed by the two representatives. This proposal was
> accepted by both sides. Mullá Rahím Bákháj was appointed as the
> recording secretary.
> Háj Mihdí then began to pose questions. For each answer given
> by the Jewish party he asked that the answer be written down and
> signed. Finally the Jewish party gave in and said, ‘Leave us alone.
> We will not bother you. Please do not bother us. We cannot leave
> our ancestral belief at this advanced age.’ The meeting continued
> until the next morning and resulted in ‘Azíz’u’lláh ‘Azízí becoming a
> Bahá’í and opening his house for Bahá’í meetings.
> Háj Mihdí Arjmand’s Family
> Háj Mihdí married Távús Khánum in Hamadán. In 1933 (1312
> AHS) he settled in Tehran, where he passed away on 25 November
> 1941 (4 Azar 1320 AHS) at the advanced age of 80. He was survived
> by three children: two daughters, Díná surnamed Badí‘ih Navídí,
> and Amih surnamed Lamí‘ih Saná’í (Ridvání), and one son,
> Habíbu’lláh Arjmand. Habíbu’lláh’s children—Húshang Arjmand,
> Parí Mahbúbiyán, Mahín Bannáyán, Mahbúbih Arjmand, Rawyá
> Mítháqí and Suhráb Arjmand—founded the Háj Mehdi Arjmand
> Memorial Fund for Bahá’í scriptural studies in 1992.
> 
> Works of Háj Mihdí Arjmand
> Háj Mihdí, although an ardent and highly talented scholar in
> religious studies and a prominent polemist and debater with
> exceptional skills, was neither keen nor at ease in writing. His well-
> known book The Rose Garden of Truth (Gulshan-i-Haqáyiq), which
> won a very special commendation from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, is an apologia
> for the Bahá’í Faith based on his answers and arguments to the
> questions raised in a series of debates with Dr Holmes, a missionary
> physician sent to Hamadán to provide medical services and teach
> Christianity. Háj Mihdí writes in the introduction to the book that
> since his answers received very wide publicity among the populace
> and were widely circulated, he decided to put them in writing to
> protect them from distortion, errors and falsifications.
> According to an account written by Hájí Yuhanná Khán
> Háfizu’s-Sihhih, surnamed Háfizí in 1897 (1315 AHL), Hájí Hakím
> Dáwud, brother of Hájí Hakím Hárún, who had just returned from a
> pilgrimage to the Holy Land, was invited by Dr Holmes to become a
> Christian. In response, Hájí Dáwud told him, ‘You are facing two
> pretenders or claimants, namely Islam and the Bahá’í Faith.’ Dr
> Holmes replied, ‘I have conversed with the Bahá’ís in Tabriz and
> have noticed that their claims do not agree with the content of the
> Bible; however I am ready to discuss the matter once again with
> them.’ Hájí Dáwud consulted some other Bahá’ís and they decided to
> arrange such a meeting with both Háj Mihdí and Hájí Sulaymán
> Ilyáhú (Nahávandí) in attendance. This meeting took place at Háj
> Mihdí’s home on a Saturday. Two students from the American
> school in Hamadán, Áqá Mírzá Músá and Áqá Mírzá Dániyál, acted
> as interpreters. The debate between the two sides took the form of
> quoting chapter and verses from the Bible. Dr Holmes became very
> interested in the depth of Háj Mihdí’s knowledge of the Bible and
> invited those present to gather at his home the following Saturday in
> order to continue the
> 
> debate. These weekly meetings on Saturdays, alternating between
> the homes of Háj Mihdí and Dr Holmes, continued for about a year
> and a half. Finally Dr Holmes, who found himself unable to present
> convincing answers to the points raised by Háj Mihdí, asked to be
> excused from continuing the debate. However Dr Holmes developed
> an understanding of and a favourable attitude towards the Bahá’í
> Faith. Later, Háj Mihdí, assisted by two other prominent Bahá’í
> teachers, Mírzá Mahmúd Zarqání20 and Shaykh Muhsin Dabír-
> Mu’ayyid Na‘ímí,21 transformed Háj Mihdí’s presentations in those
> debates into the book Gulshan-i-Haqáyiq.
> At the end of the book Háj Mihdí noted that he finished writing
> it in Hamadán in 1916 (1335 AHL), which is 20 years after the debates
> with Dr Holmes. Ishráq-Khávarí’s history of the Bahá’í Faith in
> Hamadán records that Mírzá Mahmúd Zarqání had been in
> Hamadán and had assisted Háj Mihdí in the preparation of this
> book. During the years of the Second World War, Háj Mihdí, who
> was then living in Tehran, benefited from the assistance of Ali
> Nakhjavani in the preparation of the manuscript for its first
> publication in Tehran in 1945. The Gulshan-i-Haqáyiq was printed
> for the second time in 1982 in the United States by Kalimát Press.
> In addition to the introduction and an epilogue, the book has 34
> chapters divided into four parts and is 302 pages long. The
> introduction is devoted to the background of the book. The epilogue
> is on the station of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. This chapter is in answer to Dr
> Holmes’s question on the claim of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and includes an
> explanation of the covenant in the Bahá’í Faith and the prophecies of
> the scriptures related to the station of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
> The first part of the book has five chapters. Chapter one is the
> account of the conversion of the author to the Bahá’í Faith. The
> other chapters are on the people’s blind imitation of their clergy, the
> religious leaders’ ignorance of the
> 
> true meaning of their own scripture, the necessity of the change of
> the previous religions’ secondary laws, ordinances and teachings by
> the new religion, and the seeming contradictions among the
> scriptures. The second part of the book presents proofs of the truth
> of Manifestations of God and their divine influence. The nine
> chapters of this part are devoted to explaining the nature, station and
> proofs of the Manifestations of God and to refuting false prophets.
> The third part of the book is on the station and claim of Bahá’u’lláh
> as well as relevant proofs and prophecies. The nine chapters of the
> fourth part are related to scriptural prophecies on the day of God and
> fulfilment of prophecies of the Torah regarding the coming of Christ
> and Muhammad.
> The work is actually a source book of prophecies and other
> relevant verses of the Bible and Qur’án on the proof of the divine
> messengers, their stations and their contribution to progressive
> revelation, it is full of quotations of verses from these scriptures. It
> should be added that, according to ‘Azízu’lláh Sulaymání, 22 Háj
> Mihdí’s personal interpretation of some verses of the Bible found in
> his book differs from the interpretation of the same verses provided
> in the Bahá’í scripture.
> When news of the composition of this book reached ‘Abdu’l-
> Bahá, He addressed a Tablet to Háj Mihdí saying, ‘Though this
> magnificent book has not yet reached here, but since that excellent
> book is the rose garden of truths and meanings and includes the
> prophecies of the divine messengers, its heavenly fragrance has
> already been smelled. This treatise is a confirmation and this book is
> an accomplishment materialized by the Glorious Lord.’ 23 The book’s
> title comes from this Tablet.
> Háj Mihdí, following the same general theme found in The Rose
> Garden of Truths, wrote a few other treatises that are as yet
> unpublished.   The following are the ones known to exist in
> manuscript form:24
> 
> 1.   Sharh-i-Bi‘that-i-Nabí: The public declaration of a prophet, and
> prophecies in the scriptures and their fulfilment in the
> manifestation of Bahá’u’lláh.
> 2.   Refutation of the claim of some of the Jewish scholars who
> considered Joshua son of Nun as the Promised One of the Torah
> with the same station of prophethood as Moses.
> 3.   An apologia interpreting the resurrection of the dead.
> 4.   An apologia on the return of the Israelites from the sea of Egypt
> during the second emancipation.
> Bibliography
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Eleven Tablets addressed to Háj Mihdí Arjmand and his
> relatives. Unpublished.
> Amanat, Músá. Khánivádih-yi Háj Mihdí Arjmand. A biography of Háj
> Mihdí Arjmand and his family including photocopies of a number of
> Tablets addressed to him as well as his family tree prepared by Dr
> Habíb’u’lláh Thábití. The text of a talk given at the first Majma‘-i-‘Irfán
> (‘Irfán Colloquium), Green Acre Bahá’í School, November 1994.
> Unpublished.
> Arjmand, Háj. Gulshan-i-Haqáyiq (Rose Garden of Truths). Los Angeles:
> Kalimát Press, 1982.
> ‘Azízí, ‘Azízu’lláh. Táj-i-Vahháj (Brilliant Crown). New Delhi: Mir’át
> Publications, 1994.
> Bahá’u’lláh. Two Tablets, one addressed to Háj Mihdí and the other to Áqá
> Shaykh Muhammad. Unpublished.
> Balyuzi, Hasan M. Eminent Bahá’ís in the Time of Bahá’u’lláh. Oxford:
> George Ronald, 1985.
> Bámdád, Mihdí. Sharh-i-Hál-i-Rijál-i-Írán, 3rd printing. 5 vols. Tehran:
> Zavvár, 1363/1985.
> Fádil-i-Mázandarání, Mírzá Asadu’lláh. Zuhúru’l-Haq, vol. 8, Tehran:
> Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1974; and vol. 6, unpublished manuscript.
> Háfizí, Hájí Yuhanná Khán. An unpublished manuscript of memoirs and
> historical notes, including stories about Háj Mihdí Arjmand in
> Hamadán.
> 
> Ishráq-Khávarí, ‘Abdu’l-Hamíd. Táríkh-i Hamadán. [Bahá’í] History of
> Hamadán. An unpublished manuscript in the form of annual recording
> of events.
> Rastigár, Nasr’u’lláh. Táríkh-i Hadrat-i Sadru’s-Sudúr. Biography of
> Sadru’s-Sudúr. Tehran: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1947.
> Sulaymání, ‘Azíz’u’lláh. Masábíh-i-Hidáyat (Lamps of Guidance), vol. 4.
> Tehran: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1968.
> 
> Notes
> 1.   The old-style one-room schools in Iran were called maktab. At
> these, all the students would sit on the floor in the one room.
> The students were accepted throughout the year and each one
> would start his individualized studies on his arrival. Each
> student at the completion of an assignment would ask the
> teacher to monitor his performance, and if acceptable, was given
> a new lesson to prepare. Thus each student moved forward
> according to his personal aptitude and motivation.
> 2.   Mírzá ‘Alí-Muhammad, known as Ibn-i-Asdaq, one of the four
> Hands of the Cause of God appointed by Bahá’u’lláh. See
> Balyuzi, Eminent Bahá’ís, pp. 171–6.
> 3.   Áqá Muhammad Báqir and Áqá Muhammad Javád were two
> brothers from Naráq and belonged to a well-to-do merchant
> family. Their home in Naráq was next to the residence of Hájí
> Kamálu’d-Dín Naráqí. Áqá Muhammad Javád had noticed
> certain comings and goings at his neighbour’s house that Hájí
> Kamálu’d-Dín tried to conceal. He began to investigate this
> situation. Thus he started to talk with Hájí Kamálu’d-Dín and
> finally became a Bahá’í. Then, without informing his father, he
> went to Hamadán where he learned that Bahá’u’lláh was in
> Baghdad. He was eager to proceed to Baghdad and receive the
> honour of visiting Bahá’u’lláh. He asked for money from his
> father and travelled to Baghdad, staying there for three years.
> Then he returned to Hamadán and settled. He taught the Faith
> to his brother, Áqá Muhammad Javád. The two brothers had a
> trading company in Hamadán and were active in teaching the
> Bahá’í Faith and serving the Bahá’í community.
> 4.   Arjmand, Gulshan-i-Haqáyiq, pp. 4–6.
> 
> 5.  A prominent Bahá’í scholar, teacher and writer who wrote many
> books on the Bahá’í Faith, some of which were published. For
> his autobiography see Yádigár, a compilation of the texts of the
> talks given by ‘Abdu’l-Hamid Ishráq Khávarí, edited by Mansúr
> Ruhániyán, 1st ed., no publisher or place of publication, 1989;
> 2nd ed. Persian Institute of Bahá’í Studies, Dundas, Ontario,
> Canada, 1994. See pp. 7–19.
> 6. A túmán is a unit of the money in Iran. At that time it was equal
> to several dollars.
> 7. Sulaymání, Masábíh-i-Hidáyat, vol. 4, p. 447.
> 8. In one of the many Tablets in honour of Sadru’s-Sudúr, ‘Abdu’l-
> Bahá says: ‘Indeed the most essential thing in this day is to
> instruct the friends in teaching the Cause.’
> 9. Sadru’s-Sudúr’s given name was Sayyid Ahmad. He was the son
> of an influential mullá known as Sadru’l-‘Ulamá (the leader of
> the clergy) and had acquired Islamic knowledge, studying under
> leading Shí’í religious scholars and leaders in Isfahan, Najaf and
> Karbala. One of his students, Nasru’lláh Rastigár, who himself
> became a famous Bahá’í teacher, is the author of the biography
> of Sadr and has related in his book some events in the life of Háj
> Mihdí which are summarized in the following paragraphs.
> 10. ‘And this [is] the blessing wherewith Moses the man of God
> blessed the children of Israel before his death. And he said, The
> Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he
> shined forth from mount Párán, and he came with ten
> thousands of saints, from his right hand [went] a fiery law for
> them.’
> 11. Fádil-i-Shírází was a prominent Bahá’í mystic, scholar and
> teacher. He is famous for his readiness to challenge the
> opponents with Mubáhilih (mutual imprecation).                (See
> Sulaymání, Masábih-Hidáyat, vol. I for a biography.)
> 12. ‘Abdu’s-Samad Mírzá entitled ‘Izzu’d-Dawlih was the third son
> of Muhammad Sháh Qájár and younger brother of Nâsiru’d-Dín
> Sháh. He was an educated person, fluent in French and English.
> He lived a long life and was appointed to many important
> positions during the reign of three successive kings. He was
> three times appointed governor of Hamadán. This incident
> occurred during the third period of his governorship in
> Hamadán in 1888–92.
> 
> For a biography and photograph refer to Mihdí Bámdád, Sharh-
> i- Hál-i- Rijál-i- Írán, vol. 2, pp. 268-70.
> 13. Sultán-Ahmad Mírzá entitled A‘dudu’d-Dawlih, 48th son of Fath-‘Alí
> Sháh, was appointed Governor of Hamadán in place of his brother,
> Jahásúz Mírzá, in 1894. See Bámdád, Sharh-i- Hál-i- Rijál-i- Írán, vol.
> 5, p. 55.
> 14. Nusratu’d-Dín Mírzá, fourth son of Násiru’d-Dín Sháh, entitled
> Sáláru’s-Saltanih, was appointed governor of Hamadán at the age of 22.
> See Bámdád, Sharh-i- Hál-i- Rijál-i- Írán, vol. 5, pp. 315-17 for his
> biography and photographs.
> 15. Ta’yíd means ‘confirmation’.
> 16. Háj Mírzá Muhsin Khán entitled Muzaffaru’l-Mulk. His sister was one
> of the wives of Zillu’s-Sultán, son of Násiru’d-Dín Sháh, thus he was
> appointed by his brother-in-law as Deputy Governor in some of the
> provinces under the general governorship of Zillu’s-Sultán. See
> Bámdád, Sharh-i- Hál-i- Rijál-i- Írán, vol. 3, pp. 212–14.
> 17. ‘Azízí, Táj-i-Vahháj, pp. 139–51.
> 18. Háj Muhammad ‘Aláqband-i Yazdí surnamed Fá’iz, a well-known
> Bahá’í teacher and author of two manuscripts, Madfanu’sh-Shuhadá
> (the burial places of the Martyrs) and Madfanu’l-Ahibbá (the burial
> places of the Friends—i.e. the Bahá’ís).
> 19. Sayyid Hasan Háshimízádih, one of the students of Sadru’s-Sudúr, was
> a well-known Islamic scholar and Bahá’í travelling teacher. As a Bahá’í
> youth, he initiated an activity for character development in Bahá’í
> children that later developed into a system used throughout Iran for the
> Bahá’í education for children. This initiative received the high
> commendation and encouragement of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
> 20. Mírzá Mahmud Zarqání, a prominent Bahá’í teacher and writer, was
> one of the members of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s retinue during His tour of the
> West, acting as His secretary and diarist. He also acted as secretary to
> Shoghi Effendi during the early years of the Guardianship.
> 21. Muhsin Dabír-i-Mu’ayyad was a Bahá’í teacher and scholar in Islamic
> studies and the son-in-law of Mírzá Na‘ím, a famous Bahá’í poet and
> teacher during the ministry of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
> 
> 22. ‘Azíz’u’lláh Sulaymání was a Bahá’í scholar, teacher and author. His
> masterpiece is Masábíh-i-Hidáyat (Lamps of Guidance), a nine-
> volume biographical account of 95 prominent teachers of the Bahá’í
> Faith in Iran. It was published by the Bahá’í Publishing Trust in Iran.
> 23. This is an approximate English rendering of the original text.
> 24. From the text of Músá Amánat’s talk at the first Majma’-i-Irfán
> (Irfán Colloquium) at Green Acre Bahá’í School, November 1994.
>
> — *Haj Mihdi Arjmand (Used by permission of the curator)*