# A Week with the Babis

*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: Charles H. Stileman, A Week with the Babis, bahai-library.com.
> ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
> 
> A Week with the Babis
> 
> Charles H. Stileman
> 
> published in The Church Missionary IntelligencerXLIV:543 and XVII:211, pp. 512-517
> 
> London: Church Missionary Society, 1893-07
> 
> 1. Text
> 
> [page 512]
> 
> "He declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles
> And when they heard it they glorified the Lord" - Acts xxi. 19,20.
> 
> [Although the interesting and bitterly persecuted Babi sect in Persia has
> often been mentioned in Dr. Bruce's letters, this journal will surprise most
> readers. The knowledge of Christ possessed by this people is indeed remarkable.
> Here is an inviting field for the Christian missionary! It will be observed
> that the particular sect visited by Mr. Stileman is called Behai, apparently a
> branch of the Babis, who believe that Christ came the second time fifty years
> ago in the person of their founder Beha.- ED.]
> 
> WEDNESDAY, April 12th, 1893.
> 
> Arrived at Najifabad. this evening, about half an hour after sunset; proceeded
> at once to the large caravanserai, where I joined Johannes Manook, the young
> Armenian dispenser from the Medical Mission at Julfa, who came here three weeks
> ago to do a little medical work amongst the people. He has set up a small
> dispensary in the caravanserai, and some thirty patients come to him daily, to
> whom he is able to speak and read the Gospel.
> 
> Soon after I arrived, one Persian came in to see me, and, after the usual
> compliments had passed between us, he asked me if I had ever been to Yezd. I
> answered, "No; but I should like to go there." He said, "For what purpose?" and
> I replied, "To take the message of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ to
> the people there." In the course of further conversation he quite admitted that
> all who have found salvation are in duty bound to pass on the glad tidings to
> others; and I had a nice talk with him as to what salvation really is. It
> became evident at once that this man was not, strictly speaking, a Mohammedan,
> but a Babi, or rather a Behai, of which sect there are hundreds of adherents in
> Najifabad, and most of them, if not all, believe that Jesus Christ came again
> in the person of Beha, some fifty years ago.
> 
> I did not have any other visitors this evening, and, being very tired after
> dinner, was glad to have prayers and go to bed early.
> 
> [page 513]
> 
> Thursday, July 13th, 1893.
> 
> Began the day with reading and prayer in the dispensary, with the patients,
> who listened attentively and reverently whilst Johannes conducted prayers
> before proceeding to attend to their bodily necessities. I have a little room
> in the caravanserai, close to the dispensary, so that it is very easy for any
> of the people to drop in and see me, and to-day I have had a succession of
> visitors, both Mohammedans and Behais, all day long for conversation and
> Bible-reading. Amongst others, the man with whom I had a little talk about
> salvation yesterday evening.
> 
> The Behais assured me that, without doubt, Christ returned to this earth
> fifty-two years ago, but I found it very easy to point out to them from the
> Word of God how utterly they are mistaken in this matter; for we have such
> numerous signs given and distinct statements as to the Second Advent, every one
> of which has been falsified if we say that He came again fifty-two years ago
> and again died! After reading to them five or six passages about our Lord's
> coming, proving that He will come in glory as Judge and King, with the
> saints and angels, &c., &c., I generally find that they are completely
> silenced by the Word of God; then they go and read, and discuss the subject
> again with their friends, to try and find some new argument, after which they
> return to me for further information. Many of them read the Gospels (which they
> accept as a true revelation), and I trust our conversations will gradually lead
> them on to study them more, and thus find salvation through the only Mediator
> and Saviour.
> 
> Most of these people have something of mysticism and pantheism in their views.
> They argue against Creation and Resurrection, and have no adequate conception
> of the nature of sin. Some of them denied that Christ actually, in a material
> sense, rose from the dead, or ascended in a bodily form into heaven; and they
> explain His miracles of healing by saying that He did not really give sight to
> the blink or cleanse the lepers, but only in a spiritual sense, as He now gives
> cleansing from sin and sight to the spiritually blind. It is, however, of the
> greatest importance that they accept the Scriptures as the undoubted Word of
> God, and consequently, by reading with them, it is possible to point out to
> them the errors into which they have fallen.
> 
> Thirty-two patients came to the dispensary to-day, and, whilst I was busy in my
> little room reading and conversing with those who came to me, Johannes was
> frequently occupied in the same way with others, teaching them the truth as it
> is in Jesus.
> 
> Friday, 14th.
> 
> At prayers this morning I noticed, amongst others, a Persian official who was
> listening most attentively. He paid me a visit in my little room afterwards,
> and, thinking that I was not very comfortable in the caravanserai, with its
> publicity, noise, and dirt, he most cordially invited me to come and stay at
> his house, promising to give me a nice room to myself, and pressing me to have
> my things moved at once and come to take possession of it. I pointed out to him
> that I wished to be near the dispensary, and also that in the caravanserai all
> classes of the people had free access to my room, which could not so well be
> the case in a private house, for the Mohammedans and the followers of Beha do
> not freely visit each other's houses, whereas both parties are able to come to
> my present quarters. I of course thanked him most warmly for his kind
> consideration, and, after a nice conversation, presented him with a copy of the
> entire Persian Bible. Before leaving, he made me promise to come to his house
> in the afternoon for tea, told me that he was "nearly a Christian," and wished
> to know more about our religion. Later on in the day he sent to ask for a
> second Bible, as he has several children, and was anxious to have one for
> himself and one for his children; but I did not give a second copy for the same
> house, as we have not many complete Bibles with us.
> 
> At the appointed hour Johannes and I went to his house for tea, and were
> pleased to found that, after the example of Cornelius (Acts x. 24), this
> official had called together some of his "kinsmen and near friends," all of
> whom were ready to hear the Word of God. One of his sons, a bright, intelligent
> lad of twelve, was anxious to read to the company a chapter from the new Bible
> which I had given to his father in the morning. Afterwards I gave them a little
> Bible-reading, and we spent two hours or more very pleasantly and, I trust,
> profitably, chiefly considering the question of our Lord's Second Coming.
> 
> Saturday, 15th
> 
> This morning again
> 
> [page 514]
> 
> I had visitors in my room, both Mohammedans and
> Behais, with whom I had interesting conversations and reading; twenty-six
> patients came to the dispensary. In the afternoon a friendly bachelor undertook
> to show me all the best gardens, or rather orchards, of Najifabad, well stocked
> with apricots, almonds, peaches, plums, pomegranates, walnuts, &c. In
> passing from one garden to another it was necessary to creep through a small
> hole in the wall on hoods and knees, and, this naturally gave an opportunity of
> speaking to the guide about the "strait gate" and the "narrow way." He was also
> a follower of Beha, and listened with the greatest respect and attention to all
> that I said about our Lord Jesus Christ.
> 
> These dear people all listen to the Gospel with the greatest readiness, and
> admit that they know no other way of salvation; but, on the other hand, they
> seem to have absolutely no sense of sin, and consequently do not understand the
> necessity of earnestly seeking the Saviour. Oh, that they may learn truly to
> know Him whom to know is life eternal, that thus they may become a blessing to
> the Mohammedans all around them!
> 
> In the evening we went to dine with one of the Behais, who also invited, two or
> three of his friends to meet us, and there, for fully two hours, we were able,
> with open Bibles, to give them our message of life. Some of them are,
> apparently, very ignorant of the truths of the Gospel, but all are willing to
> listen, and all are agreed that the Christian Scriptures contain a real message
> from God to their souls.
> 
> Sunday, 16th.
> 
> We had a little Persian service this morning, and seven or eight
> Mohammedans and Behais came in, or sat at the door, and listened most
> attentively to my sermon, which took rather the form of a Bible-reading. Four
> or Five of them remained for conversation afterwards. Later on in the morning a
> Mohammedan with a large white turban seated himself at the door, saying, as
> they very often do, in a purely mechanical way, "La ilaha illa Allah" (i.e.
> "There is no god but God"), so I at once responded by quoting the passages,
> "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord," "There is one God, and one
> Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom
> for all," and told him that we most firmly hold to the doctrine of the Unity of
> God. He seemed much surprised, both at my noticing his ejaculation and also at
> my agreeing to the truth of it, and I had an interesting talk with him, but,
> unfortunately, he was not able to read.
> 
> There are no Jews living in Najifabad, but during the afternoon I noticed a big
> boy standing at the door, and in response to my inquiry if he knew the way of
> salvation, he replied, without hesitation, "Through Messiah." I found that he
> was a Jewish lad who had come into the caravanserai for an hour or so on his
> way through the place to trade in some of the neighbouring villages, so I
> invited him into my room, read some passages to him from the Prophet Isaiah,
> and preached. Christ to him. He admitted that the Prophets foretold the
> sufferings and death of Messiah, and told me that he had, seen me before, and
> heard me explain the same truths, on one or more Saturday afternoons, in the
> Jewish quarter of Ispahan; but then he brought forward the argument which they
> often use now, viz. that there must be two Messiahs - Messiah Ben Joseph and
> Messiah Ben David - and, though willing to admit that our Lord was the
> suffering Messiah, they still deny that He was the true Messiah, the Son of
> David, who is yet to come. Surely it is an important point gained when the Jews
> admit that our Lord Jesus Christ was the suffering Messiah, for a further study
> of the Scriptures must convince them, it they really seek for the truth, that
> Messiah is not two, but One.
> 
> This Jewish lad was presently called away, but I was very thankful for the
> opportunity of delivering my message to one of the lost sheep of the House of
> Israel, as well as to the followers of Mohammed and Beha.
> 
> In the evening I had a short walk, and a young Persian, who was very much
> struck by the shape and appearance of my double-terai hat, came up and asked me
> what it was made of! After a few general remarks, I asked him if he knew the
> way of salvation, and he promptly replied "Ali," but he had no notion as to the
> way in which Ali (the son-in-law and kinsman of Mohammed) was to save him, and
> I took the opportunity of pointing him to "the Lamb of God who taketh away the
> sin of the world."
> 
> Monday, 17th.
> 
> As usual I had a
> 
> [page 516]
> 
> good many visitors, both morning and afternoon, and
> it is encouraging to see many of the same faces again and again, apparently
> eager to hear more and more about "the Way, the Truth, and the Life."
> 
> One Mohammedan came in and asked me for a copy of St. John's Gospel, which I
> gladly gave him; some hours afterwards he returned and said, "It is good, very
> good, but I want more, let me have the whole New 'Testament." I gave it to him,
> but he was afraid to take it away by daylight and preferred to leave it with me
> till dark.
> 
> Twenty-seven people came to Johannes in the dispensary to-day, for medicine,
> &c., and some of those who dropped in to see me remained two hours.
> 
> Tuesday, 18th.
> 
> There were about ten Persians present for prayers in the
> dispensary this morning, Johannes read 1 Cor. xiii. and gave them a little
> address on "Love;" and after prayers I had a nice talk with them about the Love
> of God in Christ. The Mohammedan who read St. John's Gospel yesterday, came to
> see me again this morning, but he was afraid to stay more than a few minutes,
> as he had been seen reading the Gospel in his shop yesterday, was abused for
> reading bad books by other Mohammedans, and was advised by them to have nothing
> more to do with me.
> 
> One man who came this afternoon, stayed two hours listening to Dr. Pfander's
> well-known book, Mizan al Hakk (or "Balance of Truth"). At the close of the
> reading he placed the book on his head, in token of respect and obedience, and
> took it away with him, evidently with great satisfaction.
> 
> Wednesday, 19th.
> 
> My last day in Najifabad, and I arranged for an interview
> with the leading man amongst the Behais, who was away when I came last week,
> but has now returned. Before going out to see him, I had visitors in my little
> room, and they were much interested in another of Dr. Pfander's books, viz.,
> the Tareek ul Hyal (or "The Way of Life"), which we read together for some
> time, and discussed various points connected with the reading. I gave away a
> few copies of Pfander's books to those who were anxious to read them, as they
> are exceedingly useful in leading inquirers to the Truth
> 
> In the afternoon Johannes and I went to the appointed house to meet the chief
> exponent of Behai principles, and had a most interesting time with him, and a
> room full at his co-religionists. We had, of course, taken the Word of God with
> us, and for three hours and a half we studied it together, and pointed out
> passage after passage bearing upon their particular views, and especially
> combating the position that our Lord's Second Advent took place fifty-two years
> ago. They were all most friendly, and it was evident that many of them were
> much struck by the accumulation of proofs from God's Word that Christ has not
> yet come again as He promised: even their leader admitted that perhaps Christ
> will after all come again in glory, but then he added, "See how few Mohammedans
> you Christians have as yet won for Christ! Now, there are thousands upon
> thousands of us who have been brought away from Islam by one man; all of us
> were previously just as much bigoted Moslems as any in the country, like them
> we blasphemed and denied that the Gospel is the Word. of God, but now by the
> instrumentality of one man we have been brought to acknowledge the Truth, and
> to acknowledge the Gospel as without doubt a true revelation from God. Is not
> that a sufficient proof that the one man who has accomplished this in fifty
> years must be Christ Himself, who has returned as He promised?"
> 
> I answered that we were most thankful for any means by which they had been
> brought to read and. believe the Gospel, and I desired to say nothing against
> the man who had accomplished this really wonderful work, on the contrary I
> thanked God for it, and trusted that it would help to prepare the way for
> Christ's Coming by raising up witnesses for Him in the country; but of course I
> added that this argument did not in the least affect the statement in God's
> Word as to His Second Coming, which most certainly had not been fulfilled up to
> the present time. We had a little further conversation as to the necessity of
> baptism and public confession of Christ for those who believe on Him, and I was
> assured again and again that they know no other way of salvation but the death
> of Christ for their offences, and His rising again for their justification.
> 
> Johannes (the dispenser) was, as
> 
> [page 517]
> 
> usual, a great help to me daring
> these three and a half hours' conversation, in supporting my arguments,
> returning very good answers to some of their objections, and calling attention
> to passages of Scripture which met many of their views.
> 
> One thing which especially draws out one's sympathy for these poor people is
> the terrible sufferings which they have undergone for what they believe to be
> the Truth. Many hundreds of them have been pat to death in different parts of
> Persia; here in Najifabad itself seven have suffered martyrdom, many others
> have been killed in the villages round, and they are always being more or less
> persecuted on account of heir religion. The man who sat immediately opposite me
> during the conversation just mentioned, had been imprisoned for six months,
> beaten, and then mutilated by having part of his ears cut off. The man who sat
> on my left hand told me that his own father was murdered for being a Behai. But
> one and all declare that they will die rather than renounce their faith, and
> though very many have been killed, I have not yet heard of one who has abjured
> his faith, This makes one long still more that these dear people should become
> true followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, as "the fear of man" which "bringeth a
> snare" is certainly one of the greatest difficulties over which we have to
> contend, and we specially need in Persia a little band of converts who are
> prepared, if necessary, to lay down their lives for the Master and Saviour who
> laid. down His life for them.
> 
> Thursday, 20th.
> 
> This morning I saw a good many of my friends of the past week who came to say
> good-bye to me, and in the afternoon I rode back some twenty miles to Julfa.
> 
> After being for eighteen months in an Armenian village, it has been a great
> pleasure to spend a week really amongst the Persians, to hear nothing but the
> Persian language, and to see something of Persian customs. One was constantly
> reminded of such passages of Scripture as Matt. xxvi. 23, "He that dippeth his
> hand with me in the dish...," as of course such a thing happens at every meal,
> and it was interesting to observe at the end of supper that the host rises and
> brings water, and himself washes the hands of all his guests, by pouring water
> over them, bringing to one's remembrance St. John xiii. 4, 5, where our lord in
> His humility washes the disciples' feet.
> 
> I left Najifabad with feelings of very great thankfulness that I had been
> permitted to meet with so many who are apparently seekers after God, but I also
> came away with other thoughts and feelings of sorrow and even shame that the
> Church of Christ (and the C.M.S., which represents that Church in this part of
> the world should be so backward in entering doors which God Himself has opened
> for the extension of Christ's Kingdom. Less than a year ago (May, 1892) Dr.
> Bruce wrote, "There are glorious openings just now in Persia for Mission work,"
> but in spite of constant appeals for more workers, we are still terribly
> undermanned. We are indeed thankful that the Rev. W. St. Clair Tisdall has come
> to Persia, but it must be remembered that his coming is not a reinforcement, as
> he came to take Dr. Bruce's place, and since the Rev. H. Carless has been
> temporarily transferred to Baghdad, our numbers are less than before, and we
> are now only two men for the whole of this immense district, so that we are
> only really able to occupy oar one centre, and must leave the rest of the
> country practically untouched. What I have written above of my experiences of
> Najifabad shows, I think, how much may be done in the way of removing
> prejudices, and gaining the friendship of the people by a young Armenian with
> some knowledge of medicine; but unfortunately we have no other young man with
> this knowledge to send forth for similar words in other places, and we have no
> young men acquiring this knowledge, for the simple reason that for the last
> three years we have had no medical missionary, either to work himself or to
> train others.
> 
> May the great Lord at the Harvest, who has opened so many doors for the
> entrance of His children, speak to many hearts at home, and may they hear His
> voice, saying, "Son, go work to-day in My vineyard," that, coming forth in the
> power of the Holy Spirit, they may bring home many sheaves for the Master's
> glory in this ancient land of Persia!
> 
> 2. Image scans (click image for full-size version)
> 
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> Views9609 views since posted 2002-10-06; last edit 2025-07-06 17:23 UTC;
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> Scanned 2001 by Dan Povey; Formatted 2012-01-01 by Jonah Winters; Proofread 2012-01-01 by Jonah Winters.
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> — *A Week with the Babis (Used by permission of the curator)*