Close to 60 years ago, around the year of 1272 A.H. (1890 A.D.), a man known as Haji Eliahu returned from the Holy Land and was secretly socializing with the Jews, in order to teach the Cause of God. Orthodox Jews, aware of his activities, would call him names in public and would insult this man of God in the streets and marketplace. Children, encouraged by their parents, would throw stones at him. This opposition was especially strong from my father, Rabbi Daniel, who was one of the most prejudiced and influential of the Jewish spiritual leaders. The matter came to a head one day when a group of men felt agitated by his wisdom and reason. As is the way of ill-intentioned men, they caught him by surprise in one of the alleys of the ghetto and beat him relentlessly probably with the intention to kill him. A goodhearted man was passing by and immediately reported the incident to Mirza Aqa Jan Gilavani (later known as Majzub) who was related to my father. He was told that one of his relatives was being beaten to death. Mirza' Aqa Jan Gilavani Majzub, went straightaway to save him and delivered him from their hands. He took him to the house he rented (which was owned by Mirza Aqa Jan Bolbol), where he provided a bed for him in one room and began to attend to him to help him recover.
Mirza Aqa Jan Bolbol, before accepting the Faith, was a wine seller. This job was customary at that time and involved making wine at home. As he came home in order to pick-up and deliver some wine for his customers, he learned that Haji Eliahu had been brought to his home. He became extremely upset. (Mirza Aqa Jan Bolbol told me repeatedly). Mirza Aqa Jan Bolbol, flew into a rage and exclaimed, "I have just heard that Haji Eliahu--who has turned against his own religion and become an atheist--has been brought to my house?" The homeowner later said, "My knees suddenly weakened and somewhat paralysed. I grew pale and felt so ill, that I could not keep my balance. So, I sat down on the porch stairs in the yard outside, and as I began to regain my senses, I shouted out, "How dare you bring this infidel and apostate into my house?" In the end, I was reduced to tears of frustration and under my breath I was muttering that my entire wine supply was turned impure. Then I turned to Mirza Aqa Jan Gilavani (Majzub) and threw insults and screams at him."
Anyway, this disturbance continued well into the day until Mirza Aqa Jan Bolbol calmed down. Mirza Aqa Jan Gilavani went to him and apologized, and in the end, convinced the homeowner to visit Haji Eliahu to hear what kind of nonsense he was saying. Haji's words were so unimportant to them both, that they considered whatever he would have to say as having no value. So at the insistence of Mirza Aqa Jan Gilavani, Mirza Aqa Jan Bolbol reluctantly went with him to visit Haji Eliahu.
To their surprise, they found the Haji talking in a calm and kind manner, in spite of the abuse, insults and physical beating he had just suffered. The Haji had also been quite aware of the yelling and cursing of the landlord. The Haji’s remarks were full of truth and sincerity; he would mention nothing apart from faith and God. Whatever the Haji would say, he would back up with verses of the Torah, directing all his remarks to the landlord and his tenant. Both calmed down and were drawn to the Haji' s kindliness and sweetness of speech.
The next and following days, they went to see him again and again, till they became intoxicated and entranced by his discourses and solid proofs. This continued until one day they referred these matters to a person more knowledgeable than they: Mirza Ibrahim Khayat (father of Mr. Khojasteh, who had a pharmacy on Nasir Khusraw Avenue). They told him the whole story and sought his advice. Mirza Ibrahim Khayat, responded with sarcasm, but as he found them nevertheless persistent, he started to verbally attack and insult these two. But their insistence paid off, Bolbol and Majzub managed to drag him along to see Haji Eliahu. In the presence of the Haji, Mirza Ibrahim became also drawn to him. Haji Eliahu succeeded in making known to them the love of Jesus, by means of his tenderness and love. Through his teaching, they came to know that Jesus was from God. When later, they became believers in the (Baha'i) Faith through Jinab-i-Haji-Mulla 'Ali Akbar Shahmirzadi, who was a Hand of the Cause of God in the time of Baha'u'llah, they went on to accept Muhammad as the messenger of God and thereafter the Bab and Baha’u’llah. At last these four men began to teach the Faith in the Jewish ghetto: Haji Eliahu was, as it were, the standard bearer, with Mirza Ibrahim Khayat (also a tailor) the torch bearer, Mirza Aqa Jan Bolbol the minstrel of the four, and Mirza Aqa Jan Majzub was the one who would render service to the group as a whole. On many occasions, I would hear Mirza Aqa Jan Bolbol say, with a wistful and emotion-laden voice: "From that moment on, I abandoned wine selling and besought God to forgive my sins."
This group of four knew well that they would meet with no success among the very prejudiced elders there, so they approached the youth, and started to speak to them. They invited them to come and see Mirza Aqa Jan Majzub, acquainting them with the Faith and cultivating a seed of love for it in their hearts.
As a consequence, these activities provoked complaints and eventually continued residence in the ghetto became impossible for them. So Mirza Aqa Jan Majzub left the ghetto and moved to the vicinity of the Qazvin Gate district of Tehran. Thus, the very house that for some time was the hiding place for Jinab-i-Mirza Mahmud Furughi, in fact became a proof of the verse of the Torah:
"Those who were as wolves held lambs in loving embrace, and would protect them with heart and soul from the onslaught of enemies."
(A verse from the Torah.)
Mirza Aqa Jan Bolbol, before accepting the Faith, was a wine seller. This job was customary at that time and involved making wine at home. As he came home in order to pick-up and deliver some wine for his customers, he learned that Haji Eliahu had been brought to his home. He became extremely upset. (Mirza Aqa Jan Bolbol told me repeatedly). Mirza Aqa Jan Bolbol, flew into a rage and exclaimed, "I have just heard that Haji Eliahu--who has turned against his own religion and become an atheist--has been brought to my house?" The homeowner later said, "My knees suddenly weakened and somewhat paralysed. I grew pale and felt so ill, that I could not keep my balance. So, I sat down on the porch stairs in the yard outside, and as I began to regain my senses, I shouted out, "How dare you bring this infidel and apostate into my house?" In the end, I was reduced to tears of frustration and under my breath I was muttering that my entire wine supply was turned impure. Then I turned to Mirza Aqa Jan Gilavani (Majzub) and threw insults and screams at him."
Anyway, this disturbance continued well into the day until Mirza Aqa Jan Bolbol calmed down. Mirza Aqa Jan Gilavani went to him and apologized, and in the end, convinced the homeowner to visit Haji Eliahu to hear what kind of nonsense he was saying. Haji's words were so unimportant to them both, that they considered whatever he would have to say as having no value. So at the insistence of Mirza Aqa Jan Gilavani, Mirza Aqa Jan Bolbol reluctantly went with him to visit Haji Eliahu.
To their surprise, they found the Haji talking in a calm and kind manner, in spite of the abuse, insults and physical beating he had just suffered. The Haji had also been quite aware of the yelling and cursing of the landlord. The Haji’s remarks were full of truth and sincerity; he would mention nothing apart from faith and God. Whatever the Haji would say, he would back up with verses of the Torah, directing all his remarks to the landlord and his tenant. Both calmed down and were drawn to the Haji' s kindliness and sweetness of speech.
The next and following days, they went to see him again and again, till they became intoxicated and entranced by his discourses and solid proofs. This continued until one day they referred these matters to a person more knowledgeable than they: Mirza Ibrahim Khayat (father of Mr. Khojasteh, who had a pharmacy on Nasir Khusraw Avenue). They told him the whole story and sought his advice. Mirza Ibrahim Khayat, responded with sarcasm, but as he found them nevertheless persistent, he started to verbally attack and insult these two. But their insistence paid off, Bolbol and Majzub managed to drag him along to see Haji Eliahu. In the presence of the Haji, Mirza Ibrahim became also drawn to him. Haji Eliahu succeeded in making known to them the love of Jesus, by means of his tenderness and love. Through his teaching, they came to know that Jesus was from God. When later, they became believers in the (Baha'i) Faith through Jinab-i-Haji-Mulla 'Ali Akbar Shahmirzadi, who was a Hand of the Cause of God in the time of Baha'u'llah, they went on to accept Muhammad as the messenger of God and thereafter the Bab and Baha’u’llah. At last these four men began to teach the Faith in the Jewish ghetto: Haji Eliahu was, as it were, the standard bearer, with Mirza Ibrahim Khayat (also a tailor) the torch bearer, Mirza Aqa Jan Bolbol the minstrel of the four, and Mirza Aqa Jan Majzub was the one who would render service to the group as a whole. On many occasions, I would hear Mirza Aqa Jan Bolbol say, with a wistful and emotion-laden voice: "From that moment on, I abandoned wine selling and besought God to forgive my sins."
This group of four knew well that they would meet with no success among the very prejudiced elders there, so they approached the youth, and started to speak to them. They invited them to come and see Mirza Aqa Jan Majzub, acquainting them with the Faith and cultivating a seed of love for it in their hearts.
As a consequence, these activities provoked complaints and eventually continued residence in the ghetto became impossible for them. So Mirza Aqa Jan Majzub left the ghetto and moved to the vicinity of the Qazvin Gate district of Tehran. Thus, the very house that for some time was the hiding place for Jinab-i-Mirza Mahmud Furughi, in fact became a proof of the verse of the Torah:
"Those who were as wolves held lambs in loving embrace, and would protect them with heart and soul from the onslaught of enemies."
(A verse from the Torah.)
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