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Mahallátí to present to the chief mujtahid 54ACT6 of Hamadán her own writings in defence of the Bábí Cause. Mahallátí was attacked and severely beaten.55ACT6
It was while she was in Hamadán, that Táhirih received word from her father in nearby Qazvín, that she should come to visit her family. Although reluctant, Táhirih eventually conceded to her father’s request. She sent away most of her entourage who had been accompanying her. The Arab Bábí’s returned to Iráq. Only two close fellow believers [the Arab Shaykh Sálih and the Persian Mullá Ibráhím-i-Gulpáyigání ] and two close relatives, her brother-in-law [the Letter of the Living, Mírzá Muhammad-’Alíy-i-Qazvíní ] and her son-in-law [Siyyid ‘Abdu’l-Hádí ] went with her to Qazvín. 56ACT6 These four had travelled with Táhirih all the way from Karbalá’. Three of these four will eventually, like Táhirih herself, be martyred. 57ACT6
“Neither in this world or the next can I ever be associated with you”
Both Táhirih’s father and his brother were considered to be leading Shí’a mujtahids of not just Qazvín, but of the land. However, the two brothers were very different in character. Táhirih’s father [Mullá Salih-i- Baraqání ] was a peace-loving and fair-minded person, while his brother [Mullá Taqí-i-Baraqání ] was quite the opposite. When she was fourteen, Táhirih had been married to this uncle Mullá Taqí’s son, Mullá Muhammad [i.e. her cousin]. Mullá Muhammad had sadly taken after his father and was very close-minded and highly antagonistic even to Shaykhí teachings let alone the Báb. Nabíl describes Táhirih’s husband as “haughty and false-hearted”.58ACT6 Táhirih and her husband had originally gone to Karbalá’ shortly after their marriage in 1828, where they stayed for about thirteen years [DB 1-2, Section 4]. They returned to Qazvín in 1841, but by the end of 1843, when Táhirih went to Karbalá’ to visit Siyyid Kázim, the couple was estranged. Táhirih had therefore remained in Karbalá’ and not returned.
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