Table of Contents
inventor in religion” and to his having “devised a false sect.” Almost all the accusations have to do with his denial of the authority of the ‘ulamá and his unorthodox legal rulings. It seems, the ‘ulamá of Zanjan did not yet understand the implications of the Bab’s claims, nor at this stage did they distinguish between Hujjat’s new Bábí versus his previous Akhbárí 7_ACT14 heterodoxies8_ACT14. This will change in time.
Hujjat’s approach to Islám is different from the mainstream
Once Hujjat got to Tihrán, he met with a large gathering of ‘ulamá in front of the Sháh and the Grand Vazír. Hujjat was so eloquent and masterful in answering the questions of the gathered ‘ulamá that the Sháh commended him and freed him to go back to Zanján and continue as before.
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Hujjat returns to Zanján and receives a Tablet from the Báb
Hujjat made a triumphant return back to Zanján. One historian records:
The inhabitants of Zanján came in crowds to meet him and offered sacrifices of oxen, chickens and sheep. Twelve children, each twelve years of age, with red kerchiefs about their necks to show their readiness to sacrifice their all, were in the centre of the cortège. It proved a triumphal entry.10_ACT14
The adulation of the followers of Hujjat upon his return infuriated the ‘ulamá of Zanján. Hujjat just picked up his teaching of his followers where he had left off before being summoned to the capital. What also upset the ‘ulamá of Zanján was that they could see how Hujjat’s teaching was transforming his followers. One record states: “He [Hujjat] transformed his disciples into models of virtue and temperance.”
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