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The Bábí community in Zanján continues to grow
As their numbers increased, the Bábís in Zanján became bolder. Simultaneously, fueled by the prejudice and hate preaching of the ‘ulamá, the tensions between the Bábís and the Muslims increased. It all came to a head in what was a minor altercation, which Nabíl recounts as follows:
That smouldering hostility was soon to be fanned into flame by an incident that was of little importance in itself. The occasion was afforded when a quarrel suddenly broke out between two children of Zanján, one of whom belonged to a kinsman of one of the companions of Hujjat. The governor immediately ordered that child to be arrested and placed in strict confinement. A sum of money was offered by the believers to the governor, in order to induce him to release his young prisoner. He refused their offer, whereupon they complained to Hujjat who vehemently protested. “That child,” he wrote to the governor, “is too young to be held responsible for his behaviour. If he deserves punishment, his father and not he should be made to suffer.”
The unconditional compliance of the governor with the demand of Mír Jalíl stirred the furious indignation of the ‘ulamá. They violently protested, and … eventually induced him [the governor] to consent to the arrest of Hujjat, an act which they were convinced would succeed in checking the progress of his influence. The governor reluctantly consented. He was repeatedly assured by the ‘ulamá that his action would under no circumstances endanger the peace and security of the town. Two of their supporters, Pahlaván Asadu’lláh and Pahlaván Safar-‘Alí, both notorious for their brutality and prodigious strength, volunteered to seize Hujjat and deliver him hand-cuffed to the governor. Each was promised a handsome reward in return for this service. Clad in their amour, with helmets on their heads, and followed by a band of ruffians recruited from among the most degraded of the population, they set out to accomplish their purpose. The ‘ulamá were in the meantime busily engaged in inciting the populace and encouraging them to reinforce their efforts.