Hasht Behesht ( 8 Heavens )

Mirza Ali Mohammad Bab appointed an individual by the name of Mirza Yahya Sobh-i Azal as his successor. However, his elder brother, Hosseinali Baha (leader of the Bahais) later opposed him and caused the Babist sect to partition and divide into two sects of "Azalis" (followers of Sobh-i Azal) and "Bahais" (followers of Baha). The two sects had a deep opposition and relentless campaign against each other and published books and treatises against each other. Samples of these publications in the Bahai sect are Alvah (scripts) by Hosseinali Baha (in the book Eshraghat), Lawh-i Gharn (script of century) by Shoghi as well as "Asrarolasar" (secrets of works) by Fazel Mazandarani and Madkhal (entry) of Yahya... The viewpoints and remarks of the Azalis against Baha and his followers can be seen including in the book "Tanbiholnaemin" (warning to sleepers) (published by Ezzieh, sister of Hosseinali Baha) and also the book "Hasht

Picture : Fazel Mazandarani

Behesht" (the eight paradises). This book has been authored by Mirza Aghakhan Kirmani and Sheikh Ahmad Ruhi, followers of the Babist school (Azali wing) and sons-in-law of Yahya Sobh-i Azal. The book also serves as a petition by this sect against the Bahais. The intellectual and ideological foundation of "Hasht Behesht" is the same materials provided in the book "Bayan" written by Ali Mohammad Bab, and the authors have also introduced themselves as followers of Bayan. According to the authors, Hasht Behehst has been written with the aim of: 1. Expressing the beliefs of Azalis; 2. Rejecting the creed of Bahaism; 3. Explaining the causes and tools of division of Babism into two Azali and Bahai sects; 4. Explaining the philosophy of the new creed; 5. Furnishing some information about the history of the events of the early days of Babism; 6. Biography of a large number of the predecessors of the sect. The reason behind naming the book as "Hahst Behesht" in fact refers to the eight chapters of the book. "Hasht Behesht" can be actually considered as a full-size mirror of an innovative sect with a new religion because the authors have attempted in all parts of the book to claim that the true religion of Islam belongs to the past and what today's man needs is something more than Islam and its teachings.