The Fourth Epistle Revealed by the Báb to Mírzá Áqásí:

Abstract: Among the major writings of the Báb addressing the political and religious leadership of His time are four Epistles revealed to Ḥájí Mírzá Áqásí, the Prime Minister of Muḥammad Shāh Qājār. These four compositions, penned over a span of several years, exhibit a progression in tone—from measured counsel and exhortation to stern reproach and Divine denunciation. The present study offers a provisional English translation of the fourth and most momentous of these Epistles, commonly known as the Tawqīʿ-i-Qahriyyih (“The Epistle of Divine Wrath”), revealed in Arabic during the Báb’s imprisonment at the fortress of Chihríq. The Epistle, comprising approximately twenty-four pages, stands as a stunning indictment of Áqásí’s tyranny, his complicity in the Báb’s sufferings, and his failure to respond to the Divine summons. In it, the Báb denounces the injustices inflicted by Ḥusayn Khān, governor of Fārs, and praises the noble character of Manūchehr Khān Moʿtamad al-Dawlah. He warns Áqásí of the impending retribution ordained for him and declares the irreversible verdict of Divine wrath. This Epistle was conveyed directly to Áqásí in Ṭehrán by Ḥujjat of Zanján, who later recited it in full from memory before Bahá’u’lláh in the prison of ‘Akká, as attested by Nabíl-i-Zarandí. The translation offered here is based on the text published in Ahd-i ‘Alá, supported by manuscript evidence from the Iran National Bahá’í Archives and the Bayani collection. The Tawqīʿ-i-Qahriyyih remains a compelling testament to the Báb’s unwavering resolve and luminous authority amidst adversity..