Subh-i-Azal

Subh-i-Azal, born in 1831, emerged as a pivotal figure in the Bābī movement, taking the helm as its second leader following the execution of the Báb in 1850. Appointed at the tender age of nineteen, he was recognized for his ability to articulate divinely-inspired verses, a gift that the Báb believed made him a mirror to explain the mysteries of faith before the arrival of the messiah, referred to in Bābī belief as He whom God shall make manifest.

Despite his leadership, Subh-i-Azal faced challenges from within the community, particularly from his half-brother Baháʼu'lláh, who later claimed messianic status. This rivalry led to a schism among the Bābīs, with Subh-i-Azal's followers becoming known as Azalis. After the Bābīs were expelled to Baghdad in 1852, tensions escalated as pilgrims began to gravitate towards Baháʼu'lláh for guidance.

In the wake of increasing persecution, Subh-i-Azal fled to Baghdad, where he spent a decade before the Ottoman government exiled him and his followers to Cyprus in 1868. During this time, he openly rejected Baháʼu'lláh's claims, further deepening the divide within the Bābī community. Following the lease of Cyprus to Britain in 1878, he lived out his remaining years in relative obscurity, supported by a British pension.

By the early twentieth century, the Azali faction had diminished significantly, with Baháʼu'lláh being widely recognized as the spiritual successor of the Báb. After Subh-i-Azal's death in 1912, the Azali form of Bābism entered a period of stagnation, lacking a central leadership or organization. The community continued to dwindle, with estimates in the early twenty-first century suggesting only a few thousand followers remained, primarily in Iran.