Mullá Muḥammad-i-Zarandí (29 July 1831 – 1892), more commonly known as Nabíl-i-Aẓam ( "the Great Nabíl") or Nabíl-i-Zarandí ( "Nabíl of Zarand"), was an eminent Baháʼí historian during the time of Baháʼu'lláh, and one of the nineteen Apostles of Baháʼu'lláh. He is most famous for authoring The Dawn-Breakers, which stands out as one of the most important and extensive accounts of the ministry of the Báb. He learned about the Bábí Faith at the age of sixteen and met Baháʼu'lláh in 1851. He made several journeys on behalf of Baháʼu'lláh, was imprisoned in Egypt and is the only person known to have made the two pilgrimages to the House of the Báb in Shíráz and the House of Baháʼu'lláh in Baghdad in accordance with the rites set out by Baháʼu'lláh. After the passing of Baháʼu'lláh, and at the request of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, he arranged a Tablet of Visitation from Baháʼu'lláh's writings which is now used in the Holy Shrines. Shortly afterwards, overcome with grief, love and longing for Baháʼu'lláh, he drowned himself into the sea. Background Nabíl was born in Zarand, Iran on 29 July 1831. He was a shepherd but strove to overcome his meagre education. He would often go with his father to Qom and listen to religious discourses, and he learned to read the Qurʼan. In 1847, Nabíl, while in the village of Rubat-Karim, overheard a conversation about the Báb and was immediately interested. Later, when he was more fully informed of the religion of the Báb through Siyyid Husayn-i-Zavari'i, he became a believer in the new movement. He tried to join the Bábís at Shaykh Tabarsi but the siege began before he could get there. He took up residence in Tehran in the same madrisih as the transcriber of the Báb's writings; there he also met many Bábís who lived in or were travelling through the town, including Baháʼu'lláh. In 1852 there was an attempt on the life of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, which was followed by the persecution of the Bábí community. During this time, Nabíl put forward a claim to leadership of the Bábí community stating that he had received divine inspiration. Later, when he visited Baghdad and instead recognized Baháʼu'lláh's claim, he withdrew his own. Travels From Baghdad and Adrianople, Baháʼu'lláh sent Nabíl on numerous journeys to the Bábís of Iran. During 1867/8 his major task was to inform the Bábís of Baháʼu'lláh's claim