Late Mirza Subhi Fazlullah Muhtadi came from a BءBi family, and was related to Baha through the latter's third wife Gauhar Khanum. Mirza Subhi was a man of letters. For a number of years he was sir Abbas Effendi’s Persian amanuensis. Later he was released by sir Abbas Effendi for purposes of missionary enterprises (Tabligh) in Iran. Apparently owing to certain discoveries he had made, his faith underwent considerable abatement and signs of coolness were observed in him during Shoghi Effendi’s term of office, by whom he was excommunicated. Finally he abjured Bahaism, and returned to the fold of Islam. He wrote two books entitled the Kitab-i Subhi and the Payam-i Padar (A message from a father). A criticised study of Bahaism.

He was intimately associated with sir Abbas Effendi, his members of the family and the Bahai settlers in Haifa and Acre. Their daily life, his personal impressions, and assessment of them, treatment of Baha's second son Mirza Muhammad Ali by them, his reasons for his renunciation of Bahaism are set first in the Kitab-i Subhi and the Payam-i Padar.

In the Payam-i Padar Shoghi, acts and deeds of Effendi, whom the author new very well long before Shoghi Effendi's assumption of power at the guardian of the cause, are brought into bold relief in a manner far from flattering to Shoghi Effendi.
All available copies of the two works were acquired and suppressed by the Bahais.

Note
Jalal Azal says: "I met late Mirza Subhi Fazlullah Muhtadi when he acted as sir Abbas Effendi’s Persian secretary. He was not however, at liberty to meet members of the rival faction."

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