In 1894 Abu'l-Faḍl spent ten months with ʻAbdu'l-Bahá in 'Akká, then in 1894 went to Cairo, where he settled for several years. In Egypt, he was successful in converting some thirty of the students of Al-Azhar University, the foremost institution of learning in the Sunni Muslim world. Abu'l-Faḍl also became friends with writers and magazine publishers, and many articles that he authored appeared in the Egyptian press. In 1896, when Nasiru'd-Din Shah was assassinated in Iran, an enemy of the Baháʼís, Zaʻimu'd-Dawlih, used the rumour that the assassination had been performed by Baháʼís, to cause a massacre of the Baháʼís in Egypt. When Abu'l-Faḍl, stood up in defence for the Baháʼís and stated that he himself was a Baháʼí, his allegiance became public; then when his two books "Fara'id" and "Al-Duraru'l-Bahiyyih" were published in 1897-1900 the al-Azhar University decreed that Abu'l-Faḍl was an infidel.