On 20 October 1819 a son was born to a well-known merchant of the city of Shiraz, in Persia. He was called Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad, later to become known as the Báb. His father died soon after his birth and the boy was brought up by an uncle who was also a merchant. As a child He learned to read and write and was sent with other children to a teacher of religion. During these lessons the little boy quickly attracted attention, since not only did He ask very difficult questions, but He answered them Himself. He did this so well that his teacher was dumbfounded. Later, when 'Ali-Muhammad announced that He was the promised Manifestation of God, His uncle immediately believed in Him. Even as a child, He was extremely kind and helpful. And later, when, at the age of fifteen, He Himself was a merchant, He became known as a person of great goodness and one who lived His life in full accord with the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. Seven years later 'Ali-Muhammad married and had one son who, to the great sorrow of his parents, died when he was only a baby.
A scholar named Shaykh Ahmad became convinced of the imminent coming of the Promised One of Islam and began teaching this to his students. Before his passing, he appointed Siyyid Kazim his successor. In 1843 Siyyid Kazim died but shortly before his death he told his disciples to go out into the world in search of the Promised One. Because the disciples did not know who the Promised One was or where He lived, they first prayed to God to help them to find Him.
One of these disciples, named Mulla Husayn, had fasted and prayed for forty days when he suddenly felt an urge to travel to the city of Shiraz. He started off at once and on 22 May 1844 arrived at the city gate of Shiraz. Shiraz was not a small town; on the contrary it was one of the largest cities of Persia. Where was Mulla Husayn to look? It might be months before he could find the Promised One, especially as he did not even know His name. He would not recognize Him on the street, either, since he had never seen Him.
| Suddenly, a young man came up to Mulla Husayn and greeted him so warmly as if they had been lifelong friends. It was also clear that this young man had awaited Mulla Husayn's arrival because He at once invited him to come to His home. Surprised at this strange meeting, Mulla Husayn accompanied Him. Soon afterwards he was seated with his host in a small upstairs room of His house.There it was that Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad, just twenty-five years old, declared to Mulla Husayn that He was the Promised One and also the Herald of One much greater than Himself. From that moment onwards, He called Himself the Báb (Gate), since He was the Gate through which to enter the new age, the Bahá’í Era. The age during which the earlier Messengers of God had promised the coming of the great Universal Teacher was past. The time in which these promises would be fulfilled had begun. In 1844, just as William Miller and so many others had expected, 'This night,' said the Báb to Mulla Husayn, 'this very hour, will in days to come be celebrated as one of the greatest and most significant of all festivals.' | |
That same evening, Mulla Husayn became the Báb's first disciple. He had been deeply moved by His love and the wisdom of His words. At long last he had found the Promised One and his heart's desire was fulfilled. Within a very short time from this night, seventeen other disciples of Siyyid Kazim had recognized the Báb as a Manifestation of God. Among them was one woman, a poetess, who later received the name of Tahirih (the Pure), the seventeenth to declare belief in the Báb, never met Him. The last but foremost and youngest disciple, later named Quddus, recognized the Báb on sight. To these first eighteen disciples, the Letters of the Living, the Báb gave the task of spreading the new Faith throughout the land. Filled with a tremendous love for the Báb, they went on their way. And wherever they went they told people that the Promised One had come.
The Báb gave a special mission to Mulla Husayn [August, 1844]. He was to journey through Persia and Iraq and deliver a scroll to One Who is worthy. While travelling through Tihran, Mulla Husayn had recalled stories of a noble family and inquired if there were any living sons. Having learned that there were, he had the scroll delivered to Mirza Husayn Ali. When Mirza Husayn Ali read this scroll, he was immediately convinced that this was the Word of God and became a follower of the Báb (the twentieth Letter of the Living; the Báb Himself was the nineteenth).
The Báb Himself set out for Mecca, in Arabia, where for the first time He publicly declared Himself to be the Promised One of Islam [Dec 1844]. He then returned to Persia, where He was immediately arrested since the fanatical clergy did not wish the new Faith to spread. The Báb was summoned to appear before the Governor of Shiraz [June 1845]where He was rebuked and even struck in the face. Afterwards He was released but not for long because, owing to the devoted efforts of His followers, His Message was spreading like wildfire throughout the country. The number of His followers (called Bábís) quickly began to grow. Even some of the priests and merchants declared their belief in Him. It is estimated that at its peak there were one million followers of the Báb.
All over Persia, wherever people gathered together, they talked about the Báb. Some thought he must be a heretic or a madman. Others, who had seen Him, were deeply impressed by His love and the way in which He spoke. In several villages, men and women who claimed to believe in Him were beaten. Finally there was so much unrest that Muhammad Shah, who ruled Persia at that time, in 1845 [July/Aug]sent his learned friend, later renamed Vahid, to investigate the Báb and His claims. Full of confidence and determined to dissuade the Báb from making such claims, Vahid set out. But he too, was so greatly influenced by the Báb's wisdom that, after three interviews, he decided to follow Him. The Governor was thus obliged to write to the Shah informing him that His Majesty's distinguished ambassador had become a Bábí.
Furious because of the Báb's increasing power and fame, the Governor had Him arrested. In the dead of night, the superintendent of police took the Báb prisoner. However, that same night something totally unexpected happened [Sept 1846]. A devastating epidemic of cholera broke out and within hours hundreds of people had died of it. Three of the Governor’s servants died and several members of his family lay on their deathbeds. In panic the Governor fled. The police superintendent then took the Báb to his own house, but when they arrived he was told his son was dying. In despair he fell at the Báb's feet and begged Him for forgiveness and solemnly promised he would resign his job. Then, when he saw that the Báb had saved his son, he sent an urgent appeal to the Governor to allow his Prisoner's release. The Governor agreed on condition that the Báb left the city.
Saved by this miracle, the Báb left for Isfahan [Oct 1846], where He was royally received by the Governor of that city. The people, too, were wildly excited by the Báb's visit. Such was their enthusiasm that, when the Báb left the bath house, a crowd clamored for some of the water in which He had washed. Despite this acclaim, however, the Báb knew that He would soon be a prisoner again and that before very long He would be put to death. Because of this, He had said farewell to His wife and given her His possessions. It was to be the last time He would see her.
From that time onwards, the priests indeed began to stir up the people. Fearful that they were losing their power and influence, they made the Báb out to be a heretic and an enemy of God. At last the Shah, too, had had enough of it and wished to meet personally with the Báb. His Grand Vizier, Haji Mirza Aqasi, the anti-Christ of the Bábí Dispensation, feared that the Shah would also come under the spell of the Báb's personality. He craftily informed the king, therefore, that a rebellion had just broken out which was of much more importance than the fuss about this so-called prophet. The Shah believed him and cancelled his appointment with the Báb. Immediately afterwards the Báb was taken to the distant fortress of Mah-Ku and imprisoned. That was in the summer of 1847. In this way, the Grand Vizier thought, the new religion would soon come to an end.
The Báb was placed in solitary confinement in the fortress which stood high on a remote mountain. There He spent His days, far from His family and His followers. [See God Passes By, p.18: He did not even have a lamp nor a door, His company being 2 guards and 4 guard dogs. Today the Shrine of the Báb is illuminated each night in remembrance of this confinement.]
The Grand Vizier was wrong, though. It was not long before the people of the area and even the jailer became captivated by the modesty and wisdom of the Báb. He made such an impression on them that the jailer began to allow more and more of His followers to enter the fortress. Once again, Mulla Husayn traveled hundreds of miles on foot to see his beloved Master [arriving 20 March 1848].
Because of these events the Báb was transferred to another fortress at Chihriq [Kudish area, hostile to Persians, April 1848], but here the same thing happened. One after the other, priests and government officials became followers of the Báb.
The Grand Vizier was at his wits' end. His whole plan had misfired. In desperation, he ordered the religious leaders of Tabriz to interrogate the Báb and to pronounce judgement on Him. Perhaps the heresy could be rooted out once and for all in this way.
But this plan also failed. The hope that the Báb would give up His claims proved vain. In the presence of the Crown Prince the Báb again declared that He was the Promised One and that it was for His coming that the priests had prayed for so long [July 1848, Tabríz]. The clergy sat there, totally confused. The Báb rose and left the room; He then allowed Himself to be taken back to Chihriq.
There He wrote many books setting out His teachings and referring to the coming of Bahá’u’lláh. In addition, He wrote numerous letters to the learned divines in every part of Persia. And although the Báb had never met them, He described in detail the wrongs each had committed.
Meanwhile, during the Báb's imprisonment, eighty-one of His followers had gathered for a conference (in Badasht) in which they officially broke with the traditions of Islam [26 June - 17 July 1848]. This increased the animosity of the clergy. From the pulpit, they now incited the people to eradicate the followers of the Báb. The Grand Vizier hesitated, uncertain what to do. When, soon afterwards, the Shah died [4 Sept 1848], the Grand Vizier's influence waned. The seventeen-year-old Crown Prince ascended the throne [now Násirid'Din Sháh] and, since he had no experience of government, he left this in the hands of the new Grand Vizier. This man at once issued an order to punish the Bábís.
The government, clergy and people then arose as one to destroy the followers of the Báb. In remote villages they were put to the sword one by one. In other places, such as Mazindaran, they took steps to defend themselves. Having hoisted and journeyed under the Black Standard (prophesied by Muhammad as heralding the advent of the Promised One) Mulla Husayn and Quddus, the youngest but greatest of the Báb's disciples, took charge of three hundred and thirteen Bábís [this began at Shaykh Tabarsi with 71 men in Oct 1848and grew in number]. Despite the smallness of their numbers and the strength of the opposing army, they managed to hold out for almost a year, mainly because of their heroism and the cowardice of the soldiers. One day about two hundred Bábís even stormed the Prince's stronghold and penetrated as far as his private rooms. There they found that the Prince had leapt out of the window into the moat and escaped, barefoot. On another occasion a handful of nineteen Bábís charged a camp in which two regiments were garrisoned. All the troops fled and their commanding officer ignominiously rushed to the Prince to report their defeat.
Finally, after eleven months of vain efforts to force the Bábís to surrender, the Prince decided on a plan of deceit [10 May 1849]. He took the Qur'an, the Holy Book of Islam, and wrote in it that they would be free from attack if they came out of their fort. He also promised to arrange their safe return to their homes at his own expense. But when the Bábís arrived at the enemy camp, most of them were put to death by the spear or the sword, or riddled with bullets. Others were seized and sold as slaves. Quddus was dragged through the streets, where the mob killed him with knives and axes [16 May 1849].
The same happened in two other places. The promises made to the Bábís were broken there too. Vahid, once the honored advisor of the Shah, was bound to a horse and dragged through the streets. His head was then cut off, filled with straw and sent to the Prince for his celebrations. The homes of the Bábís were destroyed. Women and children were led past the rows of heads which had been severed from the bodies of their fathers, brothers, sons or husbands. The cruelty was unbelievable. You can imagine that when the Báb was informed of this, He was overcome with grief. For love of God, and for His sake, the Bábís had voluntarily given their lives. For five months He was inconsolable and His tears never ceased. But despite this dreadful slaughter, those Bábís who were still alive remained firmly convinced of the truth of the Báb's revelation. Day by day, their steadfastness increased. The minister realized this and came to the conclusion that the only way to get rid of this movement for good would be to put the Báb to death.
Early in the morning of 9 July 1850 the Báb was speaking with one of His followers in the barracks of Tabriz when He was rudely interrupted by the officer in charge. The Báb told him that no power on earth could silence Him until He had said all that He wished to say. The officer was astonished but told the Báb to follow him.
After the Báb's death sentence had been authorized, He was bound to the wall to face the firing squad. With him was a young disciple, Anis, who had begged to be allowed to die with the Báb. The firing squad took its place in three ranks, each two hundred and fifty strong. The soldiers fired, a row at a time, until every rifle had been discharged. But when the dense smoke cleared, the ten thousand onlookers saw to their astonishment that the Báb had disappeared. Only the ropes had been severed.
A search began at once and shortly afterwards the Báb was discovered in His cell by the same officer who had earlier interrupted Him, calmly finishing His conversation with His disciple. The Báb then informed the officer that He had finished and he could now carry out his orders. Remembering what the Báb had said earlier, the officer was so frightened that he left immediately. The captain of the firing squad also refused to have any more to do with the execution and marched his men away.
Another regiment then volunteered to put the Báb to death. Once again the soldiers took their places, and this time the Báb declared to all those present that the day would come when they would recognize Him. Soon afterwards, the bodies of the Báb and His faithful companion were riddled with bullets.
At that very moment a dreadful storm arose and a violent whirlwind was unleashed on the city. Before the year was ended a terrible earthquake occurred in which 250 members of the final firing squad met their deaths, while the remaining 500 were themselves executed three years later for mutiny. The Grand Vizier also died within two years of the Báb's execution.
But the Bábís continued to spread the teachings of their beloved Master, despite His death. The fire of their love for the Báb was still burning brightly. The Báb had written: "Fix your gaze upon Him Whom God shall make manifest in the Day of Resurrection, then firmly believe in that which is sent down by Him. Say, God hath undisputed triumph over every victorious one. There is no one in heaven or earth or in whatever lieth between them who can frustrate the transcendent supremacy of His triumph. He calleth into being whatsoever He willeth through the potency of His behest. Verily God is the mightiest Sustainer, the Helper and the Defender. When the Day-Star of Bahá will shine resplendent above the horizon of eternity it is incumbent upon you to present yourselves before His Throne. Beware lest ye be seated in His presence or ask questions without His leave. Fear ye God, O concourse of the Mirrors. Beg ye of Him the wondrous tokens of His favour that He may graciously reveal for you whatever He willeth and desireth, inasmuch as on that Day all the revelations of divine bounty shall circle around the Seat of His glory and emanate from His presence, could ye but understand it." (Selected Writings of the Báb, p.164). The Báb prophecied that Him Whom God shall make Manifest would announce Himself in the year 19 of the Báb's calendar (1863): "The Lord of the Day of Reckoning will be manifested at the end of Vahid (19) and the beginning of eighty (1280A.H.)". This was the whole purpose of His mission: to prepare for the coming of Bahá'u'lláh, and this He did when He made His public declaration in 1863 as we shall read in the next course session.