"His life is one of the most magnificent examples of courage which it has been the privilege of mankind to behold...". The object of this tribute by A.L.M. Nicolas, the prominent French writer, was the nineteenth century prophetic figure known to history as the Báb.
Millennial fervor gripped many peoples throughout the world during the first half of the nineteenth century; while Christians expected "The Return of Christ", a wave of expectation swept through Islam that the "Lord of the Age" would appear. Both Christians and Muslims envisioned that, with fulfillment of the prophecies in their scriptures, a new spiritual age was about to begin.
In Persia, this messianic ferment reached a dramatic
climax on May 23, 1844, when a young merchant, Siyyid
'Ali-Muhammad announced that He was the Bearer of a long-
promised Divine Revelation destined to transform the
spiritual life of the human race.Although the young merchant's name was Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad, He took the name "Báb" a title that means "Gate" or "Door" in Arabic. His coming, represented the portal through which the universally anticipated Revelation of God to all humanity would soon appear. The central theme of His major work 'The Bayán', was the imminent appearance of a second Messenger from God, one Who would be far greater than the Báb, and Whose mission would be to usher in the age of peace and justice promised in Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and all the other world religions.
The Báb referred to this coming Divine Teacher as "Him Whom God shall make manifest" and stated that "no words of Mine can adequately describe Him, nor can any reference in My Book, the Bayán, do justice to His Cause." He clarified the central aim of His mission by explaining that "the purpose underlying this Revelation, as well as those that preceded it, has, in like manner, been to announce the advent of the Faith of Him Whom God will make manifest".
In some respects, the Báb's role can be compared to that of John, the Baptist in the founding of Christianity. The Báb was Baha'u'llah's herald: His principal mission was to prepare the way for Baha'u'llah's coming.
At the same time, however, the Báb founded a distinctive, independent religion of His own, known as the Bábi Faith, that religious dispensation produced its own vigorous community, its own scriptures, and left its own indelible mark on history. The impact of the Báb's message was primarily achieved through the dissemination of His epistles, commentaries, and doctrinal and mystical works.
The boldness of the Báb's proclamation, which put forth the vision of an entirely new society, stirred intense fear within the religious and secular establishments. Accordingly, persecution of the Bábis quickly developed. Thousands of the Báb's followers were put to death in a horrific series of massacres.
Ultimately, those opposed to the Báb argued that He was not only a heretic, but also a dangerous rebel. The authorities decided to have Him executed. On July 9, 1850, this sentence was carried out; in the courtyard of the Tabriz Army Barracks. Some 10,000 people crowded the rooftops of the barracks and houses that overlooked the square. The Báb and a young follower were suspended by two ropes against a wall. A regiment of 750 Armenian soldiers, arranged in three files of 250 each, opened fire in three successive volleys. So dense was the smoke raised by the gunpowder and dust that the entire yard was obscured.
The report of the execution, written to Lord Palmerston, the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, by Sir Justin Shiel, Queen Victoria's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Pleni potentiary in Tehran on July 22, 1850, "When the smoke and dust cleared away after the volley, Báb was not to be seen, and the populace proclaimed that he had ascended to the skies. The balls had broken the ropes by which he was bound but he was dragged from the recess where, after some search he was discovered and shot."
After the first attempt at execution, the Báb was found back in His cell, giving final instructions to one of His followers. Earlier in the day, when the guards had come to take Him to the courtyard, the Báb had warned that no "earthly power" could silence Him until He had finished all that He had to say. When the guards arrived this second time, the Báb calmly announced: "Now you may proceed to fulfill your intention."
Again, the Báb and His young companion were brought out
for execution. The Armenian troops refused to fire, and a
Muslim firing squad was assembled and ordered to shoot.
This time the bodies of the pair were shattered, their
bones and flesh mingled into one mass. Surprisingly,
their faces were untouched. The light of the "Mystic
Fane," as the Báb referred to Himself, had been
quenched under a dramatic set of circumstances. The
last words of the Báb to the crowd were: "O wayward
generation! Had you believed in Me every one of you would
have followed the example of this youth, who stood in
rank above most of you, and would have willingly
sacrificed himself in My path. The day will come when you
will have recognized Me; that day I shall have ceased to
be with you."Baha'u'llah paid this tribute to the Báb: "Behold what steadfastness that Beauty of God hath revealed. The whole world rose to hinder Him, yet it utterly failed. The more severe the persecution they inflicted on that Sadrih [Branch] of Blessedness, the more His fervour increased, and the brighter burned the flame of His love. All this is evident, and none disputeth its truth. Finally, He surrendered His soul, and winged His flight unto the realms above."
The short six-year duration of the Báb's mission in some respects symbolized the abrupt and startling transition to global consciousness that the Báb had called humanity to undertake. Since His bold proclamation in the middle of the last century, unparalleled scientific and technological advances have indeed provided the first glimmerings of a global society. In His role as the "Primal Point from which have been generated all created things," the Báb set in motion a dramatic new cycle of human creativity and discovery. The "breezes" of God's "knowledge" had "stirred" the "minds of men" and caused "the spirits to soar."