BAB

Siyyid Mírzá 'Alí-Muhammad (میرزا علی‌محمد in Persian) (October 20, 1819 - July 9, 1850), was a merchant from Shiraz, Persia, who at the age of 25, claimed to be a new and independent Manifestation of God, and the promised Qá'im, or Mihdi. After his declaration he took on the title of the Báb (باب), meaning "Gate" in Arabic, and 6 years later was shot by a firing squad in Tabriz.

The Báb's Life

Early life

Born on October 20 1819, in Shiraz to a well-known merchant of the city, his father died soon after his birth and the boy was raised by his uncle Hájí Mirzá Siyyid 'Ali, who was also a merchant.

Related Topics:
October 20 - 1819 - Shiraz - Merchant - Hájí Mirzá Siyyid 'Ali

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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 showed uncommon wisdom and quickly attracted attention, since he not only asked difficult questions, but he answered them himself. He did this so well that his teacher was dumbfounded.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Upon reaching manhood, he joined his uncle in the family business, a trading house, and became a merchant. His integrity and piety won the esteem of the other merchants with whom he came in contact. He was also known for his generosity to the poor. In 1842 He married Khadíjih-Bagum and they had one son, Ahmad, who died in infancy.

Related Topics:
1842 - Khadíjih-Bagum

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Shaykhi Movement

In the 1790's in Persia, Shaykh Ahmad began a religious movement within Shi'a Islam. His followers, who became known as Shaykhis, were expecting the eminent appearance of the Qá'im of the House of Muhammad, also called the Mihdi. After the death of Shaykh Ahmad, leadership was passed on to Siyyid Kázim of Rasht.

Related Topics:
1790 - Shaykh Ahmad - Shi'a Islam - Qá'im - Mihdi - Siyyid Kázim - Rasht

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At Siyyid Kázim's death in 1843, he had counselled his followers to leave their homes to seek the Lord of the Age whose advent would soon break on the world. One of these followers named Mullá Husayn travelled to Shiraz after 40 days of prayer and fasting.

Related Topics:
1843 - Mullá Husayn - Shiraz

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Proclamation

On his arrival on May 23, 1844, Mullá Husayn was approached by a young man wearing a green turban, an indication that the wearer was a descendent of the Prophet Muhammad. The stranger, the Báb, invited Mullá Husayn to his home.

Related Topics:
May 23 - 1844 - Turban

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After being asked by the Báb of what he was doing in Shiraz, Mulla Husayn replied that he was searching for the Promised One. The Báb then asked how would the Promised One be recognized, to which Mulla Husayn replied "He is of a pure lineage, is of illustrious descent, is endowed with innate knowledge and is free from bodily deficiency". To the shock of Mulla Husayn, the Báb declared "Behold, all these signs are manifest in me.".

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mullá Husayn had one more sign by which to identify the Promised One. He had been told by Siyyid Kázim that the Promised One would write a commentary on the Surih of Joseph without being asked. The Báb fulfilled this requirement as well, writing the commentary after making his declaration.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mullá Husayn's Response

After spending the night alone with the Báb, Mullá Husayn recorded the following:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"This Revelation, so suddenly and impetuously thrust upon me, came as a thunderbolt... the knowledge of His Revelation had galvanised my being. I felt possessed of such courage and power that were the world, all its peoples and its potentates, to rise against me, I would, alone and undaunted, withstand their onslaught. The universe seemed but a handful of dust in my grasp. I seemed to be the Voice of Gabriel personified, calling unto all mankind: ?Awake, for lo! the morning Light has broken. Arise, for His Cause is made manifest. The portal of His grace is open wide; enter therein, O peoples of the world! For He who is your promised One is come!?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

::The Dawn-Breakers, p. 65

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Letters of the Living

Mullá Husayn was the Báb's first disciple. Within a very short time, seventeen other disciples of Siyyid Kázim had independently recognized the Báb as a Manifestation of God, among them was one woman, a poetess, who later received the name of Táhirih (the Pure). These eighteen disciples were later to be known as the Letters of the Living.

Related Topics:
Disciple - Táhirih - Letters of the Living

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

To these first eighteen disciples the Báb gave the task of spreading the new Faith throughout the land.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Travels and Imprisonment

After the first eighteen Letters of the Living had independently recognized the Báb, the Báb and the eighteenth Letter of the Living, Quddús, left on a pilgrimmage to Mecca and Medina, the sacred cities of Islam. In Mecca, the Báb wrote to the Sharif of Mecca explaining his mission. After their pilgrammage, the Báb and Quddús, returned to Bushehr, Persia.

Related Topics:
Quddús - Mecca - Medina - Islam - Sharif of Mecca - Bushehr

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After some time, due to opposition from the Islamic clergy, the Governor of Shiraz ordered the Báb's arrest. The Báb, upon hearing of the arrest order, left Bushehr towards Shiraz and presented himself to the authorities. The Báb was placed under house arrest at the home of his uncle. The Báb was released when a plague broke out in Shiraz.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After his release in 1846, the Báb departed for Isfahan. During the Báb's stay in Isfahan, crowds of people came to see him every day. Due to pressure from the clergy of the province, the Shah Mohammad Shah Qajar ordered the Báb to Tehran. Before the Báb could meet the Shah, the Shah's prime-minister sent the Báb to Tabriz in the north of the country, where he was confined and was not allowed to see any visitors.

Related Topics:
1846 - Isfahan - Mohammad Shah Qajar - Tehran - Tabriz

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Báb was then transferred to the fortress of Maku in the province of Azarbaijan. During his time in Maku, the Báb wrote his most important work, the Persian Bayan, which he never finished before his death. Due to the Báb's growing popularity in Maku the prime minister transferred the Báb to the fortress of Chihriq. Once again, the Báb's popularity grew in Chihriq, and thus the prime-minister ordered the Báb back to Tabriz where the government would hold a meeting with the religious authorities to examine the Báb.

Related Topics:
Maku - Azarbaijan - Persian Bayan - Chihriq

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At the meeting, when the officials asked the Báb who he claimed to be, the Báb responded that he was the Promised One for whom the people of Islam were waiting. He was then ordered back to the fortress of Chihriq.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~