Brief history of the Baha'i Faith

Baha'i history between 1947-1963

Second Epoch of the Formative Age: 1947 - 1963

* 7 Mar 1948 Shoghi Effendi decides to commence work on the Shrine of the Bab superstructure.

* 1948 Distinct National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Canada formed.

* 1949 Special Act of Canadian Parliament is the first official recognition of the Baha'i Faith by any government .

* 9 July 1950 Completion of the Arcade and Parapet of the Shrine of the Bab.

* 16 Dec 1950 Mazra'ih leased from Israeli authorities.

* 1951 The Guardian begins appointing Hands of the Cause of God (distinguished believers who were assigned tasks to teach the Faith and protect its institutions).

* Apr 1953 Formal dedication of the house of worship at Wilmette, Illinois, designed by French-Canadian architect Jean-Louis Bourgeois.

* 21 Apr 1953 Ten Year World Crusade launched, to conclude in 1963: the centenary of Baha'u'llah's declaration in the Garden of Ridvan.The goal was to extend the Faith to 132 more countries and the existing 120 countries and territories were to be expanded.

* Oct 1953 The Shrine of the Bab is completed.

* 4 Nov 1957 The Guardian dies in England of Asian flu while on a visit to purchase furnishings for the Baha'i archives building on Mt. Carmel. Although provisions permitted successive Guardians, Shoghi Effendi had not appointed one (no living direct descendants of Baha'u'llah were faithful to His Covenant).

The Guardian had indicated that at the completion of the Crusade, conditions were ripe for the election of the Universal House of Justice. The Hands of the Cause of God, collaborating with the national spiritual assemblies, worked to complete the goals of the Ten Year World Crusade.

* 1 Feb 1959 Completion of the Baha'i Home for the Aged in Wilmette, Illinois.

* 15 Jan 1961 Dedication of the House of Worship in Kampala, Uganda.

* 16 Sep 1961 Dedication of the House of Worship in Sydney, Australia.
 
Third Epoch of the Formative Age: 1963 - 1986

Continuing from the Brief History of the Baha'i Faith from the Boise Baha'is:

Third Epoch of the Formative Age: 1963 - 1986

* 28 Apr 1963 First Baha'i World Congress in London, England. The Hands of the Cause of God, in an unprecedented gesture of renunciation, disqualified themselves from eligibility for the election of the Universal House of Justice. The nine members of the first Universal House of Justice are elected by the members of the 56 existing national spiritual assemblies of the world. The first membership included Baha'is of Jewish, Christian and Muslim backgrounds and several ethnic origins.The Baha'i Faith, having withstood the attacks of those who would destroy it, and those who would fragment it into dozens of sects, emerges as one unified Faith with one sole living authority: the Universal House of Justice; truly the Day that shall never be followed by Night referenced in the Bible.

* 30 Apr 1963 Presentation of the members of the first Universal House of Justice; reading of its first message in London, England.

* 21 Apr 1964 The Universal House of Justice launches a Nine Year Plan which was to be completed in 1973, the centenary of Baha'u'llah's revelation of the Kitab-i-Aqdas.

* 26 Apr 1964 Election of the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Hawaiian Islands.

* 4 Jul 1964 Dedication of the Mother Temple of Europe in Langenhain, Germany.

* 19 Feb 1968 First Ruling Monarch to become a Baha'i accepts the Faith: His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II - Head of State of Western Samoa.

* by April, 1969 The Universal House of Justice had appointed 11 Continental Board Counsellors to serve the Faith in roles of protection and propagation.

* 21 April 1970 Eleven more national spiritual assemblies are formed, bringing the total to 94.

* 21 April 1971 By now, 10,360 Local Spiritual Assemblies exist,and Baha'is reside in 46,334 localities.

* 19 Dec 1971 Erection of Obelisk on Mt. Carmel to mark site of future Mashriqu'l-Adhkar.

* 29 April 1972 Dedication of Mother Temple of Latin America in Panama. By now, the Spiritual Assembly of Iraq has been dissolved because of persecution against Baha'is in that land.

* 15 Mar 1973 Mazra'ih is purchased.

* 21 Apr 1973 The Universal House of Justice launches a FiveYear Plan.

* 5 Jun 1973 Announcement of the establishment of the International Teaching Centre in Haifa.

* 7 Feb 1974 Announcement of the design for the Permanent Seat of the Universal House of Justice.

* 13 July 1974 Dedication of the John Bosch Baha'i Summer School in Santa Cruz, California.

* 14 Jan 1975 Purchase of the house of 'Abdu'llah Pasha, 'Abdu'l-Baha's Holy House in 'Akka and birthplace of Shoghi Effendi.

* 17 Jun 1975 Announcement of beginning of excavation for the Seat of the Universal House of Justice.

* 12 Sep 1976 His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II of Western Samoa visits Shoghi Effendi's grave in London, England.

* 1978 Religious fanaticism in Iran sparks the beginning of persecution against the Baha'is of Iran.

* 27 Jan 1979 Foundation Stone Ceremony, site of future House of Worship, Western Samoa, with His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II.

* 21 Apr 1979 The Universal House of Justice launches a SevenYear Plan.

* 31 Jan 1983 Universal House of Justice occupies its Permanent Seat on Mt. Carmel.

* 21 April 1983 In the last five years, the House of the Bab and the ancestral home of Baha'u'llah in Takur were razed and scores of Iranian Baha'is were executed: their crime - being Baha'i.

* Summer, 1983 Six young women, aged 18-25 were hanged in Shiraz. All were offered freedom if they would recant their Faith. None accepted that offer. Children are expelled from schools in Iran for being Baha'i.

* 21 April 1984 Nine new National Spiritual Assemblies are formed, bringing the number to 143. The Baha'is of Iran continue to be persecuted. Some six hundred men, women and children are currently in prison. The administrative functions have long been disbanded there.

* 1 Sep 1984 Dedication of the House of Worship in Apia, Western Samoa.

* Oct 1985 The Universal House of Justice publishes "The Promise of World Peace". This statement on peace is formally presented to virtually all rulers, whether individuals or parliaments, of the world and to the leading thinkers of the world.

* 17 Nov 1985 Universal House of Justice announces reinterment of the remains of Mirza Muhammad-Quli (faithful half-brother of Baha'u'llah) in new Baha'i cemetery looking towards the Qiblih of the Faith (i.e. the resting place of Baha'u'llah).
 
Abdul-Baha's "The Tablet to the Hague"

Converging on the Truth

In 1919, 'Abdu'l-Bahá received a letter from the Central Organization for Durable Peace in The Hague, The Netherlands. The letter was dated February 11, 1916, but its delivery had been delayed by World War I. Apparently, several other letters had also been sent to 'Abdu'l-Bahá from that Organization, but never arrived. Upon receipt of the 1916 letter, however, He wrote and sent a reply.

The Central Organization had been formed in April, 1915 by representatives from nine European nations and the United States. Its avowed purpose was pacifist, but as it pondered the possibilities for establishing a durable peace, it departed from strict pacifism and embraced the concept of military sanctions against aggressor nations. The Organization disbanded after the Treaty of Versailles, so 'Abdu'l-Bahá's letter could not have formed a part of any of their discussions, except perhaps at the very end. It is, at any rate, the latest dated document catalogued in the Organization's papers in the Swarthmore College Peace Collection.

Now known as "The Tablet to the Hague", this letter is worthy of study for several reasons. (Warning: The next sentence is long enough to have been written by Shoghi Effendi!) In it, 'Abdu'l-Bahá praises the aims of the Organization; states that world peace is a matter of great importance but also notes that its establishment depends upon "unity of conscience"; describes fourteen principles taught by Bahá'u'lláh that are essential to the establishment of peace, spending a considerable amount of time on the elimination of religious, racial, political, economic and patriotic prejudices; describes how the establishment of peace is dependent upon them; holds up the experience of the Bahá'í community in Persia as an evidence of the effectiveness of these teachings; warns that some individuals have been distributing Bahá'u'lláh's Writings under their own names, causing confusion among European orientalists regarding the Bahá'í Faith; discusses the importance of unity in diversity; and closes by proclaiming that only the Word of God has the power to bring about such a state of unity. In sum, it is a bold and comprehensive document, running to about fifteen pages in printed form.

Obviously I'm not going to talk about the whole thing in detail. For the moment, I just want to pull out one thing the Master said about one of the key principles He described:


"Among these teachings was the independent investigation of reality so that the world of humanity may be saved from the darkness of imitation and attain to the truth; may tear off and cast away this ragged and outgrown garment of 1,000 years ago and may put on the robe woven in the utmost purity and holiness in the loom of reality. As reality is one and cannot admit of multiplicity, therefore different opinions must ultimately become fused into one."
('Abdu'l-Baha, Tablet to the Hague, p. 4)

Excerpted from an article by Dale Lehman of Planet Baha'i

Source:

http://www.planetbahai.org/articles/2005/ar100705a.html
 
A long history with many facets and high ideals.

One thing not mentioned so far is the history of suffering and death at the hands of oppressors of every stripe. Like the begining of most religions for us it begins in the period of the Bab's ministry. The deaths of Babis and later Baha'is forms an almost continuous history in parallel with the above record: not just a matter of one time or just of one place. Far more recent martyrdoms have been eulogized in play, song and prayer as well of special note. A broad survey finds mentions of countries, of Faiths, not generally tripping off lips when thinking of such conditions and recriminations against such well-wishers of humanity.
 
I have a question in regards to the Bab's execution. I know the story about the 750 gunmen all missing and 20,000 witnesses to prove it, etc. Not that I am unwilling to believe in a proven miracle, but of course all of this sounds fantastic and I'm not one to just accept such things based on story alone.What does non-Baha'i/non-biased history say about this matter? Is it documented in any secular literature?

-Sarah
 
sara[h]ng said:
I have a question in regards to the Bab's execution. I know the story about the 750 gunmen all missing and 20,000 witnesses to prove it, etc. Not that I am unwilling to believe in a proven miracle, but of course all of this sounds fantastic and I'm not one to just accept such things based on story alone.What does non-Baha'i/non-biased history say about this matter? Is it documented in any secular literature?

-Sarah
Click to expand...

Footnotes from Dawnbreakers (this one is properly noted so one can check the relative document)
"An intense clamor arose from the crowd at this moment as the onlookers saw the Bab freed from his bonds advancing towards them. Amazing to believe, the bullets had not struck the condemned but, on the contrary, had broken his bonds and he was delivered. It was a real miracle and God alone knows what would have happened without the fidelity and calm of the Christian regiment on this occurrence. The soldiers in order to quiet the excitement of the crowd which, being extremely agitated, was ready to believe the claims of a religion which thus demonstrated its truth, showed the cords broken by the bullets, implying that no miracle had really taken place. At the same time, they seized the Bab and tied him again to the fatal post. This time the execution was effective. Muhammadan justice and ecclesiastical law had asserted themselves. But the crowd, vividly impressed by the spectacle they had witnessed, dispersed slowly, hardly convinced that the Bab was a criminal. After all his crime was only a crime for the legalists and the world is indulgent toward crimes which it does not understand." (M.C. Huart's "La Religion du Bab," pp. 3-4.) "An extraordinary thing happened, unique in the annals of the history of humanity: the bullets cut the cords that held the Bab and he fell on his feet without a scratch." (A. L. M. Nicolas' "Siyyid Ali-Muhammad dit le Bab," p. 375.) "By a strange coincidence, the bullet only touched the cords which bound the Bab, they were broken and he felt himself free. Uproar and shouts arose on all sides, no one understanding at first what it was all about." (Ibid., p. 379.)

Sam Khan's regiment refused to repeat the execution, Sam Khan did afterwards resign his commission in the army.

Were there 750 men in each of the two regiments involved? Probably not. Regiments tended to be understrength, particularly in an army where the commander pocketed the pay of people in the unit who only existed on paper.
Sam Khan's regiment was probably closer to its proper numbers because he was a Christian officer and reputedly honest (or more so than most Persian army officers of the day). Probably the regiment that executed the Bab numbered somewhere between five and six hundred since that is closer to normal strength of the time. For instance a British regiment of 1850 was supposed to have 800 men in the ranks. In foreign service they rarely had more than 700.

Regards,
Scott
 
Sarah,

Thanks for your post!

You asked the following:

"I have a question in regards to the Bab's execution. I know the story about the 750 gunmen all missing and 20,000 witnesses to prove it, etc. Not that I am unwilling to believe in a proven miracle, but of course all of this sounds fantastic and I'm not one to just accept such things based on story alone.What does non-Baha'i/non-biased history say about this matter? Is it documented in any secular literature?"

My reply:

I don't think you'll find an account that says there were 20,000 witnesses...At least I have yet to see that actual number suggested.

Most of the accounts known in the West are from Christian sources British French and Russian and they roughly agree... Nabil's narrative is available:

Here is the account as recorded in Babi history:

As soon as they were fastened, the regiment went in 3 files of 250 men, each ordered to fire until all bullets were fired. The smoke of 750 rifles changed the noonday sunlight into darkness. 10000 people had gathered on the barracks' and other houses' roofs to see the scene.

When the smoke cloud cleared, the masses were stunned that the youth was standing there unhurt with his tunic unsullied despite the smoke while the Báb had disappeared. When the multitude cried out about His disappearance, they sought and found Him eventually, calmly seated unscathed in the same room occupied the night before finishing His conversation with Siyyid Husayn.
As testified to by eyewitnesses and Western historians, the bullets had cut the cords and freed Him without a scratch. The Christian soldiers used these broken cords to imply to the agitated crowd that no miracle had occurred.

Source:

http://bahai-library.com/books/dawnbreakers/chapters/23.html#513a

A Western account:

The other disciple was a young merchant of Tabriz, named Aka Muhammad 'Ali. Although every effort was made to induce him to follow the example of his comrade, and though his wife and little children were brought before him, entreating him with tears to save his life, he stood firm in his faith, and only requested that at the moment of death he might still be allowed to fix his gaze on his Master. Finding all efforts to alter his decision unavailing, the executioners proceeded to suspend him alongside of his Master at the distance of a few feet from the ground by means of cords passed under the arms. As he hung thus he was heard to address the Bab in these words: "Master! art thou satisfied with me?" Then the file of soldiers drawn up before the prisoners received the command to fire, and for a moment The smoke of the volley concealed the sufferers from view. When it rolled away, a cry of mingled exultation and terror arose from the spectators, for, while the bleeding corpse of the disciple hung suspended in the air pierced with bullets, the Bab had disappeared from sight! It seemed, indeed, that his life had been preserved by a miracle, for, of the storm of bullets which had been aimed a him, not one had touched him; nay, instead of death they had brought him deliverance by cutting the ropes which bound him so that he fell to the ground unhurt.

      For a moment even the executioners were overwhelmed with amazement, which rapidly gave place to alarm as they reflected what effect this marvellous deliverance was likely to have on the
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+70
inconstant and impressionable multitude. These apprehensions, however, were of short duration. One of the soldiers espied the Bab hiding in a guardroom which opened on to the stone platform over which he had been suspended. He was seized, dragged forth, and again suspended; a new firing-party was ordered to advance (for the men who had composed the first refused to act again); and before the spectators had recovered from their first astonishment, or the Babis had had time to attempt a rescue, the body of the young prophet of Shiraz was riddled with bullets.

- From "Persian and the Persian Question" by George Curzon

Source:

http://bahai-library.com/books/ayatp/ayatp.03.html

The only systematic biography of the Báb written according to the standards of modern scholarship is Abbas Amanat's Resurrection and Renewal, particularly chapters 3, 4, 5, and 9. A useful biography is Balyuzi's The Báb. Also useful is Stephen Lambden's "An Episode in the Childhood of the Báb," in Peter Smith, In Iran, Studies in Bábí and Bahá'í Religions, volume 3 (reprinted from Bahá'í Studies Bulletin, 1.4 (March 1983)). Kalimát Press' The Martyrdom of the Báb: A Compilation, brings together the Bahá'í scriptural accounts and a few eyewitness accounts of the Báb's execution. Descriptions of his execution can also be found in a collection of original accounts collected and edited by Firuz Kazemzadeh titled "The Báb: Accounts of His Martyrdom," in World Order, 8.1 (Fall 1973).

In the nineteenth century Gobineau and ALM Nichols wrote about the execution of the Bab as well

"`The Emperor of Russia,' he [Haji Mirza Jani] says, `sent to the Russian consul at Tabriz, bidding him fully investigate and report the circumstances of His Holiness the Bab. As Soon as this news arrived, they, i.e. the Persian authorities, put the Bab to death. The Russian consul summoned Aqa Siyyid Muhammad-i-Husayn, the Bab's amanuensis, who was imprisoned at Tabriz, into his presence, and enquired concerning the signs and circumstances of His Holiness. Aqa Siyyid Husayn, because there were Musulmans present, dared not speak plainly about his Master, but managed by means of hints to communicate sundry matters, and also gave him [the Russian consul] certain of the Bab's writings.' That this statement is, in part at least, true is proved by the testimony of Dorn, who, in describing a M.S. of one of the Bab's `Commentaries on the Names of God' (which he calls `Qur'an der Babi') says, on p. 248 of vol. 8 of the Bulletin de l'Academie Imperiale des Sciences de St. Petersbourg, that it was `received directly from the Bab's own secretary, who, during his imprisonment at Tabriz, placed it in European hands.'" (The "Tarikh-i-Jadid," pp. 395-6.)
 
Sarah,

I just wanted to add that the Bab's execution while it is in itself a remarkable occurence is not regarded by us as say some would regard as a miracle...like an article of faith or anything like that. I haven't talked with anyone who became a Baha'i based on this narrative of the Bab's execution.

There were other reported miracles by the Bab as well... but the miracle is most often convincing to those who experience it and see it first hand...after it becomes hear-say it can lose credibility in today's world. So we don't rely on miracles to teach our Faith but rather what was actually taught and how it applies to the challenges facing humanity.

- Art
 
Re: Baha'u'llah's Revelation:

BruceDLimber said:
You are mistaken, Scott: it's on page 72.

Bruce
Click to expand...

Somebody already noted that for me, and I stand corrected. How are you Bruce? Have not seen you since I left AOL.

Regards,
Scott
 
arthra said:
Sarah,

I just wanted to add that the Bab's execution while it is in itself a remarkable occurence is not regarded by us as say some would regard as a miracle...like an article of faith or anything like that. I haven't talked with anyone who became a Baha'i based on this narrative of the Bab's execution.

There were other reported miracles by the Bab as well... but the miracle is most often convincing to those who experience it and see it first hand...after it becomes hear-say it can lose credibility in today's world. So we don't rely on miracles to teach our Faith but rather what was actually taught and how it applies to the challenges facing humanity.

- Art
Click to expand...
My favorite "miracle" story of the Bab is when He was imprisoned in Mahku. The warden gave strict orders that He was to be kept confined in His cell at all times. One morning the warden rode from his home in the village toward the castle prison set inside a large open space surrounded by cliffs on three sides. Crossing the river He saw the Bab performing morning prayers at the side of the water.

In censed thewarden rode to the prison and chastised his guards who were totally confused as they had never let the Bab out. To demonstrate this they took the warden to the cell and opened the door where the Bab was saying His morning prayers inside the cell.

This is recorded in The Dawnbreakers in the chapter on Mahku.

Regards,
Scott
 
Did some digging for more references - here's a BBC reference. It supports the idea of 10,000 witnesses.

My understanding is that the execution and events thereof actually made soe European newspapers in the day but references, and certainly online ones, are scarce. I found a general review of western accounts of the Babi Faith here - it refers to the execution with specifics but assumed: "The French writer Jules Bois says that: "among the littérateurs of my generation, in the Paris of 1890, the martyrdom of the Báb was still as fresh a topic as had been the first news of his death. We wrote poems about him. Sarah Bernhardt entreated Catulle Mendès for a play on the theme of this historic tragedy." (BBR 50)"

One of my favorite "miracles" is the enternment of the remains of the Bab on the same day the news of the results of the first election of the NSA of the US (then combined with Canada) arrived there.
 
smkolins said:
Did some digging for more references - here's a BBC reference. It supports the idea of 10,000 witnesses.

My understanding is that the execution and events thereof actually made soe European newspapers in the day but references, and certainly online ones, are scarce. I found a general review of western accounts of the Babi Faith here - it refers to the execution with specifics but assumed: "The French writer Jules Bois says that: "among the littérateurs of my generation, in the Paris of 1890, the martyrdom of the Báb was still as fresh a topic as had been the first news of his death. We wrote poems about him. Sarah Bernhardt entreated Catulle Mendès for a play on the theme of this historic tragedy." (BBR 50)"

One of my favorite "miracles" is the enternment of the remains of the Bab on the same day the news of the results of the first election of the NSA of the US (then combined with Canada) arrived there.
Click to expand...

This is from Moojan Momen's web sites:


Early Western Accounts of Bahá'í (and Bábí) Faith



Bahá'í (and Bábí) Faith, Early Western Accounts of The Bábí movement created a great deal of turmoil in Iran, thus it soon aroused some interest in the West also. Initially news of the movement reached the West through newspaper accounts and traveler's reports, while the western governments received information from their diplomatic staff.



The first known account of any of the events relating to Bábí and Bahá'í history was the report sent by the British consul in Baghdad, Major Henry Rawlinson, to the British Foreign Office relating to the arrest and imprisonment of Mullá `Alí Bastámí in early 1845. The first published account was that of proclamation by the Báb of his mission in Mecca and the arrest and punishment of four of the Báb's disciples in Shiraz, and the arrest of the Báb. This account appeared in The Times of London on 1 November 1845. Other important early accounts include those of Lady Mary Sheil, the wife of the British Minister in Tehran, in her book, Life and Manners in Modern Persia (London, 1856, pp. 176-81, 273-82); Dr Jakob Polak in Persien. Das Land und seine Bewohner (Leipzig, 1865, p. 350) as well as the reports sent by the foreign diplomatic representatives resident in Iran, Lt-Col. Justin Sheil, the British minister, Prince Dimitri Dolgorukov, the Russian minister, and Joseph Ferrier, the French agent. Most of these early accounts described the Bábís as violent revolutionaries and socialists--which no doubt reflected both the official Iranian government account of the movement and the prejudices of the writers.

It was the appearence of the book Les Religions et les Philosophies dans l'Asie Centrale (Paris, 1865) by Arthur, Comte de Gobineau (q.v.) which more than anything else served to bring the Bábí movement to the attention of the West. This book, together with Mirza Kazem-Beg's book, Bab i Babidui (St Petersburg, 1865), which also came out in French translation in the Journal Asiatique in 1866, gave rise to a large number of articles in many of the well-known magazines of Europe and North America (for a list of these, see BBR 23-26). So great was the coverage given to the new religion that, in 1871, the well-known writer and critic Matthew Arnold was able to say that Babism was a movement "of which most people in England have at least heard the name." (BBR 25)

The interest in Babism remained in literary circles for some time. The French writer Jules Bois says that: "among the littérateurs of my generation, in the Paris of 1890, the martyrdom of the Báb was still as fresh a topic as had been the first news of his death. We wrote poems about him. Sarah Bernhardt entreated Catulle Mendès for a play on the theme of this historic tragedy." (BBR 50) References to the Báb and the Bábís began to appear in some of the literature of the time, such as in the Portuguese novelist Eça de Queirós' A Correspondencia de Fradique Mendes(Lisbon, 1889, pp. 48-54), the French writer A. de Saint-Quentin's Un Amour au Pays des Mages(Paris, 1891), and the poem by the Austrian Marie von Najmajer, Gurret-ül-Eyn: ein Bild aus persiens Neuzeit (1874). This literary interest was continued into the twentieth century in such works as E.S. Stevens' novel The Mountain of God (1911) and the Russian writer Izabella Grinevskaya's dramatic poem entitled Bab (1903).

During the second half of the nineteenth century, a great many travelers to Iran published accounts of their journeys. Several of these contain some interesting information about the Bábís and Bahá'ís. Among the more important of these accounts were by the Italian Michele Lessona, I Babi (Turin, 1881), the Pole Aleksandr Jablonowski in articles published in Blucz in 1871 and Gazeta Polska in 1875, the Spaniard Adolfo Rivadneyra, Viaje al Interior de Persia (Madrid, 1880-81, vol. 1, p. 244), and the French woman Mde Dieulafoy, La Perse, la Chaldee et la Susiane (Paris, 1887, pp. 77-87).

News that the Bábí movement had, for the most part, transformed itself into the Bahá'í Faith was slow to reach the West. There were a number of early reports of Bahá'u'lláh's pre-eminence, most notably that of Dr Thomas Chaplin, published in The Times on 5 October 1871, and of Laurence Oliphant, published in the New York Sun on 10 December 1883. There were also some references to the change that was happening among the Bábís in Iran, the first published reference being probably in Arthur Arnold, Through Persia by Caravan (1877, vol. 2, pp. 34-5); but there does not appear to have been any general appreciation of the full significance of this change until the researches of E.G. Browne (q.v.) and the arrival of the Bahá'í Faith in the West in the 1890s.

After Gobineau's book, interest and coverage of the new religion reached a second peak during the time of `Abdu'l-Bahá's journeys to the West (1911-1913). Newspaper and magazine articles covered his journeys in a great deal of detail.



Moojan Momen

Bibliography A more detailed survey of this subject appears in BBR 3-65. Full bibliographic details of the works referred to above can be found there. For newspaper and magazine coverage of `Abdu'l-Bahá's Western journeys, see AB 144-371; and Ward, 239 Days.

Momen's book: [size=+1]Bábí and Bahá'í Religions 1844-1944: Some Contemporary Western Accounts[/size]
is back in print from the British Bahai Publishing Trust.

Regards,
Scott
 
Can someone clarify what is the position of Bab in the entire episode. What was his relation to Islam. I mean Bab and Baha were qualified Muslims before they made their claims?

This element is missing from your chronicle of the Faith. What were Bab and Baha before making their claims. How did they reconcile Islam and their respective Faiths?
 
imranshaykh said:
Can someone clarify what is the position of Bab in the entire episode. What was his relation to Islam. I mean Bab and Baha were qualified Muslims before they made their claims?

This element is missing from your chronicle of the Faith. What were Bab and Baha before making their claims. How did they reconcile Islam and their respective Faiths?
Click to expand...

Imran,

Thanks for posting here... Briefly from my own limited knowledge, the Bab was a descendent of Prophet Muhammad and was raised in Shiraz. He wore a green turbin and was addressed as a "Siyyid". He later was admired my followers of Shakh Ahmad and Siyyid Kazzim.

His name was Siyyid Ali Muhammad Shirazi and His title was the Bab.. In Shiah Islam the Bab represented for many the fulfillment the prophecy of the Return of the Twelfth Imam...earlier in Shiah Islam the concept of Bab was used for those who were like spokesmen for the Twelfth Imam who was believed to be in occultation and so this title of Bab was understood by some to be a similar one but it became much more... The Bab began to be recognize as the Imam Mahdi and the Return also the Qa'im.

Many prophecies were fulfilled in the minds of His followers such as the unfurled black banner and the troop of His followers from Khorasan and so on...

During the Bab's brief ministry which you can read about He made mention of One Who would come after Him "Him Whom God would make manifest". After the martyrdom of the Bab in 1850 in Tabriz the surviving followers of the Bab came to turn toward Mirza Husayn Ali "Baha'u'llah" and soon they recognized Him as the fulfillment of the Bab's prophecy.

Among many other things, Baha'u'llah revealed how the planet can be unified and find peace which was also a promise. Baha'u'llah began to be recognized as the Qayyum and the fulfillment of the prophecies of past religions.

There is a site that relates this at

http://www.bahai-library.com/books/announcement.quran/

Baha'is recognize Prophet Muhammad and accept the Qur'an but believe also in Bab and Baha'u'llah fulfilled the promises of earlier dispensations.

- Art
 
arthra said:
Imran,

Thanks for posting here... Briefly from my own limited knowledge, the Bab was a descendent of Prophet Muhammad and was raised in Shiraz. He wore a green turbin and was addressed as a "Siyyid". He later was admired my followers of Shakh Ahmad and Siyyid Kazzim.

His name was Siyyid Ali Muhammad Shirazi...
Click to expand...

It should be noted that Persia went through a process of cultural change in names during this time - people generally did not identify by a family name. You can dimly catch this by noting the Shaykhs names are so short while the Bab's was longer (this covers about 30 years between their respective births.) Thus this last name simply signifies that the Bab was from the city of Shiraz. Additionally there is often attached any of several honorifics to their name by which they may be called. One is Siyyid - as mentioned. Another is Haji - refering to one who has completed the Moslem pilgrimage. Another is Mirza - it can refer to a position of respect by birth (recall Persia and most Moslem places were matters of monarchies, with the equivolent of princes and Lords, and such) or by right of education or training. There is also Mulla which is specifically a honorific refering to a religious degree. Additionally most people are named after a few historical figures of renown - Muhammad and Ali for example. Others include Husayn, Hasan, and Fatimah - all are central figures of Islam. There are also cultural heroes and heroins of pre-Islamic Persia. So many many people are named Ali or Muhammad or Ali Muhammad or Muhammad Ali, and so on for other combinations. Not to say there isn't a real diversity of names but like the West, there are plenty of James', John's, Steven's, Henry's, Mary's, Elizabeth's... but there are some less common names as well.
 
arthra said:
Imran,

Thanks for posting here... Briefly from my own limited knowledge, the Bab was a descendent of Prophet Muhammad and was raised in Shiraz. He wore a green turbin and was addressed as a "Siyyid". He later was admired my followers of Shakh Ahmad and Siyyid Kazzim.

His name was Siyyid Ali Muhammad Shirazi and His title was the Bab.. In Shiah Islam the Bab represented for many the fulfillment the prophecy of the Return of the Twelfth Imam...earlier in Shiah Islam the concept of Bab was used for those who were like spokesmen for the Twelfth Imam who was believed to be in occultation and so this title of Bab was understood by some to be a similar one but it became much more... The Bab began to be recognize as the Imam Mahdi and the Return also the Qa'im.

Many prophecies were fulfilled in the minds of His followers such as the unfurled black banner and the troop of His followers from Khorasan and so on...

During the Bab's brief ministry which you can read about He made mention of One Who would come after Him "Him Whom God would make manifest". After the martyrdom of the Bab in 1850 in Tabriz the surviving followers of the Bab came to turn toward Mirza Husayn Ali "Baha'u'llah" and soon they recognized Him as the fulfillment of the Bab's prophecy.

Among many other things, Baha'u'llah revealed how the planet can be unified and find peace which was also a promise. Baha'u'llah began to be recognized as the Qayyum and the fulfillment of the prophecies of past religions.

There is a site that relates this at

http://www.bahai-library.com/books/announcement.quran/

Baha'is recognize Prophet Muhammad and accept the Qur'an but believe also in Bab and Baha'u'llah fulfilled the promises of earlier dispensations.

- Art
Click to expand...

At the outset, I find it quite interesting that while the Bahais do not permit interpretation of their own books, yet they do not hesitate to interpret the books of others to suit their purpose. I went through exactly 2 pages of the book to understand that the Bahais are not qualified to interpret the Quran. In fact none of us are. We are taught to refer to the sayings of the Holy Prophet of Islam to understand the Quran correctly. A classic case in example is that of Namaz. It is a fundamental element of Islam, yet there is no mention in the Quran on its units or the method of recitation. So we ned to refer to the prophet.

But that is another matter altogether.

I also find it quite interesting that the Bahais are now trying their best to remove the Bab from public memory. Not many Bahais are taught about the life and times of the Bab. And if they are, then they are not being taught correct history.

The bahai.org web site mentions the Bab as an independent prophet with an independent religion. What?? Can the Bahais bring even a single documentary proof to substantiate this claim from the Bab. I mean did the Bab actually claim this. I do not think so.

The earlier descriptions of Bab talk about him being a Gate to the 12th Imam and then the 12th Imam. Why is it so important for the Bahais to prove that the Bab is the 12th Imam? Because the Holy Prophet prophecised about the coming of the Mahdi - a person from his progeny who would come at the end of time and fill the earth with justice and equality. he will obliterate injustice and inequality. Islam would be completed only after the RE-APPEARANCE of the Mahdi.

So who and where is this Mahdi?

The Bahais claim that the Bab was the 12th Imam. And by doing this they wish to pave the way for a new religion of Baha.Since a new religion would come only after Islam would be "completed"

But can the Bahais bring any documentary proof that Bab was the 12th Imam. I would like to hear this from the Bab himself and not from Baha or Shoghi or Abbas Effendi or for that matter from the UHJ. I want to hear this from the Bab. I have sufficient proof which establishes that the Bab was not the 12th Imam.

It is important that the Bahais clarify this position of Bab. There is nothing to suggest that the Bab had any connection with the God who sent Mohammed. Yes, at best he was a prolific writer.

I want the Bahais to clarify the actual position of the Bab. Was he an independent prophet? Was he the Gate to the 12th Imam? Was he the 12th Imam? Was he all of these? Was he none of these? Someone has got to answer.

Regards
Imran Shaykh
 
Hi:

You have got it right and wrong...

Sayyid is a person whose parent or atleast his father is a descendant of the Holy Prophet of Islam. Sayyid is also used to indicate Master. However when we take the name of a person or rather when Sayyid is used as a part of the name of the person - it means that either both parents are from the family of the prophet or at least his father is. Take any culture, if I am called Sayyed Imran Shaykh, for example, it means that atleast my father is also a Sayyed.

Mirza in any culture means that the father is not a Sayyed - the mother is.

True there are many Mohammeds and many Alis. Hence the Arabs established the system of referring to each person with the name of his father. This is probably the reason why the science of genealogy is highly developed in Islam as opposed to any other religion. Each and every tradition which is quoted is Islam is accepted only after verifying the chain of narrators right upto the Holy Prophet (pbuh).

Unfortunately, the Bahais have used the culture as a mask to hide the fact that the Bab was not a Sayyed. His father was a Mirza - Mirza Ali Bazzaz.

Bab was a Sayyed only in title and not by birth. Which automatically disqualifies him as the claimed 12th Imam

Regards
Imran Shaykh
 
imranshaykh said:
I also find it quite interesting that the Bahais are now trying their best to remove the Bab from public memory. Not many Bahais are taught about the life and times of the Bab.
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"Not many Baha'is..."??

We consider it a fundamental verity.

"“That the Bab, the inaugurator of the Babi Dispensation, is fully entitled to rank as one of the self-sufficient Manifestations of God, that He has been invested with sovereign power and authority, and exercises all the rights and prerogatives of independent Prophethood, is yet another fundamental verity which the Message of Bahá’u’lláh insistently proclaims and which its followers must uncompromisingly uphold. That He is not to be regarded merely as an inspired Precursor of the Bahá'í Revelation, that in His person, as He Himself bears witness in the Persian Bayan, the object of all the Prophets gone before Him has been fulfilled, is a truth which I feel it is my duty to demonstrate and emphasize. We would assuredly be failing in our duty to the Faith we profess and would be violating one of its basic and sacred principles if in our words or by our conduct we hesitate to recognize the implications of this root principle of Bahá'í belief, or refuse to uphold unreservedly its integrity and demonstrate its truth."

I can think of three major works certainly widely known to Baha'is - The Dawnbreakers, God Passes By, The Bab, (biography by Mr. Balyuzi) (here reviewed in a British Journal) which cover the history and importance of the Bab. I would think most Baha'is have read at least some of two of the three. Many have read all of all three.

imranshaykh said:
I want the Bahais to clarify the actual position of the Bab. Was he an independent prophet? Was he the Gate to the 12th Imam? Was he the 12th Imam? Was he all of these?
Click to expand...

Yes. Question answered. Next?
 
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