The Báb

The Shrine of The Báb on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Isreal, where The Báb's body rests today.

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As a young child people recognised The Báb as possesing a suprising amount of wisdom and nobility for someone his age. Working for his uncle as he reached the age of manhood, The Báb's generosity, integrity and pity won over many merchants, and his work for the poor was something admired by others.

At his announcement The Báb's following rapidly increased, drawing admiration as well as persecutions, especially from the religous powers of the time, who were afraid of his following and the effect it would have on their power and prestige. As a result of this The Báb was imprisoned several times, often suffering awful torture, but still the flow of wise words and belief did not stop.

His major work, the Bayan, abrogated certain Muslim laws and replaced them with new ones. The Bayan stressed a high moral standard, with an emphasis on purity of heart and motive. It also upheld the station of women and the poor, and it promoted education and useful sciences.

The central theme of the Bayan was the imminence 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 plenty that had for so long been promised in Islam, as well as in Judaism, Christianity, and all the other world religions. The vision of The Báb was so bold, it ultimately led to the stirring of resentment and fear within the religious and secular establishments. This resentment and fear led to the persecuting of thousands of Bábis, an finally to the execution of The Báb. On the 9th of July 1850, the orders for The Báb's execution were carried out, but not before something unbelievable to the onlookers occured. Sitting in his cell before the execution The Báb was giving instructions to one of his followers, who was then recording them. The guard, arriving to collect The Báb entered before he could finish all he wanted to say'. The Báb warned the guard that "No earthly power" could silence him until he could finish what he had to say. The guard, ignoring these words took The Báb and his a young follower, suspending them against a wall by two ropes and ordered 750 Armenian soldiers to fire. When the smoke had cleared there stood The Báb's young follower, untouched by a single bullet, and the Báb himself had dissapeared.

The Báb was eventually found back in his cell, unscathed, and finishing the words he had started before being interupted by the guard earlier. Once finished The Báb calmly said "Now you may proceed to fulfill your intention.".

Returning to the wall, the Armenian soldiers refused to shoot again upon seeing the first result, so a Muslim firing squad was assembled and ordered to shoot. The result this time was as expected, The Báb and his young follower's bodies were both shattered by the fire, all except amazingly for their faces, which somehow remained untouched.

SYMBOLS BAHA'U'LLAH