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The
Báb
The Herald of the Bahá'í Faith
(20 October, 1819 - 9 July,
1850)
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Photo
by Marco Abrar |
Shrine
of the Báb in Haifa, Israel |
The first of three central Figures of the Faith
is the Báb (the Gate), who was born Mirza
'Ali-Muhammad in Shiraz, Iran (Persia). He declared
His station in May 1844 in a private meeting with
a young student named Mulla Husayn. The Báb
founded the Babi Faith and revealed His Holy Book,
The Bayan (Exposition). In the Bayan the Báb
proclaimed that He was the Herald of "Him
Whom God shall make manifest."
The Báb was immediately beset by severe
persecutions by religious and government forces
who saw Him as a threat to their authority. He
was exiled to the mountains of Adhirbayjan, imprisoned
in the fortresses of Mah-Ku, and Chiriq, and eventually
executed on July 9, 1850 in the city of Tabriz
in northern Iran. The story of His execution was
recorded by several Western journalists. Here
is an account of the events surrounding the Martyrdom
of the Báb, paraphrased from "Release
the Sun", by Mr. William Sears.
The
Báb, imprisoned in His cell in Shiraz,
was to be taken to the authorities for the
purpose of signing His death-warrant. When
the guard came to take Him away He was in
conversation with His secretary giving instructions.
The Báb rebuked the guard saying that
He was not yet done and that until He was,
no power on earth could silence Him. The guard
took Him nevertheless and His death-warrant
was signed. He was placed in the charge of
Sam Khan, commander of the regiment that was
to execute Him. Sam Khan had become increasingly
affected by his Prisoner and spoke with him
privately telling Him that he was a Christian
and had no ill-will against Him. Sam Khan
said "If Your Cause be the Cause
of Truth then enable me to free myself from
the obligation to shed your blood."
The Báb replied, "Follow your
instructions and if your intention be sincere,
the Almighty is surely able to relieve you
of your perplexity."
The Báb and a young companion were
suspended from a nail by ropes for execution
by a firing squad of three ranks of 250 rifles
each; a total of 750 rifles. Sam Khan, unable
to avoid his duty, gave the order to fire.
When the smoke cleared, the crowd of 10,000
persons was amazed to find the Báb's
companion standing, alive and unhurt, the
ropes severed by the bullets. The Báb
was nowhere to be seen. He was found, back
in His cell, finishing His business with His
secretary. The Báb then said to the
guard, "I have finished My conversation.
You may now proceed to fulfill your duty."
The guard, remembering the rebuke he had received
earlier, resigned his post, shaken to the
core and cut himself off from the enemies
of the Báb. |
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Sam
Khan, likewise removed himself and his regiment
from this duty declaring, "I refuse
ever again to associate myself and my regiment
with any act which involves the least injury
to the Báb." A colonel of
the bodyguard then volunteered to carry out
the execution. The Báb was again taken
to the execution ground and suspended as before.
Again the rifles fired. |
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Photo
by Marco Abrar |
| This
time the bodies of the Báb and His
companion were shattered by the blast.The
bodies were thrown at the edge of a moat outside
the city and guarded so that none of His followers
could claim His remains. Two days after the
execution His followers were able to recover
the bodies, hid them in a specially made wooden
case, and kept them in a place of safety.
Today the body of the Báb is interred
in the Shrine of the Báb at the Baha'i
World Centre at Mount Carmel, in Haifa, Israel.
After His Martyrdom "No less than
twenty thousand of His followers were put
to death with such barbarous cruelty as to
evoke the warm sympathy and the unqualified
admiration of a number of Western writers,
diplomats, travelers, and scholars, some of
whom were moved to record them in their books
and diaries."1
1
- Shoghi Effendi, Guidance for Today and Tomorrow,
Baha'i Publishing Trust, London |
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