The Báb: The Herald of the Day of DaysBalyuzi, H. M.
Religion
The Báb: The Herald of the Day of Days
Balyuzi, H. M.
Bab, Ali Muhammad Shirazi, 1819-1850; Bahai Faith
Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid Muḥammad, another maternal uncle of the Báb, did not
come to believe in his Nephew as the Qá'im of the House of Muḥammad
until more than a decade later, when he presented his questions and his
doubts to Bahá'u'lláh and received in answer the _Kitáb-i-Íqán_--_The
Book of Certitude_. Yet, such were the magnetic powers of the Báb that
when He reached Bú[_sh_]ihr and was welcomed by this uncle, the latter
wrote in these terms to his family in [_Sh_]íráz:
It has gladdened our hearts that His Honour the Ḥájí [the
Báb] has arrived safely and is in good health. I am at His
service and honoured to be in His company. It is deemed
advisable that He should stay here for a while. God willing,
He will, before long, honour those parts with His presence,
be assured.... His blessed Person is our glory. Be certain
of His Cause and do not let people's idle talk cause doubts
to creep into your hearts. And have no fear whatsoever. The
Lord of the world is His Protector and gives Him victory....
At the end of his letter Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid Muḥammad sent a
message, on behalf of his wife, to the mother of the wife of the Báb:
'You have a son-in-law who is peerless in the world. All the peoples
of the world ought to obey Him.'[3]
And in a letter written shortly after, to Ḥájí Mírzá
Muḥammad-`Ali, one of his sons, the same Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid
Muḥammad quoted the Báb as saying: My proof is My Book--let him who
can, produce the like of these verses.
Similarly, Muḥammad had said in the Qur'án:[4]
Say: 'Bring a Book from God that gives
better guidance than these, and follow it,
if you speak truly.'
Then if they do not answer thee, know that
they are only following their caprices;
and who is further astray than he who
follows his caprice without guidance from
God? Surely God guides not the people
of the evildoers.
--xxviii, 49-50.
Those are the signs of God that We recite to thee in truth;
in what manner of discourse then, after God and His signs,
will they believe?
--xlv, 5.
The Báb's entry into [_Sh_]íráz was truly majestic. It bore no
resemblance to the condition envisaged by the Governor. He had ordered
the Báb to be brought to [_Sh_]íráz in chains. Instead, there was the
Báb riding, calm and serene, at the head of the horsemen. They went
straight to the citadel where the Governor resided. Ḥusayn [_Kh_]án
received the Báb with overbearing insolence: 'Do you realise what a
great mischief you have kindled? Are you aware what a disgrace you
have become to the holy Faith of Islám and to the august person of our
sovereign? Are you not the man who claims to be the author of a new
revelation which annuls the sacred precepts of the Qur'án?'[5] The Báb
spoke in reply these words from the Qur'án:[6]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account