Bab's notions did not contain much originality. Mahommedans... ought to be exterminated.

Bab's notions did not contain much originality. Atheism, under the disguise of pantheism, was the basis of his principles. Every single atom in the universe, he said, was actually God, and the whole universe collectively was God ; not a representative of, or emanation from God, but God himself. Everything in short was God. Bab was God, and every living creature down to each lowest insect. Death was not real it was only another form of divinity, if such language has any signification at all. Virtue had no existence, neither had vice; they were necessarily wholly indifferent, as being portions or emanations of the Godhead. Rights of property had no existence, excepting in the equal division of all things among the godly. But this was a fiction, the real doctrine being the reign of the Saints, that is, of the Babees, and their possession of the goods of the ungodly, in other words, the non-Babees. It was the simplest of religions. Its tenets may be summed up in materialism, communism, and the entire indifference of good and evil and of all human actions. There was no antipathy, it was affirmed, on the part of the Babees to Christians, or to the followers of any other creed excepting Mahommedans, who, as they slew Babees, ought to be exterminated.

(GLIMPSES OF LIFE AND MANNERS IN PERSIA, BY LADY SHEIL, p. 179)

Read More

The relationship between the Russian diplomatic mission and the Babi and Baha'i movements according to a Russian scholar.

The relationship between the Russian diplomatic mission and the movement that evolved from Babism to Baha'ism was complex, shifting from initial political apprehension to a more nuanced involvement characterized by scholarly interest, personal sympathy, and occasional direct intervention,,.

Evolution toward a Nuanced Relationship

Initially, in the mid-19th century, the Russian and British missions were primarily concerned that the Babi uprisings would destabilize Iran and undermine their respective influences. Consequently, diplomats like Prince Dolgorukov encouraged the Shah’s government to take decisive measures to suppress the movement.

Over time, however, the relationship became more sophisticated as Russian diplomats and military officials began to study the movement in depth,.

• Scholarly Engagement: Many officials, such as A.G. Tumansky, N.V. Khanikov, and G.D. Batyushkov, became leading researchers of the movement, collecting manuscripts and corresponding with its leaders,,.
• Internal Divergence: Opinions within the mission varied. While Dolgorukov viewed Babism as a purely religious phenomenon, others—supported by diplomatic data—saw it as a political movement against the existing order. By the late 19th century, some officials like Batyushkov even argued that the spread of Baha'ism could benefit Persia because its ideals were "higher than Muslim, especially Shiite" ideals.
• Diplomatic Friction: By the 1890s, the presence of Baha'i refugees in Russian-controlled Ashgabat created tension,. While some Russian authorities favored the group, officials like V.I. Ignatyev worried that this protection "embittered the Shah" and harmed Russo-Persian relations.

Protection and Interventions

Diplomats frequently stepped in to protect followers or their interests, often at personal or political risk:

• Saving Lives through Records: In Tehran, G.D. Batyushkov intervened in a probate case regarding a Russian-subject Babi. He secured the deceased's papers and manuscripts, explicitly stating that he did so to "save from publicity" many individuals who would have suffered "substantially" if the government or clergy had discovered their identities.
• Asylum in Ashgabat: Under General Kuropatkin, the Russian administration in the Transcaspian Region showed great favor to the Baha'i community,. Baha'is in Ashgabat sought Russian citizenship to avoid being seized and executed upon returning to Persia. Despite the diplomatic strain, Russian officials like Ignatyev maintained that extraditing these refugees to Iran was impossible, as it would be beneath the "dignity of Russia as a great power".
• Protection of Agents: In Yazd, the head of the Baha'i community, Haji Mohammad Tagi Shirazi, was protected by his status as a Russian commercial agent, allowing the community to live relatively peacefully for a time under the shadow of Russian authority.

Secret Instructions and Safe Passage

The sources highlight specific instances where the Russian mission facilitated the movement of followers through archival and administrative means:

• Instructions for Akka: A.G. Tumansky, while searching the mission’s archives, discovered a "secret instruction" addressed to a Babi. This document detailed the specific measures required for the follower's "safe passage to Akka" (the residence of Baha'u'llah).
• Collection of Political Circulars: Tumansky also recovered a political circular from Abbas Effendi (Ghusn-i-Azam), the leader of the movement, titled "Lawh-i-Siyasi," which he used to characterize the contemporary political stance of the Baha'is.
• Information Gathering: Diplomatic officials like N.A. Anichkov in Tabriz were tasked with using all means to collect "the most reliable and closest information" about the movement, including obtaining original manuscripts from local governors to better understand the sect's goals and influence.

(N. A. Kuznetsova's 1963 article, "On the History of the Study of Babism and Baha'ism in Russia")

www.orientalstudies.ru/rus/images/pdf/journals/OIRV_6_1963_02_kuznetsova.pdf

Read More

Russian Scholar Kazem-Bek believed that Babism was a political movement which adopted a religious "coloring"

А. К. Мирза Казем-бек, первый русский исследователь бабизма, издапший в 1865 г. большой труд о бабидах «Баб и бабиды. Религиозно-политические смуты в Персии в 1844— 1852 годах», широко использовал материалы, собранные диплом этическими чиновниками.

Б отличие от Д. И. Долгорукова, считавшего бабизм чисто религиозным движением, Мирза Казем-бек склонен был рассматривать его как политическое выступление против существующего строя, принявшее религиозную окраску. Подзаголовком к 'книге «Религиозно-политические смуты в Персии» Мирза Казем-бек хотел подчеркнуть именно политическую сущность бабизма8.

Translation:

A. K. Mirza Kazem-Beg, the first Russian scholar of Babism, who in 1865 published a major work on the Babis titled "The Bab and the Babis: Religious-Political Unrest in Persia, 1844–1852", made extensive use of materials collected by diplomatic officials.

Unlike D. I. Dolgorukov, who regarded Babism as a purely religious movement, Mirza Kazem-Beg tended to view it as a political uprising against the established order that had assumed a religious character. By using the subtitle "Religious-Political Unrest in Persia", Mirza Kazem-Beg sought to emphasize the political nature of Babism.

(N. A. Kuznetsova's 1963 article, "On the History of the Study of Babism and Baha'ism in Russia")

www.orientalstudies.ru/rus/images/pdf/journals/OIRV_6_1963_02_kuznetsova.pdf

Read More

The Babis took up arms

Algar sees the Babi movement as a heresy of Shi‘i origin that sought to overthrow orthodoxy by force. He maintains that the Babi rebellion began in the summer of 1848, when Mulla Husayn-i-Bushrw’i, the Bab’s most renowned disciple, marched toward Mazandaran at the head of a band of Babis. MacEoin has proposed the view that “between 1847 and 1850, following the Bab’s announcement that he himself was the Qa’im, his followers took up arms to begin the last crusade or share in the messianic woes in the hope of hastening the final restitution of things.”

(The Bab and the Babi Community of Iran by Fereydun Vahman)

Read More

how the idea of 750 rifles developed

About the firing squad, Sen McGlinn in one of his comment on Youtube, states:

The idea that the firing squad for the Bab's execution was very large is only found in much later reports. There are contemporary accounts that speak of a small firing squad, even a "platoon," and there are multiple contemporary accounts that say there was a firing squad, with no mention of its size, implying that it was what the observer and his expected reader understood by the term "firing squad." We also have some evidence about how the idea of 750 rifles developed, from bad translations and misunderstandings. This "transmission history" is also positive evidence that would have to be refuted to make a claim of a large firing squad plausible. I have some of the sources online on my Bahai Studies blog, under "750 muskets."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2ea2siOww8&lc=Ugz-UGy8ycywZ1Opn_B4AaABAg


This document contains multiple sources that have narrated the execution of the Bab in chronological order. These include multiple non-Baha'i sources including reports from British and Russian officials and etc. What is obvious, is that the earlier non-Baha'i sources do not mention the fancy miraculous and exaggerated claims that were later fabricated and propagated by Baha'is. It's an interesting document:

https://www.paintdrawer.co.uk/david/folders/spirituality/bahai/bab/Martyrdom%20of%20the%20Bab%20(Sources).doc

https://archive.org/details/martyrdom-of-the-bab-sources

Read More

Morals of some Babis had deteriorated to an alarming degree.

The Bab and most of the leaders of His Faith had been martyred, and the remaining disciples were a dispirited lot. Morals among some of them had deteriorated to an alarming degree.

(The Tablet of All Food And the Nature of Reality by Karl Weaver, 2016)

https://bahai-library.com/weaver_tablet_food_reality

Read More

Quddus was a Qiblih and Kabih for the Babis

Turning to Quddús

It is reported that on more than one occasion and as a sign of reverence, the companions would turn to Quddús as a Qiblih (Arabic Qibla) when they said their obligatory prayers:

One day they decided to determine the total number of companions. It was four hundred and forty-four individuals. During the festivities of Qurbán [F November VG5G], and Ghadı́r [VJ November]. as per the specific instruction of his eminence the Báb [Mullá Ḥusayn], all companions gathered for the mass prayer. Then, a sermon from his writings [Quddús] was read. A Tablet of Visitation was read by the honourable Mı́rzá Muḥammad-Báqir, the junior. His holiness Quddús commanded that the night prayer is obligatory, which needs to be observed. All the companions performed the nafl prayer [supererogatory prayer].

In days to follow, a number of imáms (prayer leaders) were determined to lead the congregation in congregational prayer. The companions formed two lines of prayer behind them and to follow them in prayers. Ḥájı́ Mı́rzá Ḥasan, Jináb-i-Mullá Muḥammad-Ṣádiq, Mı́rzá Muḥammad Mahalátı́ and Mullá Zaynu’l-’Abidı́n Miyámaı́ were appointed imáms. While we were standing together in rows to offer prayers in congregation [facing the prayer leaders who in turn would be looking toward Mecca, the Islamic point of direction for prayers], Mı́rzá Amı́n instead turned towards his holiness [Quddús]. Mullá Jalı́l also turned towards Quddús in prayer…

Circumabulating his chamber

The believers used to circumambulate around the abode of Quddús: On the night of the festival of Qurbán, Mullá Ḥusayn circumambulated the house that was the residence of His Holiness Quddús. Other believers in obedience to the Bábu’l-Báb (Mullá Ḥusayn) also circumambulated the house of Quddús. This respect was repeated every night, and each night Mullá Ḥusayn circumambulated around the house of Quddús. Each time that Quddús appeared out of his residence or rode his horse, Mullá Ḥusayn circumambulated his Holiness [Quddús].

(Quddús - The First in Rank by Boris Handal)

https://bahai-library.com/pdf/h/handal_quddus_first_rank.pdf

Read More

Some of the most prominent instances of violence by the Babis

Some of the most prominent instances of violence by the Bábís include:

• Rescue Operations: In Mashhad, Bábís launched a violent rescue of a detained companion named Ḥasan, which resulted in the death of several government guards.
• The Clash at Bárfurúsh: Upon entering Bárfurúsh (modern Babol), the Bábís were attacked by a fanatical mob. In a famous display of strength, Mullá Ḥusayn cleaved an attacker, his musket, and a tree in half with a single sword stroke! Later, Bábís charged out of a caravanserai to repel besiegers, resulting in more fatalities among the attackers.
• Military Sorties at Shaykh Ṭabarsí:
  • In the first major battle, Bábís "mistakenly" attacked the village of Qáḍı́-Kalá, destroying houses and "accidentally" killing the mother of a tribal leader.
  • In December 1848, a small band of Bábís surprised the regional army at dawn, killing 430 soldiers, including the commander.
  • In January 1849, during a night raid on the royal camp at Vás-Kas, Bábís killed three royal princes and roughly 70 soldiers.
• Retaliatory Acts: Following reports that the royalist army had decapitated and burned Bábí corpses, the Bábís beheaded slain Muslim soldiers and impaled their heads on pikes around the fort's ramparts as a deterrent.
• Individual Acts of Resistance: During the final executions, a prisoner named Mı́rzá Muḥammad-Báqir-i-Qá’inı́ broke his bonds, snatched a sword from an executioner, and killed him on the spot before being shot by soldiers.

(Quddús - The First in Rank by Boris Handal)

https://bahai-library.com/pdf/h/handal_quddus_first_rank.pdf

Read More

the succession to the Báb was not an open question but a settled matter that was later overturned. A.-L.-M. Nicolas

Synthesizing the historical evidence compiled during his decades of research, A.-L.-M. Nicolas presents a clear and unambiguous conclusion: the succession to the Báb was not an open question but a settled matter that was later overturned.

The primary points of his analysis are compelling. Subh-i-Azal was the Báb's explicitly named and publicly acknowledged successor, a fact confirmed by the near-unanimous allegiance of the early Babi community. In stark contrast, Baha'u'llah's claim to leadership was constructed upon a professed ignorance of the Báb's most sacred texts and required a systematic demotion of the Báb's prophetic station from that of a law-giving prophet to a simple herald. The evidence of their respective actions—Subh-i-Azal's quiet obedience and Baha'u'llah's open ambition—further reinforces this conclusion.

Ultimately, Nicolas's research portrays the Babi movement as having been fundamentally and deliberately transformed into the Baha'i Faith through what Nicolas's evidence portrays as a calculated and successful usurpation of leadership, an act that permanently severed the Baha'i Faith from the historical trajectory of the Báb's original revelation.

https://archive.org/details/nicolas-qui-est-le-successeur-du-bab-1933

Read More

Bahá’u’lláh’s sent his son Mírzá Muhammad-`Alí to Bombay

In accordance with Bahá’u’lláh’s instructions, in 1308 A.H. [1891], Mírzá Muhammad-`Alí [Bahá’u’lláh’s son] went to Bombay to publish some of the Holy Tablets. As the Blessed Beauty instructed, he purchased a gravestone for the resting place of the wife of the Báb.

(Memories of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh and `Abdu’l-Bahá by Mírzá Habíbu’lláh Afnán, p 18)

https://bahai-library.com/pdf/r/rabbani_habibullah_afnan_memories.pdf

Read More

Laws of the Bab pertaining to number Nineteen in the Bayan (Arabic)

Structure and Divinity

• The doors (gates/Babs) of the religion were fixed at the number nineteen.
• The total number of units (wahid) in the Bayan should ideally be nineteen, though only eleven units were revealed by the Báb.
• Each of the revealed Units of the Bayan contains nineteen doors.
• The Letters of the Living (Huruf Hayy) are nineteen in number (comprising the Point/Báb and the eighteen Letters).
• The complete daily prayer (Salat) consists of nineteen rak'ahs (cycles of prayer) performed from noon to noon, single rak'ah by single rak'ah.

Time and Annual Cycles

• The year is fixed at nineteen months.
• A teacher's wife is forbidden to him for nineteen days if he strikes beyond the prescribed limit of five blows. If the teacher does not have a wife, the penalty is a financial fine: he must pay nineteen mithqals of gold to the individual he struck.
• A murderer's wives are forbidden to him for nineteen years.
• If someone orders another's expulsion from his home or land, his wife is forbidden to him for nineteen months.
• The mandatory purification ritual for those residing near the site (up to 66 farsakhs) where the Báb was struck must last nineteen days.
• After divorce, reconciliation is permitted up to nineteen times, following a one-month delay.
• One must consider replacing household utensils and furnishings (asbáb) every nineteen years.

Rituals and Practices

• At a child's birth, after saying Allahu Akbar five times while standing, statements of faith/contentment/creation by God are repeated nineteen times.
• When praying for the deceased, various glorifications are recited nineteen times after each of the six takbirs (glorifications).
• In formal gatherings, room must be left for the equivalent of nineteen people.
• Every nineteen days, one must invite nineteen people or at least offer them water.
• The Azan (call to prayer) ritual is divided into five parts throughout the day, and in each part, the phrase "There is no god but God" and a divine attribute are repeated nineteen times.

Financial Obligations and Penalties

• The minimum standard coin weight (mithqal) is fixed at nineteen nakhuds (chickpeas).
• The Bayani Sultan must fix the price of nineteen nakhuds of gold at 10,000 dinars and nineteen nakhuds of silver at 1,000 dinars.
• The dowry (mahr) can be reduced to nineteen mithqals (gold or silver), but the reduction must be made in increments of nineteen.
• The pilgrim tax requires giving four mithqals of gold to the nineteen guardians of the House of God.
• If a believer possesses more than nineteen books/volumes (excluding the authorized 19 volumes), they must pay nineteen mithqals of gold.
• If someone violates the ban on sitting in the center of a gathering, they must pay nineteen mithqals of gold.
• If someone railles (mocks) at a believer, they must pay nineteen mithqals of gold (or silver).
• If someone writes a word to Him Whom God shall make manifest that is other than what is revealed in the Bayan before His manifestation, it is obligatory for him to pay a fine of nineteen mithqals of gold.
• A mute person unable to say the Azan must compensate with nineteen mithqals of white sugar. The sugar is given to someone who will be responsible for saying the Azan for him.
• The 20% tax must be made to reach Him Whom God Shall Make Manifest. HWGSMM is commanded to distribute this fund to the nineteen Letters of Living.

The Bab, Arabic Bayan, Typed Version (2-21 of PDF)
https://bahai-library.com/inba/_typed_pdf/مجموعه%20کتابهای%20سبز-ج43.pdf

The Bab, Arabic Bayan, pp. 1-68 of Ms (3-70 of PDF)
https://afnanlibrary.org/inba-volume-43/

Read More

Baha'u'llah declared all humanity purified and equal in the sight of God.

Though defensive jihad was sanctioned and anticipated in the writings of the Bab, it was hardly realized and is only dimly reflected in the Babi upheavals of the mid-1840s and later. The first thing that Baha’u’llah did in instituting his post-Babi, Baha’i religion in mid-1863, it may be recalled here, was to abolish militaristic jihad and declare all humanity purified and equal in the sight of God.

(The Báb and the Bábí Community of Iran, edited by Fereydun Vahman, Oneworld Academic, London, 2020)

https://bahai-library.com/vahman_bab_babi_community

Read More

The Bab attended now and then the classes of Haji Siyyid Kazim Rashti

During his seclusion in Karbala, he attended now and then the classes of Haji Siyyid Kasem, with a shining and luminous countenance. Whenever he entered the class, Haji Siyyid Kasem would show him the greatest respect and honor. When these classes closed, and the period of the pilgrimage was over, the Bab returned to Bu-Shihr and Shiraz and Haji Siyyid Kasem departed to the higher world.

(Episodes in the Life of Munirih Khanum, translated by Ahmad Sohrab, Los Angeles: Persian American Publishing Company, 1924)

https://bahai-library.com/khanum_episodes_life

Read More

Women are commanded to engrave word Allāhum on their breasts with Henna

Women are commanded to engrave/tattoo (naghsh) the word Allāhum (اللهم) on their breasts. This engraving is to be performed using dyes (khidabāt) such as Henna (ḥinnāʾ) and similar substances. The overall practice of using these substances is permitted as a form of adornment (zīnāt).

(The Bab quoted in Hasht Bishisht. This book written by Shaykh Ahmad Ruhi & Mirza Aqa Khan of Kerman, the son-in-laws of Subh-i-Azal)

Check Page 57 of the PDF, here:

https://bayanic.com/showItem.php?id=hasht

Read More

The Báb prescribed specific ways of performing ritual mention of God (Dhikr) involving celestial bodies

• Rising Sun: Believers were instructed to stand facing the sun as it rises on Friday and recite a specific verse that proclaimed God's glory and had the sun bear witness to God's unity.
• Moon: The believer was decreed to stand each month facing the moon and recite a specific verse 142 times (the numerical equivalent of the name al-Qāʼim).
• Daily Mention: Separately, performing Dhikr 95 times each day using different divine names (such as Allāhu Abhā on the first day of the month) was obligatory.

(Extracted from Rituals in Babism and Baha'ism by Denis MacEoin, London: British Academic Press, 1994)

https://bahai-library.com/maceoin_rituals_babism_bahaism

This invocation also appears in a recent compilation by Fadil-i-Yazdi, Manaij al-ahkam (Tehran: n.p., 1980), vol. 1, p. 107. Here there is a tablet of Bahá'u'lláh's commenting on the Báb's invocation to the sun, which states that by the sun the Báb intended no one else but Bahá'u'lláh, hidden behind clouds during the Báb's ministry.

(The Remembrance of God: An Invocation Technique in Sufism and the Writings of The Báb and Bahá'u'lláh by Steven Scholl, published in Bahá'í Studies Bulletin, 2:3, pp. 73-106, 1983-12)

https://bahai-library.com/scholl_dhikr_remembrance_god

Read More

the rituals observed by the Báb himself, particularly during the early, pietistic phase of Bábism

• Pious Observances (Early Phase):
  • Writings: He observed the custom of writing texts and documents in red ink before the composition of the Persian Bayān.
  • Talismans: He was known to have fashioned amulets (hayākil), charms (aḥrāz), and talismans (ṭilismāt).
• Ritual Prayer (Salāt):
  • He held it obligatory to use four tablets (muhr) of soil from the shrine of the Imām Ḥusayn at Karbalā upon which to place the hands, forehead, and nose during the prostration (salat).
  • He taught his followers (and implicitly observed) the importance of performing prostration during salat on the grave of the Imām Ḥusayn so that the worshipper’s nose would touch the grave.
  • He specifically proclaimed the obligation of the Friday prayer (which the Shí‘a generally regarded as suspended during the occultation of the Imām).
• Fasting:
  • He introduced a structured schedule for ritual fasting (ṣawm), which included: 10 days each month until age 30, 15 days each month from age 30 to 40, three days from age 40 to 50, and Ramadān only from age 50. Note that many early Bábís (his companions) practiced an even stricter regimen, performing a fast of three consecutive months (Rajab, Sha‘bān, and Ramaḍān).
• Pilgrimage and Visitation (Ḥajj and Ziyāra):
  • He considered the pilgrimage of ‘Āshūra a duty.
  • He provided instructions for pilgrims traveling to the shrine of Ḥusayn.
• Devotional Practices:
• He laid down specific prayers (ad‘īa) and supererogatory observances (ta‘qībāt) for use.
• He provided prayers for major Islamic festivals ('Id al-Ghadīr, 'Id al-Fiṭr, 'Id al-Aḍḥā).
• He introduced the ritual observance of prayers for the celebration of the day on which he declared himself the vice-regent of the Imām (5 Jumādā I).
• He instructed his followers (and implicitly followed himself as a sālik or spiritual seeker) in a strenuous daily routine that included dedicated practices like supererogatory devotions (nawāfil) and the diligent reading of scriptural texts.

(Extracted from Rituals in Babism and Baha'ism by Denis MacEoin, London: British Academic Press, 1994)

https://bahai-library.com/maceoin_rituals_babism_bahaism

Read More

Some strange laws of the Bab

• Unique Direction of Prayer (Qibla): The direction to face during prayer was decreed to be "him whom God shall manifest" (man yuẓhiruhu’lláh), the messianic figure foretold by the Báb.
• Specific Prostration Requirements: In ritual prayer, the prostration (sajda) was to be performed upon a box of crystal containing pieces of the dust from the graves of "the first and the last" (referring to Mullá Muḥammad Ḥusayn Bushrú’í and Mulla Muḥammad ‘Alí Barfúrúshí Quddús, the first and last Letters of the Living).
• Ritual for Women: Pregnant or menstruating women were exempted from ṣalāt but were instead commanded to perform wuḍū’ (ablutions) and praise God 95 times daily, using the specific formula: "Praise be to God, the Possessor of appearance and beauty".
• Idiosyncratic Salutations: The standard Islamic greeting (al-salām ‘alaykum) was replaced by unique phrases, such as men greeting each other with Allāhu akbar (God is Most Great) and replying with Allāhu a‘ẓam (God is Most Mighty).
• Daily Scripture Recitation: Believers were required to recite 700 verses of the Bayán daily, or, if unable, to mention God 700 times using the invocation "O God" (Allāhumma).
• Tattooing: It was obligatory for men to tattoo the word al-raḥmān (the Merciful) on their chest, and for women to tattoo the word Allāhumma (O God).
• Numerological Devices: The Babi tradition stressed the use of numerology and letter-number relationships (gematria). The spiritual reality of existence was seen as structured according to patterns related to the number 19 (al-wáḥid).
• Required Talismans: Followers were instructed to wear a talismanic device (haykal) around their neck, often in the shape of a pentagram, written in the Báb’s hand and containing divine names and mysterious symbols.
• Abrogating Holy Sites: The Báb enjoined the destruction or abrogation of historical shrines, including the Ka‘ba and the graves of the Imams, to be replaced by new shrines.
• The New Ka‘ba: The house of the Báb in Shiraz became the new focal point for pilgrimage, ideally to be filled from surface of the water to its top with diamonds, replacing its earth with elixir and its water with red perfume.
• Idiosyncratic Pilgrimage Rites: A specific rite was enjoined upon inhabitants of Tabriz (and its environs) to visit the site of the Báb's bastinado annually. This required them to remain for 19 days, practicing self-purification, which included uncovering the head, sitting on the ground without sandals, and removing all clothing (except that covering the private parts).

(Extracted from Rituals in Babism and Baha'ism by Denis MacEoin, London: British Academic Press, 1994)

https://bahai-library.com/maceoin_rituals_babism_bahaism

Read More

The evolving claims of the Bab

In the early writings it appears that the Báb is identifying Himself as the Gate (Báb) to the Hidden Imám. Less than halfway through the six years of His ministry, He begins to explicitly proclaim His station to be that of the Hidden Imám, a new Prophet, and the Manifestation of the Primal Will of God.

(Gate of the Heart by Nader Saiedi, p. 19)

Read More

The Bab established several distinct commands and rules concerning non-believers

The Báb, in his book the Bayán (Arabic), views those who do not accept his revelation as being in a state of error, and he established several distinct commands and rules concerning non-believers or those outside the Bayán or the Islamic sects.

The overall perspective holds that all people outside the Bábí faith are equal in their error. Jews, Christians, Catholics, Protestants, Sunnis, Shiites, Sufis, and philosophers are all considered to be "in the error" and are seen as blasphemers. The Báb specifically rejects the doctrines of sects like Sufism expressing his "horror and disgust" for this school of thought.

The commands and expectations regarding non-believers fall into several categories:

Commands Regarding Property and Possessions

The Báb instituted commands requiring Bábís to acquire the property of non-believers, though this was generally reversible upon conversion:

1. Acquisition of Property: Bábís are instructed to take all the possessions of those who have not entered the Bayán.
2. Return Upon Conversion: If the non-believers subsequently come to believe in the Bayán, their goods must be returned.
3. Contextual Exception: This command to seize property is set aside if the Bábís are residing in a country where they do not have the power to act in this manner.
4. Purity of Goods: Any goods that Bábís seize from non-believers are immediately rendered pure upon coming into the believer's possession.
5. Conquered Cities: If a city is conquered by the religion of the Bayán, unique objects within that city must be seized and guarded for the future Manifestation of God (He Whom God Shall Make Manifest).

Commands Regarding Conversion, Faith, and Extermination

The Báb places a strong imperative on conversion and obedience to the Bábí law, or faces consequences:

• Exclusion of Non-Believers: The Báb ordered that after the Ulemas' impotence to match his verses is shown, the Babi ruler "must not leave on the surface of the earth any other than believers".
• Exception for Commerce: An exception to this exclusion is made for non-believers who engage in commerce under the belief of the Bayán or those from whom profit is derived.
• Consequences of Disbelief: Those who refuse to believe in Him Whom God Shall Make Manifest and his verses will be annihilated.
• Marriage and Sexual Relations: If one partner in a marriage converts to the Bayán and the other does not, it becomes illicit for the believer to approach (have sexual relations with) the non-converting spouse unless they convert. Furthermore, the reproductive act is not licit if both parties are not believers in the Bayán.
• Prohibition on Torment: Bábís are generally forbidden to torment others [Believers], even to the extent of striking someone's shoulder with one's hand.

Commands Regarding Religious Practices

The Báb instituted prohibitions on certain activities related to non-Bábís or non-Bábí practices:

• Forbidden Association: It is forbidden for Bábís to have relations with non-believers of the Bayán.
• Science and Learning: Bábís are commanded not to acquire sciences which hold no utility, nor to be burdened by sciences "of appearance and without fruit". Specifically, Bábís should not study books or sciences that originate from the "Manteq" (logic) and "Usool" (principles) that are rooted outside the Bayán tradition.
• Religious Blasphemy: The Báb criticizes Christians for accusing God of lying by saying He is one of the three persons of the Trinity, and the Jews for saying Ozéir is the son of God, stating that God will soon chastise them for their bad beliefs.
• Alcohol: Bábís are prohibited from possessing, selling, buying, or consuming fermented beverages or other intoxicants, unless they are used for industry. If someone drinks an intoxicating beverage, they are obliged to pay a fine of 55 mithkals of gold.

In sum, the Báb's commands distinguish between those in error (general non-believers) and those who accept the truth (Bábís), implementing legal and social barriers, including provisional seizure of property, and ultimately calling for a society composed only of believers.

(1905 French translation of Arabic Bayan "Le Béyan Arabe," of Séyyed Ali Mohammed (the Báb) by A.L.M. Nicolas)

Read More

I drank seven drops of the blood of Imām Ḥusayn

The Bab describes his dream in his Ṣaḥīfa-yi ʿAdliyya as follows:

Know that the appearance of these verses, prayers, and divine sciences is the result of a dream in which I saw the blessed head of the prince of martyrs [Imām Ḥusayn] severed from his sacred body, alongside the heads of his kindred. I drank seven drops of the blood of that martyred one, out of pure and consummate love. From the grace vouchsafed by the blood of the Imām, my breast was filled with convincing verses and mighty prayers. Praise be unto God for having given me to drink of the blood of him who is His Proof, and made thereof the reality of my heart.

(The Messiah of Shiraz, Dennis MacEoin, Page 162)

Read More