Birth of the Bab to be observed

arthra

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Baha'i Holy Day to be observed..


From the book "The Bab, The Herald of the Book of Days" by H.M. Balyuzi:


Siyyid (or Mirza) 'Ali-Muhammad, known to history as the Báb, was the son of Siyyid (or Mir) Muhammad-Rida, a mercer of Shiraz.(1) He was born on October 20th 1819 (Muharram 1st, 1235 A.H.). Through both His father and His mother He was descended from Imam Husayn,[1] the third Imam. Thus He stood in direct line of descent from the Prophet Muhammad.

According to Mirza Abu'l-Fadl-i-Gulpaygani, Siyyid Muhammad-Rida, the Báb's father, died when his only child was an infant, unweaned. Then the care of the child devolved upon a maternal uncle, Haji Mirza Siyyid 'Ali. He was the only relative of the Báb to espouse His Cause openly during His lifetime and, as will be seen, to accept martyrdom for His sake. But according to a manuscript history of the Bábí-Bahá'í Faith in Shiraz by Haji Mirza Habibu'llah-i-Afnan,[2] Siyyid Muhammad-Rida passed away when his son was nine years old, and 'Abdu'l-Bahá appears to confirm this account.[3]

[1 He was the son of Fatimih and 'Ali.]
[2 Haji Mirza Habibu'llah's father, Aqa Mirza-Aqa, was a nephew of the wife of the Báb, and his paternal grandfather, Aqa Mirza Zaynu'l-'Abidin, was a paternal cousin of the father of the Báb. (See Foreword for other details of the manuscript.)]
[3 Browne (ed.), A Traveller's Narrative, Vol. II, p. 2.]

Two of Siyyid Muhammad-Rida's paternal cousins rose to eminence in the ranks of the Shí'ah divines, and both bore allegiance, in strict secrecy, to their kinsman when His claim to be 'the Qá'im of the House of Muhammad' became publicly known. The father of Mirzay-i-Shirazi, named Mirza Mahmud, was a noted calligraphist, and was uncle to the father of the Báb.

The other celebrated ecclesiastic, cousin to Siyyid Muhammad-Rida, was Haji Siyyid Javad, the Imam-Jum'ih[1] of Kirman. It was Quddus who gave this dignitary the news of the advent of the Báb. Haji Siyyid Javad extended his protection to Quddus, despite the clamour of his adversaries.
[1 Literally, 'The Leader of Friday' -- the leading imam (he who leads the congregation in prayer) in a town or city.]

The mother of the Báb was Fatimih-Bagum. She was the daughter of Mirza Muhammad-Husayn, a merchant of Shiraz, and had three brothers. Of these, Haji Mirza Siyyid 'Ali became the guardian of the Báb, while Haji Mirza Siyyid Muhammad and Haji Mirza Hasan-'Ali, although not enlisted in the ranks of the followers of their illustrious Nephew, feature in His story.
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Starting this evening (October 19th to sunset October 20th) Baha'is around teh world will be observing the Birth of the Bab the Forerunner of Baha'u'llah.. Being a Holy Day Baha'is will not suspend work and school.
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Yes Wil actually it was a typo.. but I'm glad you caught it!

I could have posted an "errata".

There are Holy Days though where Baha'is do not suspecd work/school.

The Day of the Covenant and the Ascension of Abdul-Baha work/school is not suspended.

All the other Holy Days work/school is suspended.

More on the Birth of the Bab:

Baha'is will recite what we call the Tablet of Visitation on this day:

The praise which hath dawned from Thy most august Self, and the glory which hath shone forth from Thy most effulgent Beauty, rest upon Thee, O Thou Who art the Manifestation of Grandeur, and the King of Eternity, and the Lord of all who are in heaven and on earth!

I testify that through Thee the sovereignty of God and His dominion, and the majesty of God and His grandeur, were revealed, and the Daystars of ancient splendor have shed their radiance in the heaven of Thine irrevocable decree, and the Beauty of the Unseen hath shone forth above the horizon of creation.

I testify, moreover, that with but a movement of Thy Pen Thine injunction "Be Thou" hath been enforced, and God's hidden Secret hath been divulged, and all created things have been called into being, and all the Revelations have been sent down.

~ Baha'i Prayers, p. 229-230
 
ah, and here I was thinking that somehow there was thought process along the lines of still doing ones duty to society, honoring commitments as part of 'holy day' ... oh well.
 
Wil,

Thanks for your interest in Baha'i Holy Days!

Nothing prevents Baha'is from doing their duty to society and honoring commitments..

For Baha'is we request a day off.. to observe the Holy Day. If it's not granted by a school or employer then we work or go to school.

Also, I've found it's not that unusual where a Baha'i will work for Christians on their special days such as Chrismas and Easter..
and we have no laws about breaking a Sabbath or abstaining from work on Sundays so we can sometimes help with that.

Information on the Holy Days:

In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas Bahá'u'lláh establishes the festivals of
Ridvan (on the first, ninth and twelfth days of which work is to
be suspended), the Declaration of the Báb, the Birthday of the
Báb, the Birthday of Bahá'u'lláh, and Naw-Ruz. In the days
of Bahá'u'lláh the Martyrdom of the Báb was also commemorated
and 'Abdu'l-Bahá added the observance of the Ascension
of Bahá'u'lláh as a corollary to these Holy Days, making nine
in all. In addition to these nine days, the Day of the Covenant
and the Anniversary of the Passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá are commemorated,
but work is not suspended on these two days.

(Baha'u'llah, Synopsis and Codification of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 62)


- Art:)
 
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