Preparing for the Martrdom of the Bab..

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arthra

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In about a month we'll be observing the Matrydom of the Bab on July 9th so I thought I'd offer a few things to start preparing for the Holy Day....

Bahá'u'lláh was a Persian personage descended from prominent lineage. During His early years a Youth Whose name was Ali-Muhammad appeared in Persia. He was entitled the Bab, which means door or gate.

The bearer of this title was a great Soul from Whom spiritual signs and evidences became manifest. He withstood the tests of time and lived contrary to the custom and usages of Persia.

He revealed a new system of faith opposed to the beliefs in His country and promulgated certain principles contrary to the thoughts of the people. For this, that remarkable Personality was imprisoned by the Persian government.

Eventually, by order of the government He was martyred. The account of this martyrdom, briefly stated, is as follows: He was suspended in a square as a target and shot to death. This revered Personage foreshadowed the advent of another Soul of Whom He said, "When He cometh He shall reveal greater things unto you."~

~ Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 371
 
The following are some of the parallels found by William Sears between the "moving story of the passion of Jesus Christ" and the Martyrdom of the Bab..


The Remarkable Parallel

I began searching the libraries for all the available documents.
You can imagine my feelings of awe and wonder when I uncovered the
following facts.

The death of this young man occurred in July 1850. He was slain
publicly because of his words and his teaching. Everything I
learned about his life reminded me of Christ. In fact, after
carefully searching into his background, I could find but one
parallel in all recorded history to his brief, turbulent career;
only the moving story of the passion of Jesus Christ himself.

As part of my record of 'findings', I here set down the
remarkable similarity in the story of their lives:

1. They were both youthful.

2. They were both known for their
meekness and loving kindness.

3. They both performed healing
miracles.


4. The period of their ministry was very brief in each
case, and moved with dramatic swiftness to its climax.

5. Both
of them boldly challenged the time-honoured conventions, laws, and
rites of the religions into which they had been born.

6. They
courageously condemned the unbridled graft and corruption which
they saw on every side, both religious and secular.

7. The
purity of their own lives shamed the people among whom they taught.

8. Their chief enemies were among the religious leaders of the
land. These officials were the instigators of the outrages they
were made to suffer.

9. They both had indignities heaped upon
them.



to be continued...

- Bill Sears "Thief in the Night" starting on p. 87
 
Parallels continued:

10. They were both forcibly brought before the government
authorities and were subject to public interrogation.

11. They were both scourged following this interrogation.

12. They both went, first in triumph then in suffering, through the streets of
the city where they were to be slain.

13. They were both paraded publicly, and heaped with humiliation, on the way to their place
of martyrdom.

14. They both spoke words of hope and promise to
the one who was to die with them; in fact, almost the exact same
words: 'Thou shalt be with me in paradise.'

15. They were both martyred publicly before the hostile gaze of the onlookers who
crowded the scene.

16. A darkness covered the land following their slaying, in each
case beginning at noon.

17. Their bodies were both lacerated by
soldiers at the time of their slaying.

18. They both remained in ignominious suspension before the eyes of an unfriendly multitude.

19. Their bodies came finally into the hands of their
loving followers.

~ William Sears, Thief in the Night
 
A "transcript" from one of the trials of the Bab...translated by Denis MacEoin..

"The Trial of the Bab" in Mamaqani's Namus-i Nasiri, p. 42 ff. Then the late Nizam al-`Ulama' said to my father [Mulla Muhammad Mamaqani]:



`Before we move on to a discussion of scholarly matters, I have some questions I'd like to put to him, with your permission.'


Then he faced the Bab and asked:



`These writings, some of which are in the style of the Qur'an, and others in the style of sermons and prayers, and which have been distributed among the people by your followers -- are they yours, or have they just been attributed to you?'


Bab: `They are from God.'


NU: `Be that as it may, did you write them?'


Bab: `Yes, like the revelation of words from the Tree on Sinai.'


NU: `Now, here's something I don't understand. Who gave you this title of "Bab"?'


Bab: God.'


NU: `That's very presumptious of you. Exactly when did God bestow this "Goodnight" on you?'


The Bab grew angry and said: `You're making fun of me.'


NU: `Well, let's leave it there. What are you the Gate of?'


Bab: `"I am the City of Knowledge and `Ali is its Gate."'


NU: `You are the Gate of the City of Knowledge?'


Bab: `Yes. "And pass through the Gate, prostrating yourselves."'


NU: `Are you also the Bab of prostration?'


Bab: `Yes.'


NU: `Since you are the Gate of the City of Knowledge, will you answer any question people may put to you?'


Bab: `Yes. You do not recognize me. I am that very person you have been awaiting for over one thousand years.'


Whereupon my father said: `Sayyid -- you started by claiming to be the Gate of the Imam. Have you now become the hidden Lord of the Command in person?'


Bab: `Yes. I am he for whom you have been waiting since the very beginning of the Islamic revelation.'


Trial of the Bab
 
arthra said:
A "transcript" from one of the trials of the Bab...translated by Denis MacEoin..

"The Trial of the Bab" in Mamaqani's Namus-i Nasiri, p. 42 ff. Then the late Nizam al-`Ulama' said to my father [Mulla Muhammad Mamaqani]:



`Before we move on to a discussion of scholarly matters, I have some questions I'd like to put to him, with your permission.'


Then he faced the Bab and asked:



`These writings, some of which are in the style of the Qur'an, and others in the style of sermons and prayers, and which have been distributed among the people by your followers -- are they yours, or have they just been attributed to you?'


Bab: `They are from God.'


NU: `Be that as it may, did you write them?'


Bab: `Yes, like the revelation of words from the Tree on Sinai.'


NU: `Now, here's something I don't understand. Who gave you this title of "Bab"?'


Bab: God.'


NU: `That's very presumptious of you. Exactly when did God bestow this "Goodnight" on you?'


The Bab grew angry and said: `You're making fun of me.'


NU: `Well, let's leave it there. What are you the Gate of?'


Bab: `"I am the City of Knowledge and `Ali is its Gate."'


NU: `You are the Gate of the City of Knowledge?'


Bab: `Yes. "And pass through the Gate, prostrating yourselves."'


NU: `Are you also the Bab of prostration?'


Bab: `Yes.'


NU: `Since you are the Gate of the City of Knowledge, will you answer any question people may put to you?'


Bab: `Yes. You do not recognize me. I am that very person you have been awaiting for over one thousand years.'


Whereupon my father said: `Sayyid -- you started by claiming to be the Gate of the Imam. Have you now become the hidden Lord of the Command in person?'


Bab: `Yes. I am he for whom you have been waiting since the very beginning of the Islamic revelation.'


Trial of the Bab
Click to expand...

Everyone has knowledge in one way or another.
 
Circumstances of the trial of the Bab...

Translated by Denis MacEoin:

"The Trial of the Bab" in Hashtrud's Abwab al-huda, from Mu`in al-Saltana p. 201 ff.

 There is also the account of `Alim-i Hashtrud, who was in Tabriz at that time; and the narratives of some others from the early period, both believers and non-believers, agree with Hashtrudi's account....
Hashtrudi says: it was near sunset when they brought the Bab, who had just emerged from the public bath, to that assembly of misery. When he entered, the `ulama, who had arrived early, had already occupied the main seats, sitting to the left and right of the heir to the throne., and there was no room left for anyone to sit. His holiness entered the assembly and greeted those present, but no-one returned his greeting, nor did they show him a place to sit. For a moment, the Bab remained standing, like someone who awaits a welcome and expects to be shown a seat by the owner of the house or his host, but no-one paid any heed. But on the faces of those present could be clearly seen the signs of imposture and meanness, of hatred and enmity, of obstinacy and opposition.


So his holiness went to a corner, with that polite and dignified manner which he always possessed, and removing his hands from his sleeves, sat down in the posture of oneness. The ulama had been conversing a little together in private, and had asked the heir to the throne about the health of the king and his wife, and he had answered them. And they had uttered prayers and murmured `Amen' in the most abjectly flattering manner.


When they turned their attention to his holiness the Bab, they asked: `What is this affair of yours, and what is the truth of the matter, and what is the nature of your claim?'


His holiness the exalted, without the least change in his manner, and with the utmost firmness and dignity, declared:



`I am the Qa'im for whom you have been waiting' (Ana 'l-Qa'im alladh kuntum bihi muntazirun).


No sooner had they heard these words, it was as if an earthquake had struck and had cast the inhabitants of the place into a state of fear and confusion. A strange murmuring passed among those present at the assembly. One said: `I ask God's forgiveness, and repent to Him. What audacity has this man shown!' Another said: `There is no god but God.' Another said from the bottom of his heart: `May God protect us from it. Amen.' [Another] said: `No strength or power is there save in God, the Exalted, the Great. Why hasn't the ground opened up and why haven't the heavens fallen?'


Trial of the Báb
 
"One night a promise was made....

The Bab, having been told that the 'ulamas wished for a sign a sort of trial by ordeal, consented to gratify there desire, thereby giving them proof of His willingness to meet them upon their own ground. He left it, moreover, to them to select the sign.

This Tablet refers to the time appointed for the ordeal.


TABLET OF HIS HOLINESS THE BAB

"In the Name of God the Most Merciful!

"Praise be unto God, Who hath bestowed upon me the Grace to thank Him for His ordeals.

"I thank Him for the calamities which have descended upon me, and for the hardships which have bestrewn my path.

"These misfortunes have come to me through those who believe not in the One True God, and are of the rebellious.

"I bring my sorrows and my griefs unto God.

"Ere long the unjust shall see their punishment.

"What thou hast written to me I have received, and I became aware of that which hath come through thy love.

"May God reward thee for that which thou has wrought in His Religion, and for that which thou wilt achieve in His Path.

"I swear by Him, in whose hand is my soul, that those who quaff of the Chalice of Love are saved, and that those who reject me and my Mission shall perish.

"How can I describe that which befell me in that land?

"Verily, all the ink of the world, and all the parchments of the earth would fall short.

"By a sign it shall be made known unto thee, what are some of the calamities which overwhelmed me, when I journeyed from that land to present myself to one whom God had appointed to be ruler over it.

"I arrived at this place and tarried a space by the permission of His Honour Mu'tamdu'd-Dawlih; may God preserve and increase his good fortune and reward him with His bounties according to his merits. In truth he did not fail to care for us, and to take trouble on our behalf.

"One night a promise was made in Mu'tamidu'd-Dawlih's presence, and that of many nobles concerning that which God had ordained and desired.

"This will in truth take place, should the 'ulamas present themselves, on the day of the Great Feast as appointed for that 'Trial by Ordeal.'

"This was agreed upon between me and the 'ulamas.

"Soon shall God establish the Truth by His Word, and make manifest the deeds of the people.

"Ere long I shall make a journey to the presence of Maliku'l-Fadl (the lord of grace); shouldst thou hear of this visit, present thyself in that place, and relate whatsoever thou hast seen of the actions of the ignorant.

"Verily, we are from God, and unto God shall we return.

"Peace be upon thee, and upon Ahmad, and upon that one whom thou didst mention in thy letter -- and upon those who shall join them.

"To-day is the appointed day,[12] and this day shall be fulfilled that which I promised thee -- at five minutes before noontide shall take place -- should the 'ulamas present themselves!"
[12 7th of Dhi'l-Hijjih, A.H. 1262, last month of the Muhammadan year (Lunar).]

The 'ulamas failed to keep the appointment, thereby showing that they did not wish to know the Truth, which it was clearly their duty to investigate.

They were afraid of suffering defeat, and thus bringing about the humiliation of their religion.

Their refusal betrayed their lack of faith in the justice of their opposition.

They feared that the Truth of the Báb's Mission would at the projected Ordeal, be proclaimed to the world.

Thus the spectres of grief and sorrow, and woe, and disappointment, stalked beside this Chosen One at all times.

This Tablet was written in 1846, two years after His proclamation.

The persecution of this "Awaited Qá'im," during the whole six years of His Mission, seems incredible -- very difficult to understand, knowing as we do that prayers were constantly offered up for his Coming by those very mullas, who showed themselves to be His most cruel and bitter enemies, and that He showed forth all the requisite signs, mentioned in the prophecies. But this rejection was accepted by those who believed in the Bab, as in itself, one of the proofs of His Truth, being also a fulfilling of prophecy.

- Lady Blomfield "The Chosen Highway" p. 26
 
`I have not studied astronomy or astrology..."

Continued from above..

"The Trial of the Bab"

At that time, the ulama and clerics of the Muslims and the judges of the holy law considered themselves to be God's representatives and the pillars of heaven and earth, inasmuch as the ulama interfered greatly through their legal rulings and their sentencing in the affairs of the nation and the important matters of state. The dominance of the ulama of those days cannot be compared to what it is today....
After a great murmuring and much talking, they demanded evidence, and started to ask academic questions.



First of all, the heir to the throne took a silver ball on which had been drawn circles and lines [showing] the form of the heavens, corresponding to the heavenly bodies of Ptolemy, and which the astronomers and astrologers call a globe. Nasir al-Din Mirza held it in his hand, then rolled it in the direction of his holiness, asking a question concerning the stars and planets.



His holiness replied: `I have not studied astronomy or astrology, and am unlettered and bereft in the acquisition of such sciences.'[1]


The fuqaha' and `ulama' said: 'What is the proof of the truth and the evidence for the rightness of your claim?'[2] His holiness the Most Mighty Gate replied, saying: 'The verses of God [possess?] a divine spirit, inasmuch as they descended upon a beloved and honoured servant [illegible]. [Illegible] is a [confirmation?] of this, inasmuch as he has said: "He shall appear with verses like the Qur'an". [Such verses] descend upon and flow from my tongue and pen. The lasting proof is the verses of God.'


Trial of the Báb
 
`These things flow forth upon my tongue..."

Without hesitation, his holiness the most exalted began to recite verses, and continued to do so for a little time. The `ulama criticized the verses of his holiness on the grounds of [illegible], and said: 'They do not comply with the rules of grammar and syntax, and are replete with errors.'...Then his holiness the most exalted [said?]: 'I am unlettered [man ummi hastam] and have studied none of your sciences.

These verses flow forth upon my tongue and mind, but you divines, who hold the rules of grammar and syntax in such high esteem, will you please tell me which rules of grammar does the following passage, which was revealed in the noble Qur'an, conform to? And a word from Him, his name is the Messiah.5 " A word" [kalima], which is [grammatically] feminine is referred to by a masculine pronoun. He should have said "from it".[6] And [in the case of] the words It is only a reminder to men,[7] which were revealed in respect of the Qur'an itself, the [masculine form] huwa should have been used, since the pronoun refers back to the Qur'an or the Book of God, which is masculine, not feminine.[8] And [in the case of] the verse: It is one of the greatest things, as a warning to men,9 which refers to the Prophet himself,[10] it should have read `He', since the Prophet is not feminine. And [in the case of] this noble verse, where He has said These two men are sorcerers,11 the scholars of grammar say that (the particle) in [illegible] is a `word resembling the verb', whose noun should be in the accusative. The accusative case is indicated by the letter ya' [?], so it should read: These two men are indeed sorcerers.[12]

`Similarly you `ulama say that nunation is a form peculiar to the noun, and is never used for a verb, yet in the noble Qur'an He has said: We shall drag him by the forelock.[13] `We shall drag' is an imperfect verb in the first person (plural) which has been altered [? ma'a 'l-ghayr] and given nunation. Likewise, in the Qur'an the feminine has been mentioned in the masculine form: Some women in the city said.[14] This should have read: `[they (fem.)] said [qalat]. Likewise, He has mentioned the pronoun before the [noun?], when He says: Say, He is God, One.15


When the speech reached this point, the `ulama were unable to give a reply. Whereupon, Mirza Ahmad[16] the Imam-Jum'a, who was recognized as the leading mujtahid of Tabriz, said to his holiness the exalted:



`You say you have studied no branches of learning, so where did you pick up all this?'



His holiness the Herald said in reply: `These things flow forth upon my tongue just like those verses. I have not studied them.'


Trial of the Báb
 
More grammar and a few requests...

At this point, Haji Mulla Mahmud, Nizam al-'Ulama', the teacher and Mullabashi of the Wali-'Ahd, asked his holiness: `Will you reveal a verse suitable to the circumstances and appropriate to this gathering?' But just then the sun had gone down and night had started to fall, and the servants had lit magnificent lamps such as various kinds of candelabra (chil-chiragh, jar, mirdanak ?), and gold and silver and crystal candlesticks, such as were fit for a king's court, and the gathering was lit up anew by pure [reading sada] light and illumination.


In accordance with the request of Nizam al-'Ulama', verses resembling the Light Verse[17] were revealed, but neither Hashtrudi nor any other historian has recorded the precise words of these verses. So, just as I have written, they too have written that verses like the Light Verse of the Qur'an were sent down.



Although I have searched hard, I have not been able to obtain an accurate record of those verses.


In the end, Haji Mulla Mahmud wrote down those revealed verses, and kept them for himself.



At this point, the Wali-'Ahd asked for tea to be served. The servants and butlers served to those present. After the tea and hookahs had been served, Nizam al-'Ulama' said to the Bab that he wanted him to reveal the same verses a second time. The Bab began to write down the verses and [several words illegible Nizam al-'Ulama?] also wrote down [illegible these verses?].


The text of these new verses differed slightly from that of the first.



[Haji?] Mulla Mahmud turned to those present and said: `[word unclear] Look, these [two?] (sets of) verses are different [illegible -- from one another?].'


[A digression follows concerning thoughts expressed in a Bahá'í gathering `fifty years ago" about this incident.]


After these discussions and remarks, Haji Mirza `Al, the son of Mirza Mas'ud, the Foreign Minister,[18] who [illegible] was someone well-versed in Arabic, and who had been accounted among the invitees in order to help distinguish between truth and falsehood, asked the Bab: `What grammatical form [sigha] does the phrase qawluhu[19] take?'

His holiness the exalted did not reply. He got up and left the gathering. The oppressors returned the Bab to his prison in the Citadel.

Trial of the Báb
 
The story of Anis...

The following is the story of Anis as recorded in Nabil's Narrative... and concerns the preparation of the heart of Anis to be martyred with the Bab:

Muhammad-'Aliy-i-Zunuzi, surnamed Anis, was among those who heard of the message from the Bab in Tabriz, and was fired with the desire to hasten to Chihriq and attain His presence. Those words had kindled in him an irrepressible longing to sacrifice himself in His path. Siyyid Aliy-i-Zunuzi, his stepfather, a notable of Tabriz, strenuously objected to his leaving the city, and was at last induced to confine him in his house and strictly watch over him.

His Son languished in his confinement until the time when his Beloved had reached Tabriz and had been taken back again to His prison in Chihriq.

I have heard Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunuzi relate the following: "At about the same time that the Bab dismissed Azim from His presence, I was instructed by Him to collect all the available Tablets that He had revealed during His incarceration in the castles of Mah-Ku and Chihriq, and to deliver them into the hands of Siyyid Ibrahim-i-Khalil, who was then living in Tabriz, and urge him to conceal and preserve them with the utmost care.

"During my stay in that city, I often visited Siyyid Aliy-i-Zunuzi, who was related to me, and frequently heard him deplore the sad fate of his son. `He seems to have lost his reason,' he bitterly complained. `He has, by his behaviour, brought reproach and shame upon me. Try to calm the agitation of his heart and induce him to conceal his convictions.' Every day I visited him, I witnessed the tears that continually rained from his eyes.

After the Bab had departed from Tabriz, one day as I went to see him, I was surprised to note the joy and gladness which had illumined his countenance. His handsome face was wreathed in smiles as he stepped forward to receive me.

`The eyes of my Beloved,' he said, as he embraced me, `have beheld this face, and these eyes have gazed upon His countenance.' `Let me,' he added, `tell you the secret of my happiness. After the Bab had been taken back to Chihriq, one day, as I lay confined in my cell, I turned my heart to Him and besought Him in these words:

"Thou beholdest, O my Best-Beloved, my captivity and helplessness, and knowest how eagerly I yearn to look upon Thy face. Dispel the gloom that oppresses my heart, with the light of Thy countenance." What tears of agonising pain I shed that hour! I was so overcome with emotion that I seemed to have lost consciousness. Suddenly I heard the voice of the Bab, and, lo! He was calling me. He bade me arise. I beheld the majesty of His countenance as He appeared before me. He smiled as He looked into my eyes. I rushed forward and flung myself at His feet.

"Rejoice," He said; "the hour is approaching when, in this very city, I shall be suspended before the eyes of the multitude and shall fall a victim to the fire of the enemy. I shall choose no one except you to share with Me the cup of martyrdom. Rest assured that this promise which I give you shall be fulfilled."

I was entranced by the beauty of that vision. When I recovered, I found myself immersed in an ocean of joy, a joy the radiance of which all the sorrows of the world could never obscure. That voice keeps ringing in my ears. That vision haunts me both in the daytime and in the night-season. The memory of that ineffable smile has dissipated the loneliness of my confinement.

I am firmly convinced that the hour at which His pledge is to be fulfilled can no longer be delayed.'

I exhorted him to be patient and to conceal his emotions. He promised me not to divulge that secret, and undertook to exercise the utmost forbearance towards Siyyid Ali. I hastened to assure the father of his determination, and succeeded in obtaining his release from his confinement. That youth continued until the day of his martyrdom to associate, in a state of complete serenity and joy, with his parents and kinsmen. Such was his behaviour towards his friends and relatives that, on the day he laid down his life for his Beloved, the people of Tabriz all wept and bewailed him."

THE DAWN-BREAKERS---Chapter XVII
 
"Tomorrow I shall declare My Mission..."

On the second night after His arrival, the Bab summoned Azim to His presence and, in the course of His conversation with him, asserted emphatically His claim to be none other than the promised Qa'im. He found him, however, reluctant to acknowledge this claim unreservedly.

Perceiving his inner agitation, He said:

"To-morrow I shall, in the presence of the Vali-'Ahd,(1) and in the midst of the assembled ulamas and notables of the city, proclaim My Mission. Whoso may feel inclined to require from Me any other testimony besides the verses which I have revealed, let him seek satisfaction from the Qa'im of his idle fancy."

I have heard Azim testify to the following:

"That night I was in a state of great perturbation. I remained awake and restless until the hour of sunrise. As soon as I had offered my morning prayer, however, I realised that a great change had come over me. A new door seemed to have been unlocked and set open before my face. The conviction soon dawned upon me that if I were loyal to my faith in Muhammad, the Apostle of God, I must needs also unreservedly acknowledge the claims advanced by the Bab, and must submit without fear or hesitation to whatever He might choose to decree. This conclusion allayed the agitation of my heart.

I hastened to the Bab and begged His forgiveness.

`It is a further evidence of the greatness of this Cause,' He remarked, `that even Azim(2) should have felt so exceedingly troubled and shaken by its power and the immensity of its claim.'

`Rest assured,' He added, `the grace of the Almighty shall enable you to fortify the faint in heart and to make firm the step of the waverer. So great shall be your faith that should the enemy mutilate and tear your body to pieces, in the hope of lessening by one jot or tittle the ardour of your love, he would fail to attain his object. You will, no doubt, in the days to come, meet face to face Him who is the Lord of all the worlds, and will partake of the joy of His presence.'

These words dispelled the gloom of my apprehensions. From that day onward, no trace of either fear or agitation ever again cast its shadow upon me."

THE DAWN-BREAKERS---Chapter XVIII
 
"Whom do you claim to be,"

The presidency belonged to the Nizamu'l-'Ulama', who, as soon as the proceedings had begun, in the name of the assembly commissioned an officer of the army to introduce the Bab into their presence. A multitude of people had meanwhile besieged the entrance of the hall and were impatiently awaiting the time when they could catch a glimpse of His face. They were pressing forward in such large numbers that a passage had to be forced for Him through the crowd that had collected before the gate.


Upon His arrival, the Bab observed that every seat in that hall was occupied except one which had been reserved for the Vali-'Ahd. He greeted the assembly and, without the slightest hesitation, proceeded to occupy that vacant seat.

The majesty of His gait, the expression of overpowering confidence which sat upon His brow--above all, the spirit of power which shone from His whole being, appeared to have for a moment crushed the soul out of the body of those whom He had greeted. A deep, a mysterious silence, suddenly fell upon them. Not one soul in that distinguished assembly dared breathe a single word. At last the stillness which brooded over them was broken by the Nizamu'l-'Ulama'.

"Whom do you claim to be," he asked the Bab, "and what is the message which you have brought?"

"I am," thrice exclaimed the Bab, "I am, I am, the promised One! I am the One whose name you have for a thousand years invoked, at whose mention you have risen, whose advent you have longed to witness, and the hour of whose Revelation you have prayed God to hasten. Verily I say, it is incumbent upon the peoples of both the East and the West to obey My word and to pledge allegiance to My person."

THE DAWN-BREAKERS---Chapter XVIII
 
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`You wretched and immature lad of Shiraz!

Mulla Muhammad was seated on the left hand of the Vali-'Ahd. The Bab was occupying a seat between them. Immediately after He had declared Himself to be the promised One, a feeling of awe seized those who were present.

They had dropped their heads in silent confusion. The pallor of their faces betrayed the agitation of their hearts.

Mulla Muhammad, that one-eyed and white-bearded renegade, insolently reprimanded Him, saying:

`You wretched and immature lad of Shiraz! You have already convulsed and subverted Iraq; do you now wish to arouse a like turmoil in Adhirbayjan?'

`Your Honour,' replied the Bab, `I have not come hither of My own accord. I have been summoned to this place.'

`Hold your peace,' furiously retorted Mulla Muhammad, `you perverse and contemptible follower of Satan!'

`Your Honour,' the Bab again answered, `I maintain what I have already declared.'

"The Nizamu'l-'Ulama' thought it best to challenge His Mission openly.

`The claim which you have advanced,' he told the Bab, `is a stupendous one; it must needs be supported by the most incontrovertible evidence.'

`The mightiest, the most convincing evidence of the truth of the Mission of the Prophet of God,' the Bab replied, `is admittedly His own Word. He Himself testifies to this truth: "Is it not enough for them that We have sent down to Thee the Book?"(1) The power to produce such evidence has been given to Me by God. Within the space of two days and two nights, I declare Myself able to reveal verses of such number as will equal the whole of the Qur'an.'

`Describe orally, if you speak the truth,' the Nizamu'l-'Ulama' requested, `the proceedings of this gathering in language that will resemble the phraseology of the verses of the Qur'an so that the Vali-'Ahd and the assembled divines may bear witness to the truth of your claim.'

The Bab readily acceded to his wish. No sooner had He uttered the words, `In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate, praise be to Him who has created the heaven and the earth,' than Mulla Muhammad-i-Mamaqani interrupted and called His attention to all infraction of the rules of grammar.

`This self-appointed Qa'im of ours,' he cried in haughty scorn, `has at the very start of his address betrayed his ignorance of the most rudimentary rules of grammar!'

`The Qur'an itself,' pleaded the Bab, `does in no wise accord with the rules and conventions current amongst men. The Word of God can never be subject to the limitations of His creatures. Nay, the rules and canons which men have adopted have been deduced from the text of the Word of God and are based upon it. These men have, in the very texts of that holy Book, discovered no less than three hundred instances of grammatical error, such as the one you now criticise. Inasmuch as it was the Word of God, they had no other alternative except to resign themselves to His will.'

THE DAWN-BREAKERS---Chapter XVIII
 
The death warrants...

When Mirza Muhammad-'Ali was ushered into the presence of the mujtahids, he was repeatedly urged, in view of the position which his stepfather, Siyyid Aliy-i-Zunuzi, occupied, to recant his faith. "Never," he exclaimed, "will I renounce my Master. He is the essence of my faith, and the object of my truest adoration. In Him I have found my paradise, and in the observance of His law I recognise the ark of my salvation."

"Hold your peace!" thundered Mulla Muhammad-i-Mamaqani, before whom that youth was brought. "Such words betray your madness; I can well excuse the words for which you are not responsible." "I am not mad," he retorted. "Such a charge should rather be brought against you who have sentenced to death a man no less holy than the promised Qa'im. He is not a fool who has embraced His Faith and is longing to shed his blood in His path.

The Bab was, in His turn, brought before Mulla Muhammad-i-Mamaqani. No sooner had he recognised Him than he seized the death-warrant he himself had previously written and, handing it to his attendant, bade him deliver it to the farrash-bashi. "No need," he cried, "to bring the Siyyid-i-Bab into my presence. This death-warrant I penned the very day I met him at the gathering presided over by the Vali-'Ahd. He surely is the same man whom I saw on that occasion, and has not, in the meantime, surrendered any of his claims."

From thence the Bab was conducted to the house of Mirza Baqir, the son of Mirza Ahmad, to whom he had recently succeeded. When they arrived, they found his attendant standing at the gate and holding in his hand the Bab's death-warrant. "No need to enter," he told them. "My master is already satisfied that his father was right in pronouncing the sentence of death. He can do no better than follow his example."

THE DAWN-BREAKERS---Chapter XXIII
 
"Follow your instructions," the Bab replied...

Mulla Murtada-Quli, following in the footsteps of the other two mujtahids, had previously issued his own written testimony and refused to meet face to face his dreaded opponent.

No sooner had the farrash-bashi secured the necessary documents than he delivered his Captive into the hands of Sam Khan, assuring him that he could proceed with his task now that he had obtained the sanction of the civil and ecclesiastical authorities of the realm.
Siyyid Husayn had remained confined in the same room in which he had spent the previous night with the Bab. They were proceeding to place Mirza Muhammad-'Ali in that same room, when he burst forth into tears and entreated them to allow him to remain with his Master. He was delivered into the hands of Sam Khan, who was ordered to execute him also, if he persisted in his refusal to deny his Faith.

Sam Khan was, in the meantime, finding himself increasingly affected by the behaviour of his Captive and the treatment that had been meted out to Him. He was seized with great fear lest his action should bring upon him the wrath of God.

"I profess the Christian Faith," he explained to the Bab, "and entertain no ill will against you. If your Cause be the Cause of Truth, enable me to free myself from the obligation to shed your blood."

"Follow your instructions," the Bab replied, "and if your intention be sincere, the Almighty is surely able to relieve you from your perplexity."

THE DAWN-BREAKERS---Chapter XXIII
__________________
 
Authorisation

Anis, the Báb's secretary and the Báb were taken in turn to several of the houses of the leading clergy, who attempted to induce them to deny their Faith or taste death, with insults, blows, and brutalities bursting out with extreme violence. Anis refused to their face to renounce the Báb, just as firmly as the Báb unswervingly upheld His declaration. The clergy utterly refused to engage the Báb face to face, many pretending illness and cowardly sending out an attendant with the authorisation for His execution.
Having promptly secured the necessary documentation, the formality produced a great effect upon the hostile teeming crowds, who presumed an even greater guilt than they had supposed until then, and the prisoners were dragged back again through the violence of the streets. The Báb's secretary, his powers of endurance utterly exhausted, falling to the ground fainting with fatigue and pain, yet dragged again to his feet like a drunk man and shaken hard, followed the Báb's instructions for conveying to the faithful His last writings and injunctions, and declared that he was not of them. They demanded he face the Báb and gain his freedom and forgivess by cursing Him. Satisfying this heartbreaking request, they then demanded that if he spit in the Báb's face, he would in that instance be set at liberty. Though in heart abhorring it, yet in fulfilment of the Báb's command, He spat upon the face of His Beloved. Hearing and seeing these acts, the crowd abandoned him, as they continued with the parade until they at last reached the Small Barracks.

Inducement of Anis

With the secretary confined now within a cell and hoping that Anis might follow him in denying the Báb, the executioners made another attempt to seduce Anis. His young wife and little children were brought before him, that the rain of their tears and entreaties might conquer his resolution; but Anis remained steadfast, declaring his faith in the most forthright manner, asking of them only that he might be killed before his Master.

Sam Khan Affected

The colonel, finding himself increasingly affected by the behaviour of the Báb, was seized with great fear that his action might bring upon him the wrath of God. "Enable me to free myself from the obligation to shed your blood," he requested the Báb. But the Báb bade him carry out his instructions, and assured him, "the Almighty is surely most able to deliver you from your perplexity."

Into the Square

Exhausted and weary of finding their efforts fruitless, the Báb was brought out through the first door that led to the square, and reaching the roof of the cistern, He stopped for a moment before a number of nobles and prominent persons present there. All begged the Báb to renounce His claims and not spill His blood in such a famous city. The Báb paid no attention, and remained wholly calm, showing no signs of fear, anxiety, or confusion. The Governor's Chief Aide came to the commander and showed him the order for the execution of the Báb and his comrade, but the officer refused to obey an order from outside his ministry. The head of the gate keepers went out to the colonel of the Christian regiment, and he appointed a detachment of the regiment to carry out the order.


Martyrdom of the Bab
 
The Martrdom of the Bab..

Earlier today July 9th Bhaa'i communities met at noon to observe the anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Bab... The following summary on the event of the martyrdom is described by David Merrick is offered:

Suspension 1

Opposite the cells on one side of the Square, also known as the 'Square of the Lord of the Age', spikes were driven in, and Anis and then the Báb were suspended by separate heavy ropes from the stone gutters erected under the eaves of the cells. The Báb remained silent, the beautiful features of His pale handsome face framed by a black beard and small mustache, his appearance and refined manners, his white, delicate and well-shaped hands, his simple but very neat garments - everything about him awakened sympathy and compassion. They were placed so that they were looking into the stone, but Anis begged to be turned to face the soldiers so that he could see the bullets flying toward him. The officer granted his request. He then asked his face be placed right down upon the Báb's feet, but the officer rejected this; as was his request to be positioned to shield the Báb from the bullets aimed only at him. In the end, they bound their shoulders firmly so that the head of the young man was on the Báb's breast, both suspended three metres from the ground. His relations and friends cried out that he was mad, and therefore unlawful to receive the death-penalty; but Anis responded, "I am in my right mind: perfect in service, and in sacrifice." Anis calmly read aloud excerpts from the prayers of his master; the Báb continued in His calmness and silence.
As soon as they were fastened, soldiers from the seven-hundred-and-fifty-strong regiment were ranged with their guns into three files.
The surroundings and housetops billowed with a crowd of about ten thousand impatient spectators. One of the Báb's followers was amongst the people with his sword on, foolishly waiting for an opportunity to attempt a rescue, but he found himself suddenly overcome with drowsiness, and was forced to sit down, weak and insensible.
The Colonel gave the order, and the soldiers raised their guns as for salute. The people fell silent, as though everyone had stopped breathing. Hearts pounded, joints shook, one could hear the hum like the hum of fly's wings. At the second command such silence descended upon the people so that it seemed a bird was sitting on their heads. One could hear the beat of hearts and pulses. At that moment the Colonel glanced toward the chief of the governor's gate keepers who held in his hand the order for execution, and then received the signal to carry it out. The Colonel signaled the head of the squadron and ordered the first file to fire.
As the firing-party made themselves ready, Anis, whose name was Muhammad 'Alí, was heard to say to the Báb, "Master, are You content with me?" The Báb replied to him in Arabic, "Verily, Muhammad 'Alí is with Us in Paradise!" Immediately He had spoken these words, the crash of musketry rang out as the soldiers discharged their guns in a vast hail of bullets.
The next file received the orders to fire, and discharged their guns in a hail of bullets whistling at the Báb. A mighty smoke was produced, and for a moment the rolling cloud of smoke hid the bodies of the prisoners from the crowds of onlookers as they watched that sad and moving scene. The bullets cut the Báb free without touching Him, releasing Him to the ground without a scratch, and He made his way back to the cell to finish His conversation with His secretary. As the smoke and dust cleared, the astounded multitude beheld a scene their eyes could scarcely believe. There was Anis, and the Báb was gone. Uproar arose on all sides, a great clamour of wonder, admiration and awe broke forth amongst the bewildered people, as they proclaimed He had disappeared, perhaps flown through the air, or even ascended up into the skies.
The authorities perceived with fear the populace ready to veer around in favour of one who but an hour ago they had been jeering and pelting with stones. The colonel ordered the soldiers to form together a wedge, and they stopped the people's rush.
A frenzied search of the vicinity followed, and a soldier discovered the Báb seated in the same room where He had been lodged the night before, engaged in completing His interrupted conversation with His secretary. An expression of unruffled calm was upon His face, unscathed from the shower of bullets which the regiment had directed against Him. The soldier made a cut at the Báb with his sword, and the others, seeing the pool of red blood flowing from their unresisting victim, lost their fear and they hastened to complete their work of death. "I have finished My conversation with My secretary," the Báb told the Chief Aide: "now you may proceed to fulfil your intention."
The Chief Aide, recalling His Prisoner's bold assertion previously made, was too much shaken to resume what he had already attempted. Refusing to accomplish his duty, he abandoned the scene in terror and resigned his post. The Colonel of the Regiment, stunned by the force of this tremendous revelation and recalling the reassuring words the Báb had made him, ordered his men to leave the barracks immediately, and refused ever again to associate himself or his regiment with any act that would involve the least injury to the Báb, swearing he had performed his order, and would never resume the task though it should entail the loss of his own life.

Suspension 2

No sooner had they departed, than the Colonel of the Bodyguard stepped forth and volunteered to continue the order for execution. The Báb was dragged forcefully from the recess and being hit on the back of His head, shown before the crowd. An intense clamor arose at this moment as the onlookers saw the Báb free from His bonds and advancing towards them. The soldiers held up to the people's gaze the broken ropes. They again tied the Báb suspended to that fatal post, whilst the regiment formed in lines ready to open their fire. This time, He was not silent.
"Had you believed in Me, O wayward generation," were the last words of the Báb in Persian to the gazing multitude, as the regiment prepared to fire the final volley, "every one of you would have followed the example of this youth, who stood in rank above most of you, and willingly would sacrifice himself in My path. The day will come when you will have recognized Me; that day I shall have ceased to be with you."
Suddenly the orders were given to fire, and that holy Spirit, yielding from its gentle frame, ascended to the Supreme Horizon. Their breasts were riddled and limbs completely dissected by the bullets, their bodies shattered and blended into one mass of mingled flesh and bone; yet their faces remained untouched, a smile still lingering upon the Báb's face, and the arms and head of His companion holding Him in an embrace.
The crowd, vividly impressed by the spectacle they had so strangely witnessed, dispersed slowly, hardly convinced that the Báb was a criminal.


Martyrdom of the Bab
 
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