Childhood of the Báb (Sources)
This document provides the original source accounts for the story of the Birth and Childhood of the Bab.

The story of the Bab's Childhood in plain english using these accounts, is here:
http://www.paintdrawer.co.uk/david/folders/Spirituality/005=Collections/holydays.htm

Latest Version of this document:
http://www.paintdrawer.co.uk/david/folders/Research/Bahai/Bab/Birth%20of%20the%20Bab%20(Sources).rtf

All comments appreciated - http://www.paintdrawer.co.uk/david/Email.php

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Contents
Contents
1880 - Tarikh-i-Jadid
1886 - Traveller's Narrative (Anonymous)
1890 - Dawnbreakers
1890 - Babism by E G Browne
1922 - Life of the Báb, Jinab-Fadil (Star of West)
1923 - Avirih on Tahirih in Star of the West
1930+ - "In the Land of Refuge" by Mirza Habibu'llah Afnan
1940 - Chosen Highway
1972 - Balyuzi - The Báb
Selections from the Writings of the Báb
House of the Báb

1880 - Tarikh-i-Jadid

Key : [Tarikh-i-Jadid]   [[Táríkh-i Badí‘-i Bayání]]   <page> 

p. 261-64
Maternal Uncle, Merchant
Hájí Seyyid ‘Alí, the maternal uncle <of the Báb>, was an aged merchant who had seen the world and enjoyed universal respect, for he was famed for his piety and godliness, [besides being a descendant of the Prophet, and the uncle of His Supreme Holiness. When he decided to set out from Shíráz and Yezd to lay down his life for the sake of God and for love of the Beloved of the World, he examined all his accounts, and went in person to the houses of all to whom he owed money to pay them their dues, demand quittance and absolution, and bid them a last farewell. So, in like manner, did he take leave of all his friends and relatives one by one, after which he set out for the capital, intending to proceed to Ázarbaijan to wait on His Holiness.]] So he sacrificed life and wealth in the service of His Holiness, [and in his old age suffered death for the Beloved's sake,] that his act might serve as a witness to all merchants, and that they might know that he, having watched over and tended the Báb from infancy to boyhood, and thence onwards until the Manifestation was vouchsafed, had beheld in him virtues and powers never before seen in man, whereby he was led to devote himself to his service, and lay down life for his sake; else would <262> he never have courted death with such readiness, or met it with such fortitude. It is, therefore, certain that he was irresistibly drawn to His Holiness by beholding the miraculous faculties which he constantly displayed.
Báb's Birth
[Thus at the moment of his birth he exclaimed, "The Kingdom is God's".
Shaykh Abid (Tutor)
And in his boyhood they sent him to be taught his lessons by Sheykh ‘Ábid, an accomplished scholar and a godly man, who was one of the disciples of Sheykh Ahmad <of Ahsá>, and subsequently became an ardent believer in His Holiness.
School Wonder - Alphabet / Reads Qu'ran
Amongst other anecdotes of the Báb's boyhood which he used to relate, one was as follows. "The first day that they brought him to me at the school, I wrote down the alphabet for him to learn, as is customary with children. After a while I went out on business. On my return, I heard, as I approached the room, someone reading the Kur’án in a sweet and plaintive voice. Filled with astonishment, I entered the room and enquired who had been reading the Kur’án. The other children answered <pointing to His Holiness> 'He was.' 'Have you read the Kur’án?' I asked. He was silent. 'It is best for you to read Persian books,' said I, putting the Hákku’l-Yakín before him, 'read from this.' At whatever page I opened it, I saw that he could read it easily. 'You have read Persian,' said I; 'Come, read some Arabic; that will be better.' So saying, I placed <263> before him the Sharh-i-amthila.
School Wonder - Bismillih
When I began to explain the meaning of the Bismi’lláh to the pupils in the customary manner, he asked, 'Why does the word Rahmán include both believers and infidels, while the word Rahím applies only to believers?' I replied, 'Wise men have a rule to the effect that <extension of form implies> extension of meaning, and Rahmán contains one letter more that Rahím.' He answered, 'Either this rule is a mistake, or else that tradition which you refer to ‘Alí is a lie.' 'What tradition?' I asked. 'The tradition,' replied he, 'which declares that King of Holiness to have said:- "The meanings of all the Sacred Books are in the Kur’án, and the meanings of the whole Kur’án are in the Súratu’l-Fátiha, and the meanings of the whole Súratu’l-Fátiha are in the Bismi’lláh, and the whole meaning of the Bismi’lláh is in the <initial letter> B, and the meaning of the B is in the point <under the B>, and the point is inexplicable."'
Sent Back to Uncle
On hearing him reason thus subtilely I was speechless with amazement, and led him back to his home. His venerable grandmother came to the door. I said to her, 'I cannot undertake the instruction of this young gentleman,' and told her in full all that had passed. Addressing him, she said, 'Will you not cease to speak after this fashion? What business have you with such matters? Go and learn your lessons.'
Returns to School
'Very well,' he answered, and came and began to learn his lessons like the other boys. <264> He even began with the alphabet, although I urged him not to do so.
Fly Beyond Throne
One day I saw him talking in a whisper to the boy who sat next him, but when I would have listened he was silent. Then I pretended to pay no heed to what he was saying, though in reality I listened attentively, and I heard him say to the other boy, 'I am so light that, if I liked, I could fly up beyond the Throne; would you like me to go?' So saying, he made a movement from the ground. As he said 'would you like me to go?' and made this movement, I smiled in wonder and bewilderment, and as I did so he suddenly ceased speaking.
Writing
So likewise, before he had begun to practise writing, I observed that every day he used to bring with him a pen-case and engage in writing something. I thought to myself, 'He sees the other boys writing, and, wishing to write too, draws lines like them, and scribbles on the paper.' For several days he continued to act thus, until one day I took the paper from him to see what he was doing. On glancing at it I saw that he had actually written something. Wondering how, without having practised, he could write, I proceeded to examine what he had written, and found it to be a dissertation on the mystery and knowledge of the Divine Unity, written in the purest and most eloquent style, and so profound that the keenest intellect would fail to penetrate its <whole> meaning." Áká Seyyid Yahyá and Jenáb-i-Azím saw these writings in the possession of the aforesaid <Sheykh ‘Ábid>, and declared that they contained nearly four thousand verses, which differed in no respect from what was written after the Manifestation.]
Pregnancy, Boy or Girl
Thus, even in his childhood, signs of the Báb's holiness, majesty, and lofty rank were apparent, [so that, for instance, <265> as a boy he used to predict of pregnant women whether they would bring forth a male or a female infant,
Earthquakes
besides foretelling many chance occurrences, such as earthquakes and the ruin of certain places, as they actually took place, to relate which things fully would lead us too far from the matter in hand.]
Proof by Followers' Sacrifice
Our chief point, however, is that persons so virtuous and reasonable <as these> would not have been so convinced <of the truth of the Báb's claim> as thus willingly and joyfully to forego life, wealth, fame, name, wife, and child, unless they had observed in that Proof of God the clearest evidences of Divine powers and qualities.
Maternal Uncle (Sacrifice)
This especially applies to the <Báb's> maternal uncle <Hájí Seyyid ‘Alí>, who, though filled with wonder at the miraculous powers which he observed in His Holiness even as a child, did nevertheless pause to make earnest and diligent enquiry after the Manifestation took place ere he became fully convinced of its truth. But this conviction, once attained, was so firm that, as has been mentioned, his steadfast resolve to devote his life to the cause could not be shaken, though one would have given three hundred túmáns to save him from death; but he would not consent, and said, "I regard martyrdom as the greatest happiness and honour to which it is possible for me to attain, and my utmost ambition is to lay down my life in the way of the Beloved".
Mullá Taqi
Hájí Mullá Takí, who was both a merchant and a scholar, was a man of remarkable piety and a native of Kirmán, where his godliness, integrity, intelligence, virtue, and wisdom were admitted by all, and where he had not a few devoted admirers. His testimony, therefore, appeals especially to all devout and godly persons.
...
Seeks the Báb in Shiraz
He replied, "After the death of Seyyid Kázim I became afflicted with great perturbation of mind, and, in the course of my mental struggles, went from Kerbelá to Shíráz in the hope of benefiting a palpitation of the heart from which I suffered. And since the Seyyid ’Alí Muhammad had honoured me with his friendship during a journey which we made together to the Holy Shrines <of Kerbelá and Nejef>, I at once on reaching Shíráz sought out his abode.
At the Báb's Door
As I approached the door I desired inwardly to tarry there some few days. So I knocked at the door. [Before he had opened it or seen me, I heard his voice exclaiming, 'Is it you, Mullá Huseyn?'] <35> Then he opened the door. [It did not at the time strike me how strange it was that without having seen me he should know I was there.] When he [had opened the door] he smiled and said, 'All day I have felt disinclined to go to the caravansaray, and now I know that it was because of your coming.'
1886 - Traveller's Narrative (Anonymous)
Much of the material for the Traveller's Narrative was provided by Abdu'l-Bahá.
Lineage and Birth
The Bab was a young merchant of the Pure Lineage. He was born in the year one thousand two hundred and thirty-five [A.H.] on the first day of Muharram, and when after a few years His father Siyyid Muhammad-Rida died, He was brought up in Shiraz in the arms of His maternal uncle Mirza Siyyid 'Ali the merchant.
Commerce and Character
On attaining maturity He engaged in trade in Bushihr, first in partnership with His maternal uncle and afterwards independently. On account of what was observed in Him He was noted for godliness, devoutness, virtue, and piety, and was regarded in the sight of men as so characterized.
...
Uneducated
Now since He was noted amongst the people for lack of instruction and education, this circumstance appeared in the sight of men supernatural. Some men inclined to Him, but the greater part manifested strong disapproval; whilst all the learned doctors and lawyers of repute who occupied chairs, altars, and pulpits were unanimously agreed on eradication and suppression, save some divines of the Shaykhi party who were anchorites and recluses, and who, agreeably to their tenets, were ever seeking for some great, incomparable, and trustworthy person, whom they accounted, according to their own terminology, as the "Fourth Support" and the central manifestation of the truths of the Perspicuous Religion. 
1890 - Dawnbreakers
P 72-80
Birth
The Bab, whose name was Siyyid Ali-Muhammad,(1) was born in the city of Shiraz, on the first day of Muharram, in the year 1235 A.H.(2) He belonged to a house which was renowned for its nobility and which traced its origin to Muhammad Himself. The date of His birth confirmed the truth of the prophecy traditionally attributed to the Imam Ali: "I am two years younger than my Lord." Twenty-five years, four months, and four days had elapsed since the day of His birth, when he declared His Mission.
Loses Father
In His early childhood He lost His father, Siyyid Muhammad-Rida, a man who was known throughout the province of Fars for his piety and virtue, and was held in high esteem and honour. Both His father and His mother were descendants of the Prophet, both were loved and respected by the people.
Maternal Uncle Rears
He was reared by His maternal uncle, Haji Mirza Siyyid Ali, a martyr to the Faith,
Shaykh Abid (Tutor)
who placed Him, while still a child, under the care of a tutor named Shaykh Abid. The Bab, though not inclined to study, submitted to His uncle's will and directions.
Shaykh Abid, known by his pupils as Shaykhuna, was a man of piety and learning. He had been a disciple of both Shaykh Ahmad and Siyyid Kazim.
School Wonder - Bismi'llah
"One day," he related, "I asked the Bab to recite the opening words of the Qur'an: ` Bismi'llahi'r-Rahmani'r-Rahim.' He hesitated, pleading that unless He were told what these words signified, He would in no wise attempt to pronounce them. I pretended not to know their meaning. `I know what these words signify,' observed my pupil; `by your leave, I will explain them.' He spoke with such knowledge and fluency that I was struck with amazement. He expounded the meaning of ` Allah,' of ` Rahman,' and ` Rahim,' in terms such as I had neither read nor heard. The sweetness of His utterance still lingers in my memory.
Sent Back to Uncle
I felt impelled to take Him back to His uncle and to deliver into his hands the Trust he had committed to my care. I determined to tell him how unworthy I felt to teach so remarkable a child. I found His uncle alone in his office. `I have brought Him back to you,' I said, `and commit Him to your vigilant protection. He is not to be treated as a mere child, for in Him I can already discern evidences of that mysterious power which the Revelation of the Sahibu'z-Zaman alone can reveal. It is incumbent upon you to surround Him with your most loving care. Keep Him in your house, for He, verily, stands in no need of teachers such as I.' Haji Mirza Siyyid Ali sternly rebuked the Bab. `Have You forgotten my instructions?' he said. `Have I not already admonished You to follow the example of Your fellow-pupils, to observe silence, and to listen attentively to every word spoken by Your teacher?'
Return to School
Having obtained His promise to abide faithfully by his instructions, he bade the Bab return to His school. The soul of that child could not, however, be restrained by the stern admonitions of His uncle. No discipline could repress the flow of His intuitive knowledge. Day after day He continued to manifest such remarkable evidences of superhuman wisdom as I am powerless to recount."
Uncle Removes from School to Merchant
At last His uncle was induced to take Him away from the school of Shaykh Abid, and to associate Him with himself in his own profession. There, too, He revealed signs of a power and greatness that few could approach and none could rival.
Marriage
Some years later the Bab was united in wedlock with the sister of Mirza Siyyid Hasan and Mirza Abu'l-Qasim.
Child Ahmad (Dies)
The child which resulted from this union, He named Ahmad. He died in the year 1259 A.D., the year preceding the declaration of the Faith by the Bab. The Father did not lament his loss. He consecrated his death by words such as these: "O God, my God! Would that a thousand Ishmaels were given Me, this Abraham of Thine, that I might have offered them, each and all, as a loving sacrifice unto Thee. O my Beloved, my heart's Desire! The sacrifice of this Ahmad whom Thy servant Ali-Muhammad hath offered up on the altar of Thy love can never suffice to quench the flame of longing in His heart. Not until He immolates His own heart at Thy feet, not until His whole body falls a victim to the cruelest tyranny in Thy path, not until His breast is made a target for countless darts for Thy sake, will the tumult of His soul be stilled. O my God, my only Desire! Grant that the sacrifice of My son, My only son, may be acceptable unto Thee. Grant that it be a prelude to the sacrifice of My own, My entire self, in the path of Thy good pleasure. Endue with Thy grace My life-blood which I yearn to shed in Thy path. Cause it to water and nourish the seed of Thy Faith. Endow it with Thy celestial potency, that this infant seed of God may soon germinate in the hearts of men, that it may thrive and prosper, that it may grow to become a mighty tree, beneath the shadow of which all the peoples and kindreds of the earth may gather. Answer Thou My prayer, O God, and fulfil My most cherished desire. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful."
Commerce / Bushihr
The days which the Bab devoted to commercial pursuits were mostly spent in Bushihr.
Worship - Prays toward Tehran
The oppressive heat of the summer did not deter Him from devoting, each Friday, several hours to continuous worship upon the roof of His house. Though exposed to the fierce rays of the noontide sun, He, turning His heart to His Beloved, continued to commune with Him, unmindful of the intensity of the heat and oblivious of the world around Him. From early dawn till sunrise, and from midday till late in the afternoon, He dedicated His time to meditation and pious worship. Turning His gaze towards the north, in the direction of Tihran, He, at every break of day, greeted, with a heart overflowing with love and joy, the rising, sun, which to Him was a sign and symbol of that Day-Star of Truth that was soon to dawn upon the world. As a lover who beholds the face of his beloved, He gazed upon the rising orb with steadfastness and longing. He seemed to be addressing, in mystic language, that shining luminary, and to be entrusting it with His, message of yearning and love to His concealed Beloved. With such transports of delight He greeted its beaming rays, that the heedless and ignorant around Him thought Him to be enamoured with the sun itself.
Bushihr Purity
I have heard Haji Siyyid Javad-i-Karbila'i recount the following: "Whilst journeying to India, I passed through Bushihr. As I was already acquainted with Haji Mirza Siyyid Ali, I was enabled to meet the Bab on several occasions. Every time I met Him, I found Him in such a state of humility and lowliness as words fail me to describe. His downcast eyes, His extreme courtesy, and the serene expression of His face made an indelible impression upon my soul. I often heard those who were closely associated with Him testify to the purity of His character, to the charm of His manners, to His self-effacement, to His high integrity, and to His extreme devotion to God.
Commercial Integrity
A certain man confided to His care a trust, requesting Him to dispose of it at a fixed price. When the Bab sent him the value of that article, the man found that the sum which he had been offered considerably exceeded the limit which he had fixed. He immediately wrote to the Bab, requesting Him to explain the reason. The Bab replied: `What I have sent you is entirely your due. There is not a single farthing in excess of what is your right. there was a time when the trust you had delivered to Me had attained this value. Failing to sell it at that price, I now feel it My duty to offer you the whole of that sum.' However much the Bab's client entreated Him to receive back the sum in excess, the Bab persisted in refusing.
Husayn Eulogy Gatherings
"With what assiduous care He attended those gatherings at which the virtues of the Siyyidu'sh-Shuhada', the Imam Husayn, were being extolled! With what attention He listened to the chanting of the eulogies! What tenderness and devotion He showed at those scenes of lamentation and prayer! Tears rained from His eyes as His trembling lips murmured words of prayer and praise. How compelling was His dignity, how tender the sentiments which His countenance inspired!"
As to those whose supreme privilege it was to be enrolled by the Bab in the Book of His Revelation as His chosen Letters of the Living, their names are as follows...
Siyyid Kazim Section
Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunuzi, himself, informed me that he too entertained such doubts, that he prayed to God that if his supposition was well founded he should be confirmed in his belief, and if not that he should be delivered from such idle fancy. "I was so perturbed," he once related to me, "that for days I could neither eat nor sleep. My days were spent in the service of Siyyid Kazim, to whom I was greatly attached. One day, at the hour of dawn, I was suddenly <p26> awakened by Mulla Naw-ruz, one of his intimate attendants, who, in great excitement, bade me arise and follow him. We went to the house of Siyyid Kazim, where we found him fully dressed, wearing his aba, and ready to leave his home. He asked me to accompany him. 'A highly esteemed and distinguished Person,' he said, 'has arrived. I feel it incumbent upon us both to visit Him.' The morning light had just broken when I found myself walking with him through the streets of Karbila. We soon reached a house, at the door of which stood a Youth, as if expectant to receive us. He wore a green turban, and His countenance revealed an expression of humility and kindliness which I can never describe. He quietly approached us, extended His arms towards Siyyid Kazim, and lovingly embraced him. His affability and loving-kindness singularly contrasted with the sense of profound reverence that characterised the attitude of Siyyid Kazim towards him. Speechless and with bowed head, he received the many expressions of affection and esteem with which that Youth greeted him. We were soon led by Him to the upper floor of that house, and entered a chamber bedecked with flowers and redolent of the loveliest perfume. He bade us <p27> be seated. We knew not, however, what seats we actually occupied, so overpowering was the sense of delight which seized us. We observed a silver cup which had been placed in the centre of the room, which our youthful Host, soon after we were seated, filled to overflowing, and handed to Siyyid Kazim, saying: 'A drink of a pure beverage shall their Lord give them.'[1] Siyyid Kazim held the cup with both hands and quaffed it. A feeling of reverent joy filled his being, a feeling which he could not suppress. I too was presented with a cupful of that beverage, though no words were addressed to me. All that was spoken at that memorable gathering was the above-mentioned verse of the Qur'an. Soon after, the Host arose from His seat and, accompanying us to the threshold of the house, bade us farewell. I was mute with wonder, and knew not how to express the cordiality of His welcome, the dignity of His bearing, the charm of that face, and the delicious fragrance of that beverage. How great was my amazement when I saw my teacher quaff without the least hesitation that holy draught from a silver cup, the use of which, according to the precepts of Islam, is forbidden to the faithful. I could not explain the motive which could have induced the Siyyid to manifest such profound reverence in the presence of that Youth--a reverence which even the sight of the shrine of the Siyyidu'sh-Shuhada' had failed to excite. Three days later, I saw that same Youth arrive and take His seat in the midst of the company of the assembled disciples of Siyyid Kazim. He sat close to the threshold, and with the same modesty and dignity of bearing listened to the discourse of the Siyyid. As soon as his eyes fell upon that Youth, the Siyyid discontinued his address and held his peace. Whereupon one of his disciples begged him to resume the argument which he had left unfinished. 'What more shall I say?' replied Siyyid Kazim, as he turned his face toward the Bab. 'Lo, the Truth is more manifest than the ray of light that has fallen upon that lap!' I immediately observed that the ray to which the Siyyid referred had fallen upon the lap of that same Youth whom we had recently visited. 'Why is it,' that questioner enquired, 'that you neither reveal His name nor identify His <p28> person?' To this the Siyyid replied by pointing with his finger to his own throat, implying that were he to divulge His name, they both would be put to death instantly. This added still further to my perplexity. I had already heard my teacher observe that so great is the perversity of this generation, that were he to point with his finger to the promised One and say: 'He indeed is the Beloved, the Desire of your hearts and mine,' they would still fail to recognize and acknowledge Him. I saw the Siyyid actually point out with his finger the ray of light that had fallen on that lap, and yet none among those who were present seemed to apprehend <p29> its meaning. I, for my part, was convinced that the Siyyid himself could never be the promised One, but that a mystery inscrutable to us all, lay concealed in that strange and attractive Youth. Several times I ventured to approach Siyyid Kazim and seek from him an elucidation of this mystery. Every time I approached him, I was overcome by a sense of awe which his personality so powerfully inspired. Many a time I heard him remark: 'O Shaykh Hasan, rejoice that your name is Hasan [praiseworthy]; Hasan your beginning, and Hasan your end. You have been privileged to attain to the day of Shaykh Ahmad, you have been closely associated <p30> with me, and in the days to come yours shall be the inestimable joy of beholding "what eye hath seen not, ear heard not, nor any heart conceived."'
[1 Qur'an, 76:21.]
"I often felt the urge to seek alone the presence of that Hashimite Youth and to endeavour to fathom His mystery. I watched Him several times as He stood in an attitude of prayer at the doorway of the shrine of the Imam Husayn. So wrapt was He in His devotions that He seemed utterly oblivious of those around Him. Tears rained from His eyes, and from His lips fell words of glorification and praise of such power and beauty as even the noblest passages of our Sacred Scriptures could not hope to surpass. The words 'O God, my God, my Beloved, my heart's Desire' were uttered with a frequency and ardour that those of the visiting pilgrims who were near enough to hear Him instinctively interrupted the course of their devotions, and marvelled at the evidences of piety and veneration which that youthful countenance evinced. Like Him they were moved to tears, and from Him they learned the lesson of true adoration. Having completed His prayers, that Youth, without crossing the threshold of the shrine and without attempting to address any words to those around Him, would quietly return to His home. I felt the impulse to address Him, but every time I ventured an approach, a force that I could neither explain nor resist, detained me. My enquiries about Him elicited the information that He was a resident of Shiraz, that He was a merchant by profession, and did not belong to any of the ecclesiastical orders. I was, moreover, informed that He, and also His uncles and relatives, were among the lovers and admirers of Shaykh Ahmad and Siyyid Kazim. Soon after, I learned that He had departed for Najaf on His way to Shiraz. That Youth had set my heart aflame. The memory of that vision haunted me. My soul was wedded to His till the day when the call of a Youth from Shiraz, proclaiming Himself to be the Bab, reached my ears. The thought instantly flashed through my mind that such a person could be none other than that selfsame Youth whom I had seen in Karbila, the Youth of my heart's desire.
"When later on I journeyed from Karbila to Shiraz, I found that He had set out on a pilgrimage to Mecca and <p31> Medina. I met Him on His return and endeavoured, despite the many obstacles in my way, to remain in close association with Him. When subsequently He was incarcerated in the fortress of Mah-Ku, in the province of Adhirbayjan, I was engaged in transcribing the verses which He dictated to His amanuensis. Every night, for a period of nine months, during which He was a prisoner in that fort, He revealed, after He had offered His evening prayer, a commentary on a juz'[1] of the Qur'an. At the end of each month a commentary on the whole of that sacred Book was thus completed. During His incarceration in Mah-Ku, nine commentaries on the whole of the Qur'an had been revealed by Him. The texts of these commentaries were entrusted, in Tabriz, to the keeping of a certain Siyyid Ibrahim-i-Khalil, who was instructed to conceal them until the time for their publication might arrive. Their fate is unknown until now. 
[1 A juz' is one-thirtieth of the Qur'an.]
1890 - Babism by E G Browne
Birth, Family and Lineage
Mirzá 'Alí Muhammad, afterwards known as the Báb  or "Gate" (from which title his followers derive the name of Bábí which they bear), was born at Shíraz in southern Persia on October 9th, A.D. 1820. His father, Mírzá Rizá, was by trade a cloth seller; but, though in comparatively humble circumstances, he enjoyed that respect which is almost invariably accorded in Persia to a seyyid, or reputed descendent of the prophet.
Schooling
Mírzá 'Alí Muhammad was in the ordinary course of things sent to school, but he seems not to have remained there long. His removal thence may have been occasioned by the cruelty of his teacher, at whose hands he seems to have suffered much. He never forgot the unhappiness of his childhood, and when in later days he was framing the ordinances of his religion, he insisted most strenuously on the duty of treating children with the utmost tenderness and consideration, enacting heavy fines against such as should cruelly beat or ill-use them. "The object of these commands," he says, "is that men may not bring sorrow on that Spirit from the ocean of whose bounty they enjoy existence; for the teacher knoweth not Him who is his own and all men's teacher."
Commerce - Shiraz
On his removal from school Mírzá 'Alí Muhammad was for a while engaged in helping his father Mírzá Rizá in his business. He was still but a boy, however, when his father died. and thenceforth he was taken under the care of his maternal uncle, Háji Seyyid 'Alí.
Commerce - Bushihr
After a while, but at what precise date we cannot say, he left Shíráz and took up abode at Bushire on the Persian Gulf, where he still carried on the trade for which he was destined.
Character
So far there was nothing specially noticeable in him save a gravity unusual at his years, a remarkable purity of life, a somewhat dreamy temperament, an a sweetness of manner which attracted all with whom he came in contact.
Marriage
At the age of twenty-two he married, and by this marriage he had one son named Ahmad, who died in infancy.
Siyyid Kazim
About this time, there dwelt and taught at Kerbelá, a spot most hallowed in the eyes of every Persian Shi'ite by reason of the martyrdom of Huseyn, the third Imám, which there took place, a certain Hájí Seyyid Kázim of Resht, the disciple and successor of Sheykh Ahmad of Ahsá, who had founded a new school or sect called after him Sheykhís. Of the Sheykhís' doctrine the most notable feature was the extreme veneration - remarkable even amongst the Shi'ites - in which they held the Imáms, and the eagerness wherewith they awaited the advent of the Twelfth Imám or Imám Mahdí.
Báb and Siyyid Kazim
One day the circle of those who sat at the feet of Seyyid Kázim was augmented by a fresh arrival. The new comer, who took his seat modestly by the door in the lowest place, was none other than Mírzá 'Alí Muhammad, who, impelled by a pious desire to visit the Holy Shrines, had left his business at Bushire to come to Kerbelá. During the next few months the face of the young Shírází became familiar to all the disciples of Seyyid Kázim, and the teacher himself did not fail to notice and appreciate the earnest but modest demeanour of the youthful stranger. Then all of a sudden Mírzá 'Alí Muhammad departed as unexpectedly as he had come, and once more returned to Shíráz, his native city.
Siyyid Kazim Dies
Not long after this Seyyid Kázim died without nominating any successor. To some of his disciples whom he had seem weeping over his approaching death he had said, "Do you not then desire that I should go, so that the Truth may become manifest?" How this Truth should be revealed was a matter whereat he had but darkly hinted, and so it was that his disciples, distressed and doubtful, met together after his death to fast and pray. Then they dispersed, each in his own way, to seek what they desired and await what they expected.
Mullá Husayn and the Báb
Amongst these disciples was one, Mullá Huseyn by name, of Bushraweyh in Khurásán, who had enjoyed a special intimacy with the departed teacher, and who had been regarded by many as likely to succeed him. On the dispersal of the Sheykhís to which I have just alluded, this Mullá Huseyn went to Shíráz, and on his arrival there he remembered that Mírzá 'Alí Muhammad, his former fellow-student, dwelt in this city. Anxious to renew his acquaintance with one whose amiable disposition had exercised over him a singular charm, he inquired after and soon discovered the man in person, and when the first greetings were over the two fell to talking of Seyyid Kázim and his recent death. At first it was Mullá Huseyn who spoke, detailing the events of Seyyid Kázím's last days, and the hopes and fears which occupied the minds of his followers. But soon it was Mullá Huseyn's turn to listen in amazement to a declaration which Mírzá' Alí Muhammad now for the first time made, to wit, that he himself was the promised guide and teacher, the "Truth" foretold by the departed Seyyid, the channel of a new outpouring of Divine Grace; in a word, the Báb or Gate whereby men might once again commune with the Imám from whom for a thousand years they had been separated. The amazement and incredulity which this declaration first evoked in Mullá Huseyn's mind was soon changed by further conversation with Mírzá 'Alí Muhammad (or to give him the title to which he had now laid claim, the Báb) into a belief whereof the sincerity was attested by every subsequent action of this first convert to the new faith.
Spreading of the Declaration
In spite of the absence of many facilities of communication which we enjoy in Europe, news travels fast in the East; and no great while had elapsed since the "manifestation" (which took place on May 23rd, 1844) ere the Báb was surrounded by a considerable number of eager disciples. Amongst these were included many of the late Seyyid Kázím's followers, who, apprised by Mullá Husayn of what had taken place, hastened with all speed to Shíráz. The zeal of the little band of believers was great. In the circles of their own assemblies they read with eagerness and rapture the Commentary on the Súra of Joseph, the Ziyárat náma or "Book of Visitation," and the few other works which the Báb had then composed; while from time to time each one of them was privileged to listen to the words of the Master himself as he depicted in vivid language the worldliness and immorality of the mullás, or Muhammadan clergy, and the injustice and rapacity of the civil authorities, or spoke with a conviction which compelled belief of the era of justice and happiness now at hand and the certain triumph of the new truth which he was commissioned to proclaim. Already the Báb's fame was in every one's mouth and the Bábís were beginning to attract general attention (an attention which, in the case of the government authorities and the clergy, was largely mixed with suspicion and dislike), when the young prophet once more left Shíráz secretly, accompanied only by one intimate disciple, and set out to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca.
1922 - Life of the Báb, Jinab-Fadil (Star of West)
Star of the West - Set 7 Vol 14 No 7 Pg 193

By JINAB-I-FADIL
THE LIFE OF THE BAB
BORDERING on the Persian Gulf, in southern Persia, there is a very beautiful province, called Farce. This province is quite large and, centuries before Christ, was the seat of Persia's kings and rulers; it was also the home of the ancient Parsees. It is celebrated in Persian literature as a veritable throne of learning. Here, nearly seven hundred years ago, the great poets Hafiz and Sadi lived and died, and here they wrote their verses. Their tombs or shrines are visited every year by many people.
In Shíráz, the capital of Farce, there lived a family, of the merchant class, who for many generations had been noted for their piety, morality and generosity. Into this family there was born, in Shíráz, October 20, 1819, a child, the Báb. The Báb's father, a merchant, died when the boy was quite young, and the eldest of his three uncles who was also a merchant, took care of him and brought him up. The Báb's education was entirely elementary; and soon he went into business, becoming his uncle's partner.
As a child he gave signs of remarkable precocity and, while still very young, wrote beautiful essays in Persian and Arabic. Those who read them were astonished at his knowledge for they were aware how meager had been his education. The Arabic scholars were especially interested in his writings in that language and thought it very extraordinary that one without learning could write such perfect Arabic.
After he went into business his family noticed what seemed to them certain unusual traits in the young man; he would depart at midday, retire to a secluded spot and meditate, chant and read prayers, spending hours in deep spiritual communion. Observing this the Báb's family endeavored to awaken in him a greater interest in acquiring wealth and fame, but they soon found that these things did not interest him.
In the Báb physical beauty was joined to that of the spirit. His hair was black and his dark brown eyes shone like stars. His features were symmetrical and his face most luminous. His carriage was majestic, yet simple and humble. The purity of his character was such that even his enemies could find no fault with him. It would be hard to imagine a life more spotless, more devoted to love for humanity. He reflected the light of the spirit and radiated to those around him such wonderful spiritual life that his superiority was generally recognized, and he was shown utmost honor and respect. When he entered a room he was given the seat of honor and others, involuntarily, waited for him to speak first. He was full of happiness, contentment and resignation; so it seemed as if the Spirit of God were shining from that young body. <p194>
A few years before his declaration, in 1844, he left his uncle's office and journeyed to Karbala, Mesopotamia, the center of the Shi'ite Muhammedan world. The tomb of Hossein, the martyred grandson of Muhammed is in Karbala, and every year thousands of people made a pilgrimage to this shrine, where long prayers were read. When the Báb repeated his own prayers before the assemblage the people turned from the usual prayers and gave all their attention to him. The Muhammedans had, in Arabic and Persian, many prayers which seemed to them beautiful beyond description. Therefore they were prepared to recognize the sublime beauty and the inspiration of the Báb's prayers. He remained in Karbala several months and many people were drawn to him because of his inspired utterance and the holiness of his life.
At the age of twenty-three the Báb married a young girl, a relative of his family. A little son was born to them who lived but a few months. And shortly after, the Báb was apprehended and thrown into prison.
The religious outlook of the Muhammedan world had become very dark; the people had lost their spiritual vision and held to dogma as spiritual truth. About this time God inspired the hearts of a number of men to look deeper into their religion and study its true meaning. This school of men in their teachings made frequent mention of a Star of Guidance which was about to dawn. In 1843 they set out on a journey to the distant parts of Persia to try and discover this Master of the New Age. Before starting they gathered together in a mosque and for forty days fasted that they might be prepared for the momentous journey. They had been taught that there were nineteen proofs by which they might recognize the Great Master, the coming One, one of which was his spiritual power which, even if he spoke not a word, would draw the people to him. This power they were to find in the person of a handsome youth. They made a compact that he who discovered the Truth should at once communicate it to the others. Then they started off, in different directions.
Mulla Hossein, a very celebrated and learned man was one of this group. He remembered having met at Karbala a singularly spiritual youth, who came from ShIráz, and he decided to journey to Shiráz and try to find him. Arriving in that city he made inquiries which led him to the young man's home. To his great joy the door was opened by the Báb, himself, who welcomed him as a guest and bade him enter. Then the Báb told him how, when about to leave home early that morning for his office, there had come to him the foreknowledge that great and glorious news was about to be made known. He knew that the coming of this guest was a part of the good news. So, here in the rose garden of the Báb's home, was laid the foundation of the Great Cause.
1923 - Avirih on Tahirih in Star of the West
Adapted from addresses given in London by Jináb-I-Avárih
WHEN Qurratu'l-'Ayn was a child there was in Persia a very celebrated mulla, Shaykh Ahmad Ahsai. So great a scholar was he that throughout all the Muhammadan world he had no peer. Shaykh Ahmad Ahsai was the first divine to attack certain established beliefs prevalent among the Muslims, one of which was that Muhammad in his living, physical body departed from this earth and ascended into heaven, a belief similar to that held by many Christians with regard to the Christ. There were other Muhammadans who in their hearts disbelieved this teaching, but Shaykh Ahmad was the first who had the courage to publicly declare against it.
Another Muhammadan doctrine was that of the resurrection of the body. Shaykh Ahmad taught his students that the physical body cannot go to heaven, that it will not rise but will disintegrate; while the spirit will be taken up and will dwell in the presence of God. He explained that it was the spirit of Muhammad, not his body, which ascended.
Again, the Shaykh taught that God always sends teachers to His people, to lead them to His Kingdom, and that this divine bounty had not ceased.
The Muhammadans believed that there was one - who had been hidden for a thousand years - who would appear suddenly, a great teacher. Shaykh Ahmad said that the Promised One would not come that way; he would be manifest shortly but would be born in the natural way. This teaching of the Shaykh was of utmost importance to the Muslims, because for a thousand years they had been looking for this person who they believed had been in hiding for that period. And now the Shaykh said he would be born, and would appear very shortly.
Although strictly forbidden by the mullás, these teachings found many adherents, until thousands of people became followers of Shaykh Ahmad. They were popularly known as "Shaykhi," and by many of the mullas were called atheists.
At last the teachings of Shaykh Ahmad were carried to Qazvin, the home of Qurratu'l-'Ayn and her relatives. Her father and her eldest uncle, both of whom were mullás, opposed the Shaykh. But her two younger uncles believed him and secretly became his followers. Qurratu'l-'Ayn's father and uncle had many discussions about the Shaykh, calling him, in private. "Kafir," which means, "Turned away from God and not of the Muhammadan religion." Qurratu'l-'Ayn, then between thirteen and fourteen years of age, listened to these conversations. and said, "The Shaykh is right and my father and uncle are wrong." She secured the books and writings of the Shaykh and read them constantly. Whereupon her father and uncle said to her, "Read our books. Read our writings. We know better than he."
Shaykh Ahmad Ahsai went from Karbala to Khorassan and thence to Tihran where he met Shah Fathe Ali who so honored him that he offered to share with him his throne. But the Shaykh refused, and left for Karbala, on his journey passing through Qazvin.
After the death of Shaykh Ahmad Ahsai, his disciple Siyyid Kazim, carried forward his teachings, constantly telling his disciples and students that soon, within a few years, the Promised One would appear. Through the assistance of her younger uncle, who believed in Shaykh Ahmad and Siyyid Kazim, Qurratu'l-'Ayn and [?! was] able to correspond with Siyyid Kazim and secure his writings. She <p270> watched eagerly for the Promised One, and often told her younger uncle that unless the new order appeared and the Muhammadan religion was changed the condition of women in the East would become much worse. She would say, "Will a day come when new laws and revelations will be revealed, and shall I be one of the first to follow those teachings and give my life for my sisters?"
Her longing for the coming of the great Teacher and the new era became so strong that at last she besought her uncle, her father and her husband for permission to make a pilgrimage to Karbala. She knew that there she would be able to meet Siyyid Kazim. Through the efforts of her younger uncle this permission was at last granted and she set out upon her wonderful journey, accompanied by this uncle. What were her sorrow and disappointment to hear, three days before her arrival in Karbala, the news of the death of Siyyid Kazim!
However, she soon remembered that the Siyyid had left glad tidings of the One to come, and who would come quickly, and her heart was again filled with happiness. She journeyed on to Karbala and there visited the family of the Siyyid, who gave her access to many of the Siyyid's unpublished writings, some of which were not even finished. As she read she exclaimed, "Behold, how much the Shaykh and the Siyyid have left us. They have left us a sea of writings."
There was no one to take the place of Siyyid Kazim and teach his students. So Qurratu'l-'Ayn came forward and announced that she would take this place, would teach his followers just what the Siyyid had taught and impart to them his
knowledge.
This caused much discussion among the Siyyid's followers. Then thirty-two of the students said, "We will go and hear her once or twice. If we are satisfled we will advise the others to come, and she will teach them."
It was extremely dangerous and difficult for Qurratu'l-'Ayn to teach men and for them to come to hear her for in those days - and even at the present time in many places - women were kept veiled and in utmost seclusion. But Qurratu'l-'Ayn overcame all difficulties, had a curtain arranged in the room, and behind this sat and taught those thirty-two students who came to hear her. They soon recognized her as the one who could best teach them and saw that she was greater than all the divines in Karbala. For more than a year she taught these students, and all the time she wept and prayed that when the Promised One came she might recognize him. And she urged the people to watch for him and obey Him who was shortly to come into the world.
When Mullá Husayn-i-Bushrú'i visited the Báb, and became convinced that he was the Promised One, he told the news to Mullá 'Ali Bastami, who likewise became a follower of the Báb, the second disciple. Mullá 'Ali Bastami then went to Karbala, and there announced the great tidings that the New Light had arisen. When Qurratu'!-'Ayn heard this news she summoned him to her presence and asked, "What proofs have you, and where is he? Mullá 'Ali gave her some of the writings and prayers of the Báb. She took them, and straightway became a believer. The following day when her pupils came for their lesson she announced the glad tidings that the long-expected time was at hand, saying, "All the promises given by the Shaykh and the Siyyid have come to pass. The Promised One is on earth today!"
AND A LITTLE CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM
An Incident from the Early L;fe of the Báb
WE now wish to know if Qurratu'l-'Ayn had seen or met or had had any direct communication with the Báb previous to his public appearance and, if not, how she became acquainted with him.
She had heard that there was a young man in Shiráz, twenty-five years of age, <p271> who from childhood had lived a perfect life and shown wonderful signs of wisdom and inspiration. But she had never seen him or had access to his writings, and she did not know that the one of whom Shaykh Ahmad and Siyyid Kazim spoke was this same youth. All that she knew concerning the Báb had been told her by Háji Siyyid Javad, one of the greatest mullás (divines) in Karbala.
When Háji Siyyid Javad went to Shiraz the Báb, at that time called Siyyid 'Ali Muhammad, was between seven and eight years of age. Háji Siyyid Javad states:
One night I was invited to the house of the uncle of this little boy, and I perceived some beautiful traits in the little child's character which aroused my interest. This uncle, Háji Siyyid 'Ali, had charge of the little child, as his father had died. I spent the night in the house of Háji Siyyid 'Ali and, in the early morning I heard a tiny, sweet little voice in the next room, which I found to be a prayer room. It was a little child's voice in prayer - such prayers, such a voice, such devotion that I became absolutely enraptured and I, who was a great divine and was known to be very learned became quite humble upon hearing those beautiful words, so that I wanted to open the door and go out and see who that little child was. I waited patiently until dawn, when Háji Siyyid 'Ali came and met me. And then that little child came, and I saw that he was the little child between seven and eight years of age - and he it was who had been chanting in the prayer room. As soon as I gazed upon the child I saw such illumination, and on his lace an expression so beautiful, that I felt I could not find throughout the whole human race one like him. Before I could ask Háji Siyyid 'Ali who he was, Háji Siyyid 'Ali said, 'This is my sister's child."
When we were having breakfast I asked a few simple questions of the little boy, and he answered me in a deep and grave way, such as one would expect from a very learned person. The child then said, "I am going to school," and left.
I asked where that child went to school and the uncle answered, "He goes to Shaykh Abed to school."
I was so much drawn to the child that I could not stay where I was but got up and followed him to the house of Shaykh Abed.
Shaykh Abed, who was a teacher for the young, was surprised to see me, so great a scholar, so well-known and so famous that the Governor came out and welcomed me into the town, coming to his house unheralded. I at once understood the wonderment in the face of the Shaykh and said to him:
"I have not come to see you. I followed this little child," pointing to him. Then I asked the Shaykh:
"What do you think of this boy ?"
As soon as I said this the Shaykh showed great emotion, saying:
"What are you asking me? This child seems to me to be ready to proclaim, to give out a message to the world. What can I say about this child!"
He said, further: "You see that this child comes to my school as a pupil, but in reality he is my teacher and I am his pupil. During classtime he says so many wonderful things and goes into so many deep and important questions that I have never heard anything like it in all my life. When the children go out to play one sees him sitting there, reading most important writings. If the children come and insist that he go and play with them he goes and engages them in a way which they do not understand; then he slips away and returns to his work."
The admiration of this Shaykh for the child so increased my own admiration and wonder that I returned to the house of Háji Siyyid 'Ali and told him what Shaykh Abed had said to me. The uncle answered: "I hear so much about this boy. Yet, if I told anything people would <p272> only say, 'he likes to speak well of his nephew.'
Háji Siyyid Javad urged the uncle to tell him more about the little boy. So at last the uncle consented and told him of a wonderful dream which the child had had, when five years old. He dreamed that a pair of scales hung down from heaven. In one side of the scales was one of the prophets; in the other side, which was empty, this little child was placed by an invisible hand. Then this side weighed down the other, and the prophet seemed to be going up and the little boy coming down.
"Then, again," the uncle said, "we went one day to a public bath. The child slept when there. Suddenly he awoke and said, 'I dreamed that the roof of the bath next door fell down and killed seven ladies.' We were surprised, but when we came out of the bath we discovered that this had actually happened."
If we were to recount in detail the proofs of the truth of the Báb it would take a long time. Suffice it to say that after the Báb proclaimed his mission this uncle and this teacher believed in him, and the uncle was, finally, martyred in his footsteps.
This, indeed, is proof!
All these wonderful incidents about the Báb were related to Qurratu'l-'Ayn by Haji Siyyid Javad, and thus she came to know him.
When eighteen years old the Báb made a pilgrimage to Karbala, where he met Háji Siyyid Kazim of Rasht who also recognized signs of the greatness and illumination in this youth. These things and what she had read in the books of old made Qurratu'l-'Ayn confident that the light was to come from Shiráz. Therefore when she heard that the youth, Siyyid 'Ali Muhammad, in Shiráz, had proclaimed his mission she instantly believed in him, and when she read some of his writings these confirmed still more deeply her belief.
When she heard this news and became a follower of the Báb her whole attitude, condition and point of view were cornpletely changed. She now spoke with such power and insight that those who had seen and heard her before were astonished, and exclaimed, "This is not the woman we knew before!" She was so aflame that at any gathering of men or women where she spoke she won the entire attention and the very heart and soul of the audience.
1930+ - "In the Land of Refuge" by Mirza Habibu'llah Afnan
Early to mid 1930s
Lineage and Family
[p. 2:1] The names of the paternal and maternal ancestors of the Báb are as follows:
The blessed name of the Báb was Áqá Mírzá ‘Alí-Muhammad, son of Mír[zá] Muhammad-Ridá, the son of Áqá Mír[zá] Nasru’lláh, the son of Áqá Mír[zá] Fathu’lláh, the son of Áqá Mír[zá] Ibráhím. He was born into a highly regarded family of Husayní Siyyids to whose nobility, integrity, trustworthiness, piety, devotion, and detachment everyone in the province of Fárs would testify. Merchants by profession, they were all considered exemplary in integrity and purity in the entire region of Fárs. The mother of the Báb was Fátimih Bagum, the daughter of Hájí Mírzá Muhammad-Husayn, who was the son of Áqá Mírzá ‘Abid, the son of Áqá Mírzá Siyyid Muhammad. This family also ranked among the renowned and trustworthy merchants of Fárs.
Birth
His blessed birth took place on the first night of Muharram AH 1235 [20 October 1819], in the house belonging to His mother’s paternal uncle, Áqá Mírzá ‘Alí. 
First Two Years (Serenity)
The oft-recounted utterances of that exalted lady, the mother of the Báb, were along these lines:
From the moment of birth, it was evident that, unlike other children, He was not rapacious in drinking milk. Normally, He was serene and made no noise. During the twenty-four-hour period, He would desire milk only four times. While nursing he would be most gentle, and no movement was discerned from His mouth. Often I would become anxious and ask myself, “Why is this Child not like other children? Perhaps He has some illness that prevents His desiring milk.” Then I would console myself, saying, “If He really had some unknown illness, He would manifest signs of agitation and restlessness.”
Unlike other children, He did not complain or behave in an unseemly manner during the weaning period. I was most thankful that now that the Exalted Lord had granted me this one Child, He was gentle and agreeable.
Early Childhood Character
Moreover, according to what trustworthy persons have reported, it was evident from the beginning of His childhood that He had an extraordinary character that excited the wonder and amazement of all, whether relatives, friends, or strangers, for He [p. 5] was unlike any other child.
About the School and Tutor (Age 5)
According to Mullá Fathu’lláh Maktab-Dár [the school-master], son of Mullá Mand-‘Alí, when His blessed age had reached five years old, He was taken to the [quranic school of] Shaykh ‘Abid, known as Shaykh Anám, located in Qahviyih Awlíyá, one of the mystic convents occupied by the mystics of Fárs, on the Tayr marketplace, near the house of His maternal grandfather, and His respected maternal uncle. Mullá Fathu’lláh Maktab-Dár, son of Mullá Mand-‘Alí, was the custodian of the Masjid Vakíl. Like his father, he was one of the early believers [in the Báb] and, because of the persecutions and harassment, became a fugitive and forced to travel extensively. He related:
When they brought His Holiness to the maktab [quranic school], I worked for Shaykh Anám in the Qahviyih Awlíyá, which is one of the mystic convents in the old neighborhood of Shíráz, where the school had several rooms with a circular portico around them. The honored Shaykh ‘Abid, a man of many qualities, was the schoolmaster and taught the children of the noblemen, the affluent, the merchants, and other distinguished citizens. He was a tall, ever-dignified man with a long beard. A follower of the late Shaykh Ahmad Ahsá’í and Siyyid Kázim Rashtí, he ranked among the leading figures and divines of Shíráz.
At that time, I served the Shaykh as the khalifih (that is, the [school’s] principal). Those wishing for their youngster to receive tuition from him, had to come beforehand and meet with him in person. They would ask the Shaykh for a place either through a letter or through a distinguished intermediary. This was because the Shaykh did not accept the children of just anyone and was particularly reluctant to accept lads from the bazaarí shopkeepers, because of their ill manners and dirty clothing.
Submission to School
In any event, one morning, I saw the honored Áqá Mírzá Muhammad-Ridá, who had been a friend of Shaykh Anám in the past, come to the Qahviyih [Awlíyá]. He sat next to the Shaykh and described his situation as follows:
Unusual Qualities
“After forty years, the Exalted Lord has graced me with a Child who has caused me to wonder over His behavior.” The Shaykh asked him to explain further, but he only replied, “It is hard to say.” [The Shaykh] insisted, to which [the father] offered: “O venerable Shaykh! Which of His amazing conditions should I recount? Such peculiar characteristics are manifest in Him that the people are astonished.
In Prayer
Now, when He is five years old, He sometimes raises His hands to the threshold of the One God, and recites prayers. He wakes in the middle of the night and stands to offer His obligatory prayers, in the midst of which He weeps.
In Rapture
Sometimes He is sad, on other occasions He is happy, or immersed in rapture, or preoccupied with the imaginary world. My astonishment and bewilderment prevents me from describing further. Were I to recount all that I have observed from the time of His birth until the present, it would make a thick book.”
Foretelling Pregnancy (Boy or Girl)
“At such a [young] age, He tells whether an unborn child is a boy or a girl, for the whole clan. After the birth, it is as He foretold.
Bathhouse Collapses
“And again, some time ago, together with His maternal uncle, the esteemed Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí, we were at the bathhouse of Bazaar Murgh quarter. This Child was sleeping between His uncle and me, when suddenly He rose and stated, ‘The vaulted roof of the Garm-Khánih [steam chamber] of Mírzá Hádí’s bathhouse, which was for women, has just caved in, and five women and one child have been [killed] under the rubble.’ His uncle said to Him, ‘Áqá, please sleep and refrain from saying such things. What manner of talk is this!’ He responded, ‘It is as I said.’ It was not long after that we heard a tumult of voice from the direction of the bathhouse, saying that Mírzá Hádí’s bathhouse was wrecked and a number of women were under the rubble. One person said twenty women [were killed]; another said thirty or forty; but later it was determined that five women and a child had been killed. The truth was just as He had said.
Dream of Balance
“In another instance, a while ago He informed us, ‘Last night, I dreamt that a large balance was suspended in mid-air in a [p. 10] vast space. Imám Ja‘far Sádiq was seated on one of the plates, and, because of His weight, that plate was resting on the ground while the other plate was suspended in the air. An invisible person lifted Me and placed Me on the empty plate. My plate was now heavier than the other, and I came to the ground and the first dish rose into the air.’ I said to Him, ‘Alas, Child, how bizarre! Do not talk like that.’
Soothsayer / Protective Prayers
“What should I say! There are so many astonishing stories about Him that I cannot tell. At one time, Áqá Mírzá Siyyid Hasan suggested that this Child might be under the spell of jinn or fairies, and he said that we should take Him to those knowledgeable in such matters and request protective prayers for Him. Even though I do not believe that such things are true and trustworthy, in the light of his [Siyyid Hasan’s] comment I brought Áqá Muhammad-Hasan, the Munajjim [astrologer], to the house and described for him the details. He made some calculations and said, ‘He is protected from the malevolence of jinn and fairies, and he has not suffered any harm from sprites.’ Then he asked for His birthdate. Thereupon, he wrote certain protective charms and prayers and gave them [to us], recited some mysterious verses and, having learned of His birthdate, he left. After the departure of Áqá Muhammad-Hasan, the Child tore up the talismans, the writings he had left, and the sheet of instructions he had given [us], and tossed them out, saying to me, ‘In the words of the mystic: You make a great show of assistance, but I am that assistance.’
General Reaction, Submission to School
“In short, for some time I have been consumed with the difficulties of this Child, and I do not know which of His conditions I should describe to you. It is now time for His education and training, and I wish Him to receive His tuition and religious training from you.”
I was most astounded by the descriptions of the venerable Mírzá [Muhammad-Ridá], and the Shaykh was astonished as well. It was decided that at an agreeable time on [the following] Thursday morning the Child would be brought to the school.
On the promised morning, the Child arrived followed by a servant carrying a small [copper-tray] filled with sweets and a student’s version of the Qur’án, which is customary for the new pupil to read from in the schools in Shíráz.
Close Observation
Because of Áqá Mírzá Muhammad-Ridá’s descriptions of Him, the Shaykh, several of the students who had reached the age of maturity, and I were thoroughly enthralled in watching Him.
Báb Greets All
He came in, greeted [everyone], and sat before Shaykh Anám.
Maternal Uncle Arrives
Soon after, His maternal uncle, Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí, arrived as well and sat next to the Shaykh.
Reading from Qu'ran
After the exchange of formal pleasantries, the Shaykh took the Qur’án from the tray of sweetmeats, opened it, and said [to the young Pupil], “Come Áqá, read.” He smiled and said, “As you please.” As was customary, the Shaykh told Him to read, “He is the Deliverer, the All-Knowing.” His Holiness remained silent. The Shaykh repeated the verse, but He kept His silence. The Shaykh persisted. He [the Báb] asked, “Who is ‘He’. Can you explain?” The Shaykh responded, “‘He’ is God. You are still a child, and what concern of Yours is the meaning of ‘He’?” The Pupil responded, “I am the Deliverer, the All-Knowing!” The Shaykh was deeply enraged and picked up his stick and said to Him, “Do not utter such things here!” His Holiness commenced reading, and His maternal uncle smiled and ordered certain arrangements and then left.
Báb Silent and Refined, Hafiz
The late Áqá Muhammad Ibráhím Ismá‘íl Beg, who was a well-known, trusted, and respected merchant, related:
I was twelve years old at that time, and on that day Siyyid-i Báb came and sat between me and Áqá Mírzá Muhammad-Ridá Mustawfí who was about the same age as I. In fact, He [the Báb] kneeled, in a refined way. His head was bowed over the student Qur’án, but He did not read a word, so I asked, “Why are You not reading the lesson [aloud] like the other children?” He made no reply; however, two other lads sitting near us [p. 15] were heard reading poems from Háfiz aloud, and they came to this verse:
From Heaven’s heights the birdsong calls to you
in sorrow that you’re trapped in walls of clay.
He turned quickly to me and said, “That is your answer.” I replied, “Well done.”
Scientific Debate
Similarly, it is related:
Since Shaykh Anám was a learned man and a follower of Shaykh Ahmad [Ahsá’í], each morning he conducted a seminary session in Qahviyih Awlíyá where several of his [theological] students would gather to engage him in discussions and debates. One day a scientific topic was being discussed, and after considerable debate it remained unresolved, since it was particularly complex. The venerable Shaykh stated, “Tonight I will study the [authoritative] books on this topic, and tomorrow we will discuss the matter again and solve it completely.” At this point, the exchange was concluded.
Suddenly the young Pupil [who had been listening] raised His blessed head and with sound reasoning, irrefutable proof, and scientific evidence, propounded the answer they sought and removed all complexities. They were wonder-struck and amazed. The [seminarian] students informed the Shaykh that they had no recollection of ever having discussed that topic so that this Child could have memorized it like a parrot and now repeat it for them. They expressed their bewilderment, and the Shaykh responded that he too was filled with awe. Full of amazement, he asked Him where He had gained this knowledge. The Pupil smiled and offered this couplet from Háfiz:
Should the Holy Spirit’s grace again assist,
Others too will do what Christ has done.
General Testimony
In all events, during those tender years, many such manifestations of extraordinary and innate qualities were observed in Him and are testified to by both friends and foes, and are beyond my abilities to describe.
Báb's Father Dies, Maternal Uncle Rears
His father, Áqá Mír[zá] Muhammad-Ridá, passed away when the Báb was only nine years old, and from then on He was reared in the bosom of His maternal uncle, Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí. This uncle had witnessed such remarkable and astonishing feats by Him with his own eyes, that when He declared His Cause, without requiring any proof or evidence, Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí readily and unhesitatingly accepted His claim and became a believer. He sacrificed his life and possessions in the path of the Beloved of the world.
Uncle and his Brother Debate Claim
My paternal grandmother, [Zahrá Bagum], who was a paternal cousin of the Báb’s mother, related that she had personally heard the uncle [Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí] discussing [the claim of the Báb] with his younger brother, Hájí Mírzá Hasan-‘Alí, and the latter was resisting the argument saying, “Brother, what religious principles are these that you have turned to now? You have departed from our ancestral religion and follow our Nephew!” The eminent, martyred-uncle responded, “You should know well that God Most High has fulfilled the proof before me. After what I saw with my own eyes in His childhood and what I know with complete confidence about him since His adulthood, there is no room for doubt for anyone, especially for me.”
He then continued:
Night Prayer on a Mountain (Age 9)
Have you forgotten our journey to Sabz-Púshán when He was a child aged nine years old? There was a group of us, and He came along as well. When we arrived, being completely exhausted, we performed our ablutions, offered our late afternoon and the evening obligatory prayers, [p. 20] paid our homage of visitation, ate dinner, and went to bed. It was not long after, at midnight, that I awoke and noticed that He was not in bed. Deeply perturbed, I was overtaken with anxiety that perhaps He had fallen from the mountain. Finally, after searching extensively, I heard a voice raised in the obligatory prayer and prayers of glorification to the Lord, coming from the lower extremities [of the mountain]. When I followed the melody of that chant, I found the Child, standing alone and in private, in consummate rapture voicing prayers and supplications to the One Who transcends all mention, on the deserted mountainside and at that late hour of the night. My beloved brother, I ask: After observing such things, is there any room for doubt? With a knowledge born of certainty, with truth that stands most manifest, and with my own unimpeachable observations, it is thoroughly evident that the Promised One whom we had anticipated has now appeared after twelve hundred and sixty years. The proof has been completed. Whosoever denies these revealed verses, each page of which stands equal to the whole of the Qur’án, must surely be among the most inequitable.
In short, our grandmother often spoke to us on this theme.
Commerce with Uncle in Shíráz then Bushihr (Age 15)
[p. 21:4] When the Báb had reached the age of fifteen, He joined the commercial office of His uncle, [Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí], in Shíráz. He remained for a short while in Shíráz and then moved to the port city of Búshihr. In that city, His office was in the Mínandí caravansary. Although it was before the declaration of His Cause, the many signs and evidences of His sanctity and the wondrous verses that flowed from His blessed pen would attract the envy and the jealousy of men of learning.
Counsel the Báb to Forebear
One day in Egypt during the time when the illustrious Abú’l-Fadl was occupied with writing the Kitáb-i Fará’íd, we came to talk about the early years of the Báb prior to His declaration and the period when He was engaged in trading. Mírzá Abú’l-Fadl related the following to me:
I myself heard Hájí Siyyid Javád known as Karbalá’í relate that: when His Holiness [the Báb] was active as a merchant in Búshihr, because of my friendship and close association with His maternal uncles, I used to stay with them whenever I visited either Shíráz or Búshihr. One day Hájí Mírzá Siyyid Muhammad, a maternal uncle [of the Báb], came to me with a request, “Give some good counsel to my Nephew. Tell Him not to write or speak about certain studies that can only provoke the jealousy of certain people. These people cannot tolerate seeing a young merchant of little schooling demonstrate such scientific erudition and therefore become envious and resentful.” He was very insistent that I should counsel Him [to desist from such activities], but in the end I replied with this verse:
The luster of the fair of face cannot be veiled,
Shut him in and out of eyelet will he show his visage.
and added: “We are earthbound and He is celestial. Our counsel is no use to Him.”
Bushihr - Mingling, Qualities
In Búshihr He engaged in commerce for six years and associated with all strata of society, including the ‘ulamá, the merchants, and the shopkeepers, and dealt with all in such wise that they were very satisfied and grateful in every respect. In every gathering and assembly, men praised His splendid qualities.
Overthrow of Corrupt Customs
During one of my journeys to the sacred presence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, He spoke one day about the time the Báb stayed [in Búshihr] and of his commercial activities. He stated:
During His stay in Búshihr, the Báb achieved extraordinary things and thoroughly demolished the foundation of people’s corrupt practices. The merchants of Búshihr had a custom that after a deal had been concluded they would renege and barter to receive a considerable discount. Some of them came to His Holiness, negotiated purchase of indigo dye, and bought a very large quantity. After they had sealed the bargain and moved the lots of indigo to their own office, they returned to renege and bargain. His Holiness did not accept and said, “You made a bargain, [p. 25] signed papers, and the transaction has been completed. I will not give a discount and will not renegotiate.” They insisted. He replied, “What I said is final.” They pleaded, “It is the custom of the country.” He responded, “Many of these customs are wrong and will soon be abolished.” No matter how much they insisted, He would not agree. The merchants were obstinate, and at last He said, “[If] the price is high, return the merchandise as I will not barter.” They insisted, “It is the custom here.” He replied, “I wish to put an end to this custom.” They insisted, “If a merchant has bought commodities and moved them to his warehouse, and then returns them, he will forfeit his standing with merchants.” “It is your choice,” He told them, “accept the terms and refrain from re-negotiation.” Again they insisted, “But this is the custom of the realm.” Yet again, He reminded them, “I am ending this custom.”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá continued relating:
Eventually, He [the Báb] ordered the merchandise brought back to His shop and did not yield to their efforts at bargaining. He changed many of their unseemly practices during the period He was a merchant in Búshihr.
Soon thereafter, one of His maternal uncles arrived at Búshihr, and the same merchants who had returned the indigo dye came to see the uncle and complained about His behavior, saying, “He has ruined our reputation. We had a deal on dyes, however, as customary, we wished to renegotiate, but He did not comply. He arranged for the goods to be brought back from our store. This is a great insult to us as merchants. You should counsel Him not to repeat such offenses.”
The maternal uncle approached the Báb advising Him, “Why do You refuse to yield to people’s wishes and disrupt the established customs of the realm?” He told him, “Even now, if they should wish to bargain after a transaction is completed, I would refuse again.”
That was a very blissful day. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá smiled unceasingly and repeated several times, “Prior to His declaration, the Báb announced that He would change many of the accepted ways.”
Wish to Leave, Uncles' Procrastination
In short, after six years’ residence in Búshihr, [the Báb] wrote several times to His uncles, “I plan to visit the ‘Atabát. One of you should come to Búshihr and take over the business so I can commence my journey to the ‘Atabát.” The uncles procrastinated and did not comply with His wish. When the time for His departure arrived, He settled His accounts with everyone, prepared a detailed ledger, sealed the books, and left them in the office. He then sealed the entrance to the office and entrusted the key to the custodian of that building with the instructions that whichever of His maternal uncles should arrive first from Shíráz to Búshihr should be allowed to enter. Thereupon, He wrote to Shíráz “Though I wrote you repeatedly asking that one of you come to Búshihr as I have a journey to the ‘Atabát in mind, you have not come. Therefore, I have sealed the door of the shop and entrusted the key to the custodian and have left for the ‘Atabát.” So, after six years in Búshihr, He left for the ‘Atabát.
Uncles' Reaction
Once His blessed letter was received in Shíráz, [His eldest maternal uncle,] Hájí Mírzá Siyyid Muhammad became deeply worried and perturbed, complaining, “What manner of conduct is this? Our good name in the commercial community will be ruined, and the chain of our business transactions will be broken! What will happen to our accounts with the people?” To this, the illustrious uncle, Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí, responded, “Rest assured! I know Him, and our Nephew does not do anything wrong. [I am certain that] He has arranged people’s accounts before leaving.”
Uncle Sets Out
The uncle, Hájí Mírzá Siyyid Muhammad, set out for Búshihr. Upon his arrival, he secured the key from the custodian of the caravansary, noted the seal on the door of the room, opened the door, and began a careful examination of the books. He found that the accounts relating to every person were most satisfactory and accurate. Relieved, he wrote to his brothers, “the accounts and record books are in order” [p. 30] and expressed praise and gratitude for their Nephew.
In the ‘Atabát
The Báb arrived at the ‘Atabát. His blessed stay in the ‘Atabát is an extensive story, but it will be related here briefly, as our attention is focused on events in Fárs.
Mulla Husayn
One day Mullá Husayn, who at that time was engaged in studies in the ‘Atabát under the tutelage of Siyyid [Kázim Rashtí], saw His Holiness [the Báb] while He was standing in prayer at the sanctuary of the Shrine of the Prince of Martyrs.
Báb Enwrapped
He saw a young Siyyid, aged twenty-two, offering His supplications with an intense humility and rapture that was not to be observed previously among any of the ‘ulamá, the mystics, or the pilgrims [to that sacred Shrine]. He was carried away with petitioning God and performing the rites of pilgrimage. Mullá Husayn was astounded and attracted by his beauty and perfection. He approached [the Báb] and greeted Him. However, wrapped in devotions, His Holiness did not reply. Mullá Husayn moved to the back and waited there. Having completed the pilgrimage prayers in the inner sanctuary, [the Báb] went out to the courtyard, and to Mullá Husayn’s utter astonishment, repeated the pilgrimage prayers there.
Once more, Mullá Husayn approached and greeted Him. Being occupied with His prayers, [the Báb] did not respond, which further deepened the Akhúnd’s [lower-level divine's] wonder.
When [the Báb] had completed the pilgrimage prayers, He moved outside from the courtyard. The Akhúnd [Mullá Husayn] approached Him and greeted Him. This time, [the Báb] returned his greeting and apologized, “Twice you have showed your courtesy, but absorbed and transported in the rites of pilgrimage, concentrating only on the exalted Shrine of the Imám—upon Him be peace—I did not respond. For this, I wish to apologize. Whosoever attains that sacred ground must forget himself and all worldly matters. As such, I had become oblivious of My own Self and overcome with other conditions. Once more, I apologize to you.”
Mullá Husayn's Reaction; with the Báb
Hearing such a speech only served to enhance the amazement of the Akhúnd, as he had never thought that a young merchant could manifest such extraordinary depth of humility, reverence, piety, and veneration. It was unusual and contrary to the fashionable neglect of religion. Therefore, he extensively expressed the depth of his gratitude and thanks, and asked, “Master, where is Your home, for I wish to make the customary courtesy call?” [The Báb] told him how to find the house. [Mullá Husayn] then said, “Siyyid [Kázim Rashtí] holds a service of prayers and admonition at his own home every Friday morning. Should You decide to attend, it would greatly honor the assembly, and we would be profoundly grateful.” [The Báb] responded, “There is no harm in that,” and promised to attend the session.
Siyyid Kazim
The Akhúnd reported with great care the details of what had transpired to Siyyid [Kázim] who had smiled and recited this verse:
That which my heart had understood in dreams
      was hidden behind this veil, and is now found.
During the last two or three years, Hájí Siyyid Kázim Rashtí devoted his sermons and lectures solely to the manifestation of the Promised Proof. He repeatedly expounded on the signs of His appearance and the characteristics of the Lord of Command. Many a time he would tell [his students that the promised Qá’im] must be young, not instructed by anyone else, and must be a scion of the Baní-Háshim.
Báb Visits Siyyid Kazim's Session
On the morning of the appointed Friday, [the Báb] made his promised visit to the home of the Siyyid where the latter was occupied with preaching from the pulpit and the house was filled to capacity with worshippers. Finding no seat available, His Holiness [the Báb] sat at the threshold. On seeing His countenance, the late Siyyid said no more, preferring pure silence. All those present were astonished. After a quarter of an hour, he resumed an oration regarding the signs of the manifestation of the Promised One. He said, “Behold, He is manifest as the sun” [p. 35]. With these words he concluded his arguments and descended the pulpit. It was at this moment that with the utmost reverence Akhúnd Mullá Husayn approached His Holiness [the Báb] and led Him to a seat next to the Siyyid.
Comment on Atabat
Were I to detail the sojourn of the Báb in the ‘Atabát and the events that transpired there and the glad tidings imparted by the late Siyyid, it would be like a Qur’án commentary or a thick book of history. But our purpose is to outline the events in Fárs.
Uncle goes to ‘Atabát and Appeals Return
After six months of His blessed stay in the ‘Atabát had passed, His mother, longing to see her only Offspring, earnestly petitioned her brother, Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí, to proceed for the ‘Atabát and to bring His Holiness to Shíráz—a matter that she greatly insisted upon. Deeply devoted to his sister and Nephew, the illustrious uncle agreed and proceeded at once to the ‘Atabát.
On meeting His Holiness, he stated, “I have come to accompany you in Your return to Shíráz.” [The Báb] refused. However much the uncle insisted, He refused, stating, “I intend to remain in the ‘Atabát for some time.”
Because his sister was looking forward to His Holiness’s arrival in Shíráz, the uncle did not defer to this refusal. Through a message transmitted by Hájí Siyyid Javád Karbalá’í, he appealed to the Siyyid [Kázim] to convince His Holiness to return to Shíráz.
Siyyid Kazim Petition to Send Away Báb
One day, the uncle himself went to the home of the Siyyid [Kázim] and explained the situation as follows: “My Nephew lived in Búshihr for six years before coming to the ‘Atabát. His mother has no other child beside Him and deeply longs to see Him and plans to arrange for His marriage. He has not consented to what I say, in bidding Him return to Shíráz. Therefore, I beg of you to speak with Him, that He may accompany me to Shíráz.” At first, the Siyyid replied, “Is it up to us to interfere? Allow us the benefit of His presence for a while longer.” The illustrious uncle responded, “As His mother is anticipating His arrival and her approval is important as well, kindly tell Him to agree to return to Shíráz.”
Eventually, the Siyyid transmitted the message to His Holiness [the Báb], saying, “If it pleases You, return to Shíráz.” Because it was the wish of the Siyyid, His Holiness agreed. In the company of His uncle, He set out for Shíráz.
[14]
In the Atabat
The following is noted in Fayzí, Khándán Afnán, pp. 132–33, on the authority of Mázandarání, Táríkh Zuhúru’l-Haqq, volume 3:
Because of the insistence of the mother of the Báb and other kinsmen as well as his own profound desire, Hájí Mír[zá] Siyyid ‘Alí, the Khál, had come to Karbalá. One day the Báb met Mullá Sádiq [Khurásání] in the courtyard of the Shrine of Imám Husayn. The Báb said to him, “My uncle has recently arrived from Shíráz, and if you wish to meet him, come to our abode.” The Akhúnd expressed his deep interest and with thanks assured Him he would come. That very afternoon he went to the home of the Báb where a great many of the ‘ulamá, merchants, and other dignitaries were present, with the Khál sitting and conversing with the guests, and the Báb serving tea and sherbet. Mullá Sádiq spoke of the Báb’s peerless qualities and His exalted character. In response, the Khál said, “Even though our entire family is well known in Shíráz and its vicinity for our pious nature and goodly characters, yet this Youth shines like a most brilliant candle in our midst, and it is most evident that He is cut from a different cloth. Our one wish is for Him to undertake study of divers sciences so it would bring added honor to us. However, He refuses.” Mullá Sádiq responded, “If you do not take Him with you to Shíráz, I will see to it that He is engaged in studying.” Thrilled at the prospect, the Khál stated, “Even though it is very agonizing for His mother and other kinsmen to be far from Him, yet because of your assurance, I will return by myself to Shíráz.” A few days later, the Khál returned to his native city and left the Báb in Karbalá. However, it was not long thereafter that He, too, returned to Shíráz.
Marriage in Shíráz
There He rejoined His mother and relatives. After several months He expressed the desire to return to the ‘Atabát. Hearing that His Holiness entertained such considerations caused His mother to grow deeply anxious, and with great urgency she spoke with her brother, Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí, about His marriage. Having spoken with the illustrious consort, Khadíjih-Sultán Bagum, daughter of the late Áqá Mírzá ‘Alí and a paternal cousin of the Báb’s mother, the arrangements for the wedding ceremony were made. The wedding took place on Friday, the eighteenth of Rajab AH 1258 [25 August 1842] in the presence of an assemblage of the merchants, the noblemen, and the ‘ulamá of Fárs.
And since the appointed time for His Manifestation was near, He did not travel anywhere, but prayers and verses in Arabic and expositions on [divine] sciences continually flowed from His pen.
Ahmad, the Báb’s Son (Dies)
After a year, that is in AH 1259 [1843], God granted Him a son who died at birth. Before his birth, [the Báb] had prophesied, “The child is a boy named Ahmad, but it is not his destiny to live.” The child was buried in the Bíbí Dukhtarán cemetery of Shíráz. My paternal grandmother, [Zahrá Bagum], who was the sister of Khadíjih Bagum, related for me the details surrounding the child’s birth:
[p. 40] The delivery of the child was very difficult, to the point that several times we lost all hope for the mother’s recovery. During the final surge of the labor pains, the mother of His Holiness went to Him. He asked her, “Has she delivered?” to which she responded negatively. [The Báb] then took a small mirror that lay by His side, penned a prayer and a talisman on the face of the mirror, gave it to His mother, [saying that she should] take it to His wife and hold it before her face. She took the mirror and held it before [Khadíjih Bagum]. As her gaze fell upon the mirror, instantly the lifeless child was delivered, and the mother recovered.
Mother Reproves Báb
The Báb’s mother then returned to His presence and remonstrated with her Son, “As You evidently possessed such [preternatural] abilities, why did You not perform this act sooner and preserve the life of the child?” He smiled and replied, “It is not My destiny to leave any progeny.” His mother was infuriated with this comment but said no more.
Khadijah's Dream of the Lion
The wife of the Báb recounted for me:
One night I dreamt that there was a fearsome male lion in the courtyard. My hands were around the neck of the lion. The beast dragged me around the courtyard two and a half times. I woke up, profoundly alarmed and trembling with fright. His Holiness asked me the cause of my agitation, and I told him what I had dreamt. His comment was: “You awoke too soon, as [your dream portends that] our life together will not last more than two-and-a-half years.” And what He said, transpired.
1940 - Chosen Highway
Siyyid 'Ali Muhammad was born in Shiraz in the year 1819.  His father, having died when He was still a child, His mother took Him to live with herself and her brother, Haji Siyyid 'Ali.  His devoted mother and uncle brought Him up with loving care.
Many are the stories told of His childhood.
He showed that His knowledge was innate.
His school master came to His uncle and said: "If you pay school fees to me, it is a present!  I can teach him nothing!  His explanations of difficult passages in the Qur'an are marvellous!  His answers to complex problems are amazing!"
His mother one day rebuked a servitor after the ablution in preparation for the sunset prayer.
"Beloved Mother," said Siyyid 'Ali Muhammad, then a child of six, "would it not be well to repeat the purifying ablution before praying--that the rebuke may not tarnish thy prayer?"
So gentle and loving was his character that all who know Him loved Him.  The beauty of his mind was reflected in His person.  He passed all His time, when He was not dutifully helping His uncle in his work, meditating upon the Holy books.
"Surely," said the people, "He is a heavenly soul, this youth who walks with the dignified and serene step, who is of so shining a countenance, and withal so beautiful, and, moreover, greatly learned in the Sacred Writings."
Now there was a sweet and lovely cousin of Siyyid 'Ali Muhammad named Khadijih-Sultan-Bagum; these two had played together as little children, and had been great friends.
According to the custom of the country they did not meet as they began to grow up.
One night Khadijih-Sultan-Bagum had a vision, which many years afterwards she related to Munirih Khanum, wife of 'Abdu'l-Baha, who was destined to play a great role in this amazing tale:
"I dreamed a dream in which Fatimih, the daughter of Muhammad, came to me and said: 'Arise!  I desire that you <p14> become the wife of my son." So majestic she looked, as she stood, tall, slender, and graceful, so wonderful was the beautiful mien, so marvellous her loveliness of expression, so glorious her countenance, that I could no longer gaze upon her, but looked down, feeling overcome with awe, and all unworthy of so high an honour.
"I did not speak of this vision to my sisters; they would have thought me to be filled with pride and self-assertion!  But the vision filled my thought day and night; it seemed to enfold me in a kind of sacred atmosphere of joy indescribable!
"A few days after this vision, the mother of my playmate of years agone, Siyyid 'Ali Muhammad, came to me, and standing in the self-same attitude, and in the very same spot as the visitant of my dream, spoke words to me, which 	I understood as conveying her wish that I should be the wife of her son.
"By this I became aware that her son, afterwards my glorious husband, was a Chosen One!"
Accordingly this lovely girl became the wife of Siyyid 'Ali Muhammad.  All the people wondered at the sublime beauty of the bridal pair.
Alas, that their happiness should be so brief duration, should be cut short by one of the great world tragedies!
Their was a marriage of pure love; they both came of a family who took but one wife; this was remarkable, as the custom of the country was to marry two if not more, and it was often made very difficult to evade this custom!
In many ways the family was held in an almost sacred veneration by the friends and neighbours, both of high and of low degree.
One evening He, Siyyid 'Ali Muhammad, said to His bride, as the newly wedded pair sat together:
"To-night there will come a very particularly dear friend, whom I am earnestly expecting; go to your rest; do not wait up for me, he may be quite late."
She saw a grave expression of determination on His face, as she rose to obey His wish; her intuitive soul at once understood that the guest for whom He waited must be of no ordinary kind.
As she went she turned to look at her Husband, the beautiful youth with the serene, earnest face, who then, as though in <p15> answer to the call of an invisible command, took His seat exactly facing the door, upon which he fixed His eyes.
There she left Him seated, waiting!  Waiting!
At length a step was heard, and the awaited one came.  The young wife, wondering too much for sleep, heard what caused even greater wonder.
This visitor was he who afterwards became known as the Babu'l-Bab, his name being Mulla Husayn-i-Bushru'i.  He was one of the foremost disciples of Siyyid Kazim, and had now come to Shiraz in fulfilment of the charge laid upon his students, that after his death, "they should first spend forty days in retreat in the Mosque at Kufih, fasting and praying, being thus prepared to become capable of recognizing the Imam, they were to disperse, travelling far and wide in search of Him, and having found Him, to let all the world know."
On his arrival the awaited visitor announced that he was seeking for his master, and took from his wallet the Tablet before mentioned, the five-pointed star, following the chief lines of the form of the human body--filled with writing containing the description of the signs by which he should know Him whom he sought.
As this was recounted by the guest, the young host listened gravely, and then, taking of his green turban, said: "Look well at me, do I not show these signs?"  His calm face was illumined by a smile full of meaning.
"That is a very high claim," wonderingly said the visitor.  Siyyid 'Ali Muhammad then reminded him of a day long ago at the table of Siyyid Kazim, who, speaking of the chapter in the Qur'an describing the story of Joseph, impressively told them to remember the discussion of that evening on the "Mystery of Joseph," adding that one day, in the future, the reason for this solemn injunction would be made clear to them.
Then and there Siyyid 'Ali Muhammad wrote a detailed commentary of the "Mystery of Joseph," revealing the hidden meaning of he story; this he handed to his visitor.
As Mulla Husayn-i-Bushru'i read, his eyes were opened, and he became greatly perturbed and overcome, and excited.  He wished to rush forth proclaiming the wondrous tidings to the world.
<p16>
He had found the Herald!  Him whom he sought, the Imam, the Qa'im.
"Restrain thine enthusiasm for awhile, my friend, it is not yet the time to give forth the tidings.  Be patient!  Wait!  Wait until eighteen persons of insight shall of themselves separately, through inner guidance, have recognized me.
The Bab Himself was the "Primal Point" and, with the eighteen to be by him appointed as they should come to Him, constituted "The Nineteen Letters of the Living."
This declaration was made on the twenty-third day of the month of May, in the year 1844.
What a day in the history of the world!
The Bab, the Herald of Baha'u'llah, the Promised one, opened the new age of mankind.  On this day was born 'Abbas Effendi, 'Abdu'l-Baha, Son of Baha'u'llah and Centre of His Covenant.
On this day the first telegraphic message was flashed along the wires in these remarkable words:
"Behold what God hath wrought!"
Mulla Husayn-i-Bushru'i was straightway named the Babu'l-Bab, i.e., "The-gate-leading-to-the-Gate," and took his place as the first one of the sacred band of illuminated disciples who became known as "The Nineteen Letters of the Living."
When certain others had come to the Bab, and had been added to this band, He sent them forth far and wide into the length and breadth of the land, to give the glad tidings of their divine Leader.
...
She [Khadijih Bagum] took me to the house of the martyred uncle of the Bab, he who had cared for Him, and brought Him up from the time when, His father having died, His widowed mother brought Him to live with her at her brother's house.
...
	Whilst she [Khadijih-Sultan-Bagum's eldest sister, wife of the uncle who was Guardian of the Bab] talked, Khadijih-Bagum was silent.  Then I said, "Please tell me of the childhood of the Bab, what thou rememberest of Him." 
 
	Gently she spoke: "The child came to us when He was four years old.  From the first He was quite different from other children, so wise and gentle and serene.  When He was seven years old He was taken to the school of Shaykh 'Abid. 
 
	"The schoolmaster came to my husband and said: 
 
	"'The fees thou givest for teaching 'Ali Muhammad I can only accept as a present.  He has no need of my teaching! 
 
	"'For instance, I said to him "Repeat this verse of the Qur'an after me. 
 
	"'"I wish first to know the meaning, then I will repeat it unto thee." 
 
	"'I said to Him "No, Thou say it first, then its signification will be told unto Thee." 
 
	"'He amazed me by saying, "I, then, will explain it to thee." 
 
	"'The verse was "He is the All-knowing."  His explanation of this was so marvellous that I was profoundly impressed.'" 
 
	(Shaykh'Abid became a believer in the Bab.) 
 
	"Now, Khadijih-Bagum, tell me, I pray thee, some of the many things thou must remember of Him." 
 
	"We were three sisters; our father was the least prosperous of the great-uncles of my Beloved.  We were far from being wealthy when we married, as the world counts wealth.  Therefore there was little money amongst our relations and friends at our union.  But this was of no importance to us; the memory of my dream of two years before was always with me, and filled the time of my engagement with great happiness. 
 
	"I will tell of that dream, should you desire to hear it.[19] 
[19 This dream is related on page 14, Part I.] 
 
	"Whilst the Bab was at Bushihr, I again dreamed a dream: 
 
	"I saw Him in an attitude of prayer, His vesture was marvellous and beautiful, embroidered with fine needlework, and round its borders were written, in gold and in silver, verses from the Qur'an.  The radiance of a sacred light shone round Him. 
 
<p78> 
	"When I told my sisters of this dream, they also recognized the truth that "He must be the Chosen One!" 
 
	I tarried with Khadijih-Bagum for twenty-one days of joy and wonderment. 
1972 - Balyuzi - The Báb
Chapter 2
The gentle spirit of the Bab is surely high up in the cycles of eternity. Who can fail, as Prof. Browne says, to be attracted by him?
- T. K. Cheyne, D.Litt., D.D.
Lineage and Family
Siyyid (or Mirza) 'Ali-Muhammad, known to history as the Bab, was the son of Siyyid (or Mir) Muhammad-Rida, a mercer of Shiraz. 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, 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 Bab'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 Bab 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 Babi-Baha'i Faith in Shiraz by Haji Mirza Habibu'llah-i-Afnan, Siyyid Muhammad-Rida passed away when his son was nine years old, and 'Abdu'l-Baha appears to confirm this account.
Allegiance of Kinsmen
Two of Siyyid Muhammad-Rida's paternal cousins rose <p33> to eminence in the ranks of the Shi'ah divines, and both bore allegiance, in strict secrecy, to their kinsman when His claim to be 'the Qa'im of the House of Muhammad' became publicly known. Of the two, the more famed and distinguished was Haji Mirza Muhammad-Hasan (1815-95), known as Mirzay-i-Shirazi, who, like all the leading Shi'ah divines, resided in 'Iraq. He was the most influential ecclesiastic of his time, powerful enough to wreck the Tobacco Regie, the monopoly concession which Nasiri'd-Din Shah (reigned 1848-96) gave to Major Gerald F. Talbot, a British citizen, in the summer of 1889. Mirzay-i-Shirazi put the use of tobacco under an interdict and the people of Iran, even the women in the Shah's harem, ceased to use it. Nasiri'd-Din Shah was forced early in 1892 to cancel the concession and pay the Tobacco Corporation an indemnity of œ500,000. The father of Mirzay-i-Shirazi, named Mirza Mahmud, was a noted calligraphist, and was uncle to the father of the Bab.
Kinsman - Haji Siyyid Javad
The other celebrated ecclesiastic, cousin to Siyyid Muhammad-Rida, was Haji Siyyid Javad, the Imam-Jum'ih of Kirman. It was Quddus who gave this dignitary the news of the advent of the Bab. Haji Siyyid Javad extended his protection to Quddus, despite the clamour of his adversaries.
Mother of Báb
The mother of the Bab 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 Bab, 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.
Báb's School Wonders
Every account that we have of Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad's childhood indicates that He was not an ordinary child. <p34> When He was sent to school, He so surprised the schoolmaster, Shaykh 'Abid, with His wisdom and intelligence that the bewildered man took the child back to His uncle, and said that he had nothing to teach this gifted pupil: 'He, verily, stands in no need of teachers such as I.' The uncle had already noticed the remarkable qualities of his ward, and it is recorded that on this occasion he was very stern with Him: 'Have You forgotten my instructions? Have I not already admonished You to follow the example of Your fellow-pupils, to observe silence, and to listen attentively to every word spoken by Your teacher?' It was totally alien to the nature of that gentle child to disregard the wishes of His guardian. He returned to school and conducted Himself on the pattern of other children. Nothing, however, could restrain the superior mind and intelligence possessed by that exceptional boy. As time went on, the schoolmaster became convinced that he could not help his student; in the role of instructor he felt as the instructed.
About the School
It should also be said that schools such as that attended by Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad, which were common in those days, were one-man affairs and matters taught were elementary, although pupils were trained to read the Qur'an, even if they could not possibly understand the meaning of the sacred text which is of course in Arabic. The Bab did not go beyond this school nor the tuition of Shaykh 'Abid. Thus His schooling was meagre.
Silence, Hafiz
The Bab was only five years old when He was sent to receive tuition from Shaykh 'Abid. Haji Mirza Habibu'llah's narrative contains an account of His first day at school, related by Aqa Muhammad-Ibrahim-i-Isma'il Bag, a well-known merchant of Shiraz, who was a fellow-scholar at the age of twelve. The Bab had taken a seat, with great courtesy, in between this boy and another pupil who was also much older than Himself. His head was bowed over the primer put in front of Him, the first lines of which He had been <p35> taught to repeat. But He would not utter a word. When asked why He did not read aloud as other boys were doing He made no reply. Just then two boys, sitting near them, were heard to recite a couplet from Hafiz, which runs thus:
From the pinnacles of Heaven they call out unto thee;
I know not what hath thee here entrapped.
'That is your answer,' said the Bab, turning to Aqa Muhammad-Ibrahim.
Outshines Theological Students
Haji Mirza Habibu'llah also tells us that, apart from teaching boys, Shaykh 'Abid had a regular class for theological students. On one occasion some of these students posed a question which after a long period of discussion remained unresolved. Shaykh 'Abid told them that he would consult some authoritative works that same night and on the morrow present them with the solution. Just then the Bab, who had been listening, spoke and with sound reasoning propounded the answer which they sought. They were wonder-struck, for they had no recollection of discussing that particular subject within earshot of the Bab, who might then have looked up references in books and memorized them to repeat parrot-wise. Shaykh 'Abid asked Him where He had gained that knowledge. The boy replied smilingly with a couplet from Hafiz:
Should the grace of the Holy Spirit once again deign to assist,
Others will also do what Christ could perform.
Character
Not only did the mental faculties of the Bab astound the schoolmaster; the nobility of His character impressed him even more. Indeed all those who were close or near to His person could not but yield to the charm of His being. Years later, when the Bab had raised the call of a new theophany, the schoolmaster casting his mind over the past told Haji Siyyid Javad-i-Karbila'i, a learned scion of a celebrated <p36> priestly family (the Bahru'l-'Ulum), that Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad was always dignified and serene, that He was very handsome and cared little for the pastimes of other boys.
Late for School (Devotions)
Some mornings, the schoolmaster recalled, He was late coming to school and when asked the reason He remained silent. On occasions Shaykh 'Abid sent other pupils to call at His home and ask Him to come to school. They would return to say that they had found Him at His devotions. One day, when He had come late to school and was questioned by Shaykh 'Abid, the Bab said quietly that He had been in the house of His 'Grandfather'. Thus do the Siyyids refer to their ancestor the Prophet Muhammad. To the schoolmaster's remonstrances that He was only a child of ten from whom such rigorous attention to devotions was not demanded, He replied quietly again, 'I wish to be like My Grandfather'. At that time, Shaykh 'Abid said, he had taken the words of Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad as childish naivete.(4)
About the Tutor
(4) Shaykh Muhammad was known as Shaykh 'Abid, and also as <p231> Shaykhuna and Shaykh-i-Anam. That his real name was Muhammad is attested by this verse in the Arabic Bayan one of the last works of the Bab: 'Say O Muhammad, My teacher, do not beat me ere my years have gone beyond five.' His school was in the quarter called Bazar-i-Murgh (Poultry Market), housed in a mosque-like structure which went by the name of Qahviy-i-Awliya'. It was close to the house of Haji Mirza Siyyid 'Ali, the uncle-guardian of the Bab. In its courtyard were a number of graves: three were particularly revered as those of saintly personages, one of whom was called Awliya'-though no one really knew whose were the graves. It is known that Shaykh 'Abid wrote a monograph on the childhood of the Bab, but the manuscript has always been in the possession of people not well-disposed to the Faith of the Bab and Baha'u'llah, and they have persistently refused to give it up or to divulge its contents. Shaykh 'Abid was also destined in later years to accept the Faith proclaimed by his former Pupil.
Praying in Garden Outings
A certain book-binder of Shiraz named Siyyid Muhammad, whose house neighboured that of the Bab's, but who in later years removed to Saray-i-Amir in Tihran to ply his trade, had heard Shaykh 'Abid relate that it was customary, when the season was clement, for the boys to invite their teacher and their fellow-pupils on Fridays (the day of rest) to an outing in one of the numerous gardens which bordered the city of Shiraz. At times they would find that the Bab had betaken Himself to a shaded, secluded spot in a corner of the orchard to pray and meditate.
Haji Siyyid Javad-i-Karbila'i
Haji Siyyid Javad-i-Karbila'i had himself encountered the Bab in the years of His childhood. He was normally a resident of Karbila and had attended regularly the discourses of Siyyid Kazim-i-Rashti, eventually becoming one of his ardent disciples. But he was also a man of travel who <p37> embarked now and then on long journeys. Twice he went on pilgrimage to Mecca and spent some time there teaching and discoursing. He visited India and stayed in Bombay for a while.
Melodious Intonations
One of his journeys took him to Shiraz, at a time when the Bab was about nine years old. Being well acquainted with Haji Siyyid Muhammad (one of the Bab's maternal uncles), Haji Siyyid Javad visited him occasionally. Decades later he recalled that on one of these visits he could hear the intonations of a melodious, enraptured voice, coming from the direction of the alcove reserved for devotions. Before long a boy stepped out of the recess and Haji Mirza Siyyid Muhammad introduced Him as his nephew who was orphaned.
Calligraphy Exercises
Another visit coincided with the Bab's return from school. Haji Siyyid Javad noticed that He held a batch of papers and asked what they were. Very courteously the boy replied that they were His calligraphic exercises. When Haji Siyyid Javad inspected them he marvelled at their excellence.
Meeting in Bushihr and Karbila
On yet another and later occasion, when the Bab was for a time engaged in trading in the port of Bushihr, Haji Siyyid Javad spent six months in that town, living in the same inn as the Bab. Thus they often met. Still later, in Karbila, Haji Siyyid Javad again met the Bab, who by then was in His early twenties.
The Call
When Mulla 'Aliy-i-Bastami reached 'Iraq with the tidings of the advent of the Bab, the news spread rapidly among the divines and the students of theology. Haji Siyyid Javad was one of those particularly attracted, and he often urged Mulla 'Ali to divulge the name of Him who had put forth such a tremendous claim. But the Bab had emphatically forbidden Mulla 'Ali to mention His name or give any clue to His identity. To all insistent requests Mulla 'Ali merely said that before long His identity would be revealed to <p38> them. No one, according to the testimony of Haji Siyyid Javad, suspected that the Bab could be the young merchant of Shiraz who had only recently lived among them. Most of the Shaykhis believed that the Bab must be one of the close disciples of Siyyid Kazim.
Then it occurred to Haji Siyyid Javad to invite Mulla 'Ali to his own home and question him more closely. Seated on the roof of the house, in the neighbourhood of the Shrine of Imam Husayn, the two of them conversed at length about the 'Great Event', but no matter how hard he tried, Haji Siyyid Javad could not induce his guest to disclose the secret which he had been bidden to withhold. So frustrated did he feel that, on his own admission, Haji Siyyid Javad gripped the arms of Mulla 'Ali, pushed him hard against the wall and exclaimed: 'What am I to do with you, Mulla 'Ali! Kill you? Won't you say who that wondrous Being is? Won't you relieve us of this misery?' Gasping for breath, Mulla 'Ali replied: 'Siyyid Javad! It is forbidden. You yourself are a man of learning. You should know better. It is forbidden.' And then quite unexpectedly and without knowing why, Mulla 'Ali added that the Bab had specially mentioned that all His letters extant in 'Iraq, whoever the recipient might have been, ought to be sent to Shiraz. No sooner had Mulla 'Ali spoken than Haji Siyyid Javad had, in a flash, a mental picture of Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad, whom he had known and admired since His childhood. He ran down the stairs to the room where he kept his papers, gathered up the letters he had received from Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad and hurried back to the roof. The moment Mulla 'Ali caught sight of the seal on those letters he burst into tears, and so did Haji Siyyid Javad. They wept for joy, and between his sobs Mulla 'Ali kept repeating: 'Aqa Siyyid Javad! Aqa Siyyid Javad! I did not mention any name to you. It is forbidden to mention His blessed name. Don't mention His name to anyone.' <p39>
Thus did Haji Siyyid Javad-i-Karbila'i Faith, to which he remained steadfastly loyal throughout his long life. We shall hear later a good deal more of this remarkable man.
Leaving School pre 13, Starting Commerce at 15
Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad had some six to seven years of schooling with Shaykh 'Abid. In all probability He left the school at the Qahviy-i-Awliya' before He was thirteen. According to Haji Mirza Habibu'llah's narrative, He joined Haji Mirza Siyyid 'Ali, His uncle-guardian, in business when He was fifteen years old, and shortly afterwards moved to Bushihr. Pages of commercial accounts which He kept put it beyond doubt that the Bab left Shiraz for Bushihr when He was nearly sixteen. There can be little doubt that at an early age the Bab took over the complete management of the trading-house in Bushihr.
Fairness in Commerce
His scrupulous attention to detail and His undeviating fairness in transactions became widely known in the region. A man who had consigned to Him some goods to sell was astonished to find, when he received his money, that it was more than could be obtained at current prices. He wanted to return some of it. The Bab told him that it was only fair and just that he should be given that particular sum, because his goods would have fetched exactly that amount had they been offered for sale when the market was at its best.
Treatise
A.-L.-M. Nicolas maintains that the Bab was also engaged in writing and composing, during this period of His sojourn in Bushihr. He mentions a treatise, the Risaliy-i-Fiqhiyyib, as having come from the pen of the Bab during those years. His statement is corroborated by Haji Mirza Habibu'llah's narrative:
Writings
One day in Egypt during the time when Mirza Abu'l Fadl was occupied with writing his book, the Fara'id <p40>  we came to talk about the early years of the Bab, prior to His declaration, and the period when He was engaged in trading. Mirza Abu'l-Fadl related the following to me: 'I myself heard the late Haji Siyyid Javad Karbila'i say that when the Bab was pursuing the career of a merchant in Bushihr, he . . . because of his friendship with the uncles of the Bab used to stay with them whenever he visited either Shiraz or Bushihr. One day Haji Mirza Siyyid Muhammad came to him with a request. "Give some good counsel to my nephew . . . tell Him not to write certain things which can only arouse the jealousy of some people: these people cannot bear to see a young merchant of little schooling show such erudition, they feel envious." Haji Mirza Siyyid Muhammad had been very insistent that Haji Siyyid Javad should counsel the Bab to desist from writing. Haji Siyyid Javad had however replied with these lines of verse: "The fair of face cannot put up with the veil; Shut him in, and out of the window will he show his visage," and had added: "We are earthbound and He is celestial. Our counsel is of no use to Him."'
Friday Devotions
Mulla Muhammad-i-Zarandi, Nabil-i-A'zam, lays particular stress on the Bab's strict regard for His devotions on Fridays. Even the torrid conditions of Bushihr, he states, did not deter the Bab. Writers of such histories as the Nasikhu't-Tavarikh, hostile to the Bab, have alleged that long exposure to the severe heat of the sun in that seaport, while engaged in prayers, affected His mind. They have gone on to assert that it was this derangement of mind which led Him to make extravagant claims. But Haji Mirza Jani of Kashan refutes any suggestion that the Bab deliberately practised austerities, or that He found Himself a 'murshid' (spiritual guide) to direct Him along such lines.
Bushihr Overview
Unfortunately records of the years that the Bab spent in Bushihr are scant. We cannot be certain as to the exact dates when He took over the complete management of the <p41> trading-house and when He retired. Haji Mu'inu's-Saltanih of Tabriz states in his chronicle that the Bab assumed direct responsibility at the age of twenty. If that statement be correct, the period during which He acted on His own was quite brief. 
Pilgrimage / Closing Business
According to Mirza Abu'l-Fadl of Gulpaygan, He journeyed to the holy cities of 'Iraq in the spring of 1841, stayed in 'Iraq for nearly seven months and returned to His 'native province of Fars' in the autumn of that year. Haji Mirza Habibu'llah states that the Bab's sojourn in Bushihr lasted six years. According to him, when the Bab decided to go on pilgrimage to the holy cities of 'Iraq, He wrote to His uncles in Shiraz asking them to come and take over the business from Him. His uncles, however, procrastinated, whereupon the Bab settled all the outstanding matters in Bushihr Himself, brought His books up to date, locked and sealed the door of the office and left the keys with the gatekeeper of the caravanserai, to be handed over to any one of His uncles. He informed His uncles of what He had done and explained that since they had not heeded His repeated pleas He had no other alternative, determined as He was to go on pilgrimage to the holy cities. Haji Mirza Siyyid Muhammad was greatly perturbed lest their credit be damaged and their clients suffer serious loss. But Haji Mirza Siyyid 'Ali assured him that their nephew would never do anything to compromise them and that all accounts would be found in perfect order. Haji Mirza Siyyid Muhammad hurried to Bushihr where a close inspection of the books satisfied him that nothing had been left to chance.
<p42>
Attending Siyyid Kazim
While in Karbila the Bab visited Siyyid Kazim-i-Rashti and attended his discourses. But these occasional visits did not and could not make Him a pupil or disciple of Siyyid Kazim. His adversaries have alleged that He sat at the feet of Siyyid Kazim for months on end to learn from him. But accounts that we have from close associates of Siyyid Kazim all indicate that the Shaykhi leader welcomed and received Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad, on every occasion, with great reverence. Here is a long account by Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunuzi:
My days were spent in the service of Siyyid Kazim, to whom I was greatly attached. One day, at the hour of dawn, I was suddenly awakened by Mulla Naw-ruz, one of his intimate attendants, who, in great excitement, bade me arise and follow him. We went to the house of Siyyid Kazim, where we found him fully dressed, wearing his 'aba, and ready to leave his home. He asked me to accompany him. 'A highly esteemed and distinguished Person,' he said, 'has arrived. I feel it incumbent upon us both to visit Him.' The morning light had just broken when I found myself walking with him through the streets of Karbila. We soon reached a house, at the door of which stood a Youth, as if expectant to receive us. He wore a green turban, and His countenance revealed an expression of humility and kindliness which I can never describe. He quietly approached us, extended His arms towards Siyyid Kazim, and lovingly embraced him. His affability and loving-kindness singularly contrasted with the sense of profound reverence that characterised the attitude of Siyyid Kazim towards Him. Speechless and with bowed head, he received the many expressions of affection and esteem with which that Youth greeted him. We were soon led by Him to the upper floor of that house, and entered a chamber bedecked with flowers and redolent of the loveliest perfume. He bade us be seated. We knew not, however, what seats we actually occupied, so overpowering <p43> was the sense of delight which seized us. We observed a silver cup which had been placed in the centre of the room, which our youthful Host, soon after we were seated, filled to overflowing, and handed to Siyyid Kazim, saying: 'A drink of a pure beverage shall their Lord give them.' Siyyid Kazim held the cup with both hands and quaffed it. A feeling of reverent joy filled his being, a feeling which he could not suppress. I too was presented with a cupful of that beverage, though no words were addressed to me. All that was spoken at that memorable gathering was the above-mentioned verse of the Qur'an. Soon after, the Host arose from His seat and, accompanying us to the threshold of the house, bade us farewell. I was mute with wonder, and knew not how to express the cordiality of His welcome, the dignity of His bearing, the charm of that face, and the delicious fragrance of that beverage. How great was my amazement when I saw my teacher quaff without the least hesitation that holy draught from a silver cup, the use of which, according to the precepts of Islam, is forbidden to the faithful. I could not explain the motive which could have induced the Siyyid to manifest such profound reverence in the presence of that Youth -- a reverence which even the sight of the shrine of the Siyyidu'sh-Shuhada' had failed to excite. Three days later, I saw that same Youth arrive and take His seat in the midst of the company of the assembled disciples of Siyyid Kazim. He sat close to the threshold, and with the same modesty and dignity of bearing listened to the discourse of the Siyyid. As soon as his eyes fell upon that Youth, the Siyyid discontinued his address and held his peace. Whereupon one of his disciples begged him to resume the argument which he had left unfinished. 'What more shall I say?' replied Siyyid Kazim, as he <p44> turned his face toward the Bab. 'Lo, the Truth is more manifest than the ray of light that has fallen upon that lap!' I immediately observed that the ray to which the Siyyid referred had fallen upon the lap of that same Youth whom we had recently visited. 'Why is it,' that questioner enquired, 'that you neither reveal His name nor identify His person?' To this the Siyyid replied by pointing with his finger to his own throat, implying that were he to divulge His name, they both would be put to death instantly. This added still further to my perplexity. I had already heard my teacher observe that so great is the perversity of this generation, that were he to point with his finger to the promised One and say: 'He indeed is the Beloved, the Desire of your hearts and mine,' they would still fail to recognise and acknowledge Him. I saw the Siyyid actually point out with his finger the ray of light that had fallen on that lap, and yet none among those who were present seemed to apprehend its meaning. I, for my part, was convinced that the Siyyid himself could never be the promised One, but that a mystery inscrutable to us all, lay concealed in that strange and attractive Youth. Several times I ventured to approach Siyyid Kazim and seek from him an elucidation of this mystery. Every time I approached him, I was overcome by a sense of awe which his personality so powerfully inspired.
Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunuzi has gone on to relate:
I often felt the urge to seek alone the presence of that Hashimite Youth and to endeavour to fathom His mystery. I watched Him several times as He stood in an attitude of prayer at the doorway of the shrine of the Imam Husayn. So wrapt was He in His devotions that He seemed utterly oblivious of those around Him. Tears rained from His eyes, and from His lips fell words of <p45> glorification and praise of such power and beauty as even the noblest passages of our sacred Scriptures could not hope to surpass. The words 'O God, my God, my Beloved, my heart's Desire,' were uttered with a frequency and ardour that those of the visiting pilgrims who were near enough to hear Him instinctively interrupted the course of their devotions, and marvelled at the evidences of piety and veneration which that youthful countenance evinced. Like Him they were moved to tears, and from Him they learned the lesson of true adoration. Having completed His prayers, that Youth, without crossing the threshold of the shrine and without attempting to address any words to those around Him, would quietly return to His home. I felt the impulse to address Him, but every time I ventured an approach, a force that I could neither explain nor resist, detained me. My inquiries about Him elicited the information that He was a resident of Shiraz, that He was a merchant by profession, and did not belong to any of the ecclesiastical orders. I was, moreover, informed that He, and also His uncles and relatives, were among the lovers and admirers of Shaykh Ahmad and Siyyid Kazim. I learned that He had departed for Najaf on His way to Shiraz. That Youth had set my heart aflame. The memory of that vision haunted me. My soul was wedded to His till the day when the call of a Youth from Shiraz, proclaiming Himself to be the Bab, reached my ears. The thought instantly flashed through my mind that such a person could be none other than that selfsame Youth whom I had seen in Karbila, the Youth of my heart's desire.
Báb's Mother Summons Báb to Shíráz for Marriage
According to Haji Mirza Habibu'llah's narrative, as the sojourn of the Bab in the holy cities lengthened into months, His mother, anxious to have her only son back in Shiraz, asked her brother, Haji Mirza Siyyid 'Ali, to go to 'Iraq and persuade Him to return. He could not deny his sister's request, but when he reached 'Iraq he found that his nephew, who had once been his ward, was unwilling to leave the <p46> holy cities. Thereupon he appealed to Haji Siyyid Javad-i-Karbila'i for help, who was at first reluctant to lend his support, not wishing to lose the company of the young Shirazi Siyyid whom he had over the course of years so tremendously admired. However, when he learned that His mother was greatly concerned, he consented to intervene. At last the Bab complied with their request and agreed to return. After a few months in Shiraz He declared His intention of going once again to 'Iraq. His mother, alarmed and agitated by this decision, once more sought the aid of her brother. Their efforts resulted in the marriage of the Bab to Khadijih-Bagum, daughter of Haji Mirza 'Ali, the paternal uncle of His mother. The marriage took place in August 1842. Khadijih-Bagum had two brothers: Haji Mirza Abu'l-Qasim and Haji Mirza Siyyid Hasan, and both of them, though not counted among His followers in His lifetime, have a place in the story of the Bab. The descendants of these two brothers-in-law of the Bab, and the descendants of His maternal uncles, are known as the Afnan (the Twigs).
Child Ahmad Born (Dies)
A son was born to Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad and Khadijih-Bagum in the year 1843, whom they named Ahmad, but he did not live long. Haji Mirza Habibu'llah states that the child was still-born. The Bab notes the birth of Ahmad in the Qayyumu'l-Asma' His commentary on the Surih of Yusuf (Joseph). Speaking of His wedding with His well-beloved, who was herself descended from the Well-Beloved (Muhammad is known as Habibu'llah - the Well-Beloved of God), and relating how He had called upon the angels of Heaven and the cohorts of Paradise to witness that wedding, the Bab then addresses His wife:
O well-beloved! Value highly the grace of Dhikr [the Bab], the Greatest, for it comes from God, the Loved  <p47> One. Thou shalt not be a woman, like other women, if thou obeyest God in the Cause of Truth ... and take pride in being the consort of the Well-Beloved, who is loved by God the Greatest. Sufficient unto thee is this glory which cometh unto thee from God, the All-Wise, the All-Praised. Be patient in all that God hath ordained concerning the Bab and His Family. Verily, thy son, Ahmad, is with Fatimih, the Sublime, in the sanctified Paradise.
And there is this further reference to Ahmad in the Qayyumu'l-Asma:
All praise be to God Who bestowed upon the Solace of the Eyes, in His youth, Ahmad. We did verily raise him up unto God . . . O Solace of the Eyes I Be patient in what thy God hath ordained for thee. Verily He doeth whatsoever He willeth. He is the All-Wise in the exercise of His justice. He is thy Lord, the Ancient of Days, and praised be He in whatever He ordereth.
<p48>
Selections from the Writings of the Báb
THOU art aware, O My God, that since the day Thou didst call Me into being out of the water of Thy love till I reached fifteen years of age I lived in the land which <p181> witnessed My birth [Shiraz]. Then Thou didst enable Me to go to the seaport [Bushihr] where for five years I was engaged in trading with the goodly gifts of Thy realm and was occupied in that with which Thou hast favoured Me through the wondrous essence of Thy loving-kindness. I proceeded therefrom to the Holy Land [Karbila] where I sojourned for one year. Then I returned to the place of My birth. There I experienced the revelation of Thy sublime bestowals and the evidences of Thy boundless grace. I yield Thee praise for all Thy goodly gifts and I render Thee thanksgiving for all Thy bounties. Then at the age of twenty-five I proceeded to thy sacred House [Mecca], and by the time I returned to the place where I was born, a year had elapsed. There I tarried patiently in the path of Thy love and beheld the evidences of Thy manifold bounties and of Thy loving-kindness until Thou didst ordain for Me to set out in Thy direction and to migrate to Thy presence. Thus I departed therefrom by Thy leave, spending six months in the land of Sad [Isfahan] and seven months in the First Mountain [Maku], where Thou didst rain down upon Me that which beseemeth the glory of Thy heavenly blessings and befitteth the sublimity of Thy gracious gifts and favours. Now, in My thirtieth year, Thou beholdest Me, O My God, in this Grievous Mountain [Chihriq] where I have dwelt for one whole year.
House of the Báb
From Appendix 2 In the Land of Refuge
2. Birthplace of the Báb
This house was situated between the residences of Hájí Mírzá Siyyid Muhammad, known as the Khál Akbar, and that of Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí, surnamed the Khál A‘zam. The illustrious Báb was born in the upper chamber of the house, a room situated in the northwestern corner of the building.[6]
In the original design, the western flank of the house consisted of the main entrance, which opened onto the street behind the house; three rooms and two corridors on the lower floor; and two rooms on the second floor. The central room on the lower floor was called “ursí” and had five doors and a ceiling as high as the entire building. This room was situated in the center of the building, and two rather large corridors connected to either side of it. In addition, another room opened onto each of the corridors and had an entrance on the opposite side as well. At the end of each corridor, two spiral staircases connected the lower floor to the upper one and opened onto what was known as two-Gúshvarih [shape of two symmetrical earrings]. The rooms on the upper floor were situated over the chambers below. 
Originally, this house was a property of Áqá Mírzá ‘Alí<3>, the son of Áqá Mírzá ‘Abid. With his passing, it came into the possession of his four children, each having an equal share. When the business activities of the older son of Áqá Mírzá ‘Alí (namely, Hájí Mírzá Abú’l-Qásim<11>) flourished, he bought a few contiguous, smaller buildings situated in the Maydán Sháh quarter of Shíráz. He decided to demolish these and build a new, much larger, luxurious home in their place and to move his family there from the Bazaar Murgh quarter. His brother, Hájí Mírzá Siyyid Hasan<10>, was a young man and moved to Yazd at about that time. He had no interest in his inherited share of the ancestral home. Zahrá Bagum, the older daughter of Áqá Mírzá ‘Alí, lived with her husband, Áqá Mírzá Zaynu’l-‘Abidín. Moreover, the youngest child, Khadíjih Bagum, the wife of the Báb, resided in the Blessed House. Therefore, this left vacant the house where the Báb was born, and, as such, it was leased to Hájí Muhammad Mihdí Hijjáb, the maternal half-brother of these four siblings.
Hájí Hijjáb died in AH 1304 [1887]. As a favor to his nephews, Hájí Mírzá Abú’l-Qásim left this house to the children of the deceased. A year later, Hájí Mírzá himself passed away and was soon followed by two of his sons. His second oldest son, Áqá Mírzá Abu’l-Hasan<38>, left Shíráz for ‘Ishqábád and Samarqand, where he spent most of his life, and eventually went to Haifa where he passed away in 1921. As such, the only legal and rightful heir of this house was Áqá Siyyid Muhammad-Husayn Afnán<37>, but he was unable to counter the claims of Hijjáb’s family and lost his claim to the property.
Eventually, these occupants sold the house to a carpet-seller who was among the most determined enemies of the Bahá’í Faith.[7] His occupancy of the house, so close to the houses of the two uncles, caused many difficulties. Ultimately, the municipality demolished the eastern section of this house because it was in the path of Sháh-Chiráq Street. At that time, the Spiritual Assembly tried hard to buy the house, but even then, out of spite for the Bahá’í Faith, the owner did not agree to sell. He donated it to the Mihdiyyih and placed a sign [of the Mihdiyyih] on the house. Finally, during the expansion of the Sháh-Chiráq Circle, the entire building was demolished.
3. House of the Khál A‘zam
‘Abdu’l-Bahá named this house a Mashriqu’l-Adhkár. It ranks among the most sacred Bahá’í places in Shíráz, claiming a singular spiritual station. After the passing of His father, the Báb moved His residence to this house, where He lived until the age of fifteen. After His return from Mecca, He was subjected to harm and torment by the Sáhib-Ikhtíyár, the governor of Fárs, and to subsequent imprisonment. He was freed only after the Imám-Jum‘ih intervened and the Khál A‘zam offered a surety. Further, it was agreed that the Báb would stay in the house of the Khál and not associate with those who sought His audience. These sanctions proved effective, and with the passage of time, a measure of tranquility was realized. Eventually, favorable conditions allowed for regular meetings between the Báb and His followers in this very house. It was here that such disciples as Mullá Husayn, Siyyid Husayn Yazdí, Mullá ‘Abdu’l-Karím Qazvíní, Mullá Shaykh ‘Alí ‘Azím, and other learned Bábís such as Siyyid Javád Karbalá’í were admitted to the sanctified presence of the Báb. It was also here that the celebrated Vahíd Dárábí attained the Báb’s luminous audience and the Commentary on the Surih of Kawthar revealed for him, enabling him to drink his fill from the chalice of certitude.
After the Báb’s mother departed for Karbalá, Khadíjih Bagum left the House of the Báb and took up residence here. She stayed for many years and was able to welcome and entertain such honored guests as Munírih Khánum [‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s future wife]. After the martyrdom of the Khál A‘zam, this house was left in the custody of his wife [Hájíyyih Bíbí Ján-Ján] and his son, Mírzá Javád<23>. After them, two-thirds of the property was claimed by non-Bahá’í heirs, who decided to sell their portion in AH 1327 [1909]. Áqá Siyyid Muhammad-Husayn Afnán<37> communicated this news to the Holy Land. Consequently, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá instructed the Múvaqqari’d-Dawlih<99> to purchase these shares in the name of the Bahá’í community. He carried out the Master’s instructions through Hájí ‘Abdu’r-Rahmán Kumpání, and the house came into the Bahá’í Faith’s possession. In a Tablet addressed to Áqá Siyyid Muhammad-Husayn Afnán, the beloved ‘Abdu’l-Bahá states:
Thou hadst written regarding the house that was the dwelling of the illustrious branch of the sacred Tree, the martyred uncle, Áqá Siyyid ‘Alí—may My spirit be a sacrifice unto him. That house was the residence of the Holy Dove and situated next to the House of the luminary of the Supreme Concourse, the Primal Point—may My spirit, My essence, and My whole being be a sacrifice unto Him. Therefore, that house is considered among the Holy Places, deserving utmost attention and consideration.
Convey My warmest greetings to the honored celestial twig, Mírzá ‘Alí-Muhammad Khán [the Múvaqqari’d-Dawlih] and inform him on my behalf, “O wondrous branch! With utmost attention and determination, exert thyself in securing that sacred house from the hands of the nonbelievers and turn it into a Mashriqu’l-Adhkár. However, if this would incite uproar among the rabble, then it is sufficient to have the sacred house in our possession and to quietly organize meetings where the friends, in the morning and at dusk, can offer prayers and meditations. Through the blessing of this magnificent deed, the hearts will turn to the Merciful Lord, exultation will be raised, rapture will surround all, the fire of God’s love will glow brilliantly, and unsurpassed excitement will envelop the friends. In other lands, the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár hath precipitated outpourings of divine favors, caused the hearts to overflow with immense joy and felicity, and hath bestowed divine radiance on all souls. In Shíráz, however, utmost wisdom and prudence must be observed so that nonbelievers may not become informed. Even among the friends it should be called a spiritual gathering. Otherwise, the unworthy will plot sedition [to destroy it] and provoke fear in the hearts….”
After a while, the house became the gathering point of the teachers and promoters of the Bahá’í Faith, and general meetings, Holy Day celebrations, deepening classes, and institutes were held there. Moreover, it sheltered the friends who visited from other cities. As such, this house became known as the center of the Bahá’í activities of Shíráz and attracted the attention of foes.
In 1324 Sh [1945], the Shíráz municipality ordered that Lutf-‘Alí Khán Zand Street be extended to the vicinity of Sháh-Chiráq. In the process, they had to demolish all the buildings in their path. This house was one of those properties, and four-fifths of it was demolished during the roadwork. However, at that time, the remaining one-fifth of the house was left untouched. This consisted of the western section, which included the room where the Letters of the Living would gather, the sleeping quarters of the Khál, and the storage room next to it. Also, the lower floor and the tunnel that led from the house of the uncle to the house of Áqá Mírzá ‘Alí—that is, the house where the Báb was born and reared—remained standing. On the instructions of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Shíráz, a wall was constructed in front of this remaining section and a custodian appointed to look after it.
In 1348 Sh [1969], the rest of the house—mentioned in the Báb’s Will and Testament—and the house of the Khál Akbar were demolished at the instigation of Sharíffi, the custodian of Sháh-Chiráq, with the approval of the Sháh. The land was added to the Sháh-Chiráq Circle.
4. The office of the uncle of the Báb in the Saráy Gumrukí has remained to the present day and stands in the same form and shape as it did during his time.
5. The house of Mírzá Zaynu’l-‘Abidín is currently in the hands of non-Bahá’ís, though it has been preserved unchanged.
6. Bazaar Vakíl, Masjid Vakíl, and the stone pulpit ascended by the Báb have all endured to the present day.
7. ‘Imárat Khurshíd, where Husayn Khán interrogated the Báb, was destroyed in the process of building Zand Avenue.
8. Kázirun Gate has changed. The section that stood at the time of the Báb has now become part of the street and is surrounded by other buildings.
9. The school attended by the Báb was in Qahviyih Awlíyá. It has changed considerably and is not used very often.
10. Hammam Bazaar Murgh, used by the family of the Báb and His Holiness, no longer exists.
[1] For the most part, this appendix is a translation of excerpts of Abú’l-Qásim Afnán’s article, “Baytu’lláh Akram.” An outline of the same history is given in Fayzí, Khándán Afnán, pp. 204–14.
[2] The full text is in INBMC 52:379–80, no. 427.
[3] The original text is in INBMC 52:368–69, no. 412.
[4] The original text is in INBMC 52:364, no. 408.
[5] The original text is in INBMC 52:369–70, no. 413.
[6] Three years after the Báb, Khadíjih Bagum was also born in this house.
[7] See appendix 1, which outlines Hasan Balyúzí’s visit to Shíráz and gives an example of this carpet-seller’s sedition.