We all know the birth of a baby changes a family. And beyond them, the circle of relatives, friends and neighbours also rejoice; the date is now a birthday and is significant to all those touched by this new life. How much more so when that ‘circle’ of loving supporters comprises millions upon millions of people. And so it is that Bahá’ís and their friends and neighbours all around the world are celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of The Báb this October. The Báb, meaning ‘The Gate’ in Arabic, was born Alí Muhammad to a merchant family in Shiraz, Iran, in 1819. His life was short, extraordinarily dramatic, and extremely potent in its world-embracing influence. When The Báb was just 30 years old He was martyred in a public square in Tabriz by a firing squad of 750 soldiers, which was observed by thousands of onlookers. The story was reported in The Times of London and across the globe, not least because the miraculous circumstances surrounding the Báb’s execution defied belief. When the first volley of bullets was fired, and the dense ensuing smoke cleared, it was apparent that the Báb had disappeared. He was found sitting back at His desk in the cell in which He had been detained, finishing the dictation of a letter that had been earlier interrupted. The regiment of soldiers, shaken deeply, refused to fire a second time. And so a new regiment was brought in to finish the task. This time, the Báb’s body was riddled by the 750 bullets, but His face remained perfectly untouched. The span of life that preceded this astonishing sequence of events is no less spectacular. Invariably described as dignified, mild, refined, charming, and saintly, The Báb, in 1844, declared that He was the bearer of a message destined to transform the life of humanity. He proclaimed that His station was that of a gate opening onto One immeasurably greater than Himself - Bahá’u’lláh, the Prophet Founder of the Bahá’í Faith. At the same time, the Báb was also an independent Prophet Himself, bringing a new, distinct religion to the world with teachings that revolutionised society. The Báb penned thousands of verses of writings, calling for spiritual and moral reformation, promoting the equality of women and men, and guiding the people of the world to shake off blind imitation and to prepare themselves to look with new, clear eyes for the Promised One foretold in every scared text of every religion. He taught the oneness of God and the oneness of religion - namely that religion itself is an ever-unfolding process of revelation or education from God to mankind. Each religion is a chapter, building on the last and foretelling the next. In 19th century Iran, such a claim was met with intense opposition. Moreover the Báb’s magnetism and His steadily growing contingent of followers caused those in power - infamous for their fanaticism and corruption at the time - to unite in hostility. As a result, the Báb was tortured, imprisoned, and exiled throughout the six years of His ministry, and finally sentenced to death. The Báb and Bahá’u’lláh together are referred to as Twin Manifestations of God. Their birthdays, fixed on consecutive days, are celebrated as one festival, though the Báb was in fact two years younger. Following His martyrdom, the Báb’s early followers - numbering in the tens of thousands within a mere couple of years - turned with complete devotion to Bahá’u’lláh, in obedience to the teachings of the Báb. To accept one is to accept the other. Today, 200 years on, a community of millions - together with countless others - are celebrating this unique life and His profound teachings. Just two years ago, events to mark the bicentenary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh took place across the globe, in diverse settings from football stadiums to temples, from public squares to private homes. These events were not only joyful celebrations, but invitations to all to participate in the work of the Bahá’í community: building unity through the empowerment of children, youth and adults in every neighbourhood, village, city and nation. This year promises to do similarly, and countless efforts to befittingly celebrate the life and teachings of The Báb are underway across the world. His message of hope and His proclamation of a New Day await the whole of mankind. For further information, have more than a glimpse at this: https://bicentenary.bahai.org/the-bab/ Photo: The Shrine of the Báb in Haifa, Israel.
1 Comment
Deborah Burnett
31/10/2019 08:39:25
Beautifully and succinctly put - having had the bounty of being part of some of these moving celebrations my heart rejoices in the message the Bab and Baha'u'llah brought to humanity and I am profoundly grateful to be part of this growing worldwide community endeavouring to put these transformative teachings into action! ...........
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