The Life of the Báb

The Shrine of the Bab (Courtesy of Baha'i Media Bank)

On October 20^th of this year, like every other year, Baha’is all around the world will be celebrating the Birth of the Báb.

The Báb was born in Shiraz, Persia (Iran) on October 20, 1819. He was born into a middle class family of merchants and tradesmen who were known for their fairness and piety.

There are very few details known about the circumstances surrounding the birth of the Báb.

The Early Years of the Báb’s life

The Báb was born Sayyid Ali Muhammad and would during his lifetime make the Hajj, or pilgrimage, to the Holy City of Mecca, making him a hajji. The “sayyid” in front of his name denotes that he was a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. He always wore a green turban to show that he was a sayyid. (Nowadays, “sayyids” wear a black turban.)

The Báb was not his birth name but rather his title that he gave to himself in accordance with religious prophecy. The word “Báb” literally means “Gate” in Arabic.

The Báb’s parents both passed away when he was a toddler, so his maternal uncle took him in and raised him. This uncle was a very skilled merchant in Shiraz and so the Báb grew up being a merchant as well.

The Báb and Prophet Muhammad

The Báb’s life is almost identical to that of Prophet Muhammad’s: both of them were merchants or tradesmen and both were orphaned as toddlers, leading them to be raised by their uncles. The Prophet Muhammad was raised by his uncle Abu Talib (father of Imam Ali) and the Báb was raised by his maternal uncle, Haji Mirza Sayyid Muhammad.

Both the Prophet Muhammad and the Báb were known as very equitable merchants who always adhered to fair weights and fair measures. Both were also especially known for their rectitude of conduct, their charismatic personality, their piety and their good deeds.

A New Dispensation

The Báb took this title of “the gate” to signify him being the herald of the Baha’i Faith and the symbolic gate to a new religious cycle.

The Bábi Faith was founded by the Báb on May 23, 1844, approximately two hours after sunset at his home in Shiraz. On that night he declared to Mulla Husayn (his first believer) that he was the Promised One of Islam: The Mahdi, The Qá’im or the 12^th Imam. That night he gave Mulla Husayn the title of “Bab’ul Báb” or “gate of the Gate” because he was the very first person to believe in the Báb.

The Báb was only 25 when he declared his station to Mulla Husayn, who was actually older than the Báb by six years. There would be many thousands more who would come to believe in the Báb.

The first eighteen who believed in Him were giving the special title of “Húrúf-e Hayy” or “Letters of the Living.” Each of these eighteen Letters of the Living found out about the Báb’s message independently and accepted it by his or her own free will. Just like the Twelve Apostles of His Holiness Jesus Christ and the “Ansar” or “helpers” of Prophet Muhammad, these Letters of the Living were pious people with open hearts, which enabled them to be receptive to—and ultimately accept—their Lord’s newest message to humanity.

Want to know more?

For some excellent accounts of the life of the Báb, read: The Báb by Hasan Balyuzi, The Dawnbreakers by Nabil-i-Azam and A Traveller’s Narrative by ‘Abdu’l-Baha. There are also some brief accounts of the Báb by European travelers and writers, mainly: A.L.M. Nicolas and Lord Curzon.

You can also read a brief account of the life and martyrdom of the Báb in an article I wrote for Baha’i Blog earlier this year, reflecting on the similarities between the martyrdom of Jesus Christ and the martyrdom of the Báb. And don’t forget to check out  Baha’i Blog’s trivia quiz on the life of the Báb!