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2019 marks the Bicentennial of the Birth of the Bab

arthra

arthra

Baha'i
This year 2019 is the Bicentennial of the Birth of the Bab (Siyyid Ali Muhammad). Many Baha'i communities around the globe will have specially planned programs around October 29th-30th to commemorate the two hundredth anniversary.

The Bab revealed His Message on May 22nd-23rd 1844 in Shiraz, Persia and His ministry lasted six years until 1850 with His martyrdom in Tabriz, Persia.

I've decided to share some information regarding the life of the Bab in this thread. You can research the following sites:

Exploring this topic
This collection of pages explores the life and message of the Báb, the historical circumstances of His mission, the spread of His teachings and His major Writings.

200th-Bab-e1544676097412.jpg
 
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arthra

arthra

Baha'i
To commemorate Bicentennial of the Birth of the Bab I'm offering a brief summary of the opening years of His life:

On a spring evening in 1844, a conversation took place between two young men that heralded a new era for the human race. A Persian merchant announced to a traveller in the city of Shiraz that He was the Bearer of a Divine Revelation destined to transform the spiritual life of humanity. The merchant’s name was Siyyid ‘Alí-Muhammad, and He is known to history as the Báb (meaning “the Gate” in Arabic).

The middle of the 19th century was one of the most turbulent periods in the world’s history. Great revolutions were under way. In parts of Europe and North America, time-worn social structures and relationships were being challenged by sudden and unprecedented changes in the fields of agriculture, industry, and economics. At the same time, throughout the world followers of divers religions perceived that humanity was on the cusp of a new stage in its development, and many prepared themselves for the imminent coming of a Promised One, praying fervently that they would recognise Him.

A Quest Fulfilled
A young scholar named Mulla Husayn was one such soul engaged in a life-changing quest. He felt drawn, as if by a magnet, to Shiraz—a city renowned for the perfume of its roses and the singing of nightingales. On the evening of 22 May 1844, as he approached the gate of the city, he was greeted by a radiant young man who wore a green turban. This stranger greeted Mulla Husayn as if he were a lifelong friend.

“The Youth who met me outside the gate of Shiraz overwhelmed me with expressions of affection and loving-kindness,” recalled Mulla Husayn. “He extended to me a warm invitation to visit His home, and there refresh myself after the fatigues of my journey.”


The house of the Báb in Shiraz, now destroyed, where He declared His mission on 23 May 1844.

The two men spent the entire night immersed in conversation. Mulla Husayn was astonished to discover that each of the characteristics he was seeking in the Promised One was manifest in this young man. Before departing early the next morning, his Host addressed to him these words: “O thou who art the first to believe in Me! Verily I say, I am the Báb, the Gate of God…Eighteen souls must, in the beginning, spontaneously and of their own accord, accept Me and recognize the truth of My Revelation.”

Within several weeks of the Báb’s declaration, seventeen more people had, by their own spontaneous efforts, recognized His station, had renounced the comforts and security of their old way of life, and—severed from all attachments—had set out on the mission of spreading His teachings. These first eighteen followers of the Báb became known collectively as the “Letters of the Living.”

Read more at
The Life of the Báb | What Bahá’ís Believe

Read the Dawn-breakers online:

Bahá'í Reference Library - The Dawn-Breakers: Nabíl’s Narrative of the Early Days of the Bahá’í Revelation

Read some of the Writings of the Bab

Selections from the Writings of the Báb »

Also see:

The Life of the Bab​

 
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arthra

arthra

Baha'i
A photo from the Baha'i Media Bank has the Citadel of Tabriz where the Bab was imprisoned before His execution:

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arthra

arthra

Baha'i
The Baha'i community of the United States has a forum for sharing information about the Bicentennial observances for the Birth of the Bab.


"October 2019 will mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of the forerunner and herald of the Baha’i Faith, the Bab, whose dramatic ministry paved the way for the appearance of Baha’u’llah. On 29 and 30 October, Baha’is, together with their neighbors, families, and friends, will commemorate the births of these Twin Luminaries."


See:

https://www.bahai.us/collection/celebrating-the-bicentenary-of-the-birth-of-the-bab/

Also go to:

Bicentenary Resources
 
arthra

arthra

Baha'i
In commemoration of the Bicentennial of the Birth of the Bab I am posting a translation of the address of the Bab to the "Letters of the Living":

O My beloved friends!

You are the bearers of the name of God in this Day. You have been chosen as the repositories of His mystery. It behoves each one of you to manifest the attributes of God, and to exemplify by your deeds and words the signs of His righteousness, His power and glory. The very members of your body must bear witness to the loftiness of your purpose, the integrity of your life, the reality of your faith, and the exalted character of your devotion. For verily I say, this is the Day spoken of by God in His Book:

‘On that day will We set a seal upon their mouths yet shall their hands speak unto Us, and their feet shall bear witness to that which they shall have done.’

Ponder the words of Jesus addressed to His disciples, as He sent them forth to propagate the Cause of God. In words such as these, He bade them arise and fulfil their mission:

‘Ye are even as the fire which in the darkness of the night has been kindled upon the mountain-top. Let your light shine before the eyes of men. Such must be the purity of your character and the degree of your renunciation, that the people of the earth may through you recognise and be drawn closer to the heavenly Father who is the Source of purity and grace. For none has seen the Father who is in heaven. You who are His spiritual children must by your deeds exemplify His virtues, and witness to His glory. You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted?

Such must be the degree of your detachment, that into whatever city you enter to proclaim and teach the Cause of God, you should in no wise expect either meat or reward from its people. Nay, when you depart out of that city, you should shake the dust from off your feet. As you have entered it pure and undefiled, so must you depart from that city. For verily I say, the heavenly Father is ever with you and keeps watch over you. If you be faithful to Him, He will assuredly deliver into your hands all the treasures of the earth, and will exalt you above all the rulers and kings of the world.’

O My Letters! Verily I say, immensely exalted is this Day above the days of the Apostles of old. Nay, immeasurable is the difference! You are the witnesses of the Dawn of the promised Day of God. You are the partakers of the mystic chalice of His Revelation. Gird up the loins of endeavour, and be mindful of the words of God as revealed in His Book: ‘Lo, the Lord thy God is come, and with Him is the company of His angels arrayed before Him!’

Purge your hearts of worldly desires, and let angelic virtues be your adorning. Strive that by your deeds you may bear witness to the truth of these words of God, and beware lest, by ‘turning back,’ He may ‘change you for another people,’ who ‘shall not be your like,’ and who shall take from you the Kingdom of God. The days when idle worship was deemed sufficient are ended. The time is come when naught but the purest motive, supported by deeds of stainless purity, can ascend to the throne of the Most High and be acceptable unto Him. ‘The good word riseth up unto Him, and the righteous deed will cause it to be exalted before Him.’

You are the lowly, of whom God has thus spoken in His Book: “And We desire to show favour to those who were brought low in the land, and to make them spiritual leaders among men, and to make them Our heirs.’

You have been called to this station; you will attain to it, only if you arise to trample beneath your feet every earthly desire, and endeavour to become those ‘honoured servants of His who speak not till He hath spoken, and who do His bidding.’

You are the first Letters that have been generated from the Primal Point, the first Springs that have welled out from the Source of this Revelation. Beseech the Lord your God to grant that no earthly entanglements, no worldly affections, no ephemeral pursuits, may tarnish the purity, or embitter the sweetness, of that grace which flows through you. I am preparing you for the advent of a mighty Day. Exert your utmost endeavour that, in the world to come, I, who am now instructing you, may, before the mercy-seat of God, rejoice in your deeds and glory in your achievements. The secret of the Day that is to come is now concealed. It can neither be divulged nor estimated. The newly born babe of that Day excels the wisest and most venerable men of this time, and the lowliest and most unlearned of that period shall surpass in understanding the most erudite and accomplished divines of this age. Scatter throughout the length and breadth of this land, and, with steadfast feet and sanctified hearts, prepare the way for His coming. Heed not your weaknesses and frailty; fix your gaze upon the invincible power of the Lord, your God, the Almighty. Has He not, in past days, caused Abraham, in spite of His seeming helplessness, to triumph over the forces of Nimrod? Has He not enabled Moses, whose staff was His only companion, to vanquish Pharaoh and his hosts? Has He not established the ascendancy of Jesus, poor and lowly as He was in the eyes of men, over the combined forces of the Jewish people? Has He not subjected the barbarous and militant tribes of Arabia to the holy and transforming discipline of Muhammad, His Prophet?

Arise in His name, put your trust wholly in Him, and be assured of ultimate victory.’

~~~ The Bab

With such words the Báb quickened the faith of His disciples and launched them upon their mission. To each He assigned his own native province as the field of his labours. He directed them each and all to refrain from specific references to His own name and person. 48 He instructed them to raise the call that the Gate to the Promised One has been opened, that His proof is irrefutable, and that His testimony is complete. He bade them declare that whoever believes in Him has believed in all the prophets of God, and that whoever denies Him has denied all His saints and His chosen 95

Bahá'í Reference Library - The Dawn-Breakers: Nabíl’s Narrative of the Early Days of the Bahá’í Revelation, Pages 47-97
 
arthra

arthra

Baha'i
I thought I would share a web page on the Bicentennial of the Birth of the Bab:

"Bahá’í community of Ajax will celebrate the Birth days of the Báb, the prophet herald, and Bahá’u’lláh, the Founder of The Bahá’í Faith on October 29-30, 2019. In the Bahá’i writings, these two Divine Educators are often referred to as the “Twin Manifestations of God”.

"It is a concept fundamental to Bahá’í belief, describing the relationship between the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh. Both are considered Manifestations of God in their own right, having each founded separate religions (Bábi Faith and the Bahá’í Faith) and revealed their own holy scriptures. To Bahá’ís, however, the missions of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh are inextricably linked: The Báb’s mission was to prepare the way for the coming of “Him whom God shall make manifest“, who eventually appeared in the person of Bahá’u’lláh. For this reason, both the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh are revered as central figures of the Bahá’í Faith."

Bicentenary of the Birth of The Báb 2019 | "Since thou hast faithfully obeyed the true religion of God in the past, it behooveth thee to follow His true religion hereafter, inasmuch as every religion proceedeth from God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting." The Báb
 
arthra

arthra

Baha'i
The following are some MP3 files and a PDF transcript of the History of the Bab:
  1. History of the Bab part 1 insert MP3(13Meg) PDF transcript
  2. History of the Bab part 2 MP3(12Meg)
dawn.jpg


You can read Nabil's Narrative The Dawn Breakers online at
The DawnBreakers - Nabíl's Narrative of the Early Days of the Bahá'í Revelation
CHAPTER III: THE DECLARATION OF THE BAB'S MISSION
 
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arthra

arthra

Baha'i
One of Books revealed by the Bab is known as the Kitab-I-Asma. I quote from the introduction of the Wikipedia article:

"The Kitabu'l-Asmá' or Book of Divine Names (also known as the Chahar Sha`n (The [Book of the] Four Grades))[1] is a book written by the Báb, the founder of Bábi religion, in Arabic[2] during his imprisonment in Máh-Kú and Chihriq in Iran (1847-1850). With a total volume of more than 3,000 pages, it is the largest revealed scripture in religious history.[3] At least twenty-six manuscripts exist,[1][4] and much of the text has not yet been located.[3] Some extracts are available in English in the volume Selections from the Writings of the Báb.[2]

"The text is divided in nineteen unities (Vahid) and 361 gates (Báb; chapters).[3] and consists largely of "lengthy variations of invocations of the names of God'.[2] Each name is discussed in four different parts, each part written in a different 'mode of revelation':[5] divine verses, prayers, commentaries, and rational arguments.[6] The 361 chapters symbolize "all things" (Kull-i-Shay’) and the days of the year of the Badi' calendar.[7]"

Kitabu'l-Asmá' - Wikipedia

So this Book of Divine Names is actually in part at least in reference to the Badi or Baha'i Calendar. Every month of the calendar is named after a Divine attribute.

The first page of the Kitab-I-Asma:

KA001.jpg
 
arthra

arthra

Baha'i
Since the Bicentennial of the Birth of the Ban will be observed later this month I am sharing here the Haykal or Star shaped Tablet in the hand writing of Siyyid Ali Muhammad Shirazi the Bab:

upload_2019-10-2_15-58-25.jpeg

https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/star-tablet-of-the-bab?shelfitemviewer=1#

The five-pointed star, or haykal Arabic for temple) is the official symbol of the Bahá'í Faith as mentioned by Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith: "Strictly speaking the 5-pointed star is the symbol of our Faith, as used by the Báb and explained by Him."[1] The five-pointed star has been used as the outline of special letters or tablets by both the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh.[2]

Haykal is a loan word from the Hebrew word hek'l which means temple and specifically Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. In Arabic, the word also means the body or form of something, particularly the human body.[3] In the Bahá'í tradition, the haykal was established by the Báb — the person who told of Bahá'u'lláh's coming — who represented the haykal as a five-pointed star representing the human body as a head, two hands, and two feet.[3][4] The Báb wrote many letters, tablets, prayers and more in the shape of a five-pointed star, including some that included many derivatives of the word Bahá’ (see below).[5][2]

Bahá'í symbols
 
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TransmutingSoul

TransmutingSoul

One Planet, One People, Please!
Premium Member
arthra said:
Since the Bicentennial of the Birth of the Ban will be observed later this month I am sharing here the Haykal or Star shaped Tablet in the hand writing of Siyyid Ali Muhammad Shirazi the Bab:

View attachment 33380
https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/star-tablet-of-the-bab?shelfitemviewer=1#

The five-pointed star, or haykal Arabic for temple) is the official symbol of the Bahá'í Faith as mentioned by Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith: "Strictly speaking the 5-pointed star is the symbol of our Faith, as used by the Báb and explained by Him."[1] The five-pointed star has been used as the outline of special letters or tablets by both the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh.[2]

Haykal is a loan word from the Hebrew word hek'l which means temple and specifically Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. In Arabic, the word also means the body or form of something, particularly the human body.[3] In the Bahá'í tradition, the haykal was established by the Báb — the person who told of Bahá'u'lláh's coming — who represented the haykal as a five-pointed star representing the human body as a head, two hands, and two feet.[3][4] The Báb wrote many letters, tablets, prayers and more in the shape of a five-pointed star, including some that included many derivatives of the word Bahá’ (see below).[5][2]

Bahá'í symbols
Click to expand...

Interesting why the Temples went 9 pointed.

I wonder if the next architect may build a 5 pointed Temple, or maybe that one is for the future and that one will be in Haifa?

Regards Tony
 
arthra

arthra

Baha'i
For the Bicentennial....
Our community is donating a Park Bench with the words "Mankind is One Donated by the Baha'is of R------s October 28, 2019" engraved on it. We hope to have a dedication of the bench this weekend.

One further note: We've cultivated a sprig from a seed of the Orange Tree planted by the Bab for the past ten years... It's now grown to over ten feet tall and this month in time for the Bicentennial it began to produce fruit for the first time!

 
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