Mulla Husayn felt “irresistibly” attracted to Shiraz

He [Mulla Husayn] could not, however, tarry longer in Búshihr. Drawn as if by a magnet which seemed to attract him irresistibly towards the north, he proceeded to Shíráz. Arriving at the gate of that city, he instructed his brother and his nephew to proceed directly to the Masjid-i-Ílkhání, and there to remain until his arrival. He expressed the hope that, God willing, he would arrive in time to join them in their evening prayer. 

- Nabil (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

1844: Mulla Husayn left Najaf, Iraq, for Búshihr in Persia: “There he perceived the sweet savours of holiness”

Immediately after the completion of his forty days’ retirement, Mullá Husayn, together with his two companions, departed for Najaf. He left Karbilá by night, visited on his way the shrine of Najaf, and proceeded directly to Búshihr, on the Persian Gulf. There he started on his holy quest after the Beloved of his heart’s desire. There, for the first time, he inhaled the fragrance of Him who, for years, had led in that city the life of a merchant and humble citizen. There he perceived the sweet savours of holiness with which that Beloved’s countless invocations had so richly impregnated the atmosphere of that city. 

- Nabil (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

Some Islamic traditions concerning the year of the Declaration of the Báb

As the year sixty, [1260 AH, 1844 AD] the year that witnessed the birth of the promised Revelation, had just dawned upon the world, it would not seem inappropriate, at this juncture, to digress from our theme, and to mention certain traditions of Muhammad and of the imáms of the Faith which bear specific reference to that year. Imám Ja’far, son of Muhammad, when questioned concerning the year in which the Qá’im was to be made manifest, replied as follows: “Verily, in the year sixty His Cause shall be revealed, and His name shall be noised abroad.” In the works of the learned and far-famed Muhyi’d-Dín-i-‘Arabí, many references are to be found regarding both the year of the advent and the name of the promised Manifestation. Among them are the following: “The ministers and upholders of His Faith shall be of the people of Persia.” “In His name, the name of the Guardian [‘Alí] precedeth that of the Prophet [Muhammad].” “The year of His Revelation is identical with half of that number which is divisible by nine [2520].” Mírzá Muhammad-i-Akhbarí, in his poems relating to the year of the Manifestation, makes the following prediction: “In the year Ghars [the numerical value of the letters of which is 1260] the earth shall be illumined by His light, and in Gharásih [1265] the world shall be suffused with its glory. If thou livest until the year Gharasí [1270], thou shalt witness how the nations, the rulers, the peoples, and the Faith of God shall all have been renewed.” In a tradition ascribed to the Imám ‘Alí, the Commander of the Faithful, it is likewise recorded: “In Ghars the Tree of Divine guidance shall be planted.” 

- Nabil (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

Khadíjih-Bagum, the wife of the Báb, witnessed the moment the Báb was appointed by God as the Promised One – recalled by Khadíjih-Bagum

The practice of His Holiness [the Báb] was that each day He would return home about an hour after the sunset and commence devotions, the chanting of the names of God, and writing. About three hours into the night He would have the evening meal and would retire about four hours past sunset. In the morning, He would rise one hour before the dawn and, after washing, would perform His ablutions and then proceed to the upper chambers of the House, which had been set aside as His formal guestroom and formed an outer apartment. There, He stood to recite tablets of visitation, prayers, supplications, and to repeat the names of God. When the sun had risen, Fiddih[a servant] would fire up the samovar and prepare the tea in the chamber occupied by His mother. His Holiness would come down to that apartment and have the morning tea. After that, He would proceed to His merchant office to engage in His own business.

However, one night, unlike other nights, He came home at dusk, saying, “Tell Fiddih to prepare whatever we are having for the evening meal sooner than usual. Tonight I have a particular task to attend to.”

About an hour and a half into the night, the dinner was served, and He joined us for this purpose. Afterwards, Fiddih brought water for Him to wash His blessed hands, and, as usual in the evenings, she spread our bedding and retired to her own quarters. His Holiness retired for the night.

It was not long after that I saw Him rise from the bed and leave the room, going to the outer courtyard. At first, I thought He had gone to the lavatory. When considerable time had passed and He did not return, I was seized by apprehension. I rose from my bed and left the apartment. I looked in the lavatory but did not see Him. Checking the street door, I found it locked from within. I looked in the chamber of His mother and did not find Him there either. By then I was deeply bewildered and perplexed. I walked to the western part of the house and looked up towards the upper chamber, situated on the eastern wing of the House and serving as His private quarters, and saw that it was well-lighted. It seemed as if a thousand lamps illumined the room. This added to my surprise, because there were no guests to require so many lamps. Therefore, full of astonishment, I went up the steps to the room. When I entered, I found that the room was so brilliantly lit that it dazzled my eyes, although there was only a single lamp.

The Báb’s sacrifice

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 ‘Alí-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.  

- The Báb (Quoted by Nabil in ‘The Dawn-Breakers, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

A reference to Ahmad, the Báb’s son, in Qayyúmu’l-Asma

And there is this further reference to Ahmad in the Qayyúmu’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! [1] 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. 

- The Báb (Provisional translation by Hand of the Cause Hassan Balyuzi; 'The Báb - The Herald of the Day of Days')

[1] The Báb refers to Himself time and again in this Book as ‘Qurratu‘l-‘Ayn‘—the Solace of the Eyes.

The upsetting dream of Khadíjih-Bagum, the wife of the Báb

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 [the Báb] 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.

-Khadíjih-Bagum (Quoted by ‘Mirza Habibu’llah Afnan in ‘Tarikh Amr-i-Fars va Shiraz’, translated and annotated as ‘The Genesis of the Bábi-Baha’i Faiths in Shiraz and Fars’, by Ahang Rabbani)

Ahmad, the son of the Báb and Khadíjih-Bagum

After a year, that is in AH 1259 [1843], God granted the Báb 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 Bibi Dukhtarán cemetery of Shíráz.

My paternal grandmother, [Zahra Bagum], who was the sister of Khadíjih Bagum, [the wife of the Báb] related for me the details surrounding the child’s birth:

“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.”

The Bab’s mother then returned to His presence and remonstrated with her Son:

“As You evidently possessed such [supernatural] abilities, why did You not perform this act sooner and preserve the life of the child?"

The Báb replied, “It is not My destiny to leave any progeny.”

His mother was infuriated with tins comment but said no more.

- ‘Mirza Habibu’llah Afnan (Tarikh Amr-i-Fars va Shiraz’, translated and annotated as ‘The Genesis of the Bábi-Baha’i Faiths in Shiraz and Fars’, by Ahang Rabbani)

The Báb’s reference to His wedding

In the Surih of Qarábat [chapter of Kinship] of Qayyúmu'l-Asmá', the Báb makes a reference to His wedding:

"O concourse of Light! Hear My call from the point of Fire in this ocean of snow-white water on this crimson earth. Verily, I am God, besides Whom there is no other God. On the exalted throne a beloved noble woman, bearing the same name [Khadijih] as the beloved of the First Friend [the Prophet Muhammad], was wedded to tins Great Remembrance; and verily, I caused the angels of Heaven and the denizens of Paradise, on the day of the Covenant, to bear witness, in truth, to God’s Remembrance” 

(Provisional translation, included as a footnote in ‘Mirza Habibu’llah Afnan’s ‘Tarikh Amr-i-Fars va Shiraz’, translated and annotated as ‘The Genesis of the Bábi-Baha’i Faiths in Shiraz and Fars’, by Ahang Rabbani)

The Báb's and His mother's “indescribable” “kindness” towards Khadíjih Bagum

Khadíjih Bagum recalled:

‘His [the Báb’s] kindness towards me and His care for me were indescribable. He and His mother alike showered me with kindness and consideration.'

The household in that small dwelling, destined to be the scene of the birth of a World Faith, consisted of the married couple, the mother of the Báb, and two black servitors: Fiddih, the woman, and Mubárak, the man. 

(Adapted from ‘Khadijih Bagum, The Wife of the Báb’ by Hand of the Cause Hassan Balyuzi)

The Báb’s marriage took place when He was twenty-two years of age

According to Hájí Mu’inu’s-Saltanih’s narrative (p. 37), the Báb’s marriage took place when He was twenty-two years of age. 

(Footnotes to chapter 3 of ‘The Dawn-Breakers, provided by Shoghi Effendi)

The Marriage Certificate of the Báb, 1258 A.H. (1842 A.D.)

August 1842: Marriage of the Báb with Khadíjih-Bagum

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 Báb to Khadíjih-Bagum, daughter of Hájí Mírzá ‘Ali, the paternal uncle of His mother. The marriage took, place in August 1842. Khadíjih-Bagum had two brothers: Hájí Mírzá Abu’l-Qásim and Hájí Mírzá Siyyid Hasan, and both of them, though not counted among His followers in His lifetime, have a place in the story of the Báb. The descendants of these two brothers-in-law of the Báb, and the descendants of His maternal uncles, are known as the Afnán (the Twigs). 

- Hand of the Cause Balyuzi  ('The Báb - The Herald of the Day of Days')

Arrangements for the marriage of the Báb to Khadijih Bagum

Some two months passed before the wedding could be arranged. Marriage feasts were held in the house of Mírzá ‘Ali, the father of Khadíjih Bagum, and in the house of the uncle of the Báb who had been His guardian. Shaykh Abú-Turáb, the Imám-Jum‘ih of Shíráz, presided over the ceremony and read the usual oration. As it was customary for a relative of the bridegroom to respond, His uncle, Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Ali, accepted the suit. Later, the bride and the Groom were joined in wedlock in the house of the Báb Himself.

(Adapted from ‘Khadijih Bagum, The Wife of the Báb’ by Hand of the Cause Hassan Balyuzi)

Khadijih Bagum’s dream prior to her engagement to the Báb

…when the Báb had returned to Shíráz from His visit to the holy cities of 'Iraq, Khadijih Bagum dreamt that Fátimih, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, had come to ask for her hand in marriage to the Imam Husayn. Her mother, being told of this dream, rejoiced at the good fortune that awaited her daughter.

That very day, Khadíjih Bagum recalled, the mother of the Báb came to call on her mother, and His grandmother was also there… “After they were all seated I took sharbat (a fruit syrup) to them and left the room.”, Khadijih Bagum recounted.

To Khadíjih Bagum’s surprise, the mother of the Báb kissed her on the forehead before leaving. Seeing her puzzled look, her mother hastened to explain: “That kiss implied that she has asked for your hand in marriage to her Son. You see, the dream you had last night has come true.”

Khadíjih Bagum, hearing the news and being reminded of her wondrous dream, was greatly elated. The extraordinary respect and consideration which all the members of the family gave to the Báb, and the accounts of His demeanour and bearing which she had heard from her elders, had already convinced Khadíjih Bagum that her young Cousin stood head and shoulders above them all.

She recalled: ‘From that day I felt a great stirring within my heart. It seemed that the gate of God’s mercy and abundant bounty had been hung open before my face. I felt immeasurably proud of my coming union.'

(Adapted from Khadijih Bagum, The Wife of the Báb’ by Hand of the Cause Hassan Balyuzi)

1842: The Báb’s uncle persuaded Him to return to Shiraz

According to Hájí Mírzá Habíbu’lláh’s narrative, as the sojourn of the Báb in the holy cities lengthened into months, His mother, anxious to have her only son back in Shíráz, asked her brother, Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Ali, to go to ‘Iraq and persuade Him to return. He could not deny his sister’s request, but when he reached ‘Iráq he found that his nephew, who had once been his ward, was unwilling to leave the holy cities. Thereupon he appealed to Hájí Siyyid Javád-i-Karbilá’í for help, who was at first reluctant to lend his support, not wishing to lose the company of the young Shírází 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 Báb complied with their request and agreed to return. 

- Hand of the Cause Balyuzi ('The Báb - The Herald of the Day of Days')

1844: A disciple of Siyyid Kázim in Karbilá hears the news of the Báb’s Declaration in Shiraz

…the day when the call of a Youth from Shíráz, proclaiming Himself to be the Báb, reached my [Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunúzí, a disciple of Siyyid Kázim] 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 Karbilá, the Youth of my heart’s desire. …later on I journeyed from Karbilá to Shíráz, I found that He had set out on a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. [October 1844] I met Him on His return [December 1844] and endeavoured, despite the many obstacles in my way, to remain in close association with Him. 

- Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunúzí ([a disciple of Siyyid Kázim], quoted by Nabil, ‘The Dawn-Breakers', translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

circa 1841, Karbilá: A disciple of Siyyid Kázim recalls his fascination about the Báb’s manners

“I [Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunúzí] often felt the urge to seek alone the presence of that Háshimite Youth [the Báb] 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 Imám 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 Shíráz, 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 Kázim. Soon after, I learned that He had departed for Najaf on His way to Shíráz. 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 Shíráz, proclaiming Himself to be the Báb, 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 Karbilá, the Youth of my heart’s desire. 

- Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunúzí (Quoted by Nabil in ‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

circa 1841, Karbila: a disciple of Siyyid Kázim describes what happened when the Báb made a quiet appearance at one of Siyyid Kázim’s gatherings

Three days later, I saw that same Youth [the Báb] arrive and take His seat in the midst of the company of the assembled disciples of Siyyid Kázim. 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 Kázim, as he turned his face toward the Báb. ‘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 Kázim 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 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.”’ 

- Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunúzí (Quoted by Nabil in ‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)