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 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)

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 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)

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 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')

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)

circa 1841: A disciple of Siyyid Kázim meets the Báb in Karbilá and witnesses the amazing respect his master displays towards the Báb

One day, at the hour of dawn, I [Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunúzí] was suddenly awakened by Mullá Naw-rúz, one of his [Siyyid Kázim’s] intimate attendants, who, in great excitement, bade me arise and follow him. We went to the house of Siyyid Kázim, where we found him fully dressed, wearing his ‘abá, 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 Karbilá. 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 Kázim, and lovingly embraced him. His affability and loving-kindness singularly contrasted with the sense of profound reverence that characterised the attitude of Siyyid Kázim 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 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 Kázim, saying: "A drink of a pure beverage shall their Lord give them." [Qur’án, 76:21]  Siyyid Kázim 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’án. Soon after, the Host arose from His seat and, accompanying us to the threshold of the house, bade us farewell.

Siyyid Kazim becomes aware that the Báb is in Iraq

The Akhúnd [Mulla Husayn] reported with great care the details of what had transpired to Siyyid [Kazim] who smiled and recited this verse:

That winch my heart had understood in dreams

was hidden behind this veil, and is now found.

- ‘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) 

Mulla Husayn’s first encounter with the Báb in Iraq

The Báb arrived at the ‘Atabát.[1] 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 Fars.

One day Mulla 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. 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. Mulla 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 [2] wonder.

Spring of 1841: The Báb left Bushihr for Iráq

According to Mirzá Abu’l-Fadl of Gulpáygán, He journeyed to the holy cities of ’Iráq in the spring of 1841, stayed in ‘Iráq for nearly seven months and returned to His ‘native province of Fárs’ in the autumn of that year. 

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

Ready to leave Búshihr for Iraq, the Báb asked His uncles to come and take over the business from Him

According to him, [Hájí Mírzá Habibu’lláh] when the Báb decided to go on pilgrimage to the holy cities of ‘Iráq He wrote to His uncles in Shíráz asking them to come and take over the business from Him. His uncles, however, procrastinated, whereupon the Báb 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 gate-keeper 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.[1] Hájí Mírzá Siyyid Muhammad was greatly perturbed lest their credit be damaged and their clients suffer serious loss. But Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Ali assured him that their nephew would never do anything to compromise them and that all accounts would be found in perfect order. Hájí Mírzá Siyyid Muhammad hurried to Bushihr where a close inspection of the books satisfied him that nothing had been left to chance. 

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

[1] The holy cities of ‘Iraq are: (i) Najaf and (2) Karbilá, which have within them the shrines of the first and the third Imams, respectively; (3) Kázimayn, in the close vicinity of Baghdád, which harbours the shrines of the seventh and the ninth imams; (4) Sámarrá, where the shrines of the tenth and the eleventh imams are situated.

The “torrid conditions” of Búshihr “did not deter the Báb” from “His devotions on Fridays”

Mullá Muhammad-i-Zarandí, Nabil-i-A'zam, lays particular stress on the Báb's strict regard for His devotions on Fridays. Even the torrid conditions of Búshihr, he states, did not deter the Báb. Writers of such histories as the Násikhut-Tavárikh hostile to the Báb, 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 Hájí Mírzá Jání of Káshán refutes any suggestion that the Báb deliberately practised austerities, or that He found Himself a ‘murshid' (spiritual guide) to direct Him along such lines. 

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

Another example of the Báb engaged in revealing Tablets while in Búshihr

Bushihr 1840

A.-L.-M. Nicolas maintains that the Báb was also engaged in writing and composing, during this period of His sojourn in Búshihr. He mentions a treatise, the Risáliy-i-Fighíyyih, having come from the pen of the Báb during those years. His statement is corroborated by Hájí Mírzá Habibu’lláh’s narrative:

"One day in Egypt during the time when Mírzá Abu’l- Fadl was occupied with writing his book, the Fara’id, 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 Abu’l-Fadl related the following to me:

'I myself heard the late Hájí Siyyid Javád-i-Karbilá’í say that when the Báb was pursuing the career of a merchant in Buúshihr, he... because of his friendship with the uncles of the Báb used to stay with them whenever he visited either Shiráz or Bushihr. One day Hájí Mírzá 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." Háji Mirzá Siyyid Muhammad had been very insistent that Hájí Siyyid Javád should counsel the Báb to desist from writing. Hájí Siyyid Javád 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 earth-bound and He is celestial. Our counsel is of no use to Him.’” 

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