Táhirih’s brother-in-law was a Letter of the Living

According to Samandar, who was one of the early believers of Qazvín (manuscript, p. 15), Táhirih’s sister, Mardíyyih, was the wife of Mírzá Muhammad-‘Alí, who was one of the Letters of the Living, and who suffered martyrdom at Shaykh Tabarsí. Mardíyyih appears to have recognised and embraced the Message of the Báb (p. 5). Mírzá Muhammad-‘Alí was the son of Hájí Mullá ‘Abdu’l-Vahháb, to whom the Báb addressed a Tablet while in the neighbourhood of Qazvín. 

(Footnotes to Chapter 3, provided by Shoghi Effendi)

The “Letters of the Living”: – Other than Tahirih, they “attained the presence of the Báb, and were personally invested by Him with the distinction of this rank"

As to those whose supreme privilege it was to be enrolled by the Báb in the Book of His Revelation as His chosen Letters of the Living, their names are as follows:

Mullá Husayn-i-Bushrú’í,

Muhammad-Hasan, his brother,

Muhammad-Báqir, his nephew, Mullá ‘Alíy-i-Bastamí,

Mullá Khudá-Bakhsh-i-Quchání, later named Mullá ‘Alí

Mullá Ḥasan-i-Bajistání,

Siyyid Husayn-i-Yazdí,

Mírzá Muhammad Rawdih-Khán-i-Yazdí,

Sa’íd-i-Hindí,

Mullá Mahmúd-i-Khú’í,

Mullá Jalíl-i-Urúmí,

Mullá Ahmad-i-Ibdal-i-Marághi’í,

Mullá Báqir-i-Tabrízí,

Mullá Yusif-i-Ardibílí,

Mírzá Hádí, son of Mullá ‘Abdu’l-Vahháb-i-Qazvíní,

Mírzá Muhammad-‘Alíy-i-Qazvíní. 

Táhirih, 

Quddús.

These all, with the single exception of Táhirih, attained the presence of the Báb, and were personally invested by Him with the distinction of this rank. 
(Chapter 3, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

circa 1935: Views of the public bath in Shiraz where the Báb went as a child

(The Dawn-Breakers)

An example of the Báb’s dignity, tenderness and devotion

With what assiduous care He attended those gatherings at which the virtues of the Siyyidu’sh-Shuhada’, the Imám Husayn, were being extolled! With what attention He listened to the chanting of the eulogies! What tenderness and devotion He showed at those scenes of lamentation and prayer! Tears rained from His eyes as His trembling lips murmured words of prayer and praise. How compelling was His dignity, how tender the sentiments which His countenance inspired! 

- Hájí Siyyid Javád-i-Karbilá’í  (Quoted by Nabil in chapter 3 of ‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

circa 1935: Views of the House of the Báb in Shiraz where He declared His Mission

Entrance   ----     Original window sash and door

Steps leading to the Declaration chamber

(The Dawn-Breakers)

The Báb’s reported deportment

“[The] Báb possessed a mild and benignant countenance, his manners were composed and dignified, his eloquence was impressive, and he wrote rapidly and well.” (Lady Sheil’s “Glimpses of Life and Manners in Persia,” p. 178.) 

(Footnotes to Chapter 3, provided by Shoghi Effendi)

While in Búshihr: An example of the Báb’s honesty and fairness in business dealings

A certain man confided to His [the Báb’s] care a trust, requesting Him to dispose of it at a fixed price. When the Báb sent him the value of that article, the man found that the sum which he had been offered considerably exceeded the limit which he had fixed. He immediately wrote to the Báb, requesting Him to explain the reason. The Báb replied: ‘What I have sent you is entirely your due. There is not a single farthing in excess of what is your right. There was a time when the trust you had delivered to Me had attained this value. Failing to sell it at that price, I now feel it My duty to offer you the whole of that sum.’ However much the Báb’s client entreated Him to receive back the sum in excess, the Báb persisted in refusing. 

- Hájí Siyyid Javád-i-Karbilá’í  (Quoted by Nabil in Chapter 3 of ‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

The Báb’s demeanour and impact on those who interacted with Him in Bushihr

“Withdrawn within himself, always absorbed in pious practices, of extreme simplicity of manner, of a fascinating gentleness, those gifts further heightened by his great youth and his marvellous charm, he drew about himself a number of persons who were deeply edified. People then began to speak of his science and of the penetrating eloquence of his discourses. He could not open his lips (we are assured by those who knew him) without stirring the hearts to their very depths.

“Speaking, moreover, with a profound reverence regarding the Prophet, the Imáms and their holy companions, he fascinated the severely orthodox while, at the same time, in more intimate addresses, the more ardent and eager minds were happy to find that there was no rigidity in his profession of traditional opinions which they would have found boring. His conversations, on the contrary, opened before them unlimited horizons, varied, colored, mysterious, with shadows broken here and there by patches of blinding light which transported those imaginative people of Persia into a state of ecstasy.” (Comte de Gobineau’s “Les Religions et les Philosophies dans l’Asie Centrale,” p. 118.) 

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

The Báb’s reputation while in Búshihr

I have heard Hájí Siyyid Javád-i-Karbilá’í  recount the following:

“Whilst journeying to India, I passed through Búshihr. As I was already acquainted with Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí, I was enabled to meet the Báb on several occasions. Every time I met Him, I found Him in such a state of humility and lowliness as words fail me to describe. His downcast eyes, His extreme courtesy, and the serene expression of His face made an indelible impression upon my soul.  I often heard those who were closely associated with Him testify to the purity of His character, to the charm of His manners, to His self-effacement, to His high integrity, and to His extreme devotion to God."  
- Nabil  (Chapter 3, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

People in Búshihr with whom the Báb spent time

“In society he held converse preferably with the learned or listened to the tales of travelers who congregated in this commercial city. This is why he was generally considered to be one of the followers of Taríqat who were held in high esteem by the people.” (Journal Asiatique, 1866, tome 7, p. 335.) 

(Footnotes to Chapter 3, provided by Shoghi Effendi)

The Báb’s stay in Búshihr, the intensity of His devotions and longing for Baha’u’llah

The days which the Báb devoted to commercial pursuits were mostly spent in Búshihr.  The oppressive heat of the summer did not deter Him from devoting, each Friday, several hours to continuous worship upon the roof of His house. Though exposed to the fierce rays of the noontide sun, He, turning His heart to His Beloved, continued to commune with Him, unmindful of the intensity of the heat and oblivious of the world around Him. From early dawn till sunrise, and from midday till late in the afternoon, He dedicated His time to meditation and pious worship. Turning His gaze towards the north, in the direction of Tihrán, He, at every break of day, greeted, with a heart overflowing with love and joy, the rising, sun, which to Him was a sign and symbol of that Day-Star of Truth that was soon to dawn upon the world. As a lover who beholds the face of his beloved, He gazed upon the rising orb with steadfastness and longing. He seemed to be addressing, in mystic language, that shining luminary, and to be entrusting it with His, message of yearning and love to His concealed Beloved. With such transports of delight He greeted its beaming rays, that the heedless and ignorant around Him thought Him to be enamoured with the sun itself. 

(Chapter 3, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

The Bab’s first Tablet

“He was already predisposed to meditation and inclined to be silent, while his fine face, the radiance of his glance as well as his modest and contemplative mien drew, even at that early date, the attention of his fellow-citizens. Though very young, he felt an invincible attraction to matters of religion, for he was barely nineteen when he wrote his first work, the ‘risaliy-i-Fiqhiyyih’ in which he reveals a true piety and an Islamic effusion, which seemed to predict a brilliant future within the law of Shí’ite orthodoxy. It is probable that this work was written at Búshihr, for he was sent there by his uncle at the age of eighteen or nineteen to look after his business interests.” (A. L. M. Nicolas’ “Siyyid ‘Alí-Muḥammad dit le Báb,” pp. 188–189.) 

(Footnotes to Chapter 3, provided by Shoghi Effendi)

Prior to His marriage the Báb had been in the port city of Búshihr for five years

Bushir 1840

“He [the Báb] left Shíráz for Búshihr at the age of 17, and remained there for five years engaged in commercial pursuits. During this time he won the esteem of all the merchants with whom he was brought in contact, by his integrity and piety. He was extremely attentive to his religious duties, and gave away large sums to charity. On one occasion he gave 70 túmans [about £22] to a poor neighbour.” (Appendix 2 of Taríkh-i-Jadíd: Hájí Mírzá Jání’s History, pp. 343–4.) 

(Footnotes to Chapter 3, provided by Shoghi Effendi)

The Báb’s reference to His son Ahmad

The Báb refers to his son in his commentary on the Súrih of Joseph. The following is A. L. M. Nicolas’ translation:

“In truth, thy son Ahmad has a refuge in the Blessed Paradise near to the Great Fátimih.” (Súrih of Qarabat.) “Glory be to God Who in truth has given to the ‘Delight of the Eyes,’ in her youth, a son who is named Ahmad. Verily, we have reared this child toward God!” (Súrih of ‘Abd.) (Preface A. L. M. Nicolas’ “Le Bayán Persan,” vol. 2, p. II.) 

(Footnotes to Chapter 3, provided by Shoghi Effendi)

The Báb’s sacrifice

The Father [the Báb] did not lament his loss. [son: Ahmad] He consecrated his death by words such as these:

“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.”  

(Footnotes to Chapter 3, provided by Shoghi Effendi)

The Báb addresses His wife, Khadíjih-Bagum, after the passing of their son

“Know that the benevolence of the Dhikr Sublime is great, O dearly beloved! Because it is the benevolence which comes from God, the Beloved. Thou art not like other women if thou obeyest God with regard to the Dhikr Sublime. Know the great truth of the Holy Word and glory within thyself that thou art seated with the friend who is the Favorite of the Most High God. Truly the glory comes to thee from God, the Wise. Be patient in the command which comes from God concerning the Báb and his family. Verily, thy son Ahmad has a refuge in the blessed heaven close to the great Fátimih!” (Preface to A. L. M. Nicolas’ “Le Bayán Persan,” vol. 2, pp. 10–11.) 

(Footnotes to chapter 3, provided by Shoghi Effendi)

Ahmad, the son of the Báb and Khadíjih-Bagum

The child which resulted from this union, He named Ahmad. He died in the year 1259 A.D., [1843 A.D.] the year preceding the declaration of the Faith by the Báb. 

(Chapter 3, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’) 

The Báb refers to his son in his commentary on the Súrih of Joseph. The following is A. L. M. Nicolas’ translation: “In truth, thy son Aḥmad has a refuge in the Blessed Paradise near to the Great Fátimih.” (Súrih of Qarabat.) “Glory be to God Who in truth has given to the ‘Delight of the Eyes,’ in her youth, a son who is named Aḥmad. Verily, we have reared this child toward God!” (Súrih of ‘Abd.) (Preface A. L. M. Nicolas’ “Le Bayán Persan,” vol. 2, p. II.)

(Footnotes to chapter 3, provided by Shoghi Effendi)

The Báb’s reference to His wedding

The Báb refers to her in his commentary on the Súrih of Joseph (Súrih of Qarabat). The following is A. L. M. Nicolas’ translation of the passage in question:

“In truth I have become betrothed before the throne of God with Sárá, that is to say, the dearly beloved, because ‘dearly beloved’ is derived from Dearly Beloved (the Dearly Beloved is Muhammad which signifies that Sárá was a Siyyid). In truth I have taken the angels of heaven and those who dwell in Paradise as witnesses of our betrothal.” (Preface to A. L. M. Nicolas’ “Le Bayán Persan,” vol. 2, pp. 10–11.) 

(Footnotes to chapter 3, provided by Shoghi Effendi)

The Báb’s marriage with Khadíjih-Bagum

Some years later the Báb was united in wedlock with the sister of Mírzá Siyyid Hasan and Mírzá Abu’l-Qásim. 

(Chapter 3 of ‘The Dawn-Breakers)

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 Báb assumed, at the age of twenty, the independent direction of His business affairs

According to Hájí Mu’inu’s-Saltanih’s narrative (p. 37), the Báb assumed, at the age of twenty, the independent direction of His business affairs. “Orphaned at an early age, he was placed under the tutelage of his maternal uncle, Áqá Siyyid ‘Alí, under whose direction he entered the same trade in which his father had been engaged (that is to say, the mercantile business).” (A. L. M. Nicolas’ “Siyyid ‘Alí-Muhammad dit le Báb,” p. 189.) 

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

The Báb leaves the school of Shaykh Abid and becomes business associate with His uncle

At last His uncle was induced to take Him away from the school of Shaykh Abid, and to associate Him with himself in his own profession. There, too, He revealed signs of a power and greatness that few could approach and none could rival. 

(Chapter 3, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

circa 1935: Outskirts of Shiraz where the Báb often went to walk

(The Dawn-Breakers)

The Báb’s uncle admonished the Báb for not following the “example of…[His] fellow-pupils”

Háji Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí sternly rebuked the Báb. ‘Have You forgotten my instructions?’ he said. ‘Have I not already admonished You to follow the example of Your fellow-pupils, to observe silence, and to listen attentively to every word spoken by Your teacher?’ Having obtained His promise to abide faithfully by his instructions, he bade the Báb return to His school. The soul of that child could not, however, be restrained by the stern admonitions of His uncle. No discipline could repress the flow of His intuitive knowledge. Day after day He continued to manifest such remarkable evidences of superhuman wisdom as I am powerless to recount.”

- Shaykh Abid (The Báb’s childhood teacher, (quoted by Nabil, chapter 3, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Room in the Masjid-i-Ilkhani, Shiraz, in which the Báb and Mulla Husayn met

(Dawn-Breakers, circa 1935)

The Báb’s father passed away when He was an infant

According to Mírzá Abu’l-Fadl (manuscript on history of the Cause, p. 3), the Báb was still an infant, and had not yet been weaned, when His father passed away. 

(Footnotes to chapter 3 provided by Shoghi Effendi)

Shaykh Abid’s amazement at his Pupil’s profound knowledge at such a young age

Shaykh Abid, known by his pupils as Shaykhuna, was a man of piety and learning. He had been a disciple of both Shaykh Ahmad and Siyyid Kázim. “One day,” he related, “I asked the Báb to recite the opening words of the Qur’án: ‘Bismi’lláhi’r-Rahmáni’r-Raḥím.’ He hesitated, pleading that unless He were told what these words signified, He would in no wise attempt to pronounce them. I pretended not to know their meaning. ‘I know what these words signify,’ observed my pupil; ‘by your leave, I will explain them.’ He spoke with such knowledge and fluency that I was struck with amazement. He expounded the meaning of ‘Alláh,’ of ‘Rahmán,’ and ‘Raḥím,’ in terms such as I had neither read nor heard. The sweetness of His utterance still lingers in my memory. I felt impelled to take Him back to His uncle and to deliver into his hands the Trust he had committed to my care. I determined to tell him how unworthy I felt to teach so remarkable a child. I found His uncle alone in his office. ‘I have brought Him back to you,’ I said, ‘and commit Him to your vigilant protection. He is not to be treated as a mere child, for in Him I can already discern evidences of that mysterious power which the Revelation of the Sáhibu’z-Zamán [1] alone can reveal. It is incumbent upon you to surround Him with your most loving care. Keep Him in your house, for He, verily, stands in no need of teachers such as I.

- Nabil  ('The Dawn-Breakers'; translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

[1] “The Lord of the Age,” one of the titles of the promised Qá’im.

At six or seven years of age the Báb entered the school of Shaykh Abid

According to Mírzá Abu’l-Fadl (manuscript, p. 41,) the Báb was six or seven years of age when He entered the school of Shaykh Abid. The school was known by the name of “Qahviyih-Awliya.” The Báb remained five years at that school where He was taught the rudiments of Persian. On the first day of the month of Rabí’u’l-Avval, in the year 1257 A.H., He left for Najaf and Karbilá, returning seven months after to His native province of Fárs. 

(Footnotes to chapter 3 provided by Shoghi Effendi)

Some of the Titles of the Báb

Siyyid-i-Dhikr; ‘Abdu’dh-Dhikr; Bábu’lláh; Nuqṭiy-i-Úlá; Tal’at-i-A‘lá; Haḍrat-i-A‘lá; Rabb-i-A‘lá; Nuqṭiy-i-Bayán; Siyyid-i-Báb 

(Footnotes to chapter 3 provided by Shoghi Effendi)

The Báb was 25 years old when He declared His Mission

Twenty-five years, four months, and four days had elapsed since the day of His birth, when He declared His Mission. 

(Chapter 3, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)