The Báb Returns to Shíráz4

and somehow get the Báb out. He told Husayn Khán that the governor had misunderstood the context of the verse of the Qur’án the Báb had quoted and that they should question the Báb using the approach of the Qur’án itself. Husayn Khán consented, and Shaykh Abú-Turáb questioned the Báb regarding the nature of His claims. The Báb denied the claim of being the representative of the promised Qá’im or the intermediary between Him and the faithful. Shaykh Abú-Turáb seized on this and said: “We are completely satisfied. We shall request you to present yourself on Friday in the Masjid-i-Vakíl

[mosque of Vakíl] and to proclaim this publicly.” With this he got up to leave, but Husayn Khán intervened and demanded someone stand as a guarantor and give surety regarding the Báb’s behaviour in the future. To this, the Báb’s middle uncle, who was present at the meeting, immediately consented. And so, the Báb was released into the hands of His middle uncle, who conducted Him to His own house to His wife and His mother’s care.

“The condemnation of God be upon him who regards Me either as a representative of the Imám or the gate thereof.”

Shaykh Abú-Turáb, the Imám-Jumih of Shíráz, never became a believer, but he always acted justly towards the Báb, and seemed to be the instrument of the invisible Hand appointed to protect both the person and the Mission of the Báb.

He initially tried to avoid bringing the Báb to the congregation at Masjid-i-Vakíl as promised to Husayn Khàn. Shaykh Abú-Turáb knew that many in his congregation were ignorant and hateful, and that most of the other mullás wished to keep their power and stranglehold on the populace and would therefore go against anything that might threaten their power. But he eventually gave into the pressure from the members of his congregation and arranged for the Báb to come to the Masjid-i-Vakíl on a certain Friday. Shaykh Abú-Turáb stood at the top of the steps of the pulpit, and he invited the Báb to ascend the pulpit, which He did to the half-way point. Shaykh Abú-Turáb then whispered to the Báb that He should be brief. The Báb, standing on the steps of the pulpit, declared:

Praise be to God, who hath in truth created the heavens and the earth. … The condemnation of God be upon him who regards me either as a representative of the Imam or the gate thereof. The condemnation of God be also upon whosoever imputes to me the charge of having denied the unity of God, of having repudiated the prophethood of Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets, of having rejected the truth of any of the messengers of old, or of

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