The Báb: Birth to 1844 – Dawn Breakers

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Section Four: The Báb – Birth to 1844

Birth

The Báb was born on 20 October 1819 in the city of Shíráz. His given name was ‘Alí Muhammad. Both his parents were descendants of the Prophet Muhammad and therefore were known as Siyyids. Until His declaration on the eve of 22 May 1844, the Bab was generally known as Siyyid ‘Alí Muhammad-i-Shírází

Both parents came from well-respected families who were merchants by trade. Before the birth of the Báb, His parents had lost other children in infancy. The Báb was their only surviving child.

His given name [‘Alí Muhammad] fulfilled the hadíth

concerning the Promised One’s name that said: “In His name, the name of the Guardian [‘Alí] precedeth that of the Prophet [Muhammad].” His date of birth also confirmed the truth of another hadíth attributed to the Imám ’Alí: “I am two years younger than my Lord.” This would remain a mystery for some years to come until Bahá’u’lláh was recognized as the Greater One promised by the Báb.

The Báb was twenty-five years, four months and five days old, on the eve of 22 May 1844, when He declared His Mission to Mullá Husayn with these words: “I am the Báb, the Gate of God.” Henceforth, He became known as the Báb by those who recognized His Station.

⁵¹ Mullá Báqir-i-Tabrízí: Upon leaving Shíráz, he traveled to Karbalá where he assisted Táhirih’ and then traveled to Iran with her; he was present at the Conference of Badasht; he visited the Báb in Chihríq prison in Adhirbáyján and acted as intermediary for the Báb’s correspondence and other items that the Báb wished to be delivered to Bahá’u’lláh [Dawn-Breakers Chapter 23, p04] ; he became a follower of Bahá’u’lláh after visiting Him in Baghdad; traveled twice to Akká to see Bahá’u’lláh; and with Bahá’u’lláh’s permission spent his last days in Constantinople. He is believed to be the longest surviving firm Letter of the Living.

⁵²Sa’íd-i-Hindí: He went to India and there are records of him teaching certain individuals before contact with him was lost. We don’t know his fate.

⁵³Arabic, means unity. The word has an Abjad numerical value of 19 and therefore used to represent that number. The eighteen Letters of the Living plus the Báb form the first váhid of the Bábí Dispensation. This is based on the instructions of the Báb as described in the Dawn-Breakers, Chapter 6, p123. For more information on the Abjad system, see these sources: F. Lewis 1999 Overview of the Abjad Numerological System and Wikipedia Abjad Numerals.