Who Is The Successor of the Bab?

Who Is The Successor of the Bab? Steve Morrison and Larry Wessels

The Bab? • “Bab” is a term among various Shi’ite and ‘Alawite groups for a person who is a “gate” to truth, heaven, or the Mahdi. • Ali Muhammad of Shiraz, a descendant of Mohammed born in 1819/1821, claimed to the Bab, the forerunner to the hidden (12th) imam. • He claimed this in Mecca in 1844 A.D..

Examples of the Bab’s Writing • Kitabu’l-Asma’ • Bayan • The Azali faction also calls themselves Bayani’s, because they follow the Bab’s Bayan, while the Baha’is allegedly do not. • In fact, the Baha’u’llah in the Epistle of the Wolf said he never had the time or opportunity to read the writings of the Bab. Baha’u’llah and the New Era p.60

Panj Sha’n (Five Modes) • Translated by http://bahai-library.com/unpubl.articles/walbridge.panj.html (11/23/2004)

From the Panj Sha’n • In the Name of God, Very God, Very God!I, I am God--No God is there but Me--Very God, Very God.In Gods Name, Very God, Very God.God by God, Very God, Very God.In God’s Name, Godlike God, Godlike God.God, no God is there but He, Very God, Very God.God, no God is there but He, Godlike God, Godlike God.God, no God is there but He, God as God in Godhead.God, no God is there but He, God, attain’d Godhood.

From the Panj Sha’n - continued • … • Say, You, O God, You arise as Godof the heavens and the earth and the void between.Then plant the tree of affirmationin all that You have createdor will create by Your commanduntil that day on which You manifestthe Manifestation of Your Selfthat all may believe in Himand be sure on Himthen bow down before His face.

Note: • All people were to bow before the Manifestation of God, and that is who the Bab claimed to be.

The Alleged Successors • When the Shi’ite Persians arrested him, there were enough Babis to start a revolt. However, after at least three battles thousands of Babis were killed. The Persians executed the Bab on July 9th, 1850 A.D. In 1852 a Babi tried to shoot the Shah, and the Shah retaliated further against the Babis.

But Who Would Succeed the Bab?

Timing • For the first thirteen years, the majority of Babis followed Azal. Then the Baha’u’llah started his group, and six years after that the Baha’u’llah claimed he was the promised one.

Feuds and Murders Over Succession • After the Bab was executed, the Babi’s had a bloody feud among themselves. www.geocities.com/ Athens/Acropolis/5111/mirza.html says: • “Upon reaching Edirne in December 1863, tensions in the Babi community heightened. In Early 1866 Bahaullah formalized the division in the community, and the Babis formally pledged support for either Sobh-e Azal or Bahaullah, the latter being the more popular. Despite Bahaullah’s rejection of holy

Quote - continued • war, which Babis had practiced diligently, Bahaullah urged his supporters to violence, and a bloody feud ensued. The public and government officials in Edirne had remained quite amicable to the Babis but upon these latter developments became uncomfortable. In 1868 Ottoman [Turkish] officials intervened. Sobh-e Azal and his supporters, the Azali, were sent to Famagusta, Cyprus while Bahahullah and the Bahai were removed to

Quote - continued • Acre, Palestine. Provisions were made to station observers in the opposing side’s camp for monitoring purposes. Murders continued, however, and three Azali observers were killed in one night alone. Assasinations of Azali leaders were reported in Karbala, Baghdad, Tabriz, Acre and throughout Iran. Such prominent figures as Aqa Syed Ali Arab and Mulla Rajab Ali, both among the first 19 Babis, the Letters of the Living, and

Quote - continued • Haji Mirza Jani Kashani, author of Nuqtat ul-Qaf, joined the ranks of killed Azalis. • … Reviled by many Bahais, Sobh-e Azal is nevertheless considered the Bab’s true successor by many Babis, especially ones in Iran. Azalis adhere to the Bab’s original doctrinal work, the Bayan, and have remained a small group.”

The Bab’s Will and Testament • Azalis claim to have a Last Will of the Bab, written a few days before his execution in 1850, and forwarded to Azim Turshizi, who sent it to Sub-i Azal. It designates Subh-i Azal (not the Baha’u’llah) as the successor. Here is the text and translation from http://www.beliefnet.com/boards/message_list.asp?discussionID=178496 (11/23/2004).

Text • Allahu Akbar Takbir’an Kabir’anhadha kitab min ìnd Allah al-muhayyamin al-qayyum ila Allah muhayyamin al-qayyum. qul: kullu min Allah mabda’un, qul, kullu ila Allah yaùdun.hadha kitab min Àli qabla Nabil dhikr Allah al-àlamin ila man ba`d li-ismih ism al-waheed dhikr Allah al-àlamin.qul: kullu min nuqtatu’l-Bayan la-yubda’un, inna ya ism al-waheed fa-ahfaza ma nazala fi al-Bayan wa amr bihi fa-innaka li-sirat haqq al-àzeem.

Translation • God is the Greatest, [Great with the] Uttermost Greatness. This is the Book in the possession of God, the Preserver, the Self-Subsistent, to God the Preserver, the Self-Subsistent. Say: All come from God. Say: All return to God. This is the Book from `Ali before Nabil* who is the Remembrance to the Worlds to him whose name is the Unity/the One #, the Remembrance to the Worlds. Say: All [things]

Translation - continued • have been generated by the Point(s) of [the] Exposition/the Bayan. Verily, O name of Unity/the One, keep [and protect] that which has descended [or, been revealed] in the Exposition/the Bayan and that commanded by it, and verily you are the True and Most Mighty Straight Path. Seal (Inni ana hujjat Allah wa nurihi/Verily, I am God’s proof and his light)

Footnotes • *’Nabil’ in the abjad/numerology system of Islamic gnosis is numerically equivalent to Muhammad which both hold the value of ‘92’. This is another way for the Bab to state his name, `Ali Muhammad.# Waheed, the unity or the one, is Azal’s symbolic designation here which is also equivalent to ‘Yahya’ (i.e. 28), Azal’s first name.

A Baha’i View • One Baha’i view is that the Bab did not really want Azal to succeed him, but wrote that will so that the Persians would not know about the real successor, the Baha’ullah. Of course Azalis disagree.

The Bab’s View • While we cannot ask the Bab today, the Bab wrote one thing: he said a new manifestation would not arrive for 1,000 years, not 19 years. • See www. geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/ • 5111/mirza.html (11/13/2004) for more info. • Now Azal did not claim to be a manifestation, but the Baha’u’llah did.

Ithna’Ashariyya Shi’ite Muslim View • The Shi’ites of Iran believe the 12th imam will return, but he is neither the Bab nor the Baha’u’llah. • The Mahdi will be descended from Fatima, and will be called Mohammed. While the Bab claimed to be descended from Mohammed, the Persian Baha’u’llah (to my knowledge) never did. • The Mahdi will raise the black standard in Khurasan (Baha’u’llah never did that). • He will come to Mecca, and then travel to Kufa. (The Baha’u’llah never went to Kufa) • The one-eyed Dajjil (anti-Christ) will come in the East

Ithna’Ashariyya Shi’ite View - continued • The sun will rise from the west, and a star in the east will give out as much light as the moon. • Like Mohammed, the Mahdi will have a new cause and a new book and a new religious law. This will be a severe test for Arabs. The sword will be between the Mahdi and the Arabs. (The Arabs did not persecute the Baha’u’llah; the Persians and Turks did.) • Jesus will return too. (Jesus is different from the Mahdi in Sh’ite theology.) • The 313 fighters from the battle at Badr also return. (This did not happen) • The imams and former prophets will also all return

The Sunni Muslim View of Baha’is • Sunnis believe the identity of the alleged 12th imam is a moot point, because there is no legitimate 12th imam. Mohammed was the seal of the prophets, and apart from the caliphs there is no legitimate imam, Shi’ite or otherwise, to succeed Mohammed. • Sunnis consider Baha’is as non-Muslim heretics. Baha’is fall under the following injunctions:

Hadith Injunctions Against Baha’is • In the future beware of people who hold only to the Qur’an and reject the Sunnah. Abu Dawud vol.3:4587-4589 p.1293-1294 • Every novelty is an innovation, and every innovation is an error. Abu Dawud vol.3:4590 p.1294 • No innovation after the Sunnah is established. Abu Dawud vol.3:4595 p.1296 • Sunni Muslims do in fact believe that Jesus will return. But they claim that Jesus will smash the crosses, abolish the jizya tax that nominally protected Jews and Christians, and personally slay the anti-Christ (dajjal). Before he died, the Baha’u’llah did none of these things.

The Christian View of Baha’is • While the Baha’ullah claimed to be Christ returned, Christians believe the Baha’u’llah is a partial fulfillment of Matthew 24:1,44.“Jesus answered: ‘Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. (10) At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.”

Christian View of Baha’is - continued • Acts 1:9-11 says “After he [Jesus] said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee, they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.’” (NIV)Note: it says “this same Jesus” and “the same way”.

Jewish View of Baha’is • To orthodox Jews, this is all a moot point; the Baha’u’llah is not a successor to Mohammed because Mohammed was not from God. They think the Baha’u’llah was not Christ returned, since they believe Jesus was not the Messiah from God. • But when the Messiah comes, he will deliver Israel from her enemies. The Baha’u’llah did nothing of the sort.

Will the Real Prophet Please Stand Up? • If we have learned nothing else of significance, we can see that it is relatively easy for someone to claim to be a prophet of God, or a successor to someone else. Proving it is another matter. • Everyone can agree that many people who claimed to be from God here were counterfeits serving Satan, not the True God. So how can we tell which of them are really from God?

Life and Teaching – the Baha’u’llah • While the Baha’u’llah also suffered imprisonment, he died a natural death (from fever) and lived very wealthy life towards the end. Azalis claim he had his followers attacked Azalis.

Life and Teaching - Mohammed • Mohammed also faced persecution, but he persecuted others far me. He died a natural death, but about a year after he ate some poisoned mutton given to him a woman whose husband was killed by Mohammed. The hadiths record that Mohammed ordered assassinations, torture, and surprise attacks against unsuspecting people. Mohammed asked forgiveness for his sins many times.

Life and Teaching - Jesus • Jesus suffered and died as a martyr for his teaching. He was materially poor all of his life. Jesus did not persecute anyone. He said to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Even Muslims agree with the Bible that Jesus lived a sinless life.

Miracles • The Baha’u’llah did not perform any miracles of which I have seen records. • While the hadiths claim many miracles for Mohammed, including splitting the moon in two, the Qur’anic teaching is that Mohammed did not miracles, besides bringing forth the Qur’an. • Jesus performed many miracles, attested by people such as Matthew, John, and Peter. Jesus raised the dead, and He Himself was raised from the dead.

Prophecy About the Baha’u’llah? • Baha’u’llah claimed he was prophesied by Zoroastrians (Shah Bahram), the Bible (Christ returned) and Shi’ite Islam (12th imam returned). However, the Baha’u’llah did not convincingly overthrow the evil Ahiram in Zoroastrianism. In fact, the Baha’u’llah did not overthrow anyone. The Bab prophesied that the Mahdi would come in 1,000 years, and the Baha’u’llah proclaimed himself only 19 years after the Bab’s death.

The Baha’u’llah? - continued • As shown previously, the Baha’u’llah did not follow the Shi’ite prophecies about the Mahdi, the least of which is that the Mahdi and Christ are two different people who will both return. Acts 1 and Revelation 1 show that when Christ returns, it will be the same Christ, in the clouds, and every eye will see him. And even if he were claimed to be Quite frankly, most of the world has never heard of the Baha’u’llah.

Prophecies about Mohammed? • Muslims claim Mohammed was prophesied in the Bible in Deuteronomy 18:15-18, John 14:16-26; 15:26; 16:5-15, and other places. However, Deuteronomy 18:15-18 fits Jesus, not Mohammed, because the prophet would be “from among your own brothers”, Jesus was Jewish, and Mohammed was not. The verses in John discuss the comforter, who “glorifies Jesus”, and was “in the apostles of Jesus” (John 16:17). So why don’t Muslims agree that they and Mohammed should glorify Jesus???

Prophecies about Jesus • There are many prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament. Here are just a few of them. • From David. Jer 23:5; Lk 3:31; Mt 1:1; 9:27; Mk 10:47-48; Jn 7:42; Acts 13:22-23; Rev 22:16 • Son of God. Ps 2:7 Mt 3:17; 16:16-17; 27:54; 9:7; Lk 9:35; Jn 1:34; Acts 13:33; Heb 5:5 • Child called Mighty God, Prince of Peace, etc.. Isa 9:6. Messianic according to the Yemenite Midrash 349-350 and the Pereq Shalom p.101

When will the Messiah come? • The scepter will not depart. Gen 49:10; Lk 3:23,33 Messianic according to Babylonian andJerusalem Talmuds, Targum Jonathan, Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Targum Onkelos, Dead Sea Scroll Commentary, and the Aramaic Targum. Jews lost the right to execute people in 11 A.D. according to the Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin chapter 4. • Before the Temple is destroyed (70 A.D.). Mal 3:1 • Killed 32/33 A.D. Dan9:20-27+Neh 2:1-10 (445/4 B.C.) Messianic according to Maimonides in Igeret Teiman, Rabbi Moses Abraham Levi in The Messiah of the Targums, Talmuds and Rabbinical Writers

What will the Messiah do? • Ministry of miracles. Isa 35:5,6a; Mt 9:6-7,22,32-35; 11:4-6; 12:13; Jn 5:5-9; 9:6-11, etc. • Enter as a king on a donkey. Zech 9:9; Lk 19:35-37; Mt 21:5-9; Jn 12:15 • Not abandoned to death. Ps 16:8-11; 30:3; Acts 2:31; 13:33; Mk 16:6; Mt 28:6; Lk 24:46 • Spirit of the Lord will be on Him. Isa 11:2; Mt 3:16; Mk 1:10-11; Lk 4:15-21,32; Jn 1:32 Messianic according to Targum Isaiah and the Babylonian Talmud

Reactions of the People • Betrayed by a friend. Ps 41:9; Mt 10:4; 26:48-50; Mk 14:43-44; Lk 22:47-48; Jn 18:3,5 • Rejected by His own people. Isa 53:3-4; Ps 69:8; Jn 1:11; 7:5; Mt 21:42-44 • Gave Him gall for his drink. Ps 69:21; Mt 27:48 • Killed with transgressors. Isa 53:12; Mt 27:38; Mk 15:27 • Buried in a rich man’s grave. Isa 53:9; Mt 27:57-60

Reactions of the people - continue • Many Jews missed seeing the Messiah because they were looking for a political Savior, and did not distinguish between His first and second coming.

Prophecies by the Bah’a’ullah • The Baha’u’llah wrote a letter to Napoleon III warning him to stop being warlike. Napoleon III was later defeated by Germany. On the other hand, the 1923 edition of Baha’u’llah and the New Era p.278,288-289 says that both Baha’u’llah and ‘Abu’l-Baha’ predict the most great peace and promised unity of man will happen in the 20th century. This was removed in subsequent editions according to Beckwith p.37.

Prophecies by Mohammed • Mohammed in the hadiths prophesied that they would attack the Romans (Byzantines) and Persians, and fight people with flat faces (Turks).

Prophecies by Jesus • Jesus prophesied that he would be killed, He would rise from the dead, that Jerusalem would be destroyed. The entire book of Revelation was prophecy by Jesus given to John.

Testimony & Life of Witnesses – Baha’u’llah • The Baha’u’llah’s followers were persecuted, and many killed in Iran for their beliefs. However, many Azali leaders mysteriously were assassinated, and who would want to assassinate Azali leaders, but not Baha’i leaders?

Testimony & Life of Witnesses - Mohammed • Mohammed’s followers faithfully attacked many peoples to spread Islam and to get 4/5ths of the booty. After Mohammed died, many Arabs gave up being Muslims. Muslims fought them fiercely until they either came back to Islam or were killed. After the Muslims had conquered the Mideast and Persia, they had a Civil War between Mohammed’s son-in-law ‘Ali bin Abi Talib on one side, and Mohammed’s wife ‘Aisha and two generals, Talhah and

Muhammed’s Witnesses - continue • al-Zubayr, on the other. At the Battle of the Camel, Talhah and al-Zubayr were killed by Muslims on the ‘Ali’s side. Talhah had saved Mohammed’s life at the Battle of Uhud. Talhah and al-Zubayr were two of the only ten Muslims who were guaranteed they would make it to Paradise. After this, there was a bloody Civil War between ‘Ali and Mu’awiyah culminating in the Battle of Siffin. After this, the Kharijite branch of Islam was nearly exterminated by both ‘Ali and Mu’awiyah.

Life & Testimony of Witnesses - Jesus • Jesus’ early followers did not kill or persecute anybody. Of the eleven disciples, all but one were martyred for their faith: John died a natural death.

Conclusion • Many claimed to be from God, and some became very wealthy by doing so. However, Jesus had the miracles, prophecies about Him, and a sinless life to back it up. Christ’s early followers spread the gospel peacefully, while Mohammed’s followers attacked with the sword. Even though Baha’is do not spread their religion by the sword, they still claim to follow Mohammed, who did. • So forget the imposters and turn to the one God showed was from Him: Jesus Christ.

Who Is The Successor of the Bab?