Baha’is Celebrate Declaration of The Báb Today

By Alison Lesley --
22 May 2015 --

Declaration of The Báb is one of the most important festivals celebrated by Bahá’ís across the globe.

In the Bahá’í faith, May 22, 1884 is commemorated as the day of the , who they consider to be a Messenger of God.

There are many stories of the events that led up to the declaration, but the most frequently shared one recounts a turbulent time in Islamic history around the turn of the 19th century in Persia, the Bahá’i Blog reports. A man of faith and knowledge, Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsá’í, traveled through the country professing that the day of the arrival of the Qá’im, the Promised One of Islam, was near.

These teachings caught the attention of one young man, SiyyidKázim-i-Rashtí, who quickly became the favorite student of Shaykh Ahmad.

iACT wishes our friends of the Baha’i faith a joyful celebration of The Declaration of the Báb!
— iACT (@InterfaithTexas) May 22, 2015

After Shaykh Ahmad died in 1826, SiyyidKázim took up his torch and continued to travel and teach of the coming of The Promised One. However, many opposed these teachings, and in the tradition of his teacher before him, SiyyidKázim enlisted one of his own students, MulláHusayn, to visit leaders, to teach, and answer their questions.

While MulláHusayn was successful in speaking with these authorities, SiyyidKázim still had to endure slander and threats from those who opposed his views. Shortly before his death in 1843, he sent his students out to search for the Promised One, whose revelation he said was at hand.

This led MulláHusayn to the city of Shíráz on May 22, 1884, where he was greeted by a young man named SiyyidAlí-Muhhamád. MulláHusayn was struck by the young man’s benevolence and compassion.

Today marks the declaration of the #Bab (22 May 1844), Forerunner of Baha'u'llah, founder of the Baha'i faith…. http://t.co/VnjFgiBqIn
— Ports Uni Chaplaincy (@UoPChaplains) May 23, 2014

After a lengthy discussion, the two agreed that SiyyidAlí indeed embodied all of the traits SiyyidKázim had always attributed to the coming Promised One. From that day forward, SiyyidAlí referred to Himself as The Báb, which means “The Gate.”

To this day, as The Bab Himself pledged, the Declaration of The Báb is one of the most important festivals celebrated by Bahá’ís across the globe.