- 1850-07-09 —
Martyrdom of the Báb
In the morning the Báb was taken to the homes of the leading clerics to obtain the death-warrants. [Bab155; DB508]
- The warrants were already prepared. [Bab155–6; DB510]
- Anís's stepfather tried to persuade him to change his mind. Anís's young son was also brought to 'soften his heart' but Anís's resolve remained unshaken. [Bab156–7; DB509–10]
- At noon the Báb and Mirza Muhammad-Ali Zunuzi, known as Anis were suspended on a wall in the square in front of the citadel of Tabríz in Sarbazkhaneh Square. They were shot by 750 soldiers in three ranks of 250 men in succession. [Bab157; DB512]
- When the smoke cleared the Báb was gone and Anís was standing, unharmed, under the nail from which they were suspended. The Báb, also unhurt, was found back in his cell completing His dictation to His secretary. [Bab157–8; DB512–13]
- See BBD200–1 and DB510–12, 514 for the story of Sám Khán, the Christian colonel of the Armenian regiment which was ordered to execute the Báb.
- The Báb and Anís were suspended a second time. A new regiment, the Násirí, was found to undertake the execution. After the volleys, the bodies of the Báb and Anís were shattered and melded together. [Bab158; DB514]
- See BBR77–82 for Western accounts of the event.
- The face of the Báb was untouched. [Bab158]
- At the moment the shots were fired, a gale sweeps the city, stirring up so much dust that the city remained in darkness from noon until night. [Bab158; DB515]
- See CH239 and DH197 for the story of the phenomenon of the two sunsets.
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During the night, the bodies were thrown onto the edge of the moat surrounding the city. Four companies of soldiers, each consisting of ten sentinels, were ordered to keep watch in turn over them. Nearby; two Bábís, feigning madness, keep vigil. After paying bribes to the guards, tIhe bodies were removed and hidden under cover of darkness. [Bab159; TN27; LWS147; DB518]
- See David Merrick's Outline for Researchers.
- See Sen McGlinn's blog 750 Muskets.
- See It was in the news.... In this blog SMK points out the parallel between the history of early Christianity and that of the Bábí-Bahá'í Faith.
- There is a possibility that the Martyrdom took place on the 8th of July. See BBR78.
- See Glimpses of Life and Manners in Persia Chapter 11 by Lady Mary Sheil published in 1856. It contains sketchy details of the circumstances and martyrdom of the Báb and the insurrection at Zanjan. [Collins 10.1327-10.1328]
- 1850-07-11 —
During the evening the bodies were wrapped in a cloak and removed to a silk factory owned by one of the believers, Haji Ahmad Milani, where the remains were concealed under a bale of silk. The next day they Haji Sulayman Khan and Husain-i-Mílání built a casket and placed it in the wall cavity, covering it with mortar. Before closing it the casket Sulayman Khan placed a bouquet of flowers commonly found in the homes of Tabrizis next to the sanctified countenance of the Bab. [B159–60; DB519]
- Sulayman Khan sent a messenger to Tehran to advise Bahá'u'lláh that the remains had been secured and He had a messenger sent back telling them to deliver the remains to Tehran. They travelled by night along the rocky pathway through the hills and mountains out of fear for both robbers and the authorities and probably arrived about a week later. [JtaM3]
- See B159–60, DB518–22 and TN27–8, The Bahá'í Faith 1844-1952 Information Statistical & Comparative p20-22 for the story of the recovery of the bodies and eventual arrival in Haifa.
- The soldiers reported that the bodies had been eaten by dogs. [B160; DB519]
- Shi'is believe that dogs would not eat the flesh of 'holy imams' as their bodies are not composed of the
same substance as that of ordinary people. [TN27-28]
- See as well Efforts to preserve the remains of the Bab:
Four historical accounts by Ahang Rabbani
- 1867-09-01 — Bahá'u'lláh addressed a Tablet to to Mullá-'Alí Akbar-i-Sháhmírzádí and Jamál-i-Burújirdí in Tehran to transfer the casket containing the remains of the Báb from the Imám-Zádih Ma'súm to a safer hiding place so they temporarily concealed it within a wall of the Masjid-i-Máshá'u'lláh outside of the gates of the city of Tehran. After the hiding place was detected the casket was smuggled into the city and deposited in the house of Mírzá Hasan-i-Vazír, a believer and son-in-law of Hájí Mírzá Siyyid 'Alíy-i-Tafríshí, the Majdu'l-Ashráf. [GPB177; ISC-1963p32]
- 1878-00-00 —
The law of the Huqúqu'lláh was put into practice because the work of teaching the Cause began to expand in Persia and in neighbouring countries and there was a need for funds but Bahá'u'lláh put restrictions on its collection. [ESW56]
- The first Trustee of the Huqúqu'lláh was Hájí Sháh-Muhammad-i-Manshádí, or Jináb-i-Sháh Muhammad from Manshád, Yazd who had become a believer in Baghdad. [Message from the Universal House of Justice dated 25 March, 1985]
- His title was Amínu'l-Bayán (Trustee of the Bayán).
- He made many journeys between Iran and the Holy Land carrying donations and petitions from the friends and returning with Tablets and news.
- See SABF47-48 for the story of the lost coin given as a donation by a very poor woman.
- He was tasked with receiving the casket of the Báb after the location had been discovered by a number of believers. He transferred it to the Mosque of Imámzádih Zayd in Tehran where it was buried beneath the floor of the inner sanctuary of the shrine. It was consequently discovered and moved to a series of private homes in Tehran until 'Abdu'l-Bahá sent for it for the internment. [ISC-1963p32]
- Hájí Sháh-Muhammad was in 'Akká when Áqá Buzurg, entitled Badí', came to confer with Bahá'u'lláh. He and Badí met on Mount Carmel as directed by Bahá'u'lláh.
- He was killed as a result of wounds incurred during an attack during a Kurdish revolt. [RoB3p73]
- 1898-00-01 —
`Abdu'l-Bahá instructed that the remains of the Báb be brought from their hiding place in Tihrán to the Holy Land. [BBD209]
In the 48 years since His martyrdom the Remains of the Báb had been secreted from a silk factory in Tabriz to Ṭihrán, Iṣfáhán, Kirmansháh, Baghdád, Damascus, Beirut and finally to 'Akká and then to the Mountain of God. [CoF54]
He insisted that the utmost secrecy be observed. "The dangers inherent in conserving such a precious Trust were enhanced tenfold with the defection of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's brothers….Spies in the employ of these disloyal members of Bahá'u'lláh's own family could be found in the telegraph offices and ports throughout the region." [LWS147]
- Picture of the shipping crate.
- 1899-01-31 —
The Remains of the Báb arrived in the Holy Land. [BBD209; DH66; GPB274; LWS147]
- They were stored in the room of the Greatest Holy Leaf in the house of `Abdu'lláh Páshá until the Shrine of the Báb was completed. [DH66]
- In the days before His confinement to Akka was re-imposed, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had rented a house, probably just north of the German Colony on the same street facing the sea. He used this as a base when He came to Haifa a few days each week to supervise the excavation work for the foundation of the Shrine of the Báb. When Ali Kuli Khan came to the Holy Land in 1899-1900 the house was used as an office for the construction as well as a place where 'Abdu'l-Bahá could receive pilgrims. Khan was assigned to this house to do his translation work. The room he used contained the sarcophagus sent by the Bahá'ís of Rangoon and a wooden crate. Years later he was told that the sarcophagus contained the Remains of the Báb. [SUR110-111, 285 (PDF]
- 1901-00-00 — Siyyid Mustafá Rúmí sent from Rangoon a sample of the marble that the sarcophagus for the remains of the Báb was to be made from. Mishkin-Qalam asked for permission to design a Greatest Name for the sarcophagus, and, as was his custom, he signed the design. In the time of Bahá'u'lláh he signed his work with "The servant of the Threshold of Bahá,
Mishkin-Qalam" but for this work his proposal had the signature, "The servant of `Abdu'l-Bahá, Mishkin-Qalam." 'Abdu'l-Bahá did not approve. Throughout His ministry, `Abdu'l-Bahá greatly disapproved of believers composing verses about, or glorifying, His Person in any way. He would admonish them to focus their praise on Bahá'u'lláh. [MBBA155-157]
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