1. n.d.. Chronology of Principal Events Related in the Dawn-Breakers. Author unknown, comp. Table of 59 key events in early Bábí history.
2. 2025-07. Evidences of Bahá'u'lláh's Theophanic Awakening and Disclosure before His Síyáh-Chál Experience. Bijan Ma'sumian, Adib Masumian. While the Síyáh-Chál was the birthplace of Bahá’u’lláh's mission, his awakening to his divine station might have gone through multiple stages, with his experience in the prison being the culmination of that process; some recognized his station earlier.
3. 2025. Declaration of the Báb in Bahá'í Imagination, The: Introducing a Woman and an African into the Sacred History of the Bahá'í Community. Anthony Lee. The account of the declaration of the Báb to Mullá Husayn on May 22, 1844, as told by Nabil in Dawn Breakers vs. the accounts of two eyewitnesses, the Báb's wife Khadijih Bagum and his servant Haji Mubarak; "academic history" vs. "sacred history."
4. 2025. List of Transcripts at bahai.works. Various. Links to 121 transcripts offsite.
5. 2024. Covenant Library: Bahá'í Dates Calendar. Bahá'í World Centre, comp, Covenant Library, comp. Tables and charts of: Bahá'í Holy Days 2025-2064; Bahá'í months and years with their Gregorian conversion; and various references and quotations about the Bahá'í calendar.
6. 2022. Mulla Husayn's Journey: Google Earth video. Boris Handal. This silent video captured from Google Earth shows Mulla Husayn's 800km, 82-day journey from Mashhad to Shaykh Tabarsi with 200+ Babis (21 July - 12 October 1848).
7. 2021. Dawn-Breakers Novel, The. James J. Keene. Sample chapters from a book of historical fiction: preface and chapters 1-3: Anticipation of the mission of the Báb, the Shaykhi movement in Karbala, and proclamation of the mission of the Báb.
8. 2020-05. Most Dramatic Chapter in the Spiritual History of Humankind, A: A Pictorial Essay. Julio Savi. Introduction to the life of the Báb, with historical photo-realistic illustrations by Romanian artist Simina Boicu Rahmatian.
9. 2020-01-19. Authenticity of The Báb's Farewell Address to the Letters of the Living. Universal House of Justice, Research Department. Memorandum of the Research Department of the Bahá'í World Center about the authenticity of the speech of the Báb to the Letters of the Living.
10. 2019-09. Worldview and the Laws of the Bayán. Nader Saiedi. Explores the Persian Bayán's spiritual worldview and laws through four talks, offering insights into the Báb's Dispensation.
11. 2019. Hidden Words and Sounds: Tracing Iranian Legacies and Traumas in the Music of the Bahá'ís of North America. Daniel Akira Stadnicki. On the legacy of Persian culture, aesthetics, and history of religious persecution as reflected in Bahá'í American music; themes of religious oppression, persecution, and martyrdom; Iranian diaspora, transnational music-making, and cosmopolitanism.
12. 2012. Celestial Burning, A: A Selective Study of the Writings of Shoghi Effendi. Jack McLean. Style, content, and context of the major writings of the Guardian; providential history; critique of Hegel; the military metaphor; the language of interpretation; history of the apostolic age.
13. 2010. Diary of Mullá Muhammad Shafi, The. Mullá Muḥammad Shafí, Hussein Ahdieh, trans. . Translation of a diary so thorough that it became the prime source of information for many future historians (incl. Nicolas, Mazandarani, Avareh, Rouhani, Faizi, and Shaykh Bahá'í), much of which was used in Nabíl's The Dawn-Breakers.
14. 2009-03-08. Persian Manuscript of Nabíl's History (Táríkh-i-Nabíl), The. Universal House of Justice. Answers to various questions, including: have any publications made use of the original manuscript used by Shoghi Effendi for The Dawn-Breakers; can scholars inspect the one surviving copy; does a corrected version or a "second manuscript" exist?
15. 2009. Babi Heroism and the Recovery of the Heroic. Jack McLean. In defining the three ages of Bábí-Bahá’í history, Shoghi Effendi named the first the Heroic Age, thus aligning the virtue of heroism and the Bahá’í Faith’s metaphor of historical time, with The Bab as the tragic hero.
16. 2008-09-18. Nabil's Narrative: What History has Forgotten. Soheila Vahdati, Ahang Rabbani, trans. . An outsider's view of how Iranian media and society have glossed over or intentionally obscured Iran's treatment of 19th-century dissidents.
17. 2006. Heroic in the Historical Writings of Shoghi Effendi and Nabil, The. Jack McLean. Unlike academic historians, Shoghi Effendi and Nabil interpret the events and characters they portray in moralistic terms. This paper explores the heroic motif through a literary framework in the model of Thomas Carlyle's concept of the prophet as hero.
18. 2004-09-06. Self-Defense, the Ungodly, Infallibility, and Sexual Violence and Abuse. Universal House of Justice. Answers to a number of questions, with extracts from four letters of the House, on self-defense, the ungodly, infallibility, sexual violence, and abuse.
19. 2004. Bábí-State Conflict at Shaykh Tabarsí, The. Siyamak Zabihi-Moghaddam. Analysis of first of four major clashes between the Bábís and the Qájár state from 1848-1853. The Bábís were not intent on revolt; factors include the increased public hostility toward the Bábís, their understanding of holy war, and political instability.
20. 2004. Number of the Letters of the Living. Muhammad Afnan.
21. 2003-12-23. Babi-State Conflicts of 1848-1853, The. Siyamak Zabihi-Moghaddam. Overview of four conflicts between the Babis and the Qajar state: one at Shaykh Tabarsi in Mazandaran (1848), one in Zanjan (1850), and two in Nayriz (1850, 1853).
22. 2002. Dawn-Breakers, The: A Summary. Martijn Kersten. Outline, in point form, of each chapter.
23. 2002. Saddlebag: A Fable for Doubters and Seekers, by Bahiyyih Nakhjavani: Review. Phyllis Sternberg Perrakis.
24. 2002. Dawn-Breakers: A Study Guide and Outline. Brett Zamir, comp. See the actual outline at dawnbreakers/expandedoutlinedb.html.
25. 2002. God Passes By: Outline and cross-reference of chapters correlated with A Traveler's Narrative and The Dawn-Breakers. Brett Zamir, comp. A variety of indexes and tables correlating these three books.
26. 2002. Bábí-State Conflict at Shaykh Tabarsi, The. Siyamak Zabihi-Moghaddam. On the background and events of the Shaykh Tabarsi conflict; developments, both in the political sphere and within the Bábí community, that led to the outbreak of open warfare in 1848; and objectives of the Bábí participants in the conflict.
27. 2001-12-28. Yá Alláhu'l-Mustagháth": Original Source, Correct Transliteration and Translation. Universal House of Justice. About an invocation revealed by the Báb, prescribed for recitation in times of trouble and difficulty.
28. 2001. Competing for the Oneness Of Mankind: The Influence of the Bahá'í Faith on the Olympic Games. Kiser Barnes. The influence of the Bahá'í Faith on the Olympic Games and how it relates to the principle of the oneness of mankind.
29. 2001. Keys to the Proper Understanding of Islam in "The Dispensation of Baha'u'llah". Brian Wittman. Some references to Islam in Shoghi Effendi's English-language writings.
30. 2001. Traveler's Narrative, A Study Outline and Cross-Reference. Brett Zamir, comp. Summary headings and correlation of passages with The Dawn-Breakers, God Passes By, the Lawh-i-Sultán, and other works.
31. 2000-2024. Covenant Library Unified Index and Glossary. Covenant Library, comp. A comprehensive glossary and reference index of Bahá'í sacred texts and literature, organized in two parts: Bahá'u'lláh's Writings and general entries. (Off-site)
32. 2000-09-15. Saddlebag, The: A Fable for Doubters and Seekers, by Bahiyyih Nakhjavani: Review. Carolyn See.
33. 2000. Letters of Living, Dawn-Breakers, Quddús, Terraces. Universal House of Justice. Five unrelated questions: Identity of the Letters of the Living; "List of Illustrations" in the Dawn-Breakers; Status of the Writings of Quddus; Naming of the Terraces at the Arc; and The Bab's Tablets in the Dawn-Breakers.
34. 2000. Fact and Fiction: Interrelationships between History and Imagination. Bahíyyih Nakhjavání. On the tension between "fact" and "fiction," between objective history and our relative and subjective stories, between art as the representation of reality and faith based on the Word of God. We inherited a responsibility to resolve this tension.
35. 1999. Ambassador at the Court: The Life and Photography of Effie Baker. Graham Hassall. Extensive biography of Effie Baker, an early Australian Bahá'í.
36. 1999. Suggestions for Bahá'í Hermeneutics. Mark A. Foster. Four essays: "Non-Overlapping Magisteria [science, religion, and Stephen Jay Gould]," "Infallibility: Sinlessness and Prophetic Ecology," "The Case of Some Answered Questions [pedagogy and evolution]," and "The Gospel According to Nabíl."
37. 1999. Dreams mentioned in Bahá'í Literature. Eric Hadley-Ives, comp. A collection of dream narratives and poetry from a variety of sources.
38. 1998-05. Document and Narrative Sources for the History of the Battle of Zanjan. John Walbridge. Analysis of Muslim and Bahá'í historical texts, including Dawnbreakers.
39. 1998-02-10. Pioneering, Language, Arts, Example of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Universal House of Justice. Pioneering; Serving parents; Serving where need is; Gardens; International Auxiliary Language; Arabic pronunciation; study of Persian; Some references in Writings of Bahá'u'lláh; Folk art; External affairs; Daily living; Abdu'l-Bahá as divine exemplar.
40. 1998-02. Ruptured Spaces and Effective Histories: The Unveiling of the Babi Poetess Qurrat al-'Ayn-Tahirih in the Gardens of Badasht. Negar Mottahedeh. Implications of Tahirih's revolutionary act at Badasht in terms of a decisive break with Islamic history; also Shaykh Abu Turab's recollections of the event and his literary role in Nabil's Dawn-Breakers.
41. 1998. Stories from the Dawn-Breakers: For Children. William Sears. Stories for children about Shaykh Ahmad, Siyyid Kazim, Young Man in the Green Turban, The Letters of the Living, and The Bab, taken from the book Children's Stories from the Dawn-Breakers, by Zoe Meyer, illustrated by Winifred Barnum Newman (1998).
42. 1998. Mutilated Body of the Modern Nation: Qurrat al-'Ayn's Unveiling and the Persian Massacre of the Bábís. Negar Mottahedeh. A Freudian interpretation of the extreme antipathy underlying common Iranian opposition to the Babis/Bahá'ís as being disruptive symbols of destabilizing modernism, with the stories of Qurratu'l-'Ayn's public unveiling a central element.   
43. 1997. Henrietta Emogene Martin Hoagg: Short Biographical Monograph. Peter Terry. Biography of a travel-teacher, translator of the Writings into Italian, and the first pioneer to Italy. She had a great impact on her fellow believers during her lifetime, but is little-recognized today.
44. 1992. Immanence and Transcendence in Theophanic Symbolism. Michael W. Sours. Bahá'u'lláh uses symbols to depict theophanies — the appearance of God and the divine in the realm of creation — such as "angel," "fire," and the prophets' claims to be incarnating the "face" or "voice" of God; these convey the transcendence of God.
45. 1991. Asking Questions: A Challenge to Fundamentalism, by Bahíyyih Nakhjavání: Review. Graham Hassall.
46. 1991. Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith [1991 republication], The. Bahá'u'lláh, Abdu'l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi.
47. 1990. Sacred Mythology and the Bahá'í Faith. William P. Collins. The mythological universe created by Bahá’u’lláh employs three significant spiritual verities: the unknowable nature of the Ultimate Mystery, the relativity of religious/mythological truth, and the necessity of science and investigation of reality.
48. 1986/2021. Dawn-Breakers Movie, The. James J. Keene. Sample sections of a movie script of historical fiction: preface, first scene, and appendices 1-5: Dawn-Breakers chronology, story outline and plot, and character visualizations.
49. 1985. Unrestrained as the Wind: A Life Dedicated to Bahá'u'lláh. National Youth Committee, comp. Compilation of quotations on topics of especial interest to Bahá'í youth.
50. 1980/2001. Little Badasht: Aids for the Study of Nabil's Narrative. Author unknown, comp. Study guide of The Dawn-Breakers designed for a youth audience. Includes chronology of the time period, and maps of Persia.
51. 1976. Dawn over Mount Hira and Other Essays. Marzieh Gail. A collection of essays on various topics of interest to Bahá'í studies and history. Most of these were first published in Star of the West and World Order between 1929 and 1971.
52. 1973-10. Emogene Hoagg: Exemplary Pioneer. Amine de Mille. Biography of travel-teacher and translator of the Writings into Italian.
53. 1960. Release the Sun. William Sears. Millennialism gripped many around the world during the early 19th century. While Christians expected the return of Christ, a wave of expectation swept through Islam that the "Lord of the Age" would appear. This is a living history of that period.
54. 1952. Mission of Bahá'u'lláh, The: And Other Literary Pieces. George Townshend. Poems, meditations, and essays, including "Nabíl’s history of the Báb," "Abdu’l-Bahá: A study of a Christlike character," "Queen Marie of Rumania and the Bahá’í Faith," "The wellspring of happiness," and "The genius of Ireland."
55. 1942. Interview with A.L.M. Nicolas of Paris: Translator of many important works of the Báb. Edith Sanderson, Peter Terry, trans. . Nicolas' life, his encounter with the Bábí movement, his motivations and translation efforts.
56. 1939. Translation of French Foot-Notes of the Dawn-Breakers. Emily McBride Perigord, trans. Translation of the French footnotes of The Dawn-Breakers.
57. 1936. Re-florescence of Historical Romance in Nabil, The. Rúhíyyih Khánum. Essay reflecting on the dominant themes of The Dawn-Breakers, an early narrative of Bábí history authored by Nabil-i-A'zam.
58. 1932. Dawn-Breakers: Nabíl's Narrative of the Early Days of The Bahá'í Revelation: Study Guide. National Teaching Committee.
59. 1932. Pedigree of the Qajar Dynasty. Shoghi Effendi. Genealogical chart of the Qajar Dynasty
60. 1932. Map of Persia. Author unknown. Map included in the 1932 edition of Dawnbreakers.
61. 1932. Dawn-Breakers: Nabil's Narrative of the Early Days of the Bahá'í Revelation. Nabil-i-A'zam, Shoghi Effendi, trans. . The extensive and preeminent history of Babism and the early Bahá'í Faith, by Nabil-i-A'zam [aka Mullá Muḥammad-i-Zarandí, aka Nabíl-i-Zarandí].
62. 1844. Báb's Farewell Address to the Letters of the Living, The. The Báb, Nabil-i-A'zam. The Báb's farewell speech to the Letters of the Living, extracted from Nabil-i-A'zam's The Dawn-Breakers, pp. 92-94.

1. 1888-07-00 — Nabíl began his chronicle, The Dawn-Breakers: Nabíl's Narrative of the Early Days of the Bahá'í Revelation. [DBXXXVII]
2. 1890-11-00 — Nabíl presented his chronicle, The Dawn-Breakers, to Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá for approval. [DBXXXVII]
3. 1932-00-00 —
   Shoghi Effendi's translation of Nabíl's Narrative entitled The Dawn-Breakers was published. Maṭāleʿ al-anwār, as Nabíl's work was entitled, was the most authentic and the main primary source on the early history of the Bábí movement in Iran, was regarded by the Bahá'ís as the definitive account of the Bāb's dispensation. The work has been translated into many languages, and it has played a major role in familiarizing the Bahá'ís around the world with the historical background of their faith and helping them understand its link to the socio-religious climate of the Persian society in the early days of its development. The original Persian manuscript of Maṭāleʿ al-anwār, has been preserved at the International Bahá'í Archives in Haifa. It is comprised 1,014 pages of 22-24 lines.["Nabil-e aʿzam Zaranadi, Mollā Mohammad," by Vahid Rafati, Encyclopædia Iranica, GBF91; PP215]
   • Shoghi Effendi's translation covered only the first part of Nabil's manuscript, up to 1852, and it may have been an abridgement. The original covered up until the time of the book's completion in 1890. [RR425]
   • The work took him two years of research. [PP217]
   • He sent Effie Baker to Iran to take photographs for the book. [PP217]
   • For George Townshend's assistance to the project see GT59, 60, 64–9.
   • For Shoghi Effendi's purpose in translating and editing the book see WOB123.
   • See also BBD64; GBF913 PP215–18.
   • In the "Acknowledgement" Shoghi Effendi credited Lady Blomfield for her suggestions, "an English correspondent for his help in the preparation of the Introduction, Mrs E Hoagg for typing the manuscript and Effie Baker for the photographs. [DB page lxi]
   • See RR422-440 for other historical accounts that might be used as source documents for the Bábí-Bahá'í history.
   • See Mary Maxwell's article The Re-florescence of Historical Romance in Nabil. [BW5p595]
   • See Shoghi Effendi: The Range and Power of His Pen by 'Ali Nakhjavani p82 for information on the writing of The Dawn-Breakers.
4. 1941-00-05 — 'Abdu'l-Jalíl Bey Sa'ad translated The Dawn-Breakers into Arabic. His translation was published, but because of the war it had to be referred to the Publicity Section of the Egyptian government for approval. From that department it was passed to the high Muslim authorities, who determined that it was against the Muslim faith and so should be condemned. The entire publication run was gathered for destruction and upon hearing this 'Abdu'l-Jalíl interviewed all the officers concerned. He not only secured the release of the books, but obtained official permissions to distribute them in Egypt and abroad. [BW-598-599]
5. 1942-06-25 —
   'Abdu'l-Jalíl Bey Sa'ad died in Egypt and Shoghi Effendi appointed him to the rank of Hand of the Cause of God on the day of his passing. [LoF57-59; MoCxxii; BW9:597]
   • For his obituary see BW9:597–9.
   • 'Abdu'l-Jalíl Bey Sa'ad was, for many years, the president of the National Spiritual Assembly and a judge in the Civil Courts in Egypt. Through his sustained effort the Declaration of Trust was recognized as valid and legalized in 1934.
   • He made an important contribution in translating into Arabic. Among his accomplishments were The Dawn-Breakers, Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, Laws of Personal Status and Rules of Procedure.
   • In 1941 he employed the Declaration of Trust as an instrument to induce the Ministry of Civil Defence to grant permission to build the Hazíratu'l-Quds in Cairo. While supervising this project in the intense heat he fell ill and died suddenly after an operation.
6. 1968-01-01 —
   The passing of Euphemia (Effie) Eleanor Baker (b.25 March 1880 at Goldsborough, Victoria) in Waverley, New South Wales.
   • For Effie Baker's obituary see BW14:320-1.
   • She became a Bahá'í in 1922 after attending a lecture by Clara and Hyde Dunn in Melbourne. She was the first woman to converted to the Faith in Australia.
   • She served in Haifa from 1925 to 1936. See SETPE1p105-107 for her contribution during that period.
   • In the 1930s Effie Baker travelled to Persia to take photographs of historical sites. Many of these photographs were included in The Dawnbreakers. [BW14:320]
   • Hear The Life of Effie Baker written and read by Sonjel Vreeland.
   • She was buried in the Bahá'í Cemetery in Mona Vale. [Australian Dictionary of Biography]
   • See The Adventures of Effie Baker. The film features the contributions of Ballarat historian, Dr Anne Beggs-Sunter and Australian Baha’i historian, Dr Graham Hassall.

• search for parts of tags or alterate spellings
• 2 characters minimum, parts separated by spaces
• multiple keywords allowed, e.g. "Madrid Paris Seattle"
• see also multiple tag search

Other

Organizations, Other
People
Persecution
Plans
Publications
Publishing
Rulers
Schools, education
Shoghi Effendi
Translation, languages
Universal House of Justice
Universities