Declaration of the Bab May 22nd-23rd

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Above is a photo of the House of the Bab in Shiraz where He declared His Mission on May 22nd-23rd, 1844 CE (1260 AH). The House was destroyed and levelled for a parking lot for a Mosque in 1979 but photos tell us what it was like..Actually the House has been destroyed before:

The first time was in 1942 when it was raided and damaged by fire,
after which the Baha`is raised funds to restore it to its original condition.

The second was in 1955 when `uncontrollable mobs' stormed the building, looting anything of value and reducing part of it to rubble.

So we remember the House of the Bab especially on this Holy Day of the Declaration of the Bab:

YouTube - Pilgrimage to the house of the BAB (PART ONE)


On May 23, 1844, the Bab ("gate" in Arabic) announced that He was the bearer of a long-promised Divine Revelation destined to transform the spiritual life of the human race.

His role, He said, was to be the portal through which the universally anticipated Revelation of God would appear in the form of another Messenger. This Messenger from God would be far greater: He would usher in the age of peace and justice promised in Islam, Judaism, Christianity and all the other world religions.

The Bab referred to the Messenger as "Him Whom God shall make manifest" and said, "No words of Mine can adequately describe Him nor. . . do justice to His Cause."

That Messenger was Baha'u'llah.

On May 23, Baha'is celebrated the anniversary of the Declaration of the Bab, who, after His announcement, was arrested, beaten and imprisoned. On July 9, 1850, He was executed in the public square of the town of Tabriz.

The Declaration of the Bab is one of nine holy days on which Baha'is suspend work and school.

Prominent 19th century French writer A.L.M. Nicolas wrote that the Bab's life "is one of the most magnificent examples of courage which it has been the privilege of mankind to behold."

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It was about an hour after sunset when my youthful Host began to converse with me. "Whom, after Siyyid Kazim," He asked me, "do you regard as his successor and your leader?" "At the hour of his death," I replied, "our departed teacher insistently exhorted us to forsake our homes, to scatter far and wide, in quest of the promised Beloved. I have, accordingly, journeyed to Persia, have arisen to accomplish his will, and am still engaged in my quest."

"Has your teacher," He further enquired, "given you any detailed indications as to the distinguishing features of the promised One?"

"Yes," I replied, "He is of a pure lineage, is of illustrious descent, and of the seed of Fatimih. As to His age, He is more than twenty and less than thirty. He is endowed with innate knowledge. He is of medium height, abstains from smoking, and is free from bodily deficiency."

He paused for a while and then with vibrant voice declared: "Behold, all these signs are manifest in Me!"

- Nabil, The Dawnbreakers, p. 57

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The all-encompassing grace of God has saved you. It is for God to test His servants, and not for His servants to judge Him in accordance with their deficient standards. Were I to fail to resolve your perplexities, could the Reality that shines within Me be regarded as powerless, or My knowledge be accused as faulty?

Nay, by the righteousness of God! it behoves, in this day, the peoples and nations of both the East and the West to hasten to this threshold, and here seek to obtain the reviving grace of the Merciful. Whoso hesitates will indeed be in grievous loss.

Do not the peoples of the earth testify that the fundamental purpose of their creation is the knowledge and adoration of God? It behoves them to arise, as earnestly and spontaneously as you have arisen, and to seek with determination and constancy their promised Beloved.”

He then proceeded to say: “Now is the time to reveal the commentary on the Súrih of Joseph.” He took up His pen and with incredible rapidity revealed the entire Súrih of Mulk, the first chapter of His commentary on the Súrih of Joseph.

The overpowering effect of the manner in which He wrote was heightened by the gentle intonation of His voice which accompanied His writing. Not for one moment did He interrupt the flow of the verses which streamed from His pen. Not once did He pause till the Súrih of Mulk was finished. I sat enraptured by the magic of His voice and the sweeping force of His revelation.


~ Nabil The Dawn-breakers Chapter 3

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Prior to being demolished in 1979 this was how House of the Bab would have appeared..

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To Mullá Ḥusayn, as the hour of his departure approached, the Báb addressed these words:

“Grieve not that you have not been chosen to accompany Me on My pilgrimage to Ḥijáz. I shall, instead, direct your steps to that city which enshrines a Mystery of such transcendent holiness as neither Ḥijáz nor Shíráz can hope to rival. My hope is that you may, by the aid of God, be enabled to remove the veils from the eyes of the wayward and to cleanse the minds of the malevolent.

Visit, on your way, Iṣfahán, Káshán, Ṭihrán, and Khurásán. Proceed thence to ‘Iráq, and there await the summons of your Lord, who will keep watch over you and will direct you to whatsoever is His will and desire.

As to Myself, I shall, accompanied by Quddús and My Ethiopian servant, proceed on My pilgrimage to Ḥijáz. I shall join the company of the pilgrims of Fárs, who will shortly be sailing for that land. I shall visit Mecca and Medina, and there fulfil the mission with which God has entrusted Me. God willing, I shall return hither by the way of Kúfih, in which place I hope to meet you.

If it be decreed otherwise, I shall ask you to join Me in Shíráz. The hosts of the invisible Kingdom, be assured, will sustain and reinforce your efforts. The essence of power is now dwelling in you, and the company of His chosen angels revolves around you. His almighty arms will surround you, and His unfailing Spirit will ever continue to guide your steps.

He that loves you, loves God; and whoever opposes you, has opposed God. Whoso befriends you, him will God befriend; and whoso rejects you, him will God reject.”

- From Nabil's Narrative Chapter Three

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Consequently, they must celebrate and adorn that Blessed Day in the name of the Declaration of that Orb of regions; make rejoicing and happiness, and impart the glad-tidings of heavenly beatitude to each other. For that holy essence was the Herald of the Most great Name.

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v3, p. 575