The Bahá’í Faith

The Official Website of the Worldwide Bahá’í Community

What Bahá’ís Believe

Bahá’u’lláh and His Covenant

The Báb — Herald of the Bahá’í Faith

Articles and Resources

A selection of essays, articles and resource materials which further explore the life of the Báb and His mission.

Writings of the Báb

From the Persian Bayán

In this volume—written near the end of 1847 or the beginning of 1848—the Báb presented the essential elements of His religious laws and concepts, and anticipated the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh.

From an Epistle to Muhammad Shah

In this letter, the Báb challenged the Shah of Iran to reflect on the treatment which He had received and the nature of His mission.

From the Qayyúmu'l-Asmá

Originally regarded as the “Qur’an’ of the Bábís”, this volume was revealed by the Báb at the start of His ministry and established His Writings to be “new verses from God”. Bahá’u’lláh described the Qayyúmu'l-Asmá as “the first, the greatest and mightiest of all books”.

From Dalá’il-i-Sab‘ih

The Báb revealed the Dalá’il-i-Sab‘ih (the “Seven Proofs”) while incarcerated in Mah-Ku. In it, He sets out the truth of His mission.

From the Kitáb-i-Asmá

The Kitáb-i-Asmá (the “Book of Names”) was revealed by the Báb during His imprisonment in Mah-Ku and Chihriq and comprises some 3000 pages.

Other Resource Materials

The Báb in the words of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

This short collection of extracts gathers together some of the tributes paid to the Báb by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

The Báb in the words of Shoghi Effendi

In this extract from a letter addressed to the Bahá’ís of the West known as The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh, Shoghi Effendi explains the station of the Báb.

The Execution of the Báb

In this extract from God Passes By, Shoghi Effendi recounts the events surrounding the execution of the Báb.

The Mission of the Báb: Retrospective, 1844-1944

In this article, first published in the 1994-5 edition of The Bahá’í World, Douglas Martin considers the Revelation of the Báb in the context of its impact on the Western writers of the period and its subsequent influence.

The Re-florescence of historical romance in Nabil

In this essay, first published in the 1932-4 edition of The Bahá’í World, Mary Maxwell—later known as Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum, following her marriage to Shoghi Effendi in 1937—reflects on the dominant themes of The Dawn Breakers; an early narrative of Bábí history authored by Nabil-i-A’zam.

The Bábí Movement — Some contemporary appreciations

This brief article gathers together appreciations of the Báb penned by prominent individuals such as the novelist Leo Tolstoy and statesman George Nathaniel Curzon.

Further Reading

Bibliography of Recommended Reading

A list of further reading on this subject is available here.

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