Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Udo Schaefer, Making the Crooked Straight, bahai-library.com.
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Lights of ‘Irfán Book Eight 393
Pa r t 3 : The Pr ophe cy concer ning t he a dv e nt of
M a n YuΩhir uhu’ lláh 1
The Báb evidently foresaw the imminent advent of the
Promised One whom He described in such glowing terms. This is
clear from many of the statements He made to contemporaries,
whom He exhorted to recognize both Himself and — as soon as
He appeared — the promised Man yuΩhiruhu’lláh. In a letter
written to a Muslim clergyman named Sulaymán, for instance,
He called upon the addressee to turn to Him (the Báb), since he
would otherwise be accursed. If he failed to accept the Báb, God
would forgive him only if he turned, by means of a letter, to ‘Him
whom God shall make manifest ’ (SWB 1:9:7) — i.e. in the near
future, during Sulaymán’s lifetime. From another letter, written
by the Báb to the Sharif of Mecca and others, it is again evident
that the Báb expected the Promised One to appear during the
lifetime of the Sharif. The Báb admonished the Sharif of Mecca
To embrace the Cause of God and to implore that the
matter of thine allegiance be brought to the attention
of Him Whom God shall make manifest, that He may
graciously enable thee to prosper and cause thy fire to
be transformed into light. (SWB 1:7:3, p. 30)
Furthermore, it is implied in the Persian Bayán that Man
yuΩhiruhu’lláh would appear during the 19 years following the
Báb’s declaration of His mission (1844); i.e., in the period up
to the year 1863, although God alone would know the hour of
His coming. (Bayán VI:3) The early Bábís, too, clearly expected
the Promised One to arrive soon. Only this can explain the fact
that during the years immediately following the martyrdom of
the Báb so many proclaimed themselves to be the Promised One.
In contrast to this, the Azali doctrine that the Promised One
was to appear only after 1511 or 2001 years was based on
statements made by the Báb in the Persian Bayán concerning
Ghiyáth (Help) and Mustagháth (He who is called upon for help)
(Persian Bayán II:17, III:15), from which the numbers 1511 and 2001
From Making the Crooked Straight, by Udo Schaefer, Nicola Towfigh, Ulrich
Gollmer, trans. by Geraldine Schuckelt (Oxford: George Ronald, 2000).
394 Elucidations: Mírzá Yahyá
are derived by means of the Abjad system. This is interpreted as
an indication that the promised Man yuΩhiruhu’lláh will not
appear until this length of time has elapsed. This argument was
probably developed by the Azalis in order to dismiss
Bahá’u’lláh’s claim. They certainly referred to this in their
rejection of Bahá’u’lláh, as Browne confirms: “To these texts
the Ezelis specially appeal in justification of their rejection of
Behá’u’lláh’s [sic] claim to be the Promised Deliverer…” (JRAS
April 1892, p. 299) It is clear from the words of the Báb in the
Persian Bayán, however, that the Azali view does not conform
to that of the Báb when the latter expresses the hope that the
Promised One would come before the end of the Mustagháth:
None knoweth save God as to when the Manifestation
shall be. Whenever it occurs all have to follow the Point
of Truth and thank God. However, it is hoped of God’s
grace that it will arrive before the Mustagháth and the
Word of God will be exalted by it. (Persian Bayán III:15)
It is obvious from these words that the Báb regards the Mustagháth
as a period of time during which the Manifestation will appear.
Bahá’u’lláh evidently shares the Báb’s cyclical view and also sees
Ghiyáth and Mustagháth as cycles within which the Promised One
will appear. He speaks of the year 9 within the Mustagháth in which
Man yuΩhiruhu’lláh has appeared. (Ra˙íq-Makhtúm, p. 514) In
response to the Azali objection that He was already announcing
the advent of the Promised One, Bahá’u’lláh argued:
Shake off, O heedless ones, the slumber of negligence,
that ye may behold the radiance which His glory hath
spread through the world. How foolish are those who
murmur against the premature birth of His light. O ye
who are inly blind! Whether too soon or too late, the
evidences of His effulgent glory are now actually
manifest. It behoveth you to ascertain whether or not
such a light hath appeared. It is neither within your
power nor mine to set the time at which it should be
made manifest. God’s inscrutable Wisdom hath fixed
its hour beforehand. (GWB 50)
The Báb, too, was convinced that the Promised One ‘might appear
at any time,’ (TN, intro, p. xvii) as Browne correctly observed.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Lights of ‘Irfán Book Eight 393
Pa r t 3 : The Pr ophe cy concer ning t he a dv e nt of
M a n YuΩhir uhu’ lláh 1
The Báb evidently foresaw the imminent advent of the
Promised One whom He described in such glowing terms. This is
clear from many of the statements He made to contemporaries,
whom He exhorted to recognize both Himself and — as soon as
He appeared — the promised Man yuΩhiruhu’lláh. In a letter
written to a Muslim clergyman named Sulaymán, for instance,
He called upon the addressee to turn to Him (the Báb), since he
would otherwise be accursed. If he failed to accept the Báb, God
would forgive him only if he turned, by means of a letter, to ‘Him
whom God shall make manifest ’ (SWB 1:9:7) — i.e. in the near
future, during Sulaymán’s lifetime. From another letter, written
by the Báb to the Sharif of Mecca and others, it is again evident
that the Báb expected the Promised One to appear during the
lifetime of the Sharif. The Báb admonished the Sharif of Mecca
To embrace the Cause of God and to implore that the
matter of thine allegiance be brought to the attention
of Him Whom God shall make manifest, that He may
graciously enable thee to prosper and cause thy fire to
be transformed into light. (SWB 1:7:3, p. 30)
Furthermore, it is implied in the Persian Bayán that Man
yuΩhiruhu’lláh would appear during the 19 years following the
Báb’s declaration of His mission (1844); i.e., in the period up
to the year 1863, although God alone would know the hour of
His coming. (Bayán VI:3) The early Bábís, too, clearly expected
the Promised One to arrive soon. Only this can explain the fact
that during the years immediately following the martyrdom of
the Báb so many proclaimed themselves to be the Promised One.
In contrast to this, the Azali doctrine that the Promised One
was to appear only after 1511 or 2001 years was based on
statements made by the Báb in the Persian Bayán concerning
Ghiyáth (Help) and Mustagháth (He who is called upon for help)
(Persian Bayán II:17, III:15), from which the numbers 1511 and 2001
From Making the Crooked Straight, by Udo Schaefer, Nicola Towfigh, Ulrich
Gollmer, trans. by Geraldine Schuckelt (Oxford: George Ronald, 2000).
394 Elucidations: Mírzá Yahyá
are derived by means of the Abjad system. This is interpreted as
an indication that the promised Man yuΩhiruhu’lláh will not
appear until this length of time has elapsed. This argument was
probably developed by the Azalis in order to dismiss
Bahá’u’lláh’s claim. They certainly referred to this in their
rejection of Bahá’u’lláh, as Browne confirms: “To these texts
the Ezelis specially appeal in justification of their rejection of
Behá’u’lláh’s [sic] claim to be the Promised Deliverer…” (JRAS
April 1892, p. 299) It is clear from the words of the Báb in the
Persian Bayán, however, that the Azali view does not conform
to that of the Báb when the latter expresses the hope that the
Promised One would come before the end of the Mustagháth:
None knoweth save God as to when the Manifestation
shall be. Whenever it occurs all have to follow the Point
of Truth and thank God. However, it is hoped of God’s
grace that it will arrive before the Mustagháth and the
Word of God will be exalted by it. (Persian Bayán III:15)
It is obvious from these words that the Báb regards the Mustagháth
as a period of time during which the Manifestation will appear.
Bahá’u’lláh evidently shares the Báb’s cyclical view and also sees
Ghiyáth and Mustagháth as cycles within which the Promised One
will appear. He speaks of the year 9 within the Mustagháth in which
Man yuΩhiruhu’lláh has appeared. (Ra˙íq-Makhtúm, p. 514) In
response to the Azali objection that He was already announcing
the advent of the Promised One, Bahá’u’lláh argued:
Shake off, O heedless ones, the slumber of negligence,
that ye may behold the radiance which His glory hath
spread through the world. How foolish are those who
murmur against the premature birth of His light. O ye
who are inly blind! Whether too soon or too late, the
evidences of His effulgent glory are now actually
manifest. It behoveth you to ascertain whether or not
such a light hath appeared. It is neither within your
power nor mine to set the time at which it should be
made manifest. God’s inscrutable Wisdom hath fixed
its hour beforehand. (GWB 50)
The Báb, too, was convinced that the Promised One ‘might appear
at any time,’ (TN, intro, p. xvii) as Browne correctly observed.
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