Persia and the Regeneration of Islam ==================================== Exported from Holy-Writings.com on 2026-06-20 1 clipping 1. Thepaperreadwas- beenand are beingconverted.In European Turkey, and morenotablyin AsiaticTurkey, PERSIA AND THE REGENERATION OF votaries and propagandists ofthe newmove- ISLAM. mentsare increasing yearly.I conversed with someof these in Baghdad,and foundthem By Bernard Temple. zealousand sanguine. In Egypt,itappears, A Societywhichseeks,amongotherworthy Bahais are becomingnumerous. Morocco, objects,"to increasethe tradeof the realm Algeria,Tunisand Tripoli,I am told,arenot byextending thesphere ofBritish commerce," beingleftunvisited. The northern provincesof may be presumed to have practical concern India provide a large potential harvest-field, withthepossibilities of economicprogressin wherethereare alreadymanysowers,and I backwardcountries. But it is on a higher havemetBahaisin Bombay, Karachi,Quetta, ground- thoughthat is nota low ground - Peshawar,Rawalpindi,Lahore, Delhi and thatI venture to submit tothislearnedSociety Lucknow-all proselytes from Islam. Outside certainoftheresultsof mylongtravelsinthe theMoslemworldBahai missionaries, quietly East. This Societyis an outcome,and its purposefuland steadfast,are carryingthe ofthe" Kitab-ul-Aqdas " multifarious workis an expression, ofan order teachings (theMost of civilisationhitherto attainedonlyby ad- Holy Book) intomanyunsuspectedregions. vancedWestern nations; and itis mypresent Converts have been wonamongthe Sikhsof purpose to show that some Eastern nations Amritsar and the Brahmansof Benares,in have lately,undercircumstances of romantic whichcities I have met a few of themin interest,become possessed of a powerfulfriendly converse ; among the Buddhistsof impulse to ascend to the same superiorplane. Ceylon, Burma and Siam; and amongthe Not everyacorngrowsintoan oak. This Taoistsof Chinaapd the Shintoists ofJapan. is trueof otherthingsbesidesbotany. It is Japan,indeed,is said to be provingparticu- true of religiousmovements.Therefore the larlyresponsiveto the call. Many Persian worldhas generallybeen heedlessof small Jewsin Tehranhave becomeBahais, and I beginnings. Sometimesthe worldhas had have beenprivileged to attendsome of their cause toregret itsinattention.Europe,at the secretorsemi-secret assemblies.TheseJewish present time,is notshowing itselfregardfulof Bahaistellmethatin Hamadan,inPersia,one theriseofthenewreligiousmovement, called oftheoldestJewishsettlements in theworld, "Bahaism," in Persia. Asia is bynomeans where the reputed tombs of Esther and unmindful ofthephenomenon. Is Europewise Mordecaiare shown,at least a thirdof the in itsindifference? Jewishcommunity has openlyorsecretly gone Let us reflect,fora moment, uponthe be- overto thenewmovement.No Christian mis- ginning ofIslam. When theProphet took to sionaryto the in Jews any part of theworld preachingin the wildsof Arabia,to semi- can boasta triumph equal tothis. The Par- barbaroustribesof idolatrousnomads,Con- sees of Bombay,who have preserved their stantinople was the capital of Christendom.religiousand racial integrity forcenturies by Muhammad himself had tofleeforhislifefrom dintofan impenetrable aloofness, arenow,for hisownkithand kin at Mecca. Yet in less thefirst timeintheirhistory, beginning to show thana hundredyearsthe SaracenicEmpire signs of doubtingthemselvessince Bahai extended from Lisbonin Portugalto Karachi influences reachedthem,and manyParsees in India; and to-daythe Christian cathedral have actuallybecomeBahais,whileothers(I ofSt. Sophiais a Muhammadan mosque. have been toldby one of theirnumber)are Europe's unconcern regarding Bahaism in heldback onlyby social restraints.A more Persia,andbeyond,has noteventhe excuse intellectual formof Bahai proselytism has that the beginningis small. Alreadythe expandedintoEurope,and has beenfruitful in numberof Bahais in theworldis statedto Russia, Germany, France,and England. 1 exceedtwomillion, thoughthefounderofthe founda largecommunity ofBahaisflourishing Faithwas stillpreaching whenMr.Gladstone in Baku. The numberof Bahais in London was preparingto hurlhis last thunderboltsis appreciable : smallercirclesexistin Man- at the House of Lords. Not less than one- chester,Liverpool,Edinburgh, and Glasgow. fifthofthepopulation ofPersiais estimated to The United States of Americapromiseto haveembracedBahaism. Nor are adherents become a great Western strongholdof recruited solelyfrom the Shiah sectof Islam. Bahaism,and manyAmericanshavebeenat SunniMuhammadans in large numbers have the pains of mastering the Persianlanguage withthe sole object of studying the Bahai to overlookthe truemissionof Persia'snew scriptures and commentaries in theoriginal. prophet.Accordingto thisundoubtedly well- I have had the privilegeof manylong and informed authority :- earnesttalkswithoneof theseAmerican con- BahaUllahhasknown howtotransform Babism verts- a gentleman ofculture andscholarship - intoa universal which religion, is presented as the inhischarming Persianhomein Tehran,who, fulfilment andcompletion ofall theancient faiths. though enjoying large private means, is de- The Jews await the Messiah, the Christians the votinglaboriousand even drudging yearsto return ofChrist, theMuslims theMahdi,theBud- the cause,withthat calm,settledenthusiasm dhiststheFifthBuddha,the Zoroastrians Shah whichBahai teacherscommonly show. An Bahram, theHindoosthere-incarnation ofKrishna, - Baha Americanlady has composeda Bahai hymn andtheAtheistsa better socialorganisation. Ullah represents all these,and thus destroys the ingood literary Persian,whichwas shownto rivalries and the enmities ofthedifferent mebya PersianBahai whenI wasin Isfahan. reconciles religions; themin theirprimitive purity, andfrees Canada also is beginning to give friendly ear them fromthecorruption ofdogmas andrites.For to the newteaching,especiallythe citiesof Bahaismhasno clergy, no religiousceremonial, no Montreal, Quebec,andToronto. Beforegoing publicprayers ; itsonlydogma is beliefinGodand further, perhapsI oughtto statethatI am not in His Manifestations Moses, ^Zoroaster, Jesus, &c., a Bahai. BahaUllah). Ritualholdsnoplaceinthereligion, which must beexpressed inalltheactions oflifeand Significance of Bahaism. accomplished in neighbourly love. Monogamy is What thenis Bahaism? There are still universally recommended. A universal language, and people in EuropewhoconfuseBahaismwith thecreation of tribunals between nations, are to Babism. That is notan unnatural mistake. suppress wars. The Bab was the firstand the lesserof two Bahaismis thusmade out to be a sortof teachers,and his followers called themselves spiritualVolapuk or Esperanto - a world Babis,untilthe secondand greaterteacher, religion. This is the truth. EveryBahai Baha (or Baha Ullah) appeared,who super- wouldendorseit. The Bahai scriptures would seded the Bab, as the Bab himself had fore- confirm it. But I ventureto hold that it is told. The relationbetweenthe twoteachers notthe wholetruth. I would evensuggest is comparedby Bahais with that between thatit obscureswhat,forpracticalpurposes, is John the Baptist and Jesus- the former pre- a greater truth. The factis that Bahaism, in pared the way forthe latter. To call the itsessentialcharacter, as I understand it,is Bahais " Babis" is, therefore, like calling nota religion, but a religiousmovement.If Christians" Baptists." Babis, properlyso- itwerea religion itschanceof diffusion would called- thatis, followers oftheBab, whohave probably be small. Like Theosophy, itmight notbecomefollowers of Baha Ullah- number captivatehereand therea fewintellectual or no moreperhapsthana fewhundred.Prac- romantic souls,becomea fashionin salonsof ticallytheyarean extinct sect. philosophicalunrest,and sink softlyinto Bahaism,then,is notBabism. Whatis it ? oblivion.Thirteen hundred yearshaveelapsed I shallnotreferinquirers to Bahai literature,since the youngestof the world'sgreatreli- whichis now copious and- thanksto the gionswas born,and humanity seemstohave splendidindustry of thateminent Orientalist,crystallised intotwo main classes: one,too Professor E. G. Browne - accessible. As an warmly attachedto theoldcreedstobe turned Asiatic travellerI have learntthat a wide away fromthem; the other,too coldlyin- differencemaydividethetheory of a religion different to be stirredby any new creed. fromits practice. For myownpart,I have Bahaismappearsas the complement of reli- notbeen contentto examineBahaismin the gion. It is, in verybrief,the Protestantism " but of Islam. It comesto inauguratethe Re- recondite pagesofthe Kitab-ul-Aqdas," have investigated it inthemindsof menwho formation in Asia. Its spiritis anti-papal, professand preachitstenets,especially in its anti-episcopal, anti-clerical. The Bab was nativehome. Learned Europeanwriterson the JohnHuss of Persia; Baha Ullah was thesubjecthave notalwaysappearedto show the MàrtinLuther. Therein,to my mind, ~an adequateappreciation of this distinctionlies the force,the promise,I may say the •between dead doctrinesand livingimpulses. historical momentousness, of Bahaism. Thus,even the mostcarefulof the shorter Smallmindsrunlightlyto extravagances of .summaries of Bahai teaching,whichappears eulogyand of denunciation.Let it appear in theFrenchencyclopaedia ofLarousse,seems thata nobleandvenerable institution has out- lived its uses,and thereare men who will tothepotentialities of anyhumanmovement- overwhelm it withvituperation. Of thissort, It is a limitation of present-day fact. You- as a rule,is theanti-clerical fury.Theremay have onlyto considerthatthe Muhammadan- naturally comea timeinthedevelopment of a convertsto Bahaismnumbermorethantwo great religionwhenits priests, who are its million,and the non-Muhammadan converts teachers, cease to be a helpand evenbecome onlya fewthousand, to perceivethe strength a drag. It is confessedly so withteachersin of the statement.The Bahai drçam of a otherdomainsof knowledge.The graduate world-wide propagandais doubtlessa proper, who goes forthfromhis university to do and may even be a reasonable,object of intellectual prodigiesin the worldmight,if aspirationand endeavour.My concernhere compelled to remainforlifeundercollegiate is withwhatis actuallybeingaccomplished. tutelage,degenerateinto a pedant. But to say that a religionon arrivingat spiritual Historical Comparisons between maturity maybe justified, in certaincircum- Eukope and Asia. stances,in freeingitselffromecclesiastical If the Reformation in Christendom be- bondsis notto sanction vilification ofall sacer- broughtintoviewforcomparison - so faras dotal institutions. Probablyno religionhas comparison can go- withthis new Reforma- been,orcouldbe,rearedthrough theperilsof tionin Islam,someremarkable parallelswilb unpopularinfancy, and the difficulties of appear. In earliestdays, several centuries juvenescence, exceptby priests. It is only beforethe Reformation dawnedin Europe, whenpriestly poweroutstays itsoffice,orover- Christianity divided itself into two great stepsit,orcorrupts it,thatitincurs justblame. Churches, the Greekand the Roman,which- History, unfortunately, provides manyexamples neveragaincommingled, andto thisdaydwell of clericalabuse: buthistory also glowswith apart,the one ruledby its Patriarchs,the therenown of priestly workswhichhavecon- otherby its Popes. Islam similarly, in its- tributed totheuplifting ofmankind. youngyears,splitup intotwogreatChurches, Islam,like otherreligions, owes its growth the Sunniand the Shiah,whichneverafter- and its greatnessin large measureto its wardsrecombined, and stillremainmutually priests. Unhappily, it also owesto themits antagonistic, the one underits Caliphs,the decayand itsdownfall.Thisis no irresponsi-otherunderitsImamsortheirsuccessors. In ble pronouncement ; it is theverdict of those bothcases priestly zealotrywidenedthegulf who have,perhaps,the best rightto be the and keptitopen. One ofthe cherished aims judges- representative Muhammadans. I have of Bahaism is to bringSunnisand Shiahs movedaboutthe Moslemworldforfourteentogether againin a reformed faithoflove. years,and everywhere in mytravels-in India, pretensions Priestly to temporalpower,in in Persia,andinArabia-earnestMuhamma- Christendom as in Islam,brought Church and dans (notBahais) have urgedupon me the State intofrequent conflict,and generallyit same strongconviction.This is far from was thepeople,distracted betweentheircivil' implying thatthewholeof Islam has become dutiesand theirreligiousfears,whosuffered consciousof itsdegradation and of thecause. most. Bahaismseekstoreconcile thespiritual Enlightment is, as yet,limitedalmostentirely andtemporal authoritiesin Islam byshowing totheinconsiderable literateclasses,and the thateachis a necessary adjunctof theother uninstructed millions stillpreserve muchofthe theChurchperforms thereligiousfunctions of old superstitious venerationfor Mujtahids, theState; theStatedischarges thecivilobliga- Mullahs,Syeds,Dervishes, Pirs,Imamzadehs, tionsoftheChurch. and otheradorablepeople. Butthenewanti- Abuseof priestly power,in Christendom as clericalidea is surelyspreading, and it seems in Islam,provoked fromtimeto timesporadic to be thespecialmissionofBahaismtopropa- outbreaks of whatmaybe called premature gate it to the ends of the Moslemuniverse. Protestantism, and in both religionsthese Some ofthe mostlearnedPersianBahaisto revoltswereextirpated byfireand slaughter. whomI have submitted thisviewof Bahaism The massacreby Pope InnocentIII. of the at Tehranconferences have acknowledged its hereticalAlbigensesin Languedoc,whose justness,and haveobjectedonlyto the impli- offending was thattheyanticipated Lutherby cationthatthe energiesof the newteaching threecenturies, could be matchedby more arelimited to theregeneration of Islam. This tfyanone agonisingtale fromthe historyof limitation is notof mymaking. I am thelast earlyIslam. to presume toseta boundofmyownimagining When we get down to later times, the- parallelism growscloser. Fromthe twelfthdiffusion of satiricalepigramsand allegories, century a change appeared in the universal directedagainsttheheadsof theChurchand acceptanceby the Christiannationsof the againstthemonks.Last summer, whenI was orthodox faithof Rome. In that age there in Isfahan,the bazaar was excitedby the brokeupontheChurcha floodofheresy which secretcirculation of a lampoonrepresenting nopersecution was able thoroughly to stemtill AghaNejefi(one of themostpowerful Mujta- itfinally overspread halfthesurface ofEurope. hids in the Shiah clergyand the supreme Men openlybegan to thinkforthemselves in religioushead in CentralPersia) standing religious to matters, rejectparticular teachings crestfallen beforethe Throneof Judgement, of the Papacy, and to protestagainst the whileAllahpouredscornand wrathuponhim» despotismof the clergy. The Waldensesin Anti-clerical pamphleteering of this sortis Lombardy, Germany, Flanders, Spain, France, now common in many Persian cities,though and England,setup theBibleas theirsolerule itis stilltimidand furtive.Christian protests of faith, and renounced entirely the arbitraryin 1508wereparticularly loudagainstthe use usagesandtraditions of ecclesiasticism. Like of the Latin tonguein the servicesof the the Albigenses,theysuffered, but the fireof Church. The religiousreformers in Persia rebellion was nowtoo bigto be extinguished,are nowbeginning to make a corresponding thoughfora timeit could no more than grievance oftheuse ofArabicinthemosques» smoulder.JohnHuss in Bohemia,following But it was MartinLutherwho gave co- theteachings ofWycliffe in England,sethim- herence, energy and permanenceto the selftorestore thepurity and simplicity ofscrip- scatteredforcesof ChristianProtestantism. turalChristianity, ard was excommunicatedAnd- so faras the movement yetextends-it bythePope. When,undera safeconduct, he is Baha Ullah who has wrought the same wenttotheCouncilofConstance to defend his wonder for Muhammadan Protestantism. opinions before theclergyofall thenations, he MartinLutherbeganthecampaignbyassert- was seized,orderedto recant,and, refusing, ing the rightsof humanreason. The same burntto death. Similarly,in the twelfth was thefirstplankin Baha Ullah's spiritual of the Muhammadanera a change platform.Indeed Bahaismdeliberately uses century appearedin theuniversal acceptanceby the theweaponagainst itself byinsisting its that Moslem nations of the Orthodoxy of Mecca own teaching shall be subjectedby every andof Kerbela. Similarly, therebrokeupon individual to hisprivatejudgment. Luther's the MussulmanChurcha floodof heresy firstcollisionwiththePope arose out of the whichno persecution was able thoroughlysale of " indulgences." The theory ofindul- to stem. Similarly,the Bab, defyingthe gences in the RomanCatholicsystem, itwill fanaticism of the Shiah hierarchy, shook by be remembered, was that many saints and his fieryeloquencethe supportsof whatmay pious men had donemoregood worksand be called the Papacy of Islam,in seekingto bornemoresuffering thanwas required forthe restore the of Muham- remission of their sins : the surplus consti- simplicity Quranic the madanism ; and in like mannerwas excom- tuteda treasureforthe Church,which was authorised to distribute in exchange municated.Thereafter, beguiledbyperfidious Pope pledgesofsafety, he delivered himself intothe forpiousgifts. In themindsofthe ignorant handsofhis enemies, believing thathe would an indulgencebecameequal to a licencefor be permitted to justify opinionsin open sin. One of the most perniciousreligious his from thepretensions of controversy, as no threatcouldmovehim abuses inPersiaarises sell to and, the to retract, he was some of the priests to people duringhis imprisonment executed. places in Heaven; indeedthereare priests the incrediblelength of issuing JohnHuss and the Bab, each in his turn, who go werebutthevoices crying in the wilderness. tickets or passes forParadiseinthe manner It was notuntilthe sixteenth century thatthe of the booking-office of a theatre. I knowof waveofpopularfeeling againstabsolutism in one case, in the city of Qum,wheresucha the Roman Church broke all bounds. Erasmus ticketwas declared transferable. Baha Ullah started a schoolofFree-thought. Free-thoughtattacked this scandal and fiercely, thereby has to-daybecomewidely among the threw down the gauntlet. Luthernextpro- prevalent intellectual classesin Persia,and was,indeed, ceededto assail theauthority of thePopeand one ofthefirstphenomena to kindlethepro-. the doctrines of theRoman Catholic Church ina fire of Baha Ullah. The Christian succession of printed pamphlets and sermons, phetic to read. populacesin Europewereinfluenced by the whichall Europeshoweditselfeager Baba Ullahwrotethe" Kitab-ul-Aqdas," the forms of government, withparliamentary con- " Kitab-ul-Iqan,"and the " Kitab-ul-Ahd,,,troloverlaw,justice,and finance. Can any- besidesnumerous lettersor "tablets," all of one supposeit to be a merecoincidence that whichare now being¿steadilydisseminatedin Persia and Turkey the beginnings ofreli- through Asia. When Pope Leo X. resorted giousreformation, as representedbyBahaism, to excommunication, Lutherretorted byburn- havebeenfollowed bythefirststepsinpolitical ingthePapal decreein public. Baha Ullah, reformation, and that the waftingof Bahai in similarcircumstances, not less scornfullyideas to Egypt,India,Arabia,Morocco,and deridedhis excommunicators. Graduallyin Algeriais beingaccompaniedbynewforms of Europenoblesand princes, as well as some Orientalunrest ? Or can anyonebelievethat priests,beganto supportthe Lutheran cause, the influence of this regenerative spiritwill untilits suppression byviolenceceasedtobe carryno further thanthat? Let us cast but eventhinkable.The followers of Baha Ullah onemoreglanceat theReformation in Europe already include members of the rulingfamily and reflect upon largerconsequences.The its in Persia- Viziers,Parliamentary Deputies, religiousand politicalchangesthatitinaugu- Governors of Provinces, and severalpriestsor rated were not its end: theywere but the Mullahs; and although persecution in Persia meansto a moresplendid reformation. "Rich has notceased,it is nowobligedforthe most indeed,"says one of the soberestof ourhis- partto resort to quieterand subtlermethods. torians," has been the harvestof thatgreat One of mymostinfluential Bahai friends was, period. The spiritof inquiry, once set free, beforehis conversion, an eminent Mujtahidor has changedand blessedthewholeworld.To Muhammadan prelate. Pope AdrianVI., in thiswe owe in modernliterature someofthe alarm,calledto his aid the rulersofAustria, noblestcreationsofthe humanintellect.To France and Germany, and a lastfiercecam- thisare due thediscoveries of science,which paignagainstheresy was thussetgoing. The havemadelifelonger,easier,brighter. Hence sonand apostleofBaha Ullah,AbbasEffendi, have comein everylandthetriumphs oftruth has told how the Ulema (religiousdoctors) and geniusoverprejudiceand power. This it constrained the PersianGovernment to take is whichhas createdthe greatestof modern activemeasuresagainsttheReformer and to republics,and has filledthe colonialworld orderthepillageand massacreofhisfollowers. withflourishing, self-governingpeoples; has Luthertranslated the Bible intoGerman, and revealedthe secretsof CentralAfricaand thereby dealtecclesiastical authorityoneofits the isles of the great Pacific; has dimi- heaviestblows. Baha Ullahhasdirected that nisheddistancebysteam,and destroyed itby the Bible,the Quran,and his ownscriptureselectricity ; has struckoffthe fetters of the are tobe translated intoeverylanguageinthe slave,and,lastand best,has madethenations world. Luther,himselfa monk,assailedthe knoweach other,and in thatknowledge has principle of monasticism bymarrying a nun. prepared, and is preparing, forthe reignof Baha Ullah adjuresthepriestsofall religions universal peace." A Reformation onEuropean to renouncecelibacyand to preachby their soiland a Reformation onAsiaticsoilwillnot example,mingling in the lifeof the people. necessarilyproduceidenticalharvests.But This personalparallelismmightbe carried beforeanyoneattemptsto makelightof the further, butitssignificance mustnowbe suffi- potentialities of an awakenedIslam,let him ciently apparent. History to-dayis openinga recallthesplendidproofs ofpowerwhichearly newpage inAsia. Muhammadanism gavetotheworlderepriestly ButtheReformation in Europe,as all know, abusecorrupted and debasedit. " TheArab was not a m^rerevoltagainstRome. The Conquerors," weread," at first unletteredfoes essenceof the movement is thevindication of ofartand science,soonbeganto makea pro- the principle, independent of time,place, or gressin cultureas rapidas had been that circumstance, thatman is, in hisverynature, oftheirarms.Theyacquired,andwerezealous destinedto be free. Fromthereligious free- inpromoting elsewhere, thecivilisationof the domwonbytheanti-clerical upheavalofthe Greekand Orientalworldwhich they had sixteenth century came,in a largemeasure, subduedin Egypt,Asia Minor,and Persia. thepoliticalrightsnowenjoyedbythegreatest Greatcitieswerebuilt,commerceand manu- and most enlightened peoplesin theworld. facturesflourished, and schoolsarose in all Indeed,theoutstanding civicfactof thelast partsof theSaracenicEmpire. The resultof threecenturies is thefirm establishment almost theefforts madewas thattheSaracensplayed throughout theWestern worldofconstitutionala greatand honourable partin theintellectual history of theMiddleAges. Theirquickness duredthegreatest torturesfortheir Faith. Herewe and theirpoeticsensibility wereconspicuous find a record ofheroic devotion, bravery, andself- in scienceand in literature in thedarkertimes sacrifice,which, asProfessor E. G. Browne says,may of Europe,and theirserviceswereespecially perhaps be paralleled in history, butcannotbe valuablein connectionwithmedicalscience surpassed. and philosophy." So writesa calmand dis- TheBab hadleftbehind hima beautiful hopeas a legacy to his followers,namely, that" He whom God passionateCambridgehistorian.When re- shallmanifest " should arrive andcomplete whathe generated Islamrecovers itslostinheritance in had onlyimperfectly begun.Forseveral the domainof civilisation and culture, who (theBab) after the death of the Bab, which occurred in years shallsetboundsto itsfurther achievements ? 1850,themovement seemed ina precariouscondition. It hada bad reputation withthePersianGovern- Origin of Bahaism. ment, it waslookeddownuponwithcontempt by some nearly all thePersians of wealth andposition, its It maybeusefulhereto setforth briefly andno accountoftheoriginand riseofBahaismand followers couldonlymeettogether secretly, one dared to breathe thehated name ofBabi; indeed, of the general natureof its teachings,as it seemed fora timeas though theMullahshad viewedfromthe Bahai standpoint.I am succeeded in crushing outtheyoung Faithentirely. indebtedto Mr. SidneySprague,a distin- Therewasthegreatest needforthecoming ofthe guishedAmericanBahai, whomI had the " Piomised One,"tosavethemovement from extinc- goodfortune to meetin Persia,forthe follow- tion,andtorestore thezealandcourage oftheper- ingsummary ofleadingevents:- secuted Babis. Theywere notto be disappointed in ]n theyear1844,thereappeared in Persiaa their hope,for, during theearlysixties, there arose youth, MirzaAli Muhammad byname,whocalled one whosegrandpersonality, wonderful powers of himself theBab,thatis the"Door" or "Gate," utterance, andinspired writings, proclaimed himto through which mencouldarrive at theknowledge of be the"Manifestation" forwhich theBabiswere Truth.Thesignificance ofthistitleina Muhamma-waiting ; and when,indeed,Baha Ullahpublicly dancountry maybe appreciated whenit is recalled declared thathe wasthe"Promised One,"whose that, accordingto Muhammadan belief, thedoorof coming theBab hadforetold, thegreatmajority of knowledge was closed twelve centuries ago, when the the Babis hailed him with joy as theirLord and Muhammadan Messiah, orMahdi, disappeared from Redeemer. amongst men, and will not be re-opened the BahaUllahwas bornin 1817,and cameof a till Messiah comeagain. TheBabbeganhismission as wealthy andnoblefamily.As a young man,he a " Door,"byopening thepeople'sminds tothereal became a follower oftheBab,though he hadnever truths oftheirownreligion. Likeallgreat prophets,seenhim. His prominence as a teacherofthenew hedidnotcometodestroy, buttofulfil.He didnot Faithledto hisimprisonment inTehran.Forsome tellhisMuhammadan hearers thatthey hadbeende- time hewaskeptin chains, untilfinallyhiswealth ludedall these years bya falseprophet, buthedid, was confiscated, andhe was exiledto thecityof however, ratethem soundly - asJesus didtheScribes Baghdad, byarrangement with theSultan ofTurkey. - fortheir hypocrisy,andfortheir distortion oftrue Whilethere, he continued to teachthepeople, and religion. He also explained to them the truemean- his influence over them became very great. During ingoftheirprophecies andtraditions thata Mahdi twoyears hewithdrew himself tothemountains, near should come;foretelling the advent of Baha Ullah. Baghdad, and lived apart from men, passing histime ThewordsoftheBab werenaturally greetedwith inprayer andmeditation. Onhisreturn, he publicly derision'by the Muhammadan "Pharisees," and the proclaimed his mission, which was thatof establish- Babhadto endure insultandpersecution, culminat- ing peace and religious unity in theworld. He inginhisimprisonment anddeath.He wasshot, by calledto menof everyraceand creedto assist order ofthePersian Government, in a publicsquare himin establishing the Kingdomof God and inTabriz. the brotherhood of man upon^the earth.The Thelifeoftheyoung reformer wasnotsacrificedMuhammadan Mullahsof Baghdadsoonbecame invain.During hislifetime,greatnumbers ofearnest alarmed at havinga manof suchinfluence and menandwomen hadalliedthemselves to hiscause, powerin theirmidst, andpetitioned theOttoman andhad beendiligent in spreading his teachingsGovernment to remove him. Baha Ullah was throughout Persia,sothat soonthemovement grew to accordingly summoned toConstantinople, andthence suchan extent thatthePersian Government andthe banished to Adrianople. In Adrianople BahaUllah Mullahs, or priests,becamealaimed, seeingin ita wrote thosefamous letters(sentlaterfrom Acre)to seriousmenace to thesupremacy of Islam,andbe- theKingsofEuropeandto thePope,calling on lieving thatitmust havesomepolitical aswellas re- themto abandon theirthoughts ofwarfare andto ligiousmeaning.Orders weregiven to plunder and assistin establishing unity.The letters alsocon- persecutethefollowers and oftheBab, during those tained prophetical utterances which were afterwards daikyears many thousands gaveuptheir oren- fulfilled. lives, One suchutterance, following upona slight putuponBahaUllah'smission, foretold the itsprogress in theWestern world, all these things downfall of Napoleon III. at a timewhenthis compel at leastinterest. TheyoungPersian Bab adventurer, afterthefamous coupdétat , heldabsolute gave to his followers certainforms and doc- poweras Emperor of theFrench.Another such trines,and somerulesdrawn up in a bookknown utterance, following upona gracious letter sentby as the" Bayan"; butat the sametimehe con- QueenVictoria to Baha Ullah,foretold forHer tinually proclaimed thathewasbutthéherald of Majesty a phenomenally longandprosperous reign, onegreater whoshouldcomeafterhim,andhe at a timewhenthemonarchy in England couldstill toldhisdisciples to be in constant expectation of besaidtobeunder theremains ofa cloud. After a " Himwhom Godshall manifest." TheBab,indeed, fewweeksi-pent in Adrianople, Baha Ullahwas inaugurated a greatreform, but his movement againbanished to a stillmore inaccessiblespot,the remained moreor less Persian and Muhammadan, littlefortress town ofAcre,orAkka,onthecoastof andonefeelsthatit never couldhavebecome uni- Syria. Here,with hislittle bandoffollowers, Baha versal.It remained forBahaUllah,whocameafter Ullahpassedsomeofthemostterrible years ofthe theBab,togiveto themovement itstruly broad, •exile,forAcrecouldonly bedescribed aspestilential, catholicanduniversal spirit.Inthe" BookofLaws," anditseems probable thatBahaUllahwassentthere BahaUllahtellshisfollowers thatthesword must for in thehopethatfever wouldsoonquietly ridthe ever beputaway : initsplacethe" Word " must arise. woildofhim. BahaUllahspentmostofhistime He proclaims universal peace,andcallsuponthe while inAcreinteaching thenewfaith tothosefew nations tosettletheir differencesbya boardofarbi- lollowers whocouldholdcommunication withhim, tration. He pleadsfora broadspirit offriendship in writing hisinstructions andadmonitions to the andtolerance, tobe shown to all thepeoples ofthe Tvorld, insending epistles,or" Tablets," to followersearth : " Ye areallthefruits ofonetree," asheex- in differentparts, andin writing a book,known as presses it. He enjoins his followers to seekfora theBookofLaws. In 1892, after fortyyears ofexile universal language.He says: " Thisis themeans ot and imprisonment, Baha Ullah'searthly ministryunion, ifyeknew it,andthegreatest source ofcon- •came toan end. He leftwordto hisdisciples that cordandcivilisation, didyerecognise it." He tells afterhisdeparture they should looktohiseldestson, parents thatthey must educate theirchildren,boyand AbbasEffendi, as their leaderandteacher - theone girlalike,giving themthebestinstruction theycan on whoseshoulders his mantleshouldfall,the afford, andthepoormust beeducated bya boardof exponent andpromulgator of histeachings to the councillors tobeelected ineachcity, forheconsiders world. thatuntil ignorance beuprooted there canbenotrue Since1892Abbas Effendi, whothereafter as- progress. All mustlearnandpractise somecraft, sumedthetitleofAbdulBaha(theServant ofGod), trade, orproféssion, which,ifpractised conscientiously hasbeentheleader oftheBahaimovement, andunder anddiligently, willbe considered as thehighest act his guidance it has grown andexpanded untilits ofworship. There arenopriests connected with this influence hasbecome felt inallquarters oftheglobe. religion, andthosewhoteachthisFaithshouldnot A striking example ofthiswaswitnessed bymewhen receive anypay,butsupport themselves by other I visitedAcrein1906, andmetmenthere from India, means.Theacquisition oftheartsandsciences is Burma,Persia,Arabia,Egypt,Turkey, Russia, recommended. Marriage is advised, and celibacy France, England andAmerica, allassembled tolisten and asceticismare condemned.Baha Ullah to theteaching oftheMaster (thenamebywhich wishes his religion to be one of joyand glad- AbdulBahaisuniversally called).Thesemen, belong ness. He strongly condemns gambling, theuse ingtovarious races,creeds andsects,weregatheredof opium,intemperance, and othervices,and Tound onetable, breaking bread together,andgreet- he laysdownsomeinteresting hygienic laws. A ingeachotheras brothers. Cansucha scenebe lawis givenadvocating kindness to animals, and paralleled inanyother spotonearth ? beastsofburden arenot to be ill-treated or over- loaded.BoththeBab and Baha Ullahpreached Teachings of Bahaism. theemancipation ofwomen.Underthisteaching, I am further indebted toMr.SidneySprague woman assumes herrightful position as theequalof for the following of the principal man. In the following words,Baha Ullah tells summary hisfollowers howthenewreligion should betaught teachingsof Bahaism. It seems to mepre- to theworld:" Beware lest make the Wordof ferableto give an authoritative Bahai exposi- God thecauseof ye opposition and stumbling, or tionlikethis,ratherthanan exposition ofmy the sourceof hatred If have a own:- among you. ye wordoran essence which another havenot,sayit TheBahai movement claimsto be theDivine to himwiththetongueofloveand kindness.If instiument forbringing religious unityintothe it be accepted andimpressed, theendis attained; world.Thelongrollofitsmartyrs, thewonderful ifnot,leavehimto himself, andprayforhim,but livesofits founders, its regenerating influence in do notmolest him." It willthusbe seenthatthe Persia,thefactthatpeopleofnearly every race, message oftheBahaimovement is oneofpeaceto creedandsecthavebeenattracted toit,andfinallytheworld, andthattheBahaisconsider this" Mani- festation" as butanother ofdivine truth energy.Yet they arenottwosuns. Norhasthe outpouring