# Babism, Baha'is, Baha'u'llah

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Ian Richard Netton, Babism, Baha'is, Baha'u'llah, London: Curzon Press, 1992, bahai-library.com.
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> 
> Babism, Bahá'ís, Baha'u'llah
> 
> Ian Richard Netton
> published in A Popular Dictionary of Islam pp. 48-50
> 
> London: Curzon Press, 1992
> 
> [page 48]
> 
> Azrael See 'Izra'il.
> 
> Baba, Baba (Turk./Pers.) Father. The word became popular as
> a surname among some Sufi (q.v.) preachers, and shaykhs of such
> orders as the famous syncretic sufi order of Bektasbiyya (q.v.).
> In the latter the head of a tekke (q.v.) bore the title of baba. The
> best known of all babas in secular ussge was 'AIi Baba in One Thousand and One Nights. The main difference between Turkish
> and Persian usage of the word was thst in Turkey the word
> followed a person's name but in Persia it came before. (See
> Shaykh.)
> 
> Babism Movement named after the Bab (literally 'Door') (i.e.
> to the Hidden Imam), a title assumed by Mirza 'Ali Muhammad
> (1235/1819-1266/1850) of Shiraz (q.v.) in 1260/1844, who was
> finally executed for his beliefs. The Babi sect later gave rise to the
> Bahá'ís (q.v.). (See Imam; Muhammad al-Qa'im.)
> 
> Babur (888/1483-937/1530) Warrior ruler who founded the
> Mughal dynasty in India. His full name was Zahir al-Din
> Muhammad Babur. He ruled from 932/1526 until 937/1530.
> Babur was directly descended from the famous Tunur-i Lang
> (q.v.) on his father's side, and from Cingiz Khan (=Genghis
> Khan) on his mother's. It was left to Babur's eldest son
> Humsyun (q.v.) to consolidate Babur's initial victories in
> Hindustan. Babur was aided in his conquests by the use of
> muskets and a rudimentary mortar. (See Mughals.)
> 
> al-Badawi, al-Sayyid Ahmad (c. 596/1199-1200-675/1276)
> Famous Egyptian Muslim saint. Born in Fez (q.v.), he made the
> pilgrimage to Mecca (q.v.) as a child. Later he visited Iraq but
> returned to Tanla in Egypt where he lived an ascetic life and died.
> Al-Badawi achieved the very high sufi (q.v.) rank of al-Qutb
> (q.v.), 'The Pole'. Many miracles are ascribed to him and his
> tomb in the mosque at Tanla receives many pilgrims. The Sufi
> order of the Ahmadiyya, which is called after him, is immensely
> 
> [page 49]
> 
> popular in Egypt. The Mawlid (q.v.) of al-Sayyid Ahmad al-Badawi
> is celebrated every year in Tanla with much festivity,
> ceremony and procession. The dhikr (q.v.) is performed on the
> roofs of houses and many infants and young boys are circumcised
> during the mawlid. This is perhaps the most famous of all the
> mawlids to take place in Egypt and is of great antiquity. (See
> Ahmadiyya (2); Khitan; Tasawwuf.)
> 
> Badawiyya See Ahmadiyya (2); al-Badawi, al-Sayyid
> Ahmad.
> 
> Badr, Battle of The first major battle fought between
> Muhammad supported by the Medinans, and the Meccans in 2/624 at Badr, to the South-West of Medina (q.v.). The Meccan
> forces, commanded by Abu Jahl (q.v.), were defeated and about
> seventy Meccans, with Abu Jahl among them, were killed. The
> Qur'an indicates that angels fought on Muhammad's side at the
> Battle of Badr (see w.9, 12 of Siirat al-Anfal (q.v.)). The
> Muslim success in the battle gave immense prestige to the infant
> Islamic community in Medina and dealt a major blow to the pride
> of the Meccans.
> 
> Baghdad Major city in the Middle East, and capital of modern
> Iraq from 1339 40/1921. It was founded in 145/762 near the
> River Tigris by the 'Abbasid caliph al-Mansur under the name
> Madinat al-Salam meaning 'City of Peace'. The city became the
> centre of the 'Abbasid caliphate until 656/1258 and was also
> occupied for substantial periods by the Buyids (q.v.) and the
> Saljuqs (q.v.) during this time. Baghdad was sacked by the
> Mongols (q.v.) in 656/1258 but later achieved some prominence
> again in the pre-modern period under the Ottomans (q.v.) in the
> 11th/17th century. Baghdad was heavily bombed in the 1991 Gulf
> War. (See 'Abbasids; Harun al-Rashid; Kazimayn.)
> 
> Bahá'ís Members of new religion, deriving from Babism
> (q.v.), founded by Baha'ullah [Bahá'u'lláh] (q.v.), and propagated by the
> 
> [page 50]
> 
> latter's son 'Abd al-Baha' ['Abdu'l-Bahá]. Bahá'ís believe in an utterly
> transcendent God who has, none the less, manifested Himself
> through a continuing chain of prophets who include many of the
> great figures familiar to aderents of the three major monotheistic
> religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The Bab and
> Baha'ullah also have prophetic rank. The Bahá'ís believe that all
> the religions which have prophets possess an intrinsic truth.
> Because the Bahá'ís, technically speaking, are an offshoot of an
> offshoot of an offshoot of the Ithna 'Asharis (q.v.) they have
> often been regarded as gravely heretical Muslims, and
> sometimes subjected to persecution and execution.
> 
> Baha'ullah (1233/1817-1309/1892) Founder of the Bahá'ís
> (q.v.). Born into an aristocratic family in Tehran, he became an
> early disciple of the Bab, though he never actually met him.
> While in prison in Tehran he underwent a profound mystical
> experience. In 1279/1863 Baha'ullah announced himself as 'The
> Man whom God shall reveal', in fulfilment of a prophecy by the
> Bab; and later he openly announced his mission in Edirne. He is
> buried in Haifa in Israel. (See Babism.)
> 
> Bahira Name of a Christian monk and hermit encountered by
> Muhammad while on a trading expedition to Syria with his uncle
> Abu Talib (q.v.); Muhammad at the time was aged about twelve.
> Bahira recognized the seal of prophethood on Muhammad and he
> forecast great things for the Prophet.
> 
> al-Balad (Ar.) The title of the 90th sura of the Qur'an; the
> name here most likely means 'The City' (i.e. the city of Mecca
> (q.v.)) or possibly just 'The Land'. The word al-balad from
> which the sura derives its name occurs in both the 1st and 2nd
> verses. The sura belongs to the Meccan period and has 20 verses.
> The sura underlines the idea that man has been born to a life of
> hardship and that he has a choice, either to follow the difficult
> path of charity and generosity or, in his arrogance and disbelief,
> forget his fellow man. The sura ends with a warning about Hell-fire. (See al-Nar.)
> 
> METADATA
> 
> Views10503 views since posted 2001; last edit 2025-01-28 14:20 UTC;
> 
> previous at archive.org.../netton_popular_dictionary_islam;
> URLs changed in 2010, see archive.org.../bahai-library.org
> Language
> English
> Permission
> fair use
> History
> Scanned 1995 by Duane Troxel; Proofread 2001 by Jonah Winters.
> Share
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> Shortlink: bahai-library.com/571
> Citation: ris/571
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> — *Babism, Baha'is, Baha'u'llah (Used by permission of the curator)*