# Baha'u'llah, Birth/Ascension of

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Christopher Buck, Baha'u'llah, Birth/Ascension of, bahai-library.com.
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> Birth/Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh | 353
> 
> laws and principles. In revealing his new code of laws            The Báb did not instruct his followers to formally
> (called the Bayán), the Báb pursued three major goals:        observe the day of his birth; however, for that occa-
> (1) paving the way for the advent of the Promised One;        sion, Bahá’u’lláh had revealed the Lawh-i Mawlúd,
> (2) provoking the clerical establishment and shattering       which awaits an authorized translation. Today, Baha’is
> the foundations of their often-abused institutionalized       worldwide annually celebrate the birth of the Báb
> authority; and (3) proving the independence of his            on October 20 as a holy day, with work and school
> own religion as distinct from Islam.                          suspended for the day. There being no required obser-
> Soon after the Báb publicly proclaimed his pro-          vances, Baha’is are free to creatively organize com-
> phetic mission beginning on the evening of May 22,            memorative activities which, although attended mostly
> 1844, the Islamic government then in power in Persia          by Baha’is, are open to people of all faiths and
> began to suppress the movement and violence ensued.           persuasions.
> The Báb was arrested and executed by a firing squad                        J. Gordon Melton and Christopher Buck
> of 750 musketeers on July 9, 1850, in Tabríz, Persia.
> See also: Baha’i Faith; Bahá’u’lláh; Birth/Ascension
> Subsequent to an unauthorized and ill-fated attempt
> of Bahá’u’lláh; Temples—Baha’i Faith.
> on the life of the shah of Persia in 1852, the shah or-
> dered the most brutal tortures and deaths of a great          References
> number of Bábís, with estimates ranging from around           Bahá’u’lláh et al. Twin Holy Days: Birthday of
> 5,000 to 20,000 martyrs.                                          Bahá’u’lláh, Birthday of the Báb: A Compilation.
> In the fall of 1852, in the wake of the Báb’s exe-           Los Angeles: Kalimát Press, 1995.
> cution, Bahá’u’lláh was imprisoned in the notorious           Browne, Edward G. “Bábism.” In Religious Systems
> Siyáh-Chál (Black Pit), during which time he experi-              of the World: A Contribution to the Study of
> enced a series of visions that awakened him to his pro-           Comparative Religion, edited by William Sheow-
> phetic destiny. He was released, but banished—exiled              ring and Conrad W. Thies, 333–353. London:
> successively to Baghdad (1853–1863), Constantino-                 Swann Sonnenschein, 1892.
> ple/Istanbul (1863), Adrianople/Edirne (1863–1868),           Eschraghi, Armin. “‘Undermining the Foundations
> and finally to the prison-city of ‘Akká, considered the           of Orthodoxy’: Some Notes on the Báb’s Shar’ah
> vilest penal colony of the Ottoman Empire. In 1892,               (Sacred Law).” In A Most Noble Pattern: Essays
> Bahá’u’lláh passed away in Bahjí, near ‘Akká in Pal-              in the Study of the Writings of the Báb, edited by
> estine (now Israel).                                              Todd Lawson. Oxford: George Ronald,
> In his article on “Bábism” published that same               forthcoming.
> year, Professor Browne wrote: “I say nothing of the           Keil, Gerald. Time and the Baha’i Era: A Study of the
> mighty influence which, as I believe, the Bábí faith              Badí’ Calendar. Oxford: George Ronald, 2008.
> will exert in the future, nor of the new life it may per-     Saiedi, Nader. Gate of the Heart: Understanding the
> chance breathe into a dead people; for, whether it suc-           Writings of the Báb. Waterloo, ON: Wilfrid
> ceed or fail, the splendid heroism of the Bábí martyrs            Laurier University Press, 2008.
> is a thing eternal and indestructible.” The “Bábí faith”      Walbridge, John. “The Birthday of the Báb.” In
> that Browne spoke of evolved into the Baha’i Faith,               Sacred Acts, Sacred Space, Sacred Time, 217–
> which has since spread worldwide to become the most               218. Oxford: George Ronald, 1996.
> widely diffused world religion next to Christianity, ac-
> cording to the 2001 World Christian Encyclopedia.
> Today, Baha’is accept the Báb as a John the Baptist      Birth/Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh
> figure, whose words and actions heralded the arrival of
> Bahá’u’lláh. However, unlike John the Baptist, the Báb        The Baha’i Faith was founded by Mírzá Husayn-’Alí
> revealed much in substance, both in terms of doctrine         Núrí, known by his spiritual title, Bahá’u’lláh (1817–
> and religious laws, that was subsequently revoiced and        1892), and by Sayyid ‘Alí-Muhammad of Shíráz
> reenacted, with certain revisions, by Bahá’u’lláh.            (1819–1850), better known as the Báb (the “Gate”),
> 
> © 2011 ABC-Clio. All Rights Reserved.
> 354 | Birth/Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh
> 
> who claimed to be the Qá’im (Ariser/Resurrector), the          on the evening of May 22, 1844 (but is dated May 23
> messianic figure expected in Shia Islam, the majority          since, in the Baha’i calendar, the new day begins at
> faith in Iran. Throughout his six-year ministry, the Báb       sunset the previous day).
> heralded “Him Whom God Shall Make Manifest,”                        The birthdays of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh fall on
> whose advent was imminent. Most of the Bábís (fol-             two consecutive days in the Islamic lunar calendar. “The
> lowers of the Báb) came to accept Bahá’u’lláh as that          Birth of the Abhá Beauty [Bahá’u’lláh],” Bahá’u’lláh
> messianic figure. Most current Baha’i laws, in fact,           wrote, “was at the hour of dawn on the second day of
> were originally instituted by the Báb and were subse-          the month of Muharram, the first day of which mar-
> quently selectively ratified and revised by Bahá’u’lláh        keth the Birth of His Herald [the Báb]. These two days
> and set forth in the preeminent Baha’i scripture, The          are accounted as one in the sight of God.” The expla-
> Most Holy Book (Kitáb-i-Aqdas). The birth of                   nation for this statement is that, in the Muslim lunar
> Bahá’u’lláh and the birth of the Báb are therefore             calendar, the birth of the Báb was on the first day of
> closely linked.                                                the month of Muharram 1235 AH (October 20, 1819),
> Bahá’u’lláh was born on November 12, 1817, in             while the birth of Bahá’u’lláh took place on the sec-
> Tehran, Persia (now Iran). As a young nobleman, he             ond day of Muharram 1233 AH (November 12, 1817).
> became a prominent figure in the Bábí religion. In                  While the present Baha’i calendar (of 19 months
> 1852, while in prison during the unrest that followed          of 19 days, plus intercalary days) is solar and roughly
> the Báb’s execution in 1850, Bahá’u’lláh experienced           conforms to the Common Ear calendar), Baha’is in
> a series of visions and accepted his role as the Prom-         many countries of the Middle East observe these two
> ised One foretold by the Báb and in the messianic texts        Baha’i Holy Days according to the country’s Islamic
> of all religions.                                              lunar calendar (which is incidentally how they were
> By imperial decree, Bahá’u’lláh was subsequently          observed by Bahá’u’lláh himself), while Baha’is of
> exiled to Baghdad (1853–1863), to Istanbul (1863), to          the West and elsewhere (such as among the Baha’is in
> Adrianople (1863–1868), then to ‘Akká (Acre) in Pal-           Syria and Lebanon) celebrate these occasions by their
> estine (1868–1892), where he would spend the rest of           corresponding Common Era calendar dates. In the fu-
> his life in custody, although the last years were in rela-     ture, the Universal House of Justice (the institution that
> tive comfort under house arrest. Bahá’u’lláh died on           guides the Baha’i community internationally) will de-
> May 29, 1892, in Bahji, Palestine. Today, members of           termine whether these “Twin Days” will be celebrated
> the global Baha’i Faith commemorate both Bahá’u’lláh’s         on a solar or lunar basis.
> birth and ascension.                                                There is no prescribed ceremony or service for
> As the co-founders of the Baha’i Faith, Bahá’u’lláh       celebrating the anniversary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh.
> and his predecessor, the Báb, are often referred to            But it is common for Baha’is to meet together for col-
> as the “Twin Manifestations,” and the occasions of             lective worship and fellowship, often through devo-
> their respective births are similarly called the “Twin         tional meetings or musical programs. These programs
> Birthdays.”                                                    are open to all to would like to attend.
> In the Most Holy Book (Kitáb-i-Aqdas), Bahá’u’lláh             The birth and ascension of Bahá’u’lláh are consid-
> established four great festivals of the Baha’i year: “All      ered major holy days, during which work is suspended
> Feasts have attained their consummation in the two             as well as school activities.
> Most Great Festivals, and in the two other Festivals                Bahá’u’lláh passed away at 3:00 a.m. on May 29,
> that fall on the twin days.” The “two Most Great Festi-        1892, in Bahjí, near ‘Akká, in Palestine (now Israel).
> vals” are the Declaration of Bahá’u’lláh (known as the         A telegram bearing the news, “The Sun of Bahá’ has
> Festival of Ridván [Paradise]) from April 21 to May 2          set,” was immediately dispatched to Ottoman Sultan
> (commemorating Bahá’u’lláh’s initial proclamation of           Abdul-Hamíd II (r. 1876–1909), with a request for
> his prophetic mission in Baghdad, April 21–May 2,              permission to bury Bahá’u’lláh at Bahjí, which was
> 1863), and the Declaration of the Báb, which occurred          granted. After the ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, his eldest
> 
> © 2011 ABC-Clio. All Rights Reserved.
> Blavatsky, Helena P. | 355
> 
> son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (1844–1921), was appointed, pur-           Momen, Moojan. Bahá’u’lláh: A Short Biography.
> suant to Bahá’u’lláh’s will and testament and to provi-         Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 2007.
> sions of the Most Holy Book, as the appointed “Centre        Walbridge, John. “The Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh.”
> of the Covenant” (successor to Bahá’u’lláh), as the             In Sacred Acts, Sacred Space, Sacred Time,
> perfect exemplar of Baha’i ethics and virtues, and as           242–244. Oxford: George Ronald, 1996.
> the infallible expounder of his father’s teachings.          Walbridge, John. “The Birthday of Bahá’u’lláh.”
> Local Baha’i communities worldwide will there-             In Sacred Acts, Sacred Space, Sacred Time,
> fore gather at that time (3:00 a.m.) to commemorate             231–232. Oxford: George Ronald, 1996.
> their founder with Baha’i prayers and scriptures, usu-
> ally culminating in the chanting in Arabic, or recita-
> tion in translation, of what is known as the “Tablet of      Blavatsky, Helena P.
> Visitation,” a special prayer reserved for the com-
> 1831–1891
> memoration of the Báb as well as Bahá’u’lláh. Some
> Baha’is arrange, through the Office of Pilgrimage at         Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, usually called simply
> the Baha’i World Centre in Haifa, Israel, to schedule        Madam Blavatsky or her initials, H.P.B., was the pri-
> their pilgrimages around the time of the birth or ascen-     mary theoretician of the Theosophical Society, co-
> sion of Bahá’u’lláh.                                         founded by herself, Henry Steel Olcott (1832–1907),
> During their pilgrimage, Baha’is visit the shrine       and William Quan Judge (1851–1896) in New York
> of the Báb in Haifa, and the shrine of Bahá’u’lláh in        City in 1875. The Theosophical Society went on to
> Bahjí, near Acre, where Bahá’u’lláh lived the last years     become one of the most influential Western Esoteric
> of his life. (On July 8, 2008, the UN Educational, Sci-      organizations of the 20th century. It facilitated the
> entific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO] World             movement of Eastern religions to the West and gave
> Heritage Committee designated the shrine of the Báb          birth to numerous additional Esoteric groups.
> on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel, and the shrine of               Blavatsky was born Helena Hahn, July 30, 1832,
> Bahá’u’lláh, located near Old Acre on Israel’s north-        in Ekaterinoslav (now Dnepropetrovsk), Ukraine. She
> ern coast as World Heritage sites—the first modern           grew up in an affluent Russian family and came of age
> religious edifices to be added to the UNESCO List.) A        as Spiritualism was spreading through segments of
> large gathering was held there in 1992 on the cente-         Russian society. As a teenager, she was involved in
> nary of Bahá’u’lláh’s passing, following which the           various spiritual experiences, including automatic writ-
> Universal House of Justice, the international govern-        ing. Her teen years were spent with her grandfather
> ing body of the global Baha’i community, declared the        who provided a home following her mother’s death in
> period from April 1992 to April 1993 as the second           1843. She was but 16 when she married a much older
> “Baha’i Holy Year” to mark both the centenary itself         man, General N. V. Blavatsky. The marriage proved an
> and the inauguration of the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh in       unhappy experience for the young woman, and aban-
> November 1892.                                               doning her husband, she moved to Constantinople. She
> J. Gordon Melton and Christopher Buck         stayed in Turkey only a relatively short time. She pre-
> ferred travel and took the opportunity to roam through
> See also: Baha’i Faith; Bahá’u’lláh; Birth of the Báb;
> Asia and Europe. She traveled around the world twice
> Pilgrimage; Temples—Baha’i Faith.
> during the 1850s, and in 1856, while in India, made a
> References                                                   clandestine attempt to get into Tibet, then forbidden
> Bahá’u’lláh et al. Twin Holy Days: Birthday of               territory to outsiders. Whether she succeeded in her
> Bahá’u’lláh, Birthday of the Báb: A Compilation.         quest remains a debatable topic. In any case, investi-
> Los Angeles: Kalimát Press, 1995.                        gating paranormal phenomena during her travels oc-
> Keil, Gerald. Time and the Baha’i Era: A Study of the        cupied much of her time. She became a medium and in
> Badí’ Calendar. Oxford: George Ronald, 2008.             1871, in Cairo, she founded a Spiritualist society. The
> 
> © 2011 ABC-Clio. All Rights Reserved.
>
> — *Baha'u'llah, Birth/Ascension of (Used by permission of the curator)*