# Story of the Prophets

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-18 — 1 clipping.*

---

> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Farnaz Ma'sumian, Story of the Prophets, bahai-library.com.
> ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
> 
> © 2013 by Farnáz Ma̒ súmián, All rights reserved.
> 
> Artwork: Inonge Stevens
> Cover Design: Bijan Ma̒ súmián
> 
> To our son Adib
> 
> “God sent His Prophets into the world to teach and enlighten man, to explain to him the mystery of the
> Power of the Holy Spirit, to enable him to reflect the light, and so in his turn, to be the source of
> guidance to others. The Heavenly Books, the Bible, the Qur'án, and the other Holy Writings have been
> given by God as guides into the paths of Divine virtue, love, justice and peace.
> 
> Therefore I say unto you that ye should strive to follow the counsels of these Blessed Books, and so order
> your lives that ye may, following the examples set before you, become yourselves the saints of the Most
> High!”
> 
> `Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks, pp. 61-62
> 
> Acknowledgments
> 
> I wish to express deep gratitude to my talented friend, Inonge Stevens, for the great artwork
> she prepared for this book and to Shirley Lukenbill and Bretton Holmes for their
> encouragement. I also want to thank my husband Bijan Ma̒ súmián who designed the cover
> and lay out of the book and, along with our son Adib, reviewed the manuscript and offered
> many helpful suggestions.
> I am also grateful to my dear cousin and spiritual mentor, the late Mrs. Golnar Rafi`i (Sahbá).
> Without her support, this project would not have come to fruition.
> 
> CONTENTS
> 
> Abraham ............................................................................................................................... 7
> 
> Moses ..................................................................................................................................... 8
> 
> Zoroaster ............................................................................................................................. 11
> 
> Krishna ................................................................................................................................ 14
> 
> The Buddha ......................................................................................................................... 18
> 
> Jesus ..................................................................................................................................... 21
> 
> Muhammad......................................................................................................................... 25
> 
> The Báb ............................................................................................................................... 29
> 
> Bahá’u’lláh........................................................................................................................... 33
> 
> References............................................................................................................................ 38
> 
> The Story of Abraham
> 
> Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the
> land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation.”
> Genesis 12:1-2
> The beginning of the Jewish religion goes back to the time of a Prophet called Abraham
> whose name means “ancestor of a multitude”. He may well have been the first human being to
> believe in one God. Abraham lived in the city of Ur in today’s Iraq. The people in Ur
> worshipped natural forces, like the sun and moon. They also worshipped idols, which were
> statues and other images of gods that were used as objects of worship.
> According to Midrash, which are commentaries on the Hebrew Bible, Abraham’s father
> was an idol-maker. One day, Abraham destroyed his father’s idols. When his father asked the
> young Abraham who had destroyed the idols, Abraham said that they had fought and
> destroyed each other. His father told him that the idols were objects made out of clay and
> didn’t have any power of their own. Abraham asked, “If they don’t have any power of their
> own, then why do you worship them?” The story of Abraham destroying the idols is also
> mentioned in the Holy Book of the Muslims called the Qur’an. God ordered Abraham to move
> to the land of Canaan, known today as Israel. There, he and his family could live a happy and
> comfortable life and with the freedom to worship their God.
> When Abraham and his followers arrived at Canaan, the people there called them
> “Hebrews”, which means “the other side”, because they had come from the other side of a
> river called Euphrates. Many years after the death of Abraham, a terrible famine broke out and
> the Hebrews had to move from Canaan to Egypt. In Egypt, they were forced to work for the
> pharaoh (king) who began using them as slaves to build cities and huge temples. Because the
> Hebrews were suffering in Egypt, the pharaoh was afraid that at some point in the future they
> would support his enemies and overthrow him. As a result, he ordered that every boy born to
> the Hebrews be thrown into the Nile River.
> 
> `
> The Story of Moses
> ”And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and
> with all thy might.”                                          Deuteronomy 6:5
> 
> In Egypt, the story of the prophet Moses begins with his family leaving their baby son
> in a basket on the Nile River to protect him from being killed because he was a Hebrew. Since it
> was God’s plan for Moses to live and become the next prophet, the basket miraculously ended
> up in the pharaoh’s house. The basket was discovered by the pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted
> the baby and called him “Moses”, which means “taken from the water.” Moses grew up in the
> palace as an Egyptian prince surrounded by wealth and luxury.
> One day, Moses saw one of the pharaoh’s soldiers beating a Hebrew slave. Moses, who
> by then had learned that he himself was a Hebrew, went to help the slave. As he was trying to
> save the slave, the pharaoh’s soldier was killed. Moses was frightened and fled from Egypt. He
> went towards the east to a land called Midian, the present-day country of Saudi Arabia. There,
> he joined the family of a priest by the name of Jethro. Later, he married Zipporah, one of
> Jethro's daughters, and began working for her father as a shepherd.
> One day, as Moses was tending Jethro’s flock on a mountain called Sinai, an Angel of
> God appeared to him in the form of a burning bush. That was when Moses learned that God
> had chosen him as a new prophet. His mission was to free the Hebrews from slavery and to
> take them back to Canaan, the land of their ancestors. There, like their forefathers, they could
> live a free, happy, and comfortable life.
> At first, Moses could not convince the pharaoh to let the Hebrews leave Egypt because
> he wanted to keep the Hebrews there as his slaves. Because of this, God sent a series of
> disasters such as severe infestations of locusts, flies, and frogs; animal diseases; a terrible storm;
> and darkness that even the sun couldn’t penetrate. Finally, the pharaoh agreed to let his slaves
> leave Egypt, and with that the Hebrews began their 40 year-long journey to Canaan.
> 
> A Jewish Synagogue
> 
> During this time, God spoke with Moses on many occasions. He gave Moses many
> teachings that improved the life of the Hebrews and taught them to love, worship, and obey
> God. He taught them to respect their parents. He told them not to steal and to avoid hurting
> other people. He taught them to be honest and to avoid being greedy. He told them to love
> their neighbors as much as they love themselves.
> Moses died at the age of 120. Later, his people came to be known as the Jews. The
> words of God that were spoken to Moses were gathered into a book called the Bible. The Bible
> not only includes the teachings of Moses, but also has many stories and teachings from other
> great teachers who were guided by God.
> 
> The Story of Zoroaster
> “May the true-spoken word triumph over the false-spoken word.”
> Yasna 60: 5
> 
> The Prophet Zoroaster is the founder of a religion called Zoroastrianism. He is thought
> to have lived sometime between 1,700 and 660 B.C.E (“Before Common Era” or before Christ)
> in the northwestern part of a country known as Persia, now called Iran. According to some
> Zoroastrian books, when Zoroaster’s mother was five months pregnant, she had a dream in
> which she saw the world being destroyed. She was very scared, but an angel appeared to her
> in that dream and told her that the baby she was carrying was going to be a great prophet
> who would save the world from destruction.
> Zoroaster came from a noble family. As a child, he had every comfort in his home,
> which was near a beautiful lake. At the age of 20, Zoroaster left his parents’ house to search
> for truth and peace in the world. He spent the next 10 years of his life in a cave on a
> mountain called Ushidam (“divine intellect”). There, he spent his time in prayer and
> meditation and tried to find a solution to the many problems of his time, such as lying, war,
> and corruption. At the age of 30, Zoroaster had a vision. A gigantic, shining being appeared
> before him -- the archangel of “Good Thought” that the Zoroastrians call Vohu Mana. The
> archangel led the Zoroaster into the presence of God, where he learned that he was a new
> prophet and that his mission was to guide his people.
> Later, he went back home to share this wonderful news with his family and his people.
> He then spent the next 10 years of his life teaching the Message that God had given him. But
> like all other prophets, Zoroaster was rejected by the people of his time. Even his own father
> did not support him in the beginning. His main enemies were the priests of the land who
> made fun of him, as they usually do when a new prophet comes. Finally, after 10 years of
> hard work, Zoroaster had his first follower, who was his own cousin, Metyoma.
> 
> Because he did not have much success with his own people, Zoroaster decided to share
> his message with the people of other towns. He left his family and home behind and moved
> to a city called Balk where King Vishtaspa, the ruler of Iran, lived. Zoroaster hoped to share
> his wonderful Message with this king and his people.
> 
> Zoroastrian Temple
> But much like the people in Zoroaster’s hometown, the people of Balk had no interest in
> the Prophet’s Message. They preferred their old ways of statue and idol-worshiping and didn’t
> want to hear about Zoroaster’s God and his religion. King Vishtaspa was surrounded by a
> 
> number of corrupt priests and religious leaders who spent their time in witchcraft and animal
> sacrifice. These men were jealous of Zoroaster and wouldn’t let the king listen to his Message.
> The priests finally managed to have Zoroaster thrown into prison. During the time that
> Zoroaster was in jail, he had a life-changing experience. King Vishtaspa had a black horse,
> which he loved very much. This horse fell gravely ill and no one could treat it.
> Zoroaster had some experience with medicine and offered to help. When he succeeded
> in curing the horse of the deadly disease, the King was very happy with the Prophet. He
> decided to listen to Zoroaster’s Message, with which he fell in love, and became his follower.
> Then the Queen also became a follower and eventually most of Persia became followers of
> Zoroaster. Zoroaster taught his followers to believe in only one God. He called this God
> “Ahura Mazda”, which means “The Wise Lord.”
> At the time of Zoroaster, the people of his land believed in many gods. They made
> statues of these gods and worshiped the statues. Zoroaster taught them to believe in one God
> Who was the true God; the God Who created them and loved them.
> He also taught them about the virtues such as love, truth, and service to other human
> beings. He had great respect for agriculture and encouraged his followers to raise grain, grow
> fruits, root out weeds, and cultivate the land. He told them to treat animals with kindness,
> especially the cows that were of great service to the farmers. He also stressed the cleanliness of
> the body, soul, and home. His wonderful message of “good words, good deeds, and good
> thoughts” is still a great source of guidance for his followers to this day.
> 
> The Story of Krishna
> “He whose peace is not shaken by others, and before whom other people find
> peace, beyond excitement and anger and fear; he is dear to me.”
> Hinduism. Bhagavad Gita 12:15
> 
> In Hinduism, Krishna is known as an Avatar of Lord Vishnu (God). An Avatar is like a
> perfectly clean and polished mirror Who reflects all of the virtues and characteristics of God on
> earth. The word Krishna means dark or blue. In the Hindu works of art, Krishna’s face and his
> skin are often blue. Blue is the color of the sky and heaven, which indicates Krishna’s true
> spiritual nature. The complex life and story of Krishna is a mixture of facts and myths. Some
> sources consider him a mere legend, while others view Krishna as a real historical figure.
> Generally, two completely different personalities appear out of the stories surrounding
> Krishna.
> Krishna of the Puranas (“Legends”)
> The Krishna of the Puranas is much-loved by the Hindus and plays a major role in the
> folklore of India. Hindus believe that Krishna came from the ancient city of Mathura in India
> where the ruler, King Kamsa, was so cruel that he had thrown out his own father in order to
> rule in his place. According to the legends, wise men warned the evil king that one day the son
> of his cousin (Vasudeva) would take his place. King Kamsa therefore ordered that his cousin
> and his cousin’s wife, Devaki, be put into prison together. The king made sure that every time
> Devaki gave birth to a son, that son was immediately killed. This happened seven times. The
> eighth time, the guard who was watching for the next birth fell asleep.
> As soon as Vasudeva realized he had a son (Krishna) and that the guard was asleep, he
> crossed the river to a nearby village and switched his son with a baby girl. This trick saved
> Krishna’s life. He grew up among the farmers and became a kind and gentle young man whose
> 
> skill in playing the flute was unmatched. Krishna’s reputation for goodness and his
> unbelievable skill as a musician spread far and wide. This led King Kamsa to discover
> Krishna’s true identity. The king remembered the wise men’s predictions and tried several
> times to kill Krishna, but all of these attempts failed. At last, when the king tried to kill Krishna
> himself, the king was killed in the attack.
> 
> Hindu Temple
> 
> After King Kamsa’s death, the people offered his crown to Krishna, who was 12 years
> old. But Krishna refused to accept it. In His kindness, He gave the crown to King Kamsa’s
> father, who had been overthrown by his own son. As for Krishna, he went back to live in the
> village where had had been raised.
> 
> Krishna of the Bhagavad Gita (“The Songs of the Blessed Lord”)
> The Bhagavad Gita is a part of a very long poem (100,000 verses) called the
> Mahabharata. The Mahabharata tells the story of a battle between the Pandava brothers and
> their cousins, the Kauravas, for control of the northwestern kingdom of Hastinapura in India.
> The Bhagavad Gita forms only a small portion of the Mahabharata, but it is the most favorite
> Holy Book of many Hindus. The Bhagavad Gita is written in the form of a dialogue between
> two figures: a prince, Arjuna, and his charioteer and advisor Krishna. Arjuna is a member of
> the Pandava family. His royal power is threatened by his cousins, the Kauravas. He has to
> decide whether to fight against his cousins to restore his throne or to accept their rule. Arjuna
> is not willing to go into the war mainly because he doesn’t want to kill his close family
> members.
> Krishna tries to encourage the prince to fight this battle. In the course of their dialogue,
> Krishna reveals His divine nature to Arjuna. His revelation is described as the light of a
> thousand suns in the sky. As Arjuna looks at Krishna, he sees the entire world, all the gods,
> and the One. Filled with awe, Arjuna agrees to fight. Many people believe that the battle in the
> Bhagavad Gita is not a real battle but only a “symbolic” one. It is a battle between good and
> evil. They say that there are two forces within each human being that are always at work in
> opposition to each other. One is the force of the animal nature, which tends to drag him down
> into the animal kingdom. The other is the force of the spiritual nature, which elevates him to
> great heights of nearness to God. These two natures are always in combat. That is the kind of
> battle that Krishna encourages Arjuna to fight. This can be seen in the following verse from the
> Bhagavad Gita where Krishna tells Arjuna to:
> “Be a warrior and kill desire, the powerful enemy of the soul”. (3:43)
> So here, Krishna is not telling Arjuna to kill his cousins, but rather his desire for the
> wrong things in life. This idea is supported by one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century,
> 
> Mahatma Gandhi. He said that in the Bhagavad Gita the call to arms is not about real war but
> is a call to fight against dangerous moral and psychological forces, such as ignorance,
> selfishness, and anger. In the battle of the Bhagavad Gita there is a great symbol of hope: that
> he who has a good will and strives is never lost. And that in the battle for eternal life, there can
> never be defeat unless we run away from the battle.
> 
> The Story of the Buddha
> “Never speak harsh words, for once spoken they may return to you. Angry
> words are painful and there may be blows for blows.”
> The Dhammapada 10:133
> 
> Siddhartha Gautama Buddha was the founder of a religion called Buddhism. He was
> born about 563 B.C.E. (“Before Common Era”, or before Christ was born) in a country now
> known as Nepal. According to the Buddhist tradition, his father, Suddhodana, was a king.
> Before Siddhartha’s birth, his mother, Queen Maya, dreamed that a white elephant entered her
> womb. The Hindu priests interpreted this dream to mean that a son would be born to her who
> would either become a king of India, or turn to religion and become a monk who spent his time
> in meditation.
> When the baby was born, they called him Siddhartha, which means “He who has
> reached his goal”. According to Buddhist legends, Siddhartha’s father hoped that his son
> would not turn to religion and would grow up to become the king of India. He built his son
> three palaces, gave him fine clothes, many dancing girls, and several female musicians. He
> thought that with all these luxuries and comfort, Siddhartha would not have time to turn to
> religion and become a monk. When Siddhartha was 19, he married a princess called
> Yasodhara. They had a baby boy whom they called Rahula (“fetters”). But Siddhartha found
> out that worldly pleasures alone could not bring happiness. Although his father had ordered
> Siddhartha to stay in his palaces, he rode out one day into the world and, for the first time, saw
> an old man. The next day he went out, he saw a sick man, and on the third day, he saw a dead
> person. Thus he realized that all human beings were subject to suffering and death.
> 
> Buddhist Temple
> When he left the palace for a ride on the fourth day, he saw a monk who looked very
> peaceful to him. So Siddhartha decided to live like the monk. One night, at the age of 29, he left
> his palace, his wife, and baby boy behind to find a solution to the problem of suffering in this
> world. First, he studied with two masters of meditation, called yoga masters. When that did
> not increase his understanding, he began to deprive his body of food and comfort. During this
> 
> period of his life, he became very thin. His bones could be seen under his skin, but he still
> could not find the way to happiness. This was because when the body gets weak, the mind
> loses its ability to think clearly. One day, due to this starvation, Siddhartha fainted in a river.
> After coming to, he decided to end his fasting and to start eating again. It was then that a
> Hindu girl offered him a bowl of rice cooked in milk, which Siddhartha accepted.
> Later, he went and sat down under a fig tree. The Buddhists call this tree the Bodhi tree,
> which means the “Tree of Knowledge”. That’s because Buddhists believe that it is under this
> tree that Siddhartha found the answer to the problem of suffering and thus became the
> Buddha, which means “the Enlightened One.” He decided that he would not get up until he
> had found the answer to his quest for happiness and the end of misery in this world.
> According to the Buddhist legends, as he was sitting under the Bodhi Tree and was wrapped in
> meditation, an evil force named the Tempter Mara (or the evil one) attacked him with storms,
> rain, rocks, and blazing weapons. But Siddhartha did not move. Then, Mara tried to tempt him
> by offering him the wealth of the world so that he would give up his goal. But Mara’s effort
> had no effect on Siddhartha.
> It was then that Siddhartha received the answer he was looking for. He learned that if
> we are going to be free from pain and suffering in this world, we need to learn to become
> detached. In other words, we need to free ourselves from attachment to material things in the
> world. We have to learn to focus our lives on developing such virtues as love, kindness,
> generosity, truthfulness, and honesty. This was a turning point in the life of Siddhartha and the
> people of his time. He was now referred to as the “Buddha”, which means the Enlightened
> One. For the next 45 years, the Buddha traveled through the northern Indian countryside
> teaching people about the virtues, which he called “the true treasures of life.” He taught them
> to love and not to hate. He spoke to them about the importance of living together in peace and
> harmony. He also taught them to avoid fighting with each other. He advised his followers to
> be wise, to be generous, and to avoid jealousy, lying, and selfishness.
> Many people of various sects and classes joined his religion. That included most of his
> family members, such as his father, his son, Rahula, and his wife. Through his wonderful
> teachings, the Buddha helped millions of people of various nations to live a happy and
> peaceful life.
> 
> The Story of Jesus
> “Bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you.”
> Gospel of Matthew 5:44
> 
> The founder of Christianity is known by the title of Christ or the “Chosen One.” At
> birth, he was named Jesus, which means “God is help.” The Holy Book of the Christians is the
> Bible, which consists of the Old Testament (the Jewish Bible) and the New Testament. The New
> Testament is a collection of stories and letters about Jesus and the beginning of Christianity.
> The Bible tells us that Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem in the Holy Land, which is called
> Israel today. It does not give the exact date of his birth.
> Jesus came from a religious Jewish family that lived a very simple life. His mother,
> Mary, was married to Joseph, a carpenter who raised Jesus as his own son. In the Bible, a story
> called “the Annunciation” describes how an angel appeared to Mary and told her that she
> would have a son conceived by the Holy Spirit. It also describes how Mary was a virgin when
> she became pregnant with Jesus, and that he was therefore conceived through the heavenly
> intervention of the Holy Spirit. Before the Birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph had to travel to the
> city of Bethlehem on the order of the Roman government which ruled over the Holy Land. The
> rulers had wanted to conduct a census, which is a count of the number of people who were
> living there. When Jesus’ parents arrived at Bethlehem, they could not find a room in which to
> stay, so the baby Jesus was born in a stable and cradled in the feedbox of a donkey.
> The Bible describes how a group of Bethlehem shepherds came to see baby Jesus to pay
> their respects to him. These shepherds said that many angels had appeared to them and had
> given them the good news of the birth of a Savior, one who would free people from their
> suffering and would bring peace and happiness to the world. The Bible also speaks of a few
> Zoroastrian priests called the “Magi” who had followed a star and had arrived at Bethlehem to
> pay their respects to this Savior, bringing him gifts including gold. It is believed that the Magi
> 
> were searching for the Saoshyant or "Savior," who was an ideal king-figure hoped for by both
> Persians and Jews.
> Jesus grew up in a large family in which there were at least six other children, including
> James, Joses (Greek for Joseph), Jude, and Simon, and at least two sisters. His parents traveled
> to Jerusalem each year to observe the Jewish Passover celebration. Jesus became so familiar
> with the Hebrew Bible that he was able to quote its passages easily. The Bible includes a story
> about how, at the age of 12, Jesus went with his family to the city of Jerusalem for the festival of
> Passover. On the way back home, Mary and Joseph noticed suddenly that Jesus was not with
> them. Frightened, they began searching for him and found him, still in the Jewish Temple,
> talking to the rabbis, Jewish religious leaders, about the “Torah”, the Jewish scriptures. The
> rabbis were amazed at his knowledge and understanding.
> As a young boy, Jesus learned carpentry and began to help Joseph with his work. When
> Joseph died, Jesus, as the oldest son of the family, took over the management of Joseph’s
> carpentry business. When Jesus was 30 years old, his cousin, John the Baptist, baptized him in
> the River Jordan. John the Baptist was a holy man who brought the good news to the people of
> his time that a Messenger of God was going to come to free them from all of their sorrows.
> People from all parts of the Holy Land would come to hear John and be baptized by him. This
> baptism, which involved immersing people in the river, had a symbolic meaning. It
> symbolized the washing away of their sins and mistakes and the chance for them to start a new
> spiritual life.
> 
> Christian Church
> It was during his baptism by John the Baptist that Jesus learned that he was a
> Messenger of God for his time. He was given a very important and difficult task and he needed
> time to think about it. He left his home and went into the desert, where he spent 40 days to
> think about the mission he had been given by God. Like the Buddha under the fig tree, Jesus
> also faced a lot of temptations to turn away from God and busy himself with the things of this
> world. At the end, he overcame the temptations and began sharing the great message that he
> had received from God with his people.
> 
> The first follower of Jesus was a fisherman by the name of Simon. Jesus gave Simon the
> name of Peter, which means “the rock”. Later, another 11 men, along with some women such
> as Mary Magdalene, recognized Jesus as the new Messenger of God for their time. The number
> of his followers gradually increased. Jesus spent his days talking to his followers about God
> and about living a life that was pleasing to God. He taught them how to love other human
> beings and how to be patient, forgiving, honest, and generous. His popularity made the priests
> of his time very jealous. They did not want their followers to be attracted to this new prophet.
> They knew that if that happened, they would lose their own position and popularity among
> the people.
> When Jesus told these priests that he was their spiritual King, the one that the Bible had
> promised was coming, they did not believe him. That was because they expected their king to
> be a person with worldly power and wealth, while Jesus did not own much of the things of this
> world. His kingdom was not of this world. Jesus’ mission lasted for about three years before he
> was arrested and put to death. He was nailed to a cross, between two thieves who were also
> put to death in this way. Jesus had so much love and forgiveness that even on the cross, he
> prayed for the forgiveness of his enemies. His crucifixion took place on a Friday. Later, a
> wealthy Jewish disciple by the name of Joseph of Arimathea placed Jesus’ body in a tomb he
> had reserved for his own burial. After Jesus’ death, his early followers, who were mostly
> fishermen, ordinary clerks and farmers, spread Jesus’ wonderful message of love, compassion,
> and tolerance throughout the world.
> 
> The Story of Muhammad
> “When My servants ask you concerning Me, I am indeed Close to them. I listen to
> the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on Me.”
> Qur’an 2:186
> 
> Muhammad is the founder of a religion called Islam. His name means “The Praised
> One”[, and] Islam means “submission unto the Will of God.” Muhammad was born in about
> 570 A.D. in the city of Mecca, which is in today’s Saudi Arabia. It is a land that is mostly desert,
> lacking in water, and very hot. Muhammad’s father died before Muhammad was born. When
> he was only six years old, Muhammad lost his mother, so his grandfather took care of him for
> the next two years. Then his grandfather passed away and Muhammad’s uncle, Abu Talib,
> raised him. Muhammad was well-known among his people for his honesty. In fact, he was
> called “al-Amin”, which means “one who is trustworthy.” As a young man, Muhammad was
> in charge of caravans and took camel-loads and goods from his town to sell in other places.
> Because of his honesty, he soon became the leader of many caravans. When he was 25, he
> married a wealthy widow named Khadija and they had four daughters.
> Muhammad lived among tribes of Arabia who were always fighting with each other.
> Most of the people of Arabia were polytheists, meaning they worshipped many gods. Just like
> the people before the time of Zoroaster, the Arabs mostly worshipped gods that they had made
> out of stone and wood. There were about 360 of these idols inside a small building called the
> Ka̒ bah, located in Mecca. Because there were so many images of various gods in the Ka̒ bah,
> it had become the holiest place for the Arabs. People would come from all parts of Arabia to
> worship their gods there. Muhammad did not believe in these gods. In fact, he wished that his
> people would give up the worship of many gods and also stop fighting and killing each other.
> Like many other prophets, Muhammad spent a good part of his time in prayer and meditation.
> There was a mountain called Mt. Hira that was a few miles north of the city of Mecca.
> 
> Muhammad used to go there regularly and spend hours or even days in a cave there praying,
> meditating, and seeking to find a solution for the problems of his people.
> Then one night, when he was 40 years old, God spoke to Muhammad through an angel
> named Gabriel (“God is strong”) while he was meditating in the cave. Gabriel told Muhammad
> that he was a new prophet and that his mission was to teach people about God and His
> teachings and to help them live a better life. When Muhammad went back home to his wife,
> Khadija, and shared his experience with her, she understood what had happened and became
> his first follower. At first he shared the Message only with his friends and relatives and gained
> some new followers. Later, he went to the other people of Mecca with the Message he had
> received from God. He told them to stop worshipping the idols they had built and to believe in
> the One True God. But the people had no interest in Muhammad’s Message. They ridiculed
> him, threw stones at him, and called him names. Finally, the enemies of Muhammad decided
> to kill him.
> However, God had other plans for his Messenger. Right around that time, some men
> came from the city of Medina to the city of Mecca where Muhammad lived. They were tired of
> constant battles among the different tribes in their city. They were hoping that Muhammad
> would come to their city to put an end to these wars and to help them live in peace. They asked
> for Muhammad’s help because he was known as someone who could bring peace to warring
> tribes and could teach them to live in harmony. The timing was perfect for Muhammad and he
> accepted their invitation and left the city of Mecca to travel to Medina.
> Muhammad brought peace to the warring tribes of Medina and became very popular
> among the people. In the first year of his stay there, he set up a confederation of all the groups
> who lived in Medina. This alliance involved a commitment to fight together against outside
> enemies, not to make a separate peace with outside enemies, and not to give refuge to anyone
> who had committed a crime or an act of aggression or had caused disunity among the tribes.
> The treaty of alliance made the city of Medina a safe place.
> In Medina, Muhammad’s house became a place of worship where many of his
> followers gathered and prayed together on Fridays. This practice of praying together on
> Fridays still continues among the Muslims today. Many years later, Muhammad and some of
> his followers returned to the city of Mecca where Muhammad had been born. There, the
> Prophet went inside the Ka̒ bah and destroyed all of the idols and made that place a sacred
> 
> shrine for Muslims. Today, the Ka̒ bah is the holiest place for Muslims and the place that the
> Muslims face when they pray five times a day.
> 
> Dome of the Rock
> The following story shows how the Prophet Muhammad taught the importance of the love of
> God to one of his followers:
> A man once came to Muhammad with a bundle and said; ‘O Prophet, I passed
> through a wood and heard the voice of the young birds; I took them and put them in
> my carpet, and their mother came fluttering round my head.’ Muhammad said, ‘Put
> them down.’ When the man had put them down, the mother joined her young. And the
> Prophet said, ‘Do you wonder at the affection of the mother towards her young? I
> swear by Him who has sent me, verily God is more loving to His servants than the
> mother to these young birds. Return them to the place from which ye took them, and let
> their mother be with them.”1
> The Message that Muhammad received from God was later gathered together in a Book
> called the Qur’an, which means “to recite or read.” The Qur’an is the holy Book of the
> Muslims. In the Qur’an, we find the belief in the One True God who is called Allah, which
> actually means “God.” In this Book, God invites the Muslims to live in peace together, to give
> to the poor and needy, and to treat others as they would like to be treated by them.
> Like all other prophets, Muhammad encouraged his followers to live a life of virtues.
> He told them to acquire knowledge, to be thankful to God, to be peaceful and kind, to respect
> their parents, to pray, and to avoid gossip. After the death of Muhammad, his successors
> spread Islam’s Message to different parts of the world including Syria, Persia, Iraq, India,
> Mongolia, Palestine, Egypt, North Africa, and Spain.
> 
> The Story of the Báb
> “If thou art a believer, thy faith shall be sufficient for thee above all things that exist on earth, even
> though thou possess nothing.”
> Selections from the Writings of the Báb. p. 123
> On October 20,1819, a child named ‘Alí-Muhammad was born to a family of merchants
> in the Persian city of Shiraz. Later, he took the title the Báb (the Gate). The Báb’s father died
> soon after his birth. So, like Muhammad, the Báb was raised by his uncle. From childhood, the
> Báb was different from other children. While they were busy playing, he would be found
> sitting under the shade of a tree or in some other quiet place praying and meditating. As a
> child, the Báb was sent to a teacher called Shaykh `Abid in order to study the Qur’an, reading,
> and writing. But his God-given knowledge, wisdom, and intelligence astonished his teacher,
> who one day took him back to his uncle and told him that this child was in no need of teachers
> like him. The Báb’s uncle, however, still sent him back to school.
> One day when the Báb had come late to school, his teacher asked him why he had been
> late. The Báb said quietly that he had been in the house of his “Grandfather”. By the term
> grandfather, he was referring to the prophet Muhammad, who was his ancestor. The teacher
> told the Báb that he was only 10 and he didn’t need to spend so much time in prayer and
> meditation. The Báb answered: “I wish to be like my grandfather.” Later on, both Shaykh
> `Abid and the Báb’s uncle became followers of the Báb. There are many other stories that show
> how extraordinary the Báb was even as a child. It is said that one day the Báb’s mother scolded
> a servant just after the mother had performed her ablution (washing her hands and feet) in
> preparation for her daily prayer. The Báb, who was only six years old at the time, told his
> mother, “My beloved mother, wouldn’t it have been better if you had done the purifying
> ablution right before the prayer so that the rebuke would not have tarnished your prayer? 2”
> The Báb was only 25 when he announced that he was the Promised One of Islam. He
> also said that he had come to prepare the way for an even greater Prophet of God who was
> going to appear soon and would end wars and bring peace to the world. The Báb called
> himself the Gate (in Arabic, the Báb) to that great Prophet. Just as John the Baptist prepared the
> way for the coming of Jesus, the Báb was also getting his followers ready for the coming of the
> next prophet.
> 
> At first 18 people listened to the Message of the Báb. His first follower was a pious and
> knowledgeable young man by the name of Mullah Husayn. Through his research of the
> Muslim Holy Writings, he had come to the conclusion that the Promised One of Islam was
> going to appear in the year 1844. The year 1844 is also very important in the Christian calendar.
> There are many prophecies in the Bible that point to this year for the Second Coming of Christ.
> Mullah Husayn spent many days in prayer and fasting and his meditation led him to
> the city of Shiraz where the Báb was living. Mullah Husayn was welcomed by the Báb into his
> house and became convinced that the Báb was the Promised One of Islam. That meeting took
> place on May 23 1844. Later, 17 other people came to recognize the station of the Báb as the
> Promised One of Islam and the founder of a new religion called the Bábí Faith. Soon the Báb’s
> Message gained widespread support. Thousands of people joined his religion and became
> known as Bábís. The fame of the Báb scared some of the religious leaders of Iran who were
> afraid of losing power and prestige if more people were to accept the Báb’s message. These
> leaders feared and resented the new Faith of the Báb and began killing and torturing thousands
> of his followers.
> As for the Báb himself, he was arrested and locked away in prisons in the mountains
> and was finally put to death on July 9th, 1850 at the age of 30. Just like Christ, the Báb also knew
> that he would be martyred in the path of God. On the morning of the day of his martyrdom,
> the officer who had been ordered to carry out the execution of the Báb went to bring him out
> from the prison. The Báb was talking to his secretary, who was writing down the Báb’s last
> instructions. The officer told the Báb that it was time for him to leave the prison and go to the
> place of his execution. The Báb said that he needed to finish his conversation with his secretary.
> The officer laughed and said that he was a prisoner and that he could not choose to do as he
> pleased.
> As the Báb was being taken to the place of his execution, he told the officer that no
> power on earth could do him any harm until he had finished what he intended to say to his
> secretary and had completed his mission on earth. The officer ignored the Báb’s comment and
> took him to the public square where he was going to be put to death. At that time, one of his
> followers by the name of Anis came running up to the Báb. He threw himself at his feet and
> begged to be allowed to die with him. The officer tried to push Anis away but he cried and
> pleaded so much that the officer took him, also.
> 
> Shrine of the Báb
> 
> Thousands of people had gathered in the public square where the soldiers were waiting
> to execute the Báb. All of them watched as the Báb and Anis were tied in such a way that the
> head of Anis rested on the chest of his beloved Master, the Báb. Then the hundreds of soldiers
> fired their guns. When the smoke cleared, people saw that Anis was standing there unharmed,
> and there was no trace of the Báb.
> People said that a miracle had happened. The officer who had taken the Báb to his place
> of execution went to look for him and found him sitting calmly in the same place as before,
> finishing his conversation with his secretary. The Báb looked at the officer and told him that his
> mission on earth was now completed and that he was ready to die in the path of God.
> When the Báb was brought to the square for the second time, the commander of the
> soldiers said that he didn’t want to have anything to do with the Báb’s execution. He ordered
> his soldiers to leave and swore that nothing would make him take the life of the Báb or his
> followers.
> Another group of soldiers was brought in to carry out the execution. This time, 750
> bullets hit their target and the Báb and Anis were killed. The soldiers threw the bodies of the
> Báb and Anis into a ditch outside the city. But the followers of the Báb managed to place the
> bodies in a wooden box and hide them for many years. Eventually, they brought these remains
> to Haifa in the Holy Land and buried them in a shrine on Mount Carmel.
> The Báb wrote many books. In his Writings, he set a new system of laws and religious
> principles. He also said that the main purpose of his mission was to announce the coming of
> the Promised One of all ages. In his book, the Persian Bayán, the Báb described this new
> prophet as “He Whom God Shall Make Manifest.” He told his followers that when this New
> Prophet appeared, they would have to put aside everything else and follow him as soon as
> they heard His Message. He even made reference to his name, “Bahá’u’lláh”, in some of his
> books. The Báb said that the mission of this new prophet was to help humanity live like one
> large family and to establish peace on earth.
> 
> The Story of Bahá’u’lláh
> 
> “That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the
> entire human race. The Great Being saith: Blessed and happy is he that ariseth to
> promote the best interests of the peoples and kindreds of the earth. In another
> passage He hath proclaimed: It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own
> country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one
> country, and mankind its citizens.”
> Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. P. 250
> 
> Bahá’u’lláh (Glory of God) is the founder of a religion called the Bahá’í Faith. He was
> born on November 12, 1817 in Tehran, the capital of Persia, known today as Iran. His parents
> called him Husayn-‘Alí but he later came to be known as Bahá’u’lláh, which means “the Glory
> of God.” Like Buddha and Zoroaster, Bahá’u’lláh’s childhood was happy and comfortable. His
> family lived in a mansion with beautiful furniture and many fine things.
> Bahá’u’lláh’s father was a nobleman who was so respected for his wisdom, talents,
> generosity, and courage that the King gave him the title “Buzurg”, which means “the great
> one”, and made him a vizier. From the time of his childhood, Bahá’u’lláh was different from
> other children. His mother used to say that her son never cried or made a fuss about anything.
> He was also very kind and generous. Like most other children of noble families, Bahá’u’lláh
> had a tutor at home for a while but he never attended any school. His vast, God-given
> knowledge amazed everyone who came into contact with him.
> When Bahá’u’lláh was only five or six, his father had a strange dream that he was in a
> garden where huge birds were flying over his head and attacking him. But they could not harm
> him in any way. Then he went on to take a bath in the sea and again, he was attacked, but this
> time by fish. Like the birds, the fish also could not harm him. Bahá’u’lláh shared this dream
> with his father, who asked a wise man to interpret the dream. Just like in the story of Buddha,
> the wise man also predicted that this boy was going to be a great person. He said that the sea in
> the dream was this world and the huge birds and fish were the peoples of the world who
> 
> would attack his son in the future. This was because Bahá’u’lláh was going to speak of
> something that was very important and had to do with the minds of people. But they would
> not be able to harm him, and he would live to achieve a great task.
> Bahá’u’lláh grew up and married a woman called Navváb, who, like him, came from a
> noble and wealthy family. She was kind, loving, and very beautiful. They had three children.
> When Bahá’u’lláh was 22 years old, his father died and the government offered him his father’s
> position. But like Buddha and Zoroaster, Bahá’u’lláh had no interest in worldly things, so he
> rejected the offer. Instead, he spent his time in prayer and meditation and serving the poor. His
> charitable works earned him the title “the Father of the Poor.” Bahá’u’lláh was 27 when he
> became aware of the Báb’s message through another individual and immediately joined the
> new religion. Two years after the Báb’s death, two young Bábís who were angry that the King
> of Persia had been responsible for the death of the Báb, decided to take revenge and kill the
> King. The assassination attempt failed and resulted in the death or arrest of hundreds of the
> Bábís.
> Bahá’u’lláh was among those wrongly accused of involvement in the assassination plot.
> He was arrested and thrown into an underground dungeon in Tehran called the “Black Pit.” In
> this dark and dirty dungeon, Bahá’u’lláh was imprisoned with murderers and thieves. Heavy
> chains were put around his neck, chains so heavy he could not lift up his head. Bahá’u’lláh
> suffered four terrible months in this dungeon. One night, while a prisoner, Bahá’u’lláh had a
> vision. A beautiful angel (the Maiden of Heaven) appeared to him and told him that he was the
> new Prophet of God. Once again, God had appointed a new messenger. This time, it was
> Bahá’u’lláh who was chosen by God to help bring about the Promised Day. In all of the
> religions and their holy books, God had promised a Day in which all the people of the world
> would put aside war and learn to live together in peace and harmony.
> When Bahá’u’lláh’s innocence was proven, he was freed from the dungeon but ordered
> by the government to leave the country with his family. They were sent to Baghdad (in Iraq) in
> the bitter cold of winter. Bahá’u’lláh, Navváb, and their young children had to travel hundreds
> of miles during this long journey that took three months. They finally reached Baghdad, but
> that was not the end of their suffering. When Bahá'u'lláh arrived in Baghdad, there was already
> a small community of Bábís living there. Soon, Bahá'u'lláh noticed that the leaderless
> community of the Bábís in Baghdad had sunk to depths of degradation. He decided to help
> 
> them, but he soon became the object of the envy of others who sought leadership within the
> Bábí community.
> To prevent disunity among the Bábís, Bahá’u’lláh decided to leave Baghdad for the
> mountains of Kurdistan. There, he stayed in small caves for about a year and lived on very
> simple food. Just like the Buddha meditating under the Bodhi Tree, Zoroaster living in a cave
> on Mount Ushidam, Jesus living in the desert for 40 days, and Muhammad meditating in the
> cave on Mt. Hira, now Bahá’u’lláh spent this time in prayer and mediation. After a year in the
> mountains, Bahá'u'lláh was seen by a Muslim mystic in the area who invited him to move to a
> nearby city in Kurdistan. Bahá'u'lláh accepted the offer and stayed in the city for another year.
> Eventually, Bahá'u'lláh’s family, who were looking for him, found some clues as to his
> whereabouts. They sent an intermediary after him who succeeded in convincing Bahá'u'lláh to
> return. In Bahá'u'lláh’s absence, it had become clear to the Bábís that they needed his
> leadership to survive. Soon, Bahá'u'lláh’s fame and reputation as a great religious teacher
> spread throughout Baghdad and other cities of Iraq and many came to him to listen to his
> words. This made his enemies very jealous and they asked the government to send him farther
> away, this time to the city of Istanbul (in Turkey). The government agreed.
> Before leaving Baghdad, Bahá’u’lláh and his companions camped in a garden outside
> the city for 12 days. In this garden, which is called the Garden of Ridvan (or Paradise),
> Bahá’u’lláh announced to his followers that he was the Great Prophet that the Báb had spoken
> of earlier. He also told them that he was the Promised One of all religions. He was the prophet
> foretold by all the Holy Books of the past religions, the one who would bring teachings that
> would help humanity live in peace and unity.
> In Istanbul, Bahá’u’lláh’s wisdom and loving personality attracted many people. His
> jealous enemies again decided to send him away to another place called Adrianople. From
> there, the government sent him and his family and a few of his followers to the Prison City of
> ‘Akká in the Holy Land, then called Palestine, and today known as Israel.
> At that time, the city of ‘Akká was a very filthy place with an unhealthy climate. The
> whole city was a prison reserved for murderers and thieves who would spend the rest of their
> lives there. For nine years, Bahá’u’lláh could not leave this Prison City. But gradually
> everything changed and, as Bahá'u'lláh once again touched the hearts of the people, he was
> 
> allowed to leave ‘Akká. Altogether, Bahá’u’lláh spent 40 years of his life in exile. He loved
> children and was always very kind to them. The following story describes a young boy’s
> encounter with Bahá’u’lláh when He was in the mountains of Sulaymániyyah:
> 
> Chicago Bahá’í Temple
> 
> While living on a mountain named Sar-Galu above Sulaymániyyah, Bahá’u’lláh
> encountered one day a student from the school in Khaniqah [Sufi place for spiritual
> retreat] sitting by the road and weeping bitterly. When asked the reason for his
> sadness, the boy explained: ‘Today, our schoolmaster gave all the other boys a copy* to
> practice their writing, but me he dismissed and I have no copy.’ ‘If you will bring your
> paper and pen,’ Bahá’u’lláh suggested kindly, ‘I shall set a copy for you.’ When, on
> returning to his school, the child showed this specimen of Bahá’u’lláh‘s exquisite
> penmanship to the teachers and students, everyone was astonished… 3
> Like all the former prophets, Bahá’u’lláh taught his followers, who are called the
> Bahá’ís, to live a holy life. He told them to be kind, generous, forgiving, caring, patient, honest,
> confident, strong, happy, and loving. He told them to respect their parents, to care for the poor,
> to visit the sick, and to pray and meditate every day. He taught them to love the great prophets
> of the past and to be kind, friendly, and respectful to their followers. He told them to study
> science, the arts, music, and, above all, to learn about God and to know why He created them.
> Bahá’u’lláh said that the reason for our lives here on earth is to learn the virtues. This
> will help us live a better life on earth and after we die. He also said that the education of
> children is very important. He told his followers to strive to remove all kinds of prejudice from
> their lives. The teachings of Bahá’u’lláh that are revealed in his many books and tablets (letters)
> are aimed at bringing about peace, harmony, and unity among all the people of the world.
> 
> __________________________________________________________________________________
> *Copy: In the above story, a copy means “a penmanship tablet template” that a teacher would give
> students. The students were expected to imitate the style and beauty of the teacher’s penmanship.
> 
> References:
> 1Afnan, Abbas. An Anthology for Bahá’í Children. London. The Bahá’í Publishing Trust. 1979, p.
> 36.
> 2   Lady Blomfield. The Chosen Highway. London. The Bahá’í Publishing Trust. 1956, p. 13.
> Furutan, `Alí-Akbar. Stories of Bahá’u’lláh. (Translated by Katayoon &I Robert Crerar). Oxford,
> 
> George Ronald Publishers, 1986, p. 19.
> 
> Bibliography
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá . Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha. Complied by the Research
> Department of the Universal House of Justice. Israel, Haifa: Bahá’í World Center, 1978.
> Afnan, Abbas. An Anthology for Bahá’í Children. London: The Bahá’í Publishing Trust. 1979.
> The Bahá’ís: A Profile of the Bahá’í Faith and Its Worldwide Community. United Kingdom: Bahá’í
> Publishing Trust of the United Kingdom, 2005.
> Bahá’u’lláh. Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. Trans. Shoghi Effendi. Wilmette, Illinois:
> Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1976.
> The Bhagavad Gita. Trans. Juan Mascaro. New York, New York: Penguin Books, 1962.
> Bible, The Holy: Revised Standard Version. New York: Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1952.
> The Dhammapada: The Path to Perfection. Trans. Juan Mascaro. New York, New York: Penguin
> Books, 1973.
> Fatheazam, Hushmand. The New Garden. New Delhi: The Bahá’í Publishing Trust. 1985.
> Furutan, `Alí-Akbar . Stories of Bahá’u’lláh. (Translated by Katayoon & Robert Crear). Oxford:
> George Ronald Publishers, 1986.
> Hatcher, William S & Douglas J. Martin. The Bahá’í Faith: The Emerging Global Religion. San
> Francisco: Harper & Row, 1998.
> Hopfe, Lewis M & Mark R. Woodward. Religions of the World. Upper saddle River, New Jersey:
> Prentice Hall, 2004.
> The Koran. (J.M. Rodwell Translation). New York: Ivy Books, 1993.
> 
> Lady Blomfield. The Chosen Highway. London. The Bahá’í Publishing Trust. 1956.
> Ma̒ súmián, Farnáz & Bijan Ma̒ súmián. Divine Educators. Oxford: George Ronald Publishers,
> 2005.
> Nigosian, S. A. World Faiths. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1994.
> Noss, David S & John B. Noss. A History of the World’s Religions. New York: Mac Millan College
> Publishing Company, 1994.
> The Báb. Selections from the Writings of the Báb. Compiled by the Research Department of the
> Universal House of Justice and translated by Habib Taherzadeh. Israel, Haifa: Bahá’í
> World Center, 1978.
> Wilson, Andrew (editor). World Scripture: A Comparative Anthology of Sacred Texts. New York:
> Paragon House, 1995.
> 
> Farnáz Ma̒ súmián
>
> — *Story of the Prophets (Used by permission of the curator)*