Execution of the Báb

On the morning of July 9, 1850 in Tabriz, a young Persian merchant known as the Báb was charged with apostasy and shot by order of the Prime Minister of the Persian Empire.cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia= Encyclopædia Iranica |year= 1989 |article=Bāb, Sayyed `Ali Mohammad Sirazi | first = Dennis | last = MacEoin] The events surrounding his execution have been the subject of controversy among researchers, and are regarded as miraculous by Bahá'ís, who consider him to be a Manifestation of God.cite book | title =Dying for God: Martyrdom in the Shii and Babi Religions | first = Jonah | last = Winters | date = 1997-09-19 | accessdate = 2007-01-23 | chapter = Background to Babism: A brief epitome of Babi history| url = http://bahai-library.com/theses/dying/dying6.babi.history.html | publisher = M.A. Thesis: University of Toronto]

The Báb and one of his companions were suspended on a wall and a large firing squad prepared to shoot. When the smoke cleared after the first firing of bullets, the Báb was missing. Reports continue by stating that the Báb was found back in his prison room finishing dictation to his secretary.cite book |last = Balyuzi |first = H.M. |authorlink = Hasan M. Balyuzi |year = 1973 |title = The Báb: The Herald of the Day of Days |publisher = George Ronald |location = Oxford, UK |id = ISBN 0853980489 | pages = p.154-161] Other sources, which include Persian and European reports, give a variety of accounts, some in agreement with the miracle-like Bahá'í story, and some indicating a less miraculous event. All agree that he survived the first firing squad, and was killed by the second.

For many years after his death, the remains of the Báb were secretly transferred from place to place until they were brought to their final resting place at the Shrine of the Báb in Haifa on the middle terrace of the Bahá'í Gardens.cite book |first=Effendi |last=Shoghi |authorlink=Shoghi Effendi |year=1944 |title=God Passes By |publisher=Bahá'í Publishing Trust |location=Wilmette, Illinois, USA |id=ISBN 0877430209 |url=http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/se/GPB/gpb-19.html | pages=pp. 273-289]

Execution order

In 1850 a new prime-minister, Amir Kabir,cite book |first=Shoghi |last=Effendi |authorlink=Shoghi Effendi |year=1944 |title=God Passes By |publisher=Bahá'í Publishing Trust |location=Wilmette, Illinois, USA |id=ISBN 0877430209 |url=http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/se/GPB/gpb-5.html#pg52
pages=p. 52] ordered the execution of the Báb; he was brought to Tabriz, where he would be killed by a firing squad. The night before his execution, as he was being conducted to his cell, a young man, Anís (sometimes called Mulla Muhammad Ali), threw himself at the feet of the Báb, wanting to be killed with the Báb. He was immediately arrested and placed in the same cell as the Báb.

On the morning of July 9, 1850, the Báb was taken to a courtyard filled with nearly ten thousand people wishing to watch his execution. The Báb and Anís were suspended on a wall and the firing squad of 750 rifles prepared to shoot. [cite book |last = Sears |first = W. |authorlink = William Sears (Bahá'í) |year = 1995 |title = Release the Sun |publisher = Bahá'í Publishing Trust |location = USA |id = ISBN 0877430039 | pages = p. 175]

Bábi/Bahá'í account

Here is an account which is in line with the common Bahá'í view by H.M. Balyuzi, a Hand of the Cause of God, who published several carefully researched histories about the Bahá'í Faith and its central figures:

Western accounts

These events were witnessed by western journalists. Provided below is one source that is attributed to Sir Justin Shiel, Queen Victoria's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary in Tehran and written to Lord Palmerston, the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs July 22, 1850.Sir Justin Shiel, Queen Victoria's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary in Tehran, wrote to Lord Palmerston, the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, on July 22, 1850 regarding the execution. The letter, can be found in its original form as document F.O. 60/152/88 in the archives of the Foreign Office at the Public Records Office in London.]

Shoghi Effendi also prints a large selection of western quotes in his book "God Passes By" (p55), however most are unsourced.cite book |first=Shoghi |last=Effendi |authorlink=Shoghi Effendi |year=1944 |title=God Passes By |publisher=Bahá'í Publishing Trust |location=Wilmette, Illinois, USA |id=ISBN 0877430209 |url=http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/se/GPB/gpb-5.html#pg55 | pages=p. 55]

Maulana

Another view is recorded by Muhammad Ali Maulana, a member of the Ahmadiyya Islamic Community, in his book "History and Doctrines of the Bábí Movement" (1933):

Some people see this as a biased attempt by the Ahmadiyya community to discredit the Báb, so their own leader, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, can be credited with the station of the Mahdi. The account is not an original source, but is based on other published accounts.

Miller

Another documentation was made by Miller, a Presbyterian missionary, in his polemic book "The Bahá'í Faith: Its History and Teachings" (1974): [cite journal | author= Elwell-Sutton, L.P.| title= Baha'i Faith: Its History and Teachings, The, by William Miller| journal= Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland | year= 1976| volume= 28| issue= 3| pages= 157–158| url= http://bahai-library.com/?file=elwell-sutton_miller_bahai_faith] Miller lived many years after the event and thus his account is secondary at best. He seems to have used details in Mírzá Muhammad Taqí Khán Lisánu'l-Mulk Sipihr's book, "Násikhu't taváríkh," which also speculates that the Báb could have won the crowd over if he had tried. [Mírzá Muhammad Taqí Khán Lisánu'l-Mulk Sipihr, "Násikhu't Taváríkh," quoted in Firuz and Kazem Kazemzadeh, "The Báb: Accounts of His Martyrdom," "World Order," vol. 8, no. 1 (Fall, 1973), 12-14.]

Mírzá Mihdí Khán Zaímu'd-Dawlih

Mírzá Mihdí Khán Zaímu'd-Dawlih was the son of a Shi'ite cleric who was present at the execution of the Báb and who took his son to the barracks square to review the events he witnessed. Zaímu'd-Dawlih recounted his father's version in a book, "Miftáh-i-Bábu'l-Abváb ya Taríkh-i-Báb va Bahá" (Key to the Gate of Gates, or the History of the Báb and Bahá), published about A.H. 1310 (about 1896). The work is a polemically anti-Bahá'í book. But the account of the execution (which is lengthy) includes the following details: [Mírzá Mihdí Khán Zaímu'd-Dawlih, extract from "Miftah-i-Babu'l-Abvab ya Tarikh-i-Bab va Baha," quoted in Firuz and Kazem Kazemzadeh, "The Báb: Accounts of His Martyrdom," "World Order," vol. 8, no. 1 (Fall, 1973), 23-26.] :1. The Báb and Anís were suspended about three meters above the ground on a rope and fired on by a Christian regiment.:2. The bullets cut the rope and one bullet wounded Anís.:3. The Báb ran into one of the rooms in the barracks.:4. The Báb was brought back out and he and Anís were shot again, this time fatally.

Notes

References

*cite book
author=Nabíl-i-Zarandí
authorlink=Nabíl-i-A`zam
year=1932
title=The Dawn-Breakers: Nabíl’s Narrative
edition=Hardcover
editor=Shoghi Effendi (Translator)
publisher=Bahá'í Publishing Trust
location=Wilmette, Illinois, USA
id=ISBN 0900125225
url=http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/nz/DB/

*cite book|author=Amanat, Abbas|year=1989|title=Resurrection and Renewal|publisher=Cornell University Press, 124 Roberts Place, Ithica, New York 14850|id=ISBN 0-8014-2098-9

*Gobineau, Conte (1864). "Les Religions et les Philosophies dans l’Asie Centrale".

*Browne, E.G. (1893). " [http://www.h-net.org/~bahai/diglib/books/K-O/M/MirzaHuseyn/TarikhiJadid.htm The New History of the Báb] ". Cambridge. Includes a lengthy introduction, the translation and then appendices.