Persian Bayán
Encyclopedia
The Persian Bayán is one of the principal scriptural writings of the Báb
, the founder of Bábi religion, written in Persian
. The Báb also wrote a shorter book in Arabic, the Arabic Bayán
.
. The book contains elements of Bábí law, discussion of religious concepts, and the glorification of He whom God shall make manifest. It was one of the Báb's first works in which he clearly states that he is the messianic figure of the Twelfth Imam and the Mahdi
which the Shi'as were expecting. With the claim, he also claimed the abrogation of the Islamic dispensation
, and uses the new Bábí law to abrogate Islamic law. The whole book also revolves around the praise of He whom God shall make manifest, promising the coming of a major prophet termed a Manifestation of God
; this would be of major importance with Bahá'u'lláh's
claim two decades later. Shoghi Effendi
considered it a "eulogy of the Promised One", who had abrogated the laws of Islam
, and prophesied about the coming of the Bahá'í Faith
.
", a messianic figure in the Báb's writings. Bahá'ís
consider Bahá'u'lláh's Kitáb-i-Íqán
as its completion. Certain early researchers of the religion believed that the right of completing the Bayán was conferred to Subh-i Azal. However, more modern scholarship shows that that interpretation is flawed because Subh-i-Azal is only given the right to complete the Bayán with the permission of Him Whom God shall make manifest, and that Subh-i-Azal was instituted as a nominal head and asked to preserve the religion until Him whom God shall make manifest would arrive. The Báb eliminated any form of successorship or vicegerency from his religion and stated that no one's else writings would be authoritative after his death to the time of Him Whom God shall make Manifest. Some of the followers of Subh-i-Azal state that the Báb actually made Subh-i-Azal his vicegerent because the Báb in a tablet written to Azal stated that he should manifest the remaining paths of the Bayán if Him Whom God shall make Manifest is made manifest out of divine glory during Azal's days. The Azalis interpret this to mean the Báb gave Sub-i-Azal he right to complete the unfished text of the Bayán. However, the Báb affirms to Subh-i-Azal himself that Him Whom God shall make Manifest may appear in Subh-i-Azal's own lifetime, and thus eliminates any viceregency for Subh-i-Azal. One of the texts that the Azalis use to state that Subh-i-Azal was appointed as a viceregent is the controversial book Nuqtutu'l-Kaq, but the book's statements are very contradictory and problematic. In one section of the book the author states that the Bayán may become abrogated within a few years of the Báb's death, and that Him Whom God shall make Manifest may appear during Azal's time, then later it states that the abrogation of the Bayán and the appearance of the Promised One could not occur before two thousand years. Even later the author makes the proposition that the Promised One is Subh-i-Azal himself, showing that the author truly did not believe that the appearance of the Promised One would have to take two thousand years. The proposition that the Him Whom God shall make Manifest would take two thousand years is absurd since the Báb discusses the advent of Him Whom God shall make Manifest during Subh-i-Azal's lifetime as a conditional point for Subh-i-Azal to take certain action. An alternative interpretation of the passage in question is that Subh-i-Azal is asked to instead to making public or distribute the eight copies of the Bayan to eight people mentioned in the passage.
Báb
Siyyid `Alí Muḥammad Shírází was the founder of Bábism, and one of three central figures of the Bahá'í Faith. He was a merchant from Shíráz, Persia, who at the age of twenty-four claimed to be the promised Qá'im . After his declaration he took the title of Báb meaning "Gate"...
, the founder of Bábi religion, written in Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
. The Báb also wrote a shorter book in Arabic, the Arabic Bayán
Arabic Bayán
The Arabic Bayán is a book written by the Báb around 1848. Its larger sister book is the Persian Bayán. The work is incomplete, containing only eleven Vahids. Each Vahid serves as a chapter and contains nineteen Abwab. The grammar is highly irregular. The work was composed while the Báb was...
.
Content
The Persian Bayán was written near the end of 1847 or the beginning of 1848, while the Báb was imprisoned in MakuMaku, Iran
Maku is a city in the West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 41,865, in 10,428 families.It is situated from the Turkish border in a mountain gorge at an altitude of 1634 metres. The Zangmar River cuts through the city. The common languages in Maku are Kurdish and...
. The book contains elements of Bábí law, discussion of religious concepts, and the glorification of He whom God shall make manifest. It was one of the Báb's first works in which he clearly states that he is the messianic figure of the Twelfth Imam and the Mahdi
Mahdi
In Islamic eschatology, the Mahdi is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on Earth for seven, nine or nineteen years- before the Day of Judgment and, alongside Jesus, will rid the world of wrongdoing, injustice and tyranny.In Shia Islam, the belief in the Mahdi is a "central religious...
which the Shi'as were expecting. With the claim, he also claimed the abrogation of the Islamic dispensation
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, and uses the new Bábí law to abrogate Islamic law. The whole book also revolves around the praise of He whom God shall make manifest, promising the coming of a major prophet termed a Manifestation of God
Manifestation of God
The Manifestation of God is a concept in the Bahá'í Faith that refers to what are commonly called prophets. The Manifestations of God are a series of personages who reflect the attributes of the divine into the human world for the progress and advancement of human morals and civilization...
; this would be of major importance with Bahá'u'lláh's
Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh , born ' , was the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. He claimed to be the prophetic fulfilment of Bábism, a 19th-century outgrowth of Shí‘ism, but in a broader sense claimed to be a messenger from God referring to the fulfilment of the eschatological expectations of Islam, Christianity, and...
claim two decades later. Shoghi Effendi
Shoghi Effendi
Shoghí Effendí Rabbání , better known as Shoghi Effendi, was the Guardian and appointed head of the Bahá'í Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957...
considered it a "eulogy of the Promised One", who had abrogated the laws of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, and prophesied about the coming of the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
.
Unities and chapters
The book was intended to be composed of nineteen 'unities' each of nineteen chapters, consisting of a total of 361 sections, which had numerical significance, but this was left incomplete and stops in the ninth 'unity'. It was intended to be finished by "He whom God shall make manifestHe whom God shall make manifest
He whom God shall make manifest is a messianic figure in the religion of Babism. The messianic figure was repeatedly mentioned by the Báb, the founder of Babism, in his book, the Bayán. The Báb described the messianic figure as the origin of all divine attributes, and stated that his command was...
", a messianic figure in the Báb's writings. Bahá'ís
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
consider Bahá'u'lláh's Kitáb-i-Íqán
Kitáb-i-Íqán
The Kitáb-i-Íqán is one of many books held sacred by followers of the Bahá'í Faith; it is their primary theological work. One Bahá'í scholar states that it can be regarded as the "most influential Koran commentary in Persian outside the Muslim world," because of its international audience. It is...
as its completion. Certain early researchers of the religion believed that the right of completing the Bayán was conferred to Subh-i Azal. However, more modern scholarship shows that that interpretation is flawed because Subh-i-Azal is only given the right to complete the Bayán with the permission of Him Whom God shall make manifest, and that Subh-i-Azal was instituted as a nominal head and asked to preserve the religion until Him whom God shall make manifest would arrive. The Báb eliminated any form of successorship or vicegerency from his religion and stated that no one's else writings would be authoritative after his death to the time of Him Whom God shall make Manifest. Some of the followers of Subh-i-Azal state that the Báb actually made Subh-i-Azal his vicegerent because the Báb in a tablet written to Azal stated that he should manifest the remaining paths of the Bayán if Him Whom God shall make Manifest is made manifest out of divine glory during Azal's days. The Azalis interpret this to mean the Báb gave Sub-i-Azal he right to complete the unfished text of the Bayán. However, the Báb affirms to Subh-i-Azal himself that Him Whom God shall make Manifest may appear in Subh-i-Azal's own lifetime, and thus eliminates any viceregency for Subh-i-Azal. One of the texts that the Azalis use to state that Subh-i-Azal was appointed as a viceregent is the controversial book Nuqtutu'l-Kaq, but the book's statements are very contradictory and problematic. In one section of the book the author states that the Bayán may become abrogated within a few years of the Báb's death, and that Him Whom God shall make Manifest may appear during Azal's time, then later it states that the abrogation of the Bayán and the appearance of the Promised One could not occur before two thousand years. Even later the author makes the proposition that the Promised One is Subh-i-Azal himself, showing that the author truly did not believe that the appearance of the Promised One would have to take two thousand years. The proposition that the Him Whom God shall make Manifest would take two thousand years is absurd since the Báb discusses the advent of Him Whom God shall make Manifest during Subh-i-Azal's lifetime as a conditional point for Subh-i-Azal to take certain action. An alternative interpretation of the passage in question is that Subh-i-Azal is asked to instead to making public or distribute the eight copies of the Bayan to eight people mentioned in the passage.