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TAGS: Bab, Life of (documents); Bab, Trial of
LOCATIONS: Iran (documents); Tabriz
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Abstract:
Translation of source documents preserved from the 1848 trial.
Notes:

Trial of the Báb:
Answers given during the interrogation of the Báb

compiled by Denis MacEoin
1997-05
Key to sources:
    NN: Namus-i Nasiri (Mamaqani)
    RS: Rawdat al-safa-yi Nasiri (Hidayat)
    NT: Nasikh al-tawarikh (Sipihr)
    MBA: Miftah bab al-abwab (Za'im al-Dawla)
    FB: Fitna-yi Bab/al-Mutanabbiyyin (I'tidad al-Saltana)
    AKh: Letter of Mirza Aslan Khan
    NK: Nuqtat al-kaf (Kashani)
    AH: Abwab al-huda (Hashtrudi in Mu'in al-Saltana)
    B: Nabil's Narrative/Dawnbreakers (Zarandi)
#     Answer              NN    RS    NT    MBA   FB    AKh   NK    AH    DB    Totl   
1     `God [gave me       x     x     x     x     x                             5      
      this title]'                                                                     
2     `These verses are   x     x     x     x     x           x                 6      
      from God'                                                                        
3     `They are my        x     x     x     x     x           x                 6      
      writings'                                                                        
4     `Like the           x     x     x     x1    x2    x3                      6      
      revelation of                                                                    
      words from the                                                                   
      Tree on Sinai'                                                                   
5     Quotes `I am the    x     x     x     x4    x           x                 6      
      City of                                                                          
      Knowledge, `Ali                                                                  
      is its Gate'                                                                     
6     `I am that person   x     x     x     x     x     x     x     x5    x     9      
      you have awaited                                                                 
      for 1000 years'                                                                  
7     `I am not           x                             x                       2      
      permitted [to                                                                    
      produce                                                                          
      heirlooms]'                                                                      
8     `I am the Gate of   x                             x                       2      
      adoration'                                                                       
9     `I shall cause a    x                                                     1      
      verse to descend                                                                 
      on this staff'                                                                   
10    Verse about staff   x                       x     x                       3      
11    `40,000 `ulama      x                             x                       2      
      will reject him'                                                                 
12    `Or 4,000'          x                             x                       2      
13    `Light from         x                       x     x                       3      
      Burning Bush that                                                                
      of one of Shi'a'                                                                 
14    `I have not         x                                                     1      
      studied fiqh'                                                                    
15    `I have not         x     x     x     x     x                             5      
      studied medicine'                                                                
16    `My name is         x     x                 x                             3      
      numerically                                                                      
      equivalent to                                                                    
      rabb'                                                                            
17    `Praise be to       x     x     x     x     x6    x7                      6      
      God....' (with                                                                   
      fatha on samawat)                                                                
18    `And he made the    x                                                     1      
      sun and moon'                                                                    
      (with kasra on                                                                   
      shin)                                                                            
19    `I have not         x                                   x     x           3      
      studied astrology'                                                               
20    `I have not         x                                                     1      
      studied grammar'                                                                 
21    `I studied                x     x     x     x                             4      
      grammar as a                                                                     
      child but have                                                                   
      forgotten it'                                                                    
22    `He should begin    x                                                     1      
      with two (rak'as)                                                                
23    `I have not         x                                                     1      
      studied nahw'                                                                    
24    `I have written     x                                                     1      
      ten times the                                                                    
      bulk of the                                                                      
      S|ahifa...'                                                                      
25    `I can write        x     x     x     x                             x8    5      
      1,000/2,000/10,000                                                               
      verses per day'                                                                  
26    `Blessings be             x           x     x                             3      
      upon you'9                                                                       
27    `You are Haji       x                 x                                   2      
      Mulla Mahmud'                                                                    
28    `Identical with           x                 x                             2      
      the Essence'                                                                     
29    `I have not               x                 x                             2      
      studied hikmat'                                                                  
30    `One third is       x10   x           x     x                             4      
      half of a fifth'                                                                 
31    `I have not         x                                                     1      
      studied arithmetic                                                               
32    `My name is `Ali          x     x     x                                   3      
      Muhammad etc.'11                                                                 
33    `To reply to such                     x                                   1      
      questions needs                                                                  
      another time &                                                                   
      place'                                                                           
34    `You are well                         x                                   1      
      informed about                                                                   
      different                                                                        
      religions'12                                                                     
35    `Light on Sinai                             x     x                       2      
      was my light'                                                                    
Notes
    1 Appears as a question (see questions table).
    2 Said by Bab and Nizam al-'Ulama.
    3 Differs.
    4 Bab al-'ilm.
    5 In Arabic as: Ana 'l-Qa'im alladhI kuntum bihi muntazirun.
    6 Differs.
    7 Differs.
    8 Expressed as 'Within the space of two days and two nights, I declare Myself able to reveal verses of such magnitiude as will equal the whole of the Qur'an' (p. 317).
    9 To Nizam al-'Ulama
    10 Different wording.
    11 The Bab's age as given in this passage is 35, which is about six years out. This passage is omitted in al-Mutanabbi'In.
    12 To the grandfather of Za'Im al-Dawla.
    13 Appears as a question (see questions table).
    14 Said by Bab and Nizam al-'Ulama.
    15 Differs.
    16 Bab al-'ilm.
    17 In Arabic as: Ana 'l-Qa'im alladhi kuntum bihi muntazirun.
    18 Differs.
    19 Differs.
    20 Expressed as `Within the space of two days and two nights, I declare Myself able to reveal verses of such magnitiude as will equal the whole of the Qur'an' (p. 317).
    21 To Nizam al-'Ulama
    22 Different wording.
    23 The Bab's age as given in this passage is 35, which is about six years out. This passage is omitted in al-Mutanabbi'in.
    24 To the grandfather of Za'im al-Dawla.


See Table of the questions during the interrogation of the Bab.
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