A Traveler's Narrative
page 4
of those who are athirst after the fountain of knowledge and
who seek to become acquainted with all events.
The Báb was a young merchant of the Pure Lineage. He was
born in the year one thousand two hundred and thirty-five
[A.H.] on the first day of Muharram, (1) and when after a few
years His father Siyyid Muhammad-Ridá died, He was
brought up in Shíráz in the arms of His maternal uncle Mírzá
Siyyid `Alí the merchant. On attaining maturity He engaged in
trade in Búshihr, first in partnership with His maternal uncle
and afterwards independently. On account of what was observed
in Him He was noted for godliness, devoutness, virtue,
and piety, and was regarded in the sight of men as so characterized.
In the year one thousand two hundred and sixty [A.H.],
when He was in His twenty-fifth year, certain signs became
apparent in His conduct, behavior, manners, and demeanor
whereby it became evident in Shíráz that He had some
conflict in His mind and some other flight beneath His wing.
He began to speak and to declare the rank of Báb-hood. (2) Now
what He intended by the term Báb [Gate] was this, that He was
the channel of grace from some great Person still behind the
veil of glory, Who was the possessor of countless and boundless
perfections, by Whose will He moved, and to the bond of
Whose love He clung. And in the first book which He wrote in
explanation of the Súrih of Joseph, (3) He addressed Himself in
all passages to that Person unseen from Whom He received
help and grace, sought for aid in the arrangement of His
preliminaries, and craved the sacrifice of life in the way of His
love.
Amongst others is this sentence: "O Remnant of God, I am
wholly sacrificed to Thee; I am content with curses in Thy
1. 20 October 1819.
2. 23 May 1844.
3. Qur'án 12.
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