Birth of the Báb: October 20
Birth of the Báb is a religious observance for the Bahá’í followers.
On October 20th, Bahá’ís around the world celebrate the Birth of the Báb, one of eleven Holy Days in the Bahá’í calendar. There are 6 million Bahá’ís in the world, in 235 countries. Báb, which literally translates as ‘the gate’, was a prophet and forerunner of the Bahá’í revelation.
Likened to John the Baptist some two thousand years before, the Báb called on people to purify themselves for the coming of the messenger of God. This is asserted to be Bahá’u'lláh, who was initially a follower of Báb and through whom the Bahá’í faith was founded.
History of the Birth of the Báb
The Báb (pronounced “bob”) was born on October 20, 1819 (Muharram 1, 1235 A.H.) in Shiraz, Persia, into a merchant family. He taught that he was the herald of another messenger greater than himself. Baha’is believe Baha’u'llah to be that messenger. Baha’u'llah, which means Glory of God in Arabic, who lived from 1817 to 1892, was the prophet-founder of the Baha’i faith. The Báb, whose name was Siyyid ‘Alí-Muhammad, when was sent to school, the schoolmaster was so astonished at His wisdom and intelligence that he sent the child back to His uncle, saying that he had nothing to teach such a gifted student! The Báb’s uncle commanded Him to observe silence and listen with attention to his teacher, but as time progressed the schoolmaster began to feel more like the student than the teacher. Besides these stories, there is little or nothing in the way of historical details to say about the Báb´s birth or childhood, and with no established traditions at this early stage of Bahá’í religion’s history, Bahá’ís celebrate the birth of the Báb in various simple but joyous ways.
Birth of the Báb Traditions, Customs and Activities
No special liturgy or rituals are followed, as the Baha’i faith has no liturgy or rituals. There is no established tradition in which the birth of the Báb is celebrated except that this is one of the nine Holy Days on which work is to be suspended. The day is a simple and joyous event that will begin with prayers and devotional readings and develop into some kind of festive social gathering either at home or in a place of worship. The festival is celebrated, in the spirit of the Bahá’í, to be open to all. Prayer and fellowship are always integral parts of any holy day observance. One prayer in particular, the Tablet of Visitation, which is also said by pilgrims to the Shrine of the Báb, is generally part of the devotional content of the day. Other prayers and readings are chosen; from the writings of the Báb, but also writings from other scriptures, such as the Bible or the Qur’an. Some communities may host a formal dinner as part of the festivities; other communities may have a classic potluck. If the weather cooperates, picnics or other outdoor activities may be planned. Often non-Baha’is who are interested in learning about the faith are invited to attend, since everyone is welcome to join in holy day celebrations.
Other interesting posts:
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- Martyrdom of the Bab
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