Abstract
Bahá’is believe that the grave of `Ali Muhammad Shirázi, known as The Báb, is located in the city of Haifa in Israel near the Carmel mount area; they call this place as the shrine of Báb.
Where is the shrine of Báb?
However when we carefully consider the evidence of Bábis or Azalis we realize that this belief is baseless for proving the shrine of Báb.
Here the evidences are presented.
1.Bayán Book
Believers of the Bayán Book (Bayánis) believe that Mirza Ali Muhammad Báb’s and Muhammad Ali Zonouzi’s bodies were buried in Tehran’s Imám-zádeh Ma’sum and know his (Báb) place of pilgrimage places.
Prof. Edward Browne in his book ‘A Year Amongst the Persians’ writes:
They were saved by the devotion of Suleymán Khán and a few other believers, who, whether by force, bribes, or the influence of powerful friends, succeeded in obtaining possession of them. They were wrapped in white silk, placed in one coffin, and sent to Teherán, where, by order of Mirzá Yahyá Subh-i-Azal (“the Morning of Eternity,” who, though but twenty years of age, had been chosen to succeed the Báb), they were deposited in a little shrine called Imám-zádeh-i-Ma’sum, which stands by the Hamadán road not far from Ribát-Karim.”[1]
2-Seyyed Hossein Katib and the important letter
The scribe of Báb was Seyyed Hossein Katib, addressing a letter to his friend Haji Suleymán Khán while he was sending the corpse of Báb from Tabriz to Tehran [2]:
I beg that affection of genealogy which, as long as you are in the land of Bahá[3]), whenever was destined visiting of your lord[4] please mention this devotee prayer[5] who are distance and any time revealed you the verses of sky [6] of Azal, please inform me enclosing in your book (secretly). I have sent the throne[7] of God the greatest[8] by the name of God the present the patient”[9]
Comment of the letter
This tablet is a Bábi evidence which was written by scribe Seyyed Hossein in the year 1268 AD, when the body of Báb was being sent from Tabriz to Haji Suleymán Khán. It is very important and historic document and is mainly written in Persian.
Therefore, it should be said that Subh-i-Azal has resided in Tehran when this letter was written. The scribe writes: “I have sent the throne of God the greatest (Báb’s body) by carrier to Tehran” which shows that Báb’s body was moved to Tehran and his corpse did not become the prey of animals.
3- The announcement of the Bayánis:
The official site of Bayán has announced about the current Báb’s grave:
The Throne of the first point[10] in his will by command of Subh-i-Azal was buried in Imám-zádeh Ma’sum in Tehran. Muslim historians do not believe that and Bahá’i historians are unanimous that the throne of first point has been stolen from this place to `Akká, but the followers of Bayán believe in the aforementioned place (Imám-zádeh Ma’sum).[11]
Both Bábis and Azalis have mentioned the delivery of Báb’s body to Subh-i-Azal in their writings. They also mentioned that Bahá’u’lláh was not aware of burial place of Báb; although Bahá’is in Amri Educational pamphlet No. 14 page 4 claim that Báb’s body was depositioned to Bahá’u’lláh and he buried him in Imám-zádeh Ma’sum. They believe that, according to `Abdu’l-Bahá’s order, it was taken to `Akká in the year 1316 A.D and buried in Haifa after 50 years.
Here are some questions:
1-Why his funeral was held after 50 years in Israel?
2- Why is there no photo of Bab’s body in the pits outside of Tabriz, Venice, and the coffin sent to Tehran, as well as his place and tomb in Imamzadeh Masoom?
3- Why did the Baha’is of Abdu’l-Bahá’s time not publish any photos of the coffin that was moved from Tabriz and the remains of the Bab’s body that were found?
4- Why don’t they publish any photos of the Bab’s grave under the golden dome of hundreds of millions of dollars in Haifa in Israel (at the foot of Mount Carmel)?
Conclusion
It seems that Bábis or Azalis documents are stronger than Bahá’is:
- Because of Báb’s Will in which Subh-i-Azal was mentioned as Báb’s successor and Báb should be buried upon his order;The scribe of Báb did not mention Bahá’u’lláh in his letter.
- Bábis know the old place in Imám-zádeh Ma’sum as the shrine of Báb and because of its holiness, some of the great Bábis and Bahá’iswere buried there, such as ‘Izziyya Khanum (Bábi sister of Subh-i-Azal and Bahá’u’lláh), and among great Bahá’is like Mulla Ali Akbar Shahmirzadi, Mirza Naeem Sedehi.
- Therefore this place is holy for Bábis.[12]
Notes:
- Edward G. Browne, A Year Amongst the Persians. Adam and Charles Black, pages 63 and 64; 1893.
- Part of ‘Alvahi Nokti-oula‘; Agha Seyyed Hossein Katib the scribe of Báb; Page 38
- Tehran; Báb has called Tehran as the Land of Bahá (Asrar al-asar written by A. Fazil Mazandarani pp. 271 – 272
- Subh-i-Azal – Báb’s successor
- Akif
- sama
- It means the carrier
- Báb’s body
- Al-hazir Al-sabir
- Arshi Nokti-oula which means Báb’s body
- The official site of Bayán: bayanic.com
- Who Is Báb And What Is His Speechwritten in Persian by Noor al-Din Chahardehi P. 10. Tarikh Sadr al-Sodoor written by N.Rastegar P.417-418
Reference:
https://babandbaha.com/editors-note/is-babs-grave-located-in-haifa-israel/
