Bab

Name given to Mirza Ali Muhammad (1819-1850), who led the movement that was the direct precursor of the Baha'i Faith. Baha'u'llah (1817-1892), the founder of the Baha'i Faith, was a member of the babi religion, which was in turn heavily influenced by the traditions of Shia Islam, the form of Islam dominant in Iran (formerly Persia). The Bab, meaning the "Gate" (of revelation), was martyred for his faith.

Sources:

Balyuzi, H. M. The Bab: The Herald of the Day of Days. Oxford: G. Ronald, 1973.

Selections from the Writings of the Bab. Comp. Habib Taherzadeh. Haifa, Israel: Bahai World Center, 1976.

BAB

Arab word meaning "door." In early Shiʿism this name was given to the highest ranked of the disciples of an Imam.

SEE ALSO Imam.

Bāb: see BĀBĪS.