Human Being in the Writings of the Báb

Reconstruction of the Concept of the Human Being in the Writings of the Báb Nader Saiedi

In discussing the perspective of the heart, we noted that the Báb defines religion as the product of a dialogue between humanity and God. This central concept already emphasizes the high station and nobility of the human being in the writings of the Báb. That is also why the concept of the covenant is so central in the writings of the Báb. A covenant is an agreement between two minds. The very fact that religion is a covenant between God and humanity means that humans appear as the images of God, as beings who are rational, spiritual, and capable of free and independent thinking. This is exactly what we find in the writings of the Báb. 1. Human Identity The concept of identity refers to the truth of human beings. In pre-modern times, the identity of people was reduced to their biological and social characteristics. Consequently, identity was defined in terms of what separated people from each other. Humans were not humans, rather they were male or female, slave or free, black or white, believer or infidel, friend or stranger, ally or enemy. The result was a hierarchical system of oppression. Then came modernity, and it talked of the equality of all human beings as rational beings. Modernity rejected religion and spiritual ideas, and reduced the human being to simply a material entity. We were just another animal, without any qualitative difference between animals and humans. This perspective wanted to save the human being, but by reducing humans to the level of jungle, the result of this new worldview was the opposite of its intention. It created a world of militarism, consumerism, destruction of the environment, wars, genocides, racism, colonialism, and imperialism. As a reaction to the failed promise of modern rationalism, we have now moved to a postmodern definition of identity. Now in fact we no longer believe in any concept of the human being. Instead, there are only biological and social categories. The identity of people is nothing but their group characteristic. We are either male or female, black or white, Muslim or Christian, Japanese or Egyptian, rich or poor, Persian speaking or English speaking, but we have nothing in common. Although the intention of the postmodern view is good, its conclusion is the same as the pre-modern ideology. Since we have nothing in common, there is nothing universally good or bad. Therefore, the only criterion of truth and value becomes one’s own culture and tradition. Therefore, return to one’s tradition becomes the only criterion of ethics and justice. That is why in postmodern ideology you can never criticize other cultures. If one criticizes the tyranny of the religious fanatics or oppression of women in another country, the Western intellectuals, instead of fighting for justice and equality, support the status quo in other cultures. The problem with all these definitions of identity is that they define human identity in terms of what separates us from each other. The result is that humans are perceived to be either strangers or enemies of each other. It is here that the worldview of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh offer an entirely different perspective. For the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, humans are spiritual beings, and therefore their identity is defined as the unity of all human beings. In the writings of the Báb, He argues that the human being is like a mirror. This mirror consists of two aspects. One aspect is the characteristics of the glass of the mirror. Some mirrors are circular. Some are triangular. Some are red, and some are white. In other words, our glasses are different from each other. The world so far has defined the identity of humans in terms of the different characteristics of our glasses. But the Báb says that the true identity of humans as a mirror is not in the characteristics of our glass, but rather it is in the image of God that is reflected in

the mirror of human hearts. From the point of view of the Báb, the truth of everyone is the revelation (tajallí) of God upon our being. Our truth is the divine attributes. This was the main message of the perspective of the heart. Consequently, we are all one, all are sacred, all are beautiful, and all are equal. You remember that the Báb asked us to treat the farmers and kings in the same way because for Him, both the king and farmer have the same true identity, namely both are reflections of divine attributes. It is based on this new conception of identity that the writings of Bahá’u’lláh talk of the oneness of humankind, and a culture of communication, unity in diversity, and global peace. 2. Humans and Independent Thinking Although the Báb’s conception of human identity affirms the oneness of humanity, it is very important to note that this oneness is at the same time oneness of diversity. Humans are one because they are all spiritual beings, and that means that consciousness defines the essential reality of human beings. It is for that reason that the writings of the Báb constantly emphasize the duty and capacity of all human beings to think for themselves, to reject the idea of imitation and blindly following others (taqlíd). From the point of view of the Báb, those who live their lives in accordance with blindly following others, including their clerics, are choosing to renounce their humanity. These people live in the animal realm and they are not yet truly born as human beings. To be a human being, therefore, requires independent thinking and questioning traditions. The ultimate cause of all the problems of the world is that humans refuse to think for themselves. Prejudice and hatred of others are products of human refusal to think independently. The Báb desires to create a culture in which people think for themselves. One of the most important expressions of this new culture is the centrality of the word (kalamih) in the worldview of the Báb. Perhaps the most frequent discussion of the writings of the Báb is the idea to replace miracles with creative words. The Báb emphasizes that the evidence of the truth of a prophet of God is no longer performing strange miracles, rather it is offering words and verses which bring a new spiritual worldview that advances humanity to a higher spiritual level. It is interesting that as the Báb frequently emphasizes that the Qur’án also said exactly the same thing. According to the Qur’án, whenever the Arabs asked for miracles as the proof of the truth of Muḥammad, God refused to bring a miracle. Instead, the Qur’án constantly states that the Qur’án Itself is sufficient evidence of the truth of Muḥammad. Unfortunately, the world of Islám was not yet ready for such a rational and spiritual culture. For that reason, from the very beginning, Islám was a culture of belief in magic and miracles. Thousands of miracles were fabricated and attributed to Muḥammad, the Imáms, and Sufi leaders. It was for that reason that when the Báb appeared, all major Muslim clerics asked Him to make strange miracles as the proof of His truth. The culture of the great high clerics of Islám never advanced beyond the culture of Arabs who were rejecting the Prophet Muḥammad. But the Báb, in all His writings, explains that since this is a time that humans should emerge as humans and enter the realm of the heart, consequently all people should appear as spiritual beings, namely beings who think for themselves. Therefore, the understanding of the word becomes the main evidence of the truth of the Prophet. But if the Báb makes the word the only legitimate cause of accepting or rejecting a prophet, He is affirming a new definition of all human beings. For the first time in human history all human beings are perceived as rational beings who are all equally capable of thinking for themselves, and who are responsible before God to use their independent mind in the investigation of

truth. Replacing miracles with words means affirmation of a culture of rationalism, independent thinking, and equality of all human beings. Another implication of this noble conception of human beings is the rejection of clerical authority in His writings. All the writings of the Báb represent a revolutionary culture. It is revolutionary because it asks people to question what they have heard, read, and been taught. The Báb makes it clear that those artificial learnings that the clerics of various religions have created, instead of bringing people closer to God and making them more capable of accepting the new prophets of God, have usually produced the exact opposite results. The artificial clerical teachings have made people forget the spiritual message and meaning of religion and cling to its outward appearance. Consequently, they have created a culture of obsession with rituals, a culture of hatred and prejudice, and a culture of despotism. All new Prophets were rejected by the clerics of the previous religions. It is for this reason that the Báb abrogates the entire institution of priesthood and clerical authority. I give two examples: The Báb makes ascent on pulpit (manbar) forbidden. The Persian Bayán explains that the idea of one person going up and lecturing others who are all sitting down is contrary to the nobility and dignity of human beings. People can share their ideas with others, but only as equals. Likewise, the Báb abrogates the practice of congregational prayer (namazi Jamá’at). Only the Prophet can lead the prayer. No one else can lead prayers because only God is aware of the inner degree of the spiritual station of human beings. Consequently, all humans should be treated as equals. The writings of the Báb explain why people fail to recognize the new Prophets of God. The main reason is that they do not think for themselves, rather they rely on the judgment of their clerics. The second reason is that people see that believing a new Prophet means experiencing persecution and hardship, whereas remaining in the past religion means access to jobs, money, power, and approval of others. The Báb says that people should follow the example of the first believers of the past religions. For example, they should follow the example of Imám ‘Alí. He did not rely on the judgment of the clerics and scholars of the time, since when he accepted Muḥammad no one else had yet accepted Him. Also, ‘Alí accepted Muḥammad not for the sake of financial and occupational advantages. On the contrary, he accepted Him when becoming a Muslim meant persecution and sacrifice of everything. Another striking expression of this new culture in the writings of the Báb is His insistence that in the new religion, the only path to conversion should be the path of independent investigation and acceptance of the faith through arguments and wisdom. In emphasizing this point, in His book Panj Sha’n (Five Modes of Revelation), He says that there is qualitatively no difference between a faith that is a product of imitation and blindly following tradition, and a faith which is a product of coercion and the threat of the sword. It is very interesting that our modern culture has rejected the imposition of religion through the sword, but sees no problem with religion being a matter of blind habit of tradition. The first is perceived as coercion, whereas the second is seen as religious freedom. The Báb’s sociological insight is amazing. Both these forms of faith are based on rejection of the independent thinking of human beings. Both of them are fundamentally opposed to real religious freedom. The only difference is that the first is an external coercion, whereas the second is a psychological coercion. 3. The Station of Women The nobility of human beings in the perspective of the heart requires a different approach to the station of women. Although the dispensation of the Báb is a transitional dispensation between Islám and the

Bahá’í Faith, which means that the full announcement of the equality of men and women had to wait till the advent of Bahá’u’lláh, there is no doubt that the Báb brought about a new respect for the station of women which was absolutely unprecedented in the Írán of the 19 th century. Here I briefly refer to a few examples: The first example is His central symbol of the haykal (temple; pl. hayákil) and the dá’ira (circle; pl. davá’ir). The Persian Bayán makes the haykal a symbol of men and the dá’ira a symbol of women. The Bábís are asked to carry with themselves a written work which is written in the form of a temple or circle. But the Báb explains the real meaning of these forms in the Persian Bayán. A haykal consists of five lines which together create six chambers. In other words, in a temple, the outward is five and the inward is six. Together five and six are equal to the word Huva meaning He, which refers to God (H is five and V is six). But the symbol for women is six concentric circles. These six circles create between themselves five chambers. In other words, for women’s symbol, the outward is six and the inward is five. What this means is that both men and women are one and the same truth. Both are reflections of “He,” namely God. Their appearance is different but their truth is one and the same. Both are reflections of God and therefore both are equal and sacred. The second example is a statement by the Báb, Who says that God does not want to see the slightest trace of anything other than love for any of His servants in the relation of men to men, women to women, men to women, and women to men. ﻟن ﯾرﺿﯽ ﷲ ﻻﺣد ﻣن ﻋﺑﺎده ﺗﺳﻊ ﺗﺳﻊ ﻋﺷر ﺧردل ﻣن دون اﻟﺣبّ، ﺑﻌﺿﮑم ﻟﺑﻌض و ﺑﻌﺿﮭنّ ﻟﺑﻌض و ﺑﻌﺿﮑم ﻟﺑﻌﺿﮭنّ و ﺑﻌﺿﮭنّ ﻟﺑﻌﺿﮑم. In another statement, the Báb equates men and women with different modes of linguistic words by which God is mentioned, and then says: " God attributes both to Himself that haply neither men exalt themselves over women, nor women exalt themselves over men. " ﯾﻧﺳب ﷲ ﮐﻠﺗﯾﮭﻣﺎ اﻟﯽ ﻧﻔﺳﮫ ﻟ ﺋﻼّ ﯾﺗﻔﺎﺧرون ھؤﻻء ﻋﻠﯽ ھنّ و ﻻ ھنّ ﻋﻠﯽ ھؤﻻء In this statement of the Báb, we see that since God defines both men and women as His Own reflection, they both must be treated as equals. The fourth example is related to the way in which the Báb treated Ṭáhirih and her station. In the Bábí religion, after the Báb, the highest spiritual station is assigned to the first 18 believers of the Báb, who are called the Letters of the Living. One of these 18 is a woman who is famously known as Ṭáhirih. This heroic woman was the first woman in Iran who removed the veil and announced the abrogation of Islám and the beginning of a new religion by her questioning this patriarchal tradition. It is important to know that the early Bábís were still Muslims whose ideas about men and women were influenced from their surrounding culture. For that reason, it was difficult for some Bábís to see a woman be a member of the Letters of the Living. These people constantly complained to the Báb of the activist, heroic, brave, and public orientation of Ṭáhirih. In response to these objections the Báb always confirmed the extraordinary station of Ṭáhirih and told those people that Ṭáhirih is the forbidden Tree of Knowledge in paradise. Her station is above your level of understanding. Therefore, leave her alone and do not bother her. However, the most dramatic expression of the attitude of the Báb to Ṭáhirih is manifest in a tablet written in Chihríq, where the Báb gives the name of the 18 Letters of the Living. However, the Báb defines them as 17 and 1. First He says: “and the names of seventeen of them are these:” and then He

gives the name of 17 of them. Then the Báb says: “Verily God took the essence of these seventeen and placed it in this one soul who answered as the 18 th .” و ﻟﻘد اﺧذ ﷲ ﺟوھر ﺗﻠﮏ اﻟﺳﺑﻌﺔ واﻟﻌﺷر و اودﻋﮫ ﻓﯽ ﻧﻔس اﻟﺗﯽ اﺟﺎﺑت ﻓﯽ رﺗﺑﺔ اﻟﺛﻣﺎﻧﯾﺔ واﻟﻌﺷر. It is amazing that the Báb defines this one soul as Ṭáhirih. In other words, from the point of view of the Báb, the station of Ṭáhirih by herself is equal to all other 17 Letters of the Living combined. It is necessary to note that the Persian Bayán forbids causing sorrow for anyone, and commands to bring joy and happiness to the hearts of everyone. But then the Báb says that this duty is doubly binding in relation to women. My final example of the attitude of the Báb to women is the poem He wrote for His wife when He was in Búshihr. His letter begins with this touching word: O My Sweet Soul Think not that the interruption of letters is due to boredom Or, that anything else preoccupies My heart Rather, whenever My pen begins to write to you even a single word My tears precede it and wash it away. 4. Human Freedom As we noted, the Báb defines human beings as the mirrors of divine attributes. One of the implications of this idea is that the Báb completely rejects a fatalistic theory of human action, and instead emphasizes human freedom. Sunní Islám mostly supported a deterministic attitude where everything is determined by God and humans have no freedom of action. Shí’ah Islám, influenced by Zoroastrianism’s emphasis on human freedom, was more supportive of human freedom of action. The writings of the Báb bring a new perspective on this issue. According to this approach, all human actions are products of three factors. The first is existence, which comes from God. The second is essence (máhíyat), which is the specific choices and characteristics of a human being. The third is the coming together of the existence and essence. In other words, all human actions are simultaneously determined by God and also caused by human freedom and choice. In traditional theology and philosophy, this is understood as a contradiction. Namely, it is assumed that if God is the cause of our actions then we cannot be a cause of our actions. Conversely, if we are the cause of our actions, then God cannot be the cause of them. But the Báb solves this problem. As we saw in my previous discussion, according to the Báb, God is not a human-like God. Since God is absolutely transcendental, it means that causation by God is qualitatively different than the causation by humans. Since these two types of causation are absolutely different they have no contradiction with each other. Both are true. Emphasis on human agency is compatible with a modern society in which humans try to improve both their society and their individual selves because they believe that what happens in society is not an inevitable and predetermined event. People and their ideas shape their life and destiny. 5. Occultation (ghaybat) and return of the 12 th Imám

One of the most astonishing expressions of the Báb’s view of human beings is found in His Interpretation of the Occultation Prayer (Sharḥ-i-Du‘á’-i-Ghaybat). According to Shí’ahs, the sixth Imám had written a short prayer called the occultation prayer. Shí’ahs are encouraged to recite this prayer so that the return of the 12 th Imám would be hastened. But the Báb interprets this prayer in an entirely new way. According to Shí’ah Muslims, when the 12 th Imám was a child he went into occultation. The time of occultation is the time of injustice and tyranny. When tyranny has reached its maximum, the Imám will return and fill the world with justice. But in the interpretation of the Báb, the occultation and return of the Imám are not specific historical events. Rather, they are references to the general definition of the human situation. Therefore, the occultation and return of the 12 th Imám has happened and will happen billions of times in the lives of various people. The Báb says that when God created humans, He created them perfect. Humans in their truth are reflections of divine attributes and absolutely good. This truth of humans as made by God is presented as the birth and childhood of the 12 th Imám. But then humans, living in a material world, become preoccupied with material and selfish attachments, and therefore they forget their spiritual truth. This estrangement from our spiritual truth is symbolized as the occultation of the 12 th Imám. This is, of course, the age of tyranny, since the real tyranny is separation from our spiritual potential and remoteness from God. Therefore, the solution to tyranny is that we return to our spiritual consciousness. The awakening of spiritual consciousness in our lives is symbolized as the return of the 12 th Imám. The Báb says that we need to recite a prayer in order to hasten the return of the Imám, because prayer is the means by which we humans connect to our spiritual reality. The progressive implications of this revolutionary idea of the Báb is beyond imagination. It is each and every human being who is created noble, has become alienated from his true nature, and needs to return to his truth as a spiritual consciousness. 6. Spiritualization of Life The writings of the Báb emphasize certain ethical principles whose aim is to turn human reality into a republic of reason and spirit. Here I only mention a few of these ideas: Culture of Answering (ijábat): The Báb commands that when one is asked a question it is one’s duty to give a guiding answer. But then He says people should answer the needs of others even if they are not asked directly by others, but rather asked by their condition. Therefore, all human beings must watch the conditions of all others, and if their condition asks for help, they must help. This principle is a reflection of the unity of all human beings. Prohibition of Causing Grief and Sadness: The Báb forbids His followers to cause sadness to any human being. On the contrary, bringing happiness to the heart of others is the spiritual duty of all humans. Protection of Nature: The Báb argues that heaven and hell are not just for humans. Everything has its own hell or heaven. According to the Báb, the heaven for a thing is the realization of that thing’s potentialities. Hell is the deprivation of the realization of its potentialities. Consequently, the Báb says that all nature has the right to attain its heaven. Humans are responsible before God to help nature reach its heaven. In the Persian Bayán, He says that if water within a glass has experienced uncleanliness throughout its movement through mountains and rivers, it has been deprived of its heaven. Nature, just like human beings, possesses moral rights, and all beings should be respected.

Perfection (itqán) in Work and Beautification (taltíf) of the World: Since humans are mirrors of God, they must follow the example of God in their work and industry. God creates everything in the utmost perfection. Therefore, in their economic and industrial life, humans should perform their work with the utmost perfection. In this way, human labor becomes labor by God, namely it is God who is acting through us. Our world has become a world in which economy has become the most important social institution. The writings of the Báb want to turn this most materialistic aspect of life into a spiritual activity. In addition, the Báb emphasizes that all our activities must be performed in the utmost litafat, which means beauty and refinement. In other words, humans must beautify the world through their industry and art. Beauty becomes the means which turn the material world into a spiritual and moral world. Spiritual Linguistics: The Báb wants to create a culture in which people see everything as a mirror of God and therefore treat everything with respect and dignity. In order to make this attitude a habitual process, He commands that when people mention the name of a thing, they should divide that name into its constitutive alphabetical letters. Then they should see each of those letters as an abbreviation of one of the names of God. In this way everything becomes the embodiment of various divine names and attributes. In the Persian Bayán, He gives the example of sang or stone. Nothing is apparently more devoid of value than a piece of stone. Yet the Báb says that in the word sang, consisting of the three letters S, N, and G, they should see S as a reference to Subbúḥ (Sanctified), N as Núr (Light), and G (or K, because there is no G in Arabic) as Karím (All-Bountiful). Suddenly, a stone becomes a divine reality, worthy of respect and love, and endowed with rights. Birth, Marriage, and Death: I finish this discussion by giving an example of how the Báb turns every aspect of human life into a symbol and reflection of the spiritual reality of human beings. I emphasize three moments in the life of a person, namely birth, marriage and death. For the birth of a newborn, people should recite a name of God five times, each followed by reading a specific verse 19 times. For the death of a person, people should recite a name of God six times, again each is followed by reading a specific verse 19 times. In other words, birth is symbolized by five and death is symbolized by six. The Báb explains that together they constitute the word Huva or He, which refers to God. In other words, the entire process of life is the journey to reflect God on this earth. Marriage is also dependent on reciting a verse by the bride and groom. What is crucial and central in this verse is the word Lillah which means for the sake of God. That means that all human actions, including marriage, are done for the sake of God. The viewpoint of the Báb on human beings, therefore, is a logical expression of His perspective of the heart.