The Bab and Modernity

My last point 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. One the most dramatic expression of the attitude of the Báb toward 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 .” 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. In all these examples we see that the perspective of revelation leads to questioning inequality and oppression. 3. Nobility of Humans and Independent Thinking 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 (kalimih) 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. Unlike the miracle-obsessed culture of the Muslim clerics of his time, the Báb, in all His writings, explains that this is a time that 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. I give two examples: The Báb makes going up the 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 communal prayer (namazi Jamá’at). Only the Prophet can lead prayer of others. 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. 4. Religion as Historical and Dialectical Iranian intellectuals of the 20 th century became familiar with dialectical logic and historical consciousness through the writings of Hegel and Marx. However, it is noteworthy that in the middle of 19 th -century Iran both dialectical logic and historical consciousness were discussed in the writings of the