Bab\'s confessions about Imam Mahdi (as)

MOHAMMED REZA ISFAHANI

Anyone (and that includes the Baha’is) who has had the chance to even cursorily read about Ali Muhammad Shirazi\'s life will be confused about one particularly bizarre aspect of his life - the multiplicity of his claims. Give or take a few positions, he has claimed to be the Bab (deputy of the Imam Mahdi), Imam Mahdi himself, the prophet of God and last and hardly the least God, the Almighty Himself.

While we have addressed and analyz’ed Bab\'s various claims in other articles, over here we examine his comments when, for once, he has spoken the truth.

In these comments extracted from Bab\'s earliest works, the Bab categorically and unambigiously confesses to the existence of Imam Mahdi (as). In fact, he does not just confess to the Imam Mahdi\'s presence in this world, but has also confessed to the existence of his deputies (in Ghaybate\' Sughra or the Lesser Occultation) and the fact that there were no special deputies once the last of the four deputies passed away.

These claims are by no means trivial. Baha’is will realize that these confessions bring Ali Muhammad Shirazi\'s very title of Bab (deputy of Imam Mahdi) under enough scrutiny that all other excuses of taqaiyya (dissimulation) cannot erase.

Attempts to cast aspersion on the authenticity of the books from where these confessions have been extracted will prove immediately futile once you realize that they belong to Bab\'s earliest, well-acknowledged works that for many Baha’is served as the basis for his subsequent claims. Also Baha’i scholars of the calibre of Fadil Mazandarani, Abdul Baha and Shoghi Effendi have referred to these works in their own compilations, which should put the authenticity of these works and their contents beyond reproach.

Another point to note is that for once Bab\'s confessions related to Imam Mahdi are truthful. His confessions about the Promised Mahdi coincide exactly with what has been narrated about Imam Mahdi in authentic Islamic traditions. In other words Bab was not lying about Imam Mahdi, it was the truth and can be verified very easily by referring to the reliable traditions narrated by the Muslims. The implication of these confessions is that they were admitted by Bab while he felt totally secure and did not fear retribution from any quarter, so this immediately rules out taqaiyya (dissmulation). These confessions were not made in taqaiyya for taqaiyya is when you make a statement that is contrary to the truth, stating the truth does not amount to taqaiyya.

The Bab: Confession 1 about Imam Mahdi (as):

In Asraare\' Aasaar (volume 2, page 7), Fadil Mazandarani quotes Ali Mohammad Shirazi from his book - Tafseere\' Surah Kausar:

\'Then know that surely for him are two Ghaybat which are with Allah\'s permission. Some people have got the opportunity to meet him in this period, the length of which none knows save Allah. And surely in Ghaybate\' Sughra he had reliable agents and proximate deputies. Their period of deputation lasted for 74 years. His deputies, may my soul be sacrificed for him, in that period were - Usman bin Saeed Amri, then his son - Abu Jafar Mohammad bin Usman, then the trusted Shaikh - Shaikh Abul Qasim Husain bin Rauh, then Ali bin Muhammad Saymuri. All these were the ones who in Ghaybate\' Sughra ordered the Shias towards religious commands and forbid them from its prohibitions.\'

Conclusion:

Here are some deductions from the above statement of the Bab:

1. Bab confesses to Imam Mahdi\'s Ghaybat, which for the Shias has always been a differentiating factor between the true Mahdi and an imposter. This means that a person who was always apparent, was generally a recognised figure in society talked and move about freely could not have been the awaited Imam Mahdi. This confession of Bab disqualifies him completely from the title of Imam Mahdi which he was to make only a few years later.

2. The number of Ghaybat for Imam Mahdi are two in number. Bab never had one Ghaybat let alone two.

3. One Ghaybat was longer than the other one. The first one, Ghaybate Sughra lasted for 74 years. Incidentally Bab has got his numbers wrong - the first Ghaybat began in 260 AH with the death of the 11th Imam - Imam Hassan Askari (as) and continued till 329 AH, which makes it 69 years. However if one calculates the commencement of Ghaybat from the birth of Imam Mahdi in 255 AH, then the number of years is 74 as mentioned by the Bab.

4. The second Ghaybat which was when Bab was born is particularly prolonged the length of which none knows save Allah.

Some individuals got the honor to meet Imam Mahdi in Ghaybat. This means that meeting Imam Mahdi in Ghaybat was possible depending on when Imam Mahdi wanted else it would not have been a source of honour for that individual. Obviously, Bab never got that opportunity. If he had, he would surely have mentioned it in his confession to show his special affiliation with Imam Mahdi. This is particularly true.

5. Since making empty claims was nothing new for him.

Bab painstakingly lists down the four special deputies in the shorter Ghaybat viz 
a. Usman bin Saeed Amri, 
b. Abu Jafar Mohammad bin Usman (son of the first deputy),

c. The trusted Shaikh - Shaikh Abul Qasim Husain bin Rauh, 
d. Ali bin Muhammad Semori

6. The 4 deputies in the shorter Ghaybat informed the people about the commands and prohibitions as outlined by Islam, not some new religion or order of the Imam Mahdi. This is significant because when Bab claimed to be the Imam Mahdi at a later stage he introduced a new book and a new order distinct from Islam and invited the people towards it.

7. Very significantly Bab expresses his desire to sacrifice his soul on the special deputies. If Bab indeed was the spirit/soul of Imam Mahdi, it\'s puzzling why he would want to sacrifice his soul on his own deputies, should it not have been the other way around?

The Bab: Confession 2 about Imam Mahdi (as):

In the book Iblaagiyya Alf (sourced from Asraare\' Aasaar volume 2, pages 181-82), Ali Muhammad Shirazi, the Bab writes:

\'And I bear witness that after the four deputies there are no deputies for him (Imam Mahdi). Surely it has been narrated in traditions that in his Ghaybat there are scholars (who will guide the people). And I bear witness that obeying them is an obligation (upon the people) and to love them is justice. And one who denies even one of them, then surely he has disbelieved and is from the losers.\'
(Ref: Asraare\' Aasaar, pg 181-182, by Fadil Mazandarani)

Conclusion
Here are some deductions from the above statement of the Bab:

1. Bab swears that there four deputies were the only special deputies that Imam Mahdi ever had. This immediately disproves Bab\'s claim of being the Bab (deputy of Imam Mahdi). This is simple maths, if there were only four deputies then obviously Bab should not have claimed to be the fifth one. What he should definitely have considered doing is claim to be the return of one of the four special deputies like he claimed for Mohammed biin Hasan - Imam Mahdi. But then you can only be the return of one person - Imam Mahdi or his special deputy, no marks for guessing whose return is more prestigious.

2. There are no more deputies after these four deputies. This closes the door on all future contenders no matter how competent or deserving. But Bab still attempts to slip his foot through a closed door.

3. There are however scholars, who are distinct from the deputies, in the longer Ghaybat. These scholars guide the people in the longer Ghaybat. However, they are not directly appointed by Imam Mahdi and therefore cannot reach the lofty status of the special deputies.

4. Obviously Bab did not consider himself competent to be included among the scholars of the longer Ghaybat. Else he would most certainly have mentioned this in his confession given that making false claims came naturally to him.

The Bab: Confession 3 about Imam Mahdi (as):

In another place in the same Iblaagiyya Alf, Ali Muhammad Shirazi, the Bab writes:

\'And Your Hujjat (Proof) is alive, the entire creation is sustained through his existence. Everyone and everything remembers him (Imam Mahdi). (O Allah!) You protect him in his Ghaybat and hasten his days (of reappearance). And I give witness that today Your Proof is (none other than) Mohammed bin Hasan, salutations be upon him and those who adhere to him.\'

Conclusion
Here are some deductions from the above statement of the Bab:

1. Bab confesses that Imam Mahdi is alive. Importantly, alive at the time of the Mahdi, which means that the Imam was born much before the Bab.

2. Not just alive, rather he is the source of sustenance for the entire creation. This is an important part of the Shia belief wherein the Imam of the time is the means for all bounties that reach the world and heavens. In other words if it weren\'t for Imam Mahdi, the world and all its inhabitants would perish immediately. This is exactly what the Shia traditions say - a moment devoid of the divine Hujjat can lead to instant annihilation of the world and its inhabitants.

3. The world and it creatures getting sustenance through Imam Mahdi is a pointer to another important fact that Bahais have ignored all along. If Bab indeed was the Imam Mahdi as he was to claim later it only explains the world\'s survival for the brief period that he was alive - what about the interval that lasted over several centuries from Imam Hasan Askari\'s demise to Bab\'s birth? Who was the divine Hujjat during these centuries who ensured the survival of the world and its inhabitants including Bab?

4. Bab beseeches Allah to protect Imam Mahdi in Ghaybat.

5. Bab beseeches Allah to hasten the reappearance of Imam Mahdi. This fact is particularly significant for the Bahais. Imam Mahdi\'s reappearance was anxiously anticipated by the people since his Ghaybat. Bab accepts this fact. Therefore for him to claim Imam Mahdi\'s reappearance in his own persona a few years later while he was always apparent to the people hardly counts as a reappearance. To reappear you must first go into Ghaybat.

6. A big nail in the coffin as far as Bab\'s claim of being the Imam Mahdi is concerned comes in the form of his swearing to Allah that Mohammed bin Hasan (12th Imam of the Shias) is the Proof (Hujjat) of the time. This obviously means that Bab cannot be the Proof and Imam Mahdi for there cannot be two persons for the same position.

The Bab: Confession 4 about Imam Mahdi (as):

In his Tafsire Surah Baqarah (Chapter 2 of the Holy Quran) for the 49th verse: \'And remember, We delivered you from the people of Pharaoh…\'

Ali Muhammad Shirazi, The Bab writes:

\'Surely the progeny of Allah (i.e. progeny of Mohammed) in their status have an apparent (physical) body. Their bodies are stronger than the hearts of the people of Paradise. So much so that unless someone kills them they will not die. This is because their bodies are like that (secured) and they do not undergo any change (resulting in natural death). That is how Allah\'s Proof - Mohammed bin Hasan (Imam Mahdi) is alive today.\'

Conclusion
Here are some deductions from the above statement of the Bab:

1. The members of Prophet Muhammad\'s (s.a.w.) progeny have physical bodies. This obviously includes Imam Mahdi. This is an important admission by Bab because subsequent Bahai leaders like Baha and Abdul Baha as also present day leaders claim that Imam Mahdi was only a spirit (and not a body) that reincarnated in the Bab. Apparently Bab, the centre of this reincarnation does not think so.

2. The members of the holy progeny don\'t possess ordinary bodies like lesser mortals. Their bodies are so resilient that even the hearts of the Paradise dwellers appear weak in comparison. Again obviously, Imam Mahdi is the possessor of such a strong body. Obviously his body is strong enough to withstand a few lashes which is more than what you can say for Bab\'s whining at a few harmless strokes.

3. Their bodies being of an extraordinary nature explains why it\'s not easy for them to die by natural causes. Something extraordinary needs to happen before they depart from this world. That explains why according to Shia traditions, all the Imams from the holy progeny were either felled by the sword or poisoned. If it weren\'t for these fatal blows, they would have lived forever unless Allah decided to make them taste death as He has promised every soul.

4. This is exactly what Bab has concluded about the existence of Imam Mahdi. He admits that Imam Mahdi being made from the same body as the other Imams cannot succumb to natural causes and is alive till date because none has had the opportunity to kill him either by sword or by poison. In fact, according to the Shias one reason why Allah has ordained Ghaybat for Imam Mahdi is to protect his life from his enemies. So Ghaybat in a way has secured Imam Mahdi\'s life and has ensured that he continues to live for as long as Allah wills.

The Bab: Confession 5 about Imam Mahdi (as):

In Tafsire Asr (Chapter 103 of the Holy Quran) Ali Muhammad Shirazi writes \'Surely unless someone harms him (Imam Mahdi), may my soul be sacrificed for him, his body will not be harmed in this world. This is because his body is completely secured (from dangers). And that is why the Hujjat (of Allah) peace be on him is alive and the numerous affairs (and events) of the world do not influence his body. And unless someone harms him, may my soul be sacrificed for him, the prolonged days will not have any influence on him (his body).\'

Conclusion
Here are some deductions from the above statement of the Bab:

1. Bab reiterates that Imam Mahdi is alive till date.

2. The reason why Imam Mahdi is alive is because his body is made secure by Allah from all dangers. Even if someone somehow reaches him and tries to harm him, he will be unsuccessful in doing so. This obviously did not prove true for Bab when the government arrested him several times over leading him to repeatedly retract his claims. It is apparent that while Bab was right about Imam Mahdi\'s physical strength, he had grossly overestimated his own.

3. Again, as in Confession 3, Bab calls Imam Mahdi as the Hujjat.

4. Bab several times expresses his desire to sacrifice his soul for Imam Mahdi. If Bab is indeed the spirit of Imam Mahdi as the Baha’is claim it puts Bab in the rather interesting position of sacrificing his own soul for his own spirit/soul. That does not sound like a very sacrificing individual at all. In fact it makes Bab extremely selfish; anyone who would sacrifice his own soul for himself cannot be anything else.

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