From: hakim@bigq.enet.dec.com (Kamran Hakim)
Subject: The Station of The Bab (Re: A Refutation of Baha'i view....) 2/10
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: 28 JAN 93 10:08:39    


Continuation from part 1:

While, The Bab clearly points out, in His "Dala'ile Sab'aeh" [The Seven 
Proofs.] to the fact that He purposefully identified Himself in His first 
Book, Qayyum'ul-Asma', as the gate to the Qa'im in order to convey His 
message according to the capacity of the people, yet, it is rather 
important to point out that there are also an abundance of verses in 
Qayyum'ul-Asma' which clearly demonstrate the station and the fullest 
measure of the claim of The Bab [i.e. Gatehood to Issa.]. Perhaps the 
following selections from this Book would demonstrates this point:

"O Qurratu'l-Ayn [lit. Solace of the Eye. Here God is Addressing the Bab. 
KH]! Say: Verily I am the `Gate of God' [Please note that He is not saying 
          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
that He is the gate of the Imam. KH] and I give you to drink, by the leave 
of God, the sovereign Truth, of the crystal-pure waters of His Revelation
which are gushing out from the incorruptible Fountain situate upon the
Holy Mount. And those who earnestly  strive after the One True God, let 
them then strive to attain this Gate [The Bab is referring to the Qur'an
83:25-26 here. KH] Verily God is potent over all things."

					Qayyum'ul-Asma', Chapter 24

He later on in that same Book (chapter 51) offers a perspective on the 
term GATE and its implication as follows:

"O ye peoples of the earth! Hearken unto My call, ringing forth from the 
precincts of this sacred Tree-a Tree set ablaze by the pre-existent Fire: 
There is no God but Him; He is the exalted the All-Wise. O ye the servants 
of the Merciful One! Enter ye, one and all, through this Gate [i.e. the
                     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Gate of God. KH] and follow not the steps of the Evil One [i.e. Satan,
or the Evil One is the personification of human selfishness according to
the teachings of The Bab. KH], for He  prompteth you to walk in the ways 
of impiety and wickedness; he is , in truth your declared enemy. [Qur'an 2:
163-164]."
					Qayyum'ul-Asma', Chapter 51

The concept of Him being the "Gate of God" mentioned in Chapter 24 is 
sharply contrasted by The Bab in Chapter 27 of Qayyum'ul-Asma' with Abwab-
i Arba'ih ("Abwab" is the plural of the term bab or gate. These are four 
individuals identifying themselves as the GATES -means for communication
and transaction- between the occulted 12th Imam and the believers during 
His lesser occultation, until the last of these Gates informed the 
believers that the 12th Imam has entered greater occultation and is due to 
return at the Day of Resurrection.), and the GATEHOOD of Shaykh Ahmad and 
Seyyed Kazim towards His own revelation:

"O ye peoples of the earth! During the time of My absence [i.e. The Bab is
                                               ^^^^^^^^^^
referring to the LESSER OCCULTATION of the 12th Imam, and by the term "My
absence" He is claiming to be the Qa'im/Mihdi by the virtue of implication.
KH] I sent down the Gates [i.e. Abwab-i Arba`ih. KH] unto you. However the 
believers, except for a handful, obeyed them not. Formerly [i.e. Prior to 
His appearance. KH] I sent forth Ahmad [i.e. Shaykh Ahmad Ahsa-i, the 
founder of the Shaykhi School of Thought, who advanced the idea that the 
appearance of the 12th Imam is at hand, and prepared his followers for 
His Advent. KH] and more recently Kazim [i.e. Seyyed Kazim-i Rashti the 
successor to Shaykh Ahmad, who continued the same task as Shaykh Ahmad. 
KH], but apart from the pure in heart amongst you no one followed them. 
What hath befallen you, O people of the Book [i.e. The Bab is referring to 
Muslims here, more specifically to Shi'ahs. KH]? Will ye not fear the One 
true God, He Who is your Lord, the Ancient of Days?... O ye who profess 
belief in God! I adjure you by Him Who is the Eternal Truth, have ye 
discerned among the precepts of these Gates [Here The Bab is identifying, 
Shaykh Ahmad and Seyyed Kazim as His own gates. KH] anything inconsistent 
with the commandments of God as set forth in this Book? Hath your learning 
deluded you by reason of your impiety? Take ye heed then, for verily your 
God, the Lord of Eternal Truth is with you and in very truth is watchful 
over you."
					Qayyum'ul-Asma', Chapter 27

Later on He clarifies the nature of His GATEHOOD in the Persian Bayan
as follows:

"The purpose underlying this Revelation [i.e. the Revelation of The Bab.
KH]...has...been to announce the Advent of the Faith of Him Whom God will 
make manifest [i.e. Issa-ibn-i Maryam. Thus, His GATEHOOD. KH]..."

						The Persian Bayan 6:12

After studying the claims of The Bab in regards to GATEHOOD, one could
clearly see that the GATEHOOD of The Bab implied a task INCOMPARABLE to 
Abwab-i Arba'ih. On the contrary He claimed to be the Gate of God or the 
door through Whom humanity attains the presence of God, the Father. He 
made the claim to be the forerunner of a Day that God will appear among 
mankind. The Day of a Manifestation of God Who is far greater than 
Himself in regards to station. The GATE to Issa-ibn-i Maryam, Who He 
identifies in His Revelation as `Him Whom God shall make manifest'.

The average Muslim mentality contemporaneous to The Bab was more in tune 
with associating His GATEHOOD to that which they were familiar with (i.e.
Gatehood to the Imam) rather than the GATEHOOD of their Promised Imam
(i.e. Qa'im/Mihdi) to Issa. The existence of such mentality among Muslims
and the rather explosive nature of the situation (i.e. the misunderstood
implications of Mahdaviat) and wisdom of The Bab to treat them gently
(by speaking according to the level of their understanding) gave rise to 
the confusion about the nature of His claim. If people were to study the
Writings of The Bab, as we have set out to do here, the issue would have
surely been clarified.

HS>He had a small following, and the sect came to be known as Babieh (Babism).
                                     ^^^^
Sect, by the virtue of definition is a branch belonging to a main body.
For example Shi'ah is a SECT of Islam. Sunni is a sect of Islam, Catholic
is a sect of Christianity, and Mahayana is a SECT (or school of thought
according to their terminology) of Buddhism. The message of The Bab was
similar in caliber to that of Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. Both UNIQUE in
its approach, and INDEPENDENT in its teachings. It was a NEW RELIGION
from the first day. Please consider the following sayings from the Imams
of the Faith:

"Out of Bani-Hashim there shall come forth a YOUTH Who shall reveal new laws. 
						   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
He shall summon the people unto Him, but none will heed His call. Most of 
His enemies will be the divines. His bidding they will not obey, but will 
protest saying: 'This is contrary to that which hath been handed down unto 
us by the Imams of the Faith." 
				    		Book of Arba'in
Also;

"There shall appear a Youth from Bani-Hashim, Who will bid the people 
plight fealty unto Him. His Book will be a new Book, unto which He shall 
                        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
summon  the people to pledge their faith. Stern is His Revelation unto 
the Arab. If ye hear it about Him, hasten unto Him."

						Imam Sadiq

This is not a forecast for the appearance of a SECT, but a RELIGION, and
the following are not ordinary speeches but the Voice of Revelation and
Authority:

"Verily We made the revelation of verses to be a testimony for Our message
unto you. Can you produce a single letter to match these verses? Bring forth,
then, your proofs, if ye be of those who can discern the one true God . I
solemnly affirm before God, should all men and spirits combine to compose the
like of one chapter of this Book, they would surely fail, even though they 
were to assist one another. [Qur'an 17:90 refers to the same theme. KH].... 
O concourse of the people of the Book [The Bab is referring to Muslims in
this verse. KH]! Fear ye God and pride not yourselves in your learning. 
Follow ye the Book which His [i.e. God's KH] Remembrance hath revealed [The 
Bab is referring to Qayyumu'l-Asma'. KH] in praise of God, the True One. He 
Who is the Eternal Truth beareth me witness, whoso followeth this Book hath 
indeed followed all the past Scriptures which have been sent down from 
heaven by God, the Sovereign Truth. Verily He is well informed of what ye 
do."
					Qayyum'ul-Asma', Chapter 2

In a later chapter of the same Book, The Bab identify Himself as the
Word of God. A station which is comparable to that of Jesus Christ:

"O Thou Mother of the Remembrance [The Bab is addressing His mother. KH]!
May the peace and salutation of God rest upon thee. Indeed thou hast
endured patiently in Him Who is the sublime Self of God. Recognize then
                                                         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
the station of Thy Son Who is none other than the mighty Word of God. He
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
hath verily pledged Himself to be answerable  for thee both in thy grave
and on the Judgment Day, while thou hast, in the Preserved Tablet of
of God, been immortalized as the `Mother of the Faithful' by the Pen of
by the Pen of His Remembrance."
					Qayyum'ul-Asma', Chapter 28
Moreover;

"O peoples of the earth! By the righteousness of of God, this Book hath,
through the potency of the sovereign Truth, pervaded the earth and the 
heaven with the mighty Word of God concerning Him Who is the supreme
Testimony, the Expected Qa'im, and verily God hath knowledge of all things. 
This divinely-inspired Book hath firmly established His Proof for all those
who are in the East and in the West, hence beware lest ye utter aught but
the truth regarding God, for I swear by your Lord that this supreme Proof 
of Mine beareth witness unto all things."
                                        Qayyum'ul-Asma', Chapter 59

This is not the manner of the LEADER of a SECT. This is the CLAIM for 
REVELATION and INDEPENDENCE.
						Part 2 of 10
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc