Bab: Persian Bayan

Audience

The Bab seemed to believe, and correctly so, that his writings would carry greater significance long after his own lifetime. As such, much of his intended audience could be considered to be potential converts or imagined followers of a future religion that had not yet been realized. This audience was supposed to hold the Persian Bayan on a par with the Qur’an and yet be prepared to replace it with a new text appearing from the one expected to come later. Specifically, the original audience was a very small group of the Bab’s followers and interested Shaykhis and other Shiites, as well as Muslims seeking to discredit and expose the Bab. For the early Babis, the Persian Bayan was immediately recognized as the Bab’s most important work of scripture.

Today all of the published writings of the Bab hold an important place among Baha’i scripture as the most recent revelation of God before Baha’u’llah, who announced himself to be “He whom God shall make manifest“ in Baghdad on April 21, 1863. The Bab’s writings served the purpose for which they were intended, namely, to announce the proper station—the authority and theological significance—of the new manifestation of God. As the Bab predicted that his own writings would be obscured compared with those of the one who is coming, the Baha’is see the Bab’s writings as having been superseded by those of Baha’u’llah. That said, the writings of the Bab were influential on early Baha’is and had at least some influence on Baha’u’llah.

It is difficult to know what relevance any of the writings of the Bab, including the Persian Bayan, have for Azali Babis today, since Azalis are few in number and largely secretive. They follow the teachings of the Bab’s successor, Subh-i-Azal (1831–1912), whose writings are believed to supersede those of the Bab.