On Nov. 10, Baha’is around the world will celebrate the birth of The Bab, the herald of their faith. From small villages on the continent of Africa to modern mega-cities such as New York and Toronto, to our own small Baha’i community here in Springfield, Baha’is will gather to celebrate the birth and the life of this remarkable messenger. They will come together in ways that reflect their own cultural heritage: with song, dance, drumming, chant, prayer and scripture reading, as well as food and fellowship. But who is it they are celebrating?
The Bab was born Siyyid Ali Muhammad in Shiraz, Persia, in 1819. (Note: The Baha’i faith has roots in Islam but is a separate, individual religion just as Christianity has roots in Judaism but is a separate, individual religion.) He would later come to be known as The Bab, a title which means “the gate,” because he proclaimed that he was the gate by which the promised one would enter. In other words, much like John the Baptist came to announce the coming of Jesus Christ, The Bab came to announce the coming of “Him Whom God would make manifest” (Baha’u’llah).
The story of The Bab and the story of Jesus, though separated by nearly 2,000 years, bear remarkable parallels.
-Just as the boy Jesus showed wisdom and knowledge far beyond his years, (You are probably familiar with the story told in the New Testament book of Luke, of how a frantic Joseph and Mary, searching for the young Jesus Who had been missing for three days, found him in the temple asking questions and astonishing his elders with his depth of understanding.) Even so, the young Ali, having been enrolled in the local school by his uncle, was soon brought home by his teacher who declared that he had nothing to teach the boy, who had a depth of knowledge that could only be described as divine in origin.
-Both Jesus and The Bab had a small group of devoted disciples. Again, in the New Testament, there are wonderful descriptions of how Jesus invited His 12 disciples to leave their previous lives and follow him. The Bab called his disciples, 18 in number, “Letters of the Living.” One of the most influential of this group was a remarkable woman—the only woman –called Tahirih (Tah-heer-ay). She was an accomplished poet, a spellbinding speaker and an untiring advocate for the rights of women in a time and place where they had none. Her tragic but inspiring story will shine through the ages.
-Both Jesus and The Bab, though possessed of divine authority, were humble and compassionate in their manner. Both spoke out against hypocrisy and challenged the religious authorities of the day.
-Their ministries were both dramatic and short. Their appeal to the masses was unmistakable, their growing influence alarming to the religious and secular authorities. This led, in both cases, to their public execution; Jesus by crucifixion outside Jerusalem, The Bab by firing squad in the public barracks in the city of Tabriz. Each was about age 30.
-There were miraculous events which occurred in the days following the martyrdoms of each of these divine beings. Of course, putting them to death did not accomplish what those responsible for their death sentences hoped. Their cause was not eradicated. Their teachings live on and millions around the world strive to follow them. Perhaps this is the biggest miracle of all.
More information about the life of The Bab can be found ar www.bahai.org/the-bab/life-the-bab
Nancy Flood-Golembeck is a retired teacher and longtime member of the Baha’i faith. In addition to serving on the local Baha’i governing body, she is currently writing a memoir.
This article appears in October 15-21, 2026.
