Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 36 Báb
Naserdin sent his proposal to Tehran by fast horse; his father must be waiting for this news.

The governor also had other matters to attend to, such as the new prisoner named Báb, for whom there were already many petitions demanding the death penalty, which made him even more curious about the founder of the Bahá'í Faith.

So today, he took Amir to the prison to see this guy. He heard that he was not even 30 years old and was a very capable young man.

Upon entering the prison, I heard some voices, as if they were making some kind of announcement.

"The Imam will eventually come to earth, and some people now exploit these lost souls for money by relying on their interpretation of the Quran. The Mahdi has a mission to eradicate these cancers."

The Báb preached his doctrines to the prisoners, primarily interpreting the teachings of the Quran. He acknowledged some Shia ideas, incorporating his own understanding. A significant portion of his writings discusses the millennia-old Shia theme, lending his movement a revelatory quality. This was the Second Coming of the Mahdi, the day of God's victory and dominion. This led to the widespread acceptance of his faith.

The Báb quotes and comments on passages from the Quran. However, unlike theologians or Sufi scholars who comment on the Quran, he does not comment on individual words or sentences, but rather on the text letter by letter, using sacred texts as a starting point to reveal a theme that is not particularly related to or has no connection to the Quran. The Báb interprets the text and many Islamic doctrines through symbolism or metaphor.

“That’s interesting. I haven’t heard of these things since Father and those people from Koum became estranged. Bring him out.”

The jailers dared not obey the governor's orders and brought over the Báb and one of the newborn letters. He thought his death was imminent and told his followers not to hate the government, but to hate the people of Qom instead. (The newborn letters: the Báb's original followers, eighteen in total.)
Unexpectedly, they did not go to the execution ground, but instead went to the prison office, where the mayor of Tabriz and the governor of Azerbaijan were waiting for them.

"Your Excellency, Mayor."

The Báb bowed to the two men, and Amir spoke first: "Sayyid Ali Muhammad, do you know what crime you have committed?"

"I am innocent. What crime have I committed in order to improve the lives of the people?"

Amir showed the Báb a stack of documents, saying, “These are petitions to the governor requesting your execution. They say you spread rumors, slandered Allah and His Apostles, and attempted to overthrow the governor of Shiraz.”

“This is a frame-up. Mahdi is working tirelessly for the people, while those people are just sitting in their mansions doing nothing. This is a frame-up.”

The believers nearby immediately objected, but the Báb forbade them. "Don't say any more. Let the governor decide what's right and wrong."

"You dare to let the governor make the judgment? I thought you would try your best to explain."

"No matter how I explain, if the governor doesn't believe me, it's all for nothing. So I might as well not say anything."

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!
Naserdin clapped his hands. "I must admit your words are sharp, but not only in Tabriz, but also in Tehran and Qom, there have been numerous letters demanding that I kill you. It's hard to understand why so many people follow you?"

"If Your Excellency is willing, I can tell you a story and you will understand."

"please!"

Bábó paused for a moment, then said, “There was a family of seven. They made a living by cultivating the landlord's land, and would do some business during the off-season to supplement their income. They were able to make ends meet, but in recent years, natural disasters have been frequent, yet the landlord's rent and taxes have remained unchanged. Not only that, but taxes from more than ten years ago are also being collected in advance. They have no choice but to tend the land like they would their own parents, but the yield hasn't increased at all. By the end of the year, even after handing over their food rations, it's far from enough.”

So, to raise the money, the daughter was forced to marry a fifty-year-old man, and the two sons were forced to work for a wealthy family, where they were later beaten to death for no reason. The mother and grandfather also died from overwork, leaving only the father to raise the children. This year's taxes were indeed paid, but what about next year?

Naserdin knew this was the reality in rural Iran, where landlords owned the majority of the land, and tenant farmers had to hand over more than half of their harvest to the landlords each year. Even so, countless families were destroyed and people died every year.

"So, that's why so many people follow you?"

“Your Excellency, they simply want a society where they can live happily, they simply want to escape their current situation. Why do those priests own their land and shops and live so well, while those farmers live in such misery? The Quran has become a tool for them to amass wealth, profiting by wantonly distorting its meaning. Qom is a stinking cesspool, filthy and a place where all stench is concentrated…”

"Shut up!" Amir cut off the remaining words. "How dare you say that? Aren't you afraid of dying?"

"Hahahaha! Mayor, if I were afraid of dying, I wouldn't have said all this in the first place. Besides, don't you think what I'm saying is true?"

Amir admitted it was true, but he really dared to say something so bold.

“You’re absolutely right. If you were in Istanbul, you could definitely preside over the prayers at Aya Sofia.”

Unexpectedly, Báb dismissed the Ottomans with disdain, saying, "The Ottomans only grew into the country they are today through a series of lucky events. Iran has ruled vast swathes of land for thousands of years and is now just asleep, needing a jihadist awakening."

Unexpectedly, the Báb viewed the Ottomans this way. Although they were called heretics, they always maintained respect for the Twelve Imams, it was just a difference in their stance.

“Your idea is excellent; I almost got hooked on it myself. Since you’re doing this for the people, I’ll give you a chance. There will be a court trial in a few days. You can defend yourself, and you can bring a few people with you. As for success or failure, that depends on whether Allah is willing.”

"Thank you, Your Excellency. You are different from those people. You will surely become a good king."

Báb was taken away, and Amir anxiously asked the governor why he was doing this.

"Your Highness, just sign the papers and let him die. Why make him defend himself?"

Naserdin smiled and said, “My dear teacher, just wait and see. This person is different from the others I’ve met. Perhaps he can bring fresh blood to the Ayatollahs.”

　Note: The Báb was the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. Historically, he was executed by firing squad in Tabriz in 1850 at the age of 30.

　　After his death, the Bahá'í Faith launched an uprising and began implementing a communal system, which was later suppressed. Although the uprising failed, it dealt a heavy blow to the Qajar dynasty.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)