The Babi and Baha'i Religion — Page 17
THE B Ā B Ī AND BAH Ā ’ Ī RELIGION 17 sis on the near approach of the time when the Hidden Imam was to reappear as the Imam Mahdi that the hopes of devout followers rose to white heat. ‘Al i Muhammad first claimed to be the B a b, then went a step further by claiming that he was the Imam Mahdi so eagerly expected. After ‘Al i Muhammad B a b, Mirz a H usain ‘Al i , who called himself Bah a ’ull a h, initially exploited in his own favour certain passages in the writings of ‘Al i Muhammad B a b which vaguely appeared to speak of the appearance of another teacher after him: but later he seems to have overshot those marks, for he ended by abrogating the Islamic Sharia, a point which we shall discuss in some detail at another stage. (b) As is universally admitted to be usual with the Shias, the B a b i s observed a considerable measure of secrecy in regard to their doctrine and inner aims. (c) Some of these aims were undeniably political, with a possibility, even a probability of recourse, if practicable, to violent means for the attainment of those aims. (d) Due to (b) and (c) a head-on clash with the government and portions of the public was only natural.