The Babi and Baha'i Religion — Page 33
THE B Ā B Ī AND BAH Ā ’ Ī RELIGION 33 The B a b i sharia When we study the B a b i movement in its histori- cal perspective, we find that it can be said to have coined three separate sharias after deciding to abandon the Islamic Sharia: namely, those embodied in Al-Bay a n , Al-Mustaiqaz , and Al-Aqdas. The author of Al-Bay a n is ‘Al i Muhammad known as the B a b; that of Mustaiqaz is Mirz a Ya h y a , known by the title of S ub h -e-Azal, appointed by Ali Muhammad B a b to succeed him: while the author of Al-Aqdas is Mirz a H usain ‘Al i , the man who played a prominent part in the movement in the life of Ali Muhammad B a b and who, later, on his own claim, become Bah a ’ull a h, the founder of the B a h a ’ i movement, which is a develop- ment of the B a b i movement. According to the B a h a ’ i s the sharia of Al-Bay a n too has been abrogated in turn. Nor do the B a h a ’ i s have faith in the sharia embodied in Al-Mustaiqaz by S ub h -e-Azal, leader of the B a b i movement appointed to that post by ‘Al i Muhammad the founder, but whose position was challenged after some years by Mirz a H usain ‘Al i , Bah a ’uhll a h, who became the founder of the B a h a ’ i movement. The followers of Bah a ’ull a h denounce Mirz a Ya h y a , S ub h -e-Azal, and ignore the sharia embodied by him in Al-Mustaiqaz. Those who call themselves B a b i s today hold faith in Al-Bay a n, taking Al-Mustaiqaz to be only a supplement of the former. Those who call