Flowers for the Women Wearing Veils - Volume I — Page 95
! ! 95 followers are called Ba hai. The followers of this religion believe that from among the progeny of Ha z rat Imam Hussain ra , one Imam disappeared, but still lives. This missing Imam chooses a person to be his deputy. This person serves as the representative of the Imam and a thorough way , or b aab , betwee n the Imam and the believers. Baab means door. They consider the b aab to be innocent and free of mistakes or sin , because he reflects the Imam Mahdi and they believe that the Mahdi has knowledge of the unseen. Muhammad Ali Baab was killed and b efore his death, he made out a will , appointing Subha - e - Azal as his successor. In fact, this was a title , which Muhammad Ali’s successor , Mirza Yahya , claimed. Mirza Yahya was Bahaullah’s brother. This sect opposed the Iranian government and Baab was executed on the order of the king. When the faithful and brave followers of Subha - e - Azal began to be executed , he became nervous and fled to Baghdad. Fearing for his life, he became a recluse. At this time, his brother Mirza Hussein Ali , took advantage of the situation and claimed the title of Bahaullah , to expand his movement. Subha - e - Azal stayed put, while Bahaullah’s sect kept increasing. This sect incorporat es European teachings in its religious beliefs. They are like Khawaja Sahib, who routinely inculcates the notions of educated people in to Islam. Bahai’s act in this very manner, where they adapt the ideas of educated people [into their faith] and add moral teachings. 12. The Religion of Brahma : T he second modern faith is Brahma. This is a religion of logic, as they assert that their faith is based on logic. They do pray , but do not believe in the acceptance of prayers. In their opinion, prayer only increases love of God. 13. The Religion of Theosophy : The third modern religion is the religion of theosophy and it is a w oman , who has propagated this message. Their current leader is also a woman , named Annie Besant. Their belief is that hum an spirits do come back , and they believe in truth, but that it is neither associated with any special belief nor with any special person. In their estimation, a person can see God not by following a certain religion, but through deliberation and rational thinking.