The Babi and Baha'i Religion — Page 16
THE B Ā B Ī AND BAH Ā ’ Ī RELIGION 16 Bah a ’ull a h died on 16th May, 1892, and was succeeded by his son, ‘Abb a s A fand i. But another son named Muhammad ‘Al i advanced claims of his own for succession. He gained but few followers, but in ‘Akk a itself was successful in obtaining custody of Bah a ’ull a h’s tomb. The Azal i sect has since been losing ground while the Bah a ’ i s have made some progress in gaining converts in some places, in Europe and USA among others, though much ground is left for speculation in regard to their precise number and the exact nature of their prevailing teaching, since there is reason to believe that they conveniently shift their ground from one climate to another. Main Points Thus, from a close study of the background from which the B a b i movement rose the following interesting and rather significant points emerge beyond any kind of doubt whatsoever: (a) The B a b i movement began as an offshoot of the Shia point of view, the central doctrine having been the position of the Hidden Imam and the importance of the B ab as an intermediary between him and his followers. The Ithn a ‘Ashariyya and the Shaikhiyyah, which represent the parent body of B a b i and Bah a ’ i thought, laid so much empha-