Baha’i Books

Book SynopsisContaining the essence of humanity's spiritual heritage, this unusual and inspiring collection of teachings will appeal to people of all religious persuasions and those who seek a spiritual life. Lucid and style and rich in imagery, these meditational verses explore the relationship between God and the individual, and the need to free oneself from the confines of the material world. This exquisitely produced special edition is the perfect gift for those seeking comfort, encouragement or inspiration.Trade Review"Couched in majestic prose, this English translation of the book…has made a remarkable contribution to the literature of this genre." * Islamic Studies Journal *

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Book SynopsisFor almost two centuries, followers of the Baha'i faith, Iran's largest religious minority, have been persecuted by the state. They have been made scapegoats for the nation's ills, branded enemies of Islam and denounced as foreign agents. Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 Baha'is have been barred from entering the nation's universities, more than two hundred have been executed, and hundreds more imprisoned and tortured. Now, however, Iran is at a turning point. A new generation has begun to question how the Baha'is have been portrayed by the government and the clergy, and called for them to be given equal rights as fellow citizens. In documenting, for the first time, the plight of this religious community in Iran since its inception, Fereydun Vahman also reveals the greater plight of a nation aspiring to develop a modern identity built on respect for diversity rather than hatred and self-deception.Trade Review‘The sheer scope, breadth, and depth of this history of religious persecution of the beleaguered Babis and Baha’is of Iran is masterful, impressive, and instructive, especially as to its contribution to present-day thought and implications for the future… 175 Years of Persecution is essential reading for any serious study of religious persecution in the Middle East (especially in Iran) and is a valuable contribution to human-rights literature.’ * Reading Religion *‘An exceptional book written in an exceptional time in the modern evolution of an ancient nation… a comprehensive and heart-breaking, infuriating but incisive, eloquent yet scholarly account of a virulent, obsessive hatred that has profoundly shaped the construction of Iran’s modern identity. It is a masterful weaving of abstract historical events with intimate stories of suffering, demonstrating how the choices made by the wielders of power shape the lives of ordinary people going about their lives.’ * Iran Press Watch *‘175 Years of Persecution offers a lucid academic account of the lives of the Baha’is under such intolerable conditions… This book is a must-read for all interested in modern Iran.’ -- Mohamad Tavakoli-Targhi, Professor of History, University of Toronto‘Vahman, a very learned specialist in Iranian studies, offers a significant addition to our understanding of modern Iranian history… Important reading.’ -- Roy Mottahedeh, Gurney Research Professor, Harvard University, and author of The Mantle of the Prophet‘Fereydun Vahman’s book 175 Years of Persecution provides, in accessible narrative vignettes, a sweeping account of the persecution of Iran’s Baha’i community. Many articles and reports have documented the persecutions, but usually focusing on a chronologically and geographically confined space, often with a clinical approach. However, like Dee Brown’s Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee on the genocidal campaign against Native Americans, or James Allen’s Without Sanctuary, a visual history of lynching in the American south, here we have a work that brings the human impact to the fore. Vahman weaves together a larger story from individual, mob, or state-sponsored acts of murder, arson, gravesite desecration, imprisonment, dismissal from jobs, deprivation of pensions and education, etc. In clear and readable prose suitable for students, activists, and the general public, this book memorably describes the beleaguerment of the Baha’i community in Iran since its inception and makes it clear why the situation of Baha’is has been described as a bellwether of the prospects for true political rights and civil society for the entire Iranian polity.’ -- Franklin Lewis, Associate Professor of Persian Language & Literature, University of ChicagoTable of ContentsForeword Acknowledgements Introduction: The “Enigma” of the Baha’i Religion in Iran PART ONE: Persecution During the Qajar and Pahlavi Dynasties, 1844–1979 Chapter 1: Why Were the Babi and Baha’i Faiths Suppressed in Iran? Chapter 2: The Violent Repression of the Babis and Baha’is during the Qajar Period Chapter 3: The Baha’is during the Reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi Chapter 4: Baha’is in the Reign of Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi Chapter 5: The Shahrud Incident Chapter 6: Eighty-One Stab Wounds: The Murder of Dr Berjis in Kashan Chapter 7: True Crime: The Incident at Abarqu Chapter 8: The Events of 1955: Hojjat al-Islam Falsafi, the Ramadan Broadcasts, and the Military Occupation of the Baha’i Center PART TWO: The Islamic Republic in Confrontation with the Baha’i Faith Chapter 9: Baha’i Persecution during the Last Days of the Shah’s Regime Chapter 10: The Baha’is—the First Victims of Oppression in the Islamic Republic Chapter 11: The Persecution of Baha’is under Bazargan and the Revolutionary Council Chapter 12: The Presidencies of Banisadr and Raja’i Chapter 13: Arrests and Executions of the Baha’i Assemblies, 1981–85 Chapter 14: The Destruction of Baha’i Holy Sites and Community Resources Chapter 15: After Ayatollah Khomeini: The Escalation of Persecution Chapter 16: Efforts at Reform under President Khatami Chapter 17: Escalating Repression under President Ahmadinejad (2005–13) Chapter 18: An Obsession with Conspiracy Theories in the Islamic Republic Chapter 19: Systematic Humiliation: Being Labeled Ritually Unclean (Najes) Chapter 20: The Perspectives of Iran’s Grand Ayatollahs on the Baha’i Faith Chapter 21: The Appeals of International Organizations and the Iranian Diaspora Epilogue Postscript Appendix Glossary Select Bibliography Notes Index

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Book SynopsisIn 1844, a young merchant from Shiraz called Sayyid ‘Ali-Muhammad declared himself the ‘gate’ (the Bab) to the Truth and, shortly afterwards, the initiator of a new prophetic cycle. His messianic call attracted a significant following across Iran and Iraq. Regarded as a threat by state and religious authorities, the Babis were subject to intense persecution and the Bab himself was executed in 1850. In this volume, leading scholars of Islam, Baha’i studies and Iranian history come together to examine the life and legacy of the Bab, from his childhood to the founding of the Baha’i faith and beyond. Among other subjects, they cover the Bab’s writings, his Qur’an commentaries, the societal conditions that underlay the Babi upheavals, the works of Babi martyr Tahirih Qurratu’l-‘Ayn, and Orientalist Edward Granville Browne’s encounters with Babi and Baha’i texts.Table of ContentsBiographies Acknowledgments A Note on Transliteration Map Preface 1 The Bab: A Sun in a Night Not Followed by Dawn | Fereydun Vahman · The Bab Discontinues his Formal Education and Begins his Mercantile Work · Epiphany, Piety, and Intuition · The Bab’s Journey to the Sacred Shrine Cities of ʻIraq · The Bab’s Return to Shiraz and Marriage · The Declaration of the Bab’s Cause: The Birth of a New Religion · After the Declaration of the Bab’s Cause · Mulla ʻAli Bastami · The Bab’s Eventful Journey to Mecca · The Bab’s Return from Pilgrimage and the Events of Shiraz · The Bab in Isfahan · From Isfahan to Azarbaijan · The Trial of Tabriz · The Return to Chihriq Prison · The Execution of the Bab in Tabriz · Bibliography 2 The Worldview of the Báb: The Reconstruction of Religion and Society | Nader Saiedi · Reconstruction of the Idea of Religion: Dialectical Logic and Historical Consciousness · Reconstruction of the Idea of the Human Being and Human Identity · Rationalism and Humanism ·· Equality of the Believers and Canceling of the Authority of the Clerics ·· Centrality of the Word and the Rejection of Miracles ·· Reconstruction of Heaven, Hell, and the Day of Resurrection ·· Reconstruction of the Concept of the Occultation and Return of the Imam · Equal Rights, Social Justice, and Ethics ·· Station of Women, Rejection of Patriarchy ·· The Ethical Maxim: For the Sake of God ·· Culture of Affirmation ·· Development and Modernization: Perfection and Refinement · Conclusion · Bibliography 3 The Shaping of the Babi Community: Merchants, Artisans, and Others | Abbas Amanat · The Changing Economy · The Babi Merchants · The Babi Artisans · Converts from the Government Ranks · The Babi Community: An Assessment · Selected Bibliography 4 From a Primal Point to an Archetypal Book: Literary Trajectories through Select Writings of the Bab (1819–50) | Stephen N. Lambden · The Writings of the Bab, Some Preliminary Observations · Bayan/Mubin (“Crystal Clear”) yet “Abstruse, Bewilderingly Abstruse (sa‘b mustasa‘b)”: Exegetical Clarity and Esoteric Depth in the Writings of the Bab · The Shahada (Testimony of Faith) and its Alphabetical Mysteries · Esoterica, the Abstruse, Sciences of the Unseen (‘ulūm alghayb) · The Style, Grammar, and Syntax of the Bab · Personal Letters, “Scriptural Tablets” (Lawh, pl. Alwah) ·· Letters or Scriptural Tablets · The Genesis of the New Shari‘a (Laws), the Khasa’il-i Sab‘a (mid. 1845) · The All-Comprehensive Bayan (Exposition) of the Bab · The Five Modes of Revelation · Devotional Writings of the Bab · Tafsir Sūrat al-Hamd (Praise) or al-Fatiha (“The Opening,” Q. 1) · “We indeed proffered thee al-Kawthar (The Abundance).” · Hadith Commentary · Commentaries on Hadith Texts by the Bab · Sūrat al-Ridwan · Khutbas, Literary Orations · The Khutba al-Jidda (Literary Oration Nigh Jeddah) · The Khutba on ‘ilm al-huruf (On the “Science of the Letters”) · Select Treatises (Risala, pl. Rasa’il), Epistles (Ṣahifa, pl. Ṣuhuf ) and Other Scriptural Communications · The Risala fi’l-nubuwwa al-khassa (A Treatise on the Specific Prophethood of Muhammad) · Epistles, Treatises, Booklets (Ṣahifa, pl. Ṣuhuf ) · The Persian Dala’il-i sab‘a (Seven Proofs) · The Arabic al-dala’il al-sab‘a (Seven Proofs) · Kitab al-asma’/Kull shay’ (The Book of the Divine Names, the “All Things”) · Kitab-i panj sha‘n (The Book expressive of Five Modes of Revelation) · The (Lawh‑i) Haykal al‑din (“Temple of Religion”) (1266/early–mid-1850) · The Late Messianism of the Bab · The Wasiyyat-nama (Will and Testament) Attributed to the Bab · Concluding Summary Note · Bibliography 5 Interpretation as Revelation: The Qur’án Commentary of the Báb, Sayyid ‘Alí Muḥammad Shírází (1819–50) | Todd Lawson · Life of the Báb · The Shaykhí School · Shaykhí Teachings · Tafsír Works ·· Tafsír súrat al-baqara ·· Tafsír súrat Yúsuf · Conclusions · Bibliography 6 The Social Basis of the Bābī Upheavals in Iran (1848–53): A Preliminary Analysis | Moojan Momen · Introduction · The Shaykh Ṭabarsī Upheaval: 1848–49 ·· Total Number of Bābīs at Shaykh Ṭabarsī ·· Rural/Urban Origin of Bābī Participants at Shaykh Ṭabarsī · The Nayrīz Upheavals of 1850 and 1853 ·· Occupations of Bābī Participants in the Two Nayrīz Upheavals ·· Origins of Participants at the Two Nayrīz Upheavals ·· Total Numbers of Bābī Participants at the Two Nayrīz Upheavals · The Zanjān Upheaval: 1850–51 ·· Occupations of Bābī Participants at Zanjān ·· Origins of Bābī Participants at Zanjān ·· Total Numbers of Bābī Participants at Zanjān · The Tehran Episodes of 1850 and 1852 ·· The Seven Martyrs of Tehran, 1850 ·· The Tehran Executions of 1852 ·· Occupations of the Bābīs Executed in Tehran in 1852 · Conclusions ·· A Comparative Analysis ·· The Role of Women ·· Other Social Groups ·· The Social Basis of Babism 7 The Babi–State Conflicts of 1848–50 | Siyamak Zabihi-Moghaddam · Babi Clashes with the State: Neither Social Protest nor Offensive Holy War · Review of the Primary Sources of the Babi Upheavals · An Outline of the Conflict at Shaykh Tabarsi, September 1848–May 1849 · The Objectives of the Babis at Shaykh Tabarsi · The Calm between Storms: May 1849–May 1850 · The Nayriz Conflict of May–June 1850 · An Analysis of the Objectives of Vahid and the Babis in Nayriz · Hujjat and the ‘Ulama’ of Zanjan · The Zanjan Episode of May 1850–January 1851 · An Analysis of the Objectives of Hujjat and the Zanjani Babis · Conclusion · Bibliography 8 From Babi Movement to the Baha’i Faith: Some Observations About the Evolution of a New Religion | Armin Eschraghi · Some General Observations on the Bab’s Sacred Law · Messianism in the Bab’s Writings · The Later Development of the Babi Movement · Baha’u’llah After the Bab’s Martyrdom · Babi Messianism and the Question of Leadership · Some General Observations on Baha’u’llah’s Sacred Law · Some Further Observations on the Baha’i Faith’s Evolution from the Babi Movement ·· Messianism ·· Ritual Impurity (najasah) ·· Holy War and Religious Legitimization of Violence · Conclusion · Bibliography 9 “The hand of God is not chained up”: Notes on Two Salient Themes in the Prose Writings of Ṭáhirih Qurratu’l-‘Ayn | Omid Ghaemmaghami · Introduction · Progressive Revelation · Love, Friendship, and Forbearance · Bibliography 10 Babi-Baha’i Books and Believers in E. G. Browne’s A Year amongst the Persians | Sholeh A. Quinn · Introduction · Terminology and Identifications · Isfahan · Shiraz ·· Books in Shiraz ·· Reading in Shiraz · Yazd · Kirman · Conclusion · The Texts Browne Encountered in Iran · Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe youngest of the world religions and the second most widespread after Christianity, the Baha’i Faith is well known for its belief in the oneness of all religions. In this clear, readable, and informative guide, Momen provides a vibrant introduction to all aspects of this fast-expanding faith, which now has over 5.5 million adherents. From its teachings on the spiritual development of the individual to the belief in the need for world peace, Momen’s comprehensive study gives anyone interested in the contemporary religious landscape an authoritative insight into this 150-year old tradition, whose spiritual and social teachings are so much in tune with the concerns of today.

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It was a time of house burnings, mob violence, kidnapping, mass imprisonment, torture, endless trials, summary executions and secret burials. This was Iran in the early 1980s, and everyday reality for the Baha'is, Iran's largest religious minority. Headlines across America screamed out the story, Congress passed motions, President Reagan appealed to Iran. This detailed, eye-witness account of the persecution of Iran's largest religious minority in the 1980s is the story of one woman's experiences at the hands of the Iranian Revolutionaries. Amid the escalating pogrom, Olya Roohizadegan witnessed friends, neighbours and relatives being imprisoned, tortured and executed. For months she visited the prisoners, comforted their relatives, found clothes and shelter for the homeless, and smuggled news and photographs out of Iran to the outside world. And then it was her turn. The book culminates in her dramatic escape from the hangman's rope in a hazardous overland journey to Pakistan and the West.

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Book SynopsisA delightful selection of prayers from the writings of Baha'u'llah, the Bab and 'Abdu'l-Baha. Echoing the richly detailed style of a mediaeval Book of Hours, award-winning artist Rob Hain has embellished every page with beautiful hand-painted borders and original illustrations that reflect the diversity of the world of humanity.

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Book Synopsis

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