This is 23 May, the anniversary of the message and
Declaration of the Báb. It is a blessed day and the dawn of manifestation, for
the appearance of the Báb was the early light of the true morn, whereas the
manifestation of the Blessed Beauty, Bahá’u’lláh, was the shining forth of the
sun. Therefore, it is a blessed day, the inception of the heavenly bounty, the
beginning of the divine effulgence. On this day in 1844 the Báb was sent forth
heralding and proclaiming the Kingdom of God, announcing the glad tidings of
the coming of Bahá’u’lláh and withstanding the opposition of the whole Persian
nation. Some of the Persians followed Him. For this they suffered the most
grievous difficulties and severe ordeals.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk, 23 May
1912, Cambridge, Massachusetts; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks
Delivered by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in
1912’)
