The appearance of the Exalted One [the Bab] was an invitation to
knowledge and rationality, to generosity and compassion, to truthfulness and
social justice. The concepts and ideas that He brought breathed a new spirit
into the tired body of the world. He fulfilled the prophecies of old and gave
new form to the practices of the past. He discarded superstition and nurtured
reason. He began a new stage in the progress and transformation of the world of
humanity and, in the first instance, invited His own compatriots to participate
in the process of renewal. The gentleness of His Being and the heavenly power
of His words instantly attracted those who associated with Him, and the truth
of His utterances and the appeal of His teachings led, with miraculous speed,
to the awakening and consciousness of the people. In a short while, His Cause
spread throughout Iran and the fire of the love of God was kindled within
diverse strata of that society. A great many souls from a variety of religious
and ethnic backgrounds—men and women, young and old, rich and poor, merchants
and traders, thinkers and writers, clerics and even royalty, in cities and in
villages—joined the company of His followers and took to heart His call to
build a society founded on justice and free from tyranny and oppression. The number of sincere leaders of religion and
divines who accepted His Cause and embraced His truth is astounding, and
included Vahíd, who was among the most learned men of the country and the
confidant and representative of the King commissioned to investigate the truth
about the new Revelation. According to the scholars and orientalists of the
time, large multitudes among the people of Iran became the Báb’s followers and
devotees and evinced matchless valour in their commitment to their newfound
faith.
- The Universal House of Justice (From an authorized translation of a message dated 24 October 2019
addressed to the believers in Iran)
