A brief look at Baabism and Baha'ism
Q: I would like to ask about Baabism and
Baha'ism - what are their beliefs? And are they Muslims?.
A: Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) wrote a brief
description of Baabism and Baha'ism, which we will quote here.
He (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said:
This is a brief description of Baabism
and Baha'ism.
In their view, the word al-Baab (lit. "the Door") refers to an
ignorant Iranian individual who claimed to be a Sufi. His name was
'Ali ibn Muhammad al-Shiraazi. He claimed that he was the door to
Baha'-Allaah Mirza Husayn 'Ali, and that he was the messenger to
whom revelation came from Baha'.
The Baabis are named after him. Every time he was put under
pressure and asked to repent, he repented from Baabism and claimed
to be a Ja'fari, one of the Ithna-'Ashari Shi'ah.
The Baabis held a conference one year in the desert of Dasht to
announce their views and proclaim glad tidings of the awaited imam
whom they claimed had appeared.
The Baabis are not all the same in their beliefs and view of the
Baab, as is stated on p. 97 of the book al-Baha'iyyah Tareekhuha wa
'Aqeedatuha wa Sillatuha bi'l-Baatiniyyah wa'l-Suhyooniyyah
(Baha'ism, its History and Beliefs and its Connection with
Esotericism and Zionism), by the head of the Ansaar al-Sunnah
al-Muhammadiyyah organization in Egypt, Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahmaan
al-Wakeel (may Allaah have mercy on him).
In their conference there were two groups of Baabis, one of which
was led by al-Bashroo'i and al-Quddoos, and the other by al-Baha'
and Qurrat al-'Ayn, as it says on p. 98 of this book. Their
gatherings were also of two types, one just for the imams (leaders)
of Baabism and another for the common folk. The topic of discussion
in gatherings of the leaders was Baabism's abrogation of Islamic
sharee'ah. Their ultimate view was that the Baab was greater and
higher in status than all the Messengers, and that what was
revealed to him of religion was more complete and more perfect than
any previous revelation or religion.
As it says in pp. 99-100 of the book mentioned, Qurrat al-'Ayn
delivered a reprehensible speech in this conference when
al-Bashroo'i and al-Quddoos were not present. Al-Baha' was also
absent, claiming that he was ill. He was worried about the
consequences of her speech and waited to see the reaction of the
delegates and whether they would reject her ideas or not. In her
speech she clearly stated that the religion of Muhammad was
completely abrogated by the new religion (Baha'ism) which had come
to the ummah via the Baab, even though only a little of it had come
so far and they were now in an interval. The ruling of Islamic
sharee'ah no longer applied and it was permissible for the people -
indeed prescribed for them - to share their wealth and women.
Al-Wakeel said that this was what was clearly stated by the Baha'i
historian in his book al-Kawaakib
al-Durriyyah (p. 180, 210). And she clearly stated in her
speech that she did not believe in the resurrection.
This Qurrat al-'Ayn was a strong proponent of their views. She
issued a fatwa before she got in touch with al-Baha', then when she
got in touch with al-Baha' she submitted to him and attributed the
fatwa to him.
The Baabis carried out an armed terrorist movement in which they
shed a great deal of blood and killed hundreds of people. The
Iranian state opposed them and recruited troops to put an end to
them, and they achieved that; they killed Baab al-Baab al-Bashroo'i
and his companion al-Qudoos in 1265 AH, as stated in the book
mentioned - the book of al-Wakeel - then the Shia'h scholars issued
a fatwa stating that the Baab was a kaafir and an apostate, and
deserved to be executed. The government ordered that he be executed
and he was killed in front of the people; before that he was
imprisoned in the citadel.
The Shi'ah scholars debated with him several times, and he was
exposed and his ignorance and confusion were clearly demonstrated.
Among the cleverest questions that were put to him was when he was
asked about the defects in Islamic sharee'ah and about the
perfection of that which he had brought, and he could not offer any
answer, rather he could not even say a word. He was asked to
deliver a speech and he delivered a worthless speech that did not
deserve to be listened to. Hence the scholars ruled that he was a
kaafir and should be executed, and he was executed.
Note: We stated above that the Baab in whom the
Baha'is believe was the harbinger of al-Baha' and he is the one who
received revelation and conveyed it. So he is like a messenger for
al-Baha'. The Baabis believe in al-Baab, who is 'Ali ibn Muhammad
al-Shiraazi, the ignorant Sufi who claimed that he was the most
perfect human vessel in which the divine reality manifested itself,
and that he was the one who created everything by his word. See p. 117. They also quoted him as
saying: "On the day of Nooh, I was Nooh; on the day of Ibraaheem, I
was Ibraaheem; on the day of Moosa, I was Moosa; on the day of
'Eesa, I was 'Eesa; on the day of Muhammad, I was Muhammad; and on
the day of 'Ali, I was 'Ali … on the day when Allaah causes someone
to prevail, I will be the one whom Allaah causes to prevail. I am
the last one after whom there will be no one else and I am the
first one before whom there was no one else. I am the manifestation
of Allaah's proof against the worlds."
How ridiculous are these words that no wise person would utter
(Shar'at al-Baab, p.
119).
The Baab abolished the five daily prayers, Jumu'ah prayer and
prayer in congregation, except in the case of the funeral prayer.
He stated that purification from janaabah was not obligatory, and
that the qiblah was the house in which he was born in Shiraaz, or
the place where he was imprisoned, or the houses in which he and
his followers lived. These are the places to which his followers
were required to go on pilgrimage.
With regard to fasting, it was to be observed from sunrise to
sunset, for one Baabi month which lasts for nineteen days. As for
zakaah, it was one-fifth of one's property, to be taken at the end
of the year and handed over to the Baabi council. There are other
ridiculous rulings which you can see on p. 120 of al-Wakeel's
book.
Baha'ism
As for al-Baha', who is known as Baha' al-Deen, he was Mirza Husayn
ibn 'Ali ibn al-Mirza 'Abbaas Bazrak al-Maazandrani al-Noori
al-Iraani. He was born in Tehran in 1233 AH and he was involved in
Sufism all his life. He took his myths and stories from his
Shaykhs. Then he moved to Baghdad from Tehran as a visitor or in
exile, then he moved frequently from Baghdad to other places, then
he moved to 'Akka for political reasons and ulterior motives, and
because of the many disputes between his Baabi followers and the
followers of his brother, Yahya ibn 'Ali ibn Mirza. After all of
that and after many developments, al-Baha' made the following
claims (see p. 143 of al-Wakeel's
book). At first al-Baha' claimed that he was the successor
(khaleefah) of the Baab, or the last successor of al-qaa'im (i.e.,
the hidden Imam); then he claimed that he was the qaa'im himself.
Then he claimed to be a Prophet, then he claimed to be divine and
that the divine reality only existed in its most perfect form when
embodied in him.
Death of al-Baha'
When he was in the prime of his strength and his call was at its
strongest, Allaah caused him to develop a fever, from which he died
when he was believing in his false claims and ridiculous myths. He
died in Dhu'l-Qa'dah 1309 AH. See p. 144 of the essay and footnotes
of Abu'l-Fadaa'il. Abu'l-Fadaa'il was one of the propagators of the
false sect of al-Baha'.
Al-Baha's methods of propagating his
views
He was a Sufi who relied on allusions, symbols and jargon. See
p. 147 of al-Wakeel's
book.
His books
The most famous of them are al-Ayqaan and al-Aqdas. He wrote the
former in Baghdad; it deals with proving that the Baab was the
Mahdi and al-qaa'im. It refers to the claims of al-Baha'. He wrote
this book in response to questions about the Baab. In this book
al-Baha' acknowledged that he was sinning by writing this book. How
strange are the actions and evil deeds of this criminal. Glory be
to Allaah, how great He is: He insisted that these criminals and
liars should fail in their words and deeds. To Allaah be praise for
the clarity of the truth and the failure of falsehood. See p. 150 of al-Wakeel's book.
Baha'is hatred towards
Muslims
Al-Mirza did not hate any community as much as he hated the ummah
of the Final Messenger. It is sufficient for you to know that he
accused the earlier and later generations of not having understood
anything of the Qur'aan, and he said: "One thousand, two hundred
and eight years have passed since the Qur'aan appeared and all
these riffraff recite it every morning and until now they have not
understood a single letter of its meaning." Then al-Baha' says:
"The one who does not drink from our sealed nectar, the seal of
which we have broken with our name al-qayyoom has not grasped the
light of Tawheed, and he does not know the meaning of the Books of
Allaah, and he is one of the mushrikeen."
Note:
In this summary about the Baabis and Baha'is, I have not seen any
words that you cannot find in the book of al-Wakeel. It should be
noted that some of it comes from the book of Dr Muhammad Mahdi
Khaan al-Irani al- Tabreezi, who lived in Egypt, which is called
Miftaah Baab al-Abwaab. Some of it was taken from articles written
by Muhibb al-Deen al-Khateeb about Baabism and Baha'ism, and some
of it is my own words. And Allaah is the Source of strength. May
Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his
family and companions. End quote. Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn
'Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (7/407-412).
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) also issued another
fatwa stating that the Baha'is are kaafirs. He was asked about the
views of Baha'-Allaah who claimed to be a Prophet, and also claimed
that Allaah was incarnated in him. Is it permissible for the
Muslims to bury these kaafirs in the Muslim graveyards?
He replied:
If the beliefs of the Baha'is are as you say, then undoubtedly they
are kaafirs and it is not permissible to bury them in the Muslim
graveyards, because anyone who claims to be a Prophet after our
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is a
liar and a disbeliever according to the texts of sharee'ah and the
consensus of the Muslims, and because this is disbelief in the
words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):
"Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the
Messenger of Allaah and the last (end) of the Prophets" [al-Ahzaab
33:40].
{مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ
رِجَالِكُمْ وَلَٰكِنْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ ۗ
وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا}, Transliteration:
Mā Kāna Muĥammadun 'Abā 'Aĥadin Min Rijālikum Wa Lakin Rasūla
Allāhi Wa Khātama An-Nabīyīna Wa Kāna Allāhu Bikulli Shay'in
`Alīmāan
And because there are mutawaatir reports from the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stating that he
is the Seal of the Prophets and there is no Prophet after him.
Similarly the one who claims that Allaah is incarnated in him or in
any other creature is a kaafir according to the consensus of the
Muslims, because Allaah, may He be glorified, is not incarnated in
any of His creatures; rather He is greater and mightier than that.
Whoever believes that is a kaafir according to the consensus of the
Muslims, and he is denying the verses and ahaadeeth that say that
Allaah is above the Throne, and He is above all His creation. He,
may He be glorified, is the Most High, the Great and there is none
like unto Him or comparable to Him. He described Himself to His
slaves as follows (interpretation of the meaning):
"Indeed, your Lord is Allaah, Who created the heavens and the earth
in Six Days, and then He rose over (Istawa) the Throne (really in a
manner that suits His Majesty)" [al-A'raaf 7:54].
{إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِي
خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ
اسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ}, Transliteration: 'Inna Rabbakumu
Allāhu Al-Ladhī Khalaqa As-Samāwāti Wa Al-'Arđa Fī Sittati 'Ayyāmin
Thumma Astawá `Alá Al-`Arshi
End quote.
Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh 'Abd
al-'Azeez ibn 'Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (13/169).
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