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Chronology of the Bahá'í Faith

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Date 1844-05, sorted by events, ascending

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1844 24 May
184-		 F.B. Morse sent the first telegraphic message over an experimental line from Washington D.C. to Baltimore; the message said: "What hath God wrought?" which is a verse from The Book of Numbers 23:23. Also see The Book of Job 38:35 where it says "Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go and say unto thee, Here we are?" [Thief in the Night or The Strange Case of the Missing Millennium by William Sears p3-4]

See History of Information.

 Baltimore, MD; Communication; Firsts, other; History (general); Morse code; Telegraph; United States (USA); Washington, DC, USA The first telegraphic message.
1844 22 May
184-		 Declaration of the Báb's Mission

Two hours and eleven minutes after sunset Siyyid `Alí-Muhammad made His declaration to Mullá Husayn-i-Bushrú'í in the upper room of His House. [DB52-65]

"I am, I am, I am, the promised One! I am the One whose name you have for a thousand years invoked, at whose mention you have risen, whose advent you have longed to witness, and the hour of whose Revelation you have prayed God to hasten. Verily I say, it is incumbent upon the peoples of both the East and the West to obey My word and to pledge allegiance to My person." [DB315-316]

  • See SI231 for information on the anticipated return of the Hidden Imam. See BBR2pg42-3 and DB57 for a list of signs by which the Promised One would be known.
  • See BW5p600-4 for a brief biography of William Miller the founder of the Adventist sect who, after intense study of the Bible, had predicted the return of Christ on March 21, 1844. See BW5p604 for mention of other Christians who made similar predictions.
  • See DB383 and BBR2pg25 for information on Mulla Husayn-i-Bushru'i. See CoB110 for the significance of the first believer.
  • See SBBH1:14 for a possible explanation for Mullá Husayn's presence in Shíráz at this time.
  • Nabíl-i-A`zam relates that Mullá Husayn was welcomed at the Báb's mansion by Mubárak, His Ethiopian servant. Others resident in this house at the time were Fiddih (f), responsible for the preparation of the food and the mother of Siyyid 'Alí-Muhammad, Zahrá Bagum. [DB53; KBWB5]
  • For more information about Mubarack see Black Pearls: Servants in the Household of the Bab and Baha'U'Llah p21-22.
  • He revealed the first chapter of the Qayyúmu'l-Asmá' (the Commentary on the Súrih of Joseph. The entire text would later be translated from the original Arabic by Táhirih. [B19–21; BBD190–1; BBRSM14–15; BKG28; BW12:85–8; BWMF16; DB52–65, 264, 216, BBR2pg14-15, GPB23, 73; MH56–71; SBBH17, HotD30]
    • Bahá'u'lláh has described this book as being `the first, the greatest, and mightiest of all books' in the Bábí Dispensation. [GPB23]
    • See SBBH5pg1 for discussion on the Qayyumu'l-Asma'.
    • This text was the most widely circulated of all the Báb's writings and came to be regarded as the Bábí Qur'an for almost the entirety of His mission. [BBRSM32]
    • Images of the Qayyum al-asma' ('Maintainer of the names') can be see at the website of the British Library, Discovering Sacred Texts.
  • This date marks the end of the Adamic Cycle of approximately six thousand years and the beginning of the Bahá'í Cycle or Cycle of Fulfilment. [BBD9, 35, 72; GPB100] Shoghi Effendi is quoted as saying that this is the second most important anniversary on the Bahá'í calendar. [ZK320]
  • The beginning of the Apostolic, Heroic or Primitive Age. [BBD35, 67]
  • See MH86–7 for an explanation of the implication of the word `Báb' to the Shí'í Muslims.
  • Three stages of the Báb's Revelation:
    1. He chose the title `Báb' and Mullá Husayn was given the title Bábu'l-Báb (the gate of the Gate).
    2. In the second year of the Revelation (from His confinement in the house of His uncle in Shíráz) He took the title of Siyyid-i-dhikr (dhikr means `remembrance of God') and gave the title `Báb' to Mullá Husayn. At Fort Tabarsí Mullá Husayn was called `Jináb-i Báb' by his companions.
    3. At His public declaration the Báb declared Himself to be the promised Qá'im. [MH87–8]
    		•  * Báb, Writings of; * Báb, The, Basic timeline; * Báb, The (chronology); * Báb, The (chronology); - Basic timeline, Condensed; - Basic timeline, Expanded; - Letters of the Living; 1844; Báb, Declaration of; Báb, House of (Shiraz); Cycles, Eras, Ages and Epochs; Fiddih; Hájí Mubarak; Heroic age; Holy days; Iran; Millennialism; Mulla Husayn; Promised One; Prophecies; Qaim; Qayyumul-Asma (book); Shíráz, Iran; Surih of Joseph; Tahirih (Qurratu'l-'Ayn, Zarrín-Táj); William Miller First, the greatest, and mightiest of all books in the Bábí Dispensation
    1844 23 May
    184-    		 The birth of `Abdu'l-Bahá in a rented house near the Shimrán Gate in Tihrán. He was born at midnight. [AB9, SoG3-4]
  • He was known as `Abbás Effendi outside the Bahá'í community.
  • Bahá'u'lláh gave Him the titles Ghusn-i-A`zam (the Most Great Branch), Sirru'lláh (Mystery of God) and Áqá (the Master). [BBD2, 19, 87, 89]
  • Sarkár-i-Áqá (the Honourable Master) was a title of `Abdu'l-Bahá. [BBD201]
  • He Himself chose the title `Abdu'l-Bahá (Servant of Bahá) after the passing of Bahá'u'lláh. [BBD2]
    		•  * `Abdu'l-Bahá, Basic timeline; * `Abdu'l-Bahá (chronology); * Bahá'u'lláh, Basic timeline; * Bahaullah (chronology); - Basic timeline, Expanded; - Births and deaths; Báb, Declaration of; Iran; Names and titles; Tehran, Iran
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