Gate of the Heart: Understanding the Writings of the Báb

by Nader Saiedi

Co-published with the Association for Bah ' Studies

In 1844 a charismatic young Persian merchant from Shiraz, known as the B b, electrified the Sh 'ih world by claiming to be the return of the Hidden Twelfth Imam of Islamic prophecy. But contrary to traditional expectations of apocalyptic holy war, the B b maintained that the spiritual path was not one of force and coercion but love and compassion. The movement he founded was the precursor of the Bah ' faith, but until now the B b's own voluminous writings--complex, mystical, highly symbolic--have been seldom studied and often misunderstood. "Gate of the Heart" offers the first in-depth introduction to the writings of the B b.

Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the author examines the B b's major works in multifaceted context, explaining the unique theological system, mystical world view, and interpretive principles they embody as well as the rhetorical and symbolic uses of language through which the B b radically transforms traditional concepts. Arguing that the B b movement went far beyond an attempt at an Islamic Reformation, the author explores controversial issues and offers conclusions that will compel a re-evaluation of some prevalent assumptions about the B b's station, claims, and laws.

Nader Saiedi's meticulous and insightful analysis identifies the key themes, terms, and concepts that characterize each stage of the B b's writings, unlocking the code of the B b's mystical lexicon. "Gate of the Heart" is a subtle and profound textual study and an essential resource for anyone wishing to understand the theological foundations of the Bah ' religion and the B b's significance in religious history.

Genres: Baha I, Religion

432 pages, Paperback

First published April 22, 2008

About the author

Nader Saiedi, Ph.D., has taught at the University of Wisconsin, UCLA, University of Virginia, and Vanderbilt. He currently teaches courses in classical and contemporary social theory, social stratification, sociology of religion, and the Middle East at Carleton College in MN.

Reviews

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saiedi’s intense, voluminous, thoughtful, complex, exceedingly profound, provocative and impossibly well-crafted study of the Bab’s Writings has no comparison — to my knowledge — in Babi/Baha’i literature. I am extremely grateful for the existence of such an academic masterpiece…

I’ve already begun my second read!

[Keenan Crone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been studying this book weekly with a group of friends for nineteen months. There is no other source yet in the English language that allows one to approach understanding of the true complexity and brilliance of the Revelation of The Báb. It is my ardent desire that anyone who has love for Bahá'u'lláh and who wishes to approach the mysteries of the Heart should spend the required effort on understanding the contents of this book. I don't believe you can get much out of this by studying it alone, compared to the experiences that will change the way you live your life and the way you understand all of creation if it is approached with the tool of a collective understanding.

[Vladimir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous book. When someone says that religion is just a collection of primitive fairy-tales, show them this book. It is extremely complex, and gloriously enlightening. Very clearly explained, and very complicated concepts about the nature of God, character of man, purpose of life, and other vital subjects. That's where humanitarian studies become a hard science.

[Scriptor Ignotus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book on a whim after watching a YouTube conversation between Rainn Wilson, an actor best known for his role as Dwight Schrute in The Office, and David Bentley Hart. Wilson recommended the book to Hart as an introduction to the historical and intellectual context in which the Baháʼí Faith took shape, and Hart gave it his endorsement. It is perhaps the only truly comprehensive study of the writings of the Báb (“The Gate,” born ʿAlí Muḥammad): a charismatic Persian mystic who, beginning in 1844, declared himself to be first a “gate” or messenger of the “occulted” Twelfth Imam of Shia Islam, and thereafter increasingly identified himself with both the apocalyptic figure of the Mahdi and the Divine Logos, which he called the Point or the Primal Will. The Persian government and religious authority cracked down on the Bábís, as his movement was called, and the Báb himself was executed by firing squad in 1850. Near the end of his life, the Báb predicted the advent of another “Manifestation”—something between a prophet as understood by Islam and Judaism, and a divine incarnation as understood by Christianity and Hinduism—who would lead his movement and reestablish true religion; and in 1863, Baháʼu'lláh (“Glory of God,” born Ḥusayn-ʻAlí), one of the Báb’s followers, took up that mantle and became the founder of the Baháʼí Faith. The Báb is thus regarded as a forerunner of the faith, commonly likened to John the Baptist.

It would be difficult to summarize the content of the Báb’s writings, since they are both voluminous and embedded within a complex symbolic economy, but it would perhaps not be far off the mark to say that he took a traditional Shia Muslim understanding of the history of revelation—that there is a single true religion, centered around the worship of one God, which has been made known throughout history by prophets who have mediated the Word of God to humanity, each proclaiming the same message—fused it with elements of Christian logology and incarnational theology, altered the status of Muhammad as Seal of the Prophets by claiming to be his successor and to have received a dispensation equal to his own—and, indeed, as the Point, to be in some sense the dispenser himself as well as the receiver—and threaded this new revelation with a complicated mixture of alphabetical, numerical, and alchemical symbology. It makes for an interesting study in religious syncretism and the conceptualization of divinity and revelation in a modern, pluralistic world.

[Gawain Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to gain insight into the reasons why people turn to extremism, this book starts with an amazing encapsulation of the flawed paradigm into which many youth are falling.... From the start, this book helped me to understand some quite difficult concepts... I thoroughly recommend it.

[Vadi Terafi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unveiling Spiritual Depths in "Gate of the Heart"

This is a book that will revolutionize your life. Dr. Saiedi explains the Báb's ideas about free will, the meaning of life, the effect of language on one's interpretation of life, and he offers a mesmerizingly creative interpretation of how to understand reality.

"Gate of the Heart: Understanding the Writings of the Báb" by Nader Saiedi is a transformative work that delves into the profound spiritual and philosophical insights of the Báb, the forerunner of the Bahá'í Faith. Saiedi's scholarship is both thorough and accessible, making the complex ideas of the Báb understandable for a wide audience.

Saiedi's interpretation of the Báb's writings is both innovative and thought-provoking. He offers a fresh perspective on how to comprehend the nature of existence and the divine. His analysis not only deepens our appreciation of the Báb's contributions to religious thought but also invites us to reflect on our own spiritual journeys.

"Gate of the Heart" is an essential read for anyone interested in the Bábí and Bahá'í Faiths or in the broader quest for spiritual understanding. Saiedi's work is a testament to the enduring power of the Báb's teachings and their relevance in today's world. This book will leave a lasting impact on your perspective and inspire a deeper contemplation of life's ultimate questions.

[W.t.]

A Gate into a Different Universe, at once precise and profound. An ever unfolding mystery upon mysteries.

[Simeon Kohlman Rabbani · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took a bit of effort to get into this book at first, but the author does a really good job of extracting various spiritual themes from the writings of the Báb. I gained many new insights into the Báb's Writings that I had been unaware of before, and this made the effort spent well worth it.

[Kolya · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the best ways to understand the Báb's writings and more!