Bicentenary Poems and Prose

Was It A Miracle? To The Bab

Was It A Miracle?
To The Bab

Was what happened
on July 9, 1850
in the barracks square of Tabriz
a miracle?

The Bab
was dictating to His secretary
when an official came
to escort Him to His execution,
the Bab said:

"Not until I have said to him all those things I wish to say, can any earthly power silence Me. Though all the world be armed against Me, yet shall they be powerless to deter Me from fulfilling, to the last word, My intentions."1

Ignoring the Bab's statement,
the official turned the Bab and Anis
over the the commander of the regiment
ordered to perform the execution.

A nail was driven into the wall,
two ropes were attached,
and the the Bab and Anis
were suspended
before the firing squad.

Sam Khan,
despite his misgivings,
ordered his troop
into three rows
of two hundred and fifty
rifles each.

The first row of rifles fired,
followed by the second,
which was followed by the third.

The smoke of those seven hundred fifty
cleared
to reveal Anis standing unharmed
while the Bab had disappeared.

The Bab was found
in His cell
finishing His dictation,
after which
He returned to the barracks square.

Sam Khan,
refusing to have anything else
to do with the Bab's execution
left.

A different regiment
was sent for,
and the execution
succeeded.

The bodies of
Anis and the Bab
were merge,
while their faces
remained untouched.

Was it a miracle
that occurred that day
or God's will
working itself out?

Poet's Note: ▼

This is poem 82 of the 200 I am writing to celebrate the Bicentenary of the Birth of The Bab.

Footnotes
1  The Dawn-Breakers, page 509.