The Báb’s Childhood and Youth

The Qur'an Gate is a famous monument in Shiraz.In a prayer the
Báb said that here He experienced "the evidences of
Thy [God's] boundless grace"

If you want to get a message to a friend, you can easily text, call, or video chat. But sharing news wasn’t always so simple.

In Persia during the early 1800s, there was no electricity. It hadn’t been invented yet. People delivered letters on foot or by horse. And you were lucky if you even knew how to write a letter! Many people lived in poverty and couldn’t afford to go to school. Girls and women usually weren’t taught how to read and write.

Into this culture, a remarkable child was born on October 20, 1819, in Shíráz. His mother, Fátimih, and His father, Muhammad-Ridá, were descendants of the Prophet Muhammad. They named Him ‘Alí-Muhammad, but He later took the name “the Báb," which means “the Gate" in Arabic.

Serene and gentle, even as a baby, the Báb became known for His courteous and sweet character as He grew. His father died when He was young, and His uncle, Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí, loved and raised Him like his own son.

When the Báb went to school He showed such extraordinary knowledge that His teacher took Him home and told His uncle, "He, verily, stands in no need of teachers such as I.”