About the Book

Of the several works on the rise and development of the Babi movement, especially those dealing with the life and work of its founder, Sayyid Ali Muhammad Shirazi, few deal directly with the compelling and complex web of mysticism, theology and philosophy found in his earliest compositions. This book examines the Islamic roots of the Baha’i faith through the Qur’anic studies of the Bab (Siyyad Ali Muhammad) and sheds light on its relationship to the wider religious milieu and its profound debt to esoteric Islam, especially Shi'ism. It will be of interest to students and scholars of Qur'an Commentary, Mysticism, Shi'ism, the modern history of Iran, comparative apocalyptic and messianism.