orig. M 012B; rz 0101; 02BD; Al 012B; Mu 1E25; ammad of Sh 012B; r 0101; z
born Oct. 20, 1819, or Oct. 8, 1820, Sh 012B; r 0101; z, Iran
died July 9, 1850, Tabriz
Iranian religious leader who founded the B 0101; b 012B; religion and was one of the central figures of Bah 0101; 012B; .
The son of a merchant, he was influenced by the Shaykh 012B; school of Sh 012B; ite Islam. In 1844 he wrote a commentary on the s 016B; rah of Joseph in the Qur 02BE; 0101; n and declared himself the B 0101; b (Arabic: "Gateway") to the hidden imam . Later he would claim to be the imam himself, and finally a divine manifestation. The same year he assembled 18 disciples, who spread the new faith in the various Persian provinces. He had popular support but was opposed by members of the religious class, and he was arrested near Tehr 0101; n in 1847 and imprisoned. Meeting at Badasht in 1848, his followers, the Azal 012B; , formally broke with Islam. The B 0101; b was executed by a firing squad at Tabriz in 1850.