The moment of the execution could not be postponed any longer. Large crowdsof people had gathered and had long been waiting. They continued to stream forward to the yard of the military block. A whole lot had arrived at Tabriz from nearby villages.
Sam Khan ordered his men to put a large nail in the wood stock between two doors of the house. Behind one of theses doors was the room where Bab had been interrupted in His conversation with Siyyid Husayn. Two ropes were fastened on the nail. Bab and His young friend was then hung up with the ropes under their arms.Through this the old Islamic prophecy was fulfilled: 'When the Promised One is to be slain he will be hung up like Jesus Christ in front of the eyes of the people.'
Muhammad Ali asked Sam Khan to be hung up in such a way that he would be like a shield in front of the Bab. He was granted this.
"Journal Asiatic" is one of the many scripts which gives us eyewitness to this historic event:
'Bab was silent during these moments. His pale, and beautiful face, his refined and cultivated manners, his well shaped hands, his simple but fine clothings - everything in him was attractive and aroused compassion.
About ten thousand people had gathered on the open space and multitudes were crowded on most of the roof tops around the scene of this drama. All were eager to witness this spectacle.
As soon as the Bab and his friend had been hung against the wall of the militaryblock the regiment were formed into three rows. Each row had twohundred and fifty muskets, the first one laying, the second on their knees and the third one standing.
The chief of the regiment could no longer hold back his order: He was to follow his instructions the Bab had said; therefore it was obvious to Sam Khan that his regiment should take the life of the Bab. He felt most unhappy during these moments. Reluctantly he gave the order :'Shoot'
Each row at a time shot at the Bab and Muhammad Ali, until the whole regiment had shot its sevenhundred and fifty bullets: The scen of the execution was filled of the thick gun smoke (of that time).
At least ten thousand people were eyewitnesses to the surprising and strange things that followed.
Nabil, the historian tells:
'The smoke from the sevenhundred and fifty guns was such that the light of the midday was turned into darkness.
When the smoke had vanished, the astonished mass of people saw a scene, they hardly could believe.
There, in front of them, alive and unharmed, stood Babs friend. But the Bab was not to be seen. Although the ropes in which both of them had been hanging were torn apart by the bullets, the bodies had, through a miracle, escaped the bullets.'
Shouts of astonishment , anxiety and terror was heard from the baffled masses.....
'The Bab has disappeared!'
'He is freed,' they shouted.
'Its a miracle! He was a man of God'!
'They have slain a man of God!'
An intense shouting and alarm broke out. The mass began to be dangerous. Like in a confused madhouse a hectic search for the Bab started.
'The agitated multitude of people were now ready to believe in the claims of a religion, that in this way prooved its truth. The soldiers though, tried to calm down the threatening crowd through showing them the torn ends of the ropes, hinting that no miracle had happened.'
(M.C.Huart:'La Religion de Bab')
The frenzy of anxiety and shouting continued everywhere. People were uncertain what had happened.
This was something unique in the annals of human history.' The shooting of the bullets freed the two men of their fetters without hurting them in the least'. (A.L.M Nicolas)
The frenetic search for the Bab led to that the officer on guard discovered Him near the wall against which He had been hung up, but inside of it, in the room where He had been last night. There Bab was found engaged in conversation with His secretary Siyyid Husayn. This was the fulfillment of the dialogue that was interrupted in the morning. Babs face bore an expression of untouched calmness and His body was obviously unharmed by the bullets swarm.
'I have now finished my conversation with Siyyid Husayn', the Bab said and looked smiling at the guard. 'Now you may proceed with your task.'
But the man was too agitated. He thought upon the words with which the Bab had rebuked him, for having interrupted the conversation in that morning:
'Even if the armed forces of the world were turned towards Me, they would be powerless to hinder Me, up to the last word, from fulfilling My intentions.'
The officer on guard refused to take any part of this execution.
to be continued
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