On Zoroastrian Prophecy: Baha'u'llah as the Shah-Bahram

Photo: Women jump over a raging fire to celebrate an ancient festival called Charshanbeh Suri on the eve of the last Wednesday of the Iranian calender or solar year, Tuesday March 13, 2001. The fire festival is believed to date back to 1725 B.C. when Zoroastrianism was the predominant religion of ancient Persia and has survived numerous generations and governments. (Iranian.com)

As has been noted in the recent post on the Baha'i holy day of Naw-Ruz, the Iranian first-day-of-Spring celebration of Norouz has its roots in Zoroastrianism. In Baha'i history there were a number of notable converts from among the Zoroastrian minority of Iran, including Mulla Bahram, stories about which are included in Gloria Faizi's book, Fire on the Mountaintop, a favorite of mine as I used to read from it to my children when they were young. Immediately below is an excerpt from Shoghi Effendi refering to Baha'u'llah as coming in fullfillment of Zoroastrian prophecy. There is more on the subject at the Prophecy Fulfilled website.

To the priestly caste, holding sacerdotal supremacy over the followers of the Faith of Zoroaster, that same Voice, identifying itself with the voice of the promised Sháh-Bahrám, has declared: “O high priests! Ears have been given you that they may hearken unto the mystery of Him Who is the Self-Dependent, and eyes that they may behold Him. Wherefore flee ye? The Incomparable Friend is manifest. He speaketh that wherein lieth salvation. Were ye, O high priests, to discover the perfume of the rose garden of understanding, ye would seek none other but Him, and would recognize, in His new vesture, the All-Wise and Peerless One, and would turn your eyes from the world and all who seek it, and would arise to help Him.” “Whatsoever hath been announced in the Books,” Bahá’u’lláh, replying to a Zoroastrian who had inquired regarding the promised Sháh-Bahrám, has written, “hath been revealed and made clear. From every direction the signs have been manifested. The Omnipotent One is calling, in this Day, and announcing the appearance of the Supreme Heaven."

Shoghi Effendi, The Promised Day Is Come, p. 77.