Unity 14, Gate 5 — Bayani Marriage Law and the Sacred Rights of Women and Children

by Nima Hazini (Sufi Babi)

The Bayan — the foundational scripture revealed by the Bab (Sayyid ʿAli-Muhammad Shirazi, 1819–1850) — is organized in "Unities" of nineteen chapters each, addressing matters of law, theology, and spiritual practice. After the Bab's martyrdom, his movement split: most followers accepted Baha'u'llah as the next Manifestation and became Baha'is, while a minority — the Bayanis — maintained loyalty to the original dispensation.

Nima Hazini, posting as "Sufi Babi" and later "Wahid Azal," composed a series of new Bayani "Gates" for the tradition's "second cycle," intended to update and complete Bayani law for the present age. This post presents the fifth Gate of the fourteenth Unity — a remarkable legal text addressing marriage ceremony, same-sex unions, matrilineal naming, the abolition of dowries, divorce procedure, abortion, and the protection of children.

The legal positions here are strikingly modern: same-sex marriages are recognized without distinction, men are required to take their wife's surname (patriarchy "absolutely abolished"), women retain the right to decide on abortion, divorce is permitted after thirteen months of attempted reconciliation, and all physical punishment of children is forbidden. The text is framed in the rhetorical style of the Bab — second-person address ("O People of the Truth of the Bayan"), divine-name epithets, and the "Tree of Primal Verity" as the speaking authority — making it a living extension of Bayani scripture rather than a legal commentary.

In the Name of God the Glorified, the Holy!

The Consummation of the Bayan — Wahid 14, Bab 5

In the fifth Gate of the fourteenth Unity in the number of All-Things (361), marriage and cohabitation hath been made incumbent on the consent of two parties only; concerning its vows; ceremony; divorce, abortion and other matters!

O People of the Truth of the Bayan in this second cycle, the Tree of the Primal Verity hath verily annulled all duties, fetters and laws placed upon you earlier in this Bayan regarding marriage and instead has revealed new ones. First, serial monogamy is the essence of balance and harmony in all conjugal relationships, for it maintains balance in society and prevents complications in individual lives, and those who flout this injunction are verily not in the gnostic universal religion of the Bayan, as they have no reason or understand balances and the responsibilities therewith. Second, marriage and cohabitation hath indeed been made incumbent on the consent of two parties, and two parties only. No one other than these two hath the right to interfere. Parents have the right to advise and admonish their children on the choice of spouse or partner when they see fit, but not interference when the decision is final, so know these limits, O People of the Truth of the Bayan, and follow the balances set thereby. Children, however, must also respect their parents in their views and give ear and consideration to their exhortations based on the experience of years and the insights gained by them, for often that which a parent witnesses of the truth of a matter may not be immediately apparent to the child, and the converse may be true also.

The details of a marriage ceremony are left to the parties' decision, yet the Tree of Oneness recommends that the following be observed during the exchange of vows: In the case where the parties to the marriage are female and male, first, let the woman face her beloved and say Ya Eshq (O Love), then let the man repeat with Ya Hayy (O the Living). After the man hath uttered the name of the Living, let the gathering proclaim together in unison Ya Tahirih (O Tahirih). In cases where the spouses are both female, let them both say Ya Eshq, and in cases where both are male, let them say Ya Hayy. After the initial ceremonies, let them read from the prayers and poems of Her Holiness the Seventeenth Letter of the Living of the previous cycle (the Eternal peace of God be upon Her) and any other prayers or poems they so wish either from themselves or from others. But do not prolong such ceremonies and readings unnecessarily so that it causes weariness to yourselves and others.

Dowries and Rings

In this cycle the giving and taking of dowries has verily been abolished for good, for true love is not based upon such things, neither in the past or the present or the future. If the couple can afford it, let them acquire rings made of the most precious stones, particularly the ruby and the emerald, and let there be carved the eight symbols of the Greatest Name upon them and thus be exchanged after the vows, and if they cannot afford it let them acquire any other stones they so wish. Let the woman, first, place a ring upon the hand of the man while she utters words of love and sweetness to him, then, let the man reciprocate and utter greater words of love and sweetness to his beloved while so doing. For those spouses who are either both female and both male, the decision on the choosing of a singular last name shall be left to the considered choice of the two of them, but let there be a singular last name for every couple whether female-male, female-female or male-male, as this act indeed does hold a sacred reality which binds the hearts together and makes their union that much stronger.

Matrilineal Naming and the Abolition of Patriarchy

In this Day, it is verily established that a male who weds a female shall henceforth take the last name of his beloved, and not she his, and those men who hesitate or refuse to do so are verily not in the gnostic universal religion of the Bayan. This has been made incumbent since in this Day patriarchy has been absolutely abolished in all its forms and vestiges by the direct command of the Supreme Horizon, and especially since it has been from the dawn of humanity the seed and line of the mother which has always been the primary one, as the Children of Israel and numerous indigenous cultures rightfully observed. Moreover as this Day is established for the preparation of the second Return of that Primal Point of Knowledge and Innovating Genius, She whom God shall make Manifest, Tahirih Qurrat'ul-Ayn (may my life be a sacrifice at Her Holy threshold for the mere mention of Her Most Blessed Name), it has been made a sacred and inviolable duty upon the men to respect and pay reverence to the righteous women of the earth as if they were Her. And he who flagrantly violates this injunction and wilfully causes awful distress towards, brings unnecessary sadness upon, violates the honour and chastity of, robs or bamboozles, flouts against the sincerity and honesty of, displays blatant and unforgivable disloyalty to, and — may the All-High Godhead forgive him, for the Essence of the Sixth Existence will not — commits brutal violence, rape and murder against the just and righteous womenfolk, or any other unmentionable abuse towards them, is verily accounted as the damned in the eyes of the Tree of Primal Verity, the Essence of the Sixth Existence, and not of the gnostic universal religion of the Bayan, though he exhibit from himself every other pious and moral act!

Divorce

If, God forbid, estrangement should occur between a couple, let them observe thirteen months of patience and endeavour in that time to rekindle the flame of love and amity between them, and if they should fail, then their permanent separation after this time is left to their final decision. And should there be the occurrence of conjugal relations during this time — whether between the couple themselves or others — unless the parties agree thereunto, this does not annul the thirteen months of patience, for the All-High Sovereign Godhead understands and, without judgement, has compassion for the physical needs and desires of His creatures and does not condemn the need to love and be loved or any expression of its act, for He created it as He created and creates All Things. But, know most emphatically, O People of the Truth of the Bayan, that this is not license given to complete sexual permissiveness, for those who do so have no reason nor do they recognize the balances and limits, as they have no self-discipline and have succumbed completely to every whim and satanic fancy of their immediate egotistical passions and temptations without deliberating on effects and consequences, and as such therefore those who succumb to the spiritual disease of uncontrolled sexual permissiveness are not accounted among the People of Truth in the gnostic universal religion of the Bayan. All things have balances and limits, seek them and follow them thereby in all things for your own benefit and happiness. And in the deliberations of divorce, if a couple be blessed with them, let them always consider their children in their final decision, for it is the children who are often the most affected by the disharmony and separation of their parents. Be fair, follow a balance and, wherever possible, always consider the full ramifications of a final decision in any matter regarding the dissolution of a union, both upon yourselves and those around you, particularly if they are your loved ones. And at the beginning of every state of estrangement, let the couple look upon the face of their beloved and say to themselves and to each other as many times as they wish, "God testifies verily that there is no other god but He, the One Loved, the Best Beloved."

Abortion

As for the matter of abortion: the Tree of Primal Verity does not endorse the frivolous use of abortion as a form of contraception. However when the life of a mother is threatened, in cases of rape, incest and similar, or if there is no other possible remedy, the Tree of Truth has bestowed the right to women to decide for themselves the fate of their unborn child and the fate of their bodies. But, O People of Truth, consider well, for none knoweth the possibilities an unborn child shall emanate from itself for the benefit of all in the future. Consider that, perchance, this unborn child might one day become among the most distinguished in the sciences and the arts which shall benefit all of you and those who shall come after you. But if abortion is contracted, know that the All-High always envelops and protects the little ones — whether unborn or born — under the celestial canopy of Its protection and that of the Celestial Angelic Concourses.

The Protection of Children

O People of the Truth of the Bayan, love your children and love your children and love your children! And the injunction against the striking of children revealed earlier in this Bayan shall be maintained, and maintained forever, and we shall add that at no age shall a child be stricken by its parents or any adult. Discipline your children, but do not under any circumstances strike them or exhibit the least kind of violence towards them — whether physical, verbal, emotional and, God forbid, sexual — and whoever violates this injunction is not in the gnostic universal religion of the Bayan! Never ever bring sadness and heaviness upon the hearts of these pure and free angelic beings you have been blessed with. Never!

Colophon

Posted to alt.religion.bahai by Nima Hazini (under the pseudonym "Sufi Babi") on 20 May 2004. Published as part of Bayan19 Publications' "Consummation of the Bayan" series — original theological and legal texts composed by Hazini for the Bayani community, extending the framework of the Bab's Persian Bayan into a "second cycle" of revelation. This Gate addresses marriage law, and its positions — including same-sex union equality, matrilineal naming, and women's reproductive rights — reflect a feminist reading of the Bayani tradition unique in nineteenth-century-derived Islamic new religions.

Preserved from the Usenet archive for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Original Message-ID: <[email protected]>.

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