This is a short (about 15 minute) presentation I put together for my mother-in-law for the celebration of the Birth of the Bab which occurs on October 20th of each year. I put some music to the first half of the slides and had them auto-play (music title and credits on the last slide). Then had people read-aloud the last half of the slide deck (after the image of the sun rising over the earth). The words I took from the first half of the presentation by Sanaei Brahimi here: http://www.slideshare.net/sanaeibrahimi/the-life-of-the-bab (with a few modifications and updates). Please also link back to her slidedeck, and this one when using this slidedeck. I also animated the arrows in the third slide to show his path of travel around southern iran and over to Jiddah and Mecca then up to the north over his lifetime. This took about 15 seconds.

1. Herald of the Dawn

2. Was born:
Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad
to his father:
Mirza Muhammad-Rida
and mother:
Fatimih Bagum
on Oct 20, 1819 in Shiraz.

3. 7. Jiddah
8. Mecca
9. Medina

4. The Bab was still a child when His father passed
away. He was raised by His uncle Hajji Siyyid Ali,
who placed Him in school at an early age.

5. The Bab’s teacher quickly recognized His
great capactiy and realized that he was
incapable of teaching such an extraordinary
child. The Bab was endowed by God with
innate knowledge.

6. At that time the people of Iran were awaiting
the coming of a new Messenger of God.
They prayed that He would soon be made
manifest, brining with Him a period of peace
and justice on earth.
Many left their lives and homes in search of
the promised one.

7. On the eve of May 23rd, 1844,
a young man
Mulla Husayn-i-Bushru’i
arrived in Shiraz in search of
the Promised One.

8. The Bab met him outside the gates of the city
and invited him to His home to refresh himself
after his long journey.

9. There, the Bab declared that He was the One
whose coming the people were so eagerly
awaiting.

10. The Bab announced that soon another
Messenger of God would appear, who
would unite all the peoples of the world
in one family. The Bab was like a door
leading humanity to a new and glorious
future.

11. The most acceptable prayer is the one
offered with the utmost spirituality and
radiance; its prolongation hath not been and
is not beloved by God. The more detached
and the purer the prayer, the more
acceptable is it in the presence of God.
~ The Bab

12. Say: God sufficeth all things above all things, and
nothing in the heavens or in the earth but God
sufficeth. Verily, He is in Himself the Knower, the
Sustainer, the Omnipotent.

13. The first day that they brought him [the Báb] to me at the
school, I wrote down the alphabet for him to learn, as is
customary with children.
After a while I went out on business. On my return, I heard,
as I approached the room, someone reading the Qur'án
in a sweet and plaintive voice. Filled with astonishment, I
entered the room and enquired who had been reading
the Qur'án. The other children answered (pointing to His
Holiness, the Báb) "He was. "Have you read the Qur'án?" I
asked. He was silent.
"It is best for you to read Persian books," said I, putting the
Hákku'l-Yakín before him, "read from this." At whatever
page I opened it, I saw that he could read it easily.

14. Become as true brethren in the one and indivisible religion
of God, free from distinction, for verily God desireth that
your hearts should become mirrors unto your brethren in
the Faith, so that ye find yourselves reflected in them, and
they in you. This is the true Path of God, the Almighty, and
He is indeed watchful over your actions.

15. On another occasion, the Báb was asked to recite the
opening words of the Qur'an. The Báb was unwilling,
pleading that He would need to know what the words
signify before attempting to pronounce them. When the
schoolmaster pretended not to know their meaning, the
Báb began to explain them with such a sweetness,
knowledge and fluency, that the master was left
dumbstruck that he was the student of this Child.
Amazed at everything he was witnessing, the
schoolmaster brought the Child back to His home. His
grandmother came to the door, and the schoolmaster
informed the family of what had passed, saying he was
not fitted to instruct their Child. The family warned Him
sternly to follow the example of His fellow-pupils, and
observe silence, listening attentively to the teacher.

16. Is there any Remover of difficulties save God?
Say: Praised be God! He is God! All are His
servants, and all abide by His bidding.

17. The Báb was always to be found in a state of
utmost humility and lowliness; His downcast eyes,
His extreme courtesy, and the serene expression
of His face, made an indelible impression upon
all who met Him. His purity of character,
simplicity, sweetness of spirit, charm of manners,
captivating gentleness, self-effacement, high
integrity, and extreme devotion to God, drew
people about Him. He could not open his lips
without stirring the hearts to their very depths,
opening before those who heard Him, unlimited
horizons, varied, colored, and mysterious,
revealing a blinding light that transported people
into a state of ecstasy.

18. O Lord! Enable all the peoples of the earth to
gain admittance into the Paradise of Thy
Faith, so that no created being may remain
beyond the bounds of Thy good-pleasure.
From time immemorial Thou hast been potent
to do what pleaseth thee and transcendent
above whatsoever thou desirest.

19. Mullá Husayn conveyed to Siyyid Kázim all that had occurred. Siyyid Kázim
had devoted his last few years to broadcasting the characteristics of the
coming Lord of Command, and smiled, and said, "That which my heart had
understood in dreams was hidden behind a veil, and is now found."
Before dawn one day, Siyyid Kazim arose and dressed in his cloak, and
made ready to leave his home. He requested a student to accompany
him, saying that a highly distinguished Person had arrived. As they walked
through the streets in the breaking light, they reached the house of the
Báb, who was standing expectant at the door, wearing a green turban,
showing indescribable humility and kindliness. He lovingly embraced Siyyid
Kazim, who stood speechless in a state of profound reverence. The Báb led
them to the upper floor, and they entered a chamber filled with flowers
and the loveliest perfume. Seated and overpowered with a sense of
delight, the Báb handed to Siyyid Kazim a silver cup filled to overflowing. He
held the cup with both hands, and drank deeply with unrepressed joy. A
single verse was all that was uttered in that encounter. The Báb arose, and
accompanied them to the threshold, and bade them farewell. The student
was mute with wonder at the cordiality of the Báb and the astonishing
reverence of His teacher.

20. Sapphire Isle by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a CC Attribution 3.0.
http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100087.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license are available at
http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/licenses/.