s are the twelve Imams, who were the
promoters of the Law of Muhammad and the educators of the people, shining
like stars in the heaven of guidance.

Then it is said in the second verse: "and she being with child cried,"
meaning that this Law fell into the greatest difficulties and endured
great troubles and afflictions until a perfect offspring was produced--that
is, the coming Manifestation, the Promised One, Who is the perfect
offspring, and Who was reared in the bosom of this Law, which is as its
mother. The child Who is referred to is the Bab, the Primal Point, Who was
in truth born from the Law of Muhammad--that is to say, the Holy Reality,
Who is the child and outcome of the Law of God, His mother, and Who is
promised by that religion, finds a reality in the kingdom of that Law; but
because of the despotism of the dragon the child was carried up to God.
After twelve hundred and sixty days the dragon was destroyed, and the
child of the Law of God, the Promised One, became manifest.

Verses 3 and 4. "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; and behold a
great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon
his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and
did cast them to the earth."(74) These signs are an allusion to the
dynasty of the Umayyads who dominated the Muhammadan religion. Seven heads
and seven crowns mean seven countries and dominions over which the
Umayyads had power: they were the Roman dominion around Damascus; and the
Persian, Arabian and Egyptian dominions, together with the dominion of
Africa--that is to say, Tunis, Morocco and Algeria; the dominion of
Andalusia, which is now Spain; and the dominion of the Turks of
Transoxania. The Umayyads had power over these countries. The ten horns
mean the names of the Umayyad rulers--that is, without repetition, there
were ten names of rulers, meaning ten names of commanders and chiefs--the
first is Abu Sufyan and the last Marvan--but several of them bear the same
name. So there are two Muaviya, three Yazid, two Valid, and two Marvan;
but if the names were counted without repetition there would be ten. The
Umayyads, of whom the first was Abu Sufyan, Amir of Mecca and chief of the
dynasty of the Umayyads, and the last was Marvan, destroyed the third part
of the holy and saintly people of the lineage of Muhammad who were like
the stars of heaven.

Verse 4. "And the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to