Precursor (religion)

In religion, a precursor, also known as forerunner, predecessor, harbinger or herald, is a holy person who announced the approaching appearance of a central figure of the religion or who identified a central figure of the religion during the latter's childhood.

List of precursors

 * Asita in Buddhism
 * John the Baptist in Christianity
 * Bahira or Sergius in Islam
 * Shaykh Ahmad, forerunner of Bábism (in the Bábí-Bahá'í view)
 * Sayyid Kazim Rashti, forerunner of Bábism (in the Bábí-Bahá'í view)
 * Báb, forerunner and herald of the Bahá'í Faith (in the Bahá'í view)