title: Precursor (religion)
text: # 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)
  