Siyyid ` AlÃ Muá ammad was a merchant from ShÃ rÃ z , Iran who started a religion called BÃ bism . Siyyid ` AlÃ Muá ammad ShÃ rÃ zÃ ( October 20 , 1819 â `` July 9 , 1850 ) was the founder of BÃ bism , and one of three central figures of the BahÃ ' Ã Faith . He was a merchant from ShÃ rÃ z , Persia , who at the age of twenty-four ( on May 23 , 1844 ) claimed to be the promised QÃ ` im ( or Mahdi ) .