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Baháʼu'lláh's family

January 06, 2023

Baháʼu'lláh was the founder of the Baháʼí Faith.[1] He was born in 1817 to Khadíjih Khánum and Mírzá Buzurg of Nur (in the province of Mazandaran), a Persian nobleman, and went on to be a leader in the Bábí movement, and then established the Baháʼí Faith in 1863.[1][2] Baháʼu'lláh's family consists of his three wives and the children of those wives.

Titles of descendants

One of Baháʼu'lláh's titles is Sadratu'l-Muntahá, which translates from Arabic as the tree beyond which there is no passing (a quote from Qurʼan 53:14).[3][4] In this connection, Baháʼu'lláh entitled his descendants with terms relating to the Sadratu'l-Muntahá. His male descendants were given the title of Ag͟hsán (Arabic for "Branches") which in singular form is "G͟husn".[5] In particular, three of his sons were given specific "branch" titles:

  • ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (given name, Abbás): G͟huṣn-i-Aʻẓam (Arabic: الغصن الأعظم "The Most Great Branch").[5]
  • Mírzá Muhammad ʻAlí: G͟huṣn-i-Akbar, (Arabic: الغصن الأکبر "The Greater Branch").[5][6][7]
  • Mírzá Mihdí: G͟huṣn-i-Athar, (Arabic: الغصن الأطهر "The Purest Branch").[5]

His daughters were given the title of Varaqat (translated from Arabic as "Leaves"). Thus Baháʼu'lláh's eldest daughter, Bahíyyih (given name, Fatimih), was given the title of the Greatest Holy Leaf.[8]

During Baháʼu'lláh's lifetime, he referred to his eldest son, Abbás, by terms such as "Sirru'lláh" (Mystery of God), or "Sarkár-i-Áqá" (the Master). After the death of Baháʼu'lláh, he chose the title "ʻAbdu'l-Bahá" (Servant of Bahá).[9] Baháʼu'lláh did not give his descendants any direct right to the property of others.[6][10] This contrasts with Shiʻa Islam in which sayyids were given special financial entitlements.[citation needed]

Aghsán

Aghṣán, '("Branches") is a term in the literature of the Baháʼí Faith referring to the male descendants of Baháʼu'lláh.

It has particular implications not only for the disposition of endowments but also for the succession of authority following the passing of Baháʼu'lláh and of his son ʻAbdu'l-Bahá.

Baháʼí literature grants a special station to the members of the Aghṣán, indicating that Baháʼís should treat them with particular respect and courtesy, but does not grant them any administrative or spiritual authority within the Baháʼí Faith outside of those selected as successors to Baháʼu'lláh.[11]

Ásíyih

Main article: Ásíyih Khánum

Ásiyih was born in 1820 in the village Yalrud, Mazandaran.[2] Her father was Mirza Ismaʻil-i-Vazir, a powerful and wealthy Persian nobleman. Baháʼu'lláh addressed her as Navváb,[2] and the Most Exalted Leaf.[12] She was chosen to marry the young Baháʼu'lláh based on her rare physical beauty, wealth and piety.[13] The family had pre-existing roots with Baháʼu'lláh's family by virtue of their influence in the royal court which may have influenced the marriage arrangements. They married some time between 24 September and 22 October 1835 aged 15 in Tehran and she had seven of Baháʼu'lláh's children, of whom only three lived to adulthood.[14] She died in 1886 in ʻAkká,[2] and is buried on Mount Carmel within the vicinity of the Shrine of the Báb.[2] Baháʼu'lláh named her his "perpetual consort" and her son as his vicar.[2] Baháʼís regard the children of Ásíyih and Baháʼu'lláh to be the Baháʼí "holy family".[15] Her children were:

ʻAbbas

 
ʻAbbas Effendi
Main article: ʻAbdu'l-Bahá

Better known as ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, ʻAbbas was born in 1844 and died in 1921. He was the oldest child of Ásíyih and Baháʼu'lláh.[16] He was variously referred to by Baháʼu'lláh as "Mystery of God", "The Master", "Perfect Exemplar" and "the Most Great Branch". After Baháʼu'lláh died on 29 May 1892, the Will and Testament of Baháʼu'lláh named ʻAbdu'l-Bahá as Centre of the Covenant, successor and interpreter of Baháʼu'lláh's writings.[9][16] During his time as head of the religion, while still a prisoner of the Ottoman Empire, he met with many pilgrims and was in constant communication with Baháʼís around the world.[17] After the 1908 Young Turks revolution freed all political prisoners in the Ottoman Empire, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá was freed from imprisonment and in 1910, with the freedom to leave the country, he embarked on a three-year journey to Egypt, Europe, and North America, spreading the Baháʼí message.[16][18] On 27 April 1920, he was awarded a knighthood by the British Mandate of Palestine for his humanitarian efforts during World War I.[16] ʻAbdu'l-Bahá died on 28 November 1921, and he is currently buried within one of the rooms at the Shrine of the Báb.

Bahíyyih

 
Bahíyyih Khánum in 1895
Main article: Bahíyyih Khánum

Bahíyyih Khánum was born in 1846 and was the eldest daughter of Baháʼu'lláh and Ásíyih Khánum.[19] She was entitled the Greatest holy Leaf.[8] She was particularly dear to her father and is seen within the Baháʼí Faith as one of the greatest women to have lived.[8] She stood by and remained faithful to the Centers of the Covenant over years of infighting within Baháʼu'lláh's family that led to the expelling of many of them.[8][19] She was given the position of acting head of the religion repeatedly when ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (during periods between 1910 and 1913), and Shoghi Effendi (during periods between 1922 and 1924), were absent from the Baháʼí World Centre in Haifa.[8][19][20] Shoghi Effendi in particular felt her support during a difficult period following the death of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá. She died on 15 July 1932 and was buried in the Baháʼí gardens downhill from the Baháʼí Arc on Mount Carmel, under the Monument of the Greatest Holy Leaf raised for her at the Baháʼí World Centre.[19]

Mihdí

 
Mírzá Mihdí in 1868
Main article: Mírzá Mihdí

Mírzá Mihdí was born in Tehran in 1848 and was entitled the Purest Branch.[21] He died at the age of 22 on 23 June 1870 in ʻAkká after a fall through a skylight while he was preoccupied in prayer.[21] The death is significant as Baháʼís believe that Baháʼu'lláh offered him the chance of being cured. However, he chose to use his life as a sacrifice so that the close imprisonment of the Baháʼís would end.[21] Mírzá Mihdí was eventually buried alongside his mother in the gardens below the Baháʼí Arc on Mount Carmel in Haifa near his brother and sister.[21]

Others

Ásíyih bore at least four other children all sons,[22] but due to their early deaths little is known about them:

  • Kázim who died sometime in Persia.[23]
  • Sádiq who died aged 3–4.[22]
  • ʻAlí Muhammad who died in Mazandaran at the age of 7 in 1852.[22]
  • ʻAlí Muhammad who was born and died in Baghdad at the age of 2.[22]

Fatimih

Fatimih was born in 1828 in Mazandaran and was generally known as Mahd-i-'Ulya.[14] A first cousin of Baháʼu'lláh, Fatimih was married at fourteen to an influential cleric several decades older than she was. She seems to have been widowed shortly afterwards, perhaps aged sixteen.[24] It is reported that Baháʼu'lláh's aunt implored him to wed his widowed cousin and he reluctantly agreed to do so.[24] They married in 1849 in Tehran and she had six of Baháʼu'lláh's children, of whom four survived to adulthood.[14] She was said to have been very jealous of and harboured great enmity towards ʻAbdu'l-Bahá.[25] She died in 1904, and was later labelled a Covenant-breaker.[26]

Her children are:

Samadiyyih

Samadiyyih married Majdu'd-Din, who was the son of Aqay-i-Kalim, Baháʼu'lláh's brother;[27][28] Majdu'd-Din was one of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's greatest critics, and Samadiyyih and Majdu'd-Din were eventually declared Covenant-breakers. She died at age 49 in 1904/5 and her husband died at over one-hundred years of age in 1955.[27][28]

Muhammad-ʻAlí

Main article: Mírzá Muhammad ʻAlí
 
Mírzá Muhammad ʻAlí Effendi

Mírzá Muhammad ʻAlí was born in Baghdad in 1853.[29] Baháʼu'lláh called him the "Greater Branch" and when Baháʼu'lláh declared ʻAbdu'l-Bahá his successor, he set that Muhammad ʻAlí was next in rank after him.[29][30] Motivated by jealousy of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá he conspired to undermine his brother's leadership, but he was unable to gain extensive support from the Baháʼís.[29] When ʻAbdu'l-Bahá died, his will went into great detail about how Muhammad ʻAlí had been unfaithful to the Covenant, labelling him a Covenant-breaker, and appointing Shoghi Effendi his successor instead.[31][32] Muhammad ʻAlí was described by Shoghi Effendi as the "Arch-Breaker of Baháʼu'lláh's Covenant".[29][33] Muhammad ʻAlí died in 1937.[29] He is buried in one of the two private Bahá'í cemeteries in a square mausoleum covered with a white dome.[34]

Ḍíyáʼu'lláh

 
Mírzá Ḍíyáʼu'lláh Effendi

Ḍíyáʼu'lláh (ضياء الله, alternate spelling: Zíyáʼu'lláh) was born August 15, 1864 in Edirne (Adrianople).[2][35] He swayed in loyalty between his brothers, and was labelled a Covenant-breaker.[36][37] He married Thurayyá Samandarí, daughter of Shaykh Kázim-i-Samandar and sister of Tarázʼu'lláh Samandarí, a Hand of the Cause of God. The marriage was childless, and according to Samandar's memoirs, Muhammad ʻAlí had prevented her from returning to him. He died on October 30, 1898, in Haifa.[37] Ḍíyáʼu'lláh was initially buried next to his father at the Shrine of Baháʼu'lláh at the Mansion of Bahjí. However, having been declared a Covenant-breaker, Ḍíyáʼu'lláh's remains were later disinterred and moved.[38]

Badíʻu'lláh

 
Mírzá Badi'u'llah Effendi

Badíʻu'lláh Effendí was born in Adrianople in 1867.[2] For much of his life he supported his brother's challenge to ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's authority as Centre of the Covenant. However, in 1903 Badíʻu'lláh rejected Muhammad-ʻAlí, and delivered his loyalty to ʻAbdu'l-Bahá and circulated an open letter denouncing Muhammad-ʻAlí, known as Badíʻu'lláh's epistle;[4][39] however his loyalty to ʻAbdu'l-Bahá was short lived. He died in Israel on November 1, 1950.[2] His father gave him the title G͟husn-i-Anwar (“The Most Luminous Branch”).

Badiʻu'llah married Alia Khanum.[citation needed] His daughter Sadhij was a militant leader of women's rights in Palestine, and married Najib Nassar.[40]

Others

Mahd-i-'Ulya bore at least two other children:

  • ʻAlí Muhammad who died at the age of 2 in Baghdad.[22]
  • Sád͟hijíyyih K͟hánum who was born in Baghdad and died at the age of 2 in Constantinople.[22]

Gawhar

 
Gawhar Khanum, third wife of Baháʼu'lláh

Gawhar was born in Kashan to a Bábí family of the city. She was brought to Baghdad by her brother Mirza Mihdiy-i-Kashani with his intention reportedly being for her to serve the household and Ásíyih Khánum.[41] Baháʼu'lláh married her some time around 1862.[14] When Baháʼu'lláh left Baghdad in 1863, unlike the other two wives, Gawhar remained in Baghdad.[14] During her time in Baghdad she stayed and lived with her brother.[27] Shortly afterwards, the Baháʼí community of Baghdad was rounded up and exiled to Mosul, among them Gawhar and her brother.[27] Her brother wrote a number of times asking Baháʼu'lláh to allow them to enter Akká and finally he accepted. Brother and sister arrived in late 1870.[42] Gawhar may have been a maid of the first wife of Baháʼu'lláh when he married her.[43] Baháʼu'lláh and Gawhar had one daughter, Furúghíyyih who was born in ʻAkká. Both mother and daughter were declared Covenant-breakers after the death of Baháʼu'lláh.[27] Gawhar died sometime between 1892 and 1921.

Furughiyyih

Relatively little is known about Furughiyyih. Furughiyyih was the daughter of Baháʼu'lláh and she was married to Siyyid Ali Afnan, the son of the Báb's brother-in-law.[44] She, her husband and her children (in particular her eldest Nayyir), all sided with Muhammad-ʻAli, and were labelled Covenant-breakers.[27] She bore four children:

  • Late Hussain Effendi Afnan
  • Nayyar Effendi Afnan
  • Feyzi Effendi Afnan
  • Hassan Effendi Afnan[45]

She died of cancer.[46]

Plurality of wives

Baháʼu'lláh had three concurrent wives,[14][47] when his religion teaches monogamy, and this has been the subject of criticism. Baháʼí teachings on gender equality and monogamy post-date Baháʼu'lláh's marriages and are understood to be evolutionary in nature, slowly leading Baháʼís away from what had been a deeply rooted cultural practice.[47]

Baháʼu'lláh married his first wife in Tehran when they both were Muslims, and he married his second wife also in Tehran, when he, his first wife, and his new wife were all Bábís and no longer Muslims.[14] According to the laws and tradition of Islam, which Baháʼu'lláh would have been following at the time of his marriages, a man is allowed four wives.[47][48] Baháʼí marriage laws were written in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas more than ten years after his last marriage. In that book he limits the number of wives to two with no concubines and states that having only one wife would be the cause of tranquility for both partners.[47][49] This was later interpreted by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá that having a second wife is conditional upon treating both wives with justice and equality, and was not possible in practice, thus establishing monogamy.[47][50][51] This interpretation is probably influenced by the equivalent reasoning of some Muslim scholars who interpret the Quran's permissive stance on polygamy - restricted to 4 wives - as indicated in verse 4:3 to be subject of the impossible condition of absolute justice on part of the husband.

Baháʼí apologia

The general view among Baháʼu'lláh's family and Baháʼís today is that all the wives were legal and equal. The question about how this conforms to religious law is addressed directly in two letters from Universal House of Justice quoting Shoghi Effendi twice:

"Baháʼu'lláh had no concubine. He had three legal wives. As He married them before the "Aqdas" (His book of laws) was revealed, he was only acting according to the laws of Islám, which had not yet been superseded. He made plurality of wives conditional upon justice; ʻAbdu'l-Bahá interpreted this to mean that a man may not have more than one wife at a time, as it is impossible to be just to two or more women in marriage."
"...Baháʼu'lláh married the first and second wives while he was still in Tihrán, and the third wife while he was in Baghdád. At that time, the Laws of the "Aqdas" had not been revealed, and secondly, he was following the Laws of the previous Dispensation and the customs of the people of his own land.".[52]

Baháʼís argue that polygamy is an ancient practice and other religions did not require monogamy.[53] Under the Law of Moses a man could take as many wives as he chose.[54] Most Christian groups have historically not practiced and condemned polygamy; some, however, have advocated it. In the Arabian peninsula Muhammad introduced a limit of four wives; polygamy was unlimited in pre-Islamic Arabia.[55][56] The Baháʼí Faith slowly introduced monogamy to a region that considered polygamy a righteous lifestyle.[47] Note 89 of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas comments on the verse in question:

"Baháʼu'lláh, who was revealing his teachings in the milieu of a Muslim society, introduced the question of monogamy gradually in accordance with the principles of wisdom and the progressive unfoldment of his purpose. The fact that he left his followers with an infallible interpreter of his writings enabled him to outwardly permit two wives in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas but uphold a condition that enabled ʻAbdu'l-Bahá to elucidate later that the intention of the law was to enforce monogamy."[57]

Notes

  1. ^ a b Smith 2000, p. 73
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Smith 2000, pp. 261–262
  3. ^ Buck 1995, pp. 4–5
  4. ^ a b Scharbrodt 2008, pp. 86–87
  5. ^ a b c d Smith 2000, p. 30
  6. ^ a b Smith 2008, p. 43
  7. ^ G͟husn-i-Aʻẓam and G͟husn-i-Akbar can both be translated as "the great branch", "the greater branch" or "the most great branch". Aʻẓam carries a higher status in Arabic (see Baalbaki 2005, or Steingass 1892), so Baháʼí authors and others translate ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's title as "Most Great" and Muhammad ʻAlí's title as "Greater" (Taherzadeh, 2000, p. 256.). The designations of G͟husn-i-Aʻẓam and G͟husn-i-Akbar are clear. (Browne, 1918, p. 61, & p. 85 [1])
  8. ^ a b c d e Bramson 2004, pp. 102–103
  9. ^ a b Momen 2004, pp. 97–98
  10. ^ Baháʼu'lláh 1873, p. 222
  11. ^ "Flow of Divine Authority". bahai-library.com. Retrieved 2017-08-30.
  12. ^ Ma'ani 2008, p. 85
  13. ^ Ma'ani 2008, p. 84
  14. ^ a b c d e f g Smith 2008, p. 16
  15. ^ Ma'ani 2008, p. 87
  16. ^ a b c d Bausani, Alessandro (1989). "ʻAbd-al-Bahāʼ : Life and work". Encyclopædia Iranica.
  17. ^ Balyuzi 2001, p. 69
  18. ^ Balyuzi 2001, pp. 159–397
  19. ^ a b c d Smith 2000, pp. 86–87
  20. ^ Khan 2005, pp. 78, 79, 84, 131
  21. ^ a b c d Smith 2000, pp. 246–247
  22. ^ a b c d e f Browne 1918, pp. 320–321
  23. ^ Ma'ani 2008, p. 90
  24. ^ a b Ma'ani 2008, pp. 230–2
  25. ^ Taherzadeh 1992, p. 136
  26. ^ Taherzadeh 2000, p. 117
  27. ^ a b c d e f Taherzadeh 2000, p. 25
  28. ^ a b Taherzadeh 2000, p. 144
  29. ^ a b c d e Smith 2000, p. 252
  30. ^ Smith 2008, p. 46
  31. ^ Smith 2008, p. 45
  32. ^ ʻAbdu'l-Bahá 1921, p. 5
  33. ^ Effendi 1944, p. 263
  34. ^ Petersen, Andrew (2018), Petersen, Andrew (ed.), "Shiʿa, Druze and Bahai Shrines", Bones of Contention: Muslim Shrines in Palestine, Heritage Studies in the Muslim World, Singapore: Springer, pp. 107–119, doi:10.1007/978-981-10-6965-9_7, ISBN 978-981-10-6965-9, retrieved 2021-04-03
  35. ^ Balyuzi 2001, pp. 222.
  36. ^ Taherzadeh 2000, p. 145.
  37. ^ a b Balyuzi 2001, p. 528
  38. ^ Marks, Geoffry W., ed. (1996). Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-86: The Third Epoch of the Formative Age. Baha'i Publishing Trust. p. 66. ISBN 978-0877432395.
  39. ^ Hollinger 1984, pp. 118–119
  40. ^ SHEHADEH, Raja. A rift in time: travels with my Ottoman uncle, p.216. New York:OR Books, 2011
  41. ^ Ma'ani 2008, p. 252
  42. ^ Ma'ani 2008, p. 253
  43. ^ Cole, Juan. "A Brief Biography of Baháʼu'lláh". from the original on 9 September 2006. Retrieved 2006-09-27.
  44. ^ Taherzadeh 2000, p. 145
  45. ^ Sohrab, Ahmad (1943). Abdul Baha's Grandson Story of a Twentieth Century Excommunication. Universal Publishing Company, New York. p. 24.
  46. ^ Taherzadeh 1992, p. 251.
  47. ^ a b c d e f Smith 2000, pp. 273–274
  48. ^ Saiedi 2008, pp. 307–308
  49. ^ Baháʼu'lláh 1873, p. para. 63
  50. ^ Smith 2008, p. 205
  51. ^ Baháʼu'lláh 1873, pp. 205–206
  52. ^ Letter from Universal House of Justice: 1998, April 06, Memorandum re Wives of Baháʼu'lláh [2]
  53. ^ Universal House of Justice, (1996), p. 449, and Letters from Universal House of Justice, October 23, 1995, June 27, 1996, and April 06, 1998.
  54. ^ Alexander McCaul (1837). The old paths; or, A comparison of the principles and doctrines of modern Judaism with the religion of Moses and the prophets. London Society's Office. pp. 186.
  55. ^ Khadduri, Majid (Spring 1978). "Marriage in Islamic Law: The Modernist viewpoints". The American Journal of Comparative Law. American Society of Comparative Law. 26 (2): 213–218. doi:10.2307/839669. JSTOR 839669.
  56. ^ Cleveland, William L. (2004). A History of the Modern Middle East. Westview Press. p. 30. ISBN 0-8133-4048-9.
  57. ^ Synopsis and Codification... of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, note 89

References

  • ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (1921). The Will And Testament of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá. Mona Vale, N.S.W, Australia: Baháʼí Publications Australia (published 1992). ISBN 0-909991-47-2.
  • Baalbaki, Rohi (2005). AL Mawrid Al Quarib (Arabic English Dictionary) (9th ed.). Beirut, Lebanon: Dar el-Ilm lil-Malayēn. ISBN 1-894412-94-X.
  • Baháʼu'lláh (1873–92). Tablets of Baháʼu'lláh Revealed After the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baháʼí Publishing Trust (published 1994). ISBN 0-87743-174-4.
  • Baháʼu'lláh (1873). The Kitáb-i-Aqdas: The Most Holy Book (published 1992).
  • Balyuzi, H.M. (2001). ʻAbdu'l-Bahá: The Centre of the Covenant of Baháʼu'lláh (Paperback ed.). Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0-85398-043-8.
  • Bramson, Loni (2004). "Bahiyyih Khanum (sic)". In Jestice, Phyllis G. (ed.). Holy People of the World: A Cross-cultural Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 1-57607-355-6.
  • Browne, E.G. (1918). Materials for the Study of the Bábí Religion. Cambridge: University Press.
  • Buck, Christopher (1995). Symbol and secret: Qurʼan commentary in Baháʼu'lláh's Kitáb-i íqán. Los Angeles: Kalimát Press. ISBN 0-933770-80-4.
  • Cole, Juan. "A Brief Biography of Baháʼu'lláh". from the original on 9 September 2006. Retrieved 2006-09-27.
  • Effendi, Shoghi (1944). God Passes By. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baháʼí Publishing Trust. ISBN 0-87743-020-9.
  • Hollinger, Richard (1984). "Ibrahim George Kheiralla and the Baha'i Faith in America". In Smith, Peter; Cole, Juan R.; Momen, Moojan (eds.). From Iran East and West. Kalimat Press. ISBN 0-933770-40-5.
  • Khan, Janet A. (2005). Prophet's Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahíyyih Khánum, Outstanding Heroine Of The Baháʼí Faith. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baháʼí Publishing Trust. ISBN 1-931847-14-2.
  • Ma'ani, Baharieh Rouhani (2008). Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 978-0-85398-533-4.
  • Marks, Geoffry W., ed. (1996). Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-86: The Third Epoch of the Formative Age. Baha'i Publishing Trust. ISBN 978-0877432395.
  • Momen, Moojan (2004). "Baha'i Faith and Holy People". In Jestice, Phyllis G. (ed.). Holy People of the World: A Cross-cultural Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 1-57607-355-6.
  • Taherzadeh, Adib (1992). The Covenant of Baháʼu'lláh. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0-85398-344-5.
  • Taherzadeh, Adib (2000). The Child of the Covenant. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0-85398-439-5.
  • Saiedi, Nader (2008). Gate of the Heart. Waterloo, ON: Wilfrid Laurier University Press. ISBN 978-1-55458-035-4.
  • Scharbrodt, Oliver (2008). "Succession and renewal". Islam and the Baha'i Faith: A Comparative Study of Muhammad Abduh and Abdul-Baha Abbas. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-77441-3.
  • Smith, Peter (2000). A concise encyclopedia of the Baháʼí Faith. Oxford: Oneworld Publications. ISBN 1-85168-184-1.
  • Smith, Peter (2008). An Introduction to the Baha'i Faith. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-86251-6.
  • Steingass, F.J. (1892). A Comprehensive Persian-English Dictionary, Including the Arabic words and phrases to be met with in literature. New Delhi, India: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi (published 2005). ISBN 81-7304-669-7.

Further reading

  • Research Department at the Baháʼí World Centre, ed. (1982), Bahíyyih Khánum, the Greatest Holy Leaf: A Compilation from Baháʼí Sacred Texts and Writings of the Guardian of the Faith and Bahíyyih Khánum's Own Letters, Haifa, Israel: Baháʼí World Centre, ISBN 0-85398-131-0
  • Momen, Moojan Cyprus Exiles, The: in Baháʼí Studies Bulletin, 5:3-6:1, pp. 84–113. 1991-06.
  • Munírih Khánum (1986). Munírih Khánum - Memoirs and Letters. Sammireh Anwar Smith (trans.). Los Angeles, United States: Kalimát Press. ISBN 9780933770515.
  • National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of the United States, ed. (1976) [1943]. Baháʼí World Faith: Selected Writings of Báha'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baháʼí Publishing Trust. ISBN 0-87743-043-8.
  • Nabíl-i-Zarandí (1932). The Dawn-Breakers: Nabíl's Narrative. Translated by Shoghi Effendi (Hardcover ed.). Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baháʼí Publishing Trust. ISBN 0-900125-22-5.
  • Universal House of Justice (1996). Marks, Geoffry W. (ed.). Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986: The Third Epoch of the Formative Age. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baháʼí Publishing Trust. ISBN 0-87743-239-2.
  • Universal House of Justice (27-06-1996). Letter on Monogamy, Sexual Equality, Marital Equality, and the Supreme Tribunal.
  • Universal House of Justice (23-10-1995).Letter from Universal House of Justice about the wives of Baháʼu'lláh

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Family of Bahá'u'lláh.
  • Badiʻu'llah's epistle

January 06, 2023
baháʼu, lláh, family, baháʼu, lláh, founder, baháʼí, faith, born, 1817, khadíjih, khánum, mírzá, buzurg, province, mazandaran, persian, nobleman, went, leader, bábí, movement, then, established, baháʼí, faith, 1863, consists, three, wives, children, those, wiv. Bahaʼu llah was the founder of the Bahaʼi Faith 1 He was born in 1817 to Khadijih Khanum and Mirza Buzurg of Nur in the province of Mazandaran a Persian nobleman and went on to be a leader in the Babi movement and then established the Bahaʼi Faith in 1863 1 2 Bahaʼu llah s family consists of his three wives and the children of those wives Contents 1 Titles of descendants 1 1 Aghsan 2 Asiyih 2 1 ʻAbbas 2 2 Bahiyyih 2 3 Mihdi 2 4 Others 3 Fatimih 3 1 Samadiyyih 3 2 Muhammad ʻAli 3 3 Ḍiyaʼu llah 3 4 Badiʻu llah 3 5 Others 4 Gawhar 4 1 Furughiyyih 5 Plurality of wives 5 1 Bahaʼi apologia 6 Notes 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksTitles of descendants EditOne of Bahaʼu llah s titles is Sadratu l Muntaha which translates from Arabic as the tree beyond which there is no passing a quote from Qurʼan 53 14 3 4 In this connection Bahaʼu llah entitled his descendants with terms relating to the Sadratu l Muntaha His male descendants were given the title of Ag hsan Arabic for Branches which in singular form is G husn 5 In particular three of his sons were given specific branch titles ʻAbdu l Baha given name Abbas G huṣn i Aʻẓam Arabic الغصن الأعظم The Most Great Branch 5 Mirza Muhammad ʻAli G huṣn i Akbar Arabic الغصن الأکبر The Greater Branch 5 6 7 Mirza Mihdi G huṣn i Athar Arabic الغصن الأطهر The Purest Branch 5 His daughters were given the title of Varaqat translated from Arabic as Leaves Thus Bahaʼu llah s eldest daughter Bahiyyih given name Fatimih was given the title of the Greatest Holy Leaf 8 During Bahaʼu llah s lifetime he referred to his eldest son Abbas by terms such as Sirru llah Mystery of God or Sarkar i Aqa the Master After the death of Bahaʼu llah he chose the title ʻAbdu l Baha Servant of Baha 9 Bahaʼu llah did not give his descendants any direct right to the property of others 6 10 This contrasts with Shiʻa Islam in which sayyids were given special financial entitlements citation needed Aghsan Edit Aghṣan Branches is a term in the literature of the Bahaʼi Faith referring to the male descendants of Bahaʼu llah It has particular implications not only for the disposition of endowments but also for the succession of authority following the passing of Bahaʼu llah and of his son ʻAbdu l Baha Bahaʼi literature grants a special station to the members of the Aghṣan indicating that Bahaʼis should treat them with particular respect and courtesy but does not grant them any administrative or spiritual authority within the Bahaʼi Faith outside of those selected as successors to Bahaʼu llah 11 Asiyih EditMain article Asiyih Khanum Asiyih was born in 1820 in the village Yalrud Mazandaran 2 Her father was Mirza Ismaʻil i Vazir a powerful and wealthy Persian nobleman Bahaʼu llah addressed her as Navvab 2 and the Most Exalted Leaf 12 She was chosen to marry the young Bahaʼu llah based on her rare physical beauty wealth and piety 13 The family had pre existing roots with Bahaʼu llah s family by virtue of their influence in the royal court which may have influenced the marriage arrangements They married some time between 24 September and 22 October 1835 aged 15 in Tehran and she had seven of Bahaʼu llah s children of whom only three lived to adulthood 14 She died in 1886 in ʻAkka 2 and is buried on Mount Carmel within the vicinity of the Shrine of the Bab 2 Bahaʼu llah named her his perpetual consort and her son as his vicar 2 Bahaʼis regard the children of Asiyih and Bahaʼu llah to be the Bahaʼi holy family 15 Her children were ʻAbbas Edit ʻAbbas Effendi Main article ʻAbdu l Baha Better known as ʻAbdu l Baha ʻAbbas was born in 1844 and died in 1921 He was the oldest child of Asiyih and Bahaʼu llah 16 He was variously referred to by Bahaʼu llah as Mystery of God The Master Perfect Exemplar and the Most Great Branch After Bahaʼu llah died on 29 May 1892 the Will and Testament of Bahaʼu llah named ʻAbdu l Baha as Centre of the Covenant successor and interpreter of Bahaʼu llah s writings 9 16 During his time as head of the religion while still a prisoner of the Ottoman Empire he met with many pilgrims and was in constant communication with Bahaʼis around the world 17 After the 1908 Young Turks revolution freed all political prisoners in the Ottoman Empire ʻAbdu l Baha was freed from imprisonment and in 1910 with the freedom to leave the country he embarked on a three year journey to Egypt Europe and North America spreading the Bahaʼi message 16 18 On 27 April 1920 he was awarded a knighthood by the British Mandate of Palestine for his humanitarian efforts during World War I 16 ʻAbdu l Baha died on 28 November 1921 and he is currently buried within one of the rooms at the Shrine of the Bab Bahiyyih Edit Bahiyyih Khanum in 1895 Main article Bahiyyih Khanum Bahiyyih Khanum was born in 1846 and was the eldest daughter of Bahaʼu llah and Asiyih Khanum 19 She was entitled the Greatest holy Leaf 8 She was particularly dear to her father and is seen within the Bahaʼi Faith as one of the greatest women to have lived 8 She stood by and remained faithful to the Centers of the Covenant over years of infighting within Bahaʼu llah s family that led to the expelling of many of them 8 19 She was given the position of acting head of the religion repeatedly when ʻAbdu l Baha during periods between 1910 and 1913 and Shoghi Effendi during periods between 1922 and 1924 were absent from the Bahaʼi World Centre in Haifa 8 19 20 Shoghi Effendi in particular felt her support during a difficult period following the death of ʻAbdu l Baha She died on 15 July 1932 and was buried in the Bahaʼi gardens downhill from the Bahaʼi Arc on Mount Carmel under the Monument of the Greatest Holy Leaf raised for her at the Bahaʼi World Centre 19 Mihdi Edit Mirza Mihdi in 1868 Main article Mirza Mihdi Mirza Mihdi was born in Tehran in 1848 and was entitled the Purest Branch 21 He died at the age of 22 on 23 June 1870 in ʻAkka after a fall through a skylight while he was preoccupied in prayer 21 The death is significant as Bahaʼis believe that Bahaʼu llah offered him the chance of being cured However he chose to use his life as a sacrifice so that the close imprisonment of the Bahaʼis would end 21 Mirza Mihdi was eventually buried alongside his mother in the gardens below the Bahaʼi Arc on Mount Carmel in Haifa near his brother and sister 21 Others Edit Asiyih bore at least four other children all sons 22 but due to their early deaths little is known about them Kazim who died sometime in Persia 23 Sadiq who died aged 3 4 22 ʻAli Muhammad who died in Mazandaran at the age of 7 in 1852 22 ʻAli Muhammad who was born and died in Baghdad at the age of 2 22 Fatimih EditFatimih was born in 1828 in Mazandaran and was generally known as Mahd i Ulya 14 A first cousin of Bahaʼu llah Fatimih was married at fourteen to an influential cleric several decades older than she was She seems to have been widowed shortly afterwards perhaps aged sixteen 24 It is reported that Bahaʼu llah s aunt implored him to wed his widowed cousin and he reluctantly agreed to do so 24 They married in 1849 in Tehran and she had six of Bahaʼu llah s children of whom four survived to adulthood 14 She was said to have been very jealous of and harboured great enmity towards ʻAbdu l Baha 25 She died in 1904 and was later labelled a Covenant breaker 26 Her children are Samadiyyih Edit Samadiyyih married Majdu d Din who was the son of Aqay i Kalim Bahaʼu llah s brother 27 28 Majdu d Din was one of ʻAbdu l Baha s greatest critics and Samadiyyih and Majdu d Din were eventually declared Covenant breakers She died at age 49 in 1904 5 and her husband died at over one hundred years of age in 1955 27 28 Muhammad ʻAli Edit Main article Mirza Muhammad ʻAli Mirza Muhammad ʻAli Effendi Mirza Muhammad ʻAli was born in Baghdad in 1853 29 Bahaʼu llah called him the Greater Branch and when Bahaʼu llah declared ʻAbdu l Baha his successor he set that Muhammad ʻAli was next in rank after him 29 30 Motivated by jealousy of ʻAbdu l Baha he conspired to undermine his brother s leadership but he was unable to gain extensive support from the Bahaʼis 29 When ʻAbdu l Baha died his will went into great detail about how Muhammad ʻAli had been unfaithful to the Covenant labelling him a Covenant breaker and appointing Shoghi Effendi his successor instead 31 32 Muhammad ʻAli was described by Shoghi Effendi as the Arch Breaker of Bahaʼu llah s Covenant 29 33 Muhammad ʻAli died in 1937 29 He is buried in one of the two private Baha i cemeteries in a square mausoleum covered with a white dome 34 Ḍiyaʼu llah Edit Mirza Ḍiyaʼu llah Effendi Ḍiyaʼu llah ضياء الله alternate spelling Ziyaʼu llah was born August 15 1864 in Edirne Adrianople 2 35 He swayed in loyalty between his brothers and was labelled a Covenant breaker 36 37 He married Thurayya Samandari daughter of Shaykh Kazim i Samandar and sister of Tarazʼu llah Samandari a Hand of the Cause of God The marriage was childless and according to Samandar s memoirs Muhammad ʻAli had prevented her from returning to him He died on October 30 1898 in Haifa 37 Ḍiyaʼu llah was initially buried next to his father at the Shrine of Bahaʼu llah at the Mansion of Bahji However having been declared a Covenant breaker Ḍiyaʼu llah s remains were later disinterred and moved 38 Badiʻu llah Edit Mirza Badi u llah Effendi Badiʻu llah Effendi was born in Adrianople in 1867 2 For much of his life he supported his brother s challenge to ʻAbdu l Baha s authority as Centre of the Covenant However in 1903 Badiʻu llah rejected Muhammad ʻAli and delivered his loyalty to ʻAbdu l Baha and circulated an open letter denouncing Muhammad ʻAli known as Badiʻu llah s epistle 4 39 however his loyalty to ʻAbdu l Baha was short lived He died in Israel on November 1 1950 2 His father gave him the title G husn i Anwar The Most Luminous Branch Badiʻu llah married Alia Khanum citation needed His daughter Sadhij was a militant leader of women s rights in Palestine and married Najib Nassar 40 Others Edit Mahd i Ulya bore at least two other children ʻAli Muhammad who died at the age of 2 in Baghdad 22 Sad hijiyyih K hanum who was born in Baghdad and died at the age of 2 in Constantinople 22 Gawhar Edit Gawhar Khanum third wife of Bahaʼu llah Gawhar was born in Kashan to a Babi family of the city She was brought to Baghdad by her brother Mirza Mihdiy i Kashani with his intention reportedly being for her to serve the household and Asiyih Khanum 41 Bahaʼu llah married her some time around 1862 14 When Bahaʼu llah left Baghdad in 1863 unlike the other two wives Gawhar remained in Baghdad 14 During her time in Baghdad she stayed and lived with her brother 27 Shortly afterwards the Bahaʼi community of Baghdad was rounded up and exiled to Mosul among them Gawhar and her brother 27 Her brother wrote a number of times asking Bahaʼu llah to allow them to enter Akka and finally he accepted Brother and sister arrived in late 1870 42 Gawhar may have been a maid of the first wife of Bahaʼu llah when he married her 43 Bahaʼu llah and Gawhar had one daughter Furughiyyih who was born in ʻAkka Both mother and daughter were declared Covenant breakers after the death of Bahaʼu llah 27 Gawhar died sometime between 1892 and 1921 Furughiyyih Edit Relatively little is known about Furughiyyih Furughiyyih was the daughter of Bahaʼu llah and she was married to Siyyid Ali Afnan the son of the Bab s brother in law 44 She her husband and her children in particular her eldest Nayyir all sided with Muhammad ʻAli and were labelled Covenant breakers 27 She bore four children Late Hussain Effendi Afnan Nayyar Effendi Afnan Feyzi Effendi Afnan Hassan Effendi Afnan 45 She died of cancer 46 Plurality of wives EditBahaʼu llah had three concurrent wives 14 47 when his religion teaches monogamy and this has been the subject of criticism Bahaʼi teachings on gender equality and monogamy post date Bahaʼu llah s marriages and are understood to be evolutionary in nature slowly leading Bahaʼis away from what had been a deeply rooted cultural practice 47 Bahaʼu llah married his first wife in Tehran when they both were Muslims and he married his second wife also in Tehran when he his first wife and his new wife were all Babis and no longer Muslims 14 According to the laws and tradition of Islam which Bahaʼu llah would have been following at the time of his marriages a man is allowed four wives 47 48 Bahaʼi marriage laws were written in the Kitab i Aqdas more than ten years after his last marriage In that book he limits the number of wives to two with no concubines and states that having only one wife would be the cause of tranquility for both partners 47 49 This was later interpreted by ʻAbdu l Baha that having a second wife is conditional upon treating both wives with justice and equality and was not possible in practice thus establishing monogamy 47 50 51 This interpretation is probably influenced by the equivalent reasoning of some Muslim scholars who interpret the Quran s permissive stance on polygamy restricted to 4 wives as indicated in verse 4 3 to be subject of the impossible condition of absolute justice on part of the husband Bahaʼi apologia Edit The general view among Bahaʼu llah s family and Bahaʼis today is that all the wives were legal and equal The question about how this conforms to religious law is addressed directly in two letters from Universal House of Justice quoting Shoghi Effendi twice Bahaʼu llah had no concubine He had three legal wives As He married them before the Aqdas His book of laws was revealed he was only acting according to the laws of Islam which had not yet been superseded He made plurality of wives conditional upon justice ʻAbdu l Baha interpreted this to mean that a man may not have more than one wife at a time as it is impossible to be just to two or more women in marriage Bahaʼu llah married the first and second wives while he was still in Tihran and the third wife while he was in Baghdad At that time the Laws of the Aqdas had not been revealed and secondly he was following the Laws of the previous Dispensation and the customs of the people of his own land 52 Bahaʼis argue that polygamy is an ancient practice and other religions did not require monogamy 53 Under the Law of Moses a man could take as many wives as he chose 54 Most Christian groups have historically not practiced and condemned polygamy some however have advocated it In the Arabian peninsula Muhammad introduced a limit of four wives polygamy was unlimited in pre Islamic Arabia 55 56 The Bahaʼi Faith slowly introduced monogamy to a region that considered polygamy a righteous lifestyle 47 Note 89 of the Kitab i Aqdas comments on the verse in question Bahaʼu llah who was revealing his teachings in the milieu of a Muslim society introduced the question of monogamy gradually in accordance with the principles of wisdom and the progressive unfoldment of his purpose The fact that he left his followers with an infallible interpreter of his writings enabled him to outwardly permit two wives in the Kitab i Aqdas but uphold a condition that enabled ʻAbdu l Baha to elucidate later that the intention of the law was to enforce monogamy 57 Notes Edit a b Smith 2000 p 73 a b c d e f g h i Smith 2000 pp 261 262 Buck 1995 pp 4 5 a b Scharbrodt 2008 pp 86 87 a b c d Smith 2000 p 30 a b Smith 2008 p 43 G husn i Aʻẓam and G husn i Akbar can both be translated as the great branch the greater branch or the most great branch Aʻẓam carries a higher status in Arabic see Baalbaki 2005 or Steingass 1892 so Bahaʼi authors and others translate ʻAbdu l Baha s title as Most Great and Muhammad ʻAli s title as Greater Taherzadeh 2000 p 256 The designations of G husn i Aʻẓam and G husn i Akbar are clear Browne 1918 p 61 amp p 85 1 a b c d e Bramson 2004 pp 102 103 a b Momen 2004 pp 97 98 Bahaʼu llah 1873 p 222 Flow of Divine Authority bahai library com Retrieved 2017 08 30 Ma ani 2008 p 85 Ma ani 2008 p 84 a b c d e f g Smith 2008 p 16 Ma ani 2008 p 87 a b c d Bausani Alessandro 1989 ʻAbd al Bahaʼ Life and work Encyclopaedia Iranica Balyuzi 2001 p 69 Balyuzi 2001 pp 159 397 a b c d Smith 2000 pp 86 87 Khan 2005 pp 78 79 84 131 a b c d Smith 2000 pp 246 247 a b c d e f Browne 1918 pp 320 321 Ma ani 2008 p 90 a b Ma ani 2008 pp 230 2 Taherzadeh 1992 p 136 Taherzadeh 2000 p 117 a b c d e f Taherzadeh 2000 p 25 a b Taherzadeh 2000 p 144 a b c d e Smith 2000 p 252 Smith 2008 p 46 Smith 2008 p 45 ʻAbdu l Baha 1921 p 5 Effendi 1944 p 263 Petersen Andrew 2018 Petersen Andrew ed Shiʿa Druze and Bahai Shrines Bones of Contention Muslim Shrines in Palestine Heritage Studies in the Muslim World Singapore Springer pp 107 119 doi 10 1007 978 981 10 6965 9 7 ISBN 978 981 10 6965 9 retrieved 2021 04 03 Balyuzi 2001 pp 222 Taherzadeh 2000 p 145 a b Balyuzi 2001 p 528 Marks Geoffry W ed 1996 Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963 86 The Third Epoch of the Formative Age Baha i Publishing Trust p 66 ISBN 978 0877432395 Hollinger 1984 pp 118 119 SHEHADEH Raja A rift in time travels with my Ottoman uncle p 216 New York OR Books 2011 Ma ani 2008 p 252 Ma ani 2008 p 253 Cole Juan A Brief Biography of Bahaʼu llah Archived from the original on 9 September 2006 Retrieved 2006 09 27 Taherzadeh 2000 p 145 Sohrab Ahmad 1943 Abdul Baha s Grandson Story of a Twentieth Century Excommunication Universal Publishing Company New York p 24 Taherzadeh 1992 p 251 a b c d e f Smith 2000 pp 273 274 Saiedi 2008 pp 307 308 Bahaʼu llah 1873 p para 63 Smith 2008 p 205 Bahaʼu llah 1873 pp 205 206 Letter from Universal House of Justice 1998 April 06 Memorandum re Wives of Bahaʼu llah 2 Universal House of Justice 1996 p 449 and Letters from Universal House of Justice October 23 1995 June 27 1996 and April 06 1998 Alexander McCaul 1837 The old paths or A comparison of the principles and doctrines of modern Judaism with the religion of Moses and the prophets London Society s Office pp 186 Khadduri Majid Spring 1978 Marriage in Islamic Law The Modernist viewpoints The American Journal of Comparative Law American Society of Comparative Law 26 2 213 218 doi 10 2307 839669 JSTOR 839669 Cleveland William L 2004 A History of the Modern Middle East Westview Press p 30 ISBN 0 8133 4048 9 Synopsis and Codification of the Kitab i Aqdas note 89References EditʻAbdu l Baha 1921 The Will And Testament of ʻAbdu l Baha Mona Vale N S W Australia Bahaʼi Publications Australia published 1992 ISBN 0 909991 47 2 Baalbaki Rohi 2005 AL Mawrid Al Quarib Arabic English Dictionary 9th ed Beirut Lebanon Dar el Ilm lil Malayen ISBN 1 894412 94 X Bahaʼu llah 1873 92 Tablets of Bahaʼu llah Revealed After the Kitab i Aqdas Wilmette Illinois USA Bahaʼi Publishing Trust published 1994 ISBN 0 87743 174 4 Bahaʼu llah 1873 The Kitab i Aqdas The Most Holy Book published 1992 Balyuzi H M 2001 ʻAbdu l Baha The Centre of the Covenant of Bahaʼu llah Paperback ed Oxford UK George Ronald ISBN 0 85398 043 8 Bramson Loni 2004 Bahiyyih Khanum sic In Jestice Phyllis G ed Holy People of the World A Cross cultural Encyclopedia Santa Barbara CA ABC CLIO ISBN 1 57607 355 6 Browne E G 1918 Materials for the Study of the Babi Religion Cambridge University Press Buck Christopher 1995 Symbol and secret Qurʼan commentary in Bahaʼu llah s Kitab i iqan Los Angeles Kalimat Press ISBN 0 933770 80 4 Cole Juan A Brief Biography of Bahaʼu llah Archived from the original on 9 September 2006 Retrieved 2006 09 27 Effendi Shoghi 1944 God Passes By Wilmette Illinois USA Bahaʼi Publishing Trust ISBN 0 87743 020 9 Hollinger Richard 1984 Ibrahim George Kheiralla and the Baha i Faith in America In Smith Peter Cole Juan R Momen Moojan eds From Iran East and West Kalimat Press ISBN 0 933770 40 5 Khan Janet A 2005 Prophet s Daughter The Life and Legacy of Bahiyyih Khanum Outstanding Heroine Of The Bahaʼi Faith Wilmette Illinois USA Bahaʼi Publishing Trust ISBN 1 931847 14 2 Ma ani Baharieh Rouhani 2008 Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees Oxford UK George Ronald ISBN 978 0 85398 533 4 Marks Geoffry W ed 1996 Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963 86 The Third Epoch of the Formative Age Baha i Publishing Trust ISBN 978 0877432395 Momen Moojan 2004 Baha i Faith and Holy People In Jestice Phyllis G ed Holy People of the World A Cross cultural Encyclopedia Santa Barbara CA ABC CLIO ISBN 1 57607 355 6 Taherzadeh Adib 1992 The Covenant of Bahaʼu llah Oxford UK George Ronald ISBN 0 85398 344 5 Taherzadeh Adib 2000 The Child of the Covenant Oxford UK George Ronald ISBN 0 85398 439 5 Saiedi Nader 2008 Gate of the Heart Waterloo ON Wilfrid Laurier University Press ISBN 978 1 55458 035 4 Scharbrodt Oliver 2008 Succession and renewal Islam and the Baha i Faith A Comparative Study of Muhammad Abduh and Abdul Baha Abbas Routledge ISBN 978 0 415 77441 3 Smith Peter 2000 A concise encyclopedia of the Bahaʼi Faith Oxford Oneworld Publications ISBN 1 85168 184 1 Smith Peter 2008 An Introduction to the Baha i Faith Cambridge Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 521 86251 6 Steingass F J 1892 A Comprehensive Persian English Dictionary Including the Arabic words and phrases to be met with in literature New Delhi India Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt Ltd New Delhi published 2005 ISBN 81 7304 669 7 Further reading EditResearch Department at the Bahaʼi World Centre ed 1982 Bahiyyih Khanum the Greatest Holy Leaf A Compilation from Bahaʼi Sacred Texts and Writings of the Guardian of the Faith and Bahiyyih Khanum s Own Letters Haifa Israel Bahaʼi World Centre ISBN 0 85398 131 0 Momen Moojan Cyprus Exiles The in Bahaʼi Studies Bulletin 5 3 6 1 pp 84 113 1991 06 Munirih Khanum 1986 Munirih Khanum Memoirs and Letters Sammireh Anwar Smith trans Los Angeles United States Kalimat Press ISBN 9780933770515 National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahaʼis of the United States ed 1976 1943 Bahaʼi World Faith Selected Writings of Baha u llah and Abdu l Baha Wilmette Illinois USA Bahaʼi Publishing Trust ISBN 0 87743 043 8 Nabil i Zarandi 1932 The Dawn Breakers Nabil s Narrative Translated by Shoghi Effendi Hardcover ed Wilmette Illinois USA Bahaʼi Publishing Trust ISBN 0 900125 22 5 Universal House of Justice 1996 Marks Geoffry W ed Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963 1986 The Third Epoch of the Formative Age Wilmette Illinois USA Bahaʼi Publishing Trust ISBN 0 87743 239 2 Universal House of Justice 27 06 1996 Letter on Monogamy Sexual Equality Marital Equality and the Supreme Tribunal Universal House of Justice 23 10 1995 Letter from Universal House of Justice about the wives of Bahaʼu llahExternal links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Family of Baha u llah Badiʻu llah s epistle Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bahaʼu 27llah 27s family amp oldid 1131676423, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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