Khadíjih-Sultán

K͟hadíjih-Sulțán Bagum (1822 – September 15, 1882)^[1] was the wife of the Báb. She is sometimes referred to as K͟hadíjih Bagum, K͟hadíjih Bigum or K͟hadíjih K͟hánum.^[2]

Biography

Background

The second daughter of her parents, Khadíjih Bagum, was born in 1822 in Shiraz, with the given name K͟hadíjih-Sultán Shírází.^[1] The appellation "Bagum" (meaning "Lady") should be understood as a mark of respect and not as part of her name. Her father, Áqá Mír ʻAlí, was a merchant involved in importing goods from Bushehr,^[1] contributing to the family's mercantile business, though he was the least successful among its members.^[3][4] Khadíjih's mother, Ḥájíyyih Bíbí of Jahrum, had been widowed before marrying Khadíjih's father.^[3] From her mother's first marriage, Khadíjih had a half-brother named Muhammad-Mihdí, a renowned poet, and a half-sister known as ʻAmmih Ḥájí, who later married Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ʻAlí, the guardian of the Báb during his childhood Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ʻAlí.^[3] Khadíjih had three full siblings: two brothers, Ḥájí Mírzá Abu'l-Qasim, who continued the family tradition in commerce, and Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid Hasan, who pursued a career as a teacher of medicine and also studied theology. Additionally, she had one sister named Zahrá.^[5]

During her childhood, Khadíjih was familiar with the Báb, as they were second cousins once removed and often played together.^[5] However, as they matured, societal customs dictated that they no longer met.^[6] In his early adulthood, the Báb embarked on prolonged pilgrimages to Karbala, causing distress to his mother, who sought a means to anchor the 23-year-old Báb in Shiraz – leading to the expedited arrangement of his marriage to Khadíjih Bagum, perhaps as a strategy to dissuade him from leaving the city.^[7][8]

Marriage life and developments

At the age of 20, Khadíjih Bagum married the Báb on August 25, 1842, in Shiraz, officiated by the city's imam, Shaykh Abú-Turáb.^[9] The newlywed couple established their home in a modest compound alongside the Báb's mother, Fátimih Bagum. In 1843, Khadíjih gave birth to their sole child, a son named Ahmad, who died a few months later.^[10] Ahmad was initially interred near Bíbí-Dukhtarán in Shiraz, although his remains were later relocated.^[3] The childbirth was fraught with difficulties, endangering Khadíjih's life, and she never concieved again. The loss of her only child was a profound sorrow, but the Báb provided solace, assuring her of their son's place in heaven. The death of her only child was very hard for her to bear, and the Báb consoled her, assuring her that their son was in heaven.^[10] Recollecting the early days of their marriage, Khadíjih later remarked that they were among the happiest moments of her life.^[1] Khadíjih played a significant role as the first witness to her husband's purported revelation in early April 1844, just before the declaration to Mulla Husayn.^[11] After her husband's journey to Isfahan for safety, she lived a solitary life with the Báb's mother and her closest confidante, an African servant named Fiddih. Despite the separation, she found comfort in the letters sent by her husband, revealing their loving relationship.^[12] Updates regarding the Báb were infrequent for Khadíjih and Fátimih Bagum. Family members often harbored resentment and embarrassment about their connection to the Báb, distancing themselves from Khadíjih. Only her sister Zahrá, dressing incognito as a peasant, ventured to bring news of the Báb.^[13]

At the age of 28 Khadíjih was widowed when the Báb was killed by a firing squad. She then moved into the house of her sister Zahrá. Fearing for her health, the men of the household thought it prudent to keep the Báb's death a secret from her and his mother for almost a year.^[1] However, with the death of the uncle of the Báb, as well as his 18-year-old son, the secret could not be kept. The women were distraught and all three men were mourned together.^[14] The mother of the Báb was horrified, and decided to retire to Karbila.^[15] This departure meant that Khadíjih was dependent only on Fiddih and her sister.^[15] "Her departure from Shiraz added greatly to my burden of sorrow and deepened the sadness of my heart. I had no longer by my side a comforter whose love and sympathy and care had sustained me over the years," she remarked.^[16]

Later life

 

Location of the home of Khadíjih and Ali-Muhammad (the Báb). The original structure was destroyed by enemies of the Baháʼí Faith in 1942-3, completely removed in 1955, rebuilt, and destroyed again in 1979.^[17] This photo shows the location in 2008.

According to her own later account, she had recognized the Báb's religious station before the Báb had declared his mission to Mulla Husayn. She later recognized Baháʼu'lláh's claim,^[18] and became a Baháʼí.^[19] She kept in correspondence with Baháʼu'lláh while she had returned to Shiraz and lived in her previous home. She was greatly revered by the Baháʼís; many visited her whilst journeying to see Baháʼu'lláh. One occasion the very young Fátimih Nahrí of Isfahán, accompanied by her brother, visited. “They stayed for fifteen days, and those were some of the happiest days of my life” she later reflected.^[20]

Later she was to make a journey to 'Akká to visit Baháʼu'lláh in 1882 with her nephew who was to come from Yazd. However, when her nephew went straight to Ottoman Syria, she was not able to go, as women could not travel alone.^[21] After hearing the news, her health rapidly decreased.^[22] She died on September 15, 1882, at the age of sixty, and was buried in Shiraz.^[19][23] The same night her devoted maid and closest friend, an African named Fiddih, died too.^[24][a] In the Kitáb-i-Badíʻ, Baháʼu'lláh gives her the title of Khayru'n Nisa (The Most Virtuous of Women) and forbids all women, save Fátimih Bagum, the Báb's mother, from adopting the title.^[25]

See also

• Ásiyih Khánum — Baháʼu'lláh's wife
• Munirih Khánum — ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's wife

Notes

1. Both died from dysentery.

Citations

1. Ma'ani 2008, pp. 26–59.
2. Blomfield 1975, p. 13.
3. Rabbani 2005, p. 9.
4. Blomfield 1975, p. 77.
5. Smith 2000, p. 59.
6. Blomfield 1975, p. 14.
7. Amanat 1989, p. 146.
8. Balyuzi 1973, p. 45.
9. Balyuzi 1981, p. 6.
10. Balyuzi 1981, p. 7.
11. Afnan 2008, pp. 20–22.
12. Amanat 1989, p. 240.
13. Balyuzi 1981, p. 18-24.
14. Balyuzi 1981, p. 27.
15. Balyuzi 1981, p. 28.
16. Balyuzi 1981, p. 29.
17. Smith 2000, p. 314.
18. Taherzadeh 1977, p. 382.
19. Smith 2000, p. 217.
20. Balyuzi 1981, p. 32.
21. Balyuzi 1981, p. 34.
22. Taherzadeh 1977, p. 386.
23. Balyuzi 1981, p. 35.
24. Afnan 2008, p. 25.
25. Taherzadeh 1977, p. 381.

References

• Afnan, Abul-Qasim (1988). Black Pearls: Servants in the Household of the Bab and Baha'u'llah. Kalimat Press. ISBN 1-890688-03-7.
• Afnan, Mirza Habibu'llah (2008). Rabbani, Ahang (ed.). The Genesis of the Bâbí-Baháʼí Faiths in Shíráz and Fárs. BRILL. pp. 20–22. ISBN 978-90-04-17054-4.
• Amanat, Abbas (1989). Resurrection and Renewal. Ithaca, New York, USA: Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-8014-2098-9.
• Balyuzi, Hasan (1973). The Báb: The Herald of the Day of Days. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0-85398-048-9.
• Balyuzi, Hasan (1981). Khadijih Bagum, the Wife of the Báb. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0-85398-100-0.
• Blomfield, Sara (1975). The Chosen Highway. Oxford, UK: The Baháʼí Publishing Trust. ISBN 0-87743-037-3.
• Ma'ani, Baharieh R. (2008). Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 978-0-85398-533-4.
• Rabbani, Ahang (2005). "The Afnán Family: Some Biographical Notes". Baháʼí Studies Review. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
• Smith, Peter (2000). A Concise Encyclopedia of the Baháʼí Faith. Oneworld Publications. ISBN 9781780744803. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
• Taherzadeh, Adib (1977). The Revelation of Baháʼu'lláh, Volume 2: Adrianople 1863-68. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0-85398-071-3.