The year 2013 marks the hundredth anniversary of ‘Abdu’l- Bahá’s
return to the Holy Land from His historic trip to Egypt and the West. He left
Haifa for Egypt in September 1910 and returned there three years later. The
person “invested … with the responsibility” to attend “to the multitudinous
details arising out of His protracted absence from the Holy Land” (‘BAHÍYYIH
KHÁNUM’, A compilation from Bahá'í sacred texts and writings of the Guardian of
the Faith and Bahíyyih Khánum's own letters, made by the Research department at
the Bahá'í World Centre [henceforth “BK”] p. 39) was His honoured sister, Bahíyyih
Khánum, [1] the Greatest Holy Leaf. In the words of Shoghi Effendi: “At the
time of His [‘Abdu’l- Bahá’s] absence in the western world, she was His
competent deputy, His representative and vicegerent, with none to equal her” (BK
28).
The centenary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s return to the Holy Land after
His protracted absence coincides with the fiftieth anniversary of the
establishment of the Universal House of Justice. As we gather to celebrate
these landmarks, we take time to ponder upon the life of a most remarkable
woman in the history of religion, focus attention on the outstanding services she
rendered and on the significance of the site Shoghi Effendi chose for her
burial place. It was his choice of a specific spot on Mount Carmel that
determined the location of the Arc, around which are built the institutions of
the world administrative centre of the Faith, the Seat of the Universal House
of Justice occupying its centre top.
The Greatest Holy Leaf
Born in Tihran to Bahá’u’lláh and Ásíyih Khánum in 1846, she
was named Fatimih at birth. She was later called Bahíyyih. In a Tablet revealed
in her honour, Bahá’u’lláh confirms that she appeared in His name. “Verily she
is a leaf that hath sprung from this preexistent Root. She hath revealed
herself in My name and tasted of the sweet savours of My holy, My wondrous pleasure”
(BK p. v). The full text of Bahá’u’lláh’s original Arabic of the above is
inscribed around the circular dome of the Greatest Holy Leaf’s monument on
Mount Carmel (Ibid).
Varaqiy-i-‘Ulya is the original Arabic title Bahá’u’lláh bestowed on Bahíyyih Khánum’s mother. After Ásíyih Khánum passed away, He bestowed the title on their daughter, Bahíyyih Khánum. To avoid confusion, Shoghi Effendi translated the title as the Most Exalted Leaf for Ásíyih Khánum, and the Greatest Holy Leaf for Bahíyyih Khánum.
During Bahá’u’lláh’s Ministry Bahíyyih Khánum’s life of
service began at the age of six, when Bahá’u’lláh was imprisoned in the Siyah
Chal in late 1852. At that time His House in Tihran was plundered. His wife, Ásíyih
Khánum with her three children took refuge in two rented rooms in an obscure
corner of the city. To obtain news of Bahá’u’lláh and His condition, she was
forced to leave early in the morning and return after dark. Her son, ‘Abbas,
who later adopted ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as His title, then eight years old, would
accompany His mother. The six-year old Bahíyyih Khánum would stay behind
together with her two-year old brother, Mírzá Mihdi, later titled the Purest
Branch. This is how she describes those frightful days:
“How well I remember cowering in the dark, with my little
brother, Mírzá Mihdi, the Purest Branch, at that time two years old, in my
arms, which were not very strong, as I was only six. I was shivering with
terror, for I knew of some of the horrible things that were happening, and was
aware that they might have seized even my mother.” (The Chosen Highway, pp.
42-3)
Referring to this episode, Shoghi Effendi says:
“As far back as the concluding stage of the heroic age of the
Cause, which witnessed the imprisonment of Bahá’u’lláh in the Siyah-Chal of
Tihran, the Greatest Holy Leaf, then still in her infancy, was privileged to taste
of the cup of woe which the first believers of that Apostolic Age had quaffed.”
(BK 3-4)
After four months imprisonment in the Siyah Chal (Black Pit),
Bahá’u’lláh was released on condition that He leave His homeland. Bahíyyih
Khánum was among the members of the family who accompanied Him. She had to part
with the beloved brother whom she had carried in her delicate arms during Bahá’u’lláh’s
four-month imprisonment and to whom she was so attached. She also left her
extended family and the country she so loved, never to see it again.
During a ten-year sojourn in Baghdad, “she grew into a beautiful
girl, very much like her lovely mother in grace of body and character, a
gentle, slender maiden with large grey-blue eyes, golden-brown hair, and warm,
ivory-colored skin. Her sense of humour was keen and her intelligence
remarkable.” (Chosen Highway 69)
Lady Blomfield who interviewed Bahíyyih Khánum writes about
her decision to remain unmarried and the reason behind it: “As she grew up, she
implored her father to allow her to remain unmarried, that she might the better
devote herself to her three dearly loved ones. [2] And so it was.” Lady
Blomfield then recounts what she had heard from an old man, a friend of Bahá’u’lláh,
Who had once said to him: “I know no man worthy to marry such purity as my
daughter.” In response to her question, “Khánum must have been very lovely?”
The man had said: “I have been told so; naturally, I never saw her.” (Chosen
Highway 69)
The human perfections that Bahíyyih Khánum exemplified, the
heavenly attributes that she embodied, the laudable services that she rendered
during the ministry of Bahá’u’lláh and her tremendous capacity for selfless
service throughout her life won her from the Supreme Pen the appellation of the
Most Distinguished Heroine of the Bahá’í dispensation:
“Verily, we have elevated thee to the rank of one of the most
distinguished among thy sex and granted thee, in My court, a station such as
none other woman hath surpassed. Thus have We preferred thee and raised thee above
the rest, as a sign of grace from Him Who is the Lord of the throne on high and
earth below … How high is the testimony of the Sadratu’l-Muntaha for its leaf; how
exalted the witness of the Tree of Life unto its fruit!” (BK 3-4)
Life in exile for a sensitive and conscientious child like Bahíyyih
Khánum, who was deeply concerned about the difficulties that her parents faced,
was particularly onerous. She was ever ready to help in whatever manner she
could.
The responsibilities that she undertook at a young age amazed
everyone. She was so busy with acts of service that she had little or no time
to receive instructions in the arts of reading and writing. Her conversation
with Lady Blomfield confirms this:
“’My mother,’ she
said, ‘sometimes gave lessons to my brother ‘Abbas, at other times Mírzá Musa
would teach Him, and on some occasions he would be taught by His father.’
‘And your lessons? I asked.’ ‘But I never had any time for
studies,’ she said, in a tone which spoke volumes of absolute self-effacement,
and this is the keynote of her whole life, no thought of her unselfishness
entered her mind. (Chosen Highway 69).
Yet her communications with Bahá’ís throughout the world, when
she was required to step forward and take on a leadership role, testify how
well she met the challenge. Her letters in Persian have been published in
Dastkhathay-i-Hadrat-i-Varaqiyi-‘Ulya. The English translation of a large
selection of her letters was published in 1982 in ‘Bahíyyih Khánum, the
Greatest Holy Leaf’ on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of her passing.
What we know of Bahíyyih Khánum’s services during the ministry
of Bahá’u’lláh is confined to her spoken chronicles recorded by Lady Blomfield
and Shoghi Effendi’s messages. The situation of the women in the nineteenth
century Middle East, historians’ focus on the Person of the Manifestation of
God and the events revolving around Him, His sons and male followers, to which
they had easy access, as well as their respect for tradition, which generally
excluded women and their services from historical treatment, are responsible
for the dearth of information about her and other early prominent women related
to Bahá’u’lláh and the Bab.
Shoghi Effendi makes it clear that Bahíyyih Khánum
“shared the imprisonment, the grief, the banishment of the
Abha Beauty, and in the storm which broke out in Iraq — because of the plotting
and the treachery of the prime mover of mischief, the focal centre of hate —
she bore, with complete resignation and acquiescence, uncounted ordeals.” [3]
(BK 26-7)
He confirms that when she was in her teens, Bahá’u’lláh entrusted
her “with missions that no girl of her age could, or would be willing to,
perform.” He also explains how with “spontaneous joy she seized her opportunity
and acquitted herself of the task with which she had been entrusted!” (BK 33)
Extolling Bahíyyih Khánum’s outstanding attributes that distinguished
her from others and which manifested themselves after arrival in ‘Akká, Shoghi
Effendi says:
“Not until … she had been confined in the company of Bahá’u’lláh
within the walls of the prison-city of ‘Akká did she display, in the plenitude
of her power and in the full abundance of her love for Him, those gifts that single
her out, next to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, among the members of the Holy Family as the
brightest embodiment of that love which is born of God and of that human
sympathy which few mortals are capable of evincing.
“Banishing from her mind and heart every earthly attachment,
renouncing the very idea of matrimony, she, standing resolutely by the side of
a Brother whom she was to aid and serve so well, arose to dedicate her life to the
service of her Father’s glorious Cause. Whether in the management of the
affairs of His Household in which she excelled, or in the social relationships
which she so assiduously cultivated in order to shield both Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
whether in the unfailing attention she paid to the everyday need of her Father,
or in the traits of generosity, of affability and kindness, which she
manifested, the Greatest Holy Leaf had by that time abundantly demonstrated her
worthiness to rank as one of the noblest figures intimately associated with the
life-long work of Bahá’u’lláh.” (BK 34-35)
During the Ministry of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
The ascension of Bahá’u’lláh on 29 May 1892 brought to the fore
deep-rooted resentment in the heart of Mírzá Muhammad-‘Ali, the half-brother of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the Greatest Holy Leaf. Mírzá Muhammad-‘Ali, envious of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s
matchless personality and His high standing in the Bahá’í community, also in
society, had tried to undermine Him through various schemes even during their
Father’s lifetime. Now that Bahá’u’lláh had passed away, Mírzá Muhammad-‘Ali imagined
vainly that he could enjoy a station on par with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and share with
Him the authority bestowed on Him in Bahá’u’lláh’s Book of the Covenant.
Before His Ascension, Bahá’u’lláh had entrusted a sealed document
written in His own hand to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. In that document, known as the Book of
His Covenant, Bahá’u’lláh had appointed His Most Great Branch (‘Abdu’l-Bahá),
His Successor and the authorized Interpreter of His Writings. In the same document
He had made it clear that the station of Mírzá Muhammad-‘Ali, the Greater
Branch, was beneath that of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s. When the document was unsealed and
its contents read in the presence of selected believers including some family
members, Mírzá Muhammad-‘Ali’s hopes were shattered. Therefore he resorted to
mischief and treachery to achieve his goal. He and his supporters, including
almost all members of Bahá’u’lláh’s family, started a campaign to undermine ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
to confuse the faint in heart and divide the community. The Greatest Holy Leaf
during that crucial juncture in the early history of the Bahá’í Faith stood firmly
by the side of her illustrious Brother and fearlessly lent Him her full
support. In the words of Shoghi Effendi,
“in the midst of that storm of violation, the countenance of
that rare treasure of the Lord shone all the brighter, and throughout the Bahá’í
community, her value and high rank became clearly perceived” (BK 28).
He also says:
“With the passing of Bahá’u’lláh and the fierce onslaught of
the forces of disruption that followed in its wake, the Greatest Holy Leaf, now
in the hey-day of her life, rose to the height of her great opportunity and
acquitted herself worthily of her task … but for her sleepless vigilance, her
tact, her courtesy, her extreme patience and heroic fortitude, grave
complications might have ensued and the load of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s anxious care would
have been considerably increased. (BK 37-8)
When the Covenant-breakers’ widespread activities climaxed and
affected ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s health, He withdrew to Tiberias, where He stayed for
weeks. During that time the Greatest Holy Leaf for the first time in her life
had to shoulder the kind of responsibility never before she had been required
to undertake. A significant event took place during ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s absence from
‘Akká in 1895. The marriage of Diya’iyyih Khánum, the eldest daughter of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
and Munírih Khánum, with Mírzá Hadi, a great nephew of Khadijih Bagum, who had
come from Iran for the purpose took place at that time. Mírzá Hadi had been to
the Holy Land toward the end of Bahá’u’lláh’s ministry and his proposal to
marry Diya’yyih Khánum had received His approval. His return to the Holy Land
for the purpose of finalizing arrangements for the wedding coincided with the
time ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had withdrawn to Tiberias. His approval for the marriage to
take place at that time was sought and received. However, He was not physically
present at the ceremony. A Tablet He revealed at that time lays open the depth of
His sorrow occasioned by the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh and the immense hardships
sustained by members of His family:
"Now because it is the day of separation, and the time of mourning,
the fire of anxiety is flaming, the heat of burning sorrow is, as it were,
shriveling up the universe! The calamities of my family are beyond endurance,
and the troubles of those sorrowful leaves (sister, wife, daughters) are
without end.
From all directions the arrows of hardship are being showered
upon them, like rain-drops in spring, and the spears of the unfaithful are
being hurled upon them without ceasing….
Oh, family of this sorrowful one, all is sacrifice. No pleasure
is desired by you.
I know your sorrows.
The Mufti may be asked to chant the Marriage Chant at the
Holy Shrine on Sunday." (Chosen Highway 113-114)
Despite the immense suffering that the sedition and mischief-making
of Mírzá Muhammad-‘Ali and his kindred had caused the Centre of Bahá’u’lláh’s
Covenant and His family, the Greatest Holy Leaf, the person in charge in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s
absence, invited them to the wedding. Tuba Khánum [4] says: “My aunt invited
the family of Muhammad-‘Ali to come in the evening. They came and jeered at the
simplicity of the wedding with great ridicule.” (Ibid 114)
The stringent restrictions imposed upon women prevented them
to personally carry out functions outside the home. By doing so they would have
risked being seen by men who were not their close blood relatives. Women of
good repute did not appear in public in those days without an immediate male relative.
The marriage of Diya’iyyih Khánum and Mírzá Hadi during ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s absence
in Tiberias was fortuitous in that the family now had a close male relative,
who could undertake what needed to be done beyond the confines of the house.
This arrangement made it possible for the Greatest Holy Leaf to discharge her
responsibilities inside and outside the home until ‘Abdu’l-Bahá returned to ‘Akká.
Another trip of weeks’ duration that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá undertook for
health reasons was when He visited Haifa and stayed in the cave of Elijah. The
presence of Bahíyyih Khánum in ‘Akká made it possible for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to take
such trips, when it was necessary.
The Covenant-breakers’ constant agitation and intrigues caused
the Central Government, whose seat was Constantinople (Istanbul of today), to
dispatch twice a Commission of Enquiry, to investigate fabricated charges
against ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and submit a report. “In the days of the Commission of Investigation,”
Shoghi Effendi says, “she [Bahíyyih Khánum] was a staunch and trusted supporter
of the peerless Branch of Bahá’u’lláh, and a companion to Him beyond compare.”
(BK 28)
When His life was in imminent danger, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote His
Will and Testament. In it He appointed Shoghi Effendi, then a child, as the
Guardian of the Cause of God. His situation being very grim and investigators
most intent on keeping everything under surveillance, He buried the document
under ground, lest it be discovered and its contents disclosed prematurely. It
was to Bahíyyih Khánum, His well-beloved sister and confidant, that He divulged
the secret of Shoghi Effendi’s appointment to lead the Bahá’í world after Him.
There is yet another instance pointing to the complete trust
‘Abdu’l-Bahá had in the Greatest Holy Leaf’s ability to discharge delicate
responsibilities. When the casket containing the remains of the Báb and His
fellow-martyr reached the shores of the Holy Land, she was the person entrusted
with that precious trust. The remains were kept in her room in the House of ‘Abdu’lláh
Pasha until a safe venue could be found.
Then came the revolution of the Young Turks, which was the outward
cause of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s release from years of confinement in 1908. Instead of
enjoying with members of His family a life of relative ease, He first completed
the Mausoleum He was building on Mount Carmel since 1900. On Naw-Ruz 1909, He
entombed the remains of the Báb, and immediately The Greatest Holy Leaf began
preparations for His historic trip that “in pursuance of God’s inscrutable
Wisdom”, He had conceived “in the darkest hours of His confinement…” (BK 39)
In a Tablet revealed in honor of the Greatest Holy Leaf on
the day He embarked on His historic trip, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:
“O thou my sister, my dear sister!
Divine wisdom hath decreed this temporary separation, but I
long more and more to be with thee again. Patience is called for, and
long-suffering, and trust in God, and the seeking of His favour. Since thou art
there, my mind is completely at rest.
In recent days, I have made a plan to visit Egypt, if this be
God’s will. Do thou, on my behalf, lay thy head on the sacred Threshold, and
perfume brow and hair in the dust of that Door, and ask that I may be confirmed
in my work; that I may, in return for His endless bounties, win, if He will, a
drop out of the ocean of servitude.” (BK 13)
Referring to the magnitude of responsibilities that the Greatest
Holy Leaf discharged during ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s trip to the West, Shoghi Effendi
says:
“And when … the ban on ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s confinement was lifted
… He with unhesitating confidence, invested His trusted and honoured sister
with the responsibility of attending to the multitudinous details arising out
of His protracted absence from the Holy Land. (BK 39)
The responsibilities that the Greatest Holy Leaf discharged
at various stages of her life, especially during ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s protracted
absence in the western world, achieved purposes far beyond what was considered
the need of the hour: Serving as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s “competent deputy,
representative and vicegerent” (BK 28) familiarized the Bahá’í world with her
unique personality and leadership ability. As a result, the believers turned to
her unhesitatingly, when He passed away unexpectedly after a brief illness. It
also prepared her to fill an apparent void immediately after ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s
ascension and discharge even greater responsibilities several times during
Shoghi Effendi’s ministry.
After ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Ascension and During Shoghi Effendi’s
Ministry
‘Abdu’l-Bahá passed away very early in the morning of 28 November
1921. Shoghi Effendi, the person He had appointed in His Will and Testament as
the Guardian of the Cause of God, was then studying at Oxford University in
Great Britain, completely unaware that he had been chosen to lead the Bahá’í world
after His Grandfather’s ascension. Equally unaware were the believers that
Shoghi Effendi was the distinguished Branch appointed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to lead
the Bahá’í world after Him. Mírzá Muhammad-‘Ali, whose opposition to the Centre
of the Covenant, had cost him the loss of the right to succeed Him, was hard at
work to present himself as the leader of the Bahá’í community. At that crucial
juncture in the history of the Faith, the Greatest Holy Leaf, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s
competent deputy during His protracted absence from the Bahá’í World Centre, stepped
forth and guided the believers throughout the world until Shoghi Effendi returned
to the World Centre, exactly one month after `Abdu’l-Bahá’s ascension.
Shoghi Effendi received the news of his Grandfather’s ascension
at about noon on 29 November. The Greatest Holy Leaf had sent a cable to the
address of Major Tudor Pole in London. It reached that office at 9:30 in the
morning on 29 November. It read: “His Holiness `Abdu’l-Bahá ascended Abha Kingdom.
Inform friends” (BK 114). Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum believes Major Pole
“must have telephoned Shoghi Effendi, asking him to come at once to his
office…” (The Priceless Pearl, p. 39).
When Shoghi Effendi learned the shocking news, he began
preparations for the voyage to Haifa. Heartbroken and grief-stricken he
travelled by boat to Alexandria, Egypt, then by train to Haifa, where he
arrived a month later.
The Covenant-breakers during this time had renewed intense
activity to install Mírzá Muhammad-‘Ali as the rightful successor of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
The Greatest Holy Leaf, fully aware of their schemes, despite the tremendous
loss she had suffered, prevented Mírzá Muhammad-‘Ali from entering ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s
House where mourners were received, and ensured that the Covenant-breakers’ efforts
and propaganda were in vain. She warned the friends in America on 14 December
1921:
"Now is period of great tests. The friends should be firm and
united in defending the Cause. Nakeseens [Covenant-breakers] starting
activities through press other channels all over world. Select committee of
wise cool heads to handle press propaganda in America." (BK 114)
Bahíyyih Khánum’s acute alertness, constant vigilance and ceaseless
efforts during that short critical period after ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s ascension, when
He was gone and the person He had appointed as the Guardian of the Cause of God
and authorized interpreter of Holy Writings was away, protected the believers from
the mischief of evil-doers and their fresh intrigues.
On 21 December 1921, Bahíyyih Khánum assured the Persian and
American believers that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had left “full instructions in His Will
and Testament” (Ibid). On 29 December, though herself bereaved and
heart-broken, she received the grief-stricken 24-year old Guardian of the Cause
of God. Referring to the boundless love with which she received him and the
tender way she treated him, he says:
“After the ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the realm of the All-Glorious,
that Light of the Concourse on High enfolded me, helpless as I was, in the
embrace of her love, and with incomparable pity and tenderness, persuaded, guided,
and urged me on to the requirements of servitude. The very elements of this
frail being were leavened with her love, refreshed by her companionship, sustained
by her eternal spirit." (BK 29)
On 7 January 1922, Bahíyyih Khánum sent two cables to Iran,
announcing the dispatch of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Will and Testament and of Shoghi
Effendi’s appointment as Centre of the Cause (Priceless Pearl 47). On 16
January 1922, she informed the friends in the United States: “In Will Shoghi
Effendi appointed Guardian of Cause and Head of House of Justice.” (Ibid 48)
Legal Challenge to Shoghi Effendi’s Authority
A month after his return to the Holy Land, Shoghi Effendi faced
a legal challenge to his authority as the Guardian of the Cause of God. Mírzá
Muhammad-‘Ali, the Greater Branch, had he not brought himself to naught through
active opposition to the Centre of the Covenant, would have succeeded ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
the Most Great Branch, according to the Book of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant.
However, he had lost his legacy due to his misdeeds and wicked doings, and been
excommunicated during the ministry of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who, in His Will and Testament
appointed Shoghi Effendi as the Guardian of the Cause of God. Mírzá Muhammad-‘Ali
nonetheless tried to establish his authority through legal action.
According to Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum,
“… [Mírzá Muhammad-‘Ali] applied to the civil authorities to
turn over the custodianship of Bahá’u’lláh’s Shrine to him on the grounds that
he was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s lawful successor. The British authorities refused on the
grounds that it appeared to be a religious issue; he then appealed to the
Muslim religious head and asked the Mufti of ‘Akká to take formal charge of Bahá’u’lláh’s
Shrine; this dignitary, however, said he did not see how he could do this as
the Bahá’í teachings were not in conformity with Shariah law. All other avenues
having failed he sent his younger brother, Badiulláh, with some of their
supporters, to visit the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh where, on Tuesday, 30 January,
they forcibly seized the keys of the Holy Tomb from the Bahá’í caretaker, thus
asserting Muhammad-‘Ali’s right to be the lawful custodian of his Father’s
resting place. This unprincipled act created such a commotion in the Bahá’í Community
that the Governor of Akká ordered the keys to be handed over to the
authorities, posted guards at the Shrine, but went no further, refusing to
return the keys to either party. (Priceless Pearl 53-4)
The shock of `Abdu’l-Bahá’s sudden departure from this world,
the immense grief occasioned by not having been with Him during the last days
of His ministry, the utter surprise of being required to take on the mantle of
leadership of the Bahá’í world, and the intensity of opposition by the Covenant-breakers
to his appointment, all of which affected his health, convinced Shoghi Effendi
of the necessity to spend some time in a quiet place to recuperate, also to
gain “strength, self-confidence and spiritual energy.” (BK 21) Therefore, just
over three months after his arrival, he appointed the Greatest Holy Leaf as his
representative and head of a committee established to look after the affairs of
the worldwide Bahá’í community, both at home and abroad, and left the Holy
Land. The letters that he wrote to the Bahá’ís of the world in English and
Persian conveyed this information. In effect, as Bahíyyih Khánum had deputized
for 'Abdu’l-Bahá during His travels in the West, she was now called upon to
deputize for His Chosen Branch. As we will see, she performed this task with
competence, self-abnegation and absolute loyalty. Indeed, the members of that committee,
except for the Greatest Holy Leaf, at various stages during the ministry of
Shoghi Effendi broke the Covenant. She stood firm till the last breath. No
other woman in religious history has played a comparable role.
The issue of the legal custodianship of the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh
had not been resolved when Shoghi Effendi left on 5 April 1922. On that day, he
wrote to Colonel Symes, the Governor of Phoenicia:
“As I am compelled to leave Haifa for reasons of health, I have
named as my representative during my absence, the sister of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
Bahíyyih Khánum. To assist her to conduct the affairs of the Bahá’í Movement in
this country and elsewhere, I have also appointed a committee of the following
Bahá’ís [eight men of the local community, three of them the sons-in-law of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá]
… The Chairman of this Committee, to be soon elected by its members, with the
signature of Bahíyyih Khánum has my authority to transact any affairs that may
need to be considered and decided during my absence. I regret exceedingly to be
unable to see you before my departure, that I may express more adequately the
satisfaction that I feel to know that your sense of justice will safeguard the
interests of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh whenever called upon to act." (Priceless
Pearl 276)
The legal action that Mírzá Muhammad-‘Ali took resulted in Bahíyyih
Khánum being declared by Shoghi Effendi in his official communication with the
governor of the area as his representative with the right of signature. This
was no doubt the first time in his career that the governor had to deal with a woman
at the head of a religious community, in a land revered by several religions
and among people so steeped in tradition. Had anything like it happen
previously in the annals of religion?
In the first letter that Bahíyyih Khánum sent in April 1922 to
the believers after Shoghi Effendi’s departure, she said:
“According to a letter written by his own hand, which is enclosed,
he has appointed this prisoner to supervise and manage the affairs of the
Cause, through consultation with the Holy Family, during his absence.
Therefore, this perishable one, temporarily, has organized an assembly to act
according to the advice of the souls who were appointed and nominated by him —
His Holiness Shoghi Effendi. (Quoted in Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees, p. 189)
The enclosure mentioned in Bahíyyih Khánum’s letter, a letter
written in Shoghi Effendi’s hand, reads:
“This servant, after that grievous event and great calamity,
the ascension of His Holiness ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the Abhá Kingdom, has been so
stricken with grief and pain and so entangled in the troubles created by the enemies
of the Cause of God, that I consider that my presence here, at such a time and
in such an atmosphere, is not in accordance with the fulfillment of my important
and sacred duties.
For this reason, unable to do otherwise, I have left for a time
the affairs of the Cause both at home and abroad, under the supervision of the
Holy Family and the headship of the Greatest Holy Leaf until, by the Grace of God,
having gained health, strength, self-confidence and spiritual energy, and
having taken into my hands, in accordance with my aim and desire, entirely and regularly
the work of service I shall attain to my utmost spiritual hope and aspiration." (BK 21)
In May 1922, Bahíyyih Khánum informed the believers throughout
the world of the incessant activities of the Covenant-breakers, apprised them
of the details of the seizure of the key of Bahá’u’lláh’s Shrine and directed
them to send requests to the British authorities in Jerusalem confirming that Shoghi
Effendi was the legitimate leader of the Bahá’í world community, appointed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
in His Will and Testament. This course of action was based on what the government
had suggested. The full text of the letter is quoted in ‘Bahíyyih Khánum, the
Greatest Holy Leaf’, pages 117-120.
Several months passed and there was no response. Wishing to know
what actions the governor had taken regarding the restoration of the key to the
Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh to its original caretaker, Bahíyyih Khánum in a letter
dated 15 October 1922 enquired from him about the case. In response she
received a letter, dated 30 October. It reads:
“Dear Madam,
In reply to your letter of the 15th instant I regret that I cannot
throw any very new light on the subject. As has been stated publicly the
Government feel that the custody of the Shrine at Acre as well as other important
questions affecting the Bahá-ist organization should if possible be settled by
a Congress of representatives of Bahá’í opinion throughout the World. To judge
from messages received from a number of Bahá-ist Centres it would appear that
they endorse and uphold the provisions of the Will of the late Sir Abdul Bahá
Abbas, and as soon as the Congress aforementioned has actually met and given
its decision the Government will be prepared to entertain its final
recommendations. In the meantime if it is possible to find an individual whose provisional
custody of the Key of the Shrine will be offensive to no section of Bahais I
shall be only too glad to hand over the key to him until such time as the Congress
has met and made its final recommendations in the matter." (Leaves, p. 193)
Shoghi Effendi returned to the Holy Land in mid-December 1922
and continued efforts to satisfy the requirements and convince the authorities
to return the key of the Most Holy Tomb to its original caretaker. Finally,
fourteen months after the key had been forcibly seized, the Sub-Governor at
Acre was instructed by the District Governor, G.S. Symes, ‘to return the key of
the Tomb of Bahá’Ulláh to Es Saiyid Abu’l-Kassim’, the original caretaker of
the Shrine. The date of that letter is 14 March 1923. (Leaves, p. 193)
The Eruption of Hostilities in Iran
While dealing with the issue of the seizure of the key to
the Most Holy Shrine by the Covenant-breakers, another significant crisis
erupted. The fanatical elements in Iran, vainly imagining that with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s
ascension the friends in that land had been left defenseless, took advantage of
political instability in the country, stirred up trouble and incited the
inhabitants to renew their attacks on the Bahá’ís in that land. Bahíyyih Khánum’s
letter of 20 July 1922 to the Bahá’ís of America explains:
“Sad news has come to us out of Iran in recent days, and it
has intensely grieved the entire Bahá’í world: they have, in most parts of that
land, set bonfires of envy and malevolence, and hoisted the banner of
aggression against this much wronged community; they have left no means
untried, no plot or strategy neglected, and have arisen with extreme hostility
and spite to pull out by their very roots the trees of this garden of God.” (BK
165)
In the same letter she asks that assemblies act urgently, contact
the Iranian embassy in their country and seek justice on behalf of their
persecuted Bahá’í brothers and sisters in Iran. She explains what the petition
was to include, even asks the assemblies to “make this same representation
through your own ambassador in Tihran, so that he may direct the attention of
the Iranian authorities to these persecutions, and awaken that government to
the possibility of divine retribution and to the shameful stigma occasioned by
such actions directed against this innocent community by the heedless and
ignorant amongst the mass of the people…” (BK 169)
The beloved Guardian, after his return to the Bahá’í World Centre
on 22 December 1922, left again for health reasons in early summer 1923 and in
1924, each time for several months. The Greatest Holy Leaf’s presence in Haifa
to supervise the work of the Faith in his absence was indispensable. Every time
she performed most conscientiously and faithfully the responsibilities
entrusted to her, and each time after Shoghi Effendi returned, she bowed before
his authority and continued supporting his work to the end of her life. What
she did stands in clear contrast to other members of the family, most of whom at
various stages of Shoghi Effendi’s ministry turned against him and broke the
Covenant.
For a glimpse of the scope of the services Bahíyyih Khánum rendered
joyfully to the community at large during World War I, we have this testimony
from Shoghi Effendi:
“The outbreak of the Great War gave her yet another opportunity
to reveal the true worth of her character and to release the latent energies of
her heart. The residence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Haifa was besieged, all throughout
that dreary conflict, by a concourse of famished men, women and children whom
the maladministration, the cruelty and neglect of the officials of the Ottoman
Government had driven to seek an alleviation to their woes. From the hand of
the Greatest Holy Leaf, and out of the abundance of her heart, these hapless
victims of a contemptible tyranny, received day after day unforgettable
evidences of a love they had learned to envy and admire. Her words of cheer and
comfort, the food, the money, the clothing she freely dispensed, the remedies
which, by a process of her own, she herself prepared and diligently applied —
all these had their share in comforting the disconsolate, in restoring sight to
the blind, in sheltering the orphan, in healing the sick, and in succouring the
homeless and the wanderer.” (BK 40)
And the following from Dr. Habib Mu’ayyad, who at ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s
behest, served in the Holy Land for some time:
“Poor and shelterless orphans were the recipients of her special
care and affection. She sheltered them in the house of the Master and loved
them dearly … regardless of whether they were Arab or non-Arab, black or white,
Bahá’í or non-Bahá’í. She taught them good manners, the art of relating to
others, dawn prayers, reading and writing, home management, embroidery, sewing,
cooking, studying the verses of God, fear of God and human perfections. She
adorned them with the ornament of knowledge, good character, perfection and
fear of God. She turned them into fruitful trees, led them to the highway of
guidance, prepared them for living the life, made them prosperous and delivered
them to society.” (Translated from Dr. Habib Mu’ayyad’s memoirs in
Payam-i-Bahá’í, no. 33, p. 12.)
The Greatest Holy Leaf’s Station and the Significance of the
Arc and the Site of Her Resting Place
Bahíyyih Khánum passed away in Haifa on 15 July 1932. In a
cable sent on the day of her passing, Shoghi Effendi says: “Humanity shall
erelong recognize its irreparable loss.” In the same cable he refers to her as
his ‘sole earthly sustainer’, his ‘affectionate comforter’, ‘the joy and
solace’ of his life. Regarding her burial place, He says, “Her sacred remains
will repose vicinity Holy Shrines.” As an evidence of the unique station she
occupies and a mark of appreciation for the unprecedented services she rendered
during her life, Shoghi Effendi had chosen a significant spot on Mount Carmel
as the site for her resting place. In the same cable he says: “So grievous a
bereavement necessitates suspension for nine months throughout Bahá’í world
every manner religious festivity.’ [5] He directs “Local Assemblies and Groups
hold befitting manner memorial gatherings, extol a life so laden sacred
experiences, so rich imperishable memories…” He further advises that “additional
commemoration service of strictly devotional character” be held “Auditorium
Mashriqu’l-Adhkar.” [6] (BK 22-3)
Shoghi Effendi had made the decision to bury Bahíyyih Khánum’s
remains in a specific spot on Mount Carmel, before she passed away. The
instructions he had left for her burial, if she winged her flight to the world
beyond while he was away, make this conclusion clear. The spot he had chosen
was in close proximity to the Mausoleum built by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for the Báb, where
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s body has also been entombed. Certain known factors help us grasp
the significance of his choice:
Bahíyyih Khánum’s unique station as the Most Outstanding Heroine
of Bahá’u’lláh’s dispensation warranted a burial place that symbolized her
exalted rank. It was also to be a place, to which the remains of her mother and
martyred brother, the Purest Branch, could be transferred. For they, too, enjoy
special station bestowed upon them by Bahá’u’lláh, and the Greatest Holy Leaf
had expressed the wish to be buried close to her mother.
The spots on Mount Carmel ennobled by Bahá’u’lláh’s footsteps
during His several visits to Haifa were, as far as we know, confined to an area
facing ‘Akká, the Qiblih of the people of Bahá. The most favored spot was the
one He had chosen for the Bab’s Sepulcher. The areas surrounding that exalted
edifice are regarded sacred precincts.
In the Lawh-i Karmil (the Tablet of Carmel), the charter for
the development of the Bahá’í World Centre, addressing the mountain of the
Lord, Bahá’u’lláh has revealed: “Ere long will God sail His Ark upon thee, and
will manifest the people of Bahá who have been mentioned in the Book of Names”
(TB 5). This statement clearly designates Mount Carmel as the place where the
Seat of the Universal House of Justice, “the supreme legislative body of the
Bahá’í world” (Messages to the Bahá’í World, 1950-1957, p. 21), would be
established. However, it does not specify a specific area of Mount Carmel.
The three significant sites identified on Mount Carmel are: The
site for the Shrine of the Báb chosen by Bahá’u’lláh Himself, the site where He
revealed the Tablet of Carmel, designated by Shoghi Effendi as the site for the
future Mashriqu’l-Adhkar, and a site on Mount Carmel for sailing of the Ark of
God (the Seat of the Universal House of Justice). The determination of the
exact spot on Mount Carmel for the Seat of the Universal House of Justice seems
to have been made by Shoghi Effendi. That determination has a direct link to
his choice of a spot for the Greatest Holy Leaf’s resting place.
The Significance of Mount Carmel Arc and Its Link to the Ark
of God Revealed in the Tablet of Carmel
Shoghi Effendi envisaged an Arc in the heart of Mount Carmel,
upon which the Ark of God was destined to sail. He considered the base of that
Arc a most befitting place for the resting place of the Greatest Holy Leaf. The
link between ‘Ark’ (ship) and ‘Arc’ (a semi-circle, or bow-shaped) goes back to
the time of Noah: The rebelliousness of his followers caused a devastating flood
and threatened everyone’s life. Noah built an ark (ship), which saved from
annihilation those who entered it. When the storm and flood subsided, a rainbow
appeared “As a sign that the earth will no longer be destroyed by flood” (Gen.
9:8-16; Ezekiel 1:28). Rainbow is “the token of the covenant which God made
with Noah when he came forth from the ark.” (Smith’s Bible Dictionary) What
links ark meaning ship to arc meaning bow-shaped or semi-circle, is the rainbow
that appeared when the storm subsided. Rainbow has since become the sign of the
covenant that God will protect from destructive storms and flood those who
enter His Ark and abide therein. Shoghi Effendi has referred to the Universal
House of Justice as “the last refuge for a tottering civilization.”
When Shoghi Effendi determined the site of the Greatest Holy
Leaf’s resting place, he clearly had in mind an elaborate plan, which included
transferring the remains of Ásíyih Khánum, the Most Exalted Leaf, and Mírzá
Mihdi, from ‘Akká to the same spot on the slope of Mount Carmel. This plan
materialized in December 1939, seven years after the passing of Bahíyyih
Khánum. When all was done, he conveyed the exhilarating news by cable to the
friends in North America:
“BLESSED REMAINS PUREST BRANCH AND MASTER’S MOTHER SAFELY
TRANSFERRED HALLOWED PRECINCTS SHRINES MOUNT CARMEL. LONG INFLICTED HUMILIATION
WIPED AWAY. MACHINATIONS COVENANT-BREAKERS FRUSTRATE PLAN DEFEATED. CHERISHED
WISH GREATEST HOLY LEAF FULFILLED. SISTER BROTHER MOTEHR WIFE `ABDU’L-BAHA REUNITED
ONE SPOT DESIGNED CONSTITUTE FOCAL CENTRE BAHÁ’Í ADMINISTRATIVE INSTITUTIONS AT
FAITH’S CENTRE. [7] SHARE JOYFUL NEWS ENTIRE BODY AMERICAN BELIEVERS.” (BK
60-61)
Referring to the significance of what had been accomplished,
he writes in his history of the first Bahá’í century:
“The conjunction of these three resting-places, under the shadow
of the Bab’s own Tomb, embosomed in the heart of Carmel, facing the snow-white
city across the bay of `Akká, the Qiblih of the Bahá’í world, set in a garden
of exquisite beauty, reinforces, if we would correctly estimate its
significance, the spiritual potencies of a spot, designated by Bahá’u’lláh
Himself the seat of God’s throne. It marks, too, a further milestone in the road
leading eventually to the establishment of that permanent world Administrative
Centre of the future Bahá’í Commonwealth, destined never to be separated from,
and to function in the proximity of, the Spiritual Centre of that Faith, in a
land already revered and held sacred alike by the adherents of three of the
world’s outstanding religious systems.” (GPB 348)
In several of his messages Shoghi Effendi explains the significance
of conjoining the resting-places of the Greatest Holy Leaf with those of her
brother and mother. In a message to America, after the transfer of the remains
of Ásíyih Khánum and the Purest Branch from `Akká to Mount Carmel, he says:
“… the conjunction of the resting-place of the Greatest Holy
Leaf with those of her brother and mother incalculably reinforces the spiritual
potencies of that consecrated Spot which, under the wings of the Bab’s over-shadowing
Sepulcher, and in the vicinity of the future Mashriqu’l-Adhkar, which will be
reared on its flank, is destined to evolve into the focal center of those world-shaking,
world embracing, world-directing administrative institutions, ordained by
Bahá’u’lláh and anticipated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and which are to function in
consonance with the principles that govern the twin institutions of the
Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice. Then, and then only, will this
momentous prophecy which illuminates the concluding passages of the Tablet of
Carmel be fulfilled: ‘Ere long will God sail His Ark upon thee (Carmel), and
will manifest the people of Bahá who have been mentioned in the Book of
Names.’” (Messages to America 1932-1946, 32-3)
And speaking of the link between the site of the resting places
of the Greatest Holy Leaf, her mother and brother on Mount Carmel in Haifa and
the Mother Temple of the West in North America, he says:
“And now, while the Bahá’í world vibrates with emotion at
the news of the transfer of the precious remains of both the Purest Branch and
of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s mother to a spot which, watched over by the Twin Holy Shrines
and in the close neighbourhood of the resting-place of the Greatest Holy Leaf,
is to become the focus of the administrative institutions of the Faith at its
world centre, the mere act of linking the destiny of so far-reaching an
undertaking with so significant an event in the Formative Period of our Faith
will assuredly set the seal of complete triumph upon, and enhance the spiritual
potentialities of, a work so significantly started and so magnificently
executed by the followers of Bahá’u’lláh in the North American continent." [8] (Ibid,
p. 37)
In designing the beautiful monument built over the resting-place
of the Greatest Holy Leaf, Shoghi Effendi had in mind for it not only “to
evolve into the focal centre of those world-shaking, world-embracing,
world-directing administrative institutions, ordained by Bahá’u’lláh” (MA 32)
but also for it to symbolize the institutions of the Administrative Order: the steps
symbolize Local Spiritual Assemblies, the pillars the National Spiritual
Assemblies and the dome the Universal House of Justice.
By a happy coincidence, the construction of the Seat of the Universal
House of Justice was complete by the time the Bahá’í world commemorated the
Fiftieth anniversary of the passing of the Greatest Holy Leaf on 15 July 1982.
At the Bahá’í World Centre the friends visited her resting place at the early
hours of that morning, the exact time when she had passed away. Later that day
the friends residing in the Holy Land gathered in the Reception Concourse of
the Seat of the Universal House of Justice for a memorial gathering with a
program befitting her station. Her memorial service was the first gathering to
be held in the Reception Concourse of the Seat.
The significance of Bahíyyih Khánum’s high station and the uniqueness
of the services she has rendered are eloquently described in Shoghi Effendi’s
statements about her. The following is a sampling:
“Only future generations and pens abler than mine can, and
will, pay a worthy tribute to the towering grandeur of her spiritual life, to
the unique part she played through the tumultuous stages of Bahá’í history, to
the expressions of unqualified praise that have streamed from the pen of both
Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Centre of His Covenant, though unrecorded,
and in the main unsuspected by the mass of her passionate admirers in East and
West, the share she had in influencing the course of some of the chief events
in the annals of the Faith, the sufferings she bore, the sacrifices she made, the
rare gifts of unfailing sympathy she so strikingly displayed — these, and many
others stand so inextricably interwoven with the fabric of the Cause itself
that no future historian of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh can afford to ignore or
minimize.” (BK 32)
“To this bear witness the Company on High, and beyond them
God Himself, the Supreme Lord of all the heavens and the earths: that during
all thy days, from thine earliest years until the close of thy life, thou didst
personify the attributes of thy Father, the Matchless, the Mighty. Thou wert
the fruit of His Tree, thou wert the lamp of His love, thou wert the symbol of
His serenity, and of His meekness, the pathway of His guidance, the channel of
His blessings, the sweet scent of His robe, the refuge of His loved ones and
His handmaidens, the mantle of His generosity and grace.” (BK 56)
“O thou solace of mine eyes, and beloved of my soul! Thy grace
to me was plenteous, it can never be concealed; thy love for me was great, it
can never be forgotten. Blessed, a thousand times blessed, is he who loves
thee, and partakes of thy splendours, and sings the praises of thy qualities,
and extols thy worth, and follows in thy footsteps; who testifies to the wrongs
thou didst suffer, and visits thy resting-place, and circles around thine exalted
tomb, by day and by night. Woe unto him, retribution be his, who disputes thy
rank and station, and denies thine excellence, and turns himself aside from thy
clear, thy luminous and straight path. (BK 57)
Conclusion
Religion has always been heavily dependent on women for its promotion
and for the salvation of human beings. Through their adherence to revealed laws
and principles, they have passed on cherished values and instilled in future
generations standards of decency necessary for carrying forward an
ever-advancing civilization. This pattern is traceable in all religions in
spite of religious history largely ignoring their services. One of the unfortunate
outcomes of the restrictions imposed on women in the past has been making it
impossible for them to scale summits readily available to men. Among the
handful women whose names religious history has recorded none played a leading
role through a mandate conferred on her by the center of authority. Bahíyyih
Khánum, the Greatest Holy Leaf, is the first woman in religious history
deputizing for the Person Bahá’u’lláh appointed as the Centre of His Covenant.
She played a crucial role during ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s absence in the western world.
She also played a vital part after His Ascension, and served as Shoghi
Effendi’s representative during his early absences from the World Centre of the
Faith in the Holy Land. The site of her resting place is a significant spot on
Mount Carmel, as stated in a cable from Shoghi Effendi:
DESIGNED CONSTITUTE FOCAL CENTRE BAHÁ’Í ADMINISTRATIVE
INSTITUTIONS AT FAITH’S CENTRE. (BK 60-61)
Biography
Bahá’u’lláh. Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh revealed after the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice
and translated by Habib Taherzadeh with the assistance of a Committee at the
Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 1978.
Blomfield, Lady (Sitarih Khánum). The Chosen Highway.
Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1967. Bahíyyih Khánum; The Greatest
Holy Leaf. Compiled by the Research Department at the Bahá’í World Centre.
Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 1982.
Payam-i-Bahá’í. Monthly publication in Persian of the
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France.
Rabbani, Ruhiyyih. The Priceless Pearl. London: Bahá’í
Publishing Trust, 1969.
Rouhani Ma`ani, Baharieh. Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees.
Oxford: George Ronald, 2008. Shoghi Effendi. God Passes By. Wilmette, Ill:
Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1957.
Shoghi Effendi. Messages to America 1932-1946. Wilmette,
Ill.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1947. Shoghi Effendi. Messages to the Bahá’í
World 1950-1957. Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1958.
William Smith. Smith’s Bible Dictionary.
Notes
1-- The name engraved on the seal, with which the Greatest
Holy Leaf sealed her letters, is Bahá’íyyih. This may be the reason the Iranian
friends refer to her as Bahá’íyyih Khánum and, as a sign of respect, do not use
it to name their daughters. In his messages to the western friends Shoghi
Effendi used Bahíyyih as the Greatest Holy Leaf’s name, probably because it is
easier to pronounce and is used as a proper noun. Bahá’íyyih and Bahíyyih are
derivatives of the Arabic root Bahá’, which means “glory.”
2-- Her parents, Bahá’u’lláh and Ásíyih Khánum, and her
brother, 'Abdu’l- Bahá.
3-- After Bahá’u’lláh’s departure from Iran, His
half-brother, Mírzá Yahyá, on his own accord left Iran for Baghdad in disguise,
lived in Bahá’u’lláh’s House as a guest, stirred up mischief and caused the
holy family, particularly Bahíyyih Khánum, untold suffering. See The Chosen
Highway for details.
4-- The second eldest daughter of 'Abdu’l-Bahá and Munírih
Khánum.
5-- It is remarkable that for the first and probably only
time in the history of the Faith, the friends throughout the world were urged
to suspend for nine months every manner of religious festivity. In another
message Shoghi Effendi asks the friends, if possible, to even postpone
celebrations of personal nature.
6-- In 1932, the construction of the Mother Temple of the
West was not yet complete. The edifice was dedicated twenty years later in
1953. Therefore, the commemorative service for Bahíyyih Khánum was, it seems,
the first gathering of its nature held in the Auditorium of the
Mashriqu’l-Adhkar.
7-- By the time this project was complete, Munírih Khánum,
the wife of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had passed away and buried in an area close to the
resting place of the Greatest Holy Leaf, but at a lower elevation.
8-- Referring to the construction of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar
of America, the Mother Temple of the West.
(Presented at the Irfan Colloquia Session #121 [English], Louhelen
Bahá'í Center: Davison, Michigan, USA, October 10–13, 2013 published in Lights
of Irfan, volume 15)
