Bahá'u'lláh's family
Encyclopedia
Bahá'u'lláh
was the founder of the Bahá'í Faith
. 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 Bahá'í Faith in 1863. Bahá'u'lláh's family consists of his three wives and the children of those wives.
(Arabic
for "Branches") which in singular form is "Ghusn". In particular, three of his sons were given specific "branch" titles:
His daughters were given the title of Varaqat (translated from Arabic as "Leaves"). Thus Bahá'u'lláh's eldest daughter, Bahíyyih (given name, Fatimih), was given the title of the Greatest Holy Leaf.
During Bahá'u'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 Bahá'u'lláh, he chose the title "`Abdu'l-Bahá" (Servant of Bahá). Bahá'u'lláh did not give his descendants any direct right to the property of others. This contrasts with Shi'a Islam
in which sayyid
s were given special financial entitlements.
, and is buried on Mount Carmel within the vicinity of the Shrine of the Báb
. Bahá'u'lláh named her his "perpetual consort" and her son as his vicar. Bahá'ís regard the children of Ásíyih and Bahá'u'lláh to be the Bahá'í "holy family".
Her children were:
, successor and interpreter of Bahá'u'lláh's writings. 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 Bahá'ís around the world. After the 1908 Young Turks
revolution freed all political prisoners in the Ottoman Empire, `Abdu'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 Bahá'í message. On 27 April 1920, he was awarded a knighthood by the British Mandate of Palestine for his humanitarian efforts during the World War I
. `Abdu'l-Bahá died on 28 November 1921, and he is currently buried within one of the rooms at the Shrine of the Báb
.
Bahíyyih Khánum was born in 1846 and was the eldest daughter of Bahá'u'lláh and Ásíyih Khánum. She was entitled the Greatest holy Leaf. She was particularly dear to her father and is seen within the Bahá'í Faith as one of the greatest women to have lived. She stood by and remained faithful to the Centers of the Covenant
over years of infighting within Bahá'u'lláh's family that led to the expelling of many of them. She was given the position of acting head of the religion repeatedly when `Abdu'l-Bahá (during periods between 1910 and 1913), and Shoghi Effendi (during periods between 1922 and 1924), were absent from the Bahá'í World Centre in Haifa. Shoghi Effendi in particular felt her support during difficult period following the death of `Abdu'l-Bahá. She died on 15 July 1932 and was buried in the Bahá'í gardens downhill from the Bahá'í Arc on Mount Carmel, under the Monument of the Greatest Holy Leaf raised for her at the Bahá'í World Centre
.
after a fall through a skylight while he was preoccupied in prayer. The death is significant as Bahá'ís believe that Bahá'u'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 Bahá'ís would end. Mírzá Mihdí was eventually buried alongside his mother in the gardens below the Bahá'í Arc
on Mount Carmel in Haifa
near his brother and sister.
.
Her children are:
s. She died at age 49 in 1904/5 and her husband died at over one-hundred years of age in 1955.
his successor, he set that Muhammad `Alí was next in rank after him. Motivated by a jealousy for `Abdu'l-Bahá he conspired to undermine his brother's leadership, but he was unable to gain extensive support from the Bahá'ís. When `Abdu'l-Bahá died, his will went into great detail about how Muhammad `Alí had been unfaithful to the Covenant, labelling him a Covenant-breaker
, and appointing Shoghi Effendi
his successor instead. Muhammad `Alí was described by Shoghi Effendi
as the "Arch-Breaker of Bahá'u'lláh's Covenant
". Muhammad `Alí died in 1937.
(modern day Adrianople). He swayed between the two sides in his brothers' argument, and died before taking part in an act against `Abdu'l-Bahá, but has still been labelled a Covenant-breaker
. He died on 30 October 1898. He married Thurayyá Samandarí, daughter of Shaykh Kázim-i-Samandar
. The marriage was childless, and according to Samandar's memoirs, Mírzá Muhammad `Alí had prevented her from returning to him.
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
. Bahá'u'lláh married her some time around 1862. When Bahá'u'lláh left Baghdad
in 1863, unlike the other two wives, Gawhar remained in Baghdad. During her time in Baghdad she stayed and lived with her brother. shortly afterwards, the Bahá’í community of Baghdad was rounded up and exiled to Mosul
, and Gawhar with her brother were some of the exiles. Her brother wrote a number of times asking Bahá'u'lláh to allow them to enter Akká
and finally he accepted. Brother and sister arrived in late 1870. Gawhar may have been a maid of the first wife of Bahá'u'lláh when he married her. Bahá'u'lláh and Gawhar and one daughter, Furúghíyyih who was born in `Akká. Both mother and daughter were declared Covenant-breaker
s after the death of Bahá'u'lláh. Gawhar died sometime between 1892 and 1921.
's brother-in-law. She, her husband and her children (in particular her eldest Nayyir), all sided with Muhammad-`Ali, and were labelled became Covenant-breakers. She died of cancer.
had three wives, when his religion teaches monogamy, has been the subject of criticism. Bahá'í teachings on gender equality and monogamny post-date Bahá'u'lláh's marriages and are understood to be evolutionary in nature, slowly leading Bahá'ís away from what had been a deeply rooted cultural practice.
Bahá'u'lláh had three concurrent wives, Bahá'u'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. According to the laws and tradition of Islam
, which Bahá'u'lláh would have been following at the time of his marriages, a man is allowed four wives. Bahá'í 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 tranquillity for both partners. This was later interpreted by `Abdu'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.
quoting Shoghi Effendi
twice:
Bahá'ís argue that polygamy is an ancient practice and other religions did not require monogamy. Under the Law of Moses a man could take as many wives as he chose. Jesus did not prohibit polygamy, and used parables with polygamous marriage incorporated into them. In the Arabian peninsula Muhammad introduced a limit of four wives; polygamy was unlimited in pre-Islamic Arabia. The Bahá'í Faith slowly introduced monogamy to a region that considered polygamy a righteous lifestyle. Note 89 of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas comments on the verse in question:
Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh , born ' , was the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. He claimed to be the prophetic fulfilment of Bábism, a 19th-century outgrowth of Shí‘ism, but in a broader sense claimed to be a messenger from God referring to the fulfilment of the eschatological expectations of Islam, Christianity, and...
was the founder of the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
. He was born in 1817 to Khadíjih Khánum and Mírzá Buzurg of Nur (in the province of Mazandaran), a Persian
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
nobleman, and went on to be a leader in the Bábí movement
Bábism
The Babi Faith is a religious movement that flourished in Persia from 1844 to 1852, then lingered on in exile in the Ottoman Empire as well as underground. Its founder was Siyyid `Alí Muhammad Shirazi, who took the title Báb—meaning "Gate"—from a Shi'a theological term...
, and then established the Bahá'í Faith in 1863. Bahá'u'lláh's family consists of his three wives and the children of those wives.
Titles of descendants
One of Bahá'u'lláh's titles is Sadratu'l-Muntahá, which translates from Arabic as the tree beyond which there is no passing (a quote from Qur'an 53:14). In this connection, Bahá'u'lláh entitled his descendants with terms relating to the Sadratu'l-Muntahá. His male descendants were given the title of AghsánAghsán
Aghṣán , is a term in literature of the Bahá'í Faith referring to male descendants of Bahá'u'lláh.It has particular implications not only for the disposition of endowments but also for the succession of authority following the passing of Bahá'u'lláh and of his son `Abdu'l-Bahá....
(Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
for "Branches") which in singular form is "Ghusn". In particular, three of his sons were given specific "branch" titles:
- `Abdu'l-Bahá (given name, Abbás): Ghuṣn-i-A`ẓam ( "The Most Great Branch").
- Mírzá Muhammad `Alí: Ghuṣn-i-Akbar, ( "The Greater Branch").
- Mírzá Mihdí: Ghuṣn-i-Athar, ( "The Purest Branch").
His daughters were given the title of Varaqat (translated from Arabic as "Leaves"). Thus Bahá'u'lláh's eldest daughter, Bahíyyih (given name, Fatimih), was given the title of the Greatest Holy Leaf.
During Bahá'u'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 Bahá'u'lláh, he chose the title "`Abdu'l-Bahá" (Servant of Bahá). Bahá'u'lláh did not give his descendants any direct right to the property of others. This contrasts with Shi'a Islam
Shi'a Islam
Shia Islam is the second largest denomination of Islam. The followers of Shia Islam are called Shi'ites or Shias. "Shia" is the short form of the historic phrase Shīʻatu ʻAlī , meaning "followers of Ali", "faction of Ali", or "party of Ali".Like other schools of thought in Islam, Shia Islam is...
in which sayyid
Sayyid
Sayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...
s were given special financial entitlements.
Ásíyih
Ásyih was born in 1820 in the village Yalrud, Mazandaran. Her father was Mirza Isma’il-i-Vazir, a powerful and wealthy Persian nobleman. Bahá'u'lláh addressed her as Navváb, and the Most Exalted Leaf. She was chosen to marry the young Bahá'u'lláh based on her rare physical beauty, wealth and piety. The family had pre-existing roots with Bahá'u'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 Bahá'u'lláh's children, of whom only three lived to adulthood. She died in 1886 in `AkkáAcre, Israel
Acre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....
, and is buried on Mount Carmel within the vicinity of the Shrine of the Báb
Shrine of the Báb
The Shrine of the Báb is a structure in Haifa, Israel where the remains of the Báb, founder of Bábism and forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh in the Bahá'í Faith, have been laid to rest; it is considered to be the second holiest place on Earth for Bahá'ís, after the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh in Acre...
. Bahá'u'lláh named her his "perpetual consort" and her son as his vicar. Bahá'ís regard the children of Ásíyih and Bahá'u'lláh to be the Bahá'í "holy family".
Her children were:
`Abbas Effendi
Better known as `Abdu'l-Bahá, `Abbas was born in 1844 and died in 1921. He was the oldest child of Ásíyih and Bahá'u'lláh. He was variously referred to by Bahá'u'lláh as "Mystery of God", "The Master", "Perfect Exemplar" and "the Most Great Branch". After Bahá'u'lláh died on 29 May 1892, the Will and Testament of Bahá'u'lláh named `Abdu'l-Bahá as Centre of the CovenantCovenant of Bahá'u'lláh
Covenant in the Bahá'í Faith refers to two separate binding agreements between God and man. A Covenant in the religious sense is a binding agreement made between God and man wherein a certain behaviour is required of man and in return God guarantees certain blessings...
, successor and interpreter of Bahá'u'lláh's writings. During his time as head of the religion, while still a prisoner of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, he met with many pilgrims and was in constant communication with Bahá'ís around the world. After the 1908 Young Turks
Young Turks
The Young Turks , from French: Les Jeunes Turcs) were a coalition of various groups favouring reformation of the administration of the Ottoman Empire. The movement was against the absolute monarchy of the Ottoman Sultan and favoured a re-installation of the short-lived Kanûn-ı Esâsî constitution...
revolution freed all political prisoners in the Ottoman Empire, `Abdu'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
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, spreading the Bahá'í message. On 27 April 1920, he was awarded a knighthood by the British Mandate of Palestine for his humanitarian efforts during the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. `Abdu'l-Bahá died on 28 November 1921, and he is currently buried within one of the rooms at the Shrine of the Báb
Shrine of the Báb
The Shrine of the Báb is a structure in Haifa, Israel where the remains of the Báb, founder of Bábism and forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh in the Bahá'í Faith, have been laid to rest; it is considered to be the second holiest place on Earth for Bahá'ís, after the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh in Acre...
.
Bahíyyih
Bahíyyih Khánum was born in 1846 and was the eldest daughter of Bahá'u'lláh and Ásíyih Khánum. She was entitled the Greatest holy Leaf. She was particularly dear to her father and is seen within the Bahá'í Faith as one of the greatest women to have lived. She stood by and remained faithful to the Centers of the Covenant
Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh
Covenant in the Bahá'í Faith refers to two separate binding agreements between God and man. A Covenant in the religious sense is a binding agreement made between God and man wherein a certain behaviour is required of man and in return God guarantees certain blessings...
over years of infighting within Bahá'u'lláh's family that led to the expelling of many of them. She was given the position of acting head of the religion repeatedly when `Abdu'l-Bahá (during periods between 1910 and 1913), and Shoghi Effendi (during periods between 1922 and 1924), were absent from the Bahá'í World Centre in Haifa. Shoghi Effendi in particular felt her support during difficult period following the death of `Abdu'l-Bahá. She died on 15 July 1932 and was buried in the Bahá'í gardens downhill from the Bahá'í Arc on Mount Carmel, under the Monument of the Greatest Holy Leaf raised for her at the Bahá'í World Centre
Bahá'í World Centre buildings
The Bahá'í World Centre buildings are buildings that are part of the Bahá'í World Centre in Israel. The Bahá'í World Centre buildings include both the Bahá'í holy places used for pilgrimage and the international administrative bodies of the Bahá'í Faith; they comprise more than 20 different...
.
Mírzá Mihdí
Mírzá Mihdí was born in Tehran in 1848 and was entitled the Purest Branch. He died at the age of 22 on 23 June 1870 in `AkkáAcre, Israel
Acre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....
after a fall through a skylight while he was preoccupied in prayer. The death is significant as Bahá'ís believe that Bahá'u'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 Bahá'ís would end. Mírzá Mihdí was eventually buried alongside his mother in the gardens below the Bahá'í Arc
The Arc (Bahá'í)
The Arc is a number of Bahá'í administrative buildings at the Bahá'í World Centre on Mount Carmel located at Haifa, Israel. They include the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, the Seat of the International Teaching Centre, the International Archives, and the Centre for the Study of the Sacred...
on Mount Carmel in Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
near his brother and sister.
Others
Navváb bore at least four other children all sons, but due to their early deaths little is known about them:- Kázim who died sometime in Persia.
- Sádiq who died aged 3–4.
- `Alí Muhammad who died in Mazandaran at the age of 7 in 1852.
- `Alí Muhammad who was born and died in BaghdadBaghdadBaghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
at the age of 2.
Fatimih
Fatimih was born in 1828 in Mazandaran and was generally known as Mahd-i-'Ulya. A first cousin of Bahá'u'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. It is reported that Bahá'u'lláh's aunt implored him to wed his widowed cousin and he reluctantly agreed to do so. They married in 1849 in Tehran and she had six of Bahá'u'lláh's children, of whom four survived to adulthood. She was said to have been very jealous of and harboured great enmity towards `Abdu'l-Bahá. She died in 1904, and was later labelled a Covenant-breakerCovenant-breaker
A Covenant-breaker or the act of Covenant-breaking is a term used by Bahá'ís to refer to a particular form of heresy. Being declared a Covenant-breaker by the head of the Faith — which since 1963 refers to the elected nine-member Universal House of Justice, the governing body of the Bahá'ís....
.
Her children are:
Samadiyyih
Samadiyyih married Majdu'd-Din, who was the son of Aqay-i-Kalim, Bahá'u'lláh's brother; Majdu'd-Din was one of `Abdu'l-Bahá's greatest critics, and Samadiyyih and Majdu'd-Din were eventually declared Covenant-breakerCovenant-breaker
A Covenant-breaker or the act of Covenant-breaking is a term used by Bahá'ís to refer to a particular form of heresy. Being declared a Covenant-breaker by the head of the Faith — which since 1963 refers to the elected nine-member Universal House of Justice, the governing body of the Bahá'ís....
s. She died at age 49 in 1904/5 and her husband died at over one-hundred years of age in 1955.
Muhammad-`Alí
Mírzá Muhammad `Alí was born in Baghdad in 1853. Bahá'u'lláh called him the "Greater Branch" and when Bahá'u'lláh declared `Abdu'l-Bahá`Abdu'l-Bahá
‘Abdu’l-Bahá , born ‘Abbás Effendí, was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. In 1892, `Abdu'l-Bahá was appointed in his father's will to be his successor and head of the Bahá'í Faith. `Abdu'l-Bahá was born in Tehran to an aristocratic family of the realm...
his successor, he set that Muhammad `Alí was next in rank after him. Motivated by a jealousy for `Abdu'l-Bahá he conspired to undermine his brother's leadership, but he was unable to gain extensive support from the Bahá'ís. When `Abdu'l-Bahá died, his will went into great detail about how Muhammad `Alí had been unfaithful to the Covenant, labelling him a Covenant-breaker
Covenant-breaker
A Covenant-breaker or the act of Covenant-breaking is a term used by Bahá'ís to refer to a particular form of heresy. Being declared a Covenant-breaker by the head of the Faith — which since 1963 refers to the elected nine-member Universal House of Justice, the governing body of the Bahá'ís....
, and appointing Shoghi Effendi
Shoghi Effendi
Shoghí Effendí Rabbání , better known as Shoghi Effendi, was the Guardian and appointed head of the Bahá'í Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957...
his successor instead. Muhammad `Alí was described by Shoghi Effendi
Shoghi Effendi
Shoghí Effendí Rabbání , better known as Shoghi Effendi, was the Guardian and appointed head of the Bahá'í Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957...
as the "Arch-Breaker of Bahá'u'lláh's Covenant
Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh
Covenant in the Bahá'í Faith refers to two separate binding agreements between God and man. A Covenant in the religious sense is a binding agreement made between God and man wherein a certain behaviour is required of man and in return God guarantees certain blessings...
". Muhammad `Alí died in 1937.
Díyá'u'lláh
Díyá'u'lláh (alternate spelling: Zíyá'u'lláh) was born 15 August 1864 in EdirneEdirne
Edirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...
(modern day Adrianople). He swayed between the two sides in his brothers' argument, and died before taking part in an act against `Abdu'l-Bahá, but has still been labelled a Covenant-breaker
Covenant-breaker
A Covenant-breaker or the act of Covenant-breaking is a term used by Bahá'ís to refer to a particular form of heresy. Being declared a Covenant-breaker by the head of the Faith — which since 1963 refers to the elected nine-member Universal House of Justice, the governing body of the Bahá'ís....
. He died on 30 October 1898. He married Thurayyá Samandarí, daughter of Shaykh Kázim-i-Samandar
Kázim-i-Samandar
Shaykh Káẓim-i-Samandar known as Samandar was an eminent follower of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, a global religion of Persian origin. He was born to a prominent Bahá'í family of Qazvin of Bábí and Shaykhi background...
. The marriage was childless, and according to Samandar's memoirs, Mírzá Muhammad `Alí had prevented her from returning to him.
Badi'u'lláh
Badi'u'lláh was born in Adrianople in 1867. For much of his life he supported his brother's challenge to `Abdu'l-Bahá's authority as Centre of the Covenant. However, in 1903 Badi'u'llah rejected Muhammad-`Alí, and delivered his loyalty to `Abdu'l-Bahá and circulated an open letter denouncing Muhammad-`Alí, known as Badi'u'lláh's epistle; however his loyalty to `Abdu'l-Bahá was short lived. He died in Israel in 1950.Others
Mahd-i-'Ulya bore at least two other children:- `Alí Muhammad who died at the age of 2 in Baghdad.
- Sádhijíyyih Khánum who was born in Baghdad and died at the age of 2 in Constantinople.
Gawhar
Gawhar was born in KashanKashan
Kashan is a city in and the capital of Kashan County, in the province of Isfahan, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 248,789, in 67,464 families....
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
Ásíyih Khánum
Ásíyih Khánum was the wife of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. She is viewed by Bahá’ís as the paragon of a devoted mother and wife. She is also known by her titles of Navváb, the Most Exalted Leaf, Búyúk Khánum or Hadrat-i-Khánum. Khánum, is a title usually given to a Persian lady...
. Bahá'u'lláh married her some time around 1862. When Bahá'u'lláh left Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
in 1863, unlike the other two wives, Gawhar remained in Baghdad. During her time in Baghdad she stayed and lived with her brother. shortly afterwards, the Bahá’í community of Baghdad was rounded up and exiled to Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
, and Gawhar with her brother were some of the exiles. Her brother wrote a number of times asking Bahá'u'lláh to allow them to enter Akká
Acre, Israel
Acre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....
and finally he accepted. Brother and sister arrived in late 1870. Gawhar may have been a maid of the first wife of Bahá'u'lláh when he married her. Bahá'u'lláh and Gawhar and one daughter, Furúghíyyih who was born in `Akká. Both mother and daughter were declared Covenant-breaker
Covenant-breaker
A Covenant-breaker or the act of Covenant-breaking is a term used by Bahá'ís to refer to a particular form of heresy. Being declared a Covenant-breaker by the head of the Faith — which since 1963 refers to the elected nine-member Universal House of Justice, the governing body of the Bahá'ís....
s after the death of Bahá'u'lláh. Gawhar died sometime between 1892 and 1921.
Furughiyyih
Relatively little is known about Furughiyyih. She married Siyyid Ali, the son of the BábBáb
Siyyid `Alí Muḥammad Shírází was the founder of Bábism, and one of three central figures of the Bahá'í Faith. He was a merchant from Shíráz, Persia, who at the age of twenty-four claimed to be the promised Qá'im . After his declaration he took the title of Báb meaning "Gate"...
's brother-in-law. She, her husband and her children (in particular her eldest Nayyir), all sided with Muhammad-`Ali, and were labelled became Covenant-breakers. She died of cancer.
Plurality of wives
That Bahá'u'lláhBahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh , born ' , was the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. He claimed to be the prophetic fulfilment of Bábism, a 19th-century outgrowth of Shí‘ism, but in a broader sense claimed to be a messenger from God referring to the fulfilment of the eschatological expectations of Islam, Christianity, and...
had three wives, when his religion teaches monogamy, has been the subject of criticism. Bahá'í teachings on gender equality and monogamny post-date Bahá'u'lláh's marriages and are understood to be evolutionary in nature, slowly leading Bahá'ís away from what had been a deeply rooted cultural practice.
Bahá'u'lláh had three concurrent wives, Bahá'u'lláh married his first wife in Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
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. According to the laws and tradition of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, which Bahá'u'lláh would have been following at the time of his marriages, a man is allowed four wives. Bahá'í marriage laws were written in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas
Kitáb-i-Aqdas
The Kitáb-i-Aqdas is a central book of the Bahá'í Faith written by Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the religion. The work was written in Arabic under the Arabic title , but it is commonly referred to by its Persian title, Kitáb-i-Aqdas , which was given to the work by Bahá'u'lláh himself...
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 tranquillity for both partners. This was later interpreted by `Abdu'l-Bahá
`Abdu'l-Bahá
‘Abdu’l-Bahá , born ‘Abbás Effendí, was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. In 1892, `Abdu'l-Bahá was appointed in his father's will to be his successor and head of the Bahá'í Faith. `Abdu'l-Bahá was born in Tehran to an aristocratic family of the realm...
that having a second wife is conditional upon treating both wives with justice and equality and was not possible in practice, thus establishing monogamy.
Bahá'í apologia
The general view among Bahá'u'lláh's family and Bahá'ís 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 JusticeUniversal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice is the supreme governing institution of the Bahá'í Faith. It is a legislative institution with the authority to supplement and apply the laws of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, and exercises a judicial function as the highest appellate institution in the...
quoting Shoghi Effendi
Shoghi Effendi
Shoghí Effendí Rabbání , better known as Shoghi Effendi, was the Guardian and appointed head of the Bahá'í Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957...
twice:
- "Bahá'u'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; `Abdu'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."
- "...Bahá'u'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.".
Bahá'ís argue that polygamy is an ancient practice and other religions did not require monogamy. Under the Law of Moses a man could take as many wives as he chose. Jesus did not prohibit polygamy, and used parables with polygamous marriage incorporated into them. In the Arabian peninsula Muhammad introduced a limit of four wives; polygamy was unlimited in pre-Islamic Arabia. The Bahá'í Faith slowly introduced monogamy to a region that considered polygamy a righteous lifestyle. Note 89 of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas comments on the verse in question:
- "Bahá’u’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 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to elucidate later that the intention of the law was to enforce monogamy."
Further reading
- Letter from the Universal House of Justice: 1996, Jun 27, Monogamy, Sexual Equality, Marital Equality, and the Supreme Tribunal http://bahai-library.com/uhj_equality_monogamy_uhj
- Letter from the Universal House of Justice: 1998, Apr 06, Memorandum re Wives of Bahá'u'lláh