Ásíyih Khánum
From Bahaikipedia
| Ásíyih Khánum | |
| Born | 1820 Yarlúd, Persia |
|---|---|
| Died | 1886 (aged 66) Haifa, Israel |
| Title(s) | Most Exalted Leaf |
| Religion | Bahá'í Faith |
| Spouse(s) | Bahá'u'lláh |
| Children | ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahíyyih Khánum, Mírzá Mihdí (amonst others) |
| Parents | Mírzá Ismá'il-i-Vazir |
Ásíyih Khánum (c. 1820-1886) (Arabic: آسیه خانم), later and more widely known by her title Navváb, is Bahá'u'lláh's first and most well known wife. She is the daughter of Mirza Isma'il-i-Vazir, a nobleman. Among Bahá'ís she is viewed as a paragon of a perfect woman, similar to Mary, mother of Jesus in Christianity, or Khadijah in Islám. Contemporaries describe her as a great beauty. Her daughter Bahá'íyyih Khánum describes her in "The Chosen Highway" vividly;
"I first remember her, tall, slender, graceful, eyes of dark blue - a pearl, a flower amongst women"
She and Bahá'u'lláh married some time between September 24 and October 22, 1835, in Tehran. She had seven of his children, of whom only three lived to adulthood. Bahá'u'lláh affetionaitley knew her as Navváb, which was a respectable term that Persian nobles called their wives. Bahá’u’lláh also lovingly called her Buyuk Khánum. She had three children that survived till adulthood;
- Abbás (‘Abdu’l-Bahá)- Married Munírih Khánum
- Bahá'íyyih (Bahíyyih Khánum)- Remained unmarried
- Mihdí (Mírzá Mihdí)- died in youth (aged 22)
She was given the title Navváb by Bahá'u'lláh. Bahá'u'lláh also named her the Most Exalted Leaf and declared her his "perpetual consort in all the worlds of God." When the family rented and then acquired the Mansion of Bahjí, she stayed in the House of 'Abbúd. She died in 1886 in 'Akká. Her remains were moved to a new grave by Shoghi Effendi in on Christmas Day 1939 alongside her youngest son Mírzá Mihdí in the gardens below the Arc on Mount Carmel in Haifa.
[edit] References
- "Ásíyih Khánum". Wikipedia (2008-09-19). Retrieved on 2008-09-19.
- Smith, Peter (1999). A Concise Encyclopedia of the Bahá'í Faith. Oxford, UK: Oneworld Publications. ISBN 1851681841.
- Cameron, G.; & Momen, W. (1996). A Basic Bahá'í Chronology. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0853984022.
