Munírih Khánum

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Munírih Khánum

Munírih Khánum, (Persian: منیره خانم)
Born Fátimih Nahrí
June-July? 1848
Isfahan, Persia
Died April 28, 1938 (aged 90)
Haifa, Israel
Title(s) Holy Mother
Religion Bahá’í Faith
Spouse(s) Mírzá Kázim Nahrí (1868) (not consummated)
‘Abdu’l-Bahá (1873-1921)
Children Ḍiyá'iyyih Khánum, Túbá Khánum, Rúhá Khánum, Munavvar Khánum, (amongst others)
Parents Father: Mírzá Muhammad `Alíy-i-Nahrí
Mother: Zahrá-i-Nafaqih-Furush

Holy Mother Munírih Khánum (1848 - April 28, 1938) was the wife of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, eldest son of Bahá’u’lláh and Ásíyih Khánum. She is the grandmother of Shoghi Effendi.

Coming from the renowned Bábí-Bahá'í family; Nahrí Family, she was born in Isfahán. She was chosen at the age of 23, to be the wife of the Master, whom she bore 9 children for. During her fifty or so years of marriage to 'Abdu'l-Bahá she became His beloved confidante. The ascension of 'Abdu'l-Bahá devastated her. Known by the friends as Holy Mother, Munírih Khánum served as the matriarch type figure after the passing of the Greatest Holy Leaf. Her diligent efforts of shielding her family from the Covenant Breakers helped her grandson. Shoghi Effendi had a mounment built in her honour, were she is buried currently.

Contents

[edit] Early Life

Born Fátimih Nahrí, but called Fátimih Khánum (Persian: فاطمه خانم), she was born while her father and uncle, Mírzá Hádíy-i-Nahrí, were present at the Conference of Badasht which roughly puts her birthdate between June and July of 1848. [1] Fátimih Khánum's birthdate has sometimes been incorrectly said to be 1846-7. However, her birth was clearly stated as occuring during the Conference of Badasht (1848). Her Bahá'í birth year is 5 BE.

Her father was Mírzá Muhammad `Alíy-i-Nahrí. He had been married before, but had no children.[2] The Báb, gave her father some sweets that he ate, and Mírzá Muhammad `Alíy-i-Nahrí saved some for his wife and gave them to her. Eight months and nine days later she was born. [3] She had three siblings; Hájí Siyyid Yahyá Nahrí (b.1851), Rádíyyih Bagum (b.1854) and Gawhar Bagum (b.1859). Her maternal family were devout Bábís. [4] Fátimih Khánum's own maternal uncle, Muhammad-i-Báqir-Naqsh, was martyred at the age of just fourteen after defending Fort Tabarsí. [5] Fátimih spent her childhood and early youth in Isfahan. As a young woman, Fátimih Khánum was considered a suitable match for marriage into Bahá’í families throughout Persia. [6]

[edit] Engagement and Marriage

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, aged twenty-four, was betrothed to His cousin, the very pretty and young Shahr-Bánú Khánum (Persian:شهربانو). [7]This was from when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was around only ten. In Persia, and also Europe, betrothals where made during childhood. [8] [9] When the time came for His marriage, Bahá’u’lláh summoned Shahr-Bánú Khánum to come to Adrianople to wed her handsome Cousin. Perhaps, fortunately for all concerned, Bahá’u’lláh's sister Sháh Khánum (Khánum Buzurg), decided to create chaos and forced Shahr-Bánú Khánum to cancel the engagment and marry a son of the Prime minister.[10] Grief stricken by this, she died of consumption shortly thereafter. [11].

The same time in Persia, Fátimih Khánum was to marry. After the death of her father, her family arranged that she should marry Mírzá Kázim, a cousin, which was a very popular thing to do at that time. Her cousin seemed to have taken a liking to the young Fátimih Khánum, and pressed on for the marriage quickly, even purchasing a house for the couple to occupy. Mírzá Kázim was also a brother of the King and Beloved of Martyrs (Núrayn-i-Nayyirayn) who were to be horrifically martyred in Isfahan.[12] [13] Fátimih did not want to marry him; however, she reluctantly agreed to the marriage. [14] Amazingly, during the wedding Mírzá Kázim, who was in perfect health, avoided his bride, and fell ill straight after the wedding party.[15] On the wedding night, Mírzá Kázim refused to see the cousin whom he once kept in such high regard, and died six months later. The Greatest Holy Leaf recalls; "the girl remained in her husband's house until his death; but she never saw him after entering it". [16] Years later in her Memoirs, the Holy Mother recollected “In reality, that youth was an escort who delivered me to my true goal and ultimate destination.”[17] Widowed and humiliated; Fátimih became a recluse, prayed and meditated, asking God for guidance.[18] [19]

[edit] Marriage to the Mystery of God

In late 1871, Bahá’u’lláh and Ásíyih Khánum expressed interest in the beautiful Fátimih to marry ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. [20] The Desire of the World[21] says that He had a dream and Shahr-Bánú's face was fading away and that another beautiful girl appeared who was pure of heart. Certain that "liminuous" girl was Fátimih, her aunt (Shamsu'd-Duhá) travalled to Isfahan and told Fátimih of the glad-tidings. In her memoirs, she writes " Far be it, For I am not worthy of such bounty!". [22] Shortly after this occurrence, Bahá’u’lláh personally asked for twenty-three year old Fátimih Khánum to come to ‘Akká accompanied by her brother. Subsequently, she travelled to ‘Akká, a journey which took her around six months. While on her journey she stayed with Khadíjih-Bagum, the wife of the Báb in Shiráz for a while too. [23] The trip in Shiráz greatly delighted Fátimih. As requsted by Bahá’u’lláh, she and her brother Siyyid Yahyá Nahrí made a pilgrimage to Mecca. [24]

A pregnant thirty-two year old Munírih Khánum in 1880

Once arriving in ‘Akká, Fátimih had bestowed upon her the new name of "Munírih" (Persian: منیره ) meaning Illumined from Bahá’u’lláh. The wedding had been postponed for a while due to the lack of a room. [25] For the time of the betrothal Munírih Khánum stayed with Mírzá Músa, and watched the Master swim from the window. Finally, a suitable room was found for the young couple. Ásíyih Khánum made a white dress for Munírih Khánum to wear. Munírih Khánum married ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on 8 March 1873 (29 BE) in the House of ‘Abbúd. Munírih Khánum was twenty-four, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was twenty-eight.

Speaking of her marriage, the Holy Mother said; "At the wedding there was no cake, only cups of tea; there were no decorations, and no choir, but the blessing of Jamál-i-Mubarak[26]; the glory and beauty of love and happiness were beyond and above all luxury and ceremony and circumstance." This marriage, although arranged, was an extremly happy and long one, and the couple seldom were seperated from one another apart from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's travels. [27]

[edit] Family Life and Ascension

Fátimih (Nahrí) Khánum, later known as Holy Mother Munírih Khánum in 1900

They had 9 children together; Ḥusayn Effendi (d. 1305/1887, aged five), Mihdí (died aged two-and-a-half), Ṭúbá, Fu'ádiyyih, and Ruḥangíz (the favorite grandchild of the Blessed Perfection, she died in the same year as Him). [28] "Five of my children died in the poisonous climate of ‘Akká," the Holy Mother later lamented. Four daughters survived to adulthood; Ḍiyá'iyyih (mother of Shoghi Effendi) (d. 1951) Túbá Khánum (1880-1959) Rúḥá and Munavvar (d. 1971). Lady Blomfield described the Holy Mother as; "She has a most beautiful voice, and her eyes are large, dark, still, with a serenity in their depths that holiness alone can give." and "She is a majestic woman, stately yet simple, with an innate dignity and strength of character." The death of her favourite child, a son named Husayn, was especially hard for the Holy Mother to bear.

Munírih Khánum spent most of her life devoted to piety and the Holy Family. She was very close to her sister-in-law Bahíyyih Khánum. The Holy Mother wrote many letters to the freinds, encouraging them to include women in Bahá’í activities and to understand the equality of the sexes. She stayed faithful to her grandson Shoghi Effendi around the time of great Covenant Breaking until her passing a year after his marriage to Rúhiyyih Khánum at the age of ninety. Interestingly, it was not until her passing that the relatives of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's own household turned covenant breakers, first with her grandson and soon with all her relatives save Shoghi Effendi. Munírih Khánum ascended on April 28, 1938 and her resting place is in the Monument Gardens at the World Centre.

“ In His Name, the Glory of the Most Glorious! O Divine Providence! Thou seest and art a witness that all my limbs, my members, my heart, my soul, and my conscience bear testimony to the inexhaustible bounties which Thou hast showered upon this unworthy handmaiden at the Threshold from the beginning of her life ”
“ By the grace and favor of God, 'Abdu'l-Bahá has elevated the station of women in this radiant age. He has altered the quranic verse" "Men are the custodians of women." He has taught that men and women are like the two wings of a bird, and neither is superior to the other. Girls should be educated in the same way as boys, perhaps even given preference. ”

[edit] Notes

  1. ↑ H.M. Balyuzi, Baha'u'llah - The King of Glory, p. 340
  2. ↑ Munirih Khanum, Munirih - Memoirs and Letters, p. 2
  3. ↑ Nabíl, Nabíl's Narrative
  4. ↑ Munirih Khanum - Memoirs and Letters, p. 13
  5. ↑ Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 421
  6. ↑ Munirih Khanum - Memoirs and Letters, p. 18
  7. ↑ H.M. Balyuzi, Baha'u'llah - The King of Glory, p. 341
  8. ↑ Myron H. Phelps The Master in 'Akka p. 116
  9. ↑ At the time, the couple would probably have never met until their wedding day. Custom of the day was to arrange the marriage for wealth, land or titles. Although, if one was to marry his cousin he would probably have seen her before the wedding.
  10. ↑ H.M. Balyuzi, Baha'u'llah - The King of Glory, p. 341
  11. ↑ Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 2, p. 205
  12. ↑ Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 2, p. 205
  13. ↑ The King and Beloved of Martyrs (Mír Hasan Nahrí and Mír Husayn Nahrí) were both martyred in Isfahán in 1879. Their martyrdom was particularly shocking, tortured and killed in public. At this time Munírih Khánum would have been in 'Akká
  14. ↑ Munirih Khanum - Memoirs and Letters, p. 20
  15. ↑ Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 2, p. 205
  16. ↑ Myron H. Phleps The Master in 'Akka, p.112
  17. ↑ Memoirs and Letters, p. 23
  18. ↑ Munirih Khanum - Memoirs and Letters, p. 22
  19. ↑ Myron H. Phleps The Master in 'Akka, p.116
  20. ↑ Lady Blomfield, The Chosen Highway, p. 85
  21. ↑ Bahá'u'lláh
  22. ↑ Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 2, p. 207
  23. ↑ H.M. Balyuzi, Eminent Baha'is in the Time of Baha'u'llah, p. 231
  24. ↑ Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 2, p. 386
  25. ↑ Druzelle Cederquist The Story of Baháʼuʼlláh, Promised One of All Religions p. 231
  26. ↑ Persian term for Blessed Beauty, Bahá'u'lláh
  27. ↑ Janet Adrienne Khan Advancement of Women p. 157
  28. ↑ Dr. J.E. Esslemont, Baha'u'llah and the New Era, p. 54

[edit] References

  • Episodes in the Life of Munirih Khanum
  • The Chosen Highway, by Sitárih Khánum
  • Bahai Encyclopedia
  • Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh by Adib Taherzadeh
  • Bahá’u’lláh, King of Glory, by Balyuzi
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