Khadijih Bagum - Wife of the Bab
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KHADIJIH BAGUM"The Wife of the Bab"

By H.

M.

Balyuzi================================= This etext is based on: "Khadijih Bagum (The Wife of the Bab)" by H.

M.

Balyuzi   George Ronald, Publisher  46 High Street, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 2DN  Copyright (c) Mary Balyuzi 1981  All Rights Reserved     ISBN 0-85398-100-0 Availability of this etext in no way modifies the copyright status of the above publication.

This etext is freely available through anonymous internet file-sharing.=================================             "'O well-beloved!...Thou shalt not be            "a woman, like other women, if thou           "obeyest God in the Cause of Truth...'                                        The Bab 	FOREWORD 	My father died on 12 February 1980.

This publication commemorates the first anniversary of his passing.

Within a few weeks of his death the first volume of his projected four-volume work on the life of Baha'u'llah was published, with the title, "Baha'u'llah, The King of Glory .

The second volume was largely written, with only a few incompleted chapters, and this will be published.

The format and contents of the third and fourth volumes had also been discussed, and the introduction to volume three written.

In November of the previous year he had suffered a heart attack.

As he recovered from that illness, so he seemed to gain a physical strength such as had been denied him through many long years of crippling ill health.

With this renewed vitality there came a surge of creative energy that saw him laying plans for several more books.

Such was his eagerness to progress, that even whilst still in hospital recovering, he commenced a translation into Persian of his "Muhammad and the Course of "Islam ; he had by then completed a revision, this time written in Persian, of "Edward Granville Brown and the Baha'i Faith , incorporating much new material not included in the first, English-language version.

Further archival material was constantly being made available to him, stimulating him to still greater ambitions in the pursuit of Baha'i scholarship, his great passion.

His life of 'Abdu'l-Baha he would rewrite, in a much expanded form to the present volume.

Biographies of his kinsmen, members of the Afnan family, were planned, as was a biography of his father; all this, and much more.

But it was not to be.

With the same suddenness that this new lease of life had been granted him, it was taken away, and his pen stilled.

Yet it had not been in vain.

For it was during these last four months of my father's life that he made his legacy to the Baha'i World and, in so doing, sowed the seeds for the fruition of his most dear wish: that his work should continue and that the study of the history of the Faith should grow to its recognition as a major scholastic discipline.

In letters dated 10 November and 20 November 1979 he has left instructions that all his books and documents are to be kept together perpetually, 'for the benefit of all who seek knowledge', and that they are to form the nucleus of the 'Afnan Library', founded in the name of his father, Muvaqqari'd-Dawlih, and dedicated to Khadijih Bagum, the wife of the Bab.

Once established, the Library will be made available to all students and scholars wishing to research the history of the Faith.

It is this dedication of the Library to Khadijih Bagum that lends to this small volume a special significance amongst my father's writings; for it testifies to his deep love and admiration for this noble soul.

Khadijih Bagum, through the lineage of her brother, Haji Mirza Hadi, the father of Shoghi Effendi, and likewise of my father's maternal grandfather and paternal grandmother, and also, through the lineage of her younger brother, Haji Mirza Siyyid Hasan (known as Afnan-i-Kabir--the Great Afnan), the aunt of his maternal grand- mother.

After the martyrdom of her Husband, Khadijih Bagum removed to the house of the widow of Haji Mirza Siyyid 'Ali, the uncle who had reared the Bab from his infancy; and this house was close to the house in Shiraz where my grandfather was born and grew up.

My grandfather would have related to my father how as a child he had played with Aqa Mirza Hadi at the feet of Khadijih Bagum, receiving instructions from her in the teachings of the Bab and of Baha'u'llah; and how later, as a young man, my grandfather came to act as amanuensis for the wife of the Bab, writing letters on her behalf to Baha'u'llah.

On hearing of the death in Karbila of Fatimih Bagum, the mother of the Bab, my grandfather was sent by his uncle, Haji Mirza 'Abdu'llah Khan, to that city, to attend to the affairs of his aunt, Bibi Gawhar, who had remained with Fatimih Bagum ever since her departure from Shiraz that the death occurred of Khadijih Bagum, and this sorrowful news was conveyed to him in a letter from Haji Mirza 'Abdu'llah Khan in which he writes:	'What a grievous loss!

What a heart-rending event!

May God be my witness!

She was a Princess of her Age, a rare gem in her Era, a saintly soul.

In her lifetime, none could value her worth.' 	Thus it is clear how, from his earliest years, my father would have come to share the reverence of his family for the wife of the Bab; and the reader will appreciate why this amongst all his unpublished writings was chosen to mark the first anniversary of his death.

In the forewords to his books my father always made sure that all who had assisted in their preparation and publication were acknowledged and thanked.

Here I would beg the grace of all who helped with this booklet, in allowing me to defer my own thanks to a later occasion, so that I may the greater emphasize my boundless gratitude to one person, whose absolutely selfless devotion to the welfare of my father I have no means of adequately describing: his cousin, Abu'l-Qasim Afnan.

The story told in this booklet is largely based on the written narrative of Abu'l-Qasim Afnan, the true custodian in this age of the traditions of the Afnan family.

Suffice it to mention, as a small illustration, that much of the unique archival material which Abu'l-Qasim had in his possession, and which he unhesitatingly and without qualification made available to my father, he could equally readily have chosen to use himself in his own writings.

No man could ever have desired a finer, truer friend.

Finally, it may prove useful if I refer the reader to two of my father's other books, "The Bab and "Baha'u'llah, The King of Glory.

For in these are to be found many of the persons and incidents mentioned in this essay, but in their wider context.

The reader's path may also be eased if, whilst reading the essay, reference is made to the Genealogy of the Bab prepared by the Guardian of the Faith, Shoghi Effendi, to be found in Nabil's Narrative, "The "Dawn Breakers.

Robert Balyuzi	London,	November 1980 	KHADIJIH BAGUM	The Wife of the Bab 	In the long years after the martyrdom of the Bab, His wife, Khadijih Bagum, would at times recount the story of her glorious but tragic life to the younger members of her family.

Decades later, a niece, Maryam-Sultan Bagum, daughter of Haji Mirza Abu'l-Qasim, recalled all that she had heard from her saintly aunt; her grandson, Abu'l-Qasim Afnan, has now put on paper these recollections.

Here is this invaluable account, in part purported to be a narration of Khadijih Bagum herself.

The Bab and His wife were not widely separated in age.

Thehouse ofHaji Mirza Siyyid 'Ali, the maternal uncle of the Bab--who becameHis guardian when His father died--and that of Mirza 'Ali, thefather ofKhadijih Bagum, adjoined each other; and so the Bab and KhadijihBagumwere neighbours and playmates in their childhood.

Mirza SiyyidHasan(the Great+AAfnan of future years), a brother of Khadijih Bagum, was about thesameage.

Whenever the children of the two households came together toplay,usually Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad (the Bab) chose not to join in theirgames,although He occasionally did, and was always kind and considerate.

Yearslater, when Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad had gone to Bushihr (Bushire),KhadijiBagum had a vivid dream in which she saw her young Cousin in averdant plain,with flowers in profusion, facing towards the Qiblih (Mecca) in anattitude ofprayer.

He wore a "labbadih"  (an outer coat) on which Qur'anicverses wereembroidered with threads of gold.

His face was radiant,.

Sherelated thatdream to her mother, and to the mother and grandmother of Siyyid'Ali-Muhammad.

They assured her that it was her Cousin's assiduousattendance to His prayers which had vouchsafed her that splenderousvision.

Atthis time Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad could not have been more thansixteen yearsold.

Still some years later, when Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad had returnedtoShiraz from His visit to the holy cities of 'Iraq, KhadijihBagum dreamt that Fatimih, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad,had cometo ask for her hand in marriage to the Imam Husayn.\*  Her mother,being+F1  The martyred third Imam, who was a son of Fatimih.told of this dream, rejoiced at the good fortune that awaited herdaughter.

That very day, Khadijih Bagum recalled, the mother of Siyyid'Ali-Muhammad came to call on her mother, and His grandmother wasalsothere.

Whenever His grandmother came on a visit, Siyyid'Ali-Muhammadstated, all would hurry to greet her, would kiss her shoulders, andthen waitat the threshold of the room for her permission to enter and takea seat.

OnlyKhadijih Bagum's mother and the mother of Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammadwouldfirst be seated with her.

And in her presence all would keepsilent until sheaddressed them.

To continue the story of that day, so auspicious in her life,KhadijihBagum recounted: 'After they were all seated I took *Sh(arbat  (afruit syrup) tothem and left the room.

Then my sisters, one of whom was marriedto HajiMirza Zaynu'l-'Abidin\*+F2  Her name was Zahra Bagum; her husband was a cousin of thefather of the+F2  Bab and great-grandfather of Abu'l-Qasim Afnan.and the other to Haji Mirza Siyyid 'Ali, came and went into theroom.

Not long after, they all rose to go.'  To Khadijih Bagum'ssurprise,the mother of Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad kissed her on the foreheadbeforeleaving.

Seeing her puzzled look, her mother hastened to explain:'That kissimplied that she has asked your hand in marriage to her Son.

Yousee, thedream you had last night has come true.' Khadijih Bagum, hearingthe news andbeing reminded of her wondrous dream, was greatly elated.

Theextraordinaryrespect and consideration which all the members of the family gaveto Siyyid'Ali-Muhammad, and the accounts of His demeanour and bearing whichshe hadheard from her elders, had already convinced Khadijih Bagum thather youngCousin stood head and shoulders above them all.

She recalled:'From that day Ifelt a great stirring within my heart.

It seemed that the gate ofGod's mercyand abundant bounty had been flung open before my face.

I feltimmeasurablyproud of my coming union.'     Some two months passed before the wedding could be arranged.

Marriagefeasts were held in the house of Mirza 'Ali, the father of KhadijihBagum, and in the house of the uncle of Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad whohad beenHis guardian.

Shaykh  Abu-Turab, the Imam-Jum'ih of Shiraz,presidedover the ceremony and read the usual oration.

As it was customaryfor arelative of the bridegroom to respond, His uncle Haji Mirza Siyyid'Al'ai, accepted the suit.

Later, the bride and the Groom werejoined inwedlock in the house of Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad Himself.\*+F3  The marriage took place in August 1842.

Khadijih Bagum recalled: 'His kindness towards me and His carefor mewere indescribable.

He and His mother alike showered me withkindness andconsideration.'  The household in that small dwelling, destined tobe the sceneof the birth of a World Faith, consisted of the married couple, themother ofSiyyid 'Ali-Muhammad, and two black servitors:

Fiddih, the woman,andMubarak, the man.

Remembering those halcyon days preceding sorrows andsuffering, KhadijihBagum would say: 'No words can ever convey my wonderful feeling ofgoodfortune.'  But, not long after her marriage, she dreamt one nightthat afearsome lion was standing in the courtyard of their house, and sheherself hadher arms around the neck of the lion.

The beast dragged her twiceround thewhole perimeter of the courtyard, and once round half of it.

Shewoke up,alarmed and trembling with fright, and related her dream to herHusband.

Hiscomment was: 'You awoke too soon.

Your dream portends that ourlife togetherwill not last more  than two-and-a-half years.'  Khadijih Bagum wasgreatlydistressed, but her Husband's affection and His words of comfortconsoled herand prepared her to accept every adversity in the path of God.

Before long it was realized that Khadijih Bagum was withchild.

And whethe time came, her accouchement was exceedingly difficult andfraught withdanger.

Her mother-in-law reported to Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad thatHis wife waon the point of death.

There was a mirror beside Him, on which Hewrote aprayer, and instructed His mother to hold the mirror in front ofHis wife.

That done, the child was safely delivered; but its lifewas short.

Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad's mother was both grieved and angry.

Sheremonstratedher Son that if He had such powers, why had He not made an attemptto preservethe life of the child, and spare His wife so much suffering?

Siyyid'Ali-Muhammad replied with a smile that He was not destined toleave anyprogeny, an answer which infuriated His mother; but to herreproaches He saidno more.

The child, a son who was named Ahmad by his Father, was buriedunder acypress tree in the compound of the tomb of Bibi-Du"kh taran.\*+F4  No one knows for certain who Bibi-Du"kh taran was.

It is saidthat+F4  she was a member of the Royal House of the Atabaks ofFars--the+F4  Salghurids (1148-1270)--while others have claimed that sinceBi-Bi-+F4  Du"kh taran means the matron or the Mistress of the Maidens,it is+F4  possible that she was the Abbess of a Christian order of nuns.

In the "Suratu'l-Qarab" (The Chapter of Kinship) of His mightybook,the "Qayyumu'l Asma' , the Bab speaks of Ahmad: 'O concourse ofLight!

Hear My call from the point of Fire in this ocean of snow-whitewater on thiscrimson earth.

Verily, I amGod, besides Whom there is no other God.

On the exalted throne abeloved noblewoman, bearing the same name\* as the beloved of the FirstFriend,\* was wedded+F5  Khadijih.+F6  The Prophet Muhammadto this Great Remembrance;\* and verily I caused the angels ofHeaven and the+F7  The term 'Dhikr', here translated as 'Remembrance, wasfrequently used by+F7  the Bab to refer to Himself.denizens of Paradise, on the day of the Covenant, to bear witness,in truth, toGod's Remembrance.      'O well-beloved!

Value highly the grace of the GreatRemembrance, for itcometh from God, the Loved One.

Thou shalt not be a woman, likeother women,if thou obeyest God in the Cause of Truth, the greatest Truth.

Know thou thegreat bounty conferred upon thee by the Ancient of Days, and takepride inbeing the consort of the Well-Beloved, Who is loved by God, theAll-Wise, theAll-Praised.

Be patient in all that God hath ordained concerningthe Bab andHis Family.

Verily, thy son,Ahmad, is with Fatimih,\* the Sublime, in the sanctified Paradise.'+F8  The daughter of the Prophet Muhammmad.

There is this further reference to Ahmad in the"Suratu'l-'Abd" of thesame mighty Book: 'All praise be to God Who bestowed upon theSolace of theEyes,\* in His youth, Ahmad.

We did verily raise him up untoGod...O Solace+F9  The Bab oftentimes refers to Himself in the "Qayyumu'l-Asma' as+F9  Qurratu'l-'Ayn-the Solace of the Eyes.of the Eyes!

Be patient in what thy God hath ordained for thee.

Verily hedoeth whatsoever He willeth.

He is the All-Wise in the exerciseof Hisjustice.

He is thy Lord, the Ancient of Days, and praised be Hein whatever Heordereth.'       During those years of their marriage, Khadijih Bagum related,herHusband had no definite occupation.

He spent most of His time inthe upperchamber of the house, engaged in devotions.

At times, He went inthe morningto His uncle's trading-house in the Saray-i-Gumruk (Customs Serai).

And someafternoons He would go for a walk in the fields ouside the city andcome homeatsunset.

It was His wont to write His letters or His meditationsin the earlypart of the evening, after performing the obligatory prayerspertaining tothat period of the night.

Khadijih Bagum recalled that one day in the late afternoon Hecame homeearlier than usual.

That evening, He said, He had a particulartask to attendto, and asked that dinner be served earlier.

Fiddih, the servantwho didthe cooking, was so informed, and the family had their evening mealin the roomof the mother of Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad.

Then He retired for thenight.

Speaking of the events of that memorable night, which,according torecollections of members of the Afnan family, occurred some timebefore theBab declared His mission, Khadijih Bagum related: 'An hour later,when thehouse was quiet and its occupants had gone to sleep, He rose fromHis bed andleft the room.

At first I took no particular notice of Hisabsence, but whenit lengthened to more than an hour I felt some concern.

Then Iwent out tolook for Him, but He was nowhere to be found.

Perhaps, for some reason, He had left the house, I thought; but,trying thestreet door I found it locked from within, as usual.

Then I walkedto thewestern side of the house, looked up at the roof-top, and saw thatthe upperchamber was well lighted.

This added to my surprise, because I hadnever knownHim to go to that part of the house at that hour of the night,unless He hadguests.

And He always told me when a visitor was expected.

He hadnot saidthat He was to have a guest that night.

So, with both astonishmentandtrepidation, I went up the steps at the northern side of thecourtyard.

ThereI saw Him standing in that chamber, His hands raised heavenwards,intoning aprayer in a most melodious voice, with tears streaming down Hisface.

And Hisface was luminous; rays of light radiated from it.

He looked somajestic andresplendent that fear seized me, and I stood transfixed where Iwas, tremblinguncontrollably.

I could neither enter the room nor retrace mysteps.

Mywill-power was gone, and I was on the point of screaming, when Hemade agesture with His blessed hands, telling me to go back.

This movement of His hands gave me back my courage, and I returnedto my roomand my bed.

But all that night long I remained deeply disturbed.

In my fitfulmoments of sleep that scene in the upper chamber would presentitself to mymind, adding to my consternation.

I kept asking myself what graveevent hadcome to pass to evoke such sorrow and such tears, inducing prayerandsupplication of such intensity.

Sleep was impossible that night,and then camethe dawn, so foreboding, and I heard the muezzin's call to prayer.      'At sunrise Fiddih took the samovar and tea-things to the roomof mymother-in-law and, as usual, He went to His mother's room to taketea.

Ifollowed Him there, and as soon as my eyes alighted on Him, thatattitude andthat majesty which I had witnessed the night before took shapebefore me.

Ipaled and shuddered involuntarily.

His mother had, at that moment,gone out ofthe room, and He was quietly drinking His tea.

He raised His faceto me, andreceived me with great kindness and affection, bidding me beseated.

Then Hepassed to me what was left of the tea in Hisown cup, which I drank.

His kindness restored my courage, and whenHe asked mewhat it was that troubled me, I boldly replied that it was thechange in Himwhich weighed heavily on my mind.  "You are no longer", I toldHim,"the sameperson I knew in our childhood.

We grew up together, we have beenmarried fortwo years, living in this house, and now I see a different personbefore me.

You have been transformed."

I further remarked that this had mademe anxiousand uneasy.

He smiled and said that although He had not wished tobe seen byme in the condition of the previous night, God had ordainedotherwise.  "Itwas the will of God", He said, "that you should have seen Me in theway you didlast night, so that no shadow of doubt should ever cross your mind,and youshould come to know with absolute certitude that I am thatManifestation of GodWhose advent has been expected for a thousand years.

This lightradiates fromMy heart and from My Being."\*  As soon as+F10  These are the words of the Bab as recalled by Khadijih Bagumin later+F10  years, and recorded decades after, and should not be takenas His exact+F10  words on that occasion. (Ed.)I heard Him speak these words I believed in Him.

I prostratedmyself beforeHim and my heart became calm and assured.

From that moment I livedonly toserve Him, evanescent and self-effacing before Him, no thought ofself everintruding.'      The degree of Khadijih Bagum's faith and the rank she attainedareattested by Nabil:\* 'The wife of the Bab...perceived at theearliest dawn+F11  Nabil-i-A'zam, "The Dawn Breakers , p.

191 (U.S. edn.).of His Revelation the glory and uniqueness of His Mission and feltfrom thevery beginning the intensity of its force.

No one except Tahirih,amongthe women of her generation, surpassed her in the spontaneouscharacter of herdevotion nor excelled  the fervour of her faith.'  In the prayerof visitationwhich Baha'u'llah revealed for Khadijih Bagum after her death, Headdressesher in these: 'Thou art she, who, before the creation of the worldof being,found the fragrance of the garment of the Merciful.'     Whenever Khadijih Bagum spoke of the days of her marriage andtheenforced separation from her Husband, and related the sufferingsof the Bab,grief would so overwhelm her as to deprive her, for a while, of thepower ofspeech.

Her grief was felt, and shared by all who heard her.

Not many months after His declaration to MullaHusayn-i-Bushru'i,\* the Bab left Shiraz to go on pilgrimage toMecca.

The letter which He wrote to Khadijih Bagum from Bushihr(the portof embarkation) shows His degree of attachment to her.

His letteropened withthese words: 'My sweet love, may God preserve thee.'      The return of the Bab from His pilgrimage to Mecca and Medinasignalledthe commencement of fierce denials and persecutions which reachedtheir climaxwith the martyrdom of the Bab Himself.

His wife's sufferings andagonies ofmind and soul, although not under public gaze, can well beimagined.

Therewas, for example, theincident of the raid by the emissaries of the Darughih (ChiefConstable) ofShiraz, which she particularly recalled in later years:      'It was summer-time in the month of Ramadan.

We slept on theroof,and my mother-in-law slept in the courtyard.  (Farra*sh(es \* ofthe Governor+F12  Footman, lictor, attendant.made their way to our home from a neighbour's roof.

That BlessedBeing roseup and told me to go downstairs.

The intruders took away everybook and everypiece of writing that they found in the upper chamber.

To Him theysaid, "Youhave to come with us to the house of 'Abdu'l-Hamid Khan (theDarughih)."

Down below, I could hear Him expostulating with the(Farra*sh(es , demanding to know why they had broken into andforced their wayinto our house, in the dead of night.  "It has been reported tous", theyreplied,"that some people have assembled in this house."

Sincethey had bythen discovered the untruth of this report, He asked if they wouldnow go awayin peace.

But they were not satisfied and took Him away.

Godknows what Hismother and Isuffered that night.

We were thankful that His grandmother, anelderly lady,was not there.

It was close to dawn when He came home.

They haddemandedmoney and, as He had no cash with Him, they had laid hands on thecashmereshawl round His waist and cut it up.  'Abdu'l-Hamid Khan had kepthalf ofthe shawl for himself.'      Haji Mirza Abu'l-Qasim, a brother of Khadijih Bagum, wrotethe full story of that night in a letter to Haji Mirza SiyyidMuhammad, a maternal uncle of the Bab, who at that time resided inBushihr.

This letter is extant.

Not long after that night when the privacy of His home hadbeen stealthilyinvaded, the authorities arrested the Bab and detained Him, underlock andkey, in the house of the Darughih.

And it was rumoured in the citythat hewould be put to death in the same house.

Haji Mirza Siyyid 'Ali,the uncle of the Bab who had been His guardian in His childhood,did hisutmost to provide comfort and relief.

He himself had been beatenup and wasailing, yet he was ceaseless in his efforts.

And so was the sisterofKhadijih Bagum, whosename was Zahra Bagum.

At this time, when no male member of thefamily daredcome to their house, Khadijih Bagum recalled, it was only hersister whowould come, dressed as a beggar.

The famous mosque of Shiraz,known asMasjid-i-Naw (the New Mosque), was close by.

Here, in a secludedspot in themosque, her sister would change her own *ch(adur \* for onetattered and+F13  An outer garment which envelops a woman from head to foot,like a sack.patched, and would then go to the house of the Bab to bring anynews there wasof Him to His mother.

Amongst the notables of Shiraz, the one man ever ready torenderassistance was Shaykh  Abu-Turab, the Imam-Jum'ih.

Zahra Bagum,together with the wife of Haji Abu'l-Hasan-i-Bazzaz (the Mercer),\*+F14  Haji Abu'l-Hasan was a fellow-pilgrim of the Bab, on the boat+F14  that took them from Bushihr to Jiddah.

He was greatlyimpressed by the+F14  mien and bearing of Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad, hisfellow-townsman.+F14  Later, in Shiraz, he learned of the claim and the mission ofSiyyid+F14  'Ali-Muhammad, the Bab, and gave Him his unswervingallegiance,+F14  which never faltered in the face of life-long persecution.

Many were the+F14  hardships that he bore resolutely in His path and for Hissake.+F14  Haji Abu'l-Hasan was the father of Mirza Muhammad-Baqir+F14  Khan Dihqan, a distinguished and greatly devoted Baha'i ofthe+F14  period which covered the Ministry of 'Abdu'l-Baha.who was closely related to the Imam Jum'ih, visited regularly thehouse of thibenevolent divine to obtain news and seek his intercession onbehalf of theBab.

The Imam-Jum'ih would reply that he was powerless in the faceof theopen and relentless enmity of their own relative, and his advicewas to try andcalm down that vociferous man.  he was referring to Haji'Abdu'l-Husayn, a brother of the wife of Haji Mirza SiyyidMuhammad, who was foremost in denouncing, insulting, andpersecuting theBab.

But when the divines of Shiraz passed the verdict of deathon theBab, and had their infamous sentence confirmed by Husayn Khan, theNizamu'd-Dawlih and Governor-General of the province of Fars, theImam-Jum'ih refused to add his signature to theirs.

Three of thosedivines--Shaykh  Husayn, the Nazimu'sh-Shari'ah (known as Zalim,theTyrant), Shaykh  Mihdiy-i-Kujuri, and Shaykh  Muhammmad-'Aliy-i-Mahallati--presented themselves at the house of the Imam-Jum'ih in an effort to win him over to their side.

Shaykh Abu-Turabrejected their plea, censured their reprehensible conduct, andturned them outof his house.

By now Zahra Bagum, the mother of the Bab, and thewife ofHaji Abu'l-Hasan had together persuaded the Imam-Jum'ih to find awayout of the impasse.

And so, as well as declining to be associatedwith thedeath verdict pronounced by the divines, he made them agree tosummon the Babto Masjid-i-Vakil (the Vakil's Mosque),\* and there give Him thechance to+F15  It was built by Karim Khan-i-Vakil (reigned 1750-79), thefounder of+F15  the short-lived Zand dynasty.repudiate His claim.

One day, heralds were sent through thestreets to call,in the name of the Governor, on the people of Shiraz to assemble,in theafternoon of a certain Friday, in Vakil's Mosque to hear the Bab'srecantation.

And now to continue with Khadijih Bagum's recollections: 'Wewere allapprehensive lest something untoward should happen, but it wasbeing said thatonce He had declared His repentance, He would be allowed to comehome.

Thiswas comforting to us.

On that Friday afternoon, we wishedto send a woman to the mosque, to bring us news of the happeningsthere.

Butit was found to be impossible.

Women were not admitted.

However,news wasbrought to us that (farra*sh(es  had taken Him to the mosque, whereHe hadascended the pulpit and spoken words which had kindled once againthe wrath ofthe Governor and the divines, whereupon they had led Him back toconfinement.

Soon after, a cholera epidemic suddenly struck Shiraz, taking aheavy tollof lives.

The people fled from the city and very few were leftbehind.      'One day, to our indescribable joy, He came home and stayedtwo or threedays.

Only Haji Mirza Siyyid 'Ali and two others of the believersknew of His release.

But these were the last days of my life withHim.

A fewdays before the arrival of the month of Ramadan, He announced thatHissojourn in Shiraz was no longer advisable and that He would leavethe citythat very night.

We, who had known how much He had suffered inShiraz,were happy and contented that He could now reach a place of safety.

In theafternoon He called on Haji Mirza Siyyid 'Ali and Haji Siyyid'Ali and Haji Mirza Zaynu'l-'Abidin and his wife, who was my sister, to bid them farewell,returnedhome about sunset, and two hours later, all alone, left the house.

His clothesand the necessities for the journey had been sent out of the cityearlier.

Accompanied by one of the believers He took the road to Isfahan.\*+F16  In the last days of September 1846.

A somewhat differentaccount of this+F16  episode is given in Browne (ed.), "A Traveler's Narrative ,p.

9 (U.S.+F16  edn.), and "The Dawn-Breakers , pp.

197-8 (U.S. edn.).      'Now, we were most of the time in the house of Haji MirzaSiyyid 'Ali, expecting the arrival, any minute, of a messenger withnews ofHim.

The cholera epidemic was over and the Governor had returnedtoShiraz.

As soon as Husayn Khan was back, he sent his (farra*sh(es toseek Him.

We pleaded ignorance of His whereabouts.  'Abdu'l-HamidKhan,the Darughih, who had on his own authority allowed Him to departfromShiraz, likewise denied having any knowledge of His destination.

Then the(farra*sh(es  of the Governor came to arrest my brother, Haji MirzaAbu'l-Qasim, who was ill in bed and unable to walk.

So they threwhim overtheir shoulders and carried him tothe residence of the Governor.

Of course he knew nothing, butHusayn Khanwould not believe him, and began to remonstrate so vehemently thatmy brothercould not withstand that torrent of abuse and lost consciousness.

Indeed, hewas driven almost to the point of death.

Finally, Husayn Khan toldhimthat he should produce his Brother-in-Law within fifteen days orpay a fine of15,000 tumans.\*  Whatever my brother said had no effect on thecruel+F17  A substantial sum in those days.

Governor.

Then Haji Muhammad-Sadiq-i-Isfahani, a friend andbusiness associate of my brother, intervened to stand surety forhim.

TheGovernor's men once again hoisted Haji Mirza Abu'l-Qasim on totheir shoulders and brought him home.

He was thrownunceremoniously into theforecourt of the house and abandoned there.

God knows what mybrother and wewent through during those two or three hours.

One result of thisill-treatmentwas an affliction of the eyes.

The pain was severe and my brothercould notopen his eyes, whilst tears streamed from them the whole time.     'Upon the expiration of fifteen days, the (farra*sh(es  cameagain.

Theywould not allow my brother even to mount his donkey, but took himaway in thesame manner as before.

God be praised that just as Husayn Khan wasdemanding menacingly his 15,000 tumans from Haji Muhammad-Sadiqand my brother, a letter was brought to him from the Governor ofIsfahan,Manu"ch ihr Khan, who had written that the Person whom Husayn Khanwasseeking was in Isfahan, an honoured Guest of the Governor himself,and thatno member of His family should be molested in any way.

Husayn Khanhadperforce to moderate his demand, and exacted 1,500 tumans instead.

TheFarrash-Bashi (Chief of the (farra*sh(es ) and his men all demandedmoneyand had to be satisfied.'      Haji Mirza Hasan-'Ali, a younger brother of HajiMirza Siyyid 'Ali, lived in Yazd.

Once every few months he wouldsend amessenger to Shiraz with a letter for his sister, the mother of theBab,to console and comfort her, and give her whatever news he had ofthe Bab.

Attimes there was a letter from the Bab Himself, addressed toHis wife, mother and grandmother.

Haji Mirza Siyyid Hasan (laterknown as Afnan-i-Kabir), a brother of Khadijih Bagum, was inIsfahanduring those years, but he never wrote to her a line about herHusband.

Indeed, at that time Haji Mirza Siyyid Hasan was hostile to hisKinsman, the Bab.\*+F18  A half-brother of Khadijih Bagum, Haji Muhammad-Mihdi--a+F18  poet of distinction whose soubriquet was Hijab, had gone toBombay+F18  for commercial pursuits      And now to continue with Khadijih Bagum's recollections: 'ThenHaji Mirza Siyyid 'Ali left for Yazd.

Of the young members of thefamily, Haji Mirza Javad\* and Haji Mirza Muhammad-+F19  Son of Haji Mirza Siyyid 'Ali.'Ali\* came to see us oftentimes and provided us with our means of+F20  Son of Haji Mirza Siyyid Muhammad.livelihood.

They were exceedingly kind.

Whenever they met mymother-in-law,they invariably kissed her hand and spoke such words as would bringher peaceof mind.      'A few months passed, until news reached us that He, the Qa'imof theHouse ofMuhammad, had been taken to Tihran,\* and then to Tabriz.

These+F21  Although summoned by the Shah to Tihran, an order from thePrime+F21  Minister countermanded this, when the Bab was within thirtymiles of the+F21  capital. (Ed.)fragmentary pieces of news caused us great distress.

Mymother-in-law appealedto her brother, Haji Mirza Siyyid 'Ali, to do something.

Thus itwas that he went from Yazd to Maku and in the end met a martyr'sdeath inTihran.      'Haji Mirza Siyyid 'Ali's martyrdom in Tihran, and themartyrdom of that Blessed Person [the Bab] in Tabriz were concealedfrom thewomen of the family, and whenever we mentioned rumours that hadcome to ourears, the men would hotly deny them--all lies they would say.'       Of course the men of the family knew what had happened.

Evenbefore thosedire events had come to pass, Haji Mirza Abu'l-Qasim, the brotherof Khadijih Bagum, had found it impossible to stay in Shiraz, andhadtaken Mirza Javad, the eighteen-year-old son of Haji MirzaSiyyid 'Ali, with him to go on pilgrimage to Mecca.

Mirza Javadhad, only a year before, married his cousin, Khadijih Sultan-Bagum,adaughter of Haji Mirza Siyyid Muhammad.

On the way back, theyouthful Mirza Javad (now a Haji) fell ill and died at Jiddah,where he was buried.\*  Haji Mirza Abu'l-Qasim, now alone, visited+F22  A receipt exists, from a reciter of the Qur'an in Karbila,which+F22  lists the clothing and other belongings of Haji Mirza Javad.+F22  They had been given to him by Haji Mirza Abu'l-Qasim, and in+F22  return, he was to recite in public verses of the Qur'an onbehalf of+F22  the deceased.the holy shrines of 'Iraq before returning home.

More than a yearhad passedsince the martyrdom of the Bab and that of His uncle, when HajiMirza Abu'l-Qasim reached home with the sad news of the death ofHaji Mirza Javad.

The announcement of this youth's lamentabledeath perforce revealed the fact that his father was dead,too--cruellybeheaded in Tihran.

And the martyrdom of the Bab Himself could nolongerbe kept a secret.

Now, all three were mourned together.

The mother of the Bab was inconsolable.

The spiteful attitudeand thelashing, wounding tongues of some members of the family, who werestillbitterly hostile, inten-sified her agonies, until she could not bear any longer theinjuries inflictedupon her and decided to take herself away from Shiraz.

At firstshewished to go to Mashhad--the most sacred city of Iran, where theremains ofthe Eighth Imam, 'Ali Ibn Musa'r-Rida, repose--and have her motherwithher.

But she changed her mind, leased the house of the Bab toMirzaMuhammad-Husayn-i-Bazzaz, and, accompanied by Bibi Gawhar\*--asister+F23  A great-aunt of the present writer.of Haji Mirza 'Abdu'llah Khan-i-Balyuz--and HajiMubarak, the faithful black servant of the Bab, went to Karbila andresided there for the rest of her life.

Later, Mirza 'Abdu'l-Majidandhis wife, both believers, went to live in the same holy city.

Thewife ofMirza 'Abdu'l-Majid served the mother of the Bab with exemplarydevotion.

Khadijih Bagum, recalling those days of desolation anddistress, wouldsay: 'Her departure from Shiraz added greatly to my burden ofsorrow anddeepened the sadness of my heart.

I had no longer by my side acomforter whoselove and sympathy and care had sustained me over the years.

I wentto live with my sister, the widow of Haji Mirza Siyyid 'Ali.

Sheherself had lost both her husband and her only son within the spaceof oneyear.

As great as was my sorrow, hers was even greater and I hadto comforther.

The loyal, faithful Fiddih was with me.      'Of the servants and the maids whom we had in the house, noone knew ofthe martyrdom of that Blessed Being and the martyrdom of His uncle.

It was notpossible to talk of such matters with anyone.

In Karbila, HajiMubarak had purchased a broom with a green handle to sweep everyday thecourtyard of the Shrine of Imam Husayn.

Since green is the colourof theHouse of Muhammad, Haji Mubarak meant to keep alive the hope thatoneday he would see again, with his own eyes, the luminous face of hisbelovedMaster in this world.

In Shiraz we told Fiddih and others that theMaster and His uncle had gone to Bombay for the purposes of trade.

When ourhouse was being repaired Fiddih was so happy, saying all the timethat theMaster was on His way home, and the house was being repaired inpreparationfor His home-coming.

The joy of this faithful soul was wonderful to behold andtrulyoverwhelming.

We were all deeply affected.      'When the captives of Nayriz and Zanjan were brought toShiraz,they could not approach us nor could we approach them.

But aftera while thedaughters of Hujjat and some ladies from Nayriz visited us in thehouse ofHaji Mirza Siyyid 'Ali.

Thereafter we were able to visit oneanother.      'Years passed, and Mirza Aqa\* grew up.

He was greatlyattached to+F24  The son of Haji Mirza Zaynu'l-Abidin and Zahra Bagum,+F24  sister of Khadijih Bagum.

The Blessed Beauty [Baha'u'llah] was in Baghdad.

Mirza Aqa wroteto Him on my behalf and I was honoured with a reply.

Then came aday whenMulla Muhammad-i-Zarandi, Nabil-i-A'zam, travelled to Shirazwith a mandate from the Blessed Beauty to announce His Mission tothe People ofthe Bayan\* in this city.

In the house of Mirza Aqa he told the+F25  Followers of the Bab.believers gathered there that the Promised One of the Bayan hadcome, andthey, one and all, pledged their loyalty.

One day I asked him tocome.

I wasbehind a curtain, and as soon as I heard him say that the BlessedBeauty was"He Whom God shall manifest", promised in the "Bayan , Iexperienced the samefeeling as I had that night, standing at the threshold of the upperchamber ofour home, and became certain that what God had promised for the"Year Nine" hadcome to pass.

I immediately put my forehead on the ground inadoration andthanksgiving.

Then, I could only whisper: "Offer at His sacredthreshold mymost humble devotion."

I did not hesitate for a moment and mysubmission wasinstantaneous and total.      'Again, years passed, and one day a letter came from MirzaSiyyidHasan, my brother in Isfahan, announcing that Aqa Siyyid Yahyaand his sister,\* accompanied by Shaykh  Salman,\* were coming toShiraz+F26  Munirih Khanum, who was to become the wife of 'Abdu'l-Baha.+F27  The celebrated courier of Baha'u'llah.on their way to the Holy Land.

Believers travelling to Shirazalways cameto pay me a visit and I received them in the home of Mirza Aqa, mynephew.

Women amongst the believers in Shiraz, who were few innumber, used to call at the house of Haji Mirza Siyyid 'Ali to seeme.

I lived in that house and had it prepared to receive thetravellers fromIsfahan.

But I heard that on their arrival they had gone to thehouse ofHaji Mirza Siyyid Muhammad, which was close by.

I went theremyself and brought them to this house.

My nephew, Haji Siyyid'Ali,\*+F28  The son of Haji Mirza Siyyid Hasan.was also in Shiraz at this time.

They stayed for fifteen days, andthosewere some of the happiest days of my life.'       Here ends the story of Khadijih Bagum, as told by her to theyoungmembers of her family.

Shaykh  Salman visited Shiraz often, and whenever he came from'Akka, he brought a Tablet from Baha'u'llah addressed to KhadijihBagum,and presents and tokens as well.

Once he brought her a book in thehandwritingof Zaynu'l-Muqarrabin--a gift from Baha'u'llah; another time a ringandshirts which Baha'u'llah had worn, with handkerchiefs andturban-cloths usedround His "taj"--His headgear.

Munirih Khanum carried to the presence of Baha'u'llah threerequestsfrom Khadijih Bagum.

She longed for the house of her Husband tobe repairedso that she might live there.

She asked for the hand ofFurughiyyihKhanum, a daughter of Baha'u'llah, on behalf of her nephew, HajiSiyyid 'Ali.

And she begged for permission to travel to 'Akka andhave thebounty of attaining the presence of her Lord, in Whose path herHusband hadgladly offered His life.

Baha'u'llah granted all her requests.

The house ofthe Bab received the repairs needed, and Khadijih Bagum transferredherresidence there.

But, before long, the succession of visitors tothat housearoused the wrath of the adversaries.

Haji Farhad Mirza, theMu'tamidu'd-Dawlih, an uncle of Nasiri'd-din Shah, who, at thetime,was Governor-General of the province of Fars, decided to have thehousedemolished.

Mirza Abu'l-Hasan, the Munshi-Bashi (Chief Secretary),and Mirza Zaynu'l-'Abidin Khn-i-'Ali-Abadi, both of whomwere Baha'is and members of the retinue of the Prince-Governor,close to hisperson, managed to avert that catastrophe.

For a while Khadijih Bagum had to live once again in the house ofhersister, but eventually returned to the house of her Husband.

As for her second request, the marriage of her nephew toBaha'u'llah'sdaughter was to cause Khadijih Bagum untold sorrow.

For HajiSiyyid'Ali had promised her, should her request be granted and he beaccepted asBaha'u'llah's son-in-law, that he would come from Yazd, where heresided andtraded, and would take Khadijih Bagum with him to the Holy Land,that hereager desire to attain the presence of Baha'u'llah might befulfilled.

Butwhen news of Baha'u'llah's consent to the marriage was recieved,this ficklenephew broke his promise and sent word that conditions preventedhis coming toShiraz, and that he was proceeding to the Holy Land via 'Ishqabadandhoped to arrange for her journey as soon as he could.

KhadijihBagum sensedthat her chance to travel to the Holy Land was now gone forever;in those daysa woman travelled only in the company of a close relative and suchopportunities were rare.

Khadijih Bagum was heart-broken.

Her health deteriorated anddespitethe attentions of several physicians, within two months of thereceipt of thatdistressing intelligence, she passed away in the house of herglorious Husband,three hours before sunset on Monday, 2 Dhi'l-Qi'dih 1299 A.H. (15September1882).

And strangely, the faithful servitor, Fiddih died two hoursafterthe death of her mistress, in the same house.

As her brother, HajiMirza Abu'l-Qasim, has recorded, Khadijih Bagum's body was takenthatnight to the public bath, known as Hammam-i-Guldastih, which wasadjacentto the Masjid-i-Naw, to be washed and prepared for interment.

Thatsame nightshe was buried within the Shrine of Shah-Chiragh,\* in the sectionknown as+F29  The tomb of Mir Siyyid Ahmad, a son of the Seventh Imam,Musa'l-+F29  Kazim.

Sadru'l-Hifaz (to the north of the tomb of Mir Siyyid Ahmad), whichwas called Masjid-i-Zananih (Women's Mosque).

It was then forty years since that auspicious and joyous dayof themarriage of the Bab to Khadijih Bagum.  'Be patient in all that Godhathordained concerning the Bab and His Family,' he had counselled her,and to Hiscounsel she had clung faithfully to her last hour.

Their lifetogether in thisworld had lasted but two brief years, when there befell them aseparation bestdescribed in the Bab's own words written during His journey toMecca: 'Mysweet love,...God is my witness that since the time of separationsorrow hasbeen so intense that it cannot be described...'      As we contemplate the life of this heroic, steadfastwoman--ennobled byher instant recognition of both the Bab and Baha'u'llah--sadnessgives wayto pride and praise, and to the tranquillity of the words withwhich herbeloved Husband closed His letter to her: "'Peace be upon thee andthe mercy of"God and His blessings.'.(nbm)
-- Khadijih Bagum - Wife of the Bab