Bahá’u’lláh’s Marriage and Early Family Life

When Bahá’u’lláh was nearly eighteen years old, His older sister requested their father's permission for her Brother to marry her husband's sister, Ásíyih Khánum. Ásíyih Khánum, who had just come of age, was exceedingly beautiful, lively and winsome. Their marriage took place in the fall of 1835. He was to share a lifetime of love and extreme difficulties with this great noblewoman who later was known by the title Navváb (her Highness, her Excellency).

The young married couple devoted themselves to charitable activities during the early years of their married life. Their daughter Bahíyyih Khánum recounted many years later how her parents "took part as little as possible in State functions, social ceremonies, and the luxurious habits of ordinary highly-placed and wealthy families in the land of Persia. [They] … counted these worldly pleasures meaningless, and preferred rather to occupy themselves in caring for the poor, and for all who were unhappy, or in trouble." Their Son, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, also recalled His Father's role during those early years of His marriage:

"He was most generous, giving abundantly to the poor. None who came to Him were turned away. The doors of His house were open to all. He always had many guests. This unbounded generosity was conducive to greater astonishment from the fact that He sought neither position nor prominence. In commenting upon this His friends said He would become impoverished, for His expenses were many and His wealth becoming more and more limited. 'Why is He not thinking of His own affairs?' they inquired of each other; but some who were wise declared, 'This Personage is connected with another world; He has something sublime within Him that is not evident now; the day is coming when it will be manifested.' In truth, the Blessed Perfection [Bahá’u’lláh] was a refuge for every weak one, a shelter for every fearing one, kind to every indigent one, lenient and loving to all creatures."

Due to such acts of charity and service Bahá’u’lláh and His wife earned widespread reputation as "The Father of the Poor" and "The Mother of Consolation".

Residence

Bahá'u'lláh and Ásíyih Khánum initially lived in one of the many mansions that His father Mírzá Buzurg owned in the capital city, Tehrán. This was the same mansion in which Bahá’u’lláh was born. Shortly after this, however, the entire family was forced to move out as a result of the extremely unfair scheming against Bahá’u’lláh's father by the new Prime Minister Hájí Mírzá Áqásí. This is how it happened:

A year before Bahá’u’lláh's marriage, Fath-'Ali Sháh who had reigned over the country for thirty-seven years died and his grandson Muhammad Sháh was crowned king. In June of 1835 the new king executed the Prime Minister, the able and noble Mírzá Abu'l-Qásim, the Qá'im-Maqám, who was an esteemed friend of Bahá’u’lláh's father. Then, in that same month, the Sháh appointed his former elderly tutor Hájí Mírzá Áqásí as the new Prime Minister. Hájí Mírzá Áqásí was both vain and vengeful.

When Hájí Mírzá Áqásí learned that Bahá’u’lláh's father was horrified at the Hájí's role in murdering his predecessor, he retaliated. He removed Mírzá Buzurg from the governorship of Búrújird and Lúristán provinces, cut off his annual income, and engineered a divorce from his last wife, a daughter of the former Sháh. As a result of this very unfair and evil plotting, Mírzá Buzurg faced a very costly divorce settlement at a time when all of his legitimate sources of income were cut off by the Prime Minister's machinations. He was forced to quickly sell his magnificent interconnected mansions in the capital city with all their very valuable furnishings at a very low price in order to stop daily beatings by men that were sent to him by his ex-wife to extract money for the divorce settlement.

Following this conspiracy and fraud, Bahá’u’lláh, accompanied by His wife Ásíyih Khánum, His mother Khadíjih Khánum, His other stepmothers and a number of brothers and sisters, moved to a rented house not far from the mansion of His youth.

Added Responsibilities

In 1839, when Bahá’u’lláh was about twenty-two years old, His father passed away. Although He had an older half-brother, it was Bahá’u’lláh who took responsibility for His father's large family. This family included His own brother and sisters and their families, His half-brothers, half-sisters, step-brothers, and step-sisters, all with their own families.

In this Bahá’u’lláh received great assistance and comfort from His devoted companion and wife, Ásíyih Khánum.

Bahá’u’lláh's Children

Almost all of Bahá’u’lláh's children from His marriage with Ásíyih Khánum were born in this rented house which was located in the northern section of Tehran near the Gate of Shimirán. They had a total of seven children, six boys and one girl. Their first two sons, Kázim and Sádiq, died young. Their third son named 'Abbás was born on May 23, 1844. He was later known as 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Two years later they had their only daughter named Fátimih, later to be known as Bahíyyih Khánum. Their fourth son named 'Ali-Múhammad also died in childhood. Their last surviving child, while they were at this house, was born in 1848. He was named Mihdí, after Bahá’u’lláh's brother who had died in their father's lifetime. Bahá’u’lláh and Ásíyih Khánum had one last child, a son who died in infancy in 1854 when the family was exiled in Baghdad, Iraq.

During the summer months when the weather was often exceptionally hot in the capital city Tehran, Bahá’u’lláh and His family would repair to Tákúr, the ancestral village of His family in the district of Núr. On occasion the family would go to places closer to the capital city.

Source: adapted from H. M. Balyuzi, Bahá’u’lláh, The King of Glory, ch. 2–3 (pp. 15–23); Lady Blomfield, The Chosen Highway (the words of Bahíyyih Khánum); ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace (talk of 18 April 1912, New York); with other works listed by the compiler (Stories of Bahá’u’lláh, The Dawn-Breakers, Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era); as posted on the Baha'i Stories Blog (https://bahaistories.blogspot.com/2013/12/bahaullahs-marriage-to-asiyih-khanum.html).

Various. *Baha'i Stories Blog*. https://bahaistories.blogspot.com/2013/12/bahaullahs-marriage-to-asiyih-khanum.html