Secondary Retelling6 min●●○○○'Abdu'l-Bahá's ministry (1892–1921)
The story of Tahirih’s house arrest and her bold prediction of upcoming release
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When in Bahá'í history
1844'Abdu'l-Bahá (1892–1921)2026
Tihrán (today: Tehran, Iran)
Upon their return from Karbila, [circa 1848] Tahirih and her
few companions were falsely accused of having been involved in the murder of
her husband, Mullá Taqí, who was a fiercest opponent of the Báb’s teachings
that she was promoting.
Nabil records: “The circumstances of the murder fanned to
fury the wrath of the lawful heirs of Mullá Taqí, who now determined to wreak
their vengeance upon Táhirih. They succeeded in having her placed in the
strictest confinement in the house of her father, and charged those women whom
they had selected to watch over her, not to allow their captive to leave her
room except for the purpose of performing her daily ablutions. They accused her
of really being the instigator of the crime. ‘No one else but you,” they
asserted, ‘is guilty of the murder of our father. You issued the order for his
assassination.’”
Following devious schemes and false promises the kinsmen of
murdered Mullá Taqí managed to murder those few remarkable companions of
Tahirih, among them were “Mírzá Muhammad-‘Alí, one of the Letters of the Living
and her brother-in-law, and Siyyid ‘Abdu’l-Hádí, who had been betrothed to her
daughter, travelled with her all the way from Karbilá to Qazvín.” (Nabil, ‘The
Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)
While “still in confinement, Táhirih, as soon as she was
informed of the designs of her enemies, addressed the following message to
Mullá Muhammad… the Imám-Jum’ih of Qazvín”: (ibid)
“‘Fain would they put out God’s light with their mouths: but
God only desireth to perfect His light, albeit the infidels abhor it.’ [Qur’an
9:33] If my Cause be the Cause of Truth,
if the Lord whom I worship be none other than the one true God, He will, ere
nine days have elapsed, deliver me from the yoke of your tyranny. Should He
fail to achieve my deliverance, you are free to act as you desire. You will
have irrevocably established the falsity of my belief.” [The Imám-Jum’ih]…
recognising his inability to accept so bold a challenge, chose to ignore
entirely her message, and sought by every cunning device to accomplish his
purpose.” (Nabil, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)
Nabil further explains:
In those days, ere the hour which Táhirih had fixed for her
deliverance had struck, Bahá’u’lláh signified His wish that she should be
delivered from her captivity and brought to Ṭihrán. He determined to establish,
in the eyes of the adversary, the truth of her words, and to frustrate the
schemes which her enemies had conceived for her death. Muhammad-Hádíy-i-Farhádí
was accordingly summoned by Him and was entrusted with the task of effecting
her immediate transference to His own home in Ṭihrán. Muhammad-Hádí was charged
to deliver a sealed letter to his wife, Khátún-Ján, and instruct her to
proceed, in the guise of a beggar, to the house where Táhirih was confined; to
deliver the letter into her hands; to wait awhile at the entrance of her house,
until she should join her, and then to hasten with her and commit her to his
care.
“As soon as Táhirih has joined you,” Bahá’u’lláh urged the
emissary, “start immediately for Tihrán. This very night, I shall despatch to
the neighbourhood of the gate of Qazvín an attendant, with three horses, that
you will take with you and station at a place that you will appoint outside the
walls of Qazvín. You will conduct Táhirih to that spot, will mount the horses,
and will, by an unfrequented route, endeavour to reach at daybreak the
outskirts of the capital. As soon as the gates are opened, you must enter the
city and proceed immediately to My house. You should exercise the utmost
caution lest her identity be disclosed. The Almighty will assuredly guide your
steps and will surround you with His unfailing protection.”
Fortified by the assurance of Bahá’u’lláh, Muhammad-Hádí set
out immediately to carry out the instructions he had received. Unhampered by
any obstacle, he, ably and faithfully, acquitted himself of his task, and was
able to conduct Táhirih safely, at the appointed hour, to the home of his
Master.
Her sudden and mysterious removal from Qazvín filled her
friends and foes alike with consternation. The whole night, they searched the
houses and were baffled in their efforts to find her. The fulfilment of the
prediction she had uttered astounded even the most sceptical among her
opponents. A few were made to realise the supernatural character of the Faith
she had espoused, and submitted willingly to its claims. Mírzá ‘Abdu’l-Vahháb,
her own brother, acknowledged, that very day, the truth of the Revelation, but
failed to demonstrate subsequently by his acts the sincerity of his
belief.
The hour which Táhirih had fixed for her deliverance found
her already securely established under the sheltering shadow of Bahá’u’lláh.
She knew full well into whose presence she had been admitted; she was
profoundly aware of the sacredness of the hospitality she had been so
graciously accorded. As it was with her acceptance of the Faith proclaimed by
the Báb when she, unwarned and unsummoned, had hailed His Message and
recognised its truth, so did she perceive through her own intuitive knowledge
the future glory of Bahá’u’lláh. (Nabil, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and
edited by Shoghi Effendi)
(Adapted from ‘The Dawn-Breakers’, by Nabil, translated and
edited by Shoghi Effendi)
Source: Baha'i Stories Blog (https://bahaistories.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-story-of-tahirihs-house-arrest-and.html).
Discuss this story
For adults
- What stands out about Ṭáhirih's response in this account?
- What in your own life does this story bring to mind?
- Where do you see faith appearing — visibly or quietly — in this passage?
For teens
- If you were in Ṭáhirih's place, what might you have done?
- What does this story teach about faith?
Reflection
- If you could bring one quality from this story into your next conversation, what would it be?
- What single image from this story will stay with you?
- Where in your own life are you being asked to practice faith?
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "The story of Tahirih’s house arrest and her bold prediction of upcoming release" drawn from?
Where does this story take place?
What period of Bahá'í history does this story belong to?
Which historical figure is featured most prominently in this story?
Which virtue does this story most clearly illustrate?
Cite this story
Various. *Baha'i Stories Blog*. https://bahaistories.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-story-of-tahirihs-house-arrest-and.html
This story shares quotes with 94 other stories
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Also in
- 1844: A lonely youth’s encounter with Bahá’u’lláh by a roadside in Mazindaran and his amazing recognition of His station— Various, Baha'i Stories Blog
- 1848: Baha’u’llah describes the consternation that seized the Bábís when Tahirih suddenly appeared unveiled at the conference of Badasht— Various, Baha'i Stories Blog
- 1851 Karbilá, Iraq: A disciple of the Báb becomes the first person to whom Baha'u'llah confided His Divine Mission – as was prophesied by the Báb in 1848— Various, Baha'i Stories Blog
- A believer’s eagerness to provide financial assistance to Baha’u’llah – but chose a wrong method— Various, Baha'i Stories Blog
- A funny incident while in the company of the Master— Various, Baha'i Stories Blog
- …and 89 more
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