Túbá Khánum Remembers Her Grandfather

Even though Bahá'u'lláh and His Family lived as prisoners, He tried in every way to make them happy.

When Túbá Khánum was a child, she and her sisters had a difficult time. The only time they had with their loving and wonderful Father, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, was at tea early in the morning. He was always so busy taking care of the hundreds of people who came to Him for help. But at tea He would chant prayers and tell them wonderful stories of the Lord Christ and His Mother, of Muhammad, of Moses and the other Prophets. They loved Him very much.

Later when they attended school from seven in the morning until five in the afternoon, they had a little reading and writing but no play time and only a little to eat at noon. Mostly they listened to someone reading but who never explained anything.

When the children needed someone to listen to their troubles and difficulties they always went to their grandfather, Bahá'u'lláh. He took an interest in everything about them. Túbá recalls: "We children looked upon Bahá'u'lláh as another loving Father. . . He used to send a servant to Beirut every year to buy stuff for our clothes. Bahá'u'lláh would then call for us to choose which we liked best for our frocks. . . He was always punctual, and loved daintiness and order. . . and liked to see everybody well groomed, and as neatly dressed as possible." You can imagine that this was not easy, as prisoners cannot go wherever and whenever they wish.

Túbá tells us that "above all things, cleanliness was desirable to Him. 'Why not put on your prettiest frocks?' He would say to us.

"All our holidays, all our treats and our happiness came from Him in those days; when boxes of sweets were brought to Him, He would set some aside for us. . . 'Let the dear children come in, and have some dessert,' He often said, when we were being sent off to bed—my Father and my mother not wishing that we should disturb Him—but He always welcomed us with loving words. How we adored Him!

"'Now children, tomorrow you shall come with Me for a picnic to the Ridvan,' He would say, and our night was so full of joy we could scarcely sleep."

(Adapted from The Chosen Highway by Lady Blomfield; The Child's Way magazine, March–April 1971)

Source: The Chosen Highway (Lady Blomfield), Túbá Khánum's recollections, chapter "Bahá'u'lláh in 'Akká"; adapted in The Child's Way magazine, March–April 1971, via Baha'i Stories for Children (https://bahaistoriesforchildren.blogspot.com/2020/02/one-of-bahaullahs-granddaughters.html).

Various. *Baha'i Stories for Children*. https://bahaistoriesforchildren.blogspot.com/2020/02/one-of-bahaullahs-granddaughters.html