A Household That Revered Him

A retelling based on The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, volume 2, by Adib Taherzadeh (pages 384–386), which quotes the memoirs of Munírih Khánum. Words in quotation marks are Khadíjih Bagum's, as Munírih Khánum recorded them.

Early in 1872 Munírih Khánum, who later became the wife of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, was travelling to 'Akká at Bahá'u'lláh's summons. On the way she stayed for a short time in Shíráz, and there she met several times with Khadíjih Bagum, the widow of the Báb. She asked her to recount what she remembered of her life with Him. "I do not remember every detail," Khadíjih Bagum said, "but will tell you what I can remember."

She told how the Báb's mother, who was her cousin, came to ask for her hand, and how during the engagement the Báb went to Búshihr on business with His uncle. When He returned, His uncle arranged the wedding.

"After the wedding, I entertained no thought of earthly things in my mind. My heart was entirely attracted to the person of the Báb. From His words and conduct, His magnanimity and solemnity, it became clear to me that He was a distinguished person. But the thought never occurred to me that He could be the Qa'im, the Promised One." Most of the time, she said, He was praying and reading verses.

In the evenings, as merchants did, He would ask for His business papers and account books. She noticed that they were not business papers, and sometimes she asked Him what they were. Once He answered, "It is the Book of the accounts of all the peoples of the world." If a visitor arrived suddenly, He would spread a handkerchief over the papers.

She was not the only one in the family who sensed who He was. "All close relatives such as His uncles and aunts were fully conscious of His exalted personality. They revered Him and showed the utmost respect towards Him," she said, until the night of 22 May 1844, when Mullá Ḥusayn-i-Bushrú'í came to the house and became the first to believe in the Báb.

That evening, she recalled, the Báb let her know that a guest who was dear to Him was coming. "He was as if on fire and in the utmost excitement." He asked her to go to bed. She lay awake all night without leaving her bed, because she did not wish to disobey Him, and until morning she could hear His voice as He spoke with Mullá Ḥusayn, reading the verses of God and setting out proofs.

This is a retelling. For the fuller account, see The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, volume 2, by Adib Taherzadeh.

Taherzadeh, A.. (1977). *The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, Volume 2*. George Ronald.