circa 1848: Mulla Husayn was ushered into the presence of Bahá’u’lláh in Tihran

In about 1848 Mulla Husayn left the city of Mashhad, in the province of Khurasan, north-east of Tihran, where he had been since 1844. Desiring to see his Lord Who was imprisoned in the castle of Mah-Ku in the province of Adhirbayjan, north-west of Tihran, he told his friends: “I have vowed to walk the whole distance that separates me from my Beloved. I shall not relax in my resolve until I shall have reached my destination.” – a distance of about 900 miles. His friends, however, offered assistance with a more conventional and comfortable mode of travel for his long and arduous journey, but Mulla Husayn declined their help. Upon the insistence of one of his friends, Mulla Husayn finally allowed him to act as his servant throughout his pilgrimage to Ádhirbayján. On his way to Tihran, Mulla Husayn was enthusiastically greeted by the believers in the different towns through which he passed. They addressed to him the same request and received from him the same reply.

When Mulla Husayn arrived in Tihran he was visited by many believers. Nabil, the great Baha’i historian recorded what he himself heard from Áqáy-i-Kalím, Bahá’u’lláh’s faithful brother, about Mulla Husayn:

“When Mulla Husayn arrived at Tihran, I, together with a large number of believers, went to visit him. He seemed to us the very embodiment of constancy, of piety and virtue. He inspired us with his rectitude of conduct and passionate loyalty. Such were the force of his character and the ardour of his faith that we felt convinced that he, unaided and alone, would be capable of achieving the triumph of the Faith of God.”

Because of Mulla Husayn’s popularity, arrangements were made to usher him secretly into the presence of Bahá’u’lláh. Soon after his interview, Mulla Husayn proceeded to Adhirbayjan.  

(Adapted from the Dawn-Breakers, by Nabil, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

1847: While the Báb was in the hamlet of Kulayn, 10 miles south of Tihran, He received “a sealed letter together with certain gifts” from Bahá’u’lláh

Tihran, circa 1808

In the spring of 1847, Gurgin Khan, the nephew and successor of Isfahan’s friendly Governor, Manuchihr Khan, became aware of the secret arrangements that his uncle had made to allow the Báb to stay in Isfahan for the previous four months, instead of sending Him to Tihran.  When he discovered this, he immediately brought the situation to the attention of the Shah in Tihran. The Shah, who was firmly convinced of the loyalty of Manuchir Khan, realized, when he received this message, that the late governor's sincere intention had been to await a favourable occasion when he could arrange a meeting between him and the Báb, and that his sudden death had interfered with the execution of that plan. He issued an imperial mandate summoning the Báb to the capital.

On the afternoon of the eighth day after Naw-Ruz 1847, the Báb and His mounted escort arrived at the fortress of Kinar-Gird, which lies about 30 miles to the south of Tihran. They had decided to spend the night in the neighbourhood of that fortress and proceed to the capital the next day, when a messenger arrived with a written order from Haji Mirza Aqasi, the Prime Minister for the head of the escort, Muhammad Big, instructing him to proceed to the village of Kulayn, and there await further instructions. The village of Kulayn, a hamlet owned by Aqasi was situated some ten miles southwest of the capital. The Báb remained there for a period of twenty days. Nearing the end of that period, He dispatched a letter to the King requesting an audience to set forth the truth of His condition and expecting this to be a means for the attainment of great advantages for the country.

Fall 1845: Bahá’u’lláh received Quddus into His presence in Tihran

Returning from his pilgrimage to Mecca with the Báb in the spring of 1845, and his subsequent expulsion from Shiraz by the order of its “villainous” governor, Quddus proceeded towards his native town of Barfurúsh (currently known as Babul) in the province of Mázindarán, in northern Iran. On his way he travelled through various town and cities, such as Kirmán, Yazd, Ardikán, Nayin, Ardistán, Isfáhán, Káshán, Qum, and Tihrán. In each of these cities, notwithstanding the obstacles that beset his path, he succeeded in instilling into the understanding of his hearers the principles which he had so bravely arisen to advocate. Nabil, the great Baha’i historian relates how he heard Bahá’u’lláh’s faithful brother, Áqáy-i-Kalím, describe his meeting with Quddus in Tihran:

“The charm of his person, his extreme affability, combined with a dignity of bearing, appealed to even the most careless observer. Whoever was intimately associated with him was seized with an insatiable admiration for the charm of that youth. We watched him one day perform his ablutions, and were struck by the gracefulness which distinguished him from the rest of the worshippers in the performance of so ordinary a rite. He seemed, in our eyes, to be the very incarnation of purity and grace.”

In Tihrán, Quddús was admitted into the presence of Bahá’u’lláh after which he proceeded to Mázindarán, where, in his native town of Barfurúsh, in the home of his father, he lived for about two years, during which time he was surrounded by the loving devotion of his family and kindred. 
(Adapted from ‘The Dawn-Breakers’, by Nabil, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

The news of Bahá’u’lláh’s immediate response to the Divine Message, to the vigorous campaign which He had boldly initiated in Núr, and to the marvellous success which had attended His efforts, cheered and gladdened the Báb.

Mullá Husayn, as soon as he had won to the Cause such able and devoted supporters, decided to address a written report concerning his activities to the Báb. In his communication he referred at length to his sojourn in Isfáhán and Káshán, described the account of his experience with Bahá’u’lláh, referred to the departure of the latter for Mázindarán, related the events of Núr, and informed Him of the success which had attended his own efforts in Khurásán. In it he enclosed a list of the names of those who had responded to his call, and of whose steadfastness and sincerity he was assured. He sent his letter by way of Yazd, through the trustworthy partners of the Báb’s maternal uncle who were at that time residing in Tabas. That letter reached the Báb on the night preceding the twenty-seventh day of Ramadán, [1] a night held in great reverence by all the sects of Islám and regarded by many as rivalling in sacredness the Laylatu’l-Qadr [2] itself, the night which, in the words of the Qur’án, “excelleth a thousand months.”  The only companion of the Báb, when that letter reached Him that night, was Quddús, with whom He shared a number of its passages.

I have heard Mírzá Ahmad relate the following: “The Báb’s maternal uncle himself described to me the circumstances attending the receipt of Mullá Husayn’s letter by the Báb: ‘That night I saw such evidences of joy and gladness on the faces of the Báb and of Quddús as I am unable to describe. I often heard the Báb, in those days, exultingly repeat the words, “How marvellous, how exceedingly marvellous, is that which has occurred between the months of Jamádi and Rajab!” As He was reading the communication addressed to Him by Mullá Husayn, He turned to Quddús and, showing him certain passages of that letter, explained the reason for His joyous expressions of surprise. I, for my part, remained completely unaware of the nature of that explanation.’”

Bahá’u’lláh comments on His days in Nur and the receptivity of its people to the New Message…

God knows that at no time did We attempt to conceal Ourself or hide the Cause which We have been bidden to proclaim. Though not wearing the garb of the people of learning, We have again and again faced and reasoned with men of great scholarship in both Núr and Mázindarán, and have succeeded in persuading them of the truth of this Revelation. We never flinched in Our determination; We never hesitated to accept the challenge from whatever direction it came. To whomsoever We spoke in those days, We found him receptive to our Call and ready to identify himself with its precepts. But for the shameful behaviour of the people of Bayán, who sullied by their deeds the work We had accomplished, Núr and Mázindarán would have been entirely won to this Cause and would have been accounted by this time among its leading strongholds. 

- Bahá’u’lláh   (Words of Bahá’u’lláh  to some pilgrims and a few resident believers who were admitted into His presence on January 8, 1889, quoted by Nabil in the ‘Dawn-Breakers, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

Bahá’u’lláh's room in His house in Takur

Bahá’u’lláh's room in His house in Takur, Mázindarán, kept in its original condition, circa 1930

The province of Mázindarán and the district of Núr in particular become the first to eagerly embrace the Divine Message of the Báb

Bahá’u’lláh’s visit to Núr had produced the most far-reaching results, and had lent a remarkable impetus to the spread of the new-born Revelation. By His magnetic eloquence, by the purity of His life, by the dignity of His bearing, by the unanswerable logic of His argument, and by the many evidences of His loving-kindness, Bahá’u’lláh had won the hearts of the people of Núr, had stirred their souls, and had enrolled them under the standard of the Faith. Such was the effect of words and deeds, as He went about preaching the Cause and revealing its glory to His countrymen in Núr, that the very stones and trees of that district seemed to have been quickened by the waves of spiritual power which emanated from His person. All things seemed to be endowed with a new and more abundant life, all things seemed to be proclaiming aloud: “Behold, the Beauty of God has been made manifest! Arise, for He has come in all His glory.” The people of Núr, when Bahá’u’lláh had departed from out their midst, continued to propagate the Cause and to consolidate its foundations. A number of them endured the severest afflictions for His sake; others quaffed with gladness the cup of martyrdom in His path. Mázindarán in general, and Núr in particular, were thus distinguished from the other provinces and districts of Persia, as being the first to have eagerly embraced the Divine Message. The district of Núr, literally meaning “light,” which lay embedded within the mountains of Mázindarán, was the first to catch the rays of the Sun that had arisen in Shíráz, the first to proclaim to the rest of Persia, which still lay enveloped in the shadow of the vale of heedlessness, that the Day-Star of heavenly guidance had at length arisen to warm and illuminate the whole land. 

- Nabil  (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

A young dervish recognizes Bahá’u’lláh’s station in 1844

While Bahá’u’lláh was spreading the Divine Message of the Báb in the district of Nur in northern Iran in 1844, an amazing incident took place which Nabil recorded:

One day, in the course of one of His riding excursions into the country, Bahá’u’lláh, accompanied by His companions, saw, seated by the roadside, a lonely youth. His hair was dishevelled, and he wore the dress of a dervish. [1] By the side of a brook he had kindled a fire, and was cooking his food and eating it. Approaching him, Bahá’u’lláh most lovingly enquired: “Tell Me, dervish, what is it that you are doing?” “I am engaged in eating God,” he bluntly replied. “I am cooking God and am burning Him.” The unaffected simplicity of his manners and the candour of his reply pleased Bahá’u’lláh extremely. He smiled at his remark and began to converse with him with unrestrained tenderness and freedom. Within a short space of time, Bahá’u’lláh had changed him completely. Enlightened as to the true nature of God, and with a mind purged from the idle fancy of his own people, he immediately recognised the Light which that loving Stranger had so unexpectedly brought him. That dervish, whose name was Mustafá, became so enamoured with the teachings which had been instilled into his mind that, leaving his cooking utensils behind, he straightway arose and followed Bahá’u’lláh. On foot, behind His horse, and inflamed with the fire of His love, he chanted merrily verses of a love-song which he had composed on the spur of the moment and had dedicated to his Beloved. “Thou art the Day-Star of guidance,” ran its glad refrain. “Thou art the Light of Truth. Unveil Thyself to men, O Revealer of the Truth.” Although, in later years, that poem obtained wide circulation among his people, and it became known that a certain dervish, surnamed Majdhúb, and whose name was Mustafá Big-i-Sanandají, had, without premeditation, composed it in praise of his Beloved, none seemed to be aware to whom it actually referred, nor did anyone suspect, at a time when Bahá’u’lláh was still veiled from the eyes of men, that this dervish alone had recognised His station and discovered His glory. 

- Nabil  (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

[1] Poor one, Religious mendicant, Islamic mystic

Bahá’u’lláh paid a visit to the chief divine of Nur “to enlighten… [him] regarding a new and wondrous Message, divinely inspired…”

…Bahá’u’lláh, accompanied by a number of His companions, proceeded immediately to the village of Mullá Muhammad, the chief divine of Nur, whose two trusted envoys had already become followers of Bahá’u’lláh. Mullá Muhammad most ceremoniously received Him. “I have not come to this place,” Bahá’u’lláh observed, “to pay you an official or formal visit. My purpose is to enlighten you regarding a new and wondrous Message, divinely inspired and fulfilling the promise given to Islám. Whosoever has inclined his ear to this Message has felt its irresistible power, and has been transformed by the potency of its grace. Tell Me whatsoever perplexes your mind, or hinders you from recognising the Truth.”

Mullá Muhammad disparagingly remarked: “I undertake no action unless I first consult the Qur’án. I have invariably, on such occasions, followed the practice of invoking the aid of God and His blessings; of opening at random His sacred Book, and of consulting the first verse of the particular page upon which my eyes chance to fall. From the nature of that verse I can judge the wisdom and the advisability of my contemplated course of action.” Finding that Bahá’u’lláh was not inclined to refuse him his request, the mujtahid called for a copy of the Qur’án, opened and closed it again, refusing to reveal the nature of the verse to those who were present. All he said was this: “I have consulted the Book of God, and deem it inadvisable to proceed further with this matter.” A few agreed with him; the rest, for the most part, did not fail to recognise the fear which those words implied. Bahá’u’lláh, disinclined to cause him further embarrassment, arose and, asking to be excused, bade him a cordial farewell. 

(Adapted from ‘The Dawn-Breakers’, by Nabil, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

Village of Afchih

Afchih in Lavasan district, an orchard village, property of Baha’u’llah’s father. It is located at the end of the mountain track of Nur Valley and Takur. Riders came down the valley at upper right, passing through the village en route to Tehran 40 miles southwest. (Adapted from ‘Robe of Light’, by David Ruhe)

The chief divine of Nur sent two trusted envoys to challenge Bahá’u’lláh

Mulla Muhammad, the chief divine of the district of Nur asked his two trusted sons-in-law, Mulla 'Abbas and Mirza Abu'l-Qasim to meet Baha’u’llah and determine the true character of the Message that He had brought. He pledged his unreserved endorsement of whatever conclusions they might reach.

On being informed, upon their arrival in Tákúr, that Bahá’u’lláh had departed for His winter resort in Darkala, the representatives of Mullá Muhammad decided to leave for that place. Darkala is located north of Takur, closer to the Caspian Sea. It has a milder, rainy weather. Baha’u’llah’s father had a winter house in Darkala for the use of his extended family who didn’t live in Tehran. The two envoys had to travel over the mountains to get to their destination.

Mirza Músá – Bahá’u’lláh’s faithful brother

Surnamed Aqay-i-Kalim, he was a younger brother of Bahá’u’lláh who remained devoted and faithful to Baha'u'llah and served Him to the end of his life. After the Martyrdom of the Báb, Mirza Músá, at Bahá’u’lláh's instructions, hid the casket containing the remains of the Báb in the Shrine of Imam-Zadih Hasan in Tihran. Mirza Músá accompanied Bahá’u’lláh into exile and often served as His deputy in meeting with government officials and religious leaders, until 'Abdu'l-Baha took on this function. Shoghi Effendi designated him one of the Nineteen Apostles of Bahá’u’lláh. Mirza Músá died in 'Akka in 1887. 

- Wendy Momen  ('A Basic Baha'i Dicionary') 

Bahá’u’lláh’s amazing success in the district of Nur alarmed His uncle

To inquiries from Nuri notables about affairs of the court, Bahá’u’lláh turned disinterested answers, instead converting the questions into opportunities to present the Bábi Message in terms befitting each inquirer, while persuasively pointing to the immeasurable benefits which the new Faith would bestow upon them and upon Iran. That a young nobleman should be deeply concerned with religious matters was startling enough, but how surprising that no mulla was able successfully to challenge His theses, so ably did He expound the ideas of the new Cause. The Nuris were also compelled to reluctant admiration at his zeal but also at his self-effacement despite the depth of the thoughts presented with such verve.

Among the first converts of His salutary expositions of the Cause of the Báb were Mirza Muhammad Hasan, His half-brother, and also Muhammad-Taqi Khan, a close relative. But His uncle Mirza 'Azizu’llah fiercely opposed these heretical new views; traveling to the village of Sa'adat-Abad, he personally appealed for immediate intervention against his Nephew by Mulla Muhammad, the chief divine of the Nur district, saying:

'O vicegerent of the Prophet of God! Behold what has befallen the Faith. A youth, a layman, attired in the garb of nobility, has come to Nur, has invaded the strongholds of orthodoxy, and disrupted the holy Faith of Islam ... Whoever attains his presence falls immediately under his spell, and is enthralled by the power of his utterance. I know not whether he is a sorcerer, or whether he mixes with his tea some mysterious substance that makes every man who drinks the tea fall a victim to its charm.' (The Dawn-Breakers)

Some of the places associated with the early years of Bahá’u’lláh's life

Map of northern Iran, showing Mazindaran, Tihran, and some of the places associated with the early years of Bahá’u’lláh's life. 
(Balyuzi, 'Bahá’u’lláh, The King of Glory')

Bahá’u’lláh’s first journey for the Báb

The first journey Bahá’u’lláh undertook for the purpose of promoting the Revelation announced by the Báb was to His ancestral home in Núr, in the province of Mázindarán. He set out for the village of Tákúr, the personal estate of His father, where He owned a vast mansion, royally furnished and superbly situated… Bahá’u’lláh had already, prior to the declaration of the Báb, visited the district of Núr, at a time when the celebrated mujtahid Mírzá Muhammad Taqíy-i-Núrí was at the height of his authority and influence. Such was the eminence of his position, that they who sat at his feet regarded themselves each as the authorised exponent of the Faith and Law of Islám…

When, in the year ’60, Bahá’u’lláh arrived in Núr, He discovered that the celebrated mujtahid who on His previous visit had wielded such immense power had passed away. The vast number of his devotees had shrunk into a mere handful of dejected disciples who, under the leadership of his successor, Mullá Muḥammad, were striving to uphold the traditions of their departed leader. The enthusiasm which greeted Bahá’u’lláh’s arrival sharply contrasted with the gloom that had settled upon the remnants of that once flourishing community. A large number of the officials and notables in that neighbourhood called upon Him and, with every mark of affection and respect, accorded Him a befitting welcome. They were eager, in view of the social position He occupied, to learn from Him all the news regarding the life of the Sháh, the activities of his ministers, and the affairs of his government. To their enquiries Bahá’u’lláh replied with extreme indifference, and seemed to reveal very little interest or concern. With persuasive eloquence He pleaded the cause of the new Revelation, and directed their attention to the immeasurable benefits which it was destined to confer upon their country.  Those who heard Him marvelled at the keen interest which a man of His position and age evinced for truths which primarily concerned the divines and theologians of Islám. They felt powerless to challenge the soundness of His arguments or to belittle the Cause which He so ably expounded. They admired the loftiness of His enthusiasm and the profundity of His thoughts, and were deeply impressed by His detachment and self-effacement. 

- Nabil  (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

Bahá’u’lláh acknowledges that the Báb is “the Primal Point, through Whom the point of creation hath been made to revolve in both the visible and invisible worlds…”

Do Thou bless, O Lord my God, the Primal Point, through Whom the point of creation hath been made to revolve in both the visible and invisible worlds, Whom Thou hast designated as the One whereunto should return whatsoever must return unto Thee, and as the Revealer of whatsoever may be manifested by Thee. Do Thou also bless such of His Letters as have not turned away from Thee, who have been firmly established in Thy love, and clung steadfastly to Thy good-pleasure. Bless Thou, likewise, as long as Thine own Self endureth and Thine own Essence doth last, them that have suffered martyrdom in Thy path. Thou art, verily, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

Moreover, I beseech Thee, O my God, by Him Whom Thou hast announced unto us in all Thy Tablets and Thy Books and Thy Scrolls and Thy Scriptures, through Whom the kingdom of names hath been convulsed, and all that lay hid in the breasts of them that have followed their evil and corrupt desires hath been revealed, -- I beseech Thee to strengthen us in our love for Him, to make us steadfast in His Cause, to help us befriend His loved ones and challenge His enemies. Shield us, then, O my God, from the mischief wrought by them that have denied Thy presence, and turned away from Thy face, and resolved to put an end to the life of Him Who is the Manifestation of Thine own Self.

- Bahá’u’lláh  (‘Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh’)

Northern Persia: A Summer Interlude Place for Bahá'u'lláh's Family

Murgh-Mahallih, the 'abode of the birds' in Shimran district, place of a summer interlude of the young family of Bahá'u'lláh.

Bahá'u'lláh arose to promote the Cause of the Báb

He [Baha’u’llah] was in the heyday of His life when the call from Shiraz reached Him. At the age of twenty-seven, He arose to consecrate His life to its service, fearlessly identified Himself with its teachings, and distinguished Himself by the exemplary part He played in its diffusion. No effort was too great for the energy with which He was endowed, and no sacrifice too woeful for the devotion with which His faith had inspired Him. He flung aside every consideration of fame, of wealth, and position, for the prosecution of the task He had set His heart to achieve. Neither the taunts of His friends nor the threats of His enemies could induce Him to cease championing a Cause which they alike regarded as that of an obscure and proscribed sect. 

(‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Bahá'u'lláh acknowledges that the Báb is “the Primal Point, the Divine Mystery, the Unseen Essence, the Day-Spring of Divinity”, and the “Manifestation” of God’s “Lordship”

Magnify Thou, O Lord my God, Him Who is the Primal Point, the Divine Mystery, the Unseen Essence, the Day-Spring of Divinity, and the Manifestation of Thy Lordship, through Whom all the knowledge of the past and all the knowledge of the future were made plain, through Whom the pearls of Thy hidden wisdom were uncovered, and the mystery of Thy treasured name disclosed, Whom Thou hast appointed as the Announcer of the One through Whose name the letter B and the letter E have been joined and united, through Whom Thy majesty, Thy sovereignty and Thy might were made known, through Whom Thy words have been sent down, and Thy laws set forth with clearness, and Thy signs spread abroad, and Thy Word established, through Whom the hearts of Thy chosen ones were laid bare, and all that were in the heavens and all that were on the earth were gathered together, Whom Thou hast called Ali-Muhammad in the kingdom of Thy names, and the Spirit of Spirits in the Tablets of Thine irrevocable decree, Whom Thou hast invested with Thine own title, unto Whose name all other names have, at Thy bidding and through the power of Thy might, been made to return, and in Whom Thou hast caused all Thine attributes and titles to attain their final consummation. To Him also belong such names as lay hid within Thy stainless tabernacles, in Thine invisible world and Thy sanctified cities.

Impact on the family in Tehran

The house of Nuri relatives in Tehran must have buzzed with the realization of the dramatic injection into their family of a potent new religious message now supported by the family leader and genius. Not surprising then that a half-brother, Mirza Yahya, fourteen at that moment of Mulla Husayn's mission, should also have become a Bábi, following the lead of his older half-brothers. This youth had been taken under the special tutorship of Bahá'u'lláh, becoming His ward upon the early passing of his mother Kuchik, and already had been under His brother's instruction from his early years. He was grave, silent, courteous, modest, a solitary who was fond of the poems of the mystics and was later termed 'an amiable child ' by an older Babi. And perhaps there were even then others of the family also willing quietly to follow the dangerous, unconservative Bábi ideas which were sure to lead to trouble with the mullas. Ultimately, in addition to Mirza Musa, three other brothers and several sisters espoused the new Faith. 
(Adapted from ‘Robe of Light, vol. 1’, by David Ruhe)

Bahá'u'lláh acknowledges that the Báb “hath been sent down by the Will of the one true God”

We, verily, believe in Him Who, in the person of the Báb, hath been sent down by the Will of the one true God, the King of Kings, the All-Praised. We, moreover, swear fealty to the One Who, in the time of Mustaghath, [1] is destined to be made manifest, as well as to those Who shall come after Him till the end that hath no end. We recognize in the manifestation of each one of them, whether outwardly or inwardly, the manifestation of none but God Himself, if ye be of those that comprehend. Every one of them is a mirror of God, reflecting naught else but His Self, His Beauty, His Might and Glory, if ye will understand. All else besides them are to be regarded as mirrors capable of reflecting the glory of these Manifestations Who are themselves the Primary Mirrors of the Divine Being, if ye be not devoid of understanding. No one hath ever escaped them, neither are they to be hindered from achieving their purpose. These Mirrors will everlastingly succeed each other, and will continue to reflect the light of the Ancient of Days. They that reflect their glory will, in like manner, continue to exist for evermore, for the Grace of God can never cease from flowing. This is a truth that none can disprove. 

- Baha'u'llah  (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah’)

[1] Literally, He Who is Invoked for Help. A term the Báb used to refer to the advent of the Promised One (Baha’u’llah) (Footnote in ‘Call to Remembrance, p. 23)

Bahá'u'lláh instantly accepts the Báb’s spiritual authority

Bahá'u'lláh’s brother, Mirza Musa and Mulla Husayn’s messenger were both enraptured by listening to the sound of Bahá'u'lláh’s voice and the sweetness of its melodies as He recited a single section of the scroll that was presented to Him – a scroll from the Báb containing some passages from of the Báb’s Writings, the Qayyumu’l-Asma. They were startled when heard Him say to His brother:

“Musa, what have you to say? Verily I say whoso believes in the Qur’an and recognizes its divine origin, and yet hesitates, though it be fora moment, to admit that these soul-stirring words are endowed with the same regenerating power, has most assuredly erred in his judgment and strayed far from the path of justice” (‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

To that scroll fragment of the Qayyumu’l-Asma the hypersensitive Mirza Husayn-'Ali [Bahá'u'lláh] had responded as a chord plucked by the Divine Harpist. Cursorily acquainted as he probably was with the preparatory doctrines of Shaykh Ahmad and Siyyid Kazimim, His immediate recognition of the Bab's spiritual authority aligned Him with the new Cause. It was as though He were always a Bábi, so ready of spirit was He. Indeed, His inherent readiness for the new Truth assured instant recognition of the Báb, and thus He became another primary Disciple of the new High Prophet. In that moment, too, He began His own Mission from God.

Bahá'u'lláh’s perceptive brother Musa, also upon hearing the reading of a single long passage, almost simultaneously identified with this newborn Truth. 
(Adapted from ‘Robe of Light, vol. 1’, by David Ruhe)

The Báb’s messenger finds Bahá'u'lláh in Tihran and delivers the Message

In accordance with the Báb’s singular instructions of great promise, and carrying precious scrolls, Mulla Husayn set off on this first mission for his Master with his characteristically high spirit and persuasiveness, seeking out the Shaykhis en route. Isfahan, Kashan and Qum were essentially obdurate: in Isfahan he found only a youth, a sifter of wheat, and some five others destined for great service in the new Cause; in Kashan a single to-be-distinguished convert; in fanatical Qum none. But there was much planting of seeds along his route through his challenging words on the new Teachings.

Arriving in Tihran in late July or early August to discover the “Mystery of transcendent holiness” that the Báb had promised him, Mulla Husayn settled into a room in a religious college not far from the Shimiran Gate where Baha’u’llah’s rented house was located. There Haji Mirza Muhammad of Khurasan, leader of the Shaykhis of Teheran, welcomed his distinguished associate, but was skeptical of the new Teachings which contained such disturbingly convincing contents and were presented so vehemently. He even went so far as to rebuke Mulla Husayn for his failure to fortify the Shaykhi community in its doctrines. But to a young Shaykhi, a favored disciple of the leader and a priest-tutor, Mulla Muhammad Mu'allim [teacher] of Nur district, fell the signal honor of becoming the courier of Mulla Husayn.

The youth's room in the college was adjacent to that of his master, and he overheard the equivocal conversation with Mulla Husayn. Impressed by the great powers and passion of the visitor, he felt keenly the unsatisfactory behavior and cautious attitude of his master; moreover, he was attracted by Mulla Husayn’s vibrant personality. Awaiting an opportunity for private discussion, he knocked on Mulla Husayn's door that midnight, found him awake and seated beside his lamp. He was welcomed with such heartfelt warmth that he was impelled to discharge his strong feelings.

The First Letter of the Living is given the assignment to bring the Message of the Báb to Bahá'u'lláh

Once eighteen believers had recognized the Báb, each independently of the others, the Báb called them the ‘Letters of the Living’, and one by one sent them “with steadfast feet and sanctified hearts” on perilous specific tasks to proclaim the new Message.

To Mulla Husayn, His first Letter of the Living, the Báb pointed to the north, saying: “Grieve not that you have not been chosen to accompany Me on My pilgrimage to Hijaz. I shall instead direct your steps to that city [Tihran] which enshrines a Mystery of such transcendent holiness as neither Hijaz [a region in Saudi Arabia containing the holy cities of Mecca and Medina] nor Shiraz can hope to rival… Visit, on your way, Isfahan, Kashan, Tihran and Khurasan… The hosts of the invisible Kingdom, be assured, will sustain and reinforce your efforts. The essence of power is now dwelling in you, and the company of His chosen angels revolves around you. His almighty arms will surround you, and His unfailing Spirit will ever continue to guide your steps…” (‘The Dawn-Breakers’)

Of his mission to Tihran, the Báb presented an exciting prospect, saying: “A secret lies hidden in that city. When made manifest, it shall turn the earth into paradise. My hope is that you may partake of its grace and recognize its splendor.” (‘The Dawn-Breakers’) 

(Adapted from ‘Robe of Light, vol. 1’, by David Ruhe) 

1844: A New Manifestation of God in Persia

In 1844, when Bahá'u'lláh had almost reached the age of 27, a new Messenger of God (Manifestation of God) by the name of the Báb (the Gate) declared His Mission to humanity in Shiraz, Persia. The Báb announced that He was the Gate and Forerunner to an even greater revelation, Whose advent was close at hand, by Whose will He moved, and in Whose path He longed to sacrifice His life. He also announced that He was the Qa'im - the Messenger of God promised in the Qur’an Who would usher in a new age of righteousness. In the late summer of that year Bahá'u'lláh received the news of the Báb’s Declaration through Mulla Husayn - the Báb’s very first disciple. 

(Adapted from ‘Call to Remembrance’, by Geoffry Marks)

Bahá'u'lláh took responsibility over His father’s large family

Shortly before Bahá'u'lláh’s father passed away he was forced to go through an exceptionally unfair treatment due to the machinations of Mirza Aqasi, the Prime Minister, during which time he basically lost all of his wealth in the capital city Tihran. Mirza Buzurg also had the added misfortune of losing the better part of the palatial mansion which he had built and richly furnished in the village of Takur, by the descent of floods upon the town. As a result of all these Bahá'u'lláh’s father had moved in with his third wife in a house that she had inherited from her father close to the entrance of Masjid-i-Shah in Tihran. Baha’u’llah, on the other hand, rented the house 'near the Gate' of Shimran, and took His mother, His wife, His other step-mothers and the rest of His brothers and sisters to live with Him. This rented house remained His residence for the remaining years He spent in Iran. It was near the Madrisiy-i-Mirza Salih, the theological college where Mulla Husayn would stay when bearing the message of the Báb to Tihran. The children of Bahá'u'lláh and Asiyih Khanum - 'Abdu'l-Bahá (the Most Great Branch), Bahá'íyyih Khanum (the Greatest Holy Leaf) and Mirza Mihdi (the Purest Branch) - were all born in this rented house. 

(Adapted from ‘Bahá'u'lláh the King of Glory’, by H.M. Balyuzi)

Bahá’u’lláh recounts about His father

The late Vazír, My father, enjoyed a most enviable position among his countrymen. His vast wealth, his noble ancestry, his artistic attainments, his unrivalled prestige and exalted rank made him the object of the admiration of all who knew him. For a period of over twenty years, no one among the wide circle of his family and kindred, which extended over Núr and Ṭihrán, suffered distress, injury, or illness. They enjoyed, during a long and uninterrupted period, rich and manifold blessings. Quite suddenly, however, this prosperity and glory gave way to a series of calamities which severely shook the foundations of his material prosperity. The first loss he suffered was occasioned by a great flood which, rising in the mountains of Mázindarán, swept with great violence over the village of Tákúr, and utterly destroyed half the mansion of the Vazír, situated above the fortress of that village. The best part of that house, which had been known for the solidity of its foundations, was utterly wiped away by the fury of the roaring torrent. Its precious articles of furniture were destroyed, and its elaborate ornamentation irretrievably ruined. This was shortly followed by the loss of various State positions which the Vazír occupied, and by the repeated assaults directed against him by his envious adversaries. Despite this sudden change of fortune, the Vazír maintained his dignity and calm, and continued, within the restricted limits of his means, his acts of benevolence and charity. He continued to exercise towards his faithless associates that same courtesy and kindness that had characterised his dealings with his fellow-men. With splendid fortitude he grappled, until the last hour of his life, with the adversities that weighed so heavily upon him. 
- Bahá’u’lláh  (Quoted by Nabil in ‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi))

After the death of Bahá'u'lláh’s father the Prime Minister of Persia schemed ways to possess a village that belonged to the family of Baha’u’llah

After the death of the Vazir [Mirza Buzurg], Haji Mirza Aqasi [the Persian Prime Minister] continued to show the utmost consideration to Bahá'u'lláh. He would visit Him in His home, and would address Him as though He were his own son. The sincerity of his devotion, however, was very soon put to the test. One day, as he was passing through the village of Quch-Hisar, which belonged to Bahá'u'lláh, he was so impressed by the charm and beauty of that place and the abundance of its water that he conceived the idea of becoming its owner. Bahá'u'lláh, Whom he had summoned to effect the immediate purchase of that village, observed: 'Had this property been exclusively my own, I would willingly have complied with your desire. This transitory life, with all its sordid possessions, is worthy of no attachment in my eyes, how much less this small and insignificant estate. As a number of other people, both rich and poor, some of full age and some still minors, share with me the ownership of this property, I would request you to refer this matter to them, and to seek their consent.'

Unsatisfied with this reply, Haji Mirza Aqasi sought to achieve his ends through fraudulent means. As soon as Bahá'u'lláh was informed of his evil designs, He, with the consent of all concerned, immediately transferred the title of the property to the name of the sister of Muhammad Shah, who had repeatedly expressed the desire to become its owner. The Haji, furious at this transaction, ordered that the estate should be forcibly seized, claiming that he already had purchased it from its original possessor. The representatives of Haji Mirza Aqasi were severely rebuked by the agents of the sister of the Shah, and were requested to inform their master of the determination of that lady to assert her rights. The Haji referred the case to Muhammad Shah, and complained of the unjust treatment to which he had been subjected. 

Families of Bahá'u'lláh and Ásiyih Khanum possessed great wealth – their daughter recalls

I remember dimly very happy days with my beloved father and mother, and my brother 'Abbas, who was two years my senior.

My father was Mirza Husayn-'Ali of Nur, [Bahá'u'lláh] who married my beautiful mother, Ásiyih Khanum, when she was very young. She was the only daughter of a Persian Vizier, of high degree, Mirza Isma'il. He, as well as Mirza 'Abbas Buzurg, my paternal grandfather, possessed great wealth.

When the brother of my mother married my father's sister, the double alliance of the two noble families roused much interest throughout the land. "It is adding wealth to wealth," the people said. Ásiyih Khanum's wedding treasures were extensive, in accordance with the usual custom in families of their standing; forty mules were loaded with her possessions when she came to her husband's home.

For six months before the marriage a jeweller worked at her home, preparing jewellry -- even the buttons of her garments were of gold, set with precious stones. (These buttons were destined to be exchanged for bread, on the terrible exile journey from Tihran to Baghdad.) 

- Bahiyyih Khanum  ([Bahá'u'lláh’s daughter] quoted by Lady Blomfield in ‘The Chosen Highway’)

Ásiyih Khanum: Bahá'u'lláh’s wife – their daughter recalls many years later

I wish you could have seen her as I first remember her, tall, slender, graceful, eyes of dark blue -- a pearl, a flower amongst women.

I have been told that even when very young, her wisdom and intelligence were remarkable. I always think of her in those earliest days of my memory as queenly in her dignity and loveliness, full of consideration for everybody, gentle, of a marvelous unselfishness, no action of hers ever failed to show the loving-kindness of her pure heart; her very presence seemed to make an atmosphere of love and happiness wherever she came, enfolding all comers in the fragrance of gentle courtesy. 

- Bahiyyih Khanum  (Quoted by Lady Blomfield in ‘The Chosen Highway’)

Baha’u’llah sought neither government position nor prominence and gave abundantly to the poor

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 was a refuge for every weak one, a shelter for every fearing one, kind to every indigent one, lenient and loving to all creatures.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk, 18 April 1912; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912’)

1839: Bahá'u'lláh’s father passed away when He was twenty-two years old

When Bahá'u'lláh was twenty-two years old, His father died, and the Government wished Him to succeed to His father's position in the Ministry, as was customary in Persia, but Bahá'u'lláh did not accept the offer. Then the Prime Minister said ‘Leave him to himself. Such a position is unworthy of him. He has some higher aim in view. I cannot understand him, but I am convinced that he is destined for some lofty career. His thoughts are not like ours. Let him alone.’

- 'Abdu'l-Baha  (Quoted by Esslemont in ‘Bahá'u'lláh and New Era’)

Bahá'u'lláh’s father experienced extreme difficulties towards the concluding years of his life

About the time of Bahá'u'lláh’s marriage, His father, Mirza Buzurg, fell upon hard times. A year earlier, the King of Persia, Fath-'Ali Shah had died and been succeeded by his grandson, Muhammad Shah. Muhammad Shah’s Prime Minister, Haji Mirza Aqasi, was a vain and vengeful man whose later outrages against the Bab caused Shoghi Effendi to denounce him as "the Antichrist of the Babi Revelation." When Haji Mirza Aqasi learned that Mirza Buzurg was horrified at the Haji's role in murdering his predecessor, he retaliated by stripping Mirza Buzurg of his governorships, cutting off his annual allowance, and engineering his divorce from Fath-‘Ali Shda's daughter, whom he had married a few years earlier. Thus, in addition to losing his income, Mirza Buzurg faced a costly divorce settlement. When his ex-wife sent thugs who beat him daily in an effort to extract the money, he was forced to sell his complex of homes in Tihran and many valuable furnishings hurriedly and at a very low price. A few years later he passed away. Despite Haji Mirza Aqasi's antagonism toward Mirza Buzurg, he held Bahá'u'lláh in high regard, extended to Him every consideration, and spoke to Him as if He were his own son. 

- Geoffry Marks  (‘Call to Remembrance’)

Marriage Certificate of Bahá'u'lláh

1835: Bahá'u'lláh’s Marriage with Asiyih Khanum

In about October 1835, at the age of eighteen, Bahá'u'lláh married Asiyih Khanum, described as remarkably intelligent, winsome, vivacious, and exceedingly beautiful. She was the younger sister of Bahá'u'lláh’s brother-in-law, who had married His older sister Sarih Khanum about three years earlier. Asiyih Khanum, like Bahá'u'lláh, came from a noble and wealthy family. It is reported that her wedding treasures were so extensive that forty mules were needed to carry them to His home.

In the early years of their married life Bahá'u'lláh and Asiyih Khanum devoted themselves to charitable activities. Their daughter, Bahiyyih Khanum, recounts that they "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 acts of service earned them widespread renown as "The Father of the Poor" and "The Mother of Consolation." 

(Adapted from ‘Call to Remembrance’, by Geoffry Marks, ‘Bahá'u'lláh – A Short Biography’, by Moojan Momen)

An example of how Bahá'u'lláh during His youthful years chastised a famous religious leader for showing disrespect towards Christ

Mirza Abu'l-Fadl, a famous Baha’i scholar, relates in one of his works what he himself heard from a divine. 

In a gathering where Bahá'u'lláh was present a famous high-ranking Sufi religious leader who was highly esteemed by Muhammad Shah, was holding forth on the station that a human being can attain. Referring to himself, he said, 'Should my servant come to me and say that Jesus the Christ was at the door, asking for me, my detachment is such that I would express no wish to see Him.' Some of those present kept silent, while others out of flattery murmured assent. Only Bahá'u'lláh spoke up. He turned to the boastful divine who had expressed such disrespect for a Manifestation of God, and said: 'You are very close to the person of the sovereign and he is very devoted to you, but if the chief executioner with ten of his men were to come to this door and tell you that the monarch wanted to see you, would you take it calmly or would you be perturbed?' The arrogant religious leader paused for a while before replying, 'In truth, I would feel anxious.' 'In that case,' said Bahá'u'lláh, 'you should not make such an assertion.' 

Bahá'u'lláh's authoritative statement, according to Mirza Abu'l-Fadl, left them all speechless. 

(Adapted from “Baha’u’llah, the King of Glory’, by H.M. Balyuzi)

A mujtahid’s dream about Bahá'u'lláh during His youthful years – recalled by ‘Abdu’l-Baha

'Abdu'l-Baha has described how His own grandmother, who lived in Yalrud (a village near Takur) went one day at dawn to the house of a famous mujtahid to pray. This mujtahid (a doctor of Islamic law) was Shayk Muhammad-Taqi, a distant relative of the family. After the morning prayer he told ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s grandmother that he had some excellent news for her. He had had a dream in which he had found himself outside a house which no one was allowed to enter, because, said the door-keeper, within it the Qa'im of the House of Muhammad (the Promised One of Shi’ih Muslims) was closeted with Mirza Husayn-'Ali of Nur [Bahá'u'lláh]. At first the mujtahid had expressed his surprise that the son of a vizier should be so privileged; but on remembering their distant kinship, he had ascribed the privilege to this fact. 

(Adapted from ‘Bahá'u'lláh, The King of Glory’, by H.M. Balyuzi)

An example of Bahá'u'lláh’s great sagacity and insight as a youth

In the village of Yalrud which is near Bahá'u'lláh’s ancestral home in Takur, in northern Iran, there lived a mujtahid by the name of Shaykh Muhammad-Taqi who was well-famed throughout the land. He had a thousand scholars of divinity around him, whom he taught and, from time to time, presented with a complex question to resolve.

Whenever Bahá'u'lláh returned to His home in Takur, He would usually stop for a while in Yalrud, and here He would visit the mujtahid, who was distantly related to His family.

During a visit to Yarud, when Bahá'u'lláh was sitting in the company of Shaykh Muhmmmad-Taqi and other scholars and divines, He was asked to resolve a question they had been unable to answer to the mujtahid's satisfaction.

The problem was this:

An Islamic tradition states that ‘Fatimih is the best of the women of this world, but for the one born of Mary’. But since Mary had no daughter, what did this conundrum mean?

Bahá'u'lláh replied that the initial statement emphasized the impossibility of its alternative, since there could be no other woman comparable to Fatimih. It was like saying that a certain monarch is the greatest of the kings of this world, except for the one who comes down from Heaven; since no king has or will come down from Heaven, the uniqueness of that one monarch is stressed.

Bahá'u'lláh’s explanation left the great mujtahid silent, but next day he upbraided his disciples for having let him down badly. 'I have taught and trained you for years on end,' he complained, 'but when the need arises, I find you wanting in understanding, whereas an unturbaned youth has brilliantly explained the problem I had presented to you.' 

(Adapted from ‘Bahá'u'lláh, The King of Glory’, by H.M. Balyuzi)

Bahá'u'lláh was keenly affected by and opposed to all manifestations of injustice

While still young [possibly early teens], the Blessed Beauty [Bahá'u'lláh] watched as a government tax-collector, on three separate occasions, accosted His father and demanded, in a cruel and unjust manner, the payment of taxes. Unable to bear the injustice of it all, He, though still young, mounted His horse and rode for two days until He arrived in Tihran. There, He sought the dismissal of this unjust and tyrannical tax-collector. He succeeded in obtaining the necessary papers ordering the dismissal, and returned to His parents.
(Adapted from Memoirs of Dr. Diya Baghdadi, unpublished, reporting words heard from 'Abdu'l-Baha in ‘Stories of Bahá'u'lláh’, compiled by Hand of the Cause Ali-Akbar Furutan)

As a youth Bahá'u'lláh became well known for His unparalleled powers of exposition, yet He was courteous and non-argumentative

By the time Bahá'u'lláh was fourteen, His rare understanding, His complete mastery of argument, and His unparalleled powers or exposition were remarked in all circles. Yet He was never assertive nor argumentative; rather, always courteous and patient. Only one thing aroused His ire, and that was any disrespectful reference to the Messengers or God and His Chosen Ones. Even then He would admonish the offender with kindliness and calm. 

- Balyuzi  (‘Bahá'u'lláh, The King of Glory’)

The room Bahá'u'lláh was born in

This is the room Bahá'u'lláh was said to be born in, appropriately between dawn and sunrise, November 12, 1817. It was the main parlor of the house of His father in Tihran. Panes in the upper window are colored red, blue, yellow and green. (source: 'Land of Resplendent Glory', by the International Baha'i Audio-Visual Centre, 1971)

Seeing a puppet show at a young age and its marked effect on Bahá'u'lláh

In the Lawh-i-Ra'ís which was “revealed shortly after Bahá'u'lláh's incarceration in the citadel of 'Akká and includes a chilling denunciation of the character of the [Ottoman Prime] Minister”, Ali Pasha (The Universal House of Justice, Introduction to ‘Summons of the Lord of Hosts’), Baha’u’llah describes a puppet show that He saw during His older half-brother’s marriage and its effect on Him:

When I was still a child and had not yet attained the age of maturity, My father made arrangements in Tihran for the marriage of one of My older brothers, and as is customary in that city, the festivities lasted for seven days and seven nights. On the last day it was announced that the play "Shah Sultan Salim" would be presented. A large number of princes, dignitaries, and notables of the capital gathered for the occasion. I was sitting in one of the upper rooms of the building and observing the scene. Presently a tent was pitched in the courtyard, and before long some small human-like figures, each appearing to be no more than about a hand's span in height, were seen to emerge from it and raise the call: "His Majesty is coming! Arrange the seats at once!" Other figures then came forth, some of whom were seen to be engaged in sweeping, others in sprinkling water, and thereafter another, who was announced as the chief town crier, raised his call and bade the people assemble for an audience with the king. Next, several groups of figures made their appearance and took their places, the first attired in hats and sashes after the Persian fashion, the second wielding battleaxes, and the third comprising a number of footmen and executioners carrying bastinados. Finally there appeared, arrayed in regal majesty and crowned with a royal diadem, a kingly figure, bearing himself with the utmost haughtiness and grandeur, at turns advancing and pausing in his progress, who proceeded with great solemnity, poise and dignity to seat himself upon his throne.

Bahá'u'lláh’s remarkable knowledge and sagacity during His youthful years was acknowledged in all gatherings of doctors and scholars

…There was in Ṭihrán… a Youth of the family of one of the ministers and of noble lineage, gifted in every way, and adorned with purity and nobility. Although He combined lofty lineage with high connection, and although His ancestors were men of note in Persia and universally sought after, yet He was not of a race of doctors or a family of scholars. Now this Youth was from His earliest adolescence celebrated amongst those of the ministerial class, both relatives and strangers, for single-mindedness, and was from childhood pointed out as remarkable for sagacity, and held in regard in the eyes of the wise. He did not, however, after the fashion of His ancestors, desire elevation to lofty ranks nor seek advancement to splendid but transient positions. His extreme aptitude was nevertheless admitted by all, and His excessive acuteness and intelligence were universally avowed. In the eyes of the common folk He enjoyed a wonderful esteem, and in all gatherings and assemblies He had a marvelous speech and delivery. Notwithstanding lack of instruction and education such was the keenness of His penetration and the readiness of His apprehension that when during His youthful prime He appeared in assemblies where questions of divinity and points of metaphysic were being discussed, and, in presence of a great concourse of doctors and scholars loosed his tongue, all those present were amazed, accounting this as a sort of prodigy beyond the discernment natural to the human race. From His early years He was the hope of His kindred and the unique one of His family and race, nay, their refuge and shelter.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘A Traveler’s Narrative’)

Bahá'u'lláh's ancestral home in Takur

Two views of Bahá'u'lláh's ancestral home in Takur, in the district of Nur, where He usually spent His summers as a boy.

Bahá'u'lláh became renowned for His learning when He was about thirteen years old

He was extremely kind and generous. He was a great lover of outdoor life, most of His time being spent in the garden or the fields. He had an extraordinary power of attraction, which was felt by all. People always crowded around Him, Ministers and people of the Court would surround Him, and the children also were devoted to Him. When He was only thirteen or fourteen years old He became renowned for His learning. He would converse on any subject and solve any problem presented to Him. In large gatherings He would discuss matters with the 'Ulama (leading mullas) and would explain intricate religious questions. All of them used to listen to Him with the greatest interest. 

- 'Abdu'l-Baha  (Quoted by Esslemont in ‘Baha'u'llah and New Era’)

Bahá'u'lláh and His siblings

• Mirza Aqa -- a half-brother. Baha’u’llah mentions an occasion in His childhood when during the wedding of this brother His attention was drawn to a puppet show.
• Mirza Muhammad -- a half-brother
• Mirza Muhammad-'Ali -- a half-brother
• Sakinih Khanum -- a half-sister
• Sughra Khanum -- a half-sister
• Sarih Khanum -- she is generally known as 'Ukht', Arabic for sister, because Baha'u'llah has thus referred to her.
• Mirza Mihdi -- he died in his father's lifetime
• Bahá'u'lláh (Mirza, Husayn-'Ali)
• Mirza Musa – faithful to Baha’u’llah. He was entitled Aqay-i-Kalim in later years.
• Nisa Khanum -- she married Mirza Majid-i-Ahi, a secretary of the Russian Legation.
• Shah-Sultan Khanum -- a half-sister. She was also called 'Izziyih Khanum. She later became a firm supporter of Mirza Yahya (Subhi-i-Azal).
• Mirza Taqi – a half-brother. He was a poet and became a Shaykhi much opposed to Baha’u’llah.
• Mirza Rida-Quli -- a half-brother. He earned the designation Haji' by his pilgrimage to Mecca, and kept apart from Baha'u'llah even trying to conceal the fact of their relationship. His wife, Maryam, however, became greatly devoted to Baha’u’llah.
• Mirza Ibrahim -- a half-brother. He died in his father's lifetime.
• Fatimih Sultan Khanum -- a half-sister. She also chose later to follow Mirza Yahya.
• Mirza Yahya -- a half-brother
• Husniyyih Khanum -- a half-sister
• Mirza Muhammad-Quli -- a half-brother. He was greatly devoted to Baha’u’llah. 

(Adapted from ‘Baha’u’llah the King of Glory’, by H.M. Balyuzi)

Khadijih Khanum – the mother of Bahá'u'lláh

Khadijih Khanum's family belonged to the Namadsab tribe. Members of this tribe occupied areas in close proximity to Takur in the district of Núr in Mazandaran where Bahá'u'lláh's father and paternal ancestors came from. It is not known who Khadijih Khanum's parents were or whether she had any siblings. There is also no information available about Khadijih Khanum's childhood or early life. All aspects of her life before she married Mirza Buzurg, Bahá'u'lláh's father, remain unexplored. The date and place of her birth are also unknown. She was likely born in one of the villages in the vicinity of the village of Takur.

Following the traditional pattern, Khadijih Khanum married probably very young to a certain Aqa Sultan. He died sometime after the birth of their third child. They had two daughters and one son and were probably residing in Tihran. Sometime after his death, Khadijih Khanum married Mirza Buzurg.

Khadijih Khanum’s family had preexisting ties to the family of Mirza Buzurg since an older sister of Mirza Buzurg was already married into the family. It is estimated that their wedding took place between 1810 and 1812. They had five children. The first-born of that marriage was a daughter, Sarih Khanum: she is generally known as 'Ukht’, Arabic for sister, because Baha’u’llah has thus referred to her. The next was a son, Mirza Mihdi, who died in his father's lifetime. Bahá'u'lláh was their third-born. The fourth was another son, Mirza Musa, entitled Aqay-i-Kalim in later years, and the fifth was another daughter, Nisa Khanum, who was married to Mirza Majid-i-Ahi, a secretary of the Russian Legation. It was the Custom of the family to spend the winter months in Tehran, where Mirza Buzurg would attend to his government duties, and the summer in the family home in Takur. It is not clear exactly when Khadijih Khanum passed away and where she has been buried.

When Khadijih Khanum passed away, Bahá'u'lláh revealed a visitation prayer in her honour. The prayer bears no date and there is no indication as to where it was revealed. Here is a provisional translation approved by the Baha’i World Center:

Bahá'u'lláh's Father's House in Tihran

Bahá'u'lláh’s father - Mirza Buzurg

Specimen of the calligraphy
of Mirza Buzurg, Baha'u'llah's father

Bahá'u'lláh's father was renowned as a calligrapher. Indeed his real name was 'Abbas and he had been given the designation Buzurg (meaning "great") by the king because of his calligraphic prowess. He became the minister to a royal prince who was the commander of the royal guards. He was later a vizier (minister), an official responsible for the collection of taxes, in a province. As was customary among Iran's nobility, Mirza Buzurg had an extensive family.

Bahá'u'lláh’s father was a close associate of Qa'im-M'aqam, the Prime Minister to Muhammad Shah. Qa'im-Maqam was one of the few Iranians who had woken up to the fact that the world was passing Iran by and that the country needed to modernize if it was not to be swallowed up by the colonialist forces that threatened it: Russia from the north and Britain from the south. But in 1835, Muhammad Shah turned against Qa'im-Maqam and had him executed, a not uncommon fate for Qajar Prime Ministers. As a result, Bahá'u'lláh's father fell into disfavour also, particularly as he was at odds with the new Prime Minister, Haji Mirza Aqasi. He lost his position and much of his wealth, and even his mansion in Takur was all but destroyed in a flood. He fell ill and eventually died in the spring of 1839. 

(Adapted from ‘Bahá'u'lláh, a Short Biography’, by Moojan Momen)

Province of Mazandaran – home of Bahá'u'lláh’s family

Bahá'u'lláh's family came from Nur, a district in the Iranian province of Mazandaran, the province in north Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea. This province has high mountain peaks in the south descending to the northern coastal plain bordering the sea. Because of the dense sub-tropical jungles of the lower parts of the province (a stark contrast to the dry desert conditions in much of the rest of Iran), it was always a difficult area for invaders to penetrate. The Zoroastrian royalty and nobility fled to these parts after the Arab Islamic invasion of Iran in the seventh century and Bahá'u'lláh's family are said to have been descended from the last Zoroastrian monarch of Iran. Even when the people of this area finally converted to Islam centuries after that invasion, they mainly converted to the Zaydi form of Shi'i Islam as distinct from the Sunni Islam of most of the rest of Iran. It was only when the Safavid monarchs imposed Twelver Shi'i Islam on the whole country that Mazandaran fell into line with the rest of Iran.

The noble families of the Nur district, including Bahá'u'lláh's family, had for generations provided the kings of Iran with well-educated government officials: civil servants who would collect taxes, keep accounts, pay the army and generally administer the government. Bahá'u'lláh's father, Mirza Buzurg Nuri, rose in the ranks of these civil servants to become the minister to a royal prince who was the commander of the royal guards. He was later a vizier (minister), an official responsible for the collection of taxes, in a province. He was given the village of Takur in the Nur region in lieu of salary and he built a fine mansion there by the side of the Nur river as a family home. 

- Moojan Momen  (‘Bahá'u'lláh, a Short Biography’)

Condition of Persia (Iran) at the time of Bahá'u'lláh’s birth

Tehran - Shimran gate c 1800

Iran at the beginning of the nineteenth century was asleep. The world around it was beginning to change rapidly but it was largely unaware of this. In Europe, the Industrial Revolution was starting to transform life in all its aspects: food, clothes, housing, work, transport, the city landscape, the environment -- nothing was spared its effects. Politically the age of the colonialist expansion into India and Africa was just beginning and even China and Japan were eventually unable to resist foreign penetration. Intellectually, the effects of the Age of Enlightenment were removing religion from the central position that it had always occupied and replacing it with science as the guarantor of truth.

But just as the world was being roused into a flurry of activity, Iran was settling into a comfortable repose after a turbulent eighteenth century which had seen the two-hundred year Safavid dynasty overthrown and a seventy-year period of turmoil.

At the end of the eighteenth century, the Qajar tribe had imposed its authority over the whole of Iran and settled into a system of government where every governorship of the provinces and every high government position was sold off to the highest bidder who would then act as a tax farmer, milking his position for whatever returns it offered until he was replaced. There was no law or system of government beyond the will of the king or of the local governor. They had the power of life and death over their subjects, who could be killed for even the most trivial reason. Even the state treasury was very rudimentary with officials being allocated in lieu of salary the taxes of certain villages, of which they in effect became lords and from which they were responsible for collecting their salaries as taxes. The nomadic tribes which were at least a third of the population were virtually independent. 

- Moojan Momen  (‘Bahá'u'lláh, a Short Biography’)

Bahá'u'lláh didn’t attend any schools

The education and instruction which Bahá'u'lláh received was limited both in nature and extent, as He Himself states in the Tablet addressed to Nasir’d-Din Shah: 'The learning current amongst men I studied not; their schools I entered not. Ask of the city wherein I dwelt, that thou mayest be well assured that I am not of them who speak falsely.' 

In those days, the scions of noble houses were taught such matters as befitted their station in life, such as riding, handling a gun, wielding a sword, calligraphy, acquaintance with the works of the great classical poets of the land, a good reading knowledge of the Holy Book, the Qur'an, and hardly ever anything more. They were given such instruction by tutors, specially engaged by the parents, who were also required to teach them good manners. 

- Balyuzi  (‘Bahá'u'lláh, The King of Glory’)