Daily Reflections and Stories for Children Book 5
Stories of Bahíyyih Khánum compiled by
Munirih Hodge illustrated by
Margo Styan
George Ronald Oxford
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CONTENTS Preface Acknowledgements 1 Detachment: Riches to Poverty 2 Protection: Waiting 3 Joyfulness: Planned Execution 4 Perseverance: Bitter Cold 5 Service: Tea Time 6 Obedience: Deep Well 7 Helpfulness: New Coat 8 Sacrifice: No Wedding 9 Endurance: Exiled 10 Steadfast: Pillar 11 Resilience: Dirty Water 12 Responsible: Prison Cell 13 Unity: Prison City 14 Friendliness: Sisters 15 Supportive: The Covenant 16 Consideration: Pilgrims 17 Generosity: Little Gifts 18 Leadership: The Ladies Room 19 Compassion: Deep Sorrow Bibliography References
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1 DETACHMENT
O God, my God! Fill up for me the cup of detachment from all things, and in the assembly of Thy splendours and bestowals, rejoice me with the wine of loving Thee. Free me from the assaults of passion and desire, break off from me the shackles of this nether world, draw me with rapture unto Thy supernal realm, and refresh me amongst the handmaids with the breathings of Thy holiness… Thou art, verily, the Powerful, the Ever-Giving, the Able, the Omnipotent.1 • Cast away that which ye possess, and, on the wings of detachment, soar beyond all created things. Thus biddeth you the Lord of creation, the movement of Whose Pen hath revolutionized the soul of mankind.2
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Riches to Poverty Bahíyyih Khánum was born in 1846 in Persia. She was the eldest daughter of Bahá’u’lláh, a Manifestation of God. Her brother, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, was two years older and her brother, Mírzá Mihdí was two years younger. When Bahíyyih Khánum was born her father was known as Mírzá Ḥusayn-‘Alí, no one knew He was a Manifestation of God. She was born into a well-known and wealthy family who were followers of the Báb. Bahíyyih Khánum’s family owned a lot of land. As a young girl she enjoyed going to their house in the country and playing with her brothers in the beautiful gardens filled with flowers and trees bearing delicious fruit. When Bahíyyih Khánum was six years old, two half-crazed Bábís tried to kill the king. All the other Bábís were wrongly held responsible for the attack. At this time her father was at their house in the country and Bahíyyih Khánum was at home with her mother and brothers. Suddenly a servant rushed into the room to see Bahíyyih Khánum’s mother. She was extremely upset. ‘The master, the master, he is arrested – I have seen him! He has walked many miles! Oh, they have beaten him! . . . His feet are bleeding! He has no shoes on! His turban has gone! His clothes are torn! There are chains upon his neck!’ Her mother’s face went pale, Bahíyyih Khánum and her brothers were scared and began to cry. Instantly all her relatives and all the servants, except for one, ran from the house terrified. Soon after, people came into their lavish home and stole everything, all their clothes, treasures and furniture. Bahíyyih Khánum’s uncle helped her mother and her three children escape. They found a small house to hide in, close to the prison where Bahíyyih Khánum’s father was taken. Her mother managed to save a few treasures given to her for her wedding. These items were sold and the money used to pay the guards to take food to her father in prison. All their possessions and land was taken. Overnight Bahíyyih Khánum went from having everything to having nothing, not even food to eat.3
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2 PROTECTION
He is God! O God, my God! We are children who have sucked the milk of divine knowledge from the breast of Thy love and have been admitted into Thy Kingdom while of tender age. We implore Thee in the daytime and in the night season saying: O Lord! Make firm our steps in Thy Faith, guard us within the stronghold of Thy protection, nourish us from Thy heavenly table, enable us to become signs of divine guidance and lamps aglow with upright conduct and aid us through the potency of the angels of Thy kingdom, O Thou Who art the Lord of glory and majesty! Verily Thou art the Bestower, the Merciful, the Compassionate.4 • O Ye Rich Ones on Earth! The poor in your midst are My trust; guard ye My trust, and be not intent only on your own ease.5
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Waiting Bahíyyih Khánum was only six years old when her father, Bahá’u’lláh, was held captive in a dark, cold prison three steep flights of stairs below ground.6 About 40 Bábís were packed inside a smelly dungeon with murderers and thieves. The ground was covered in a thick blanket of muck and dirt. Bahá’u’lláh had heavy chains around His neck and was chained to five other Bábís all day and all night. It was impossible to sleep because when one person moved the chains cut into the skin of each person on the chain. Each morning at least one of the Bábís would be taken out of the prison and killed in the public square. Bahíyyih Khánum and her brothers could hear the crowds shouting outside and they held tight to their mother, unsure if it was their own father being killed. Despite the danger, Bahíyyih Khánum’s mother waited until late at night to leave with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to find out if their beloved father was still alive. Bahíyyih Khánum, left alone with her younger brother, crouched in the dark in fear. She protected her brother by holding him in her shaking little arms, waiting and waiting for news, scared her mother might also be taken away.7
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