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:
The most honoured, esteemed and respected mother.
He is God!
Praised be Thou O Lord, My God! This is My mother who hath
acknowledged Thy oneness, confessed Thy unity, attained the honour of meeting
Thy Manifestations in Thy days, reached the station of recognition and entered
the tabernacle of Heaven, for she loved Thyself and Thy Servant and held fast
to the cord of Thy love through the sanctified Temples of Thy Sovereignty.
I beseech Thee, therefore, O My God, to grant her the honour
of beholding Thy Beauty, and vouchsafe unto her the gift of Thy Presence. Give
her to drink then from the ocean of Thy mercy and the chalice of Thy
forgiveness. Make her to dwell, O My God, in the precincts of Thy mercy in the
Heaven of eternity. Grant her to hear Thy holy melodies that she may cast the
veil from her head in her eagerness to meet Thee and speed through the domains
of Thy nearness and union.
Thou art verily powerful over all that Thou desirest, and
Thou art verily the Mighty, the Most Luminous.
(Adapted from ‘Leaves of the
Twin Divine Trees’, by Baharieh Rouhani-Ma’ani, ‘Baha’u’llah, A Short
Biography’, by Moojan Momen, and ‘Baha’u’llah, The King of Glory’, by H.M.
Baluzi)
