1997: Formation of Regional Baha’i Councils: - “a new element of Baha’i administration, between the local and national levels”

30 May 1997

To National Spiritual Assemblies

Dear Bahá’í Friends

The expansion of the Baha’i community and the growing complexity of the issues which are facing National Spiritual Assemblies in certain countries have brought the Cause to a new stage in its development. They have caused us in recent years to examine various aspects of the balance between centralization and decentralization. In a few countries we have authorized the National Spiritual Assemblies to establish State Baha’i Councils or Regional Teaching and Administrative Committees. From the experience gained in the operation of these bodies, and from detailed examination of the principles set forth by Shoghi Effendi, we have reached the conclusion that the time has arrived for us to formalize a new element of Baha’i administration, between the local and national levels, comprising institutions of a special kind, to be designated as “Regional Baha’i Councils.”

Regional Bahá’í Councils will be brought into being only with our permission and only in countries where conditions make this step necessary. Nevertheless, we find it desirable to inform all National Spiritual Assemblies of the nature of this historic development, and to make clear its place in the evolution of national and local Baha’i institutions.

The institutions of the Administrative Order of Bahá'u'lláh, rooted in the provisions of His Revelation, have emerged gradually and organically, as the Bahá’í community has grown through the power of the divine impulse imparted to humankind in this age. The characteristics and functions of each of these institutions have evolved, and are still evolving, as are the relationships between them. The writings of the beloved Guardian expound the fundamental elements of this mighty System and make it clear that the Administrative Order, although different in many ways from the World Order which it is the destiny of the Baha’i Revelation to call into being, is both the “nucleus” and “pattern” of that World Order. Thus, the evolution of the institutions of the Administrative Order, while following many variants to meet changing conditions in different times and places, should strictly follow the essential principles of Bahá’í administration which have been laid down in the Sacred Text and in the interpretations provided by Abdu’l-Bahá and the Guardian.

1946: A youth meeting at the Hazírat’ul-Quds in Tihrán

1955: First Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Damanhour, Egypt

(Baha'i News, December 1955)

Bahá’u’lláh’s warning in “the opening passages of the Súriy-i-Mulúk” [Tablet to the Kings] and the plight of royalty

And as we survey in other fields the decline in the fortunes of royalty, whether in the years immediately preceding the Great War or after, and contemplate the fate that has overtaken the Chinese Empire, the Portuguese and Spanish Monarchies, and more recently the vicissitudes that have afflicted, and are still afflicting, the sovereigns of Norway, of Denmark and of Holland, and observe the impotence of their fellow-sovereigns, and note the fear and trembling that has seized their thrones, may we not associate their plight with the opening passages of the Súriy-i-Mulúk, which, in view of their momentous significance, I feel impelled to quote a second time: “Fear God, O concourse of kings, and suffer not yourselves to be deprived of this most sublime grace.... Set your hearts towards the face of God, and abandon that which your desires have bidden you to follow, and be not of those who perish.... Ye examined not His [the Báb’s] Cause, when so to do had been better for you than all that the sun shineth upon, could ye but perceive it.... Beware that ye be not careless henceforth, as ye have been careless aforetime.... My face hath come forth from the veils, and shed its radiance upon all that is in heaven and on earth, and yet ye turned not towards Him.... Arise then ... and make ye amends for that which hath escaped you.... If ye pay no heed unto the counsels which, in peerless and unequivocal language, We have revealed in this Tablet, Divine chastisement shall assail you from every direction, and the sentence of His justice shall be pronounced against you.... Twenty years have passed, O kings, during which We have, each day, tasted the agony of a fresh tribulation.... Though aware of most of Our afflictions, ye, nevertheless, have failed to stay the hand of the aggressor. For is it not your clear duty to restrain the tyranny of the oppressor, and to deal equitably with your subjects, that your high sense of justice may be fully demonstrated to all mankind?” 

- Shoghi Effendi (‘The Promised Day Is Come’)

circa 1930s: The Citadel of Tabriz - where the Báb was briefly held at the time of His trial before the Governor and clergy

March 1996: Progress on the Arc and Terraces Projects at the Baha'i World Center

(The Baha'i World 1995-1996)

circa 1847: The “first imprisonment He [Bahá’u’lláh] suffered for the sake of His loved ones. He remained in captivity for a few days”

Bahá’u’lláh who was at that time residing in Tihrán, was informed of the plight of these prisoners who had been the companions and supporters of Táhirih. As He was already acquainted with the kad-khudá in whose home they were incarcerated, He decided to visit them and intervene in their behalf. That avaricious and deceitful official, who was fully aware of the extreme generosity of Bahá’u’lláh, greatly exaggerated in the hope of deriving a substantial pecuniary advantage for himself, the misfortune that had befallen the unhappy captives. “They are destitute of the barest necessities of life,” urged the kad-khudá. “They hunger for food, and their clothing is wretchedly scanty.” Bahá’u’lláh extended immediate financial assistance for their relief, and urged the kad-khudá to relax the severity of the rule under which they were confined. The latter consented to relieve a few who were unable to support the oppressive weight of their chains, and for the rest did whatever he could to alleviate the rigour of their confinement. Prompted by greed, he informed his superiors of the situation, and emphasised the fact that both food and money were being regularly supplied by Bahá’u’lláh for those who were imprisoned in his house.

These officials were in their turn tempted to derive every possible advantage from the liberality of Bahá’u’lláh. They summoned Him to their presence, protested against His action, and accused Him of complicity in the act for which the captives had been condemned. “The kad-khudá,” replied Bahá’u’lláh, “pleaded their cause before Me and enlarged upon their sufferings and needs. He himself bore witness to their innocence and appealed to Me for help. In return for the aid which, in response to his invitation, I was impelled to extend, you now charge Me with a crime of which I am innocent.” Hoping to intimidate Bahá’u’lláh by threatening immediate punishment, they refused to allow Him to return to His home. The confinement to which He was subjected was the first affliction that befell Bahá’u’lláh in the path of the Cause of God; the first imprisonment He suffered for the sake of His loved ones. He remained in captivity for a few days, until Ja’far-Qulí Khán, the brother of Mírzá Áqá Khán-i-Núrí, who at a later time was appointed Grand Vazír of the Sháh, and a number of other friends intervened in His behalf and, threatening the kad-khudá in severe a language, were able to effect His release. Those who had been responsible for His confinement had confidently hoped to receive, in return for His deliverance, the sum of one thousand túmans, but they soon found out that they were forced to comply with the wishes of Ja’far-Qulí Khán without the hope of receiving, either from him or from Bahá’u’lláh, the slightest reward. With profuse apologies and with the utmost regret, they surrendered their Captive into his hands.

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

1996: First National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'is of Moldova

It was Shoghi Effendi who initially called for the introduction of the Bahá’í Faith into the territory of Moldova at the launching of the Ten Year Plan in 1953. The first Bahá’í who visited Moldova with this goal in mind was Mrs. Krüger in 1974. As a result of her repeated trips and constant correspondence, the first Moldovan embraced the Bahá’í Faith in Chisinau in 1984. Later, with the easing of restrictions and changed political conditions, Bahá’ís from different parts of the world were able to settle as pioneers or visit Moldova as traveling teachers. In 1991, the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Moldova was formed and placed under the jurisdiction of the National Spiritual Assembly of what was then the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The following Ridván, there were 26 Bahá’ís and the administrative duties of this infant community were placed under the Regional Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova. It was not, however, until the Three Year Plan (1993-1996) that the numbers of Bahá’ís expanded rapidly—from 66 in June 1994 to 173 a year and a half later—allowing for the formation of the country’s own National Assembly. 

(The Baha’i World 1996-1997)

“grandsons of both Násiri’d-Dín Sháh and of Sultán ‘Abdu’l-‘Azíz… turned to the World Center of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh” for assistance

Already grandsons of both Násiri’d-Dín Sháh and of Sultán ‘Abdu’l-‘Azíz have, in their powerlessness and destitution, turned to the World Center of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, and sought respectively political aid and pecuniary assistance. In the case of the former, the request was promptly and firmly refused, whilst in the case of the latter it was unhesitatingly offered. 

- Shoghi Effendi (‘The Promised Day Is Come’)

Bahá’u’llah’s contributions to the Cause of the Báb

 Bahá’u’lláh alone was the object and the center of the cryptic allusions, the glowing eulogies, the fervid prayers, the joyful announcements and the dire warnings recorded in both the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá’ and the Bayán, designed to be respectively the first and last written testimonials to the glory with which God was soon to invest Him.

• It was He Who, through His correspondence with the Author of the newly founded Faith, and His intimate association with the most distinguished amongst its disciples, such as Vahíd, Hujjat, Quddús, Mullá Husayn and Táhirih, was able to foster its growth, elucidate its principles, reinforce its ethical foundations, fulfill its urgent requirements, avert some of the immediate dangers threatening it and participate effectually in its rise and consolidation.
• It was to Him, “the one Object of our adoration and love” that the Prophet-pilgrim, on His return to Búshihr, alluded when, dismissing Quddús from His presence, He announced to him the double joy of attaining the presence of their Beloved and of quaffing the cup of martyrdom.
• He it was Who, in the hey-day of His life, flinging aside every consideration of earthly fame, wealth and position, careless of danger, and risking the obloquy of His caste, arose to identify Himself, first in Tihrán and later in His native province of Mázindarán, with the cause of an obscure and proscribed sect; won to its support a large number of the officials and notables of Núr, not excluding His own associates and relatives; fearlessly and persuasively expounded its truths to the disciples of the illustrious mujtahid, Mullá Muhammad; enlisted under its banner the mujtahid’s appointed representatives; secured, in consequence of this act, the unreserved loyalty of a considerable number of ecclesiastical dignitaries, government officers, peasants and traders; and succeeded in challenging, in the course of a memorable interview, the mujtahid himself.

1983: “the growth of the Faith had given rise to the need for a greater involvement in the life of society”

Bambino School, a Bahá'í-inspired
school in Lilongwe, Malawi

When the Bahá’í community was small, its contribution to social well-being was naturally limited. In 1983 the House of Justice announced that the growth of the Faith had given rise to the need for a greater involvement in the life of society. Bahá’ís began to engage more systematically in the work of social and economic development through activities of varying degrees of complexity. Efforts to contribute to social transformation also include participation in the public discourse on issues of concern to humanity, such as peace, the elimination of prejudices of all kinds, the spiritual and moral empowerment of youth, and the promotion of justice. These two types of activity have steadily increased over the past twenty-five years and will grow in scope and influence in the future.

The organized endeavors of the Bahá’í community in these areas are reinforced by the diverse initiatives of individual believers working in various fields—as volunteers, professionals, and experts—to contribute to social change. The distinctive nature of their approach is to avoid conflict and the contest for power while striving to unite people in the search for underlying moral and spiritual principles and for practical measures that can lead to the just resolution of the problems afflicting society.

- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 23 December 2008, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 2001-2022’)

1958: National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Iran

(The Baha'i World 1954-1963)

1995: Ruling of Supreme Court in India Citing the Bahá’í Teachings as a Guideline for Resolving Disputes

5 May 1995

To all National Spiritual Assemblies

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

The Universal House of Justice was overjoyed to receive recently a copy of a judgment by the Supreme Court of India on a religious dispute between the Hindus and Muslims in which the official decision of this highest judicial authority in India cited the Bahá’í Faith as an example and the Teachings of the Faith as guidelines for solving such disputes. As you may recall, the Babri mosque in the northern town of Ayodhya was razed by a group of Hindus because the mosque, built in 1528, had been erected on the spot where the Hindu god Rama is said to have been born thousands of years earlier. The destruction enraged Muslims and ignited a grave crisis in India. Muslim and Hindu mobs attacked each other’s houses of worship, homes and people in a number of cities, resulting in the death of hundreds and the destruction of property not only in India but in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and even in Britain.

The relevant excerpt from the judgment of the Supreme Court of India dated 24 October 1994 is enclosed for your information.

Ridvan 1995: Five New National Spiritual Assemblies

7 December 1994

To all National Spiritual Assemblies

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

With joyful hearts we announce the formation next Ridván of five new National Spiritual Assemblies.

• One will be in Africa: Eritrea with its seat in Asmara;
• two in Asia:
• Armenia with its seat in Yerevan and
• Georgia with its seat in Tbilisi;
• and two in Europe:
• Belarus with its seat in Minsk and
• Sicily with its seat in Palermo.

The Regional Spiritual Assembly of Russia, Georgia and Armenia will then become the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Russian Federation, and the Regional Spiritual Assembly of the Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova will become the Regional Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Ukraine and Moldova.

Moreover, a simultaneous occurrence will be the merging of the Bahá’í communities of Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, South Africa and Transkei under the one National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of South Africa, to reflect the recent political reunion of that region.

These thrilling prospects denote the quickening pace of the consolidation process in different parts of the world, making possible a further thrust in the evolution of the wondrous System originated by the Lord of the Age for ordering the affairs and ultimately guaranteeing the peace of the entire planet. In their contemplation of such impending victories, may the friends everywhere derive fresh encouragement to increase and accelerate their manifold efforts in spreading the Message of Bahá’u’lláh in all regions.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

The Universal House of Justice

(‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1986-2001’)

1852: Eight-year-old ‘Abdu’l-Baha attempts to see His Father in the Siyah-Chal

Siyah-Chal (The Black Pit) of Tehran - a depiction

When I visited the dungeon in Tihrán, as a child, in order to see Bahá’u’lláh — when the door was opened there were some steps leading down into the place. They took me as far as midway. I peered through the darkness; I could not find any one; it was exceedingly gloomy. Then I heard the Blessed voice saying: "Take him away." When I heard His voice I tried to see the Blessed Beauty, but because of the great darkness I could not. Then I was taken out; they seated me. They said it is customary, about midday, to take the prisoners out for their meals; so there I sat. About noontime the jailers were all ready and the prisoners were taken out. I saw Bahá’u’lláh’s neck in chains, bound to another, both of them chained to the same link, one about His neck and another about the person who was chained to Him. The weight of the chains was so excessive that His neck was bent and He walked with great difficulty, and He was in a very sad condition. His clothes were tattered and battered; even the hat on His head was torn. He was in the utmost of ordeal and His health was quite visibly failing. They brought me and seated me, and they took Him to the place where there was a pond, in order that He might wash His face. After that they took Him back to the dungeon, and I, although I was a child, was so overcome I was unconscious. And then Bahá‘u’lláh said: "Take the child away to the house," and therefore I was taken away. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk, October 19, Los Angeles; ‘World Order magazine, January 1945)

October 1863: Baha'u'llah reveals the Tablet of Subhánika-Yá-Hú, also known as Lawh-i-Náqús (Tablet of the Bell)

Subhánika-Yá-Hú: A beautiful tablet in Arabic and in Bahá'u'lláh's own hand was revealed in Constantinople on the eve of the 5th of Jamadiyu'l-Avval 1280 A.H. (19 October 1863), the anniversary of the Declaration of the Báb.[1] This Tablet, because of its opening verse, is known as Lawh-i-Náqús (Tablet of the Bell) and is also referred to as the Subhanika-Ya-Hu. It was revealed following a request made through 'Abdu'l-Bahá by one of Bahá'u'lláh's companions, Aqa Muhammad-'Ally-i-Tambaku-Furush-i-Isfahani. The revelation of this Tablet on such an auspicious occasion brought immense joy to the hearts of those who were celebrating that historic festival. Bahá'u'lláh opens this Tablet with these words:

“O Monk of the Incomparable One! Ring out the Bell, inasmuch as the Day of the Lord hath shone forth and the Beauty of the All-Glorious is established upon His holy and resplendent Throne.”

These few lines give us a glimpse of the majesty and sublimity of the Tablet. Like those revealed near the time of Bahá'u'lláh's declaration, this Tablet pulsates with an indescribable power that can emanate only from the Pen of the Supreme Manifestation of God. Here, the matchless utterances of Bahá'u'lláh, original and profound, are possessed of such beauty and rhythm as no pen can describe. Composed in a style that lends itself to collective chanting, this Tablet creates an atmosphere of ecstasy and joy when chanted by the believers.[2] Revealed soon after His departure from Baghdad, it announces in clear and majestic terms the rising of the Orb of His Revelation, asserts that He[3] who was hidden behind the veils of concealment is now made manifest, extols the potency and glory of His Cause, declares that the Day of God has come, summons the inhabitants of the highest Paradise to prepare themselves and acquire the capacity for attaining the presence of God, bids his lovers rejoice and celebrate the coming of the Well-Beloved, and calls upon all created things to proclaim the glad-tidings of this Revelation to mankind. And finally, He prays for His companions: that they may become detached from everything besides Him, that their hearts may burn with the fire of His love and become pure and without desire. He also prays that His companions, devoted to the promotion of His Cause, may become victorious over all who dwell on earth. 

[1] The Declaration of the Báb was on the evening of 5 Jamadiyu'l-Avval, 1260 A.H. (22 May 1844), but at present in the East, the anniversary of this festival is celebrated according to the lunar calendar.]

[2] Not to be confused with congregational prayer, which (with the exception of the Prayer for the Dead) is forbidden by Bahá'u'lláh. Tablets in the original language are chanted by an individual. Occasionally, when there is a refrain in a Tablet, it has been customary for others to join in the refrain if it is suitable to do so.]

[3] Baha’u’llah

- Adib Taherzadeh (The Revelation of Baha'u'llah vol. 2)

March 1994: All nine members of United States NSA met with the Universal House of Justice

We recall with much joy and deep gratitude to Bahá'u'lláh your presence in the Holy Land only a short while ago during the month of the Fast. Your urgent request to which we acceded by meeting with all nine of your members in intensive consultations over a period of three days—a new fact of history in itself—initiated another phase in the evolution of your Assembly and reinforced the bonds that bind the American Baha’i community to the World Center of the Faith. Our hearts were touched by the candor, courage, and sincerity with which your members presented your concerns, as well as by the spirit of optimism you displayed despite the overwhelming challenges and burdens which prompted your request for a meeting with us. 

- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 19 May 1994 to NSA of USA; Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1986-2001)

1955: First Spiritual Assembly of Serekunda, Gambia

(Baha'i News, December 1955)

1993: Formation of Seven New National and Regional Spiritual Assemblies - Ridván 1994

The gathering momentum now evident in the continual teaching successes, notably in lands recently opened to the Faith, impels us to announce that conditions make it ripe for the formation next Ridván of seven new National and Regional Spiritual Assemblies.

There will be established in Asia:

• the National Spiritual Assemblies of Cambodia, with its seat in Phnom Penh;
• Kazakhstan, with its seat in Alma-Ata;
• Kyrgyzstan, with its seat in Bishkek;
• Mongolia, with its seat in Ulaan Baatar;
• Tajikistan, with its seat in Dushanbe;
• Uzbekistan, with its seat in Tashkent;
• the Regional Spiritual Assembly of Central Asia will become the National Spiritual Assembly of Turkmenistan, with its seat in ‘Ishqábád.

and in Europe:

• the Regional Spiritual Assembly of Slovenia and Croatia, with its seat in Ljubljana.

(Adapted from a message of the Universal House of Justice dated 26 November 1993 to all National Spiritual Assemblies; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1986-2001’)

1856-1863: “the Bahá’í community, under the name and in the shape of a re-arisen Bábí community was born and was slowly taking shape”

 During the seven years that elapsed between the resumption of His labors and the declaration of His prophetic mission—years to which we now direct our attention—it would be no exaggeration to say that the Bahá’í community, under the name and in the shape of a re-arisen Bábí community was born and was slowly taking shape, though its Creator still appeared in the guise of, and continued to labor as, one of the foremost disciples of the Báb.

• It was a period during which the prestige of the community’s nominal head steadily faded from the scene, paling before the rising splendor of Him Who was its actual Leader and Deliverer.
• It was a period in the course of which the first fruits of an exile, endowed with incalculable potentialities, ripened and were garnered.
• It was a period that will go down in history as one during which
• the prestige of a recreated community was immensely enhanced,
• its morals entirely reformed,
• its recognition of Him who rehabilitated its fortunes enthusiastically affirmed,
• its literature enormously enriched, and
• its victories over its new adversaries universally acknowledged.

- Shoghi Effendi (‘God Passes By’, chapter 8)

The first martyr of the Bábi Dispensation: Shaykh Sálih, an Arab resident of Karbilá, taught by Táhirih

Among the men who in Karbilá eagerly embraced, through the efforts of Táhirih, the Cause of the Báb, was a certain Shaykh Sálih, an Arab resident of that city who was the first to shed his blood in the path of the Faith, in Tihrán. She was so profuse in her praise of Shaykh Ṣáliḥ that a few suspected him of being equal in rank to Quddús. 

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

December 1992: Establishment of an Office for the Advancement of Women

10 December 1992

To all National Spiritual Assemblies

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

We take pleasure in announcing the decision to establish an Office for the Advancement of Women, which, as an agency of the Bahá’í International Community, will promote the principles of the Faith through its interaction with international entities concerned with matters affecting the rights, status and wellbeing of women. It will also advise National Spiritual Assemblies regarding programs and projects in which the involvement of the community can encourage efforts towards the realization of the equality of men and women.

The establishment of this Office now is largely a consequence of two gratifying developments, namely: the great extent to which the work of our United Nations Office concerning women’s issues has expanded in recent years; and the rising stature for the Bahá’í community which this work has achieved in international circles. We are delighted that, for instance, the Bahá’í International Community has been serving since 1988 as the convener of Advocates for African Food Security, a coalition of nongovernmental organizations, United Nations agencies and intergovernmental bodies formed in 1986 to raise awareness of women as producers of most of the domestic food in Africa; that our United Nations representative who specializes in women’s issues is a member of the Steering Committee which is planning the Non-Governmental Organizations Forum to be held in Beijing in 1995 at the time of the Fourth World Conference on Women; and that she chairs the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, New York, a position of great prestige in the UN/NGO community. Furthermore, the relations of the Bahá’í International Community with the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) have fostered a mutual confidence that has encouraged UNIFEM to collaborate with the Bahá’í International Community in the launching in three countries of projects aimed at promoting change in attitudes between men and women. All three projects involve the Bahá’í community at international, national and local levels.

How different monarchs responded to Tablets they received from Bahá’u’lláh

The French Emperor had, it was reported, flung away Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablet, and directed his minister, as Bahá’u’lláh Himself asserts, to address to its Author an irreverent reply. The Grand Vizir of ‘Abdu’l-‘Azíz, it is reliably stated, blanched while reading the communication addressed to his Imperial master and his ministers, and made the following comment: “It is as if the king of kings were issuing his behest to his humblest vassal king, and regulating his conduct!” Queen Victoria, it is said, upon reading the Tablet revealed for her remarked: “If this is of God, it will endure; if not, it can do no harm.” It was reserved for Násiri’d-Dín Sháh, however, to wreak, at the instigation of the divines, his vengeance on One Whom he could no longer personally chastise by arresting His messenger, a lad of about seventeen, by freighting him with chains, by torturing him on the rack, and finally slaying him. 

- Shoghi Effendi (‘The Promised Day Is Come’) 

Plans of Jamál Páshá, the [Ottoman] commander-in-chief in Syria, for Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

…Jamál Páshá, the commander-in-chief in Syria—he who had sworn to raze to the ground, after his triumphant return from Egypt, the Tomb of Bahá’u’lláh, and to publicly crucify the Center of His Covenant in a public square of Constantinople…

- Shoghi Effendi (‘The Promised Day Is Come’)

Google AI overview search results:

Ahmed Djemal Pasha (1872–1922) was a prominent Ottoman military leader and one of the "Three Pashas" ruling the empire during World War I. As Commander of the Fourth Army in Greater Syria (1914–1917), he was a brutal autocrat known as al-Saffah ("the Bloodthirsty") for executing Arab nationalists, forcing deportations, and overseeing severe food shortages that caused mass famine.

The “first among the women of Karbilá” to recognize the Báb: - “the revered widow of Siyyid Kázim, who was born in Shíráz”

She [Táhirih] was able to win to the Cause the revered widow of Siyyid Kázim, who was born in Shíráz, and was the first among the women of Karbilá to recognise its truth. I have heard Shaykh Sultán describe her extreme devotion to Táhirih, whom she revered as her spiritual guide and esteemed as her affectionate companion. He was also a fervent admirer of the character of the widow of the Siyyid, to whose gentleness of manner he often paid a glowing tribute. “Such was her attachment to Táhirih,” Shaykh Sultán was often heard to remark, “that she was extremely reluctant to allow that heroine who was a guest in her house to absent herself, though it were for an hour, from her presence. So great an attachment on her part did not fail to excite the curiosity and quicken the faith of her women friends, both Persian and Arab, who were constant visitors in her home. In the first year of her acceptance of the Message, she suddenly fell ill, and after the lapse of three days, as had been the case with Siyyid Kázim, she departed this life.” 

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