Ásíyih Khánum

[5] Mírzá ʻAbbás Núrí agreed, possibly enticed by a substantial dowry that included three servants, a sizable piece of land, property, and a sum of money.

Despite their assertion that they acted independently, the entire Bábí community bore the blame, triggering a widespread pogrom initiated by the Shah.

According to her children’s recollections, Azal restricted the family’s freedom, forbidding Ásíyih from seeking medical help when her baby needed a doctor.

[14] In July 1868, a royal decree was issued, condemning the Bábís/Baháʼís to perpetual imprisonment and isolation in remote outposts of the Ottoman Empire.

Once again, and for the final time, the family was exiled to the prison city of Acre, Israel, which proved to be the most challenging place they had experienced thus far.

[16] The inhabitants of Acre were informed that the new prisoners were deemed enemies of the state, God, and His religion, and any association with them was strictly prohibited.

[9] The Baháʼís were imprisoned in appalling conditions within a cluster of cells covered in dirt and sewage, without adequate food for three days.

As the people of Acre began to show respect for the Baháʼís, particularly ʻAbdu'l-Bahá,[9] he arranged for houses to be rented for the family.

[9] Despite her delicate health, exacerbated by the climate of Acre, Ásíyih continued her nursing work, a vocation she had initiated in Tehran.

Remembered in the city for assisting the sick and developing remedies, she maintained this commitment [9] As pilgrims gradually arrived from Persia, Ásíyih greeted them as the "head of the household," earning great respect and admiration from both Baháʼís and her own children.

[18] Baháʼu'lláh affectionately called her “Navváb”,[9] and also gave her the names Varaqiyih-'Ulyá, meaning "Most Exalted Leaf," and his "perpetual consort in the worlds of God".

[21] Baháʼu'lláh expressed his profound grief, stating that after Ásíyih, his light had turned to darkness, his joy to sadness, and calmness into agitation.

[23] They were removed from their previous resting places and the bodies were temporarily left in the Shrine of the Báb till the burial arrangements were finished.

[23] He then cabled the Baháʼís: Blessed remains Purest Branch and Master's mother safely transferred hallowed precincts Shrines Mount Carmel.

[23] Tall by the standards of nineteenth-century Persia, Ásíyih possessed a fair complexion, dark hair, deep blue eyes, and regular features, making her a recognized beauty.

[25] Described by her daughter as a "pearl amongst women",[9] historical accounts depict her as "slender, stately, with white skin and blue eyes and dark hair".

Unaccustomed to labor, she faced difficulties during the exile in Baghdad, with her hands suffering from blisters and cuts caused by washing clothes.

Remembered for her strong character, her son `Abdu’l-Bahá reflected that she was "patient, God-fearing, calm, humble, and contented."

Following the unexpected death of her son Mírzá Mihdí, she found solace in her deeply rooted belief that he was in heaven.

Her granddaughter fondly remembered her, stating, "my eyes will always see her in her blue dress…her sweet, smiling face…as she chanted prayers in her musical voice".

When the exiled Bahá’í community experienced a period of relative freedom, Ásíyih actively participated in caring for the sick in Acre.