Baháʼu'lláh's family
[1] He was born in 1817 to Khadíjih Khánum and Mírzá Buzurg of Nur (in the province of Mazandaran), a Persian nobleman, and went on to be a leader in the Bábí movement, and then established the Baháʼí Faith in 1863.
One of Baháʼu'lláh's titles is Sadratu'l-Muntahá, which translates from Arabic as the tree beyond which there is no passing (a quote from Qurʼan 53:14).
Thus Baháʼu'lláh's eldest daughter, Bahíyyih (given name, Fatimih), was given the title of the Greatest Holy Leaf.
[8] During Baháʼu'lláh's lifetime, he referred to his eldest son, Abbás, by terms such as "Sirru'lláh" (Mystery of God), or "Sarkár-i-Áqá" (the Master).
[citation needed] Aghṣán, '("Branches") is a term in the literature of the Baháʼí Faith referring to the male descendants of Baháʼu'lláh.
[12] She was chosen to marry the young Baháʼu'lláh based on her rare physical beauty, wealth and piety.
They married some time between 24 September and 22 October 1835 aged 15 in Tehran and she had seven of Baháʼu'lláh's children, of whom only three lived to adulthood.
[16] He was variously referred to by Baháʼu'lláh as "Mystery of God", "The Master", "Perfect Exemplar" and "the Most Great Branch".
[9][16] During his time as head of the religion, while still a prisoner of the Ottoman Empire, he met with many pilgrims and was in constant communication with Baháʼís around the world.
[17] After the 1908 Young Turks revolution freed all political prisoners in the Ottoman Empire, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá was freed from imprisonment and in 1910, with the freedom to leave the country, he embarked on a three-year journey to Egypt, Europe, and North America, spreading the Baháʼí message.
[8] She stood by and remained faithful to the Centers of the Covenant over years of infighting within Baháʼu'lláh's family that led to the expelling of many of them.
[21] Mírzá Mihdí was eventually buried alongside his mother in the gardens below the Baháʼí Arc on Mount Carmel in Haifa near his brother and sister.
[21] Ásíyih bore at least four other children, all sons,[22] but due to their early deaths little is known about them: Fatimih was born in 1828 in Mazandaran and was generally known as Mahd-i-'Ulya.
[29][30] Motivated by jealousy of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá he conspired to undermine his brother's leadership,[31] but he was unable to gain extensive support from the Baháʼís.
[29] When ʻAbdu'l-Bahá died, his will went into great detail about how Muhammad ʻAlí had been unfaithful to the Covenant, labelling him a Covenant-breaker, and appointing Shoghi Effendi his successor instead.
[citation needed] His daughter Sadhij Bahaa was a militant leader of women's rights in Palestine, and married Najib Nassar.
She was brought to Baghdad by her brother Mirza Mihdiy-i-Kashani with his intention reportedly being for her to serve the household and Ásíyih Khánum.
[27] Her brother wrote a number of times asking Baháʼu'lláh to allow them to enter Akká and finally he accepted.
Furughiyyih was the daughter of Baháʼu'lláh and she was married to Siyyid Ali Afnan, the son of the Báb's brother-in-law.
[52][54] This was later interpreted by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá that having a second wife is conditional upon treating both wives with justice and equality, and was not possible in practice, thus establishing monogamy.
The question about how this conforms to religious law is addressed directly in two letters from Universal House of Justice quoting Shoghi Effendi twice: Baháʼís argue that polygamy is an ancient practice and other religions did not require monogamy.
