Táhirih
Táhirih (Ṭāhira) (Persian: طاهره, "The Pure One," also called Qurrat al-ʿAyn (Arabic: قرة العين "Solace/Consolation of the Eyes") are both titles of Fatimah Baraghani/Umm-i Salmih[1][2] (1814 or 1817 – August 16–27, 1852),[3] an influential poet, women's rights activist and theologian of the Bábí faith in Iran.
Táhirih travelled to the Shiʻi holy city of Karbala to meet Kazim Rashti, but he died a number of days before her arrival.
After the historic Conference of Badasht, a number of those who attended were so amazed at the fearlessness and outspoken language of that heroine, that they felt it their duty to acquaint the Báb with the character of her startling and unprecedented behaviour.
[citation needed] Táhirih was born Fātemeh Baraghāni in Qazvin, Iran (near Tehran),[4] the oldest of four daughters of Muhammad Salih Baraghani, an Usuli mujtahid who was remembered for his interpretations of the Quran, his eulogies of the tragedies of Karbala, his zeal for the execution of punishments, and his active opposition to the consumption of wine.
Her father Muhammad-Salih Baraghani was a writer in his own right and his writings laud the martyrdom of the Muhammad's grandson and third Imam Husayn ibn Ali and discuss Persian literature.
[5] Though showing herself a capable writer and poet,[20] Táhirih was forced to comply with family pressure and at the age of fourteen she was married to her cousin Muhammad Baraghani the son of her uncle.
[19] It was in the home of her cousin that Táhirih first became acquainted with and started correspondence with leaders of the Shaykhi movement,[19] including Kazim Rashti, which flourished in the Shiʻi shrine cities in Iraq.
The religious tension resulted in Táhirih imploring her father, uncle and husband to allow her to make a pilgrimage to the holy shrines of Karbala.
She did nevertheless gain a wide and popular following including many women such as Kurshid Bagum (the future wife of the Núrayn-i-Nayyirayn) and the sister of Mullá Husayn.
[5] A reason may have been her increasing note of innovation in religious matters – in his early teachings, the Báb stressed the necessity for his followers to observe the Islamic Sharia, even to perform acts of supererogatory piety.Táhirih seems to have made this link before the Bāb himself but she received letters supporting her approach soon.
[40] American Martha Root writes about Táhirih: "Picture in your mind one of the most beautiful young women in Iran, a genius, a poet, the most learned scholar of the Quran and the traditions; think of her as the daughter of a jurist family of letters, daughter of the greatest high priest of her province and very rich, enjoying high rank, living in an artistic palace, and distinguished among her...friends for her boundless, immeasurable courage.
Her poetry illustrates an impressive knowledge of Persian and Arabic literature which Táhirih possessed,[5] seldom seen in a woman in mid-nineteenth century Iran.
[28][42] After collecting, translating, and publishing a volume of those poems commonly considered as having been written by Táhirih,The Poetry of Táhirih (2002), scholars John S. Hatcher and Amrollah Hemmat received a photocopy of two handwritten manuscripts from Bíjan Beidáíe, son of renowned scholar Dhuká'í Beidáíe who had originally submitted this manuscript to the Baháʼí archives of Iran.
The result of this propitious find of poems previously unpublished, untranslated, and largely unknown, was the publication of two volumes by Hatcher and Hemmat containing both translation of the poetry into English and copies of the original calligraphy.
In 2020 Yet another manuscript of untranslated and unpublished poetry was discovered by Hatcher and Hemmat that had been moved from Iran to the Research Department of the Bahá'í World Center shortly before the 1979 Revolution.
During her journey back to Qazvin, she openly taught the Bábí faith,[5] including on stops in Kirand and Kermanshah, where she debated with the leading cleric of the town, Aqa ʻAbdu'llah-i-Bihbihani.
[5] After arriving at the family home, her uncle and father endeavoured to convert her away from the Bábí faith,[19] but Táhirih argued and presented religious "proofs" for the validity of the Báb's claims.
[22][45] Her father may have remained unconvinced about the rumours but her uncle Mulla Muhammad Taqi Baraghani was horrified and resentful to the Báb, whom he blamed for having brought his family to ill repute.
[19] While she was in Qazvin, her uncle, Mulla Muhammad Taqi Baraghani, a prominent Mujtahid who was known for his anti-Shaykhi and anti-Bábi stance, was murdered by a young Shaykhi,[46] and the blame for this placed on her by her husband,[4][44] even though she denied any involvement.
She quoted from the Quran, "verily, amid gardens and rivers shall the pious dwell in the seat of truth, in the presence of the potent King" as well as proclaiming herself the Word al-Qa'im would utter on the day of judgement.
Nearby villagers attacked the Bábís and during that time Táhirih was captured,[4][44] and put under house arrest in Tehran in the home of the Mahmud Khan.
The clergy and members of the court, however, feared that she had grown too influential, and they organized seven conferences with Táhirih to convince her to recant her faith in the Báb.
"[65] Two years after the execution of the Báb, three Bábís, acting on their own initiative, attempted to assassinate Nasser-al-Din Shah as he was returning from the chase to his palace at Niyávarfin.
[67] ʻAbdu'l-Bahá eulogized Táhirih writing that she was a "woman chaste and holy, a sign and token of surpassing beauty, a burning brand of the love of God".
Polish/Russian playwright Isabella Grinevskaya wrote the play Báb based on the life and events of the founder of the Bábí religion with a focus on Táhirih.
[77] About 1908[78] Constance Faunt Le Roy Runcie attempted to publish a novel about the Bab and "Persia's celebrated poetess Zerryn Taj" (another of Tahirih's names.
The writer adopts the revolving points of view of mother, sister, daughter, and wife respectively, to trace the impact of this woman's actions on her contemporaries and read her prophetic insights.
[83][84] Sarah Bernhardt, the best known French actress of her day, asked two of her contemporary authors, Catulle Mendès and Henri Antoine Jules-Bois, to write a play about Tahirih and the Babis for her to portray on stage.
[86] In 2015, during the Adelaide Fringe, Delia Olam co-wrote and staged a one-woman play "Just let the wind untie my perfumed hair", based on Tahirih's final days as seen through several eyewitnesses.
[87] Shabnam Tolouei Iranian actress and filmmaker living in France, has made a documentary of 67 minutes about the life of Tahirih Qurratul'Ayn, in April 2016.
