Bahíyyih Khánum was born in Persia (modern-day Iran) in 1846. Her life spanned all but two years of the most turbulent and formative period in the history of the Baha'i Faith, a period characterized by the exploits and the trials of the Faith's central figures and by the sufferings and sacrifices of the legion of martyrs who arose to champion the infant religion. Those who are familiar with this record will be aware of the broad outline of the life of Bahíyyih Khánum. She was not only an observer but also an active participant in many of these tumultuous happenings. Indeed, after her death in 1932, Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, stated, "In her face one could easily read the history of the Cause from its earliest days to the present moment."[1]
- Janet Khan (‘Prophet’s Daughter’)
[1] Shoghi Effendi (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi; compilation: ‘Bahíyyih Khánum, The Greatest Holy Leaf’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, 1982)