Habíbu’lláh Afnán

Mírzá Habíbuʾlláh Afnán.

Mírzá Habíbuʾlláh Afnán (1875 - 1951) was a member of the Afnán family who served as the Custodian of the House of the Báb in Shiráz.

Biography

Habíbuʾlláh was born in 1875 in the House of the Báb in Shiráz. His father was Núri'd-Dín, who was related to both the mother and father of the Báb, and his mother was Maryam-Sultán Bagum who was also an Afnán. As he was raised in the House of the Báb Khadíjih Bagum, the Báb's widow, was personally involved in his upbringing up until her passing in 1882.

In July 1891 Habíbuʾlláh went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land with his family allowing him to meet Bahá’u’lláh and he lived near the Mansion of Bahjí for nine months during which he studied alongside the sons of Bahá’u’lláh. His father then settled in Egypt and Habíbuʾlláh was able to make several pilgrimages to the Holy Land from Egypt after the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh and maintained a personal correspondence with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He was able to study under Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl while living in Egypt. He made another pilgrimage in 1897 with his brother Mírzá Buzurg and received a Tablet from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá after arriving home in Egypt.

In 1902 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá instructed Habíbuʾlláh's father to return to Shiráz to oversee the repairs and renovation of the House of the Báb and Habíbu’lláh and his brother Mírzá Buzurg accompanied him. When Núri'd-Dín passed away in 1903 Habíbuʾlláh and his brother completed the project and he succeeded his father as caretaker of the House.

At some point Habíbuʾlláh married fellow Afnán Aghá Bagum (d. 1965) and their children were Firdaws, Abu’l-Qasim, Tayyibih, Nayyirih, Amínu'lláh, and Hasan. He passed away in 1951 and Abu’l-Qasim succeeded him as caretaker of the House of the Báb.