Mírzá Jalál Shahid
Mírzá Jalál Shahid was a Persian Bahá’í and a son-in-law of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He broke the Covenant during the Ministry of the Guardian
Background[edit]
Shahid was the son of Mírzá Muhammad-Hasan Nahrí, one of the most prominent Bahá’ís of Isfahan who was Martyred in 1879 and granted the title King of Martyrs by Bahá’u’lláh. In approximately 1885 the family emigrated to Akka at the request of Bahá’u’lláh.[1][2][3] In the early 1890's he lived in Cairo, Egypt, for a time but when he became extremely ill ‘Abdu’l-Bahá requested that he be sent back to the Holy Land with Habíbu’lláh Afnán facilitating his transport. He made a full recovery after returning to the Holy Land although he had been on the brink of death when he arrived.[4] When Habíbu’lláh later visited the Holy Land in mid 1890's Shahid disclosed the details of Mírzá Muhammad ‘Alí's campaign of opposition to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá despite the fact ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had requested that the opposition, which at the time was covert, not be communicated to the Bahá’í community.[5]
At some point Shahid married Rúhá Khánum, a daughter of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and they adopted the family name Shahid which translates to Martyr. They had two sons, Munib and Hasan, and three daughters, Maryam, Duha, and Zahra.[1] Throughout the early 1940's several members of the family of Shoghi Effendi broke the Covenant and were expelled from the community however Shahid and his family maintained close contact with them. Despite this Shoghi Effendi did not disclose any details until November, 1944, when Shahid and his wife approved the marriage of their son Munib to the daughter of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem.[6]
Shoghi Effendi issued the following cable following this event and Shahid and his family were expelled from the community:
"Monib Shahid, grandson of both Abdu'l-Baha and the King of Martyrs, married according to the Moslem rites the daughter of a political exile who is nephew of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem. This treacherous act of alliance with enemies of the Faith merits condemnation of entire Baha'i world."[7]
In 1948 Shahid and his family left the Holy Land in the wake of the Arab-Israeli war due to their links to the Arab community.[8] In 1951 his son Hasan married a granddaughter of Covenant-breaker Siyyid ‘Alí Afnán which Shoghi Effendi noted in a cable.[9]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Adib Taherzadeh, The Covenant of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1992, p 358
- ↑ Moojan Momen, The Baha'i Communities of Iran 1851-1921: Volume 2, George Ronald: Oxford, 2021, pp 24
- ↑ Baharieh Rouhani Ma'ani, Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees, George Ronald: Oxford, 2009, p 360
- ↑ Habibullah Afnan, tr. Ahang Rabbani, Memories of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh and `Abdu’l-Bahá, Kalimat Press, 2005, p 72
- ↑ Habibullah Afnan, tr. Ahang Rabbani, Memories of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh and `Abdu’l-Bahá, Kalimat Press, 2005, p 73
- ↑ Adib Taherzadeh, The Covenant of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1992, p 361
- ↑ Adib Taherzadeh, The Covenant of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1992, p 361
- ↑ Adib Taherzadeh, The Covenant of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1992, p 363
- ↑ Baharieh Rouhani Ma'ani, Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees, George Ronald: Oxford, 2009, p 362
