Page 19


Mouseover an individual to see their name. Click for additional commentary on them.

Additional Commentary - Several of the 11 individuals pictured here will be described, starting from the left, for those standing, and then ring to the left for those sitting.
[1] Hájí Haydar-Álí of Isfahán, "The Angel of Carmel". Portions of his memoirs were published in English and abridged by Hand of the Cause, A.Q. Faizi in the book, The Delight of Hearts (1980). See also, "The Angel of Carmel", pp.237-250 in Eminent Bahá’ís in the Time of Bahá’u’lláh. He died in Haifa on 27 December 1920. Back to top

[2,3] The identities of these individuals were not known at the time of this publication. Back to top

[4] Mishkín-Qalam ("musk-scented pen") is the 15th Apostle of Bahá’u’lláh and the most celebrated calligrapher of the Bahá’í Faith. The calligraphic symbol of "The Greatest Name", which adorns most Bahá’í households, is a reproduction of his original rendering. A brief biography of his life appears on pages 270-272 of Eminent Bahá’ís in the Time of Bahá’u’lláh. (See pages 22 and 30 for other pictures of him.) Back to top

[5] Siyyid Mustafá Rúmí, builder of the Burmese Bahá’í community, posthumously appointed a Hand of the Cause of God by Shoghi Effendi in 1945. Mustafá Rúmí was taught the Faith by Sulaymán Khán, the spiritual conqueror of the Indian subcontinent. A photograph and a brief mention of him is made on pp. 127-128 of Eminent Bahá’ís in the Time of Bahá’u’lláh. (He is pictured again on page 30.) Back to top

[6,7(seated),8] The identities of these individuals was not known at the time of this publication. Back to top

[9] Mírzá Muhsin, an Afnán. (Afnáns are descendents of the Báb, “The Gate”). 'Abdu'l-Bahá’s second oldest daughter, Túbá Khánum, "married Mírzá Muhsin, an Afnán, a son of Hájí Mírzá Siyyid Hasan (the Great Afnán); the brother of the wife of the Báb. They had three sons: Rúhí, Suhayl, and Fuád, and one daughter, Thurayyá. Their family name was Afnán." (p. 358 The Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh). Mírzá Muhsin died in 1927. "Shoghi Effendi described him as the beloved son-in-law of the Master and distinguished servant of His Cause." (Ibid., p.360) "His wife and all of his children were later declared Covenant-breakers." (Ibid.) Back to top

[10] "Mírzá Hádí Shírází was an Afnán, a grandson of Hájí Mírzá Abu’l-Qásim, who was a cousin of the mother of the Báb and a brother of His wife." (Ibid.) Mírzá Hádí Shírází married the eldest daughter of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Díyá’íyyih Khánum . From this union Shoghi Effendi was born on 1 March 1897 in the house of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in 'Akká. The other children were Husayn, Riáz, Rúhangíz and Mehrangíz. "Their family name was Rabbání, a name given to them by 'Abdu'l-Bahá." (Ibid.) Shoghi Effendi eventually had to put his entire family out of the Faith. Back to top
[11] Mullá Zaynu’l-Abidín, surnamed Zaynu’l- Muqarrabín ("the Ornament of the Near Ones"), the 18th Apostle of Bahá’u’lláh. Born in Rajab, in May of 1818, he died in 1903. His transcriptions of Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablets are accounted to be the most accurate. In the original Album of Views commentary, the authorship of A Traveller’s Narrative is wrongly attributed to him. 'Abdu'l-Bahá was the Author of that work. A biographical note on Zaynu’l-Muqarrabín is given on pages 274 to 276 of Eminent Bahá’ís in the Time of Bahá’u’lláh. Back to top

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