Chapter Four-5 – Dawn Breakers

As was the custom then, in spite of her astonishing capacity, Táhirih was married off to her cousin when she was fourteen. In 1828, shortly after their marriage, the couple moved to Karbalá’ for Táhirih’s husband to study under a well-known usulí mujtahid. They lived in Karbalá’ for thirteen years during which time Táhirih gave birth to two sons. While living there she learned about Shaykhi teachings (and possibly attended Siyyid Kázim’s lectures) . She became an ardent follower of Siyyid Kázim and corresponded with him after she returned to Qazvin in 1841. She sent him a treatise she wrote in defense of certain Shaykhi teachings. Siyyid Kázim was so pleased with it that in response he addressed her “O thou who art the solace of mine eyes (Yá Qurrat-i–’Ayní

and the joy of my heart.”. Ever since then she has been known as Qurratu’l-‘Ayn

More about Táhirih’s family and her life events will be recounted in later sections. For now, we focus on the time of Siyyid Kázim’s death. Táhirih decided to return to the Karbalá’ at the end of 1843 but didn’t arrive there until early 1844, shortly after Siyyid Kázim’s death. The Shaykhi community in the area was in commotion, as Siyyid Kázim’s disciples struggled to decide whether to stay or to go in search of the Promised One. Táhirih was one of those who took the path of search, but not physically, like some of the others. At that time in Persia, women were not allowed to travel unless they were accompanied by a close male relative, because women were considered to be property of men. Táhirih’s search path was therefore through spiritual communion with the Promised One. We will pick up Táhirih’s quest and what she did in the next sections.

Quddús

¹⁰⁰ ‘Abdu’l-Baha in Memorials of the Faithful [# 69] also quoted in Dawn-Breakers Chapter 3, p81 footnote 2.

¹⁰¹ Amanat Resurrection & Renewal, Chapter 7, p297 says that Táhirih’s two sons’ names were Ibrāhīm and Ismā’īl, that both sons later became mujtahids and Ismā’īl succeeded his father as Imám jumā; and a third son, Ishāq, was born in 1841 in Qazvīn. ‘Abdu’l-Baha in Memorials of the Faithful [section 69.1] says that Táhiirih had two sons & one daughter, none of whom recognized the truth of the Cause [also quoted in Dawn-Breakers Chapter 3, p81 footnote 2].

¹⁰² Amanat Resurrection & Renewal, Chapter 7, p297. Note: Abdu’l-Baha in Memorials of the Faithful [section 69.3] states that Táhiirih “became acquainted with the writings of Shaykh Ahmad while staying in the home of her cousin, Mullá Javád, from whose library she borrowed books and took them to her home” [this is also quoted in Dawn-Breakers Chapter 3, p81 footnote 2]

¹⁰³ Dawn-Breakers Chapter 3, p83

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