- 1848-00-00 —
The birth of Mírzá Mihdí, `the Purest Branch', the son of Bahá'u'lláh and His wife Ásíyih Khánum (Navváb) in the family's rented house near the Shemiran Gate (Darvázih Shimrán) in northern Tehran. [BBD155]
- He was named after Mihdí, Bahá'u'lláh's elder full brother, who was dear to Him and who had recently died. In later years Bahá'u'lláh gave Mírzá Mihdí the title "the Purest Branch."
- In January of 1853 Bahá'u'lláh and His family left Tehran on the first stage of their exile. Mírzá Mihdí, who was unwell at the time and unfit to undertake three months of hard travel across the Iranian Plateau and the Zagros Mountains in severe winter weather, had to be left behind in the care of relatives. The Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, which has no definitive information on the topic, suggests that it is possible that more than one relative may have cared for Mírzá Mihdí over the seven years before he rejoined his parents in Baghdad. RoL165 says that he was left with his maternal grandmother, CH45 says it was his maternal great-grandmother, BKG13 says it was his paternal aunt, Hadrat-i-Ukht, identified as Sárih Khánum.
- He was reunited with his parents in 1860 after Bahá'u'lláh's return from the mountains of Sulaymaniyah and the family remained in Baghdad for another three years, until April 1863.
- Mírzá Mihdí accompanied Bahá'u'lláh in His successive exiles to Istanbul, Edirne, and, finally, to Akka.
- Despite his youth, Mírzá Mihdí was accustomed to hardship and was recognized as "a pillar of strength" among the exiles during the difficult period after their departure from Baghdad. He resembled 'Abdu'l-Bahá in appearance and character and was noted for his piety, gentleness, dignity, courtesy, and patience. Throughout his brief adult life, Mírzá Mihdí was Bahá'u'lláh's companion and served as one of His secretaries, recording the sacred tablets that He revealed. Many such manuscripts in Mírzá Mihdí's excellent handwriting are extant." [Bahá'í Encyclopedia]
- See also Mírzá Mihdí: The Purest Branch by Boris Handal published by George Ronald Publisher, 2017
- See 22 June 1870 and 23 June 1870
- 1849-05-16 —
Quddús was tortured and, in the public square, he was struck down with an axe, dismembered and burnt. [Bab176; BBD191; BW18:381; DB409–13; MH283–4]
"When the procession reached the public square, where the execution was to take place, Quddús, this youth of only twenty-seven years, cried out, "Would that my mother were with me, and could see with her own eyes the splendour of my nuptials!" As these words were being spoken the wild multitude fell upon him, tearing him limb from limb and throwing the scattered pieces into a fire which they had kindled for that purpose. Another account states that the Sa'ídu'l-'Ulamá had himself cut of Quddús' ears and struck him on the head with an axe." [TtP92]
- As he died he begged God's forgiveness for his foes. [DB411; MH284]
- His remains were gathered and buried by a friend. [Bab176; DB413]
- See GPB49–50 for the rank and titles of Quddús.
- See Quddus, Companion of the Bab by Harriet Pettibone.
- See Quddús:The First in Rank by Boris Handal at Bahá'í Library Online. The book was published by the author and is also available at Amazon.
The book presents the fascinating, real-life story of Quddús, the son of a poor Persian rice farmer who rose to become the most illustrious disciple of the Báb. Thoroughly researched and broad in scope, it is a story of the rugged journey, filled with pathos and exhilarating triumph at every turn, during the five short, eventful years he spent in absolute servitude to the Báb. We experience the vivid details of a life which left no room for settling down, as he valiantly approached the centre of an intense, ever-increasing maelstrom at the very inception and birth of a new world religion, fraught with opposition and intrigue, yet filled with spiritual confirmations culminating in an unprecedented climax.
This work also features new translations of select Tablets by Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb, as well as previously unpublished writings of Quddús. The book spans 605 pages and includes 87 illustrations.
- In the Light of the World p11 it states:
The Báb Himself is among the Váḥid of the Bayán: There are the eighteen Letters of the Living, and He Himself is the nineteenth. One of the Letters of the Living is Quddús, of whom He hath said that Mirrors to the number of thirteen Váḥids abide beneath his shadow.
- See Quddús: A Twenty-first Century Bahá’í Looks at the Life of a Nineteenth Century Bábí Hero a Master's thesis by Karen Webb, 2023.
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