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==Early life==
==Early life==
Rúhíyyih Khanum was born in [[New York City]] on [[August 08]], [[1910]] to [[William Sutherland Maxwell]] and [[May Maxwell]],<ref name="ca">{{cite web | title = Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum (1910 - 2000) | url = http://www.ca.bahai.org/madame-rabbani | publisher = Bahá'í Community of Canada | accessdate=2008-07-05}}</ref> and was raised in [[Montreal]], [[Québec]] where her father was an architect.
'''Rúhíyyih Khánum''' was born in [[New York City]] on [[August 08]], [[1910]] to [[William Sutherland Maxwell]] and [[May Maxwell]],<ref name="ca">{{cite web | title = Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum (1910 - 2000) | url = http://www.ca.bahai.org/madame-rabbani | publisher = Bahá'í Community of Canada | accessdate=2008-07-05}}</ref> and was raised in [[Montreal]], [[Québec]] where her father was an architect. Mary was of Scottish ancestry.<ref>Ruhiyyih Rabbani, ''The Priceless Pearl'', p. 70</ref>


Her mother wanted to give Mary Maxwell an education that was free of the rigidity of the traditional educational methods in the country, and established the first [[Montessori]] school in Canada at their residence, and Mary Maxwell attended the school.<ref name="ca" /> During her youth she twice travelled to the [[Bahá'í World Centre]] in [[Palestine]] for [[Bahá'í pilgrimage|pilgrimage]] &mdash; the first with her mother and the second with her mother's friends. It was during these pilgrimages that she first met [[Shoghi Effendi]], the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith.
Her mother wanted to give Mary Maxwell an education that was free of the rigidity of the traditional educational methods in the country, and established the first [[Montessori]] school in Canada at their residence, and Mary Maxwell attended the school.<ref name="ca" /> During her youth she twice travelled to the [[Bahá'í World Centre]] in [[Palestine]] for [[Bahá'í pilgrimage|pilgrimage]] &mdash; the first with her mother and the second with her mother's friends. It was during these pilgrimages that she first met [[Shoghi Effendi]], the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith.

Revision as of 22:10, 19 February 2009

Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khanum

Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khanum (August 08, 1910 – January 19, 2000), born Mary Sutherland Maxwell was the wife of Shoghi Effendi, the head of the Bahá'í Faith from 1921-1957. She was appointed by him as a Hand of the Cause, and served an important role in the transfer of authority from 1957-1963. In 2004, CBC viewers voted her number 44 on the list of "greatest Canadians" on the television show The Greatest Canadian.[1]

Early life

Rúhíyyih Khánum was born in New York City on August 08, 1910 to William Sutherland Maxwell and May Maxwell,[2] and was raised in Montreal, Québec where her father was an architect. Mary was of Scottish ancestry.[3]

Her mother wanted to give Mary Maxwell an education that was free of the rigidity of the traditional educational methods in the country, and established the first Montessori school in Canada at their residence, and Mary Maxwell attended the school.[2] During her youth she twice travelled to the Bahá'í World Centre in Palestine for pilgrimage — the first with her mother and the second with her mother's friends. It was during these pilgrimages that she first met Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith. After her trips she also engaged in many youth activities in the Bahá'í community, and travelled around the world teaching the Bahá'í Faith.[2]

Marriage and appointed positions

Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khanum

On March 24, 1937 aged 26 she married the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, Shoghi Effendi, and it was at this time that she was given the name "Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khanum" by Shoghi Effendi. ("Amatu'l-Bahá" means "Handmaiden of Glory".)[4] Almost immediately after their marriage, she served as the Guardian's secretary, and then in 1941 until 1957 she served as Shoghi Effendi's principal secretary in English.[2] In 1951 she was appointed to the International Bahá'í Council, which was an administrative institution of the Bahá'í Faith created as a precursor to the Universal House of Justice, to act as a liaison between the Council and Shoghi Effendi.[4] Later on March 26, 1952, she was appointed to the office of Hand of the Cause of God — a distinguished rank in service to the religion [5] — for which she attended to issues related to the propagation and protection of the religion.[2]

After Shoghi Effendi died in 1957, she became for Bahá'ís the last remaining link to the family of `Abdu'l-Bahá, who headed the Faith from 1892 to 1921 and was the eldest son of the Faith's Founder, Bahá'u'lláh.

Ministry of the Custodians

In 1957 her husband, Shoghi Effendi, died without having appointed a successor. Rúhíyyih Khanum was among the 27 Hands of the Cause who stewarded the religion for the six-year interim, before the Universal House of Justice was scheduled to be elected in 1963. The Hands voted among themselves for nine individuals to work at the Bahá'í World Centre to run the administration of the Faith, a position to which Rúhíyyih Khanum was elected; these nine were designated the Custodians.[6][7] During this time she worked on assuring the completion of the ten-year international teaching plan which was launched by Shoghi Effendi in 1953.[2] Upon the election of the Universal House of Justice in 1963, the ending point of Shoghi Effendi's ten-year plan, the nine Hands acting as interim head of the Faith closed their office.[6]

Travels

From 1957 until her death Rúhíyyih Khanum traveled to over 185 countries and territories working with the world's several million Bahá'ís; she especially encouraged members of indigenous peoples to participate in the global Bahá'í community.[2] Her travels took her to all the continents and to small islands; some of her travels involved extended stays. For four years she travelled for 58,000 kilometres in a Landrover through sub-Saharan Africa, visiting 34 countries, of which in 17 she was received by the head of state. On another trip she visited nearly 30 countries in Asia and the Pacific islands during a seven month span.[2]

In 1975-6 she travelled by boat through the tributaries of the Amazon River of Brazil and also visiting the high mountain ranges of Peru and Bolivia. Thirty six tribal groups were visited over a period of six months; the trip was called The Green Light Expedition,[8][9][10] which followed Khanum's The Great African Safari.[11] There have also been projects developed from the original expedition - In the Footsteps of the Green Light Expedition[12] and Tear of the Clouds.[13]

Resting place

During her travels she was received by the following heads of state and government; Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia; Malietoa Tanumafili II of Western Samoa; Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India; President Félix Houphouët-Boigny of Côte d'Ivoire; President Carlos Menem of Argentina; Prime Minister Edward Seaga of Jamaica; and Javier Pérez de Cuellar, Secretary-General of the United Nations.[2]

Death

Rúhíyyih Khanum died on January 19, 2000 at the age of 89 in Haifa, Israel and her resting place is at the Bahá'í World Centre.[2]

Publications

Rúhíyyih Khanum was also an author; she wrote several books including The Priceless Pearl, which is a biography of Shoghi Effendi;[14]; Twenty-Five Years of the Guardianship;[15]; Prescription for Living, which discussed the application of spiritual principles to one's life.[16] She was also the editor of the book The Ministry of the Custodians.[17]

Notes

  1. ^ CBC (2004). "The Greatest Canadian - Top 100 - 11 to 100". CBC.ca. Retrieved 2008-07-05.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum (1910 - 2000)". Bahá'í Community of Canada. Retrieved 2008-07-05.
  3. ^ Ruhiyyih Rabbani, The Priceless Pearl, p. 70
  4. ^ a b Smith, Peter (2000). "Rúhíyyih Khanum, Amatu'l-Bahá". A concise encyclopedia of the Bahá'í Faith. Oxford: Oneworld Publications. pp. p. 299-300. ISBN 1-85168-184-1. {{cite encyclopedia}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  5. ^ Compilations (1983). Hornby, Helen (Ed.) (ed.). Lights of Guidance: A Bahá'í Reference File. Bahá'í Publishing Trust, New Delhi, India. p. 322. ISBN 8185091463.
  6. ^ a b Taherzadeh, Adib (2000). The Child of the Covenant. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. pp. 368–371. ISBN 0853984395.
  7. ^ Vafai, Shahin (2005). "Chapter 5". The Essence of the Covenant. Riviera Beach, Fl: Palabra Publications. ISBN 1890101273.
  8. ^ Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum. The Green Light Expedition (film, remastered DVD). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Canada. {{cite AV media}}: Unknown parameter |year2= ignored (help)
  9. ^ Bahá'í International Community (2003-11-28), "Standing up for the oneness of humanity", Bahá'í World News Service, Cuidad Colon, Costa Rica{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  10. ^ Sadan, Mark (2007), "Mark Sadan - photographer, filmaker, U.S.A", BAFA Newsletter, Bahá'í Association for the Arts & Arts Dialogue
  11. ^ Palin, Iain S. (2002). "Book Review". Journal of the Bahá'í Community of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 19 (No.2). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 2008-03-09. {{cite journal}}: |issue= has extra text (help)
  12. ^ Beers, Karim (2007). "EBBF Profile: Neissan Alessandro Besharati: Flowing Together--Sustainability, Interconnectedness and Income-generation in the Amazon". INSPIRE (16). European Bahá’í Business Forum. Retrieved 2008-03-09.
  13. ^ Sadan, Mark; Kelly, Rebecca. "Tear of the Clouds". Market Group Ventures Inc. Retrieved 2008-03-09.
  14. ^ Rabbani, R. (1969). The Priceless Pearl (Hardcover ed.). London, UK: Bahá'í Publishing Trust: 2000. ISBN 1870989910.
  15. ^ Rabbani, R. (1948). Twenty-Five Years of the Guardianship. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust.
  16. ^ Rabbani, R. (1978). Prescription for Living. George Ronald. ISBN 0853980039. OCLC 7260143.
  17. ^ Rabbani, R., ed. (1992). The Ministry of the Custodians 1957-1963. Bahá'í World Centre. ISBN 085398350X.

References

  • Nakhjavani, Violette (2000). Tribute to Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum, A. Bahá'í Canada Publications & Nine Pines Publishing, Ottawa, Canada. ISBN 0888671059.
  • Rabbani, Ruhiyyih (1969). The Priceless Pearl (Hardcover ed.). London, UK: Bahá'í Publishing Trust: 2000. ISBN 1870989910.

See also

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rúhíyyih_Khánum&oldid=271930054"