Bahá’í World/Volume 20/Monireh Rezvani
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MONIREH REZVANI
(Munirih Riḍváni) 1906—1990
GRIEVED NEWS PASSING DEARLY LOVED CONSECRATED PIONEER CAUSE GOD MONIREH REZVANI. MOVED RECALL LONG RECORD HER VALIANT COURAGEOUS SERVICES INDIGENOUS AREA IN FACE LONELINESS MORTAL DANGERS ILLNESS AND DEPRIVATION CONSTITUTING WORTHY SOURCE INSPIRATION HER BEREAVED COWORKERS. ASSURE FERVENT PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES FOR PROGRESS HER RADIANT SOUL ABHA KINGDOM. KINDLY CONVEY HEARTFELT CONDOLBNCES HER DISTINGUISHED FAMILY.
Universal House of Justice 14 November 1990
Munirih Riḍváni was born into a Bahá’í family in Najafabad (Iṣfahán), Persia, in March of 1906. Her great-grandmother was a learned and courageous Babi and then Bahá’í named Fatimih Bagum, who discussed the Faith With the ‘ulama of that time and held classes from behind a curtain for students of theology. Once, when her husband Mulla Qasim was put in jail by Zillu’s—Sultan, she walked to Iṣfahán and addressed the governor. She asked him why her husband was being kept in jail. When one of the ‘ulama who was present answered, “Because he is a Babi”, she quoted this verse of the Qur’án, “We have obeyed our leaders and elders, but they have misguided us.” The mulla left the place in a state of fury, and her husband was released. Later, she was honoured with a Tablet revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá telling how great the Day is when a
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woman can refer to the verse of the Qur’án, “We have obeyed our leaders and elders, but they have misguided us.”
When Munirih was 16 years old, she was married to her cousin, Nasru’llah Riḍváni, the son of ‘Ali. Six years later her husband died after a long period of illness, leaving her with three sons, the youngest only three months old. She never wanted to get married again and dedicated her life to the care and education of her children. Sometimes she was criticized for working too hard and she would answer, “My duty as a Bahá’í is to give at least a primary school education to my children, and I have to fulfill it.”
She said that many times she was inspired by the talks and guidance of the Hand of the Cause of God Abu’l—Qasim Faydi which she received while attending the weekly meetings held for women, called “the aSsembly of the elders”. She used to look at her children while they slept thinking of the day when they would be grown up and serving the Faith. In 1953, she was very pleased When her son Habib decided to pioneer during the Guardian’s Ten Year Crusade. He left
THE BAHA’l WORLD
Tihran for Arabia, causing one of the members of the pioneering committee to write later: “Such a courageous mother deserved a pioneer son. She didn’t shed a drop of tears and was very happy all the time.”
A year later she also decided to participate in the Ten Year Crusade and left 1rén With another son and his wife. They first lived in Dubai, tolerating the terrible conditions there. Later, she went with her son and daughter—in—law and their neW—born baby to settle in Qatar. She was able to participate in forming a goal Assembly in a village near Dubai.
In 1968, Mum'rih went to Colombia, and after a few years staying with family she moved to the Bahá’í Institute in Riohacha in an indigenous area of the Guajira. She was very happy there and dedicated her time to serving the Visitors because she believed that guests were a bounty of God. Her happiest times were when she could cook and serve the youth who went to the institute for Bahá’í courses. She also gave the neighbor’s children literacy classes.
She served at the Institute With utmost love and enthusiasm until about 1985 when, because of loneliness and danger in the area, she had to leave. At one point, thieves had broken in and tied her up while they stole items; she finally managed to untie herself and get help from neighbors. However her desire always was to be buried there. When she later became ill she moved back again to this area that she so loved, and after two months, on 10 November 1990, she passed away. Providentially, she was buried in the indigenous cemetery, which greatly impressed the native friends who attended her funeral service in good number, and gave
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them more confidence in the Baha is.
HABIB REZVANI (Habib Riḍváni)