“Bahá’u’lláh… forecasting the bright future in store for a world now wrapt in darkness”

“The whole earth,” Bahá’u’lláh, on the other hand, forecasting the bright future in store for a world now wrapt in darkness, emphatically asserts, “is now in a state of pregnancy. The day is approaching when it will have yielded its noblest fruits, when from it will have sprung forth the loftiest trees, the most enchanting blossoms, the most heavenly blessings.” “The time is approaching when every created thing will have cast its burden. Glorified be God Who hath vouchsafed this grace that encompasseth all things, whether seen or unseen!” “These great oppressions,” He, moreover, foreshadowing humanity’s golden age, has written, “are preparing it for the advent of the Most Great Justice.” This Most Great Justice is indeed the Justice upon which the structure of the Most Great Peace can alone, and must eventually, rest, while the Most Great Peace will, in turn, usher in that Most Great, that World Civilization which shall remain forever associated with Him Who beareth the Most Great Name. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Promised Day Is Come’)

“Baha’u’llah's principal mission in appearing at this time in human history”

Baha’u’llah's principal mission in appearing at this time in human history is the realization of the oneness of mankind and the establishment of peace among the nations; therefore, all the forces which are focused on accomplishing these ends are influenced by His Revelation. We know, however, that peace will come in stages, first, there will come the Lesser Peace, when the unity of nations will be achieved, then gradually the Most Great Peace—the spiritual as well as social and political unity of mankind, when the Baha'i World Commonwealth, operating in strict accordance with the laws and ordinances of the Most Holy Book of the Baha'i Revelation, will have been established through the efforts of the Baha'is.

As to the Lesser Peace, Shoghi Effendi has explained that this will initially be a political unity arrived at by decision of the governments of various nations; it will not be established by direct action of the Baha'i community.... 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 31 January 1985 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice in response to a question from an individual believer; included in ‘Attainment of the Unity of Nations and the Lesser Peace’, a Memorandum from the Research Department of the Baha’i World Center dated 19 April 2001; US Baha’i National Administrative website)

Birth of Baha’u’llah and Shaykh Ahmad’s recognition of the meaning of that auspicious event while he was in Tihran

In those days, [1817] there was born a Child in an ancient and noble family of Núr, whose father was Mírzá Abbás, better known as Mírzá Buzurg, a favoured minister of the Crown. That Child was Bahá’u’lláh. At the hour of dawn, on the second day of Muharram, in the year 1233 A.H. the world, unaware of its significance, witnessed the birth of Him who was destined to confer upon it such incalculable blessings. Shaykh Ahmad, who recognised in its full measure the meaning of this auspicious event, yearned to spend the remaining days of his life within the precincts of the court of this Divine, this new-born King. But this was not to be. His thirst unallayed, and his yearning unsatisfied, he felt compelled to submit to God’s irrevocable decree, and, turning his face away from the city of his Beloved, proceeded to Kirmansháh. 

- Nabil  (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi)

Genealogy of Bahá’u’lláh

Mírzá Abu’l-Fadl asserts in his writings that the genealogy of Bahá’u’lláh can be traced back to the ancient Prophets of Persia as well as to its kings who ruled over the land prior to the Arab invasion. 

(Footnotes to chapter 1 of ‘The Dawn-Breakers’ provided by Shoghi Effendi)

Bahá'u'lláh’s mother: Khadijih Khanum

Khadijih Khanum's family belonged to the Namadsab tribe. Members of this tribe occupied areas in close proximity to Takur in the district of Núr in Mazandaran where Bahá'u'lláh's father and paternal ancestors came from. It is not known who Khadijih Khanum's parents were or whether she had any siblings. There is also no information available about Khadijih Khanum's childhood or early life. All aspects of her life before she married Mirza Buzurg, Bahá'u'lláh's father, remain unexplored. The date and place of her birth are also unknown. She was likely born in one of the villages in the vicinity of the village of Takur.

Following the traditional pattern, Khadijih Khanum married probably very young to a certain Aqa Sultan. He died sometime after the birth of their third child. They had two daughters and one son and were probably residing in Tihran. Sometime after his death, Khadijih Khanum married Mirza Buzurg.

Khadijih Khanum’s family had preexisting ties to the family of Mirza Buzurg since an older sister of Mirza Buzurg was already married into the family. It is estimated that their wedding took place between 1810 and 1812. They had five children. The first-born of that marriage was a daughter, Sarih Khanum: she is generally known as 'Ukht’, Arabic for sister, because Baha’u’llah has thus referred to her. The next was a son, Mirza Mihdi, who died in his father's lifetime. Bahá'u'lláh was their third-born. The fourth was another son, Mirza Musa, entitled Aqay-i-Kalim in later years, and the fifth was another daughter, Nisa Khanum, who was married to Mirza Majid-i-Ahi, a secretary of the Russian Legation. It was the Custom of the family to spend the winter months in Tehran, where Mirza Buzurg would attend to his government duties, and the summer in the family home in Takur. It is not clear exactly when Khadijih Khanum passed away and where she has been buried.

Baha’u’llah “chose for one of His names the title of The Poor One”

While Bahá’u’lláh was in Baghdád, still in possession of great wealth, He left all He had and went alone from the city, living two years among the poor. They were His comrades. He ate with them, slept with them and gloried in being one of them. He chose for one of His names the title of The Poor One and often in His Writings refers to Himself as Darvísh, which in Persian means poor; and of this title He was very proud. He admonished all that we must be the servants of the poor, helpers of the poor, remember the sorrows of the poor, associate with them; for thereby we may inherit the Kingdom of heaven. God has not said that there are mansions prepared for us if we pass our time associating with the rich, but He has said there are many mansions prepared for the servants of the poor, for the poor are very dear to God. The mercies and bounties of God are with them. The rich are mostly negligent, inattentive, steeped in worldliness, depending upon their means, whereas the poor are dependent upon God, and their reliance is upon Him, not upon themselves. Therefore, the poor are nearer the threshold of God and His throne. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a talk; ‘The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912’)