The Baha’i community of Nayriz, Iran, was nurtured by courageous women.
Khavar Sultan
Khavar Sultan, wife of my great-grandfather Mulla Muhammad Shafi, became a role model for other women in Nayriz. She used her education to teach other women basic skills, and she taught in the Baha’i school all while raising five children who later became devoted Baha’is. A trusted person, she was often called on to advice in matters of marriage.
Pari Jan
Pari Jan was known as the “angel of Nayriz.” She had been greatly helped by the love expressed to her by ‘Abdu’l-Baha, Shoghi Effendi, and the Greatest Holy Leaf, during her pilgrimage, and the tablets she subsequently received from them. ‘Abdu’l-Baha acknowledged the terrible afflictions she had suffered at the hands of others while praising her courage and steadfastness. Her home became a place of hospitality.
Saheb Jan
Saheb Jan devoted herself entirely to raising her seven children. She was greatly concerned with both preserving and perpetuating our family’s spiritual legacy.