Táhirih was a woman of rare accomplishment. Most Persian
women were not educated, but Táhirih's father had recognized early on that his
young daughter was gifted with an especially keen mind. He loved her dearly and
educated her the same way he educated his sons. Táhirih had grown into a woman
as famous for her intelligence as for her beauty -- more than equal to any man
in her knowledge of religion and in her ability to present strong, clear arguments.
She possessed other talents as well. In a land where people had, for centuries,
turned to their poets as often as their prophets for inspiration, Tahirih was
known for the exquisite poetry she wrote. Her father, highly regarded among
Persia's religious leaders, had taught his daughter well.
Still, she was a woman in a Muslim society. When men
gathered in her father's house for religious discussion, Táhirih had to speak
from behind a curtain, for women were not permitted to be in the company of men
who were not members of their immediate family. She could never expect to be a
spiritual leader, no matter how great her knowledge and skill. Some mullas even
argued that women did not possess souls and ranked little higher than animals.
How could they possibly understand religion?
"Would that she had been a boy," said her father,
"for he would have shed illumination upon my household, and would have
succeeded me."
Táhirih's marriage had been arranged according to the
customs of the day, and she became mother to a daughter and two sons.
One day in the library of her cousin's house, she had
happened upon the writings of Shaykh Ahmad, which captured her interest and led
her into correspondence with Siyyid Kazim. Determined to study with him,
Táhirih had traveled to Karbala, but ten days before her arrival Siyyid Kazim
died.
