Rúhíyyih Khánum

Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khanum (1910-2000)

Born Mary Maxwell in New York City in 1910, Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khanum was raised in Montreal, Québec. After two trips to the Bahá'í holy land in Haifa, Israel, she engaged in many youth activities in the Bahá'í community.

In 1937 she married the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, Shoghi Effendi. During their marriage, one of the greatest services performed by Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khanum was her role as the Guardian's secretary. In 1952, she was elevated to the office of Hand of the Cause of God, for which she attended to issues related to the expansion and protection of the Bahá'í Faith.

After the Guardian passed away 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.

From 1957 until her passing Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khanum traveled to over 185 countries and territories helping integrate the world's several million Bahá'ís into a unified global community; she especially encouraged members of indigenous peoples to participate in the global Bahá'í community.

Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khanum passed away on January 19, 2000 at the age of 90 in Haifa, Israel where the Baha'i World Centre is located.

In 2004, in a public poll, Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khanum was ranked 44th of the "Greatest Canadians."

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Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum (1910 - 2000)