Rúhíyyih Khánum’s systematic travels around the globe began
in the year 1964. Many times, she talked about the genesis of these unique
trips, recounting an incident in the lifetime of Shoghi Effendi. One day, as he
was passing by her desk, he stopped and looked at her and said, “What will
become of you after I die?” She was shattered by this unexpected remark and
began to weep, saying, “Oh, Shoghi Effendi, don’t say such terrible things. I
don’t want to live without you.” He paid no attention, however, and after a
pause continued, “I suppose you will travel and encourage the friends.” She
said that this was the only remark he ever made about what she should do with
her life after his passing. And so it was that, when she was somewhat freed
from her arduous administrative duties and the affairs of the Cause were placed
under the infallible guidance of the Universal House of Justice, she took these
words as his last instructions to her and did her utmost to fulfil his hopes.
In the course of her long life she travelled to 185
countries, dependencies and major islands of the globe. While she visited just
31 countries in her first 54 years, she travelled in all the rest between 1964
and 1997. When I tried to count the number of territories she visited in these
34 years, I came up with the astounding figure of 154. Many of these countries
were visited more than once, and some, like India, were honoured by her
presence as many as nine times.
- Violette Nakhjavání (‘A Tribute to Amatu’l-Bahá
Rúhíyyih Khánum’; The Baha’i World, https://bahaiworld.bahai.org/)
