During the rule of the Ottoman Empire, some of the early Baha’is made the long pilgrimage from Persia to Akka to attain the presence of Baha’u’llah, the Founder of the Baha’i Faith. Haji Mulla Mehdi of Yazd was one such pilgrim, who in the company of his two sons, took the arduous journey on foot to pay homage to his Beloved. This journey of love enflamed the spirit of sacrifice and service in the hearts of Haji Mulla Mehdi’s descendants, giving rise to three Hands of the Cause of God, and two Trustees of Huquq’u’llah across three generations. This is the story of their journeys.


Faraneh Vargha-Khadem is one of the 22 great, great, grandchildren of Haji Mulla Mehdi Yazdi, and one of the three daughters of the late Hand of the Cause of God, and Trustee of Huquq’u’llah, Dr Ali Muhammad Varqa. Professionally, Faraneh is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health in London, UK. She is also the Clinical Academic Lead for the Department of Neuropsychology at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. Her research is focused on early brain injury and the development of brain circuits that underpin human attributes, such as episodic memory, and speech and language. She was part of the team that identified the FOXP2 gene, the so-called “speech gene” that may explain why humans talk and chimps do not! She is also credited with the discovery of the amnesic syndrome in children. To view the video visit our YouTube channel https://youtu.be/wy0TJyMlChs