Open Wide the Doors is a memoir of extraordinary spiritual endurance by Mahvash Sabet, a devoted follower of the Bahá’í Faith who has endured long years of imprisonment in Iran because of her beliefs.

The book emerges from the refinement of more than 600 pages of deeply personal prison writings, originally composed in Persian and later translated into English with great care by Azita Mottahedeh and Bahiyyih Nakhjavani, and shaped into its final form through thoughtful collaboration. Rather than attempting to encompass the entirety of a decade-long ordeal, the memoir turns its gaze toward the sacred stillness and profound trials of the first nine months of her imprisonment, years marked by solitary confinement, uncertainty, and inward struggle.

The narrative bears witness to the quiet radiance that can arise even in the darkest of conditions, where outward confinement cannot restrain the soul’s capacity for prayer, reflection, and hope. In the silence of her cell, the author discovers not only endurance, but also a deepening awareness of divine assistance and inner strength.

This memoir speaks beyond the boundaries of one community. While rooted in the lived reality of a Bahá’í life shaped by persecution, its message is universal: that human dignity may be upheld even under injustice, and that hope can remain a guiding light when all outward supports are removed. It offers a testimony to the power of steadfastness, compassion, and trust in God’s sustaining grace.

Published by Oneworld Publications, Open Wide the Doors stands as a luminous reminder that even in the confines of imprisonment, the doors of the heart may remain open, toward patience, toward meaning, and toward the nearness of the divine.

Click here to order the book.

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