| ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | April 29, 1905 Sabzivár Iran |
| Died | November 26, 2003 Haifa, Israel |
| Resting place | Bahá’í cemetery, Haifa |
| NSA member | Iran 1934 - 1957 |
| Title(s) | Hand of the Cause Asia 1951 - 1957 Holy Land 1957 - 2003 |
| Spouse(s) | Ataie Azíz-Khurásání |
| Children | Írán Muhájir Parvín Furútan |
| Parents | Muhamad-'Alíy-i-Sabzivárí Sughrá Furútan |
| Signature |  |
‘Alí-Akbar Furútan (April 29, 1905 - November 26, 2003) was a Persian Bahá’í who served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran and was appointed a Hand of the Cause. He assisted with the development of Bahá’í administrative and educational efforts in Iran and overseeing developments in the international Bahá’í community living in the Holy Land for most of his later life.
Biography[edit]
Furútan was born in Sabzivar, Iran, in 1905 and his parents were Muhamad-'Alíy-i-Sabzivárí and Sughrá Furútan. In his youth his family moved to Ishqabad in Russia due to experiencing persecution due to their religion in Iran. He attended a Bahá’í operated school for boys in the city, excelled in his studies, and was awarded a scholarship to attend the University of Moscow.[1] In 1930 he completed his degree in education and psychology in Moscow, but was also expelled from the Soviet Union due to restrictions placed on the Bahá’í Faith by the government.[1]
Furútan returned to Iran from Russia where he marryied Ataieh Aziz-Khurasani in 1931 and they pioneered to Saysan where he established a Bahá’í school for boys and a Bahá’í school for girls. In 1934 the Furútan's moved to Tehran as Furútan was elected to the first properly constituted National Spiritual Assembly of Iran that year. He was also elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Tehran and appointed the principal of the Bahá’í Tarbiyat School after arriving in the city, although all Bahá’í schools including Tarbiyat were closed down by the Persian government later the same year.[2]
In 1941 Furútan went on pilgrimage for the first time and met Shoghi Effendi who advised him he would serve the international Bahá’í community at some point in the future. Although Bahá’í schools had been closed he was able to contribute to children's education when in 1946 the Iranian Radio and Broadcasting Service invited him to deliver a series of radio lectures on education. His talks were later published as the book Mothers, Fathers, and Children.[2]
In 1951 Shoghi Effendi appointed Furútan a Hand of the Case of God for Iran and in 1953 he traveled internationally to attend four Intercontinental Teaching Conferences to launch the Ten Year Crusade in Uganda, the United States, Sweden, and India.[2] In November 1957 Shoghi Effendi passed away and Furútan attended the Conclave of the Hands of the Cause held in Haifa at which the future of the Bahá’í Faith was discussed. As a result of their consultations the Hands established the institution of the Custodians and Furútan was elected as a Custodian of the Faith moving his residence to Haifa to serve in the role.[3]
In 1963 the Universal House of Justice was established and the Custodians disbanded their office turning over all duties to the newly established body and Furútan was designated as a Hand of the Cause for the Holy Land with his residence remaining in Haifa. His services in Haifa included meeting with pilgrims and he also made several international trips from the Holy Land in order to support teaching efforts and assist Bahá’í communities.[3]
In 1973 the Universal House of Justice established the International Teaching Center as a body to assist it in the propagation and protection of the Faith, and as a Hand of the Cause for the Holy Land Furútan was among those responsible for seeing to the day to day functioning of the body.[4]
In the 1990's Furútan was able to visit Russia as religious restrictions had been relaxed. He visited Moscow in 1990 to attend the reformation of the cities Local Spiritual Assembly and he visited again in 1991 to attend the establishment of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Soviet Union.[3]
In 2003 Furútan passed away in the Holy Land due to natural causes immediately after delivering a talk to a pilgrim group. He was survived by his daughters Iran and Parvin. The Universal House of Justice conveyed the following message after his passing:
"With profound feelings of loss, we announce the passing, yesterday evening, on the Day of the Covenant, of the dearly loved Hand of the Cause of God ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan. Having addressed the assembled pilgrims as was his practice, he paused to exchange a few words with some of the Russian-speaking friends; then, as he was leaving the room, his heart failed. He had fulfilled his longing to serve the Cause to his last breath.
Born in Sabzivar, Iran on 29 April 1905, ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan moved with his family to 'Ishqabad in what was then Russian Turkestan, and, through his years of school and university, he took an active part in the work of the Bahá’í communities of 'Ishqabad, Baku, Moscow, and other parts of Russia. In 1930 he was expelled from the Soviet Union for his involvement in Bahá’í activities and, from that time on, played an ever more significant role in the work and administration of the Iranian Bahá’í community. In December 1951 he was appointed by Shoghi Effendi as Hands of the Cause of God. Following the passing of the Guardian, he was one of the nine Hands of the Cause selected, at their first Conclave, to serve as Custodians in the Holy Land. For the remaining forty-six years of his life he labored strenuously at the World Centre, undertaking journeys throughout the world, assisting, advising, and enthusing the friends and their national and local institutions. These journeys culminated in 1990 and 1991 with visits to the newly re-emerging Bahá’í communities of the countries of the Soviet Union.
‘Alí-Akbar Furútan's single-minded devotion to the Faith and its Guardian, the vital role he played in the establishment of the Administrative Order in Iran, his contribution to the spiritual and material education of children,his services as a Hand of the Cause of God, and his unswerving support of the Universal House of Justice together constitute an imperishable record of service in the annals of the Cause. His penetrating mind, his loving concern, and his sparking humor are ineffaceable memories in the hearts of the thousands of believers with whom he spoke.
While praying in the Holy Shrines for the progress of ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan's illumined soul in the Abhá Kingdom, we supplicate Bahá’u’lláh to bless likewise the fruition of the seeds he sowed in this world.
We extend our loving sympathy to his daughters, Írán Muhájir and Parvín Furútan, to his granddaughters, and to all other members of his family.
We advise friends in all lands to commemorate his passing and to hold memorial services in his honor in all Mashriqu’l-Adhkárs."
Publications[edit]
- 1953 - Message of the World Spiritual Crusade Received from the Guardian (pilgrims' notes)[5]
- 1970 - The Human Soul and Its Immortality
- 1970 - Science and Religion
- 1972 - Raising the Tent of Unity
- 1980 - Mothers, Fathers and Children
- 1984 - The Story of My Heart
- 1985 - Negahi-bi-Tarikh[6]
- 1986 - Stories of Bahá’u’lláh
- 1999 - Baha'i Education for Children
- 2001 - The Human Soul and Its Immortality[7]
Notes[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2005). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 32 (2003-2004), Pg(s) 227. View as PDF.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2005). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 32 (2003-2004), Pg(s) 228. View as PDF.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2005). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 32 (2003-2004), Pg(s) 229. View as PDF.
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 99. View as PDF.
- ↑ https://bahai-library.com/furutan_message_world_crusade
- ↑ https://bahai-library.com/furutan_negahi_tarikh
- ↑ The Human Soul and Its Immortality at BahaiBooks.com.au
References[edit]
- The Universal House of Justice. The Bahá’í World - An International Record 2003-2004. Haifa, Israel: World Centre Publications.
