Ahmad Samímí
Ahmad Samímí | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1893 Hamadán, Iran |
| Died | July, 1976 Iran |
| NSA member | India and Burma ???? - ???? Southeast Asia 1957 - ???? |
Ahmad Samímí (1893 - July, 1976) was a Persian Bahá’í who served on the Committee for Unity of the East and West in Iran and later pioneered to India, Indonesia, and Austria where he served on administrative bodies.
Biography[edit]
Samímí was born into a Bahá’í family in Hamadán in 1893. His father was named Muhammad-Hasan and his mother was Khávar Khánum and he had three sisters. Due to persecution of the Hamadán community Samímí's family moved to Tehran in 1897 and his father passed away in 1898.[1]
Samímí studied at the Bahá’í operated Tarbíyat School in Tehran in his youth until 1909 when he began working for Iran's postal service and he achieved the rank of Deputy-Chief of the Department of Supplies in the postal service. In 1919 he married Khujastih, a granddaughter of Nizámu'l-Mulk, and began working for the British Embassy in Iran eventually becoming the Embassy Secretary and being awarded the Order of the British Empire.[1]
In addition to achieving success in his professional career Samímí was an active member of the Bahá’í community serving on the Committee for Unity of the East and West and receiving Tablets from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. After the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1921 Samímí began corresponding with Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, and received several letters from him. He also made three pilgrimages to the Holy Land during the Ministry of Shoghi Effendi.[2]
In 1938 Shoghi Effendi granted Samímí permission to visit the United States while he was on his second pilgrimage and he attended that years United States National Convention and visited several Bahá’í communities across America. In 1945 he made a three month travel teacing trip to India at the direction of Shoghi Effendi and in 1947 he retired from his position with the British Embassy in Iran and pioneered to India where he was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly and served as Chairman.[2]
In 1952 Samímí departed India and in 1956 he pioneered again to Indonesia where he was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of South-East Asia and served as Secretary. In 1961 he accompanied Hand of the Cause Ṭaráẓu’lláh Samandarí on his tour of West and East Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, and Singapore at the direction of the Custodians and after the tour he pioneered to Salzburg, Austria.[2]
In 1964 Samímí returned to Iran settling in Tehran. He passed away in Iran in 1976 and the Universal House of Justice conveyed the following message after his passing:
SADDENED PASSING FAITHFUL DEVOTED SERVANT CAUSE AHMAD SAMIMI STOP SUPPLICATE DIVINE THRESHOLD HIS LONG YEARS SERVICE BE RICHLY REWARDED ABHA KINGDOM STOP ASSURE FAMILY FRIENDS DEEP SYMPATHY[2]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1981). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 17 (1976-1979), Pg(s) 411. View as PDF.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1981). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 17 (1976-1979), Pg(s) 412. View as PDF.
