Ahmad Yazdání
Ahmad Yazdání | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | April 24, 1891 Tehran, Iran |
| Died | July 5, 1977 |
| NSA member | Iran 1934 - 1950 |
| Spouse(s) | Miftahu'l-Malakut Miftah |
Mírzá Ahmad Khán Yazdání Kasrawí (April 24, 1891 - July 5, 1977) was a Persian Bahá'í who performed services for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi, served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran, and wrote literature on the Faith in Persian.
Biography[edit]
Ahmad was born into a Muslim family in Tehran. His father was Mírzá Hasan Khán Mu‘ín-Díván, who worked as Auditor-in-Chief during the Qajariyyih era. His mother was named Fátimih.
Ahmad was introduced to the Faith by a pedlar in Nishapur and learnt about more about the religion from Ibn-i-Abhar and Akhavan al-Safa. He declared when he was twenty-two after eight months of study. He was elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Tehran during its early years. When he was twenty-three he married Miftahu'l-Malakut Miftah, who was from a aristocratic Muslim family, and she later became a Bahá'í. They had three daughters and two sons.
In 1915 Ahmad and two other Bahá'ís wrote a paper on Bahá'í principles in French and submitted it to the Central Organization for a Durable Peace which had been formed in the Hague. The Organization sent a letter for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Ahmad, however it could not be delivered until after the close of the first World War. In 1919 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá summoned Ahmad to the Holy Land and he was sent to deliver a Tablet to the Organization in the Hague with Ibn-i-Asdaq. They delivered the Tablet in person in June 1920 and brought a reply back to the Holy Land.[1] Ahmad gave talks on the Faith at Esperantist groups while in Holland, being a speaker of the language and member of its Tehran branch.
In 1922 Ahmad was appointed as editor of the Bahá'í News of Iran, which eventually became a journal titled Akhbár-i-Amrí, and he served in the position until 1934, frequently contributing articles to the publication. In 1934 he was elected to the inaugural National Spiritual Assembly of Iran.[2]
Ahmad worked as a government office worker in Iran. He was arrested for a time on false allegations due to his religion, but was proven innocent. He received a letter from Shoghi Effendi after being released. He retired from government work in 1949, and began travelling across Iran to assist the Faith by teaching it, running youth and children's classes, and giving talks. He also taught Esperanto during this time. In 1950 he was invited to visit India and Pakistan by the countries Regional Spiritual Assembly and went with Shoghi Effendi's blessing. He conducted an eight month teaching tour of the countries, speaking at many colleges and educational institutions. He visited Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Dubai, Iraq and Hijaz to visit Bahá'í pioneers at the request of Shoghi Effendi after returning to Iran.
Ahmad visited Turkey in 1952 at the request of Shoghi Effendi and established Bahá'í study classes and helped three communities to form Local Spiritual Assemblies. He was interviewed by several reporters and wrote articles for some newspapers himself while in Turkey.[3] He pioneered to Afghanistan for a short time after his visit to Turkey at the request of Shoghi Effendi.
The Universal House of Justice conveyed the following message after his passing:
GRIEVED PASSING AHMAD YAZDANI HIS MANY YEARS SERVICE CAUSE CLOSING PHASE HEROIC AGE HIS DEVOTED UNREMITTING LABOURS BOTH TEACHING ADMINISTRATIVE SPHERES BAHAI ACTIVITIES HIS ERUDITION AND ASSIDIOUS SCHOLARLY WORK WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED BY FRIENDS CRADLE FAITH STOP ASSURE SYMPATHY BEREAVED FAMILY FERVENT PRAYERS PROGRESS HIS SOUL ABHA KINGDOM
Publications[4][edit]
- 1943 - Mabadi'-i Ruhani
- 1951 - Maqam va Huquq-i Zan dar Diyanat-i Baha'i, vol. 1, Tehran: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 107 Badi'.
- 1961 - Risalih-'i Javab-i Parih-'i Shubuhat
References[edit]
- Obituary article, Baha'i World, Vol. 17, pp438-439
