Aminu’llah Fareed
Dr. Aminu’llah Fareed (1885 - 1955) was a Persian Bahá’í who accompanied ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His tour of North America. Due to misconduct, including soliciting funds from western Bahá’í without ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's approval, he was named a Covenant-breaker.
Biography[edit]
Fareed was born into a Bahá’í family and raised in the Holy Land. His father was Mírzá Asadu’llah Isfahani who was a member of the Núrí family, meaning he was a distant relative of Bahá’u’lláh, and his mother was Gawhar Nahrí who was the sister of Munírih Khánum making him a nephew-in-law of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.[1] In 1899 Fareed accompanied his father to Iran when he was sent by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to secure the remains of the Báb and deliver them to the Holy Land.[2]
In approximately 1901, when Fareed was seventeen, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá arranged for him to travel to the United States of America as his father was in the country to deepen the Bahá’í community on the Covenant and Ali Kuli Khan requested that Fareed be sent to translate for him.[3][4] He accompanied his father on travels throughout America briefly and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá then requested that they return to the Holy Land. Fareed disobeyed Him and remained in America,[5][6] studying medicine at the University of Chicago while in America and becoming a qualified doctor,[7] while being financially supported by members of the Bahá’í community who his father had mislead into believing he was in America at the request of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.[6] As of 1908 Fareed had returned to the Holy Land and remained in contact with the Bahá’í community of Chicago through correspondence.[8]
Fareed had returned to America by 1910 and in March that year he embarked on a teaching tour of California with Lua Getsinger on the instructions of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.[9] When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá toured the United States from 1912 to 1913 Fareed was a member of His entourage serving as an interpreter.[7] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá intended for Shoghi Effendi to accompany His group in America and he sailed to Italy from Egypt with them. Italian officials diagnosed members of the group, including Shoghi Effendi, with trachoma and directed that they had to return to Egypt. Fareed intervened insisting that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá defer to the officials and send Shoghi Effendi home, and Shoghi Effendi later felt that Fareed had been primarily responsible for preventing him from making the journey.[10]
During His tour ‘Abdu’l-Bahá refused to accept financial donations however Fareed began covertly soliciting donations without ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's knowledge and secured one of His seals which he used to issue receipts with the appearance they had been issued by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.[7] When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá arrived home in Haifa in December 1913 He reportedly stated to His wife that "Doctor Fareed has ground me down!".[11]
In January 1914 Fareed visited Egypt and took some manuscripts from the home of Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl shortly after he had passed away but before his burial and he later altered these manuscripts and distributed them to the Bahá’í community.[12] Later in the year he embarked on a tour of Bahá’í communities of Europe and North America against the wishes of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and as a result he was named a Covenant-breaker.[13] After being expelled from the Bahá’í community Fareed settled in Los Angeles in the United States where he practiced medicine until his passing in 1955.[6]
References[edit]
- ↑ Moojan Momen, The Baha'i Communities of Iran 1851-1921: Volume 2, George Ronald: Oxford, 2021, p 7
- ↑ Marzieh Gail, Summon Up Remembrance, George Ronald: Oxford, 1987, p 128
- ↑ Marzieh Gail, Summon Up Remembrance, George Ronald: Oxford, 1987, p 164
- ↑ Earl Redman, Visiting 'Abdu'l-Baha: Volume 1, George Ronald: Oxford, 2019, p 59
- ↑ Earl Redman, Visiting 'Abdu'l-Baha: Volume 1, George Ronald: Oxford, 2019, p 59
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Marzieh Gail, Summon Up Remembrance, George Ronald: Oxford, 1987, p 165
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Adib Taherzadeh, The Covenant of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1992, p 341
- ↑ Baha'i Bulletin, No. 1, p 5
- ↑ Star of the West, Vol. 2(13), p 6
- ↑ Ruhiyyih Khanum, Priceless Pearl, Baha'i Publishing Trust: London, 1969, p 20
- ↑ Ruhiyyih Khanum, Priceless Pearl, Baha'i Publishing Trust: London, 1969, p 19
- ↑ Marzieh Gail, Arches of the Years, George Ronald: Oxford, 1991, p 103
- ↑ Moojan Momen, The Baha'i Communities of Iran 1851-1921: Volume 2, George Ronald: Oxford, 2021, p 7
