Gloria Faizi
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Gloria Faizi | |
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| Born | March 12, 1921 Tehran, Iran |
| Died | July 29, 2004 (aged 83) Brisbane |
Gloria Faizi was born into the Ala'i family, distinguished for its service to the Faith. At the age of five she met the Guardian of the Faith, Shoghi Effendi, when she accompanied her father to the Holy Land.
She married Abu'l-Qasim Faizi when she was seventeen, and together they assisted Bahá’í communities in remote rural areas of Iran before settling in Bahrain in the mid-1940s. Their two children, May and Naysan, were born during their 15 years there.
Family members heard no complaints about the conditions there from Mrs Faizi, and it was only later that they learned of the extreme difficulties she and her husband encountered in the early years – initial unemployment, malnourishment, the lack of relief from intense heat, discomfort, and hostility. Over the years the couple were of great assistance and inspiration to Bahá’ís in the region.
In 1957, Mr Faizi's duties as a Hand of the Cause required them to move to the Holy Land. After Mr Faizi passed away in 1980, Mrs Faizi lived for two more years in Haifa and then moved to India where she travelled widely in service to the Faith and the wider community.
Mrs Faizi set up residential institute programs to teach and train Bahá’ís and others in Tamil Nadu and in Solan, in Himachal Pradesh.
In later years she was resident at the Rabbani School in Gwalior, where her deep knowledge of the Bahá’í Faith and her brilliance in communication were demonstrated in memorable classes for both faculty and students.
A Fellow of the Institute of Linguists, Mrs Faizi was fluent in Persian, English, Arabic, French, and Turkish, and she had a working knowledge of Hindi. She was in demand as a speaker and teacher of the Faith internationally.
Gloria Faizi introduced the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh to an entire generation of inquirers through her book, ‘The Bahá’í Faith: An Introduction’. First published in 1971 and subsequently translated and published in 21 languages.
Her literary gifts enabled her to write not only her immensely popular introductory book, but also another best-seller, ‘Fire on the Mountain Top’, a collection of stories about early members of the Bahá’í Faith.
Meticulous to a high degree in everything she did, she would painstakingly pore over her manuscripts until convinced they were free from faults.
Right up until she passed away on at the age of 83 on 29 June 2004 in Brisbane, Australia, Gloria Faizi was intent on using her literary gifts to tell people about Bahá’u’lláh. Her book, ‘Bahá’u’lláh – The Promised One’, its initial draft dictated by her while ill in bed, has now been published.
At the time of her death she had started preparing to write a biography of her late husband, Hand of the Cause of God Abu'l-Qasim Faizi. This book, titled ‘Faizi’, was later written by her daughter, May, and published by George Ronald.
In a message to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Australia, the Universal House of Justice said Gloria Faizi had "rendered outstanding services to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh throughout her life."
"Her distinguished record of accomplishment includes a number of books translated into many languages which have proved most valuable in attracting inquirers to the Faith and in conveying a deeper understanding of the Bahá’í teachings."
The Universal House of Justice said they remembered with appreciation "her many contributions to the progress of the Bahá’í communities, including her pioneering in Bahrain with her illustrious husband, her work at the Bahá’í World Centre, and her devoted travels far and wide as a teacher of the Cause."
In a eulogy delivered at her funeral, her literary assistant, Vafa Fakhri, said Mrs Faizi was a scholar, writer, and teacher to the end. Mr Fakhri referred to her "almost superhuman focus, determination and perseverance, her gentle and endearing sense of humour and her vast knowledge of the Bahá’í Faith and other religions”.
Publications:[edit]
- 1971 - The Bahá’í Faith: An Introduction
- 1973 - Fire on the Mountain-Top
- 1975 - Bahá’í Dharma
- 1975 - Man and His Creator
- 1975 - The Manifestations of God
- 1975 - Prayer and Meditation
- 1975 - The Promise of Lord Krishna
- 1977 - Flowers of One Garden
- 2004 - Bahá’u’lláh: The Promised One
References[edit]
- Publications listed in Collins, W. P. (1990). Bibliography of English-Language Works on the Babi and Bahá'í Faiths 1844-1985. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0-85398-315-1., p 78-79
