Hájí Amín
| Hájí Amín | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Mullá Abu'l-Hasan-i-Ardikání 1831 Ardikán |
| Died | 1928 Tehran |
| Title(s) | Hand of the Cause Trustee of Huqúqu'lláh 1881 - 1928 |
| Appointed by | Shoghi Effendi |
| Children | Two daughters |
Mullá Abu'l-Hasan-i-Ardikání (Arabic: ملا أبو الحسن أرديكاني), surnamed Amín-i-Iláhí, better known as Hájí Amín (1831-1928) was an eminent follower of Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, a global religion of Persian origin. Amín served as the second trustee of Huqúqu'lláh, and was posthumously appointed a Hand of the Cause of God by Shoghi Effendi, who also identified him as one of the nineteen Apostles of Bahá’u’lláh.
Background[edit]
At the age of seventeen he married into a family of Bábís of the town of Ardikán, near Yazd, Iran. He and his wife were Muslims, but his wife's brothers were Bábis and convinced them of the Truth of the Bábi Cause. When news of the declaration of Bahá’u’lláh came, he accepted immediately and travelled throughout the Persian Empire teaching the new message.
He was a literate man, and earned his living by trading and writing for the illiterate as he travelled. He was known to collect letters that people wished to forward to Bahá’u’lláh, and also distributed tablets of Bahá’u’lláh.
While traveling across Iran he met Sháh-Muhammad-i-Manshadi, an older Bahá'í and fellow travel teacher, and became his assistant. He accompanied Sháh-Muhammad to ‘Akká in 1869, but was only able to indirectly communicate with Bahá’u’lláh by delivering letters to Mírzá Áqá Ján.
On another visit to ‘Akká Sháh-Muhammad and Amín became the first Bahá'ís from outside of the city to see Bahá’u’lláh, meeting Him in a public bathouse. Amín was so overwhelmed at this meeting that he fell and injured his head.
He often traveled between Iran and the Holy Land, assisting Sháh-Muhammad in the delivery of Tablets, news, petitions and donations between the two communities. He traveled to Ádhirbáyján with Sháh-Muhammad in 1881 where they were attacked by Kurdish rebels. Amín was shot in the leg and Sháh-Muhammad was martyred. After this incident he was granted the title Amín-i-Iláhí and named the trustee of the Huqúqu'lláh, succeeding his mentor.
In 1891 he was imprisoned for three years in Tihran and Qazvin, and during the time of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá he continued his travels, visiting ‘Akká and Haifa on many occasions.
In old age he settled down in Tihran and in 1916 he took Haji Ghulam-Rida on as an assistant. Rida took on increasing responsibilities as Amín grew older and eventually Amín was cared for in his home.
Haji Amín passed away in 1928 and was buried in a Bahá'í cemetery in Tihran.
References[edit]
- Balyuzi, H.M. (1985). Eminent Bahá'ís in the time of Bahá'u'lláh. The Camelot Press Ltd, Southampton. ISBN 0853981523.
- Harper, Barron (1997). Lights of Fortitude (Paperback ed.). Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0853984131.
- Taherzadeh, Adib (1983). The Revelation of Baha'u'llah, Volume 3. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0853981442
External links[edit]
- Biography, by Moojan Momen
