Luṭfu’lláh Ḥakím
Luṭfu’lláh Ḥakím | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1888 |
| Died | 10 August 1968 (aged 80) |
| Resting place | Bahá’í cemetery, Haifa, Israel |
| IBC member | 1951 - 1963 |
| UHJ member | 1963 - 1968 |
Lutfu'lláh Hakím (1888 - 10 August 1968) was Baháʼí who served on the Universal House of Justice, the supreme governing body of the Bahá’í Faith, from 1963 to 1968.
Biography[edit]
Hakím was born into a family of distinguished Jewish medical doctors in Iran in 1888. His grandfather, Hakím Masíh, was the first Jew to embrace the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. His father was Hakim Sulayman, and he had two brothers, Aflatun and Arastú Khán Hakím. His father and eldest brother Aflatun both passed away when he was young and he was cared for by Arastú.
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In 1910 Lutfu'lláh moved to England and studied physiotherapy in London.[1] He wrote to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during his studies, and was able to accompany Him when He visited England in 1911. Shortly after this visit Hakím traveled across Germany serving as translator for a Bahá’í travel teacher at the request of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He later informed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá of John Esslemont's plans to write a book about the Faith, and at some point he was summoned to serve at the World Centre.
In 1920 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá asked Lutfu'lláh Hakím to accompany Shoghi Effendi to England as he was going to study at Oxford University. By the following year he had returned to the Holy Land and was present in Haifa when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá passed away in November. He greeted Shoghi Effendi when he returned to the Holy Land from England and assisted him in this period.
In 1924 Hakím returned to Persia settling in Tihran where he served as a translator and assistant at the clinic of an American Bahá’í woman, Dr. Susan Moody. While in Tihran he married a woman named Bahiyyih who was the daughter of a physician and they had a son and a daughter.
In 1950 Hakím returned to England with the approval of the Guardian. He remained there for just one year as he was summoned to the Holy Land in 1951 and appointed to the first International Bahá’í Council by Shoghi Effendi. He served as Eastern Assistant Secretary on the Council, and also as a guide for both eastern and western pilgrims.
Following the passing of the Guardian in 1957 Hakím remained in the Holy Land to serve. In 1958 he accompanied Ruhiyyih Khanum to the Intercontinental Conference in Kampala, Uganda, which had been scheduled by the Guardian before his passing. In 1961 the International Bahá’í Council became an elected body, and Hakím was elected as a member. It was dissolved in 1963 when the Universal House of Justice was established, and Hakím was also elected as an inaugural member of that body.
In 1967 Hakím requested that he be allowed to retire from the Universal House of Justice due to his health beginning to fail, however as his term was to end the following year the Universal House of Justice requested that he serve on the body until then, which he did. His health continued to worsen, and he passed away in the Holy Land shortly after the end of his term.
The Universal House of Justice cabled the following message upon his passing:
| “ | GRIEVE ANNOUNCE PASSING LUṬFU’LLÁH ḤAKÍM DEDICATED SERVANT CAUSE GOD. SPECIAL MISSIONS ENTRUSTED HIM FULL CONFIDENCE REPOSED IN HIM BY MASTER AND GUARDIAN HIS CLOSE ASSOCIATION WITH EARLY DISTINGUISHED BELIEVERS EAST WEST INCLUDING HIS COLLABORATION ESSLEMONT HIS SERVICES PERSIA BRITISH ISLES HOLY LAND HIS MEMBERSHIP APPOINTED AND ELECTED INTERNATIONAL BAHA'I COUNCIL HIS ELECTION UNIVERSAL HOUSE JUSTICE WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED IMMORTAL ANNALS FAITH BAHA'U'LLAH. INFORM BELIEVERS HOLD BEFITTING MEMORIAL MEETINGS ALL CENTRES. CONVEY ALL MEMBERS HIS FAMILY EXPRESSIONS LOVING SYMPATHY ASSURANCE PRAYERS PROGRESS HIS RADIANT SOUL ABHA KINGDOM.[2] | ” |
Notes[edit]
- ↑ Whitehead, O.Z.; Some Baha'is to Remember, p 37
- ↑ Universal House of Justice (1996). Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986. p. 139. ISBN 0-87743-239-2.
References[edit]
- Obituary published in BW Vol. 15 pp 429-432
- "Members of the Universal House of Justice". Beliefnet. 2002-09-13. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
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