Mírzá Fath-‘Alí Fath-i-A’zam

Mírzá Fath-‘Alí Fath-i-A’zam

Mírzá Fath-‘Alí (d.c. 1892), granted the surname Fath-i-A’zam by Bahá’u’lláh, was an early Bábí and Bahá’í.

Background

Fath-‘Alí was from Ardistán and his mother was the sister of Mirza Haydar ‘Ali. He was a Siyyid and a wealthy landowner in the town. He became a Bábí after meeting Mullá ‘Alí-Akbar-i-Ardistání and Mulla Sádiq-i-Muqaddas as they passed through Ardistán in 1845 shortly after being expelled from Shiraz for proclaiming the claims of the Báb.

Fath-‘Alí traveled to Baghdad from Ardistán with seventeen other Bábí's in 1862 and became a firm supporter of Bahá’u’lláh and a Bahá’í after He declared Himself to be the Manifestation of God. During his visit he gave Bahá’u’lláh the horse which He rode on His exile from Baghdad to Constantinople in 1863. He did not accompany Bahá’u’lláh on His exile but Bahá’u’lláh commented that he was with Him in spirit on the journey.

Fath-‘Alí returned to Ardistán from Baghdad and Tablets from Bahá’u’lláh for the Bahá’ís of Iran were sent to him there which he was responsible for distributing across Iran. He owned a storehouse which stored grain and in 1888 he distributed his grain to the wider community of Ardistán to help alleviate a famine.

Fath-‘Alí passed away shortly before the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh and Bahá’u’lláh revealed two Tablets of Visitation in his honor.

Family

His son, Áqá Siyyid Shahab, married a daughter of Mullá ‘Alí-Akbar-i-Ardistání. His grandson Núri’d-Dín Fath-‘Azam served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran and his great grandson Shidan Fat'he-Aazam was a pioneer to Africa who served as a Counselor and his great grandson Hushmand Fatheazam served on the Universal House of Justice. His granddaughter Rúhangíz assisted in the operations of the Tarbiyat Girls School and helped establish the Local Spiritual Assembly of Capri.