Músá Banání
| Músá Banání | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1886 Baghdad, Iráq |
| Died | September 4, 1971 Kampala, Uganda |
| Hand of the Cause | Africa 1952 - 1971 |
| Spouse(s) | Samiheh m. 1925 |
| Children | Amín, Violette, Farshid, and 3 others. |
| Signature |  |
Músá Banání (1886 - September 4, 1971) was a Bahá’í who pioneered to Africa and was appointed a Hand of the Cause of God by Shoghi Effendi on February, 29 1952.
Biography[edit]
Banání was born in Baghdad in what was then the Ottoman Empire in 1886 into a Jewish family. His father passed when he was just four and an older brother provided for him in his childhood. He moved to Persia when he was twelve and never received a formal education however he successfully started a career as a merchant in Kirmanshah.[1]
Banání's older brother became a Bahá’í after moving to Persia and while Banání himself did not in 1911 he was imprisoned with several other Bahá’ís of Kirmanshah as the authorities had identified Bahá’ís based on a photograph of the community and Banání resembled his brother.[1] While in prison his cellmate was an elderly Bahá’í and Banání was deeply impressed that he did not recant his Faith despite being tortured while Banání, who was not a Bahá’í, denounced the Bahá’í Faith to secure his release. His imprisonment inspired him to study the religion and he became a Bahá’í in 1912.[2][3]
In 1925 Banání married Samiheh Ardistani and they went on to have six children.[4] In 1934 he made his first pilgrimage to the Holy Land where he stayed for twenty-six days and was able to meet Shoghi Effendi frequently. After returning to Persia he served on the committee responsible for securing Bahá’í Holy places,[2] and one of his major accomplishments with the committee was the purchase and restoration of the house where Bahá’u’lláh was born in Tehran.[5]
In 1950 Banání wound up his business commitments in Persia in order to pioneer to Africa and he and his wife pioneered to Kampala, Uganda, in 1951 with his son Farshid, daughter Violette and her husband Alí Nakhjavání. In 1952 he made a second pilgrimage during which Shoghi Effendi gave him specific instructions relevant to developing the Bahá’í community in Africa.[2] On the last day of their pilgrimage Shoghi Effendi informed Banání he was appointing him a Hand of the Cause of God and Banání initially objected suggesting Alí Nakhjavání be appointed in his place however Shoghi Effendi told him "Alí's turn will come."[6]
In the spring of 1954 Banání secured the site for a House of Worship to be constructed in Uganda on the instructions of the Guardian and he was central to efforts to establish Regional Spiritual Assemblies across Africa in the latter half of the 1950's.[6] In November 1957 Shoghi Effendi passed away in London and Banání traveled to the Holy Land to participate in the first Conclave of the Hands at which the Hands consulted on the future of the Bahá’í Faith.[7]
Banání returned to the Holy Land to attend the annual Conclaves of the Hands from 1958 up until the establishment of the Universal House of Justice in 1963.[8] He also visited Europe in 1958 to attend the Intercontinental Conference in Frankfurt, Germany, but had to be hospitalized due to illness during the Conference.[9] In 1961 he was able to attend the Dedication of the Kampala House of Worship.[10]
Banání suffered from ill health later in life becoming paralyzed in one side of his body, having a leg amputated, and losing his sight in one eye and eventually the only way he was able to offer assistance to the Bahá’í community was to pray. He passed away at his pioneer post of Kampala in September 1971 and was buried near the Kampala House of Worship which was his last wish.[6]
Upon his passing the Universal House of Justice cabled the following:
PROFOUNDLY MOURN PASSING DEARLY LOVED HAND CAUSE MUSA BANANI RECALL WITH DEEP AFFECTION HIS SELFLESS UNASSUMING PROLONGED SERVICES CRADLE FAITH HIS EXEMPLARY PIONEERING UGANDA CULMINATING HIS APPOINTMENT AS HAND CAUSE AFRICA AND PRAISE BELOVED GUARDIAN AS SPIRITUAL CONQUEROR THAT CONTINENT. INTERMENT HIS REMAINS AFRICAN SOIL UNDER SHADOW MOTHER TEMPLE ENHANCES SPIRITUAL LUSTRE THAT BLESSED SPOT. FERVENTLY PRAYING SHRINES PROGRESS HIS NOBLE SOUL. MAY AFRICA NOW ROBBED STAUNCH VENERABLE PROMOTER DEFENDER FAITH FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE CHEER HIS HEART ABHA KINGDOM. CONVEY FAMILY MOST TENDER SYMPATHIES ADVISE HOLD MEMORIAL MEETINGS ALL COMMUNITIES BAHA'I WORLD BEFITTING GATHERINGS MOTHER TEMPLES.[11]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 421. View as PDF.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 422. View as PDF.
- ↑ Anthony A. Lee, The Baha'i Faith in Africa: Establishing a New Religious Movement, 1952-1962, Brill: Leiden/Boston, 2011, p 138
- ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/175932504/samiheh-banani
- ↑ Baha'i News (1971). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 488, Pg(s) 2. View as PDF.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 423. View as PDF.
- ↑ Rabbani, Ruhiyyih (Ed.) (1992). The Ministry of the Custodians 1957-1963. Bahá’í World Centre. ISBN 0-85398-350-X., p 29-30
- ↑ Baha'i News (1961). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 358, Pg(s) 1. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1958). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 332, Pg(s) 4. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1961). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 361, Pg(s) 4. View as PDF.
- ↑ Universal House of Justice (1996). Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986. p. 207. ISBN 0-87743-239-2.
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External Links[edit]
- Musa Banani at Find a Grave
