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Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir

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Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir
BornApril 4, 1923
'Abdu'l-'Azím, Iran
DiedDecember 29, 1979
Ecuador
NSA memberSoutheast Asia
1957 - 1960
Title(s)Knight of Bahá’u’lláh
Hand of the Cause
Australasia
1957 - 1960
Africa
1960 - 1963
Asia
1963 - 1979
Signature

Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir (April 4, 1923 - December 29, 1979)[1] (Arabic: رحمةالله مُهاجر) was a Persian Bahá’í who was appointed a Hand of the Cause. He was also named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for opening the Mentawai Islands to the Faith with his wife Írán Furútan.

Muhájir was an active member of the Bahá’í community of Iran in his youth, and he was later highly successful in teaching the Faith in the Mentawai Islands from 1954 to 1958. After leaving Mentawai he began traveling the world intensively visiting every country with a Bahá’í community between 1958 and 1979 with his extensive travels providing him with insights into practical considerations in teaching the Faith.[2]

He often contributed to the formulation of plans at the World Centre in light of his firsthand experiences at the grassroots, and notably contributed to the evolution of the concept of mass teaching and the vast expansion of the Bahá’í Faith throughout the 1960's and 1970's. From the late 1960's onward he consistently encouraged the Bahá’í youth of Iran to pioneer internationally, and he perhaps most notably did so at the first West Asia Youth Conference in 1971, resulting in a large number of university students leaving the country for pioneer posts.[3]

Biography[edit]

Early Life[edit]

Muhájir was born into a prominent Bahá’í family in 1923. Many of his relatives had met Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in person and his surname was adopted by the family as they received a Tablet from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in which He addressed them as Muhájirán which means pioneers. His father was named Hafizu'llah and his mother was named Ismat and their home was a center of Bahá’í activities hosting many meetings and firesides in his childhood.[4]

When he finished his schooling Muhájir deferred university in order to pioneer moving to the Persian province of Adhirbayjan for two years where he organized activities for children and youth and taught deepening classes.[4] He was appointed to the Youth Committee of Iran in 1947 and elected its chairman.[5]

He enrolled in medical school after returning from his pioneer post,[4] but continued to serve the Faith despite his study commitments serving as secretary of the National Pioneering Committee of Iran. He suspended his studies a few months before his graduation was due in order to assist in achieving the goals of the Forty-Five Month Plan and did not resume his medical degree until after the end of the Plan in 1950 graduating in 1951.[6]

Pioneering in Indonesia[edit]

In 1951 Muhájir married Írán Furútan, the daughter of ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan, and they went on pilgrimage in 1952 and met Shoghi Effendi. In October 1953 he attended the Intercontinental Conference held in New Delhi, India, to launch the Ten Year Crusade where it was announced that a physician was required to pioneer to the virgin territory of the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia as nobody else was likely to secure a visa. He immediately volunteered to pioneer and returned to Iran to make arrangements. He left Iran in December and he and his wife arrived on Muara Siberut in the islands in February 1954.[6]

Muhájir actively taught the Faith to the indigenous population of the Mentawai Islands and he also used his medical expertise to educate them on preventative measures to protect the community from malaria and other diseases.[6] He received encouragement from Shoghi Effendi for his efforts and in 1957 Shoghi Effendi instructed him to visit Djakarta to assist in efforts to secure a Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds. In October 1957 Shoghi Effendi appointed him a Hand of the Cause of God and he received the cable informing him of the appointment while in Djakarta.[7]

Shoghi Effendi passed away in November 1957 and Muhájir traveled London to attend his funeral,[8] then to the Holy Land later in the month to attend the first Conclave of the Hands at which he participated in consultations on the future of the Bahá’í Faith. A conclusion of the consultations was that he could not remain at his pioneer post as the Mentawai Islands did not have telephone or telegram capabilities which would render him unable to assist in the administration of the international Bahá’í community which was a requirement of serving as a Hand of the Cause.[2]

In 1958 Muhájir and his wife left the Mentawai Islands which had four thousand Bahá’ís and thirty-three Local Spiritual Assemblies as a result of their efforts.[2] He was offered a position in Jakarta but declined as there was already an established Bahá’í community in the area and he and his wife instead settled in the town of Pachitan where he served as the towns only doctor.[9] In September 1958 he spoke at the Intercontinental Conference held in Singapore,[10] in December he visited Malaya where he attended the second Bahá’í wedding in the country,[11] and he also visited Laos during the year.[12]

International Service[edit]

In 1960 Muhájir helped to launch mass teaching efforts in the Philippines providing advice to the community and assisting with the establishment of means to produce Bahá’í literature in the local language in order to capitalize on receptivity in the country.[3] In May 1960 he visited Vietnam and inaugurated the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of Saigon and while in the country he also facilitated sessions on how to plan for intensive teaching and visited several communities.[13] At the Annual Conclave of the Hands in the Holy Land in October 1960 John Robarts announced he intended to return to Canada from Africa and it was decided that Muhájir should move to Africa to replace him as a Hand of the Cause for the continent.[14] He and his wife arrived in Africa in Nairobi, Kenya, then traveled to Kampala, Uganda,[15] and in January 1961 he attended the dedication of the Kampala Temple.[16]

In January 1961 Muhájir departed Africa to tour Asia and South America.[17] He visited India and assisted with the development of mass teaching which resulted in a sudden massive increase in the size of the countries Bahá’í community from 850 members in 1961 to 65,000 members by 1963.[3] He returned to India in late 1961 and advised that continuous deepening was required to consolidate the growth and he dedicated a teaching institute established in Indore for this purpose in December.[3] During 1961 he also toured South America, visited Australia for the dedication of the Sydney Temple, and undertook a teaching trip to the Australian states of South Australia and Victoria.[18] In 1961 his daughter, Gisu, was born in Germany while he was abroad.[19]

In 1963 the Hands of the Cause announced that Muhájir had been assigned to serve as a Hand of the Cause for Asia and he settled in the Philippines.[20][21] That year he attended the First International Convention in Haifa at which the Universal House of Justice was established and he attended the First Bahá’í World Congress in London, England, later in the year and delivered a talk on mass teaching.[22] While he was based in the Philippines Muhájir immediately began traveling frequently visiting Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, India, Ceylon, and many communities across Southeast Asia.[21]

In 1964 Muhájir represented the Universal House of Justice at the establishments of the National Spiritual Assemblies for; Korea in Seoul, Vietnam in Saigon, and the Philippines in Manila.[23] In 1965 he conducted an extended teaching tour of South and Central America to support mass teaching efforts,[21] and in 1967 while visiting Malysia Muhájir notably encouraged Malaysian Bahá’ís to pioneer to India and that year he also participated in the Intercontinental Conference held in New Delhi, India.[24] In 1967 he represented the Universal House of Justice at the establishment of the Laos National Assembly in Vientiane.[23] In 1968 he and his family moved their home residence to New Delhi, India, to allow him to support the teaching efforts in the country.[25]

In August 1968 Muhájir attended the first Bahá’í Oceanic Conference in Palermo, Sicily,[26] and the Commemoration of the Centenary of Bahá’u’lláh arriving in the Holy Land at Bahjí.[27] In 1969 he visited South America where he attended an International Teaching Conference in El Salvador,[28] and throughout the year he undertook an extended tour of Africa visiting Senegal, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Dahomey, Togo, Gabon, Congo, the Central African Republic, and Gambia devoting time to visiting remote villages in each country.[29] In January 1971 he visited Africa again and attended the Bahá’í Continental Conference in Monrovia, Liberia, to officially represent the Universal House of Justice.[30] During his 1971 visit he presented the community with the Lake Victoria Plan to coordinate teaching activities.[31]

In January 1972 he visited the Dominican Republic to encourage mass teaching,[32] and at some point in the year he consulted with the Universal House of Justice and as a result of consultations he toured Iran, India, Malaysia, and the Philippines to request pioneers to settle in East Africa with his efforts securing mostly youth volunteers in Iran.[33] He also visited Africa in 1972 and represented the Universal House of Justice at the establishments of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Madagascar and Reunion.[34][35]

Throughout the 1970's Muhájir traveled extensively touring Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Europe annually to assist in the development of teaching plans and to represent the Universal House of Justice at conferences and the establishment of National Spiritual Assemblies. In 1979 he was in Quito, Ecuador, to attend a teaching conference despite suffering severe fatigue and he had a heart attack on the second day of the conference and passed away. His last words were Yá Bahá’ul-Abhá.[19]

The Universal House of Justice conveyed the following message after his passing:

PROFOUNDLY LAMENT UNTIMELY PASSING IN QUITO ECUADOR BELOVED HAND CAUSE RAḤMATU’LLÁH MUHÁJIR FOLLOWING HEART ATTACK COURSE HIS LATEST SOUTH AMERICAN TOUR UNSTINTED UNRESTRAINED OUTPOURING OF PHYSICAL SPIRITUAL ENERGIES BY ONE WHO OFFERED HIS ALL PATH SERVICE HAS NOW CEASED. POSTERITY WILL RECORD HIS DEVOTED SERVICES YOUTHFUL YEARS CRADLE FAITH HIS SUBSEQUENT UNIQUE EXPLOITS PIONEERING FIELD SOUTHEAST ASIA WHERE HE WON ACCOLADE KNIGHTHOOD BAHÁ’U’LLÁH HIS CEASELESS EFFORTS OVER TWO DECADES SINCE HIS APPOINTMENT HAND CAUSE STIMULATING IN MANY LANDS EAST WEST PROCESS ENTRY BY TROOPS. FRIENDS ALL CONTINENTS WHO MOURN THIS TRAGIC LOSS NOW SUDDENLY DEPRIVED COLLABORATION ONE WHO ENDEARED HIMSELF TO THEM THROUGH HIS GENTLENESS HIS LUMINOUS PERSONALITY HIS EXEMPLARY UNFLAGGING ZEAL HIS CREATIVE ENTHUSIASTIC APPROACH TO FULFILLMENT ASSIGNED GOALS. URGE FRIENDS EVERYWHERE HOLD MEMORIAL GATHERINGS BEFITTING HIS HIGH STATION UNIQUE ACHIEVEMENTS. MAY HIS RADIANT SOUL ABHÁ KINGDOM REAP RICH HARVEST HIS DEDICATED SELF-SACRIFICING SERVICES CAUSE GOD. . . .[36]

Notes[edit]

  1. ↑ Rabbani, R. (Ed.) (1992). The Ministry of the Custodians 1957-1963. Bahá’í World Centre. pp. p. xxiii. ISBN 085398350X. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1986). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 18 (1979-1983), Pg(s) 655. View as PDF.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1986). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 18 (1979-1983), Pg(s) 656. View as PDF.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1986). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 18 (1979-1983), Pg(s) 652. View as PDF.
  5. ↑ Iran Furutan Muhajir, Dr. Muhajir, Baha'i Publishing Trust of India, 2013, p 220
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1986). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 18 (1979-1983), Pg(s) 653. View as PDF.
  7. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1986). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 18 (1979-1983), Pg(s) 654. View as PDF.
  8. ↑ Iran Furutan Muhajir, Dr. Muhajir, Baha'i Publishing Trust of India, 2013, p 635
  9. ↑ Iran Furutan Muhajir, Dr. Muhajir, Baha'i Publishing Trust of India, 2013, p 76
  10. ↑ Baha'i News (1958). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 334, Pg(s) 3. View as PDF.
  11. ↑ Baha'i News (1959). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 340, Pg(s) 11. View as PDF.
  12. ↑ Iran Furutan Muhajir, Dr. Muhajir, Baha'i Publishing Trust of India, 2013, p 635
  13. ↑ Baha'i News (July 1960). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 352, Pg(s) 6. View as PDF.
  14. ↑ Iran Furutan Muhajir, Dr. Muhajir, Baha'i Publishing Trust of India, 2013, p 81
  15. ↑ Iran Furutan Muhajir, Dr. Muhajir, Baha'i Publishing Trust of India, 2013, p 85
  16. ↑ Iran Furutan Muhajir, Dr. Muhajir, Baha'i Publishing Trust of India, 2013, p 87
  17. ↑ Iran Furutan Muhajir, Dr. Muhajir, Baha'i Publishing Trust of India, 2013, p 87
  18. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 369. View as PDF.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1986). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 18 (1979-1983), Pg(s) 658. View as PDF.
  20. ↑ Baha'i News (1963). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 391, Pg(s) 2. View as PDF.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 471. View as PDF.
  22. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 72. View as PDF.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 473. View as PDF.
  24. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 253. View as PDF.
  25. ↑ Iran Furutan Muhajir, Dr. Muhajir, Baha'i Publishing Trust of India, 2013, p 195
  26. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 73. View as PDF.
  27. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 83. View as PDF.
  28. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 213. View as PDF.
  29. ↑ Iran Furutan Muhajir, Dr. Muhajir, Baha'i Publishing Trust of India, 2013, p 88
  30. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 194. View as PDF.
  31. ↑ Iran Furutan Muhajir, Dr. Muhajir, Baha'i Publishing Trust of India, 2013, p 89
  32. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 217. View as PDF.
  33. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 184. View as PDF.
  34. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 198. View as PDF.
  35. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 199. View as PDF.
  36. ↑ [https://bahai.works/MUHJ63-86/243/Passing_of_the_Hand_of_the_Cause_of_God_Ra%E1%B8%A5matu%E2%80%99ll%C3%A1h_Muh%C3%A1jir 30 December 1979 letter from the Universal House of Justice to all Hands of the Cause of God and National Spiritual Assemblies]

References[edit]

Bahai.media has a related page: Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir
  • Harper, Barron (1997). Lights of Fortitude (Paperback ed.). Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0853984131.
  • Furútan Muhájir, Irán. Dr. Muhájir (Paperback ed.). London, UK: Bahá’í Publishing Trust. ISBN 1870989260.

External links[edit]


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