Sadru’s-Sudúr

Haji Sayyid Ahmad Sadr ul-Ulama Hamadani (1868 - April, 1907) granted the title Ṣadru’ṣ-Sudúr by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, was a Persian Bahá’í. Around 1904, with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's encouragement, he established the first teacher-training class for Bahá’í youth in Tihrán,[1] and he was honored by at least two Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.[2][3] The title Ṣadru’ṣ-Sudúr was originally an office held by the chief priest of Persia since Safavi times until being abolished by Nadir Shah.[4]

Biography

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Hamadani was born in 1868 in Hamadan and was the eldest son of Haji Mirza Sayyid Abu’l-Qasim Sadr ul-‘Ulama Hamadani. In his youth he studied Islamic traditions, Shariah Law, and mystical philosophy in Tehran and became a religious judge in the city earning the title Sadr ul-Islam.[5]

Hamadani was first introduced to the Bahá’í Faith while in Hamadan and he investigated the religion in Tehran, but was more interested in Sufism initially and joined the Ni‘matu'llahi Sufi order. He was later reintroduced to the Faith and met with Youness Afrukhtih and he became a Bahá’í between 1898 and 1899 after an extended period of study. He composed a book on the Faith after converting titled Lama ‘at-i Khams va Tajalliyat-i Shams which translates to The Five Flashes and the Effulgences of the Sun.[6]

Youth classes

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In 1903 Hamadani established a class in Tehran to train Bahá’í youth to teach the Bahá’í Faith after consulting with other Bahá’ís of Tehran and several prominent Bahá’í travel teachers were trained at his classes. He taught weekly with a general class on Fridays and extended classes for promising students on Sundays.

A document prepared by the Bahá’í World Centre mentions Ṣadru’ṣ-Sudúr as conducting this pioneering work in Iran along the lines of the meetings for teaching called for by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.[7] While the nature of the meetings were different, the activities he pioneered for teaching and training are also described in that document as occurring in a similar vein to that of later teaching institutes and training institutes.

The classes were held daily where its students were trained in the beliefs of other religions as well as in aspects of the Bahá’í Faith. They were to have contributed heavily to the expansion and consolidation of the Cause in Iran.[8]

After Ṣadru’ṣ-Sudúr died, Mirza Hasan opted to continue the class with the assistance of a few other knowledgeable Bahá’ís, supervising it for some time.[9]

His later life and aftermath

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In 1906 French Bahá’ís Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney and Laura Barney consulted with him during a visit to Iran.[6]

Hamadani passed away in April 1907. After his passing ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote that his passing had affected Him the most of any person to have passed since the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh in 1892. Another Bahá’í, Mírzá Muhammad Na‘ím assumed responsibility for facilitating the classes Hamadani had established on the instructions of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and they continued for some time after his passing.[10]

Further reading

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  • Rastigar, Nasr'u'llah. Tarikh-i-Hadrat-i Sadru's-Sudur. Biography of Sadru's-Sudur. Tehran: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1947.[11]

Notes

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  1. ↑ Century of Light, footnote 127
  2. ↑ Memories of Nine Years in ‘Akká, Youness Khan Afroukhteh, p. 101
  3. ↑ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, from a Tablet, translated from the Arabic, Bahá’í Education, no. 27
  4. ↑ Translation of French Foot-Notes of the Dawn-Breakers, Ch. X, p. 199, f. 3, at https://bahai-library.com/dawnbreakers_french_footnotes_english
  5. ↑ Moojan Momen, The Baha’i Communities of Iran 1851-1921, Volume 1: The North of Iran, George Ronald: Oxford, 2015, p 97
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Moojan Momen, The Baha’i Communities of Iran 1851-1921, Volume 1: The North of Iran, George Ronald: Oxford, 2015, p 98
  7. ↑ Century of Light, p. 109
  8. ↑ Century of Light, p. 109
  9. ↑ Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, vol. 4, Adib Taherzadeh, at https://bahai-library.com/rev_bahaullah_4/taherzadeh_revelation_bahaullah_4.txt
  10. ↑ Moojan Momen, The Baha'i Communities of Iran, 1851-1921: Volume 1, George Ronald: Oxford, 2015, p 98
  11. ↑ Memories of Nine Years in ‘Akká, Youness Khan Afroukhteh, p. 448
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