Valíyu'lláh Varqá
| Valíyu'lláh Varqá | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Mírzá Valíyu'lláh Khán-i-Varqá 1884 Tabriz, Iran |
| Died | November 12, 1955 Tubingen, Germany |
| NSA member | Iran 1934 - 1955 |
| Hand of the Cause | Asia 1951 - 1955 |
| Title(s) | Trustee of Huqúqu'lláh 1939 - 1955 |
| Appointed by | Shoghi Effendi |
| Children | ‘Alí-Muhammad Varqá, and 9 others. |
| Parents | Varqá |
Mírzá Valíyu'lláh Khán-i-Varqá (1884 - November 12, 1955)[1] (Arabic: مرزا فاليالله خان الفارقة) was a Persian Bahá’í who served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran, as the Trustee of Ḥuqúqu'lláh, and as a Hand of the Cause.
Biography[edit]
Early Life[edit]
Varqá was born into a Bahá’í family in Tabriz in 1884. His father was Varqá, who was posthumously named a Hand of the Cause by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, his mother was named Fatimih, and he had two older brothers and a younger brother who passed in childhood. Both of his parents fathers were Bahá’ís and in his childhood his family lived in the household of his maternal grandparents in Tabriz.[2]
Due to allegations that he was involved in political intrigue Varqá's maternal grandfather moved to Tehran while his family remained in Tabriz. Varqá's maternal grandmother was a staunch Muslim and strongly opposed to the Bahá’í Faith and attempted to have Varqá’s father murdered. As a result Varqá’s father and his elder brothers left the household with Varqá and his younger brother remaining with their mother and grandmother. Varqá was raised to have a negative opinion of the Faith by his mother and grandmother and in his childhood he was saddened by the fact his father was a Bahá’í.[2] In 1900 Varqá moved to live with his paternal uncle Mirza Husayn Yazdi in Miyandub and he became a Bahá’í through him.[3]
After declaring Varqá desired to go on pilgrimage and he went to Tabriz in order to travel to the Holy Land with Siyyid Assadu’llah Qumi, who he knew as he had stayed with his uncle in Miyandub, however the Local Spiritual Assembly of Tabriz advised him to instead move to Tehran to live with his older brother, Mirza Azizu’llah Khan. While in Tehran he completed further education at the Bahá’í run Tarbiyat School and the American High School learning both English and Arabic. Upon completing his High School education he moved to Beirut where he undertook university studies and during his summer holidays he visited the Holy Land spending time with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.[3]
Bahá’í Service[edit]
In 1909 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá asked Varqá to return to Tehran to seek work in the court of the Shah of Iran. He secured a position as chamberlain and was able to correct misinformation about the Faith which had been submitted to the Shah,[4] and he was able to facilitate communication between ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the Royal Court.[5]
Varqá married Bahiyyih Sani Illahi in 1910 and they had ten children who all became active Bahá’ís.[6] He began working for the Russian Embassy in Tehran after marrying. In approximately 1910 he went on pilgrimage again to the Holy Land,[3] and in 1912 he was invited to accompany ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on His travels in the West. He was a member of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's entourage in North America, London, and Paris serving as a translator.[6] He returned to Tehran after his travels west and began working for the Turkish Embassy as a Translator, serving on the Local Spiritual Assembly, and several Bahá’í committees.[3]
In 1934 Varqá was elected to the first properly constituted National Spiritual Assembly of Iran,[7] and in 1939 Shoghi Effendi appointed him as the Trustee of Ḥuqúqu’lláh upon the passing of the Trustee Amín-i-Amín.[3] He resigned from his position at the Turkish Embassy at the beginning of the Second World War and devoted himself to fulltime service of the Faith.[6]
Service as a Hand of the Cause[edit]
In 1951 Shoghi Effendi appointed Varqá as a Hand of the Cause for Iran.[3] In 1953 he undertook extensive international travels as a Hand attending the four International Conferences called by Shoghi Effendi to launch the Ten Year Crusade. He first attended the Conferences in Kampala, Uganda, and in Chicago in the United States. After the Chicago Conference he made a travel teaching trip to Brazil and Chile.[8]
From America Varqá traveled to Europe where he first attended the Intercontinental Conference in Stockholm, Sweden, then toured Germany visiting Hamburg, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich, and Esslingen. He became ill while in Germany and was hospitalized for a week in Stuttgart and stayed in Ulm for one month during which he received surgery. After recovering he traveled to India and attended the New Delhi Conference and then received instructions to undertake a travel teaching tour across Iraq, Egypt, and Syria from Shoghi Effendi. In Iraq he struggled again with illness and stayed in Baghdad for some time then toured Egypt visiting Cairo, Ismailia, Suez, Port Said, and Alexandria.[8]
From Egypt Varqá traveled to Turkey visiting Qazi Antap, Iskanderun, Adana, and Istanbul to meet with Bahá’í communities, and he then submitted a report of his travels throughout 1953 to Shoghi Effendi and received instructions to return to Iran. After arriving in Tehran he was invited to go on pilgrimage and he spent two weeks in the Holy Land meeting with Shoghi Effendi. From the Holy Land he returned to Germany on the instructions of Shoghi Effendi to receive further medical treatment and assist the Hands of the Cause in Europe. After receiving treatment he spent an extended time in Vienna, Austria, during which he assisted with teaching work delivering several public talks before returning to Iran.[8]
In March 1955 Varqá began experiencing severe pain and he visited France and Italy to receive further medical treatment assisting the country's Bahá’í communities during his visits. He then settled in Germany where he was hospitalized in Tubingen. On November 12, 1955, he passed away in Germany and he was buried in Stuttgart.[9]
Shoghi Effendi conveyed the following message to the Stuttgart Bahá’í community following Varqá’s passing:
”Assuring you of my deep and abiding appreciation of the sympathy you have expressed for the great loss sustained by our beloved Faith, and of my fervent prayers for the success of every effort you exert for its promotion.”[9]
Notes[edit]
- ↑ 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) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1970). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 13 (1954-1963), Pg(s) 831. View as PDF.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1970). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 13 (1954-1963), Pg(s) 832. View as PDF.
- ↑ Moojan Momen, The Baha'i Communities of Iran 1851-1921, Volume 1, George Ronald: Oxford, 2015, p 71
- ↑ Moojan Momen, The Baha'i Communities of Iran 1851-1921, Volume 1, George Ronald: Oxford, 2015, p 88
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 https://iranicaonline.org/articles/varqa-wali-allah
- ↑ Baha'i News (1934). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 86, Pg(s) 6. View as PDF.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1970). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 13 (1954-1963), Pg(s) 833. View as PDF.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1970). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 13 (1954-1963), Pg(s) 834. View as PDF.
References[edit]
- Harper, Barron (1997). Lights of Fortitude (Paperback ed.). Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0853984131.
- Bahá’í World, Vol. 13, pp. 831-4.
