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sUBHt ELIAS
1902—1981
The passing of Subhi’ Elias on 26 J anuary 1981 in Alexandria, Egypt, after a five-day illness, has ended a period of sixty years of devoted, loving and fruitful service to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.
Born to Coptic Christian parents on 17 May 1902 in an obscure village in the heart of the Nile delta, his childhood was marked by extreme hardship. With the premature death of his young father in 1906, the four-year-old Subhf was left to the care of an ageing, rich and kind yet helpless grandfather. His widowed young mother, who was then pregnant with her second son, Sabri, was forced to leave her house and return to that of her parents in a nearby village, due to the machinations and unbearable treatment of one of her deceased husband’s brothers. Subhf, who was not allowed to move with his mother, received his only tuition at the reading class conducted by the village priest. Bible reading was the only subject taught in these classes held in the village church, with the priest expounding the narrow and literal interpretations which he himself had accepted through a similar education. Subhi, however, had a flexible mentality and was able to investigate truth for himself independently of the traditional process. He recognized the limitation and prejudice of his tutor and observed the fanatical behaviour of high—ranking clergy on their visits to his village. At an early age he displayed courage in rebuking and criticizing them publicly.
In 1911 Subhf was surprised and over whelmed with joy to discover that he had a
brother, when Sabri was mature enough to be claimed from his mother by the family of his
father. The reunited brothers formed a deep
attachment which led them ultimately to material success and which was heightened by the spiritual bond that the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh
[Page 747]
IN MEMORIAM
Subhz’ Elitis
provided. Soon after being brought together the young men, again through the plotting of their cruel paternal uncle, were denied any share in the inheritance of their grandfather, were dismissed from their home and driven from their village. Homeless and wretched, the two boys made their own way unaided. They were then attracted to the Bahá’í Faith through the kindness and love of another uncle, the late Ibrahim TAbdu’l-Masih, whose sterling character and lofty idealism stood in marked contrast to all they had witnessed. Subhi embraced the Faith in March 1921 and proceeded to attract Sabri’s interest simply by requesting him to carry some Bahá’í books to friends with the purposed order that he was not to read them. It was not long until Sabri asked his brother how to declare himself a Bahá’í, apologizing for disobeying the instruction that he was not to read the books he had delivered on Subhi’s behalf. Subhi’s zeal was such that he immediately made it known to his relatives that he was a member of the Bahá’í Faith, ably meeting the opposition they cast up A few years later the brothers settled
747
in Alexandria where Subhi remained Virtually for the rest of his life. In 1934 Sabri’ began his service as a pioneer, going first to Ethiopia, and later to a post further afield where he continues his work to this day.
In the early months of his life as a Bahá’í, Subhi yearned to make pilgrimage to the Holy Land and attain the presence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, but alas his heart’s desire was shattered by the passing of the beloved Master. A few years later he corresponded with Shoghi Effendi and received many inspiring replies. He had the privilege of making two pilgrimages and on each occasion had the bounty of meeting the Guardian. He lovingly cherished these experiences and in the eve of his life would speak tearfully of them to the young Bahá’ís.
Subhi was elected to the first Local Spiritual
Assembly of Alexandria, formed in 1924, and
served on that body until the disbandment of
the Bahá’í administrative institutions in Egypt
in 1961. He also served as a member of the
National Spiritual Assembly of North East
Africa. Characteristic of the early days of
the Bahá’í administration in Egypt were the
efforts of the believers to grasp the purpose of
the New World Order and to witness its divine
institutions come into existence. Under the
unerring guidance of the beloved Guardian
they longed to exercise their sacred responsibilities. They made devoted efforts to achieve
recognition of the Faith as an independent
religion and to secure the right for Bahá’ís to
follow their teachings in matters of personal
status. They were inspired and encouraged in
taking this course by the historic verdict of the
High Muslim Court in 1924 which ruled that
the Bahá’í Faith is totally independent from
Islam. Subhf’s own contribution in those days
was considerable. On the death of an infant
son in September 1945 he refused to have
the child buried in the Coptic or Muslim
cemeteries and requested that the authorities
allocate a burial ground to the Bahá’ís of
Alexandria. Although his request was not
granted, from that time onward Bahá’ís were
permitted to inter their dead in ‘civil’
cemeteries which had previously been restricted to non-Egyptian libre penseurs. He
raised his six surviving children as devoted
and active Bahá’ís, three of whom followed
the example of their uncle Sabrl’ in marrying
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Bahá’ís of Muslim background despite the
wrath of fanatical non-Bahá’í relatives. These
marriages added lustre to the Bahá’í community as living examples of the capacity of
the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh to unite people of
different backgrounds.
In 1977, despite failing health, he taped a five-hour recording giving a comprehensive historical account of the development of the Bahá’í Faith in Egypt and, in particular, Alexandria. Quite often, when the Faith was attacked in Egyptian publications, the writers received a spirited reply from Subhi’, either published in the same manner, or in the form of a personal letter. His greatest share of service to the Faith took place during the tumultuous, though blessed, decade that followed the proscription of Bahá’í activities in Egypt in' 1961. The Bahá’ís were subjected to a series of arrests, trials and sentences of imprisonment, notably in 1965, 1967 and 1972, and Subhi played his full part in these events. In prison he conducted himself in a manner that inspired his Bahá’í fellow captives and filled his awe-stricken captors with perplexity. On two occasions he simply presented himself at police headquarters before the authorities had an opportunity to arrest him at home. Released from prison on bail pending his trial, he would painstakingly compile materials for the use of the non-Bahá’í lawyers who were to defend the Bahá’ís.
He passed on to the Abhá Kingdom without having lived to witness the fulfilment of his heart’s desire, the restoration of freedom and recognition to the Bahá’í community of Egypt, which even today is still withheld. Histriends there find solace only in remembrance of his great service which was worthy of emulation. ‘His passing’, his brother wrote to other members of his family, ‘has scalded my heart . . . He was made homeless in early boyhood, yet he spread a shelter of loving protection over me. To me he was a father and a mother . . . Embracing the Faith in his early youth, he remained faithful and stalwart . . . Over a period of sixty years the torch of his faith kept burning . . . My only refuge is to turn my face towards the Supreme Ruler, that He may bestow on him the best of rewards.’
On 11 February 1981 the following cable was received from the Universal House of Justice:
THE BAHA'I WORLD
DEEPLY GRIEVED PASSING VALIANT PROMOTER DEFENDER CAUSE SUBHI ELIAS. HIS DEDICATED SERVICES OVER SEVERAL DECADES LOVINGLY REMEMBERED. ASSURE RELATIVES FRIENDS FERVENT PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HIS SOUL.
(Compiled from tape-recorded accounts of SUBHI and SABRf ELIAS)
