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ISFANDIYAR GHOBAD
(ISFANDiYAR QUBAD) 1895—1980
Isfandiyar Ghobad was born into a Zoroastrian family in 1895 in Yazd, frén. He was brought up in surroundings which were coloured by deep-rooted religious orthodoxy
Isfandiyar Ghobad
709
and tainted by ancestral superstitions, prejudices and rituals. As a young man his quest
for religious truth was ardent. While still a
school student he would frequently challenge,
in the presence of the religious instructor, the
validity of the concepts prevalent amongst his
own people, in return for which he would be
punished harshly and accused of having been
influenced by the ‘heresy’ of the Bábi movement. These confrontations made his receptive soul even more sensitive to the light of
divine guidance. At last, through a new bond
of marriage in the family household, he came
to hear about Bahá’u’lláh from his brother—inlaw, a staunch Bahá’í. The seed of faith which
had germinated in his heart soon became a
fruitful tree as a result of the instruction and
loving care of such prominent souls as Haji
Muhammad Téhir-i—Malmirl’ and Haji Muhammad Téhir-i-Qandahéri. ,
Isfandiyar’s recognition of Bahá’u’lláh at
the age of twenty-two enkindled the flame of
faith in the hearts of his entire family. Soon
after his declaration he wrote to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
and in reply he received an inspiring Tablet
which instilled in his heart a new zeal and
hope. He joined his father in trade but events
forced him to leave his homeland for India
and from there he proceeded to the Holy
Land on pilgrimage. His arrival in the Holy
Land coincided with the Guardian’s departure
from Haifa after the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. As a result he attained the presence
of the Greatest Holy Leaf whose loving
grace and affection encompassed him for fifty
days. During that period he was privileged
to receive from her gracious hand a copy
of the Tablet of the Holy Mariner in the
handwriting of Shoghi Effendi, as well as a
letter full of encouragement and assuring him
of a subsequent visit. After a few months’
sojourn in Cairo, the joyous news of the
Guardian’s return reached him. He again
asked permission to come to the Holy Land
and to his joy received a loving invitation in
which the Guardian expressed his eagerness
to welcome him. On, 19 October 1924 he set
off for Haifa and was honoured to bask
for forty days in the sunshine of the loving kindness of the beloved Guardian. Isfandiyar’s real spiritual life began to take shape
during this memorable pilgrimage and the
Guardian’s parting words—‘Isfandiyar, I shall
[Page 710]
never forget you, be assured’—engraved themselves indelibly on his heart and became his
‘best provision’ for the rest of his life.
On his return to Iran he was appointed to serve on various administrative bodies of the Faith which were closely associated with activities of the Bahá’í youth and teaching. In later years he was elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Tihran and he remained a member until he left Iran.
His third pilgrimage—this time accompanied by his wife and youngest daughtertook place in 1952, immediately before the launching of the Ten Year Crusade. They were among the pilgrims who heard from the Guardian’s own lips his glorious message about the unfoldment of divine destiny through the implementation of the Ten Year Plan; they were galvanized by the spirit of urgency of the moment. A few months after Isfandiyar returned to Tihran the National Spiritual Assembly assigned him the task of visiting the believers in the towns and cities of the southern part of Iran to share with them the joyous news of the commencement of the Ten Year Crusade and to stimulate their participation in its prosecution. His wife, Parizad, accompanied him.
Profoundly touched by the call himself, Isfandiyar and his family pioneered to Bursa, Turkey, and later to Recife, Brazil. While in Bursa, in 1962, he and his wife had had the privilege of being invited to accompany the Hand of the Cause of God Tarazu’llah Samandari on his three-month tour of Pakistan, India, Ceylon and Burma, a unique opportunity which was joyfully seized and which brought many inspiring experiences.
In 1967 he settled in the United Kingdom where he remained in active service to the Cause until he passed on to the Abhá Kingdom on 18 January 1980. He was buried in the precincts Of the blessed resting-place of the beloved of his heart, Shoghi Effendi.
From the time he became a Bahá’í, Isfandiyar Ghobad served with all his strength, even in his later years when he suffered from a heart condition. He is remembered by those who knew him as one steadfast in the Faith, dedicated in its service, forbearing in sufferings, radiant and assured in heart and submissive to the will of God. Precision and order were characteristic of both his private life and
THE BAHA’I’ WORLD
his professional practice. His life’s achievements were crowned by the cable sent by the Universal House of Justice on 21 January 1980:
SADDENED NEWS PASSING DEVOTED SERVANT CAUSE ISFANDIYAR QUBAD HIS LONG RECORD SERVICES CRADLE FAITH PIONEERING FIELDS ALWAYS REMEMBERED. PRAYING HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HIS SOUL. CONVEY MEMBERS BEREAVED FAMILY LOVING SYMPATHY.
DR. M. FIROOZMAND
