Bahá’í World/Volume 18/Rúḥu’lláh Furúghí
RUHOLLAH FOROUGHI
(RÚḤU’LLÁH FURÚGHÍ)
1915—1979
Rúḥu’lláh Furúghí was born in Iṣfahán in 1915. His father accepted the Bahá’í Faith when he was a child, a fact that would change the destiny of Rúḥu’lláh, his eldest son. While in his teens his mother passed away. This loss was also contributory to the future course of his life, thoughts and feelings. When he was just twenty he enlisted in the Army and remained in active service for almost three decades. He was a prisoner of war during part of World War II.
In 1940 he married Mulúk Pírmurádíyán. This gave another wing to his soul which had already been in the service of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh for a few years during which he had read in Persian and Arabic most of the numerous Bahá’í books and writings his father kept in his large personal library. His wife
Rúḥu’lláh Furúghí
was a staunch believer and following their marriage Rúḥu’lláh’s activities increased. I well remember their fireside meetings in Iṣfahán which were attended by people from all walks of life including mullas and professors. Teaching enquirers, and teaching their children, were their principal aims in life.
In response to the constant appeals for pioneers which the beloved Guardian had raised in his messages, he resigned his rank of Colonel and, in consultation with the National Teaching Committee of Írán, settled in Spain in October 1958 with his wife and five children (the youngest, one year of age, the eldest fifteen). They had no knowledge of the language nor of the circumstances obtaining in their chosen goal. Many were the members of his family who neither understood nor approved of his decision. From the moment they arrived they dedicated themselves to teaching the Faith. I vividly remember him attempting to teach some friends who knew little French, using his two dictionaries, French—Iranian and French—Spanish. After spending nine months in Barcelona he moved with his family to Mallorca to assist with the formation of the Local Spiritual Assembly.
Three years later the family pioneered once more, this time to Granada where there had been no Bahá’ís before. The dream of opening a town to the Faith was at last a reality. Soon firesides were organized and were attended by an increasing number; in this way local people began to embrace the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. He lived to see a well-established Bahá’í community in Granada with many local believers and an active and functioning Local Spiritual Assembly.
In 1975 he was elected a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Spain, and in 1978 was privileged to attend the fourth International Convention for the election of the Universal House of Justice. He led a group of Bahá’í youth on a teaching trip of several weeks’ duration in Ireland and travelled thousands of miles across Spain giving public talks and carrying out different tasks in service to the Cause. During the last two years of his life he served as National Treasurer of the Spanish Bahá’í community.
Mr. Egea Martinez wrote of him in an article published in the national Bahá’í bulletin of Spain: ‘I had the honour of being his friend and of accompanying him for the thousands of kilometres we travelled in his car, always at the service of the Faith . . . He was a great father, teacher and a good friend. He taught the Faith with firm authenticity and no compromises, no matter who his listeners were. Until the last few weeks of his life, although weak and ill, he remained active in the service of the Cause. This indeed was his last example of total commitment to the Faith he so ardently loved . . .’
We have lost our father, a loving friend and an outstanding teacher.
The Universal House of Justice cabled on 10 September 1979:
GRIEVED NEWS PASSING RUHOLLAH FOROUGHI DEVOTED SERVANT BAHAULLAH EXTEND LOVING SYMPATHY BEREAVED FAMILY ASSURE PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HIS SOUL.