Bahá’í World/Volume 20/Mansour Ahdieh

From Bahaiworks

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MANSOUR AHDIEH

(Mansfir ‘Ahdiyyih) 1906—1987

DEEPLY GRIEVED PASSING STEADFAST SERVANT CAUSE MANSOUR AHDIEH. HIS SERVICES IN IRAN AND MOROCCO, WHICH CULMINATED 1N DEVOTED LABOURS AS CUSTODIAN SHRINE OF BAB, IN COLLABORATION WITH HIS DEAR WIFE, UNFORGETTABLE. ASSURE HIS WIDOW, AND RELATIVES LOVING PRAYERS PROGRESS HIS NOBLE SOUL ABHA KINGDOM.

Universal House of Justice 8 March‘r1987

Mansfir ‘Ahdiyyih was the son of Mirza Hasan Khan and Bflqis Khánum of Kaflén. The name “‘Ahdiyyih” (“trustworthy”) had been given by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the cooperative business which Mansfir’s father had


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helped found and in which he was a shareholder.

Mansfir’s grandfather, F ak_hru’1—‘Urafa, had been the first in the family to accept the Bahá’í Faith. As soon as he had caught a glimpse of the light of the new Revelation, he had been deeply impressed and had sympathized with the Faith. While Baha’u’llah was exiled in Baghdad, FaW’l-‘Urafa had moved to that city to obtain the presence of Him Whom he thought to be the Originator of the Cause. A few months later he conveyed openly in a letter to his family that his journey had been a blessing to him and through God’s mercy he had been privileged to attain the presence of Him Who was the object of his heart’s desire. Soon his son, Mansfir’s father, was led to embrace the Faith. Not long after the whole family followed him.

Mansfir was born in Tihran in 1906. His primary and secondary education was at the Tarbiyat School and the Alliance Francaise, and then at the Teachers’ Training College. From the time he was twelve years old, he simultaneously studied for half of each day at the Fine Arts College headed by Kamélu’lMulk, the most accomplished and illustrious painter and sculptor of Persia. The College had been founded through the goodwill and cooperation of Mansfir’s father, Mirza Hasan Khán, and his uncle, ‘Abdu’l-Baqi.

‘Abdu’l—Baqi was a devoted believer who had made several pilgrimages to the Holy Land and had attained the presence of Bahá’u’lláh. He was the photographer at the Court of the Qajér Dynasty and took some of the pictures of early believers in prison, in chains, or being tortured—including Badi‘, the “Pride of Martyrs”.

Mansfir had just finished the first stage of his studies in Persia when a new door was opened to him. The previous year the Ministry of Education had launched a five—year plan during which they sent a contingent of one hundred students to complete their education in Europe each year in exchange for a certain number of years of service to be

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rendered to Persia upon their return. These students were selected from among the best candidates who took part in a scheduled competition.

Mansfir participated in the competition and was among the winners. He was sent to France to pursue his studies in engineering. After six years of study he received a diploma in electrical engineering from the University of Toulouse and a year later, after entering l’Ecole Supérieure d’Electricte in Paris, he obtained another diploma from that school.

After returning to Persia and performing his one—year military service, he was employed as a general assistant to the Central Electric Company in Tihran and served in that capacity for twenty-three years. During that time he was sent on several important assignments, including going to France to purchase a powerful and efficient central power plant.

Simultaneous with his work for the government, Mansfir was busy with Bahá’í activities in Ṭihrán. He served the Faith in various capacities such as membership on the National Youth Committee, the committees

THE BAHA’t WORLD

for the National Bahá’í Centre, and the organizing committees for summer schools.

It was also during this period that, through his marriage to Aqdas Misbah, the families of ‘Ahdiyyih and Misbah became more closely and intimately tied together. When the forty-five—month plan of the National Spiritual Assembly of Persia was launched, the two families left their homes in Tihran and pioneered to the goal village of Qulhak, near Ṭihrán, Where they, with the help of other pioneers, established the first Local Spiritual Assembly.

In 1953, when the Guardian launched the Ten Year Crusade, Mansfir and Aqdas, accompanied by their two children, aged eight and thirteen, decided to pioneer to one of the goal countries. Mansfir asked permission to retire from the government—owned company Where he worked, but his request was denied although he was legally entitled to do so. Two years later, after successfully achieving an assignment in France, he repeated his request to retire but the request was denied again. Finally, Mansfir resigned Without a pension. He wanted to pioneer, and he proceeded to do so, placing his great hope in assistance from on high.

The family went to Morocco, staying in Casablanca for two months, then moving to Rabat for four years. Finally, they were transferred to Meknes where they remained until they left the country. Upon reaching Morocco, Mansfir presented his curriculum Vitae to the Ministry of Education, requesting a suitable position. With his qualifications, he was soon engaged as a high—ranking physics and chemistry teacher in secondary schools. He served in this position for sixteen years, until 1968. Then, the contracts of almost all Bahá’í pioneers working for the government were either cancelled or were not renewed as a result of persecution.

During the time the family was living in Rabat, Mansfir attended courses in Arabic literature at the University of Rabat. His endeavours proved to be fruitful. He received a diploma of proficiency in Arabic

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literature, but more importantly he acquired a much better ability to speak to the people in their native language, to conduct Bahá’í classes, and to be active in the teaching field.

In View of the problems in Morocco, Mansfir made a trip to iran to settle his affairs. Upon his return, while contemplating what course he should pursue, a letter reached him from the Universal House of Justice inviting him and his wife to go to Haifa for consultation.

Upon their arrival in the Holy Land they were asked if they would serve as custodians of the twin Shrines of the Báb and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. With joy and enthusiasm, they accepted immediately. Thus in June 1971, Mansfir and Aqdas ‘Ahdiyyih started their service at the Bahá’í World Centre—a serVice which extended for almost fourteen years. It was only due to the condition of Mr. ‘Ahdiyyih’s health that they were compelled to leave the Holy Land and terminate their services which were so dear to their hearts.

One of the privileges Mr. ‘Ahdiyyih enjoyed during his long years of service in Haifa was answering the questions of tourists who would come to Visit the Shrines. Being deepened in the Faith and speaking French, English, Persian, and Arabic, he was able to speak to many of them in their own language and give them the Message.

Mansfir ‘Ahdiyyih was a person of many talents—a musician, a painter, and a calligrapher in Persian and Arabic. In art he used a variety of techniques including oil painting, water colours, pastels, and pencil drawings. The themes of his work were diverse: scenes of family life, portraits of great men, and landscapes.

He was a true and faithful friend, sociable, calm, patient, firm and steadfast hit his belief, a kind father and a loving husband.

He will be greatly missed. AQDAS MISBAH ‘AHDiYYIH

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