Bahá’í World/Volume 20/Zikrullah Khadem
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ZIKRULLAH KHADEM
(D_hikru’llah ghédim) 19044986
thkru’llah K_hadim was born in 1904 in Tihran, Persia, the second of six children to devoted and hardworking parents, Mirza Nasru’llah and Radiyyih Khánum. His father, Mirza Nasru’llah, had spent two years in the Holy Land in the service of the Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. One day, much to his dismay, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had sent him back to Tihran to get mairied. Longing to spend his entire life in the service of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Nasru’llah was reluctant to depart, but had obediently complied With the wishes of the Master. In Tihran, he had man‘ied Radiyyih Ehémum and devoted himself to the spiritual nurturing and education of his family.
As a child, fliikru’llah’s home was graced with the presence of two exceptionally courageous and outstanding grandmothers. One of these, whom he called ‘Bibi Jan’, repeatedly accompanied another dedicated and fearless lady, Abji Susan, as they placed their lives in jeopardy in order to claim the precious bodies of martyrs for befitting burial. Clad in chadors, they would hasten to the site where the bodies had been thrown in disrespect. Crying, “My brother, my brother,” they would rescue the remains, wash them with tender love, and bury then; with due respect, in accordance with Bahá’í law.
The Qédim home was totally dedicated.
to the Cause and open to all. It was located in a section of Tihran characterized by small houses surrounded by high walls with abutting roof—tops. The buildings, interconnected by narrow alleys and passageways, created
THE Bahá’í WORLD
enclaves where Bahá’í families could gather, removed from the fanaticism of the general populace, for meetings and firesides.
Love and hospitality so permeated the atmosphere of the _K_h_adim home that it was well~known among the Bahá’ís and was a haven for travelling teachers. Great Bahá’í scholars passed through and left behind traces of their zeal and devotion. This invigorating environment surrounded the young 1_3_hikru’llah and provided him with ample role-models, God~intoxioated heroes and heroines. Among the well~known teachers of the time were two brothers, the poets Nayyir and Sinai, and the great teacher and Islamic scholar, Fáḍil Shirazi.
Bahá’í teachers and pilgrims from the Holy Land also passed through these enclaves, bringing the latest news of the Victories of the Faith and messages and Tablets from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The Bahá’ís would excitedly assemble to peruse the divine Tablets by the light of a few candles or sit enthralled as they witnessed the transformation of a seeker upon accepting the proofs of the coming of the Promised One. This devoted group of lovers of Baha’u’llah was momentarily oblivious to the fanaticism and turmoil of the world beyond their sanctuary. Soon, however, they had to venture out into the labyrinthine passageways to return to their homes. En route, as they dodged the stones hurled at them, they would be subjected to the verbal hostility of street urchins shouting curses and invectives.
These were the forces Which shaped thkru’llah _K_hadim’s character. On the one hand, he was enveloped in a spiritual atmosphere characterized by courage, heroism, and total dedication to Baha’u’llah. He was sheltered in a Vital community whose living fountainhead was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and whose goals were the creation of a new world order, promotion of universal peace, and the establishment of the oneness of mankind. This Vibrant and lustrous pearl of a community was surrounded by a sea of fanaticism, bigotry, and narrow—mindedness. The stark
IN MEMORIAM
contrast between the two worlds served to crystallize Dhikm’lláh’s own identity. He witnessed first-hand the heroism and exemplary courage of the martyrs and teachers of the Faith in the face of brutal attacks and grave injustice, and became well—known himself for heroism and courage. He was a passionate lover of God and, at the same time, a fierce defender of His Faith.
From his early childhood, thkm’llah Ighadim demonstrated great spiritual potential. His father appreciated this and felt certain that one day his son would shoulder significant spiritual responsibilities, as alluded to by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in a Tablet.
While still a young boy, thkm’llah was veiy aleit to the needs of the Faith. Thus, when the Central Spiritual Assembly of Persia advised the friends to convey their loyalty to the beloved Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, Shoghi Effendi, he whole—heartedly followed this recommendation. With tears in his eyes he wrote a letter filled with great love and devotion, professing his loyalty. From that moment, a longing to attain the presence of the beloved Guardian became his consuming and over—i‘iding passion.
His wish was granted in May of 1925, and the Guardian asked this ardent pilgrim, eager to perform any service, to convey to the Persian Bahá’í youth his love and encouragement, to ask them to deepen themselves in the Cause and to study English, especially English literature. This request caused thkru’llah to embark on a zealous study of the English language, a study he pursued throughout his life. This was further reinforced on subsequent Visits and communcations when the Guardian asked him to translate Bahá’í articles from English to Persian. The Guardian sent treasured copies of The Advent osz’vz'ne Justice: The Promised Day is Come, and two volumes of The Bahá’í World with instructions for thkru’llah to translate portions for distn'bution to the Bahá’ís of Persia.
The crowning event of that first pilgrimage was the gift of a picture of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
785
with a rose in His hand. The beloved Guardian told him, “I give you a picture of the beloved Master as a souvenir.” One cannot describe how deeply he cherished all the gifts the Guardian gave him. His reverence for these objects was evidence of his love and devotion.
After that pilgrimage _D_hikru’llah I_{_h_adim was galvanized with a new purpose, propelled in a new direction, infused With a new passion. His only thought, his only desire was to please his beloved.
Upon completion of the schooling available in Tihi‘an, he taught briefly at the Tarbiyat School. He then went to the south of Persia to serve as interpreter and language tutor for the huge Anglo-Persian Oil Company. He developed an accelerated method of teaching Persian to the English—speaking population and then opened a language school that used this method. While in his early 20s, he reached a turning point: should he continue with the oil company or should he, as he desired, return to Tihxan and set out on his own? He was confirmed through a dream in which Abdu’l-Bahá provided him support. He confidently left his position, returned to Tihran, and found work helping the government of ‘Iráq to establish its Embassy in Persia.
His skill in scholarly Arabic and Persian (from knowing the Writings), diplomatic French (Which he studied as a second language during his schooling at Daru’lFunfin), and English (which he diligently pursued in obedience to the Guardian) quickly distinguished him. It was in this key Embassy post that he was able to perform many historic seiyices for the Faith, such as transmitting to the Holy Land the sword of Mullá Ḥusayn and other historical treasures of the Faith.
While he was employed at the Embassy, Ilhikru’lláh Qédim married Javiddugt J avid, also from a Bahá’í family. Mrs. Keith Ransom-Kehler, who was to become a martyr in Persia and posthumous Hand of the Cause of God, expressed approval of
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their marriage in a tender note to thkru’lláh who served as her devoted secretary, friend, and companion during her stay in Persia. The marriage took place on 3 October 1933, and produced five children, a11 devoted servants of the Cause.
D_hikru’llah made trips to the Holy Land in 1939 and 1940 and received other assignments from the beloved Guardian. Among these, he was instructed to visit, on the Guardian’s behalf, a11 of Persia. Shoghi Effendi expressed keen interest in the reports of his travels and repeatedly encouraged him through cablegrarns and 1etters. After thkru’llah travelled around the countiy the Guardian asked him to repeat it over again. He gave him specific tasks such as photographing Bahá’í sites in Persia and the graves of the martyrs of Nayriz. This latter assignment resulted in his arrest and brief imprisonment in that fanatic locale.
In February 1940, the beloved Guardian gave Mr. K_hadim the great mission of arranging for Persian Bahá’ís to obtain overt permission from the government to go on pilgrimage to the Bahá’í Holy Places. Because the Guardian promised that the door of pilgrimage W0u1d soon open, Mr. K_hadirn prepared the believers for this bounty and then, incredibly, effectively assisted in facilitating a dramatic Change in government policy that, in fact, opened the doors.
In the same year, Shoghi Effendi asked Mr. thkru’llah K_hadim to encourage the Bahá’ís of Persia to pioneer to Arabia and the islands of the Persian Gulf. Mr. _K_hadim communicated the Guardian’s ca11 for pioneers with such zeal and such magnetic attraction that those who heard him could not help but feel moved themselves. In this manner, the love‘and wishes of the Guardian
were infused into the entire Bahá’í commu nity in Persia.
The spirit of that period in Persia was indescribab1e. On the one hand, there was the spirit that returning pilgrims brought back. On the other were the prospective pioneers transmitting the spirit of their love and
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self-sacrifice to others. The deep longing to please their beloved Guardian resulted in a contagious and raging pioneering fever. Those Who were affected, infected others, until virtually the entire community was in the throes of this spiritual epidemic.
From 1940 to 1957, Mr. K__hédim was entrusted with the mission of receiving mail and cab1egrarns from Shoghi Effendi for institutions and individual Bahá’ís in the East. This priceless bounty was the source of great pride to him and blessed the family With eager anticipation and excitement for 17 years.
One event in particu1ar stands out—an event which took place in 1944, the Centenary of the Declaration of the Báb. Mr. Khadirn was honored With the assignment of being the carrier of the beloved Guardian’s message to the Persian National Convention. Due to wartime restrictions, the message had to be sent through the National Spiritual Assembly of ‘Iráq. When it arrived in Baghdad, Mr. _K_1_1adirn painstakingly arranged for it to be flown to Tihran.
The moment-by-moment whereabouts of this document created such anxiety for him that when the message fina11y arrived in Tihran, he was overcome with j oy and gratitude. After numerous difficulties and many obstacles, he drove the message to Shiraz, arriving just in time for the celebration at two hours and eleven minutes after sunset. For years later, he W0u1d refer to that blessed occasion and cherish the bounty of having been a participant and eye-witness of this milestone in the history of the Cause.
Until 1952, Mr. Ighédim served the Faith in the Eastern part of the world from Egypt to India under the direction of the Guardian. However, during a pilgrimage in 1939, Shoghi Effendi had told him: “I will send you to the West, to America, to witness with your own eyes, the secret, the mystery, the light of the Cause in those lands”. (As recorded in Mr. Qédim’s diary).
On 28 February 1952, he received a cab1e from the Guardian:
IN MEMORIAM 787
MOVED CONVEY GLAD TIDINGS YOUR ELEVA TION RANK HAND CAUSE STOP APPOINTMENT
OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED PUBLIC MESSAGE
ADDRESSED ALL NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES STOP
MAY SACRED FUNCTION ENABLE YOU ENRICH
RECORD SERVICES ALREADY RENDERED
FAITH BAHA’U’LLAH
From that date his services extended to the Western world.
The year 1952 was blessed for him. He made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, enj oying the presence of the Guardian, and received his assignments as a Hand of the Cause. For five years, until November 1957, he travelled at a dizzying pace, Visiting Bahá’í centers throughout Europe, all over Africa, the islands of the Caribbean, the Far East, as well as South, Central, and North America. From the moment he began these travels on assignment from the Guardian, he kept an extremely detailed journal which documented his times of arrival and departure, names and addresses of everyone he met, hotels he stayed at, planes he boarded, etc. He believed that every act under the direction of the Guardian of the Cause of God had historical significance.
The euphoria that pervades this five-year joumal is especially poignant when it abruptly ends on 4 November 1957, the day his beloved Guardian passed from this realm. Nothing had the same significance for him after that. Of course, he continued to serve with undiminished devotion, but the carefree joyous spontaneity was permanently gone.
What sustained him after the passing of the Guardian was his unshakeable certitude in the assistance of Shoghi Effendi from the realm beyond. He often remarked that if he did not feel, even for a moment, the nearness of the Guardian in his heart, he would instantly perish. This is what permitteti him to continue his services in those very trying years between 1957 and 1963, until the Universal House of Justice was established. As each of the Hands undertook a sphere of activity, he volunteered to move to the United States and oversee the work of the
institution of the Hands in the Americas, further fulfilling the Guardian’s 1939 prediction.
He was exhilarated when, in 1963, the reins of the Cause of God were safely passed to the Universal House of Justice. Infallible guidance was again assured. He was especially devoted to the Universal House of Justice and was always prepared to carry out its wishes. He represented that august Institution at many conferences and conventions. Under the direction of the House of Justice, he undertook an intensive five—year project of researching and documenting all the Bahá’í Holy Places. The project resulted in 141 volumes under the title, Registiy Of Bahd ’2' Holy Places. He also authored many articles in English and in Persian. His travels and his participation at Bahá’í schools and institutes continued to the end of his life.
In July 1986, Mr. _I_(_l_1édim was diagnosed as having disseminated liver cancer. Thereafter, he was confined to bed most of the time. However, during much of this period he remained active. He attended to his conespondence and communicated, with great tenderness, his love and support to the institutions of the Cause. By the middle of October, however, his strength gradually waned until he passed on to the Abhá Kingdom in the early morning of 13 November 1986, and once again attained the presence of his beloved Guardian.
The Universal House of Justice cabled the Bahá’ís of the world:
WITH SORROWFUL HEARTS ANNOUNCE PASSIN G INDEFATIGABLE FEARLESS DEFENDER FAITH DEEPLY LOVED HAND CAUSE ZH<RULLAH KHADEM. HIS STERLING SERVICES TO THE CAUSE, HIS TOTAL CONSECRATION TO TASKS ASSIGNED TO HIM BY BELOVED GUARDIAN, HIS OUTSTANDING EFFORTS AS MEMBER NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY CRADLE FAITH, HIS VALUABLE SOUL-UPLIFTING STIMULATION IMPARTED BODY BELIEVERS NORTH AlVIERlCA, PARTICULARLY UNITED STATES BAHA’I CONIMUNITY, HIS
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Zikru’lláh Khádem
UNTIRING ENDEAVOURS THROUGH HIS TALKS AND WRITINGS IN SAFEGUARDING COVENANT AND IN INSTILLING APPRECIATION LOVE FOR SHOGHI EFFENDI SHED UNDYING LUSTRE OVER PERIOD HIS ADMIMBLE STEWARDSHIP CAUSE GOD.
OFFERING PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HIS RADIANT SOUL ABHA KINGDOM. URGE HOLD BEFITTING MEMORIAL GATHERINGS HIS NAME AT ALL HOUSES OF WORSHIP AS WELL AS IN ALL LOCAL BAHA’I COMMUNITIES.
Memorial gatherings were held throughout the world, inc1uding a very touching one in the Holy Land. A memento of this moving event, in the form of rose-petals from the Shrines, was 1oving1y sent to his family by Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum.
Hundreds of Bahá’ís from all? over the United States, some even from distant coun tries, came for Mr. Khádim’s funeral, held‘
two days after his passing. Flowers, condolences, cables, letters, and messages of love in so many forms were sent. The funeral hall was filled to overflowing, but the flowers outnumbered the people. Roses, hyacinths,
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orchids, carnations, Chrysanthemums, and other flowers of every variety transformed the very air with their love-scents, paying homage to this signal lover whose own
fragrance lingers in so many hearts. J AVIDDUEIlIT 153mm