Bahá’í World/Volume 8/National Spiritual Assembly of Írán Annual Report 1939-1940
ANNUAL REPORT—NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHÁ’Í OF ÍRÁN—1939-1940
SINCE it was impossible to hold a Convention, the National Spiritual Assembly for 97 was elected by letter. The same members were elected as in the previous year, and officers continued as before.
During 97 the following areas sacred in Bahá’í history were acquired: the house of the mayor of Ṭihrán, where Ṭáhirih was imprisoned; the burial place of Quddús in Bábul (formerly Bárfurúsh); the house in Najaf-Ábád (near Iṣfáhán) where the body of the Báb was placed for a time; the house of Mullá Naṣru’lláh the martyr, in Shahmírzád, the place of his death.
Other activities of the Shrine Areas Committee include: dispatch of a commission to report on the Fort of Kinár-Gird and the village of Galín, where the Báb spent some time; preparations for purchase of the Fort of Afchih, blessed by the presence of Bahá’u’lláh; dispatch of a commission to report on Murgh-Maḥallih, the summer home of Bahá’u’lláh; investigations to determine the home of Sulaymán Khán, the martyr, the homes of Mírzá Riḍá-Qulí and Ja‘far-Quli Khán, where Bahá’u’lláh stayed for some time, and the home of Ḥáj Muḥammad-Ḥusayn, husband of the sister of Áqá Muḥammad-Karím-i-‘Aṭṭar, where the body of the Báb rested; preparations for purchase of the house of the late Muḥammad-Karím-i-‘Aṭṭar where the body of the Báb rested; of the burial place of Badí‘in Galandúk; and of the remaining blessed lands of Badasht, etc.
Teaching work has continued in full force during this period, an analysis of this activity being given herewith:
The following twenty teachers worked in the localities specified during 96, exclusive of the teaching activity in Ṭihrán: Ṭarázu’lláh Samandarí — Kirmánsháh, Hamadán, Iṣfáhán, ‘Iráq, Yazd, Rafsinján, Kirmán; ‘Abbás ‘Alaví, Yazd, Khurásán; Ádhar-Munír—Tabríz; Ishráq-i-Khávarí—Qazvín, Kurdistán, Kirmánsháh, Iṣfáhán; Siyyid-Ḥusayn Háshimí-Zádih — Mázindarán; Munír Nabíl-Zádih—Adhirbáyján; Fáḍil-i- Yazdí—Kirmán and Káshán; ‘Alí Ádharí—Khurásán, Yazd; Ḥáj-Áqá Raḥmáníyán—Mázindarán; Fáḍil-i-Ṭihrání —— Káshán, Shíráz; Thábit-i-Sharqí — Iṣfáhán; Ḥáj-Muḥammad Zá’ir — Yazd; Ḥaydar-‘Alí Uskú’í — Ádhirbáyján; Sa‘íd-i-Raḍaví — Hamadán; Núru’lláh Aktar-i-Khávarí — Tabríz, Yazd; Mawhibatu’lláh Há’i—Najaf-Ábád; Khudá-Bakhsh ‘Aṭṭár—Mázindarán—‘Iráq; Ḥusayn Muhtadí—‘Iráq; Bírjand and Záhidán. Ḥáj-Muḥammad Ṭáhir-i-Málmírí and Mírzá Ḥasan-i-Núshábádí have both been imprisoned.
Volunteers who made teaching trips: ‘Azízu’lláh Miṣbáh, member of the Central Teaching Committee, (and Mrs. Miṣbáh) went by invitation of the Qazvín Assembly to that city, and is now teaching there. Faḍllu’lláh Núrí went to Shah-Riḍa, Ábádih and Shíráz on a three months’ teaching trip. Riḍa Sa‘ádatí, who went to Tabríz last year, this year went to Shíráz, Jahrum and Kashán, for teaching purposes. Abu’l-Qásim Fayḍí and Mrs. Fayḍí made a teaching trip to ‘Iráq. Jihángír Aqdasí traveled and taught in the environs of Káshán, till severe illness necessitated his return to Ṭihrán. Dr. Arjumand and Muḥammad Ishráqí went on behalf of this Committee to Qazvín with notable results. Ṭúbá Khánum Shamsí of that city donated to the N. S. A. six months’ expenses for a teacher to locate in Qazvín and environs. Mihdí Samandarí, son of Ṭarázu’lláh, took a three months’ trip with his father to Qazvín, Hamadán and Kirmánsháh, especially to meet and work with Bahá’í youth. Isma‘íl ‘Ubúdíyyat went to southern Írán.
Extracts from Reports of the Teachers
Early in 96 Ádhar-Munír was invited to Zanján and Qazvín, from Tabríz; then he came on to Ṭihrán and despite his advanced age and failing sight begged to continue teaching; he therefore went on with this work in the Tabríz region, but toward the end of the year he fell ill and passed away.
Háshimí-Zádih Mutivajjih spent 96 in
The house of the King of Martyrs and the Beloved of Martyrs, the famous Bahá’í brothers of Iṣfáhán, which has recently been purchased by the Bahá’ís of Írán to be preserved as an historical site in that city.
Mázindarán and Gurgán, following up his previous work there. In 95-6, 31 of the many taught, became believers. In 96, a Spiritual Assembly was established in Bihshahr. He made repeated journeys through that region.
The young Núru’lláh Aktar-i-Khávarí volunteered to teach in Nayríz, where he established character building classes, regular 19 Day Feasts, and also photographed and listed the Bahá’í sacred areas in that locality; later he went to Yazd where he is teaching the youth.
Ishráq-i-Khávarí went from Rasht to Kurdistán, seeing the Friends everywhere en route. He is now teaching in Iṣfáhán where the Cause flourishes, largely due to the efforts of Muḥammad Thábit-i-Sharqí, who now teaches in the surrounding areas.
Fáḍil-i-‘Alaví went from Yazd to Khurásán, meeting many seekers and renewing his acquaintance with prominent people and leaders of thought in that region.
Ṭarázu’lláh Samandarí’s many journeys took him also to Yazd, land of many historic martyrdoms for the Faith, where he comforted the believers for recent trials that have beset them.
Munír Nabíl-Zádih is now actively spreading the Faith in Tabríz and environs, where he has greatly furthered the teaching work.
Shaykh-Ḥusayn Muhtadí, a learned divine of Qá’inát, known to all in that region for his erudition and holy life, became a believer some years ago. Recently, as a result of the Guardian’s letters and the action of the Spiritual Assemblies of Bírjand and Záhidán, he left his teaching position and has arisen to serve the Faith. Great confirmations are awaited from his efforts.
The Bahá’í teachers Áqáyán Ṭáhir-i-Málmírí and Núshábádí have spent the entire year 96 in a Ṭihrán prison. They are grateful for this suffering in the service of the Cause, and their only regret is that they are cut off from all teaching activity. The Friends are allowed to visit them.
This year in Ṭihrán 758 people received instruction in 56 Bahá’í classes, 90 of those attending being women. Seventy-two persons have thus far accepted the Faith as a result, eight of them women.
Since no one may attend the 19 Day Feast
without a Bahá’í identification card, and
since new believers do not have such a card,
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the Ṭihrán Teaching Committee has arranged
weekly gatherings where new and
old believers can meet and the new be thus
prepared for reception of the required card
from the Census Committee.
A women’s Commission has also been appointed to cooperate with the Teaching Committee regarding confirmation of non-Bahá’í wives of Bahá’í husbands, and the giving of Bahá’í instruction to their children. Its members are: Maḥbúbih Na‘ímí; Bahíyyih Rawshan-Ḍamír; Furúqíyyih Munádí; Khánum-i-Fáḍil; Bahíyyih Ízadí; Ṭal‘at Iqrárí; Rúḥangíz Akhtar-Khávarí; Gawhar Khushbín; Rúḥangíz Vaḥíd; Rúḥangíz Khusrawí; Mu‘allimih Síná-Zádih; Ághá Muvaddat; Najmíyyih ‘Alá’í; Síránúsh ‘Uyúdíyán; Mihrangíz Vaḥíd; Khánum Yigánih.
In addition to classes for Bahá’í teachers held by: Jináb-i-Fáḍil-i-Mázindarání; Aḥmad-i-Yazdání; Furútan; Dr. Afrúkhtih—a new class for women is conducted by Vaḥíd-i-Kashafí and another for highly educated men students by Jináb-i-Fáḍil-i-Mázindarání; and Mihdí Arjumand.
Supplying four months’ expenses, the Ṭihrán Teaching Committee sent Ḥusayn-i-‘Askarí to Fashandak and Ṭáliqán, where he especially taught Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í children; another teacher is now planned for this rural district, to do follow-up work.
Seven men and women were dispatched to villages around Ṭihrán on short weekly trips; they were: Khánum-i-Yigánih; Khádim-i-Mítháq; ‘Abbás Maḥmúdí; Ḥusayn Yigánih; ‘Ináyatu’lláh Fá’iz; Músá Amánat; Firaydún Khushnúdíyán. The last-named volunteered for a year’s trip to wheresoever the Teaching Committee desired. Although he had felt it imperative to return every month to superintend his business in Ṭihrán, he has foregone this necessity and is being greatly confirmed in his teaching work.
This Committee’s delegates to each teaching meeting turn in written reports every week. In addition they hold a monthly consultation period with Committee members. From time to time a Committee member attends each class in an advisory capacity. A frequent problem is the presence of too many Bahá’ís or inquirers at a given class.
Thirty teachers conduct these various classes. Their names follow: The men: Taráz; Síná-Zádih; ‘Atá’u’lláh Bahjí; Mustawfí; Vaḥíd-i-Kashfí; Ishráq; Núr-i-Dín Mumtází; Aḥmad-i-Yazdání; ‘Abbás Maḥmúdí; Fáḍil-i—Mázindarání; Kayván; Khusraw Muqbil; ‘Abdu’lláh Fáḍil; Darghám; Mihr-Á’ín; Akhtar-Khávarí; ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan; Dr. Rásikhí; Sulaymán Shakíbá; Ávárigán; Sharí‘at-Mudáryán; Khushnúdíyán; Shahídí. The women: Maríyam Barafrúkhtih; Khushbín; Na‘ímí; Manshádí; Imam; Samandarí; Rúḥá ‘Áṭifí.