In Memoriam 1992-1997/Ebrahim Sadjed

In Memoriam 1992-1997 Ebrahim Sadjed

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[Page 152]

EBRAHIM SADJED

(Ibráhím Sájid) 1907–1994

GRIEVED NEWS PASSING PROFESSOR EBRAHIM SADJED, DEVOTED SERVANT OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH FAITHFUL PROMOTER HIS CAUSE. PRAYING HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HIS SOUL ALL WORLDS GOD. EXTEND LOVING SYMPATHY MEMBERS FAMILY.

Universal House of Justice May 12, 1994

Ebrahim Sadjed

Mr. Ebrahim Sadjed was born in a Bahá’í family on January 14, 1907, in Káshán, Iran. His grandfather, Mírzá Háshim, was an early believer who had the honor of receiving Tablets from Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, one of which bestowed upon him the title of “Ghayúr” (zealous or fearless). His father, Mírzá Sha‘bán, also received a Tablet from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

Mr. Sadjed lived with his parents for some time in Iráq. This was at the time when Ḥájí ‘Arab was accused of burning a copy of the Qur’án and was martyred. Of that event, he said:

One day they closed the shops and the city went into an uproar. We were so scared that we did not leave our house. They were saying that Ḥájí ‘Arab-i-Bábí had burnt a Qur’án and he must be killed. Poor Ḥájí ‘Arab, he did not know anything about this. He had left town for business. A woman came to our home one day, perhaps to borrow something, and she stayed for a short time. About an hour after she left, thousand[s] of people, shouting “Yá ‘Alí”, rushed toward our home. Apparently, the woman had told them that Ḥájí ‘Arab was hidden in our home. There was a knock on the door and the head of police entered. He said, “We will not harm you, but we have received a report that Ḥájí ‘Arab is hidden in your home.” My father told him that this was not true. The head of police asked if they could search the house, to which my father agreed. In a second, our home was filled with outraged, prejudiced people. They were searching the house while swearing at us and breaking everything in sight. A mullah demanded from the head of police that my father should be whipped until he revealed the hiding place of Ḥájí ‘Arab, but the head of police did not pay attention to him. They left and returned after a few hours. The head of police said that the neighbors were not satisfied and they wanted to search every corner themselves. They barged in again and looked everywhere. They even examined the inside of flour barrels and broke them when they found out that there was no one hiding in [Page 153]

Mr. Sadjed

them. There was such a turmoil! That night, the Bahá’ís gathered and said that the people had decided to kill us the next day. So my father decided that we should leave the city immediately. We escaped that night and arrived in Hamadán at the home of a Hájí Rahím who was my father's trading partner. From there we went to Ţihrán.

After finishing his elementary education at the Tarbiyat School, Mr. Sadjed finished his secondary schooling studying science. He continued his education in mathematics and obtained his diploma. He was then called to military service and became an artillery officer.

Mr. Sadjed had a special love for classical Persian music. He completed studies to learn the tar (lute) in Darvish school in 1932. He also studied music under the renowned Mírzá ‘Abdu’lláh who was a maestro at the court of Naşiri’d-Dín Shah. He was able to pay for his education by giving calligraphy lessons. Mr. Sadjed gave a number of concerts to large audiences to raise funds for the Faith and for the Tarbiyat School, performing mostly music he had composed. During the celebrations of the Centenary of the Declaration of the Báb (1944), he gave concerts in Qazvin and directed an all-girl choir.

He married Mr. Ibráhím Vahdat’s daughter, and the fruits of the marriage were four children who are all under the shadow of the Cause and are living in Austria and the United States. Mr. Sadjed worked as a high school teacher and an inspector for the Ministry of Education and Culture in Tihrán and in other cities. For his services he received many medals from the ministry.

He was a member of various committees in Iran. He pioneered with his family to Túsirgán, where they stayed for two years before returning to Țihrán. When the call to pioneer came from the beloved Guardian to the believers in Iran, Mr. Sadjed requested early retirement and left with his family for Austria, settling in Linz. For a while the entire family lived in a small hotel room because his pension would not allow them more. After some time they managed to buy a small house. When his benefits were cut entirely, he started a business selling Persian carpets, which provided him with opportunities to meet people and to teach the Faith. One of his clients said that it seemed that Mr. Sadjed was more interested in talking about religion than selling carpets. During the time he lived in Linz, Mr. Sadjed was a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly, and he gave a number of fund-raising concerts for the Faith.

Mr. Sadjed had a long-lasting friendship with Mr. Faydí from the time they were in school together. During one of the trips Mr. Faydí made to Austria, Mr. Sadjed was seriously ill, and there was no hope that he would live. Mr. Fayḍí offered a healing prayer on his behalf and asked for his recovery. Mr. Sadjed soon regained his strength and always credited his health to Mr. Faydí’s supplication.

Mr. Sadjed was engaged in teaching the Faith until his last days. He passed to the Abhá Kingdom in Linz on May 6, 1994, at the age of eighty-seven.

Adapted from an article by Huschmand Sadjed (Translated from Persian)