In Memoriam 1992-1997/Gulam Hussein Amreliwala
| In Memoriam 1992-1997 Gulam Hussein Amreliwala |
 Proofread once
|
GULAM HUSSEIN AMRELIWALA[edit]
GRIEVED PASSING STALWART SERVANT BAHÁ’U’LLÁH GULAM HUSSEIN AMRELIWALA. HIS MERITORIOUS SERVICES GENEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS ADVANCEMENT CAUSE INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT LOVINGLY REMEMBERED. ASSURE PRAYERS SACRED THRESHOLD PROGRESS HIS RADIANT SOUL ABHÁ KINGDOM.
Universal House of Justice December 14, 1992
A staunch promoter of the Faith of Bahullah, Amrelivala away to the Abhá Kingdom on December 12, 1992, in Bombay.
Mr. Amreliwala accepted the Faith in the late 1930s, becoming one of the first Bahá’ís from the Bohra community in India. During his early years as a Bahá’í, he had to face a lot of opposition from the high priests, particularly when he was the only Bahá’í in the family. He persevered, braving the dangers of social boycott.
He served on the Local Spiritual Assembly of Bombay for twenty years and was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly in 1945-46, serving it until 1966-67.
Mr. Amreliwala was fortunate to attain the presence of the beloved Guardian twice, the first time in 1951-52 when the gates of pilgrimage were thrown open after World War II; he was in one of the first groups of pilgrims to reach the Holy Land, and he assisted the Guardian in clearing the site at Bahjí vacated by the Covenant-breakers.
His second pilgrimage was just before the Intercontinental Conference held in New Dehli in 1953. Both of these memorable spiritual experiences were a profound source of Mr. Amreliwala’s great strength and complete self-surrender to the will and desire of the Guardian.
In early 1950, he along with two other members of the National Spiritual Assembly—Prof. Khianra and Mr. Hakimian—undertook an all-India tour by road to meet with the Bahá’ís in the different communities and to share with them the more important communications from the Guardian preparing them for the Ten Year Crusade.
Mr. Amreliwala’s generous contributions and constant support of the Bahá’í Fund were most exemplary. Every time there was a financial crisis in the National Fund, the National Spiritual Assembly received the utmost cooperation from Mr. Amreliwala, particularly when it came to the purchase of national properties, such as the National Hazíratu’l-Quds, the New Era High School, and teaching institutes. He gave sacrificially.
His love for teaching the Faith and his deep involvement in mass teaching
[Page 36]
activities in Madhya Pradesh and elsewhere
would take him far and wide through-
out India. He had a very rich and active
Bahá’í life. One by one, he attracted all
the members of his family to the Faith
of Bahá’u’lláh and encouraged them to
be active supporters of the Cause of God.
From an obituary appearing in Bahá’í News-India