In Memoriam 1992-1997/Habib Taherzadeh

In Memoriam 1992-1997 Habib Taherzadeh

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HABIB TAHERZADEH

(Habib Táhirzádih) 1908–1995

Habib Taherzadeh, born in 1908 in Yazd, was the sixth child of Liqá Khánum and Jináb-i-Háj Muḥammad Tahir-i-Málmiri, who lost five children before Habib was born, three of them as a result of the persecutions of the Bahá’ís of Yazd.

In 1914 Habib, then a child of five, accompanied his parents on pilgrimage and was blessed by receiving the tender favors and affection of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. After his primary schooling in Yazd, Habib's father encouraged him to further his education in Țihrán. Habib consulted the beloved Guardian and received an encouraging letter in which Shoghi Effendi hoped that Habib would be assisted by the breath of the Holy Spirit, and he urged him to seek the company of the righteous and those who are endowed with insight among the believers, to strive to obtain knowledge, and to live a life of upright conduct and virtuous character. The Guardian prayed that God might aid him in attaining his heart's desire and surround him with His blessings throughout his life.

In Tihrán, at the Tarbiyat School, Habib became well known for his intellectual gifts, his diligence, and especially his excellence in English, French, and Esperanto. When

149 The Compilation of Compilations, Volume II (Ingleside, N.S.W.: Bahá’í Publications Australia, 1991), passage 2013.

150 Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 237.5.

[Page 238]

Habib Taherzadeh

Martha Root visited Ţihrán in 1929, Habib delivered an eloquent talk in Esperanto at a large gathering of the friends, which brought great joy to her heart.

Upon completing his studies he moved to Khuzistán in the south of Iran. An ardent Esperantist throughout his life, he established Esperanto associations and corresponded with other Esperantists in Europe regularly, elucidating for others the verities of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh. He also prepared a glossary of Esperanto words and their equivalents in English, French, and Persian.

Habib was sent to Britain to further his education, especially to perfect his English. Returning to Iran in 1937 he made a second pilgrimage to the Holy Land and had the bounty of meeting the Guardian. This meeting set him aflame with a fire that continued to blaze as long as he lived. He embarked on a career of service to Bahá’í institutions. For several years, as a gifted member of the committee in Ţihrán for the translation of the Holy Writings, he helped to translate the English works of Shoghi Effendi into Persian and also produced a bimonthly journal in English entitled Bahá’í News and Reviews.

Habib married Farrukhliqá Mitháqiyyih, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Núru’lláh Mitháqiyyih, in 1943. Their two children, Riaz and Nura, have been serving the Faith in the United States and Brazil with devotion.

When the Ten Year Crusade and its goals were announced to the Bahá’í world in 1953, Habib and his family responded to the call. Relying upon God they left their homeland and immigrated to Brazil. There, Habib and his family had many unique opportunities to serve the Cause. Habib deepened the believers, taught the Faith to non-Bahá’ís, and helped establish the Bahá’í administration. When the first National Spiritual Assembly of Brazil was established in 1960, Habib was elected to that body. The benefits of his indefatigable services to the Brazilian community are highly impressive and innumerable.

In 1970 the Universal House of Justice invited Habib to the World Centre to translate Bahá’í Writings from Arabic and Persian into English. Joyously obedient he undertook this weighty task for seven years with sincerity, humility, zeal, and diligence. His efforts were vital to the publication of two major books, Selections from the Writings of the Báb and Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Returning to Brazil he continued to translate other Sacred Writings.

As a discerning and capable translator he constantly studied the English works of Shoghi Effendi, contemplated the manner in which every Persian or Arabic phrase was translated by the beloved Guardian, and made records of his findings. The results of these ardent efforts comprise a glossary containing over seven hundred pages. In this valuable unpublished work Habib alphabetically compiled and organized the Persian [Page 239]

Habib Taherzadeh

...and Arabic words and expressions that the Guardian used in his English translations. Among his published works are the biographies of Hájí Muḥammad Tahir-i-Málmírís and Dr. Yúnis Khán-i-Afrúkhtih; the English translation of a comprehensive article by ‘Abdu’l-Hamid Ishraq-Khávari, introducing the most significant Writings of Bahá’u’lláh; The Coming of the Lord, published in 1967 (also in Spanish); an article in Portuguese on the destiny of the twentieth century and the principles of universal peace, printed in 1986 by the Association for Bahá’í Studies in Brazil; and a booklet recounting the lives of three early martyrs in Yazd (Portuguese translation published in 1995).

A noticeable feature of Habib’s life was his intense love for the Blessed Beauty. It was this unbounded love that often evoked in him feelings of ecstasy and rapture when he read the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh and contemplated the greatness of His Revelation. He recognized the sublimity of the utterances of Bahá’u’lláh and approached the task of translation in a spirit of devotion to Him.

Usually he would not engage in translation of a Tablet until he found himself in love with its contents. He often carried in his pocket a page of the Writings he wished to translate. He would read it repeatedly to himself and often to his friends, would commune in spirit with its Revealer, and when he grasped the significance of the Tablet and became fully exhilarated by the grandeur of the utterances of Bahá’u’lláh, he would then engage in their translation.

Habib lived modestly and virtuously, surrendering his will to God without hesitation. He was a loving and true friend to everyone. His mind and soul were focused upon teaching the Faith and servitude at the Sacred Threshold. A warm and vivacious being filled with the love of Bahá’u’lláh, he spoke from his heart and wrote eloquently. His talks at the gatherings of the friends created excitement and enthusiasm and had tremendous effects on the spirits of his listeners. The youth in Brazil and other Latin American countries loved him dearly.

Habib Taherzadeh ascended to the Abhá Kingdom on August 18, 1995, in Curitiba, Brazil. With the dignity and reverence truly worthy of his noble soul, the Bahá’ís buried in the public cemetery this beloved friend, admirable educator, meritorious teacher, and detached pioneer who, for forty years, had earnestly served their community and who was called their spiritual father. The Universal House of Justice sent the following message the day of his passing:

HEARTS FILLED WITH GRIEF OVER LOSS MUCH-LOVED, STAUNCH, HIGHLY ADMIRED PROMOTER FAITH, HABIB TAHERZADEH. HIS INDEFATIGABLE ENDEAVOURS TEACHING AND PIONEERING FIELDS, HIS NOTABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO ENRICHMENT BAHÁ’Í LITERATURE, HIS EXEMPLARY STEADFASTNESS, SELF-ABNEGATION AND DEDICATION WILL ALWAYS BE TENDERLY REMEMBERED. ASSURE MEMBERS BEREAVED FAMILY LOVING SYMPATHY. ASSURANCE FERVENT PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HIS NOBLE SOUL ABHÁ KINGDOM. ADVISE HOLD MEMORIAL GATHERINGS IN HIS HONOUR THROUGHOUT BRAZIL.

Adib Taherzadeh