The Bahá’í Centenary 1844-1944/Teachers Sent to America by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
 | The text below this notice was generated by a computer, it still needs to be checked for errors and corrected. If you would like to help, view the original document by clicking the PDF scans along the right side of the page. Click the edit button at the top of this page (notepad and pencil icon) or press Alt+Shift+E to begin making changes. When you are done press "Save changes" at the bottom of the page. |
TEACHERS SENT TO AMERICA BY ‘ABDU'L-BAHA
ABDUL KARIM EFFENDI TEHERANI, of Cairo, Egypt, was the first teacher sent to America by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He arrived in New York City in May, 1900. He remained there for some time and then came to Chicago where he was entertained by Dr. C. I. Thatcher in his home at 14 Loomis Street near Monroe Street. Dr. Thatcher had fitted up a hall for meetings in the basement of his house and all the meetings were held there. Anton Haddad was his translator and Mirza Rafie also translated some of the time. The addresses of Abdul Karim Effendi given in Chicago, including one given in New York, and also a Tablet he had received from Bahá’u’lláh. were published in a booklet. This booklet was of great value to the Bahá’ís at that time as it contained the true teachings and caused the removal of conflicting ideas concerning the Cause then prevailing in America. He made a trip _to Kenosha, Wisconsin, to meet the Bahá’ís in that city; he gave addresses and held interviews for inquirers. A group photograph of the Bahá’ís with Abdul Karim Effendi and his party standing on the veranda was taken in front of Dr. Thatcher's house. Abdul Karim Effendi was a venerable and dignified appearing man and wore the Oriental robes and turban.
In 1901 Haii Mirza Hassan Khorasani, also of Cairo, Egypt, with Mirza Assad Ullah of Haifa, Palestine, and Mirza Hussien Rouhy, a school teacher of Cairo, who acted as their interpreter, arrived from the Holy Land. They were the bearers of a Tablet from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stating that He was sending them "to those regions to visit you that their breasts may be dilated with joy in conversing with you about the Love of God."
These teachers also wore the Oriental garb. Their talks were taken down in shorthand in Chicago every evening, but were not published. His farewell address was
given at the Masonic Temple. Sunday evening, May II, 1902.
Also ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent to America in 1902 the revered Mirza Abu'l-Fadl, of Gulpaygan, Persia. He was accompanied by Mirza Ali-Kuli Khan, later an attache of the Persian Embassy in Washington,
D. C., who acted as his interpreter and .
translator. The Bahá’ís had already rented a house on Monroe Street, corner of Loomis, for a headquarters where the activities of the Cause were carried on. Here Haji Mirza Hassan and party, Mirza Abu’l-Fadl and all the translators lived at the same time. This was a glorious experience for the friends who gathered there to receive the teachings from these marvelous teachers. Every Sunday they gave public lectures in halls rented by the believers for Sunday meetings only, as all other activities were held at the headquarters.
Mirza Abul’-Fadl.spent much time in New York, Green Acre, and Washington, returning there after his visit in Chicago. His explanations of the Bible were wonderful, giving from Genesis to Revelation the most voluminous and the most explicit interpretations we have ever received. His talks and lectures were all taken down in shorthand, but we have them only in typewritten form, also a large number of his letters to believers and inquirers. These have been carefully preserved by the Bahá’í: of those early days and have been followed as a basis for giving the Message. especially to Christians.
He wrote a booklet "The Brilliant Proof," at the command of ‘Abdu'l—Baha in refutation of an article written by Peter 2. Easton, a Protestant Missionary. which was a very false and discourteous criticism of the Bahá’í Cause. His book entitled "The Bahá’í Proofs" was published in 1902. After his departure January 21, 1914, another edition was published containing a history of his
143
144 THE BAHA’I
life, an account of his death, and tributes and eulogies written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Several years later, in 1919, Mirza JenabcFáḍil of Teheran, Persia, with his family arrived in America. They traveled from coast to coast teaching and lecturing. We have five little booklets of his lectures given in Seattle, Washington. These were published by the Seattle Bahá’ís in 1921. He was a younger man than the former teachers who had visited us, but he was a fine speaker. He was well liked by those of the friends who knew and associated with him. Mirza Jenabe-Fáḍil visited America a second time, in 1923, on invitation from the believers. He contributed much to our understanding of the Faith in those days following the ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá when it had become imperative for us to realize the true nature of the Bahá’í administrative order. This teacher had been sent by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, whose Tablets referring to him conveyed high praise of his spiritual
CENTENARY
capacity. Preceding his second visit, Mitzi Fáḍil spent a number of days with Shoghi Effendi in Haifa, and his travels through America gave the believers a clearer insight into the unique station which the Master created in the Guardianship. This second visit was notable also in that it greatly strengthened the National Teaching Committee which arranged all the details of his schedule and published a news bulletin reporting his meetings and activities.
To sum up: the American Bahá’í community gratefully acknowledges its obligation to the teachers whom ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent from Persia, the country of origin of this Cause. These matured souls freely shared their knowledge and their experience. In no other manner, under the conditions prevailing in those stages of our development, could the American Bahá’í community have received such inspiration and impetus and been bound by such ties to the believers of the Orient in one universal Faith.
