The Bahá`í World, Vol. 18, Part Five: In Memoriam P636

Picture Upper Left Corner with the Caption:  Hasan M. Balyúzí

Hasan Muvaqqar Balyúzí was loved and honoured both in his native Írán and his adopted England, and by virtue of his consistent services in the British Bahá`í community for nearly fifty years earned a central role in its history. A student from his youth, he became in the last decade of his life and in the sight of all the Bahá`í world, its pre-eminent scholar, yielding place only to Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl, by whose learning Mr. Balyúzí was himself astonished. He seemed, from his earliest years, a mature and balanced person, as though his gentle yet remarkable qualities were his by birth--an innate courtesy and kindliness, an easy yet dignified bearing, a delightful wit and humour, an appreciation of every effort or service offered by others for the Faith, understanding of apparent frailties of behaviour, seeing beyond these to the longings and pain of human souls, quiet perseverance in fulfilling his own responsibilities, untarnished steadfastness in his loyalty to the Covenant of Bahá`u'lláh, complete and heartfelt obedience to the Central Figures of the Faith and its Guardian, staunch and knowledgeable support of all the institutions of the Administrative Order--these give but an incomplete portrayal of one whose presence conveyed to those who knew him a sense of well-being, tranquility and hope.
          At the moment of his first meeting, in his youth, with Shoghi Effendi, his inmost being was quickened to the reality of the Guardian's servitude at the Holy Threshold, and his sensitive, receptive spirit became, and ever remained, centred upon the greatness and glory of the Revelation of Bahá`u'lláh. His life can be understood in no other terms than his striving to serve that Revelation, in whatever course events might take, in health or in sickness, to his closing days in this world, when his utmost longing was to lay his head on the threshold of the Most Holy Shrine and offer to the King of Glory with his own hand the gift of his last, heroic labours.

I. Family and Youth


          Hasan Balyúzí shared with the Guardian of the Faith descent from the same great-grand-father, Hájí Mírzá Abu'l-Qásim--one of the two brothers of Khadíjih-Bagum, the wife of the Báb--whose daughter, Fátimih-Sultán-Bagum, was Mr. Balyúzí's paternal grand-mother. His paternal grandfather was Muhammad-Hasan, a merchant of a Bushire family, whom Bahá`u'lláh accepted as of the family of the Báb, and a son of this union was Mírzá `Alí Aqá, later entitled Muvuqqar'id-Dawlih, the father of Hasan Balyúzí. His mother, Munavvar Khánum, traced her descent from both brothers of the wife of the Báb, and thus Mr.Balyúzí's `illustrious lineage' had a twofold bond with Khadíjih-Bagum for whom he had a particular love and esteem.
          Abu'l-Qásim Afnán, close relative of Mr. Balyúzí and Custodian of the House of the Báb in Shíráz, has stated that during his pilgrimage the Guardian of the Faith referred to three outstanding members of the Afnán family. The most distinguished was Khadíjih Bagum, the wife of the Báb, then Hájí Mírzá Siyyid `Alí, the uncle of the Báb and one of the Seven Martyrs of Tihrán, while, `at the present moment', the most distinguished was Hasan Balyúzí, and `all the Afnán should follow in his footsteps'.
          Hasan Balyúzí was born on 7 September 1908 in Shíráz where, at the age of four, he began to acquire his mastery of the English

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language. Most of his early years, however, were spent in Bushire where his father--diplomat and later Governor of the Persian Gulf Ports and Islands--resided, and he entered school when about five. When, in the First World War, Bushire was occupied by British Forces, his father was exiled to India where the family lived in Bombay and then for four years in Poona. They were accompanied by two outstanding scholars, friends of his father, who tutored him in Persian, Arabic and history until he entered Bishop's College in Poona, an English high school where he perfected his English. He also learned Urdu, and is remembered as translating, at about the age of nine, for Abbas Dehkan who first met him there. When his father returned to Tihrán after the War to become a member of the Cabinet (Vazír) as Minister of Interior, Hasan attended the Cyrus School, whose headmaster was Prof. Sadíq-A'lam, later Persian Ambassador in London and Minister of Education. A year or so after his father's death in May 1921, he accompanied his mother to Shíráz, but as educational opportunities for him were lacking at that time, in 1925 his uncle addressed Professor Browne to ask him to take charge of his nephew's education in England, whence Hasan's mother desired to send him. In his reply 5 May 1925 Browne referred to Hasan's father, `my old friend `Alí-Muhammad Khán, Muvuqqar'id-Dawlih, whom I became acquainted with about 1885 in London under the name of Mírzá `Alí Aqá and of whom I saw so much in Shíráz in the Spring of 1888', and added:  `I need hardly say how glad I should be to do anything I could for his son. But I am afraid that my health makes it impossible for me to take charge of his education here. . . " Browne had suffered a severe heart attack some months before and died 5 January 1926. In recounting this incident Hasan comments:  `However I was then not old enough or qualified to enter a university in Britain. Thus it was that I went to Beirut, and to the Preparatory School of the American University there. My journey to England in pursuit of education had to wait for several years when I could come to take up higher studies.'
          `A Personal Note' , written by Mr. Balyúzí in May 1969, continues with an account of his journey to Beirut and his memorable welcome in Haifa, at the age of seventeen, by Shoghi Effendi, the young Guardian of the Bahá`í Faith. At that time Hasan knew little about the Faith as a religion, although aware of family relationships with `Abdu'l-Bahá, the visits of distinguished Bahá`ís such as Mírzá Mahmúd-i-Zarqání, and social occasions to which their neighbour in Shíráz had invited him. He had, it is true, found Some Answered Questions among his father's books and had begun to read it with the intention of rebuttal, but unable to find fault he was left frustrated but interested. On asking for further books he was given a manuscript of the Táríkh-i-Jadíd. Nonetheless, writes Dr. Moojan Momen, `had it not been for his meeting with Shoghi Effendi, he would probably have recorded himself as a Muslim at the University', and this is confirmed by Farhang Afnan's comment that `prior to going to Haifa, in his heart of hearts he could not reconcile himself one hundred per cent that there could be any prophet after Muhammad . . . "
          This is Hasan's own description:  `My route to Beirut was through the Red Sea, Port Said, Haifa. It was in the latter part of November 1925 and John Ebenezer Esslemont, the immortal author of Bahá`u'lláh and the New Era, lay mortally ill in the old Pilgrim House. His illness greatly occupied the Guardian of the Bahá`í Faith.
          `During my stay of one night (November 21st-22nd) on Mount Carmel two eminent Persian Bahá`í physicians who were there, Dr. YúnisKhán Afrúkhtih and Dr. Arastú Khán Hakím, were called in the early hours of the morning to Dr. Esslemont's bedside. Shoghi Effendi sat up with him through the night.
          `The next day I left for Beirut in the company of Dr. Afrúkhtih and Dr. Hakím.
          `It was that bounty of meeting Shoghi Effendi and all that I saw in him, which confirmed me in the Faith of Bahá`u'lláh. The course of my life was changed.'
          Dr. Momen has supplemented this account with notes taken during various conversations with Mr. Balyúzí:  `He was taken to the house of the Master and put into a drawing-room all by himself. He did not know what was going to happen. Suddenly Shoghi Effendi entered the room. Balyúzí rose and wanted to kiss his hand [as was the Persian custom], but Shoghi Effendi would not allow this and instead

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embraced him. Then Shoghi Effendi sat him down and talked with him for more than an hour. What particularly impressed Hasan was the way in which Shoghi Effendi would answer a problem or a question by drawing the answer out of the questioner . . .
          `And so it was that his Faith was confirmed and when he went on to Beirut and at the University he was asked his religion for the official forms, he said "Bahá`í".'
          In the words of Mrs. Balyúzí, `Hasan was so struck by the kindness and courtesy of the Guardian, at such an anxious time, to a boy of seventeen, that from that time he became confirmed in the Faith.'
          Hasan spent seven years, 1925-1932, in Beirut, reading for a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry after a preparatory year, and then turning to a study of Diplomatic History for an M.A. `He took a full part in University life,' writes Mrs. Balyúzí, `playing football and tennis, and engaging in the activities of the Dramatic Society, the Debating Society and of course the Bahá`í Society.'
          In his brief time with the Guardian he had accepted the Faith of Bahá`u'lláh with his whole heart and at once became one of its most active supporters. According to the Hand of the Cause Abu'l-Qásim Faizi, the `beloved Guardian encouraged the Persian youths [to] continue their studies in the American University of Beirut, rather than going straight from Persia to the European countries . . . Gradually it became a centre of attraction', the `number of Bahá`í students increased, and this large community needed a brotherly leadership. This mantle suited' Hasan Balyúzí, who had been one of the first of the Bahá`í students there. `With great wisdom and heartfelt affiliation to the Cause of God', he gathered the students together, arranged weekly programmes in the home of the Iqbál family, encouraged every student to prepare a talk in English on an aspect of the Faith, and reported to Shoghi Effendi the details of an annual meeting. He also sought permission from the Guardian for the Bahá`í students to visit Haifa during their Easter holiday, and Mr. Faizi recalled that Shoghi Effendi advised them to come in small groups at Easter and other holidays as well. It was Hasan who planned the prayers and readings whenever his and Mr. Faizi's group met the Guardian. `That was the happiest period of our lives when dear Hasan put all of us on a path conducive to the approval and appreciation of the beloved Guardian.' And after he had departed to study in London, `he kept us happy and uplifted us by his beautiful letters'.
          In February 1932, because of work on his thesis at Easter, he obtained permission to visit Haifa in the mid-term break. He was accompanied by his brother and Mr. Faizi, `and Hasan believed that it was the first occasion on which pilgrimage had included a visit to the newly-restored Mansion of Bahjí. He never met Shoghi Effendi again'. (Moojan Momen)


II. The British Isles


          In September 1932, following his studies in Beirut, `Hasan came to London armed with a letter of recommendation from his professor', Dr. Roger H. Soltan, to Prof. Harold Laski at the London School of Economics, and was accepted as a post-graduate student. He read Diplomatic History, with special reference to the relations of the European Powers to the Persian Gulf States, and in 1935 received his M.Sc. (Econ.). He pursued his studies in the field of British Public Opinion on Franco-German Relations after World War I, but his thesis for a doctorate was delayed by the difficulty of finding a suitable supervisor and the outbreak of the Second World War cut short his university career.
          Within months of his arrival in London, Hasan was elected at Ridván 1933 to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá`ís of the British Isles and also to the London Spiritual Assembly. Administration was little past its infancy in Britain at the time of Hasan's arrival. An editorial note in Unfolding Destiny, a collection of the Guardian's letters to the British Bahá`í Community, states that from the end of 1930 until early 1934 only five or six short meetings per year were recorded in the `scanty Minutes of the National Assembly' and no records exist of messages from the Guardian.
          It was at this juncture that Hasan was faced with a decision that would change the pattern of his life. He had published in a Persian newspaper an article on the current political

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situation in Europe, but on 8 February 1934 the Guardian addressed him through his secretary, expressing astonishment, after his own `repeated and emphatic warnings to the friends that they should refrain from participating whether directly or indirectly in any political activity. . . " We cannot know what thoughts and emotions may have disquieted this young scholar, standing at the threshold of a beckoning career, but the nature of his reply to the Guardian is attested in a long and significant letter from Shoghi Effendi dated 2 March:
          `. . . He was much impressed by your immediate response . . . and he has deeply appreciated the firm decision you have taken not to enter any political or diplomatic career. He is fully conscious of the sacrifices you have accepted to undergo for the sake of maintaining the integrity of the Teachings. For the field of work which your parents wanted you to enter was one in which you had great possibilities of progress, and you might have even had a chance to attain the position which your father had occupied in the ministry. But you can be certain that the example you have set before the friends by refusing to meddle in any sort of political activity is one which all of them will appreciate and through which they will be encouraged to suffer even greater sacrifices. The Cause, indeed, can progress only through the continued and whole-hearted sacrifices of the believers. And it is on young, intelligent and well-educated Bahá`ís like yourself that has been laid the chief responsibility of demonstrating to the friends and to the non-believers alike, that the spirit of heroism, of loyalty and of unqualified devotion to the Faith is more than ever animating the faithful and is moulding and shaping their lives . . . And I am sure that you fully realize that nothing short of such an attitude can effectively maintain the unity of the Faith and insure the stability and the efficient working of its new-born institutions.' (through his secretary)
          A plan then in Hasan's mind, to work in the offices of the League of Nations in Geneva, was fully approved by Shoghi Effendi provided the work would be `purely administrative', but his closing advice was to retain his membership `both in the N.S.A. and in the London Assembly. Your cooperation has been greatly appreciated by all our English friends, and it is hoped that this will encourage you to continue working with them.' (through his secretary) Many years later, when Hasan's handsome inheritance of properties and wealth in Írán offered him every comfort and ease of living in that country, he explained to Dr. Iraj Ayman why he did not take this up. `I am only interested in serving the Cause wherever the beloved Guardian wants me to serve and I am not a bit interested in all that belongs to me in Írán.' For a quarter of a century he would devote himself to the progress of the Faith in the British Isles, until his responsibilities as a Hand of the Cause would call him to wider fields. Already by 1935 his presence in London was `a tremendous and unique help to the friends' and he had `indeed, contributed a valuable share towards the expansion and consolidation of the Movement not only in London but in some other parts of England as well.' (secretary of the Guardian, probably writing personally)
          The year 1936 signalled a marked increase of Bahá`í activities, when a young English Bahá`í, David Hofman, arrived in the spring from America where he had experienced various aspects of the evolving Administrative Order. He became secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly at Ridván of that year and Hasan assistant secretary. For a good many years these two co-operated in manifold services to the Cause they both loved, together with others whose names are now part of Bahá`í history in the British Isles.
          In rapid succession during the few years before the outbreak of war in September 1939, a teaching campaign throughout England was inaugurated (1936), the first official Bahá`í Summer School was held, the Bahá`í Journal was initiated, an annual mid-winter National Teaching Conference began, the Publishing Trust was established and issued its first two publications in 1938, a monthly magazine, New World Order, was founded (1939), and the long-sought legal incorporation of the N.S.A. was achieved in August 1939, Hasan being one of the nine signatories as a `research student'. In all of these national activities Hasan took an active part, not only as an officer of the N.S.A., but often as Convention chairman, Summer School organizer and teacher, a member of the Reviewing Commit-

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tee, an active participant at Teaching Conference, a contributor to New World Order, and a travelling teacher in England both north and south. At the same time he was a member of the London Assembly and the London Bahá`í Youth Group which earned the congratulations of the Guardian for its `splendid achievements' and he was `acclaimed as a first-rate speaker'. He has been described in those early years by several who knew him. `He was young, attractive and very courteous. . . " `Nobody was more patient, considerate, informative and humorous . . . He was both gentle and wise . . . His temperament was quiet and conciliatory.' `. . . on a boy of nine his absolute calm, and the love that poured out when he spoke . . . made an indelible impression . . . One grew up under his patience, kindliness, wisdom and love. . . " (Ursula Samandarí, Louis Ross-Enfield and Hugh McKinley in that order)
          Often he and Molly Brown, his future wife, came to Bahá`í firesides and social occasions, including evenings at the home of Lady Blomfield. `On every occasion Hasan and Molly brought out the best in everyone.' He `had a deep love and respect for the early believers in the British community, such as beloved Lady Blomfield, dear old and gallant Miss Gamble, Mme Scaramucci, Mrs. George and Mrs. Slade, and they in turn had a deep affection for him. Another very touching relationship was with darling Mr. Azgarzadeh . . . He used to give Persian Feasts, and Hasan was always the honoured guest.' (Louis Ross-Enfield, Ursula Samandarí)
          As war loomed on the horizon, Shoghi Effendi expressed his delight `with the work which is being so energetically conducted, . . . and particularly by their national elected representatives whose magnificent efforts, courage and perseverance deserve the highest praise. . . " (10 February 1939) The Guardian's love and concern for the English Bahá`ís was never more evident than during the years of the Second World War, as his more than threescore messages during these years attest. The friends, for their part, prosecuted their teaching campaign with increasing vigour and in ever-widening circles despite `the unprecedented calamities and confusion that now afflict their country'. (Shoghi Effendi, 22 November 1940) Hasan had become vice-chairman of the National Assembly at Ridván 1940 and that summer moved with the newly-created Persian Section of the B.B.C., to which he had been appointed as a senior member, to Evesham in Worcestershire where broadcasting was carried on until August 1942 when the Department returned to London. His appointment had assured his continued residence in England when war began. We are indebted to Mrs. Balyúzí and Abbas Dehkan, whom he invited to join the B.B.C., for a description of his professional work, which included a great deal of original writing of special features such as talks on English writers and history, translating English poetry and short stories, giving talks on current affairs, translating and announcing routine news bulletins (later taken over by junior staff), writing plays and performing in them, assisting in productions of Shakespeare, and presenting a series of English by Radio. He resigned from the B.B.C. in 1958, but continued for some years with particular assignments. A three-month tour of duty in Írán in 1956 for the B.B.C. enabled him to attend to family affairs in and near Shíráz after the death of his mother, visit Isfahán and stay a few days in Tihrán where, as chairman of the British National Assembly, he made contact with its sister Assembly in Írán. It was his first visit since he had left his homeland as a youth, and it was to be his last.
          Dr. Iraj Ayman has given the following fascinating glimpse of Hasan in his professional career. Among his colleagues were several distinguished Iranian scholars and writers, men such as Mujtabá Mínuví, Mas`úd Farzád and Gulchín. He himself produced more than a thousand radio programmes on Írán and its history and literature, and some of his translations of English literature have become part of modern Persian literature. He contributed to the development of the Persian language, as well, by coining many words now commonly used in Írán in the translation of modern terms, and he also `made new and different uses of old words to convey new meanings'. Indeed, `his style, his mastery of and his special approach to Persian were unique and highly appreciated' by Iranian writers.
          It was during this period that Hasan wrote A Guide to the Administrative Order (1941)

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and gave invaluable assistance to the editor of The Chosen Highway by Lady Blomfield, whose death on 31 December 1939 had `robbed the Cause in England' of her `ready and invaluable support'. (Shoghi Effendi through his secretary, 18 February 1940)
          In June 1941 Hasan and Mary (Molly ) Brown were married in the Bahá`í Centre in Torquay. The daughter of Kathleen Brown (later, Lady Hornell), who was one of England's most steadfast and active Bahá`ís, Molly had been a member of the Sadler's Wells Ballet before marriage. Their first son, Hushang, was born in Evesham in 1942 and during the next years there were four other sons, Robert, Felix, Richard and Simeon. `A girl has not been born into our family for two hundred years,' Hasan told Alma Gregory.
          Molly had many gifts and, on a number of occasions, assisted Hasan in the production of dramatic scripts about the Faith which he or Mary Basil Hall had written, creating `performances of moving distinction'. (Hugh McKinley) And `when he and Molly and their children came to Summer School they brought a joyous atmosphere'. (Ursula Samandarí) No doubt Hasan recognized the unequal share which fell to Molly, as she gave herself to the care and rearing of their young family. `So gifted herself, she devoted her life to enable others to express their gifts.' (ibid.) But it was a willing choice, for Molly preferred, she has said, her role at home to a more public one. It can truly be said that they sustained and complimented each other throughout the nearly forty years of marriage. A friend who visited them in 1979 was `much touched by the love and consideration which they showed for each other. I realized that he could not do his vastly important work without her devoted care.' (O. Z. Whitehead) And after his passing Molly described herself as fortified `against any and every pressure' by `his love, forethought, wisdom and discernment'.
          Hasan, for his part, deeply cherished his sons, prayed for their spiritual progress, took pride in their scholarly achievements, but was prevented by his work schedule with the B.B.C. and his Bahá`í responsibilities from spending much time with them. `What was I to do?' was his sad lament shortly before his death.
          In 1942 Hasan became chairman of the N.S.A., a post to which he was elected annually for seventeen years (excluding 1943-1944). `Who that ever served on the N.S.A. with him . . . can ever forget his unending, loving patience, his deep sympathy and his profound wisdom and his lovable hilarity? . . . Who can ever forget the lunch, tea and supper breaks of N.S.A. meetings with beloved Hasan entertaining us with his light-hearted stories and anecdotes? . . . He was such a perfect chairman,' wrote Ursula Samandarí, `that I could never believe the British Community could be the same' when, in 1960, he retired from membership. And Philip Hainsworth has added: `. . . I can remember only the joy of those meetings, an eagerness and excitement which I never seem to have recaptured'; Hasan was `a very great gentle man who influenced my Bahá`í life in a way he probably never suspected'.
          Although the most demanding of Hasan's time and energy, his N.S.A. service was by no means all he was doing. Over the years he was often chairman of the Annual Convention and of the London Spiritual Assembly. When special committees were formed, whether to formulate publishing policy (1942) or plan press publicity for the completion of the exterior of the Bahá`í Temple in Wilmette (1943), or prepare a history of the Faith in the British Isles for the 1944 Centenary, or examine how to promote the Six Year Plan (1944), Hasan was secretary or member. He accepted whatever needed doing, for years addressing and dispatching the Bahá`í Journal to the national community. And always he spoke, at Summer Schools, the annual Teaching Conferences, public meetings and firesides. `I was once chairman at Summer School when he spoke about `Abdu'l-Bahá; there was not a dry-eyed member of the audience.' (Ursula Samandarí)
          Indeed, the record of his services on national committees, from 1943 to 1960, and often for several years, is daunting to the reader. Reviewing, New World Order, Literature (secretary), Archives (eleven years), National Contacts and Public Relations, National Scripts, Summer School Management and Programme, Assembly Development, Persian, Consolidation, National Centenary (1953, chairman), Visual Aids, European and Asian Teaching (chairman for four years), Instal-

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lation and Maintenance plus Reception Committees for the Hazíratu'l-Quds (1955-1956), Hazíratu'l-Quds (1956-1957)--the very names elicit memories of the development of the British Bahá`í community.
          Although listed as a member of the newly-appointed Persian Committee only for four years (between 1950 and 1956), Hasan was always in close touch with the young Persians who came to Britain for education. `It is clear that he exerted a most beneficial influence on all the Persian friends. He was beloved by them and he encouraged their participation in Bahá`í activities.' (Ursula Samandarí) At Summer Schools, which he regularly attended, `he would either conduct sessions in Persian or would brief Persian friends after each session. On a number of occasions he mentioned that the frequency and amount of references to him by Persian believers' exceeded those of the N.S.A. `Once I asked him how he could attend to all these different and almost contradictory engagements. He pointed to his chair and desk in the corner of the room in the old apartment' where they were living and said, `"many nights I sit there all night and do not go to bed". I specially verified this with Molly and Lady Hornell . . . I asked him how he could subject himself to such continuous hardship' and he replied, `whenever I think of what our beloved Guardian is doing for us I am ashamed of how little we are doing in response and sleep escapes my eyes'. (Iraj Ayman) An English believer of early days remembered:  `I used to go with him and other Persian students on picnics . . . We had great times together. He was always witty with inborn gentleness, that shone from his eyes.' (Louis Ross-Enfield) And a Persian Bahá`í, Habíb Hazari, who came to England in 1950 has described what he must have meant to them all:  `I was showered by his kindness, generosity and affection.' About 1951 `I wrote to the Guardian and said, "His inspiration in serving the Faith is this verse of the Aqdas:  `Observe My commandments for the love of My beauty.' . . . He is kind to everyone, and is the best and closest friend and counsellor to the Bahá`í friends . . ." A few weeks later I received a letter from Dr. Hakím, including "What you have said about the Afnán, Hasan Muvaqqar Balyúzí, was also noted by the Guardian, who said, `Write [to Habíb]:  "Yes, you are right." ' Then he said:  `I pray for him, he can be sure.' " '
          As early as Ridván 1943 the Guardian directed the thoughts of the British Bahá`ís to the Centenary of the Declaration of the Báb. He was anxious that `the British Bahá`ís should . . . demonstrate to the public and to their fellow believers, the vitality of their community and the marked advancement it has made of late.' (through his secretary, 17 June 1943) Hasan was chairman of the Centenary Committee and secretary of the committee which produced The Centenary of a World Faith, subtitled `The History of the Bahá`í Faith and Its Development in the British Isles.' It was `most excellently gotten out and not only well written but calculated to arouse the interest of the reader and impress him with the true stature of our World Faith'. (Shoghi Effendi through his secretary, 12 August 1944) During the week-long programme opened by Sir Ronald Storrs at the Centenary Exhibition, a review of Bahá`í history in dramatized form was presented by Hasan, who was also one of the speakers at the large public meeting on 23 May. The `patient efforts and sacrifices of the members of the N.S.A., and all those who contributed to the marked success of the Centenary celebrations . . . brought happiness to his often heavily over-burdened heart,' wrote the Guardian's secretary in the same letter.
          It was during the historic Convention of that week that the delegates resolved to inaugurate a Six Year Plan for teaching and turned to the Guardian to fix the goal. His reply on 25 May signalized a great new phase for the British community:  WELCOME SPONTANEOUS DECISION. ADVISE FORMATION NINETEEN SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES SPREAD OVER ENGLAND WALES SCOTLAND NORTHERN IRELAND AND EIRE . . . At that time there were no believers in the British Isles beyond England except George Townshend!
          Throughout the Six Year Plan Hasan's administrative burdens were in no way lessened; indeed, the claims on the N.S.A. and its officers multiplied as the Plan progressed and the challenge to the community intensified. At the Teaching Conference of February 1946, a turning-point for the Plan when the nine goal towns of the Initial Phase were chosen, the N.S.A. session lifted the friends to a `realm of

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dedication and spiritual resolution, which was immeasurably reinforced by Hasan Balyúzí's inspired message'. There are reports of his speaking in Northampton, Torquay, Exeter, Leeds, and he is on the `honour roll' of travelling teachers, participating fully in the Summer Schools which were so crucial to winning the Plan, and chairing the 1949 Teaching Conference, attended by Mrs. Amelia Collins, when `the very room seemed to vibrate with the power of the Cause'. And then, following a year of deep anxiety, at the victory Convention of 1950 `our dear, perennial Hasan Balyúzí read the cable, and so the whole tone of Convention was set'. HEART FLOODED JOY were the Guardian's opening words; it was a moment no one present will ever forget.
          Never one to pause in his compelling vision of the ultimate triumph of the Faith, the Guardian in this same message called on the British community to BRACE ITSELF EMBARK AFTER ONE YEAR RESPITE YET ANOTHER HISTORIC UNDERTAKING, and he sketched the outlines of the Two Year Plan or African Campaign. It was the first stage in the Divine Plan in which several National Assemblies would march together, and the British N.S.A.'s trust was to be `the consultative body for all African territories' with whom `the other National Assemblies should keep in close touch. . . " The time was indeed short until the centenary in 1953 of the birth of Bahá`u'lláh's prophetic mission in the Síyáh-Chál. Yet despite the brevity of the Two Year Plan it was laden with unimagined significances, first indicated by Shoghi Effendi on 16 January 1951 when in four score words he unveiled the events of the next thirty years and far beyond.
          The African Teaching Conference, in which 123 African Bahá`ís of some thirty tribes participated with many other believers, was the first of four Intercontinental Conferences convened in 1953. It was the British N.S.A.'s responsibility to plan it, in co-operation with the five other National Assemblies of the Plan, and its chairman's responsibility to convene it. In the event, Hasan and John and Dorothy Ferraby, all N.S.A. officers, attended this unique Conference which, with the three to follow, launched the FATE-LADEN, SOUL-STIRRING, DECADE-LONG, WORLD-EMBRACING SPIRITUAL CRUSADE known as the Ten Year Plan. It was Hasan's first mission overseas, during which he presided over all sessions, spoke at the public meeting in Makerere University College, and participated in the two consultations of the N.S.A. representatives with the Hands of the Cause.
          Once again the Guardian, in his long cablegram to the 1953 British Bahá`í Convention, after warmly congratulating the delegates ON MAGNIFICENT VICTORIES ACHIEVED AFRICAN CONTINENT EXCEEDING HIGHEST HOPES, announced his forward plans for the TRIUMPHANT RICHLY BLESSED BRITISH NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY [to] PARTICIPATE ELEVEN SISTER NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES EAST WEST IMPENDING WORLD SPIRITUAL CRUSADE . . . Their fourteen areas of responsibility beyond their ISLAND HOME were breathtaking, but without hesitation the Convention pledged TOTAL DEDICATION CONSECRATION UNWAVERING SERVICE CONFIDENT DIVINE HOSTS WILL REINFORCE OUR EFFORTS IN PROPORTION OUR STEADFASTNESS COVENANT . . .           We are grateful to the Hand of the Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery for a description of Hasan at this time:  `The first time I met him was in 1953 at the Stockholm Conference; he was young, elegant, soft-spoken, gentle and graceful. His luxuriant black hair enhanced the handsomeness of his countenance; to me he appeared the embodiment of the perfect Persian aristocrat. His linguistic ability was truly superb . . . In Stockholm he was happy and exuberant, and Angeline and I became his good friends.'
          Hasan carried great responsibilities in the World Crusade for, apart from his chairmanship of the N.S.A. during the first seven years, he served on five national committees including chairmanship (1953-1957) of the European and Asian Teaching Committee which had under its wing the Knights of Bahá`u'lláh opening seven European goals and consolidation of the Faith in Eire and Hong Kong. Barbara Lewis, its secretary, recalls Hasan's chairmanship:  `I remember . . . . how much I learnt about Bahá`í affairs, and how to handle them, from his loving and wise direction of the Committee . . . He was, I felt, a man of great stature, and of outstanding qualities, and these he brought to bear in his guidance to the Committee during consultation about the well-being of those Knights of Bahá`u'lláh

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with whom we were concerned . . . His has been a lasting influence on me throughout the thirty years I've been a Bahá`í.'
          One ought to remember as well his young family of five sons, the eldest eleven when the Ten Year Plan began. And for almost seventeen years he accepted into his home and care his young relative, Farhang Afnan. `From the moment when I first saw him [September 1951], I was enraptured by his kindness, gentleness and understanding. As time passed, I came to realise more and more what a unique person he was . . . He was like a many faceted precious jewel.'
          The first year of the Crusade elicited an expression of the Guardian's pride in the British community's RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS; all their overseas goals had been filled and their Local Assemblies at home maintained. At the same time a strenuous search was being pursued for a National Hazíratu'l-Quds in London. Over thirty properties were considered and many viewed before success, hailed by the Guardian as a HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENT. (16 October 1954) Hasan and two Hands of the Cause, Dr. Grossmann and Mr. Ioas, spoke during the Teaching Conference and Dedication held on 15 January 1955.
          Hasan's next mission overseas occurred at Ridván 1956 when as N.S.A. chairman he convened in Kampala, Uganda, the first Convention of the Bahá`ís of Central and East Africa, meeting for the election of their own Regional Spiritual Assembly only five years after the inception of the African Campaign. `My heart brims with joy and my soul is uplifted with thankfulness', were the Guardian's words as he greeted the four African Conventions, paying a `warm and heartfelt tribute' to all who had contributed to `so colossal an enterprise', including the members of the six National Assemblies supporting the work, and appealing to them `not to abandon these fledgling African Bahá`í communities. . . " Hasan performed other services in Kampala, including an introductory talk for the viewing of the cloak of Bahá`u'lláh, a press interview and radio broadcast. The following week-end in Leicester he described to the British Convention the exciting events of the African Convention, the `staunchness and devotion' of the African Bahá`ís, the tremendous sacrifices of the pioneers, and some of the challenging problems confronting the new Regional Assembly. He had promised to raise their cry for assistance, and this he did most movingly in Leicester.
          Ever since the appointment of the first contingent of the Hands of the Cause in December 1951, the British Bahá`ís had received the blessing and guidance of their OWN DEARLY LOVED MUCH ADMIRED GREATLY GIFTED OUTSTANDING HAND CAUSE GEORGE TOWNSHEND, thus extolled by the Guardian on the occasion of his death in March 1957. It was only five months later, in his last major letter to the National Assembly, that intriguing reference was made to their `future Hands', a puzzle soon resolved in his message to the Bahá`í world, October 1957, in which eight more Hands were appointed. They included the chairman and secretary of the British National Assembly, Hasan Balyúzí, `representing the Afnán', and John Ferraby. In reply to the N.S.A.'s cable of gratitude came these final words of the beloved Guardian to the British friends:  CONFIDENT BRITISH COMMUNITY RICHLY DESERVES NEW HONOUR. SHOGHI. (11 October 1957)

III. The Hand of the Cause


          Who could foresee at that joyous hour of the receipt of the October message from Shoghi Effendi, vibrant with his vision of the fourth phase of the World Crusade and the five Intercontinental Conferences to inaugurate it, that this would be his last call to action to the Bahá`í world, that the next messages would be from Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum announcing his passing on 4 November in London and his funeral a few days later? In her hour of indescribable shock and grief, with the need to convey this terrible news to the Bahá`ís, she thought, she has written, `of the two British Hands of the Cause, so recently elevated to this high rank . . . She first turned to Hasan Balyúzí, an Afnán cousin of his . . . ' who, on arrival, telephoned John Ferraby; the Hand of the Cause Ugo Giachery was also called and arrived that night. From `the very day of his ascension', these four Hands `became responsible for all the pressing matters that had to be attended to in such a short space of time . . .' The following afternoon Hasan and Dr. Giachery accompanied her `to inspect possible sites for the grave . . .

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within an hour's journey from London'. At twilight they found the spot we know, `then proceeded to the undertaker's, to choose a suitable casket for the precious remains of the beloved Guardian'. The heart-rending details of these days, 4 to 9 November, a few lines of which are here quoted, have been recounted by Rúhíyyih Khánum in The Passing of Shoghi Effendi (The Bahá`í World, vol. XIII, pp. 207-225). It remains only to record, for this memorial article, that beside the grave, after the believers had filed by for over two hours to pay their respects, a prayer was chanted in Persian and then `the Afnán Hand of the Cause, Hasan Balyúzí, read the closing prayer in English'.
          On 18 November, just a fortnight after the passing of the Guardian, twenty-six Hands of the Cause assembled in the Holy Land `to consult together on the most tragic situation facing the Bahá`ís since the Ascension of `Abdu'l-Bahá. . . ' Next morning nine of them, including Hasan, were `chosen by Rúhíyyih Khánum to examine the Guardian's apartment'. Their `thorough search' revealed `that no Will or Testament of any nature whatsoever executed by Shoghi Effendi had been found', and this they `reported to the entire body of the Hands assembled in the Mansion of Bahá`u'lláh in Bahjí. . . " (ibid. p. 341)
          Stunned, bewildered, overwhelmed at this discovery that no Will had been left, no heir appointed, the Hands had no choice but to accept the fate which had befallen them. As `Chief Stewards' they must guide the Bahá`ís of the world for almost six years in the knowledge that they were bereft of infallible divine guidance until the Universal House of Justice could be brought into being. For a week, in session in the Mansion, they considered this situation. During this time the two Hands of the Cause, Hasan Balyúzí and Abu'l-Qásim Faizi, alternated in translating their consultations, in itself a wearying task for men already bowed by the events just past. The outcome of their deliberations was reported in a Proclamation which outlined a number of actions including the constitution of `a body of nine Hands to serve at the Bahá`í World Centre' whom they later designated `the Custodians of the Bahá`í World Faith'; among the nine was Hasan Balyúzí. The imprint of these three weeks on Hasan has been noted by Dr. Giachery, referring to his elevation to the rank of Hand of the Cause of God. `His exultation, alas, was of very short duration. Twenty days later, the sudden demise of Shoghi Effendi dealt him a deadly blow, from which he never recovered.'
          It was expected that Hasan, after settling his affairs in London, would come to Haifa to pursue this new and weighty responsibility, and preparation was made for him to share a room near the gate of the Master's House with his dear and old friend, Abu'l-Qásim Faizi, but at the last minute he was unable to return. He consulted his fellow Hands at the 1958 Conclave, hoping to find a solution to personal problems which prevented his service. It would seem that no path opened, for his replacement was announced in November 1959, but he continued as an alternate Hand in the Holy Land, spending weeks, sometimes months, in Haifa. Perhaps his outstanding contribution was in the preparation of archives for removal to the International Archives Building, when he assisted Rúhíyyih Khánum for several months in 1959 and 1961. The Hand of the Cause `Alí-Akbar Furútan and Mr. Ian Semple--both of whom, with the Hand of the Cause A. Q. Faizi, participated in this work --have described the importance of Hasan's part, when his wide knowledge enabled him to identify Tablets and other materials. `I had met many Bahá`í scholars in Írán,' Mr. Furútan told the writer, `but he was to me one of the outstanding figures . . . I have never found in my life such a modest and humble man as Balyúzí . . . I loved him dearly.' And Dr. Giachery has written:  `As Custodian at the World Centre, for some months, I had the good chance to know him better and ever more admire his noble character and sterling qualities . . . His life of service and spiritual obedience and sacrifices remains an effulgent example to emulate.' Though work may have filled their days in Haifa, nights at the Eastern Pilgrim House were lightened by Hasan's humour. He would quote a Persian expression and then laugh and laugh, Mr. Furútan recalled; while Mrs. Furútan described him as `such a delightful man', recounting stories of Persia at table; he was `really wonderful'. He also attended the annual Conclaves of the Hands of the Cause at

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the World Centre, including the one in 1963 which opened in Haifa in April before the election of the Universal House of Justice and closed in London in the week following the World Congress. As in 1957 he translated a great part of the sessions.
          From the hour of his appointment as Hand of the Cause, he devoted his energies to the successful consummation of the Guardian's Crusade, then nearly half-way to its close. `There is much that only the future can reveal,' he wrote on his return from the first Conclave. `But still through this dark night of our souls, there beams powerful and luminous as ever, the floodlight of the Guardian's guidance . . . He has left us all that we need to carry us to the "Most Great Jubilee", and beyond to the day where once again the gates of Divine guidance will be opened and the Universal House of Justice . . . will come to be.' And he added to this sentence, truly a key to his motivation as a Bahá`í, frequently mentioned by him and observed by others over the years:  `If only we live the words of the Master's prayer, Make me as dust in the pathway of Thy loved ones, our victory is secure.' (Bahá`í Journal, January 1958)
          Within a week after receipt in Britain of the Proclamation of the Hands, Hasan met representatives from all Local Assemblies and major national committees in the Hazíratu'l-Quds to explain the situation in the Faith, and did so again in January at the Annual Teaching Conference in Leeds when his talk `was moving beyond the power of words could describe'. (Bahá`í Journal, February 1958) He attended the opening of the Bahá`í Centre in Leicester in mid-February, spoke at week-end schools in Manchester, Cambridge and Brighton, and was elected an officer of Convention at Ridván and once again to the National Spiritual Assembly.
          Meanwhile, a Conference of the European Hands with their two Auxiliary Boards (the Protection Board but recently formed) was held in Berne in February 1958. For Hasan it was the first of ten such Conferences he attended between 1958 and June 1964, always contributing much wise and practical advice and sharing chairmanship with his fellow Hands. Concerning these Conferences, which often included members of the European National Spiritual Assemblies, the International Bahá`í Council noted their `immense value to the work on that continent . . . the experience of a number of Bahá`í institutions consulting together in this way for the service of the Cause and their mutual help, is unforgettably moving.' (Bahá`í Journal, November 1961) Two of the Conferences coincided with greater events:  the Frankfurt International Teaching Conference in July 1958 and the laying of the cornerstone of the European Temple in November 1960. Hasan participated in both events, so intimately related to the vision and instructions of the Guardian. `His love for the Guardian was extraordinary,' Mr. Furútan has said of his fellow Hand. `He was always speaking of him, quoting him. His main theme, when I was with him, was the Guardian.' And so it was at the close of the Frankfurt Conference when Hasan, with the other Hands of the Cause, bade farewell to the believers. `What more can I say? There are many things I do not know, but one thing I do know. Now is the time to show our faithfulness to our beloved Guardian.'
          Hasan's personal relationship with Auxiliary Board members in the British Isles, as a European Hand of the Cause, must also be mentioned. From the experience of two such members, it can be said that he was prompt and business-like in replying to their reports, shared these with his fellow Hands and took action as needed, dealt with their needs whether financial or for guidance, always encouraged them, trusted their judgement, and wrote in an unassuming spirit, at times signing himself `Gratefully and lovingly in His Fellowship'.
          Yet another aspect of Hasan's international service was his journey in April 1961 to Ecuador and Peru, where he represented the World Centre at the first Conventions of their national Bahá`í communities. A report from Peru expressed gratitude for his `patient explanations, his dignified, loving manner and wonderful sense of humour. . . ' (Bahá`í News, no. 364, p.4) Following the first elections of these National Spiritual Assemblies, Hasan went north to cross Canada during May. Here, in addition to meeting the friends, he visited a number of Indian Reserves, including Indians of Ontario, the Poorman Reserve in Saskatchewan where he

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was honoured by a pow-wow, the Muscowpetung Reserve, the Peigan Reserve in Alberta, and Indians of British Columbia. His talks were `simple and direct', appealing `to the hearts of the many who came to hear him'. (ibid. no. 366, p. 9) Later he described these meetings as `very wonderful', commending to British Bahá`ís the initiative of individuals upon whom `so much depends', and expressing his confidence in the rapid acceptance of the Faith by Indians. Again in 1962 Hasan attend first National Conventions, this time in Holland and Denmark, as representative of the World Centre.
          Were one to analyse, year by year, Hasan's travels to three continents in his first six years as a Hand of the Cause, and couple his schedule with one detailing his continuous activities within the British Isles in accordance with his habitual pattern in past decades, his perseverance in service to the Guardian's Crusade would stand out brilliantly. Records show his attendance at the annual Teaching Conferences of 1959, 1960 and 1962; his visits in June and July 1960 to Bangor (Northern Ireland), Edinburgh and Manchester and his meeting with Bahá`ís of the Southern Region; his stirring review at the 1960 Convention of British Bahá`í history as bearing on present responsibilities; his course on the Covenant at the Harlech Summer School of 1960 when, with the Hand of the Cause Adelbert Mühlschlegel `their radiant personalities filled our days'; his address for the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Master's visit to England at the National Celebration in London, September 1961, sharing the platform with the Hand of the Cause Leroy Ioas; a similar Celebration in Edinburgh in January 1963 of `Abdu'l-Bahá's visit there, addressed by Hasan and Dr. Mühlschlegel; and a number of important messages which he wrote to the British Bahá`ís in these years. Sadly, by 1960 the problem of recurring ill health frequently appears. For four months, March to June 1962, he was unable to meet the National Assembly as was his wont, following his resignation from this body in February 1960 in order better to contribute to the development of the Institution of the Hands of the Cause of God, one of the goals of the Ten Year Crusade. In August 1962 he entered hospital for an operation on his right shoulder, and from 1963 he had to contend repeatedly with various kinds of illness and injury which greatly taxed his strength. Yet some of his finest contributions occurred in these years.
          Hasan had served for twenty-seven continuous years as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly and for seventeen years as its chairman, seven of these during the exacting claims of the World Crusade. To the regret but with the affection and gratitude of his fellow members, `who felt truly bereft at losing him', he had withdrawn from the Assembly, offering however to consult with them as a Hand whenever he was in England. This he did when his health permitted, often discussing ten or twelve subjects at a meeting, or when absent sending his suggestions. In addition, he was ever ready to guide and advise the Assembly officers between meetings. In its 1962 report to Convention, the N.S.A. wrote that it `has had the benefit of numerous consultations with Hasan Balyúzí and is deeply grateful to him for keeping so closely in touch with the work of the British Community'. Their close association with him is also mentioned in 1964, 1966, 1967 and 1969.
          Counsellor Betty Reed, who became National Secretary in January 1961, has written:  `For there were two aspects of Hasan's assistance; one was his constant help to the National Assembly, and the other his invaluable guidance and advice to the Officers . . . He followed the work of the National Assembly carefully, and went to considerable trouble to help keep the Assembly on course . . . Hasan had taught us to study every single word in Shoghi Effendi's letters . . . and the National Assembly continued to give the same close attention to the letters of the Universal House of Justice, which was reflected in the Assembly's direction of the Nine Year Plan. . . ' Mrs. Reed cites, in particular, as does John Long, then Chairman of the N.S.A., Hasan's guidance during the imprisonment of Bahá`ís in Morocco, when `the Officers were constantly in touch' with him, as well as his encouragement to give priority to pioneering overseas despite needs on the Home Front, and this was done both for Europe in 1960 and Australia in 1961. And she continues, `. . . reflections over the last thirteen years of travel in Europe have convinced me of the great

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debt the British Community owes to Hasan Balyúzí. We came through the Six Year Plan, the Africa Campaign, the Ten Year Crusade, and the Nine Year Plan in one steady, continuous upward curve, never doubting that goals set by the beloved Guardian or the Universal House of Justice could be won--we didn't talk about the Power of Bahá`u'lláh, we just experienced it, thought it a natural Bahá`í phenomenon, and that we had learned from Hasan.'
          Counsellor Dorothy Ferraby, also an officer of the National Spiritual Assembly for many years until she joined her husband, the Hand of the Cause John Ferraby, in Haifa in 1960, came to the same conclusion after more than a quarter of a century in joint service with Hasan:  `We worked together, he as chairman and I as secretary of the Youth Group. Later we worked together closely and harmoniously on the London Assembly and the National Assembly . . . In all my association with him he was a tremendous support, a wise guide and counsellor about whatever we were involved in. Nobody will ever be able to estimate how much the Faith in England owes to him.'
          Indeed, for many years he was `rained under', in his own words, by the sheer volume of his correspondence, not only with institutions of the Faith but with the many believers who turned to him whether in pursuit of their services to Bahá`u'lláh, or in test, difficulty or sorrow. His understanding, wise counsel and sympathy knew no bounds.
          For most Bahá`ís their last sight of Hasan Balyúzí was in 1963, for after the World Congress in the Royal Albert Hall he rarely went among them. The beloved Guardian's Crusade seemed to have taken all his strength. Few will forget his closing address in the first session of the Congress and his opening triumphant words from the Master, O Bahá`u'lláh, What hast Thou done? O Bahá`u'lláh, May my life be sacrificed for Thee! In the compass of this one talk he recalled the entire history of the Faith, held out the vision of even greater crusades to come, and closed by extolling the Crusade whose victory the World Congress celebrated as most precious of all, for it was `launched by our beloved Shoghi Effendi'.

IV. Scholar and Writer

>From the time of his appointment as a Hand of the Cause in October 1957 Hasan had devoted himself to his high calling, bearing as well until Ridván 1960 a great and continuous responsibility as chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly during the intensive activities of the Ten Year Crusade. With his fellow Hands he had borne the crushing blow of the death of the Guardian, followed by the heart-numbing shock that he had left no heir. He had served for the first two years thereafter as one of the nine Custodians of the Faith at the World Centre, and had travelled to Haifa whenever the claims of his family permitted. He had made other trips to Haifa to assist with the development of the International Archives, and had attended the annual Conclaves of the Hands at Bahjí. He had participated as a Hand in the European Conferences with Board members and National Spiritual Assemblies, unstintingly sharing his knowledge and wisdom and guiding, with other Hands, the proceedings of these important gatherings. He had represented the World Centre in 1961 and 1962 at the first Conventions in Ecuador, Peru, Holland and Denmark, and had travelled across Canada especially visiting Indian Reserves. He had been present in 1963 at the first World Convention in Haifa and in London a few days later had addressed the opening session of the World Congress. He had continued to pour out his love and guidance to the British Bahá`í Community and had consulted frequently with their National Assembly.
          But these six crowded years had taken their toll. Exhausted, beset by dire financial problems, suffering almost continuous physical pain and mental and spiritual stress, always sensitive to the sufferings of others and to negative influences affecting the Faith, he could no longer endure the problems with which, as a Hand of the Cause, he was perpetually assailed. His only recourse in the period following the World Congress was to close the door on such problems, attend no more gatherings whether in Britain, Europe or Haifa, leave his letters unanswered and at times unopened, and receive but few of those who sought to meet him.1 Such a drastic

1 He did, however, continue to guide the National Spiritual Assembly and Board members and attended two sessions of the European Conference of the Hands with their Boards in London, June 1964.

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course, although any other was beyond his strength, filled his mind with forebodings of guilt for his wasted days and abdication of his responsibilities as a Hand. Yet, all unrecognized, another path was about to open before him, another way of service as a Hand which the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá had delineated:  `to promote learning . . . '
          As long ago as June 1938 his short biography of Bahá`u'lláh had been published, attracting the attention of Shoghi Effendi who expressed his hope `that the two companion essays on the Báb and the Master . . . will be soon completed . . . as he feels they can be of a powerful help to the friends in their teaching work'. (Unfolding Destiny, p. 122) Hasan has described how he `set about organizing an outline for a book on the life of `Abdu'l-Bahá' and why this project was halted and `not resumed until more than a score of years had passed'. (Foreword to `Abdu'l-Bahá) It was in 1960 that he took up his work again with the idea of a trilogy on the three Central Figures of the Faith. His original booklet, surely a literary gem, was amplified with an invaluable essay on the Manifestations of God and published at Ridván 1963 as Bahá`u'lláh, the first of his trilogy. Perforce the project had suffered postponement in those overburdened years as the World Crusade drew to a close, and even after the Crusade had ended and his yearning to write his biography on the Master filled him with a kind of desperation, it was not until 1965 that he turned his full attention to writing. His last decade would see the publication of five major literary works in English and he would leave as well several manuscripts for posthumous publication. He had found at last, after those testing months when he felt himself burned out and impotent, yet never yielding his trust in Bahá`u'lláh's mercy and succour, a career for which all his study, experience and devotion had prepared him. From 1965 onwards his labours were ceaseless and his achievements enriched the literature of the Faith, inspired youthful Bahá`í scholars, and increased the knowledge of all who turned to his books.
          Although he lived with pain to the end--angina, hiatus hernia and high blood pressure in his last five years--ill health endowed him with the need for retirement from public activities and gave him the privacy a writer requires. In 1971 and 1973, upon receiving signed copies of `Abdu'l-Bahá and The Báb, respectively, the Universal House of Justice addressed to Hasan two letters in which he `took great pleasure', being `enormously grateful' for their support and encouragement. (Molly Balyúzí, through their son Robert) `Your book is a splendid addition to the literature of the Cause', they wrote, `and eloquent testimony to your wisdom in concentrating on such scholarly activity.' (5 December 1971) And later, `We certainly hope that nothing will prevent you from continuing your invaluable and devoted labours, whose results are of such infinite value in increasing the knowledge and deepening the understanding of the believers.' (22 April 1973)
          Hasan has stated that the delay in completing the trilogy was the result of his strong conviction `that Professor Edward Granville Browne's connections with the Faith of the Báb and Bahá`u'lláh had to be explored and explained'. His first conception was to include this in his life of `Abdu'l-Bahá, but realizing `that a diversion of that magnitude was inappropriate' he prepared this material for separate publication, rewriting it three times, and it was published in 1970. The importance of this scholarly work, proving its value from the first, may well be fully recognized only in future, for, in the words of the Universal House of Justice, it `will surely go a long way to fulfil the beloved Guardian's expressed wish that ". . . the mind of the intellectual would be freed of these wrong conceptions" '. (8 October 1969) In 1977 Hasan completed a Persian manuscript on the same theme, of greater length, quoting the text of the Tablets of `Abdu'l-Bahá, and copied in his own handwriting. (Its publication has been postponed because of recent events in Írán.)
          Hasan's method of writing, he has said, was to work on two or three books at the same time, thereby relieving the fatigue of long hours of concentration on a single manuscript. Often it was his habit to continue far into the night, and so he would turn for refreshment from writing, to research, to reading for background. It is probable that his mind dwelt on the work in hand almost constantly. He was meticulous in assembling his materials, was known to spend three days in the deter-

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mination of a single date, and gave most careful attention to the transliteration of Persian, Arabic and Turkish names whose pronunciation could vary according to region. All his books were submitted in his own handwriting, and even quotations were copied by hand to ensure that his choice of deletions would be followed.
          From the very beginning he had the invaluable assistance of his cousin, Abu'l-Qásim Afnán, Custodian of the House of the Báb, whose `very generous aid in my research' Hasan acknowledged in his book on E. G. Browne. His diligence in obtaining and delivering materials to Hasan for each of his books is beyond all praise, as illustrated by this extract from a 1974 letter from Hasan:  `Afnán has brought me masses of photostats and original documents . . . there is enough material to make the book on the Báb double its present size, and for a massive book on the Life of Bahá`u'lláh.'
          In his later years it was Hasan's dream to have a research assistant, one who could spend part of each day with him. This was not to be, but instead from 1972 a young scholar and medical student, Moojan Momen, served him with great devotion in such time as he could spare. His `assiduous and able research' was acknowledged by Hasan with profound gratitude in his preface to Bahá`u'lláh, The King of Glory; his `help and assistance to me have been of inestimable value'. By appointing him one of his three Literary Executors and Trustees of the Afnán Library, Hasan demonstrated his confidence in Dr. Momen.
          Hasan's knowledge of the Faith, of Persian history, literature and culture, of nineteenth-and twentieth-century Írán and its leading figures, and of current developments in the world, whether political, artistic or literary, was remarkable. Here are a few passages from a letter from Dr. Iraj Ayman:  although `not personally known to the rank and file of the friends in Írán . . . [he] was much better known and respected amongst upper class intelligentsia, especially scholars and intellectuals either educated in England or engaged in Iranian studies. He was regarded as an authority . . . a leading scholar . . . Sitting in London he was more informed and well-versed in Persian studies than any other scholar I knew . . . His fluency in Persian, English, Arabic and French as well as familiarity with some other languages had made him . . . unique amongst orientalists . . . If he is not yet openly acknowledged as a leading figure in contemporary Persian literature it is only because he was a well-known and active Bahá`í. . . ' Even while engaged in his English writing, three of his books in Persian were published in Írán:  The Story of Three Sisters (the Brontes), Half-Brothers (a collection of short stories translated from English), and Words in English Derived from Persian, in which `he traced the roots of more than seven hundred English words'. (Iraj Ayman; titles translated by Mr. Balyúzí)
          `You know better than I', wrote Farhang Afnan, `what an encyclopaedic mind he had . . . Whatever statement he made, he could substantiate it by not one but several independent and reputable sources.' And the Hand of the Cause A.-A. Furútan has said, `Even when I met him in London at the end of his life, he was speaking of Iranians who were writing against the Faith, and I saw how wide was his knowledge of books published. But he made no mention of his own writings--so humble, modest and brilliant he was.'
          Some have wondered why, after his trilogy was completed in 1973 and despite his plan for four volumes presenting the life and times of Bahá`u'lláh in their historical setting both in Írán and in the world at large, he should first write a volume entitled Muhammad and the Course of Islám (1976). The closing paragraph of this book shows how essential it was as a bridge to the `vast study' he was contemplating. More than this, an understanding of Islám based on full recognition of `the God-given mission of Muhammad' and free of sectarian bias, he felt to be an essential background for the study of the Bahá`í Faith. And so he `produced a monumental work on Islám which will eclipse most of the books written on this subject' (Professor Zeine N. Zeine)---`a subject which has never really received from western scholars and writers the objective and accurate treatment it deserves'. (The Hand of the Cause Abu'l-Qásim Faizi)
          In the spring of 1979, when Hasan was striving to complete the first volume of his ambitious project, he said to a visitor, `I hope that I will live long enough to finish it.' (O. Z. Whitehead) It had been a daunting under-

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taking during the previous four years as his materials accumulated and he laboured with utmost care to bring into being this great and unique work. No other comprehensive biography of Bahá`u'lláh, whether in English or Persian, has so far been achieved. The writer recalls the enthusiastic comment of the Hand of the Cause Paul Haney in April 1980, on reading the published Bahá`u'lláh, The King of Glory:  It's `great, really great . . . There will never be anything like it.'           To study the work of Hasan Balyúzí is to realize his central motivation:  to promote the highest interests of the Revelation of Bahá`u'lláh, and to do so with truth and dignity in a manner befitting its indescribably high station. That he did not complete all he had in mind is a loss for which we have no compensation. But, in the words of the Hand of the Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery, his `gem-like books will remain among the most outstanding writings to enlighten the paths of seekers for centuries to come'.
          A year after Hasan's passing, a brief but moving essay by him entitled Khadíjih Bagum, the Wife of the Báb, was published to commemorate this first anniversary, and in a foreword his son Robert described `his legacy to the Bahá`í World', his own books and documents as the nucleus of the Afnán Library which, when established, should be open `to all students and scholars wishing to research the history of the Faith'. It was `his most dear wish: that his work should continue and that the study of the history of the Faith should grow to its recognition as a major scholastic discipline'. Already this hope has been recognized in the Hasan Balyúzí Lectureship founded in 1980 by the Canadian Association for Bahá`í Studies, for which distinguished Bahá`ís have addressed the Annual Conferences of the past four years.
          During the last months of Hasan's life, following a time in hospital in October 1979 after a heart attack, he seemed to become the Hasan we remembered, frail but as one rejuvenated. He had already written the major part of the second volume of his great project and was working on the third. On 4 November he had visited, after long absence, the grave of the beloved Guardian and a photograph at its gate records his happiness. On 26 November, having expressed a wish to do so, he spoke to Bahá`í friends at the Hazíratu'l-Quds on a theme close to his heart--`The Power of the Covenant'--hoping `to be with you more often, my great privilege'.(This beautiful talk is recorded on tape.) He had also conceived, with utmost longing, a plan to carry to the Threshold of the Shrine of Bahá`u'lláh a leather-bound copy of his labour of love and praise for the One to Whom he had dedicated his life so long before. The first copy reached England early in February 1980, but instead of seeing it with his own eyes he had it delivered for this special binding. He was never to see it for on 12 February, as the result of a stroke in the morning hours, he passed away quietly in his sleep. It fell to his son Robert to complete this precious mission in March, which he performed in deep humility, and now the volume is preserved in the International Bahá`í Archives.
          On 15 February in the chapel of the New Southgate Cemetery, and then beside his grave near that of his beloved Guardian, large numbers of his family and friends paid their final tribute. `His life of service and spiritual obedience and sacrifices remains an effulgent example to emulate . . . Dear, dear Hasan . . . In time, all humanity will treasure your memory.'1

          There are certain pillars which have been established as the unshakeable supports of the Faith of God. The mightiest of these is learning and the use of the mind, the expansion of consciousness, and insight into the realities of the universe and the hidden mysteries of Almighty God. `Abdu'l-Bahá
MARION HOFMAN


1 This and the previous quotations by the Hand of the Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery from an Appreciation, 23 October 1983. The quotation which follows is from Selections from the Writings of `Abdu'l-Bahá, no. 97.


RAHMATU'LLÁH MUHÁJIR
1923-1979


PROFOUNDLY LAMENTING UNTIMELY PASSING IN QUITO ECUADOR BELOVED HAND CAUSE RAHMATULLAH MUHAJIR FOLLOWING HEART ATTACK COURSE HIS LATEST SOUTH AMERICAN

1 This and the previous quotations by the Hand of the Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery from an Appreciation, 23 October 1983. The quotation which follows is from Selections from the Writings of `Abdu'l-Bahá, no. 97.

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Picture at Upper Right Corner with the Caption:  Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir

TOUR. UNSTINTED UNRESTRAINED OUTPOURING OF PHYSICAL SPIRITUAL ENERGIES BY ONE WHO OFFERED HIS ALL PATH SERVICE HAS NOW CEASED. POSTERITY WILL RECORD HIS DEVOTED SERVICES YOUTHFUL YEARS CRADLE FAITH HIS SUBSEQUENT UNIQUE EXPLOITS PIONEERING FIELD SOUTHEAST ASIA WHERE HE WON AQCCOLADE KNIGHT BAHAULLAH HIS CEASELESS EFFORTS OVER TWO DECADES SINCE HIS APPOINTMENT HAND CAUSE STIMULATING IN MANY LANDS EAST WEST PROCESS ENTRY BY TROOPS. FRIENDS ALL CONTINENTS WHO MOURN THIS TRAGIC LOSS NOW SUDDENLY DEPRIVED COLLABORATION ONE WHO ENDEARED HIMSELF TO THEM THROUGH HIS GENTLENESS HIS LUMINOUS PERSOPNALITY HIS EXEMPLARY UNFLAGGING ZEAL HIS CREATIVE ENTHUSIASTIC APPROACH TO FULFILLMENT ASSIGNED GOALS. URGE FRIENDS EVERYWHERE HOLD MEMORIAL GATHERINGS BEFITTING HIS HIGH STATION UNIQUE ACHIEVEMENTS. MAY HIS RADIANT SOUL ABHÁ KINGDOM REAP RICH HARVEST HIS DEDICATED SELFSACRIFICING SERVICES CAUSE GOD.
Universal House of Justice
29 October 1979


Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir was born, in 1923, into a distinguished Bahá`í family. Three of his forebears--the Dawlatábádí brothers--attained the presence of Bahá`u'lláh and later were recipients of a Tablet from `Abdu'l-Bahá bearing the salutation Ay Muhájirán--`O Pioneers'--in which He exhorts them to thank God that they were able to meet the Blessed Beauty and prays for their success in rendering ever-increasing services to the Faith. The name Muhájir was adopted as their family name from that day.
          The parents of Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir, Hafizu'lláh Khán and Ismat Khánum, continued the family tradition of dedication and service. Rahmat, his brothers and five sisters were brought up in a home that was a centre for many Bahá`í meetings and firesides attended by great Bahá`í teachers. Rahmat participated in all these meetings from early childhood and brought many seekers to hear the teachings of Bahá`u'lláh. If by chance there was no one to accompany him he would invite the corner shopkeepers, promising them a good Persian meal. He always remembered this period of his life as a very happy one during which he received a thorough Bahá`í training that had instilled in his heart the love of Bahá`u'lláh and devotion to His Faith. He chose the path of service early in his life and did not deviate from it. While in high school he was a member of the local and national youth committees and spent his summers visiting all the Bahá`í holy places in Írán.
          His first experience of pioneering came following his graduation from high school when he postponed going to university and went to the province of Adhirbáyján for two years. His remarkable planning skills were apparent even at that early age. He organized youth and children's activities, taught adults in the evenings and prepared lessons and taught Bahá`í classes. He is still remembered in that area for his kindness, love, knowledge of the Faith, humility and sense of humour. This sense of humour persisted throughout his life and was a saving grace in many difficult situations.
          After this period of pioneering he entered medical school. His friends recall that he sustained and even increased his Bahá`í activities. When well-meaning friends advised him to concentrate more on his studies to avoid

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failing, his reply was that Bahá`u'lláh would take care of his studies if he attended to His work. To the astonishment of all, a few months before graduation from medical school he suspended his studies and devoted three months to assisting in the accomplishment of the goals of the Forty-Five Month Plan of the National Spiritual Assembly of Írán. He was secretary of the National Pioneering Committee and felt that it was not sufficient to do only administrative work. After the successful completion of the Plan he returned to his studies and graduated with honours from medical school.
          We were married in 1951, just a few months prior to his graduation, and had the bounty of receiving a telegram from the beloved Guardian, sent to my father, the Hand of the Cause of God `Alí-Akbar Furútan, conveying good wishes and saying `praying blessings'.
          In 1952 when the Ten Year World Crusade of the Guardian had been announced, it was our privilege to go on pilgrimage. Rahmat had the blessing on several occasions of being alone with the Guardian who spoke to him about the Pacific Islands, the Malaysian Peninsula and the great potential of that part of the world. Pilgrimage to the Holy Shrines and meeting the Guardian of the Cause of God increased the desire for sacrifice and service in Rahmat's heart. On his return he was impatient and disinterested in his well-salaried job as a physician in the American Point Four hospital in Isfahán. He wanted to leave everything, forget the material world and carry out the wishes of his beloved Guardian. The Guardian had asked the Bahá`ís to undertake the spiritual conquest of the world. Rahmat wanted to respond to this call immediately. He felt there was no time to lose. This attitude of absolute obedience to the Guardian and being guided by his words continued throughout his life; he devoured the writings of Shoghi Effendi and tried to follow and implement all the instructions. This was the motivating force of his life.
          At the Asian Conference in New Delhi in October 1953 the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand announced that a physician was needed to fill their goal in the Mentawai Islands as doctors were the only ones who stood a remote chance of obtaining a visa. Rahmat volunteered without hesitation. He resigned from his job and we sold all our worldly belongings. He had no idea what sort of place Mentawai was, whether or not he could get a job and, most important of all, whether a permit to stay in Indonesia would be granted us. Rahmat was confident that by arising to carry out the behest of the Guardian all obstacles would be removed. In December 1953 we set out as pioneers to the Mentawai Islands. We arrived in the Island of Muara Siberut in February 1954 and were declared Knights of Bahá`u'lláh by the beloved Guardian. Rahmat was employed by the Indonesian Ministry of Health, given a permanent residence visa and--miraculously--was assigned to Mentawai Islands.
          Pioneering to Mentawai Islands--four small dots on the map in southern Sumatra in the Indonesian Archipelago--opened a vast and exciting field of service to Rahmat. Although coming from a very different background and culture he felt very much at home in this new environment. He was joyful and constantly gave thanks to the beloved Guardian for this great opportunity and prayed to Bahá`u'lláh, day and night, not to take it away from him.
          Muara Siberut is a former Dutch penal colony. Distant from the mainland, with no kind of development or comfort, and a constant climate of forty degrees Celsius, it was not a priority in the minds of the government officials. The native inhabitants were left to themselves, had no medical care, and practically all suffered from malaria and severe tropical skin diseases. Rahmat, whose field of work was preventative medicine, began a systematic method of eradication of malaria and other diseases. He not only taught them the Faith but also helped them to better their physical life. He respected the people of Mentawai and did not try to change their customs or their manner of dress. He had come to bring them a spiritual message and their appearance made no difference to him. He loved the tattooed natives as though they were his nearest and dearest kin. He never interfered with any of their traditional practices, especially if they did not affect their health. He very often participated in the native healer's dances and ceremonies, and allowed them to apply ritual paint to his face before examining a patient. He taught them how to use soap when they bathed in the river,

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how to clean their hair, and how to take care of their babies. This genuine affection was reciprocated by the natives; they sought his advice and guidance in every matter.
          As the number of Bahá`ís increased Rahmat helped them to move their villages to new sites and gave them plans which included a Bahá`í Centre and a Bahá`í Cemetery. Separate shelters were built for their livestock which up to that time had shared their dwellings. The natives supplied the wood and roof thatching and Rahmat gave then nails and assisted the many Bahá`í villages in the actual building of their houses. Perhaps the most important indication of the complete acceptance of Bahá`u'lláh by the natives of Mentawai was their willingness to depart from their ancestral burial ritual. It involved leaving the unburied corpse exposed until it decomposed and hanging the bare bones in their homes. After becoming Bahá`ís they buried their dead according to Bahá`í laws.
          In all the years of his work in Mentawai, Rahmat had very cordial relations with the Christian missionaries. Although very often they opposed him and disrupted his work, he was always kind to them, attended to their needs when they were sick, showed them every courtesy and did nothing to undermine the faith of those they had converted to Christianity. The natives, whether Christian, Bahá`í or pagan, adored him. Once when the Governor of Sumatra visited the islands to inspect Rahmat's work many of the natives greeted him with shouts of Alláh-u-Abhá. When asked what this meant they referred to Rahmat saying, `We are what the doctor is.' This resulted in a lengthy fireside with the Governor and other officials. The Governor was very impressed and for the duration of his term in office stayed on friendly terms with Rahmat.
          Although Rahmat did not consider it so, all this was achieved with a great deal of physical hardship. Often when returning from his frequent trips to the remote interior, trips involving many days of walking through jungles and in waist-deep water, he would enter the wooden hut with tree bark walls that served as our home, covered in mud and blood from the leeches that had attached themselves to him while he walked in the rivers, happy and elated because a few people in the village he had visited had accepted the Faith of Bahá`u'lláh. He dismissed the leeches and the blood, saying God was helping him not to have high blood pressure. We were both afflicted with the severest kind of tropical malaria a few weeks after our arrival in the islands. In Rahmat's case it was much more difficult as the shivers and very high fever came to him while he was walking in mud and torrential tropical rains and sleeping on a mat on the damp ground in the jungles.
          The only means of communication with the outside world was a government mail-boat which visited Mentawai every six to eight months. When the mail included a message from the Guardian Rahmat's spirit soared and his soul became aflame. These letters and messages sustained him for the next eight months. Illness, lack of food and exhaustion did not matter, as long as the Guardian was pleased.
          The numerous letters and cables addressed by Shoghi Effendi to Rahmat were left in Mentawai. The following extracts are quoted from the many letters of Dr. Hakím, the Persian secretary to the Guardian, which convey the Guardian's happiness with Rahmat's efforts in the Mentawai Islands.
          18 July 1955:  `Assure Dr. Muhájir and his wife that he prays for them and the success of their services to the Faith. The outstanding services that he and his wife have rendered have brought much happiness to his heart.'
          18 May 1956:  `He said to convey his profound appreciation to Dr. Muhájir, who is a true pioneer, and also to his wife . . . He is very happy with Dr. Muhájir and his wife.'
          Rahmat was appointed to the rank of Hand of the Cause of God amongst the last contingent, in October 1957. The telegram of the beloved Guardian arrived when he was away in the villages of Java on a teaching trip. We had undertaken this rare trip to Djakarta on the instruction of the beloved Guardian to Rahmat to assist in the purchase of the National Hazíratu'l-Quds.
          Rahmat's great desire had been to remain in his pioneering post for the rest of his life. The sudden passing of the beloved Guardian a few weeks after the appointment of the last contingent of the Hands of the Cause made

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this resolve even stronger. However, it was necessary for him to leave the islands. The affairs of the Faith were at a crucial point. The Ten Year Crusade was at its midway point and all the Hands of the Cause had to be involved in the world-wide development of the Faith. It was not possible for one of them to be incommunicado in a place that had no telegram or telephone service and was cut off from the rest of the world except by means of a boat which most of the time was out of service. It took months of persuasion by the Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land, and lengthy nights and days of prayer, before Rahmat, sadly and reluctantly, left the people he had loved so much and served so well.
          We left Mentawai in 1958. In the four years of his work in the islands the number of Bahá`ís had increased to more than four thousand, three of the thirty-three Local Spiritual Assemblies had been incorporated, Bahá`í schools had been established, a Bahá`í endowment land had been purchased which was one of eight in the Bahá`í world, and a Bahá`í pamphlet had been translated and printed in the Mentawai language. This was a historic achievement as Mentawai was a spoken language that had never been recorded.
          Rahmat always believed that entire villages should be brought to the Faith as this prevented disunity and friction amongst the people and allowed them to progress much more in following the principles of the Faith. He put this idea into practice in Mentawai. He worked for the village as a whole and directed all aspects of the villagers' lives according to the teachings. Many of the children who sat at his feet on the damp ground learning Bahá`í prayers and the alphabet by the light of a small candle and sometimes the glow of the moon went on to live at the Bahá`í dormitory in Sumatra which Rahmat had initiated and some became doctors and engineers. They remember him with love and affection and say they owe all to this gentle and kind man who sat them on his knees and chanted prayers and songs in his melodious voice.
          A WHO Committee which visited Mentawai in 1960, in its report, after giving details of the beliefs of the Bahá`í Faith, devotes two long pages to Rahmat's medical work in the islands and adds that he was the only representative among those of different religions who was concerned with the development of the islands, establishing schools, eradicating disease and bringing cleanliness and order to the villages.
          Leaving Mentawai closed a phase of distinguished service in Rahmat's life and opened a new one which continued for the next twenty years of his life. These twenty years are so entwined with the history of mass teaching and the development of the Faith, and his travels around the world are so extensive, that it is not possible to record all the events in the scope of this article. In the years between 1958 and 1979 he visited all the Bahá`í National Centres several times and in each country travelled to the interior visiting mass teaching areas and isolated believers. In the first three years of the Five Year Plan he had visited more than fifty countries. He travelled by sea and air, in buses and bullock carts, on foot and by hitchhiking. On one occasion he went from Afghanistan to Írán by oil tanker, and once, in order to visit a remote Pacific island, he signed on an oil tanker as a ship's doctor for two weeks. He told me later that he was seasick during that whole journey. He used utmost economy in all his travels, choosing the routes that would give him the most mileage on a plane ticket. He stayed at moderately priced hotels, in less expensive rooms, and chose meals that would not cost much. He very rarely went sight-seeing. To him, all cities and countries were the same. It was the quality of the teaching activities that made them different.
          Rahmat's extraordinary quality of recognizing the needs of an area made his advice valuable and practical. His vast experience and continuous travels enabled him to participate and contribute many ideas towards the formulation of the various plans of the World Centre. Co-operation between two neighbouring countries and the development of Bahá`í villages were ideas that were first introduced by him in Indonesia. He later implemented these ideas in the Philippines, Laos, Hong Kong, Korea, India and many countries of Africa and South America. He had the courage to advance suggestions and a talent for creating enthusiasm in those who would implement them. He had utter reliance on and submission to the will of God; hence

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he was never discouraged. He offered his proposals selflessly with love and humility and did not insist on their acceptance.
          Each new plan was an exciting challenge. He never tired of discussing the goals with the friends. Many of us looked on the formation of a new Assembly as a routine task, whether it was a goal of the Nine Year Plan or the Seven Year Plan. Not Rahmat. Forming a new Assembly in 1979 was more exciting than the one formed in 1975.
          His perception and deep interest in all areas of teaching, consolidation and proclamation of the Faith might be best illustrated by his work in the Philippines and India. Mass teaching in the Philippines started in 1960 when, accompanied by pioneers, he went to many villages and tribal areas. He cared for and nourished the new Bahá`ís of the Philippines with such love and understanding that it was as if the Philippines was the only country on his itinerary. He helped them with every aspect of their growth. He suggested books for translation into local languages, found the translators, selected a publisher, and even chose the paper and bargained for the price. He visited the new Bahá`ís and later the Local Assemblies over and over again, attended the first National Convention, spoke at universities and colleges, bought books on student exchange and presented them to the National Assembly. He later encouraged many Iranian Bahá`í students to enrol in the excellent universities in the Philippines. As the community grew in numbers and strength he called on the Bahá`ís to pioneer and took many of them with him and helped them to settle in Hong Kong, Laos, Malaya and many countries of Africa.
          Rahmat had travelled to India many times, encouraging the friends to realize that the time had come for entry by troops in that vast subcontinent. His visit in 1961 was endowed with the blessing of the start of mass teaching.
          A report by Mr. Hushmand Fatheazam published in the October 1961 issue of Bahá`í News of U.S.A. describes the arrival in Bombay of `the revered Hand of the Cause Dr. Muhájir, whose encouragement and guidance had previously made the National Spiritual Assembly lay stress on the importance of teaching the masses'. Learning of his desire to hold a conference for the masses, word was sent to the Spiritual Assembly of Samagimanda and a conference was arranged there within forty-eight hours. In spite of severe cold the conference drew more than three hundred people and lasted until well past midnight. `A group of Bahá`ís, organized by Dr. Muhájir, was . . . dispatched to various villages . . . So, from the beginning of February a process of chain reaction has set in. Every few days a conference would be organized . . . The result of each conference would be between one hundred and two hundred declarations.'
          Thus the process of entry by troops in India had started. In 1961 there 850 Bahá`ís and in 1963, 65,000.
          Rahmat's proposals as reported in the November 1979 issue of Bahá`í News included acquisition of village Hazíratu'l-Quds, establishment of schools for education of children. Many Hazíratu'l-Quds were purchased and the village schools led to the establishment of the Rabbani school, the site of which was bought with Rahmat's help. He urged, from the earliest days, the establishment of an education fund. This fund is now in operation. On his return to India later in 1961 he foresaw the need for continuous deepening and began immediately to look for a suitable building to house a teaching institute. Eventually he found the building that was purchased and is now the Faizi Institute near Indore.
          In 1967 he brought the first pioneers from Malaysia to India; the following years he began the flow of student pioneers from Írán. Also in 1967 he proposed the convening of a press seminar and conference for newspaper editors, helping to arrange it and prepare the materials and hand-outs, and attended the seminar which was very successful.
          At the time of the first West Asia Youth Conference in 1971, he arrived a few days earlier and asked the youth to disperse to colleges and universities and proclaim and teach the Faith. In three days the number of new believers reached seven hundred.
          He encouraged the Bahá`í Publishing Trust to publish Bahá`í books in all Indian and other languages and disseminate low-priced books to the other mass teaching areas. Under his constant guidance the Publishing Trust of India grew into a giant enterprise which sent thousands of books to the rest of the world.
          He conceived the idea of a simple `infor-

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mation folder', hundreds of thousands of copies of which are in use all over the world. The folder is still an important tool of proclamation. He proposed and helped prepare a Bahá`í correspondence course which was used very successfully in India, the Philippines and other mass teaching countries. He wrote a book on methods of Bahá`í education of children which is now being translated into English. These examples demonstrate that although remembered specifically for his devotion to mass teaching, he directed his energies towards all strata of society, and all the goals of various plans were of equal importance to him.
          He appeared many times on television, gave radio broadcasts, had an audience with His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II of Western Samoa, had interviews with many presidents, prime ministers, ministers and mayors in many of the countries that he visited. He gave talks in universities and at conferences in Europe and the United States, as well as talks in small villages. In addition to representing the Universal House of Justice at the inaugural conventions of many national communities he participated in teaching conferences, Summer Schools and local events all over the Bahá`í world. To teach while sitting on the floor of a small hut in Korea in sub-zero temperature was of the same importance to him as standing at the podium of a well-known university in the United States. His belief was that humanity was athirst for the teachings of Bahá`u'lláh and that the Bahá`ís of the world had the capability of bringing millions to the Faith.
          He very often chanted the Tablet of Visitation of `Abdu'l-Bahá before going to any meeting and was convinced that the power of prayer would overcome all incapacities. Prayer was the core of his life. Very many nights he would spend in prayer till dawn for various projects in the Bahá`í world. He saw the Bahá`í world as one unit created by the Guardian through the Ten Year Crusade, and he believed that entry by troops should not be confined to the less developed countries of the globe. On numerous occasions he brought to the United States and Europe teaching materials used in India and South America, and urged the friends to use them. When they did, great results were achieved.
          To give a glimpse of the effect on others of his services to the Faith I have selected the following passages from the countless letters and reports that make reference to him:
          `He arranged the plans and bade us farewell. We are rich in the heritage of these visits . . . The fruits of his trips will continue to develop in the years to come.' Papua and New Guinea
          `His mind was so keen, so alert, and he spoke quietly . . . his ideas were positive, progressive [so] that sometimes [they] pressed our imagination.' Guam
          `The most striking aspect of Dr. Muhájir's personality seemed to be the rapidity with which he adapted his plans to a given situation and his humbleness when submitting these suggestions to the National Spiritual Assembly and then retiring.' Luxembourg
          `Every time he met with our National Spiritual Assembly he had a different kind of theme. All revolved around teaching, but approaches were different. He had great humility and yet had the power to change individuals.' Japan
          `He didn't ever seem angry when something was not possible. He had a strange acquiescence with obstacles.' Switzerland
          `The insight and the depth of devotion which characterized his selfless example will continue to give impetus and commitment to the work . . . the vibrating influence of this champion teacher will reach beyond the imaginings of his admirers.' Gambia
          `His devotion to the Cause, the encouragement he gave to so many Bahá`í communities, the seemingly endless energy he expended in carrying out his work and the uncounted other qualities he possessed combined themselves in a unique and mighty warrior of Bahá`u'lláh.' U.S.A.
          `It is difficult to attempt to convey the depth and magnitude of the services which Dr. Muhájir rendered in bringing into existence this fledgling pillar of the Universal House of Justice. When he first came to the Philippines we had four Local Spiritual Assemblies and a Bahá`í population of two hundred. Twenty years later, after two decades of showering his love and guidance upon us, there were forty-five Local Spiritual Assemblies and 64,000 believers.' Philippines
          `Dr. Muhájir is the only Hand of the Cause

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ever to visit the interior of the country. His love for the indigenous people initiated teaching which has resulted in over half of the believers in Paraguay.' Paraguay
          `One of our goals was the acquisition of a National Hazíratu'l-Quds . . . we had found four houses for sale. Dr. Muhájir asked us to show him these houses. When we reached the third one, the present National Hazíratu'l-Quds, he immediately said, "This is it. I will pray that Bahá`u'lláh will assist you to acquire this property." He got out of the car and chanted prayers for some time. We did not even look at the fourth building. Of course Dr. Muhájir's prayers were answered.' Central African Republic
          In all his life he never considered himself a worthy servant of Bahá`u'lláh. He prayed constantly and beseeched God's forgiveness and asked Him to assist him to overcome tests and tribulations. He sacrificed his all without thinking of it as a sacrifice. Whenever he had to leave our daughter, Gisu, who was born in 1961 in Germany while Rahmat was teaching in South America, he said it was as if a thorn went through his heart, yet he accepted the separation with submission and prayer. He never complained about the hardships of his travels. He sought service to the Faith with eagerness and embraced adversity in the path of God as a great reward.
          This verse from a prayer by `Abdu'l-Bahá which Rahmat chanted every day exemplifies his consuming desire to serve Bahá`u'lláh to the end of his days:  Shelter under Thy protection, O Thou spirit of purity, Thou who art the All-Bountiful Provider, this enthralled, enkindled servant of Thine. Aid him in this world of being to remain steadfast and firm in Thy love and grant that this broken-winged bird may attain a refuge and shelter in Thy Divine Nest, that abideth upon the Celestial Tree.
          His death came in the way he had always wanted, while serving the Faith, remote from home but amongst the Bahá`í friends. Despite extreme fatigue he had travelled to Quito, Ecuador, to participate in a special teaching conference arranged by the Continental Board of Counsellors in South America. On the second day of the conference he suffered a heart attack. Counsellor Ma'súd Khamsí, a close friend since the days of his youth who had shared many of the joys and hardships of his travels in South America, was with him until he came to his final rest. Rahmat's last words were Yá Bahá`u'l-Abhá and he was holding clutched in his right hand a silk purse containing a few strands of `Abdu'l-Bahá's precious hair which he had carried near his heart for more than twenty years.
          Quito, that jewel-like white city, set high in the Andes, with its towering green mountains, breathtaking valleys and radiant indigenous population, was one of Rahmat's most loved cities. Ecuador, with its atmosphere pulsating with the power of the Words of Bahá`u'lláh, its masses responding in thousands to the call of the Faith of God, was an appropriate spot to embrace the earthly remains of one who had lived and died for the purpose of awakening the masses of humanity to the message of Bahá`u'lláh. His love and affection for the people of that land was deep and selfless. Bahá`ís of Ecuador felt this love and returned it in full measure by assisting him in his teaching work and continuing to carry out many of his suggested projects after his passing. Their mourning at losing this dear and trusted friend was genuine and their grief profound. When Gisu and I arrived in Quito for Rahmat's funeral, we found gathered around his casket many friends in their colourful native clothing, men and women, praying and keeping an all-night vigil according to their custom. They had taken him to their hearts and considered him one of their own.
          Rahmat was a gentle, courageous, unassuming and kind man who served the Faith of Bahá`u'lláh with humility, self-sacrifice and absolute devotion. He was always ahead of his time, urging the friends toward a vision destined for them by the beloved Guardian. Those who knew him realized he could not stop; he was driven to fulfil his mission to the Faith until, like a meteor in flight, he burnt away his earthly frame on the southern horizon. He wore the spiritual mantle of a Hand of the Cause with dignity and humility and was a true example of the Words of `Abdu'l-Bahá:  The obligations of the Hands of the Cause of God are to diffuse the Divine Fragrances, to edify the souls of men, to promote learning, to improve the character of all men and to be, at all times and under

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all conditions, sanctified and detached from earthly things. They must manifest the fear of God by their conduct, their manners, their deeds and their words.
ÍRÁN MUHÁJIR



ABU'L-QÁSIM FAIZI
1906(?)--1980


HEARTS FILLED WITH SORROW PASSING INDEFATIGUABLE SELF-SACRICING DEARLY LOVED HAND CAUSE GOD ABU'L-QASIM FAIZI. ENTIRE BAHAI WORLD MOURNS HIS LOSS. HIS EARLY OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS IN CRADLE FAITH THROUGH EDUCATION CHILDREN YOUTH STIMULATION FRIENDS PROMOTION TEACHING WORK PROMPTED BELOVED GUARDIAN DESCRIBE HIM AS LUMINOUS DISTINGUISHED ACTIVE YOUTH. HIS SUBSEQUENT PIONEERING WORK IN LANDS BORDERING IRAN WON HIM APPELLATION SPIRITUAL CONQUEROR THOSE LANDS. FOLLOWING HIS APPOINTMENT HAND CAUSE HE PLAYED INVALUABLE PART WORK HANDS HOLY LAND. TRAVELLED WIDELY PENNED HIS LITERARY WORKS CONTINUED HIS EXTENSIVE INSPIRING CORRESPONDENCE WITH HIGH AND LOW YOUNG AND OLD UNTIL AFTER LONG ILLNESS HIS SOUL WAS RELEASED AND WINGED ITS FLIGHT ABHA KINGDOM. CALL ON FRIENDS EVERYWHERE HOLD BEFITTING MEMORIAL GATHERINGS HIS HONOUR, INCLUDING SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE MEETINGS HIS NAME IN HOUSES WORSHIP ALL CONTINENTS. MAY HIS SHINING EXAMPLE CONSECRATION CONTINUE INSPIRE HIS ADMIRERS EVERY LAND. PRAYING HOLY SHRINES HIS NOBLE RADIANT SOUL MAY BE IMMERSED IN OCEAN DIVINE MERCY CONTINUE ITS UNINTERRUPTED PROGRESS IN INFINITE WORLDS BEYOND.
Universal House of Justice
20 November 1980


Picture in Upper Right Corner with the Caption:  Abu'l-Qásim Faizi

As the news spread, thousands of Faizi's lovers wept in every part of the world. They had lost a selfless friend who had showered upon them the tokens of his boundless love through his visits to their homes in far-off corners of the earth, through the numerous little gifts he sent them, and through his wonderful, encouraging letters which uplifted their spirits, sustained them in times of sorrow, and enkindled in their hearts the longing to arise to greater heights in the service of the Cause of God. Among the hundreds of messages of grief which reached the World Centre of the Bahá`í Faith, there was one which expressed the feelings of all. It came from a fellow Hand who was closely associated with Faizi for many years, and it said, `. . . A special sweetness has gone out of the world and out of my heart . . .'
          How can one write an adequate tribute to a man who, for over half a century, brought happiness and inspiration to all who crossed his path in life? How can one tell of the influence of his spirit on the countless children he held in his arms, the numberless young people whose talents he helped to develop, and the old men and women he visited with reverence and gratitude for what they had given to the world?
          Faizi, as he wished to be called, did not like the celebration of birthdays, except those of the Manifestations of God, and did not know the exact date of his own birth which was

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probably in 1906. Of his early days in the city of Qum he always spoke with a touch of sadness, for he was surrounded by fanatical people. One of the few happy memories of his childhood was the local gymnasium--the zúr-khánih--a traditional Persian establishment which is not only for the purpose of physical training, but also for inculcating human virtues such as chivalry, modesty and chastity in those who must bow in humility as they enter through its low door. Many fervent Muslims frowned upon the zúr-khánih and Faizi had to sneak away from home in order to watch the pahlaváns perform their feats of wrestling and weight-lifting to the beat of the leader's drum. The leader of the zúr-khánih, a man of dignity and great moral as well as physical stature, befriended Faizi and left a permanent mark on his character.
          After a short period of rudimentary studies in Qum, Faizi moved with his parents to Tihrán. The atmosphere of his life completely changed, as though he had come out of a stifling room into fresh air. His father, who was a Bahá`í at heart, allowed him to go to the Tarbíyat School--one of many schools started by Bahá`ís throughout Írán. Here he excelled in studies and in sports. Faizi often spoke with deep love and reverence about his devoted, self-sacrificing teachers in the Tarbíyat School, such as the great poet `Azízu'lláh Misbáh and the learned Fádil-i-Shírází, who influenced him beyond measure and showed him the path of true servitude.
          His fellow students, many of whom became life-long friends, loved and respected him. It was a joy to be present at Faizi's reunion with a fellow student years later. They still spoke with awe about those wonderful teachers they had had; they remembered their classmates with affection; and how they laughed over old jokes!
          One Friday, not long after Faizi had joined the Tarbíyat School, his Bahá`í classmates took him to their `character training class'. He always remembered that day and the kind, radiant teacher to whom he was immediately drawn--Núri'd-Dín Fath-i-Az'am. He began to attend these Friday classes regularly but did not at first realize their connection with the Bahá`í Faith. Although Faizi had never known Bahá`ís before coming to Tihrán, he was attracted to his Bahá`í classmates and his acceptance of the Faith was quite natural as though he had been a believer all his life. When his mother realized her son was a Bahá`í, far from showing antagonism towards the Faith, as the rest of her relatives did, she encouraged him to observe the rules which his new beliefs prescribed. A devout Muslim herself, she would rise at dawn during the Bahá`í month of fasting to prepare his breakfast and make sure that he woke up on time. She was later to know that her only other child, older than Faizi and already married, had also accepted the Faith in another part of Írán. This saintly lady became a firm Bahá`í many years later.
          In those days the Tarbíyat School taught only up to the ninth standard. After completing the school Faizi spent some time at the American College in Tihrán before going on to Beirut, in Lebanon, for higher studies in 1927. Beirut was only four hours away by car from Haifa and Faizi came on pilgrimage shortly after he left Írán. The climax of his life was the moment he met the Guardian of the Cause of God at whose feet he laid his whole heart--instantly, completely and forever. From that moment to the end of his days, Faizi had but one desire--to serve the Guardian. He became selfless in this servitude and sought no name or distinction. His tender love for the Guardian was the cause of his happiness, and his solace in times of sorrow. This great love, the source of his own inspiration, overflowed to fill other souls and set them, too, on the path of service.
          The Bahá`í students in Beirut were permitted to come on pilgrimage and visit the Guardian during their Christmas or Easter holidays. Faizi came whenever possible and stayed as long as he could. It was the Guardian who nurtured the seed of faith in his heart until it became a mighty tree and bore choice fruit for all to share.
          During his visits to Haifa, Faizi was usually accompanied by his close friend and fellow student at the American University of Beirut--Hasan Balyúzí. Faizi, always humble and faithful towards his friends, said he owed a great debt of gratitude to Balyúzí, who guided him through those turbulent years and set an example for him to follow. The two were kindred souls and stood out as shining stars among the rest of the students from Írán.

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They had similar tastes, were both attracted to literature and the arts and sometimes worked together writing and producing plays for the Persian students' society in Beirut. They also took part in all Bahá`í activities, including a study class on the Faith organized by the students themselves.
          The Guardian showered his favours on them when they came on pilgrimage and encouraged them in every way. Once he gave the two young men something to translate for him. At another time he sent them to visit the Mansion of Bahá`u'lláh in Bahjí when it was still occupied by the Covenant-breakers and no other Bahá`ís were permitted to go there. Faizi would recount the terrible state in which they found the rooms where Bahá`u'lláh had once lived. Having witnessed how the enemies of the Cause had ruined the beautiful Mansion, the friends were sent there again after the Guardian had renovated the building and furnished the rooms, restoring the dignity of the dwelling place of God's Manifestation on earth. Balyúzí and Faizi were the first Bahá`ís allowed to sleep in the Mansion after its restoration.
          Another great honour was bestowed upon them and a few of their fellow students when they were invited to visit the daughter of Bahá`u'lláh, the Greatest Holy Leaf. Faizi has written about this unique privilege and the extraordinary effect that her celestial presence had on his sensitive soul.
          Faizi had decided to go back to serve in the Tarbíyat School after finishing his studies in Beirut, and he was greatly encouraged by the Guardian's expressed hopes that Bahá`í youth consecrate their lives to the service of the Cause. The Guardian once asked him what he intended to do after his studies were completed, and expressed great satisfaction with his decision. At another time the Guardian enquired of him whether the Bahá`í schools in Írán were closed for the nine Holy Days. Faizi replied that he did not think they were, and the Guardian said they should not open on Bahá`í Holy Days even if this meant they would be permanently closed by the government. The words of the Guardian were significant, though Faizi did not realize their full import at that time.
          On his last visit to the Holy Land the Guardian gave Faizi flowers from the Shrines to place on his behalf on the resting-place of the first American Bahá`í martyr, Mrs. Keith Ransom-Kehler, who had passed away in Isfahán.
          The final parting with the Guardian, in 1933, would have been impossible for Faizi to bear had it not been for his great longing to start his work at the Tarbíyat School. Alas, he did not know that in 1934, less than three weeks before he could finish his compulsory military service in Írán, all the Bahá`í schools in the country would be permanently closed by the government because the National Spiritual Assembly had decided not to open them on Bahá`í Holy Days.
          His dream now shattered, Faizi reluctantly accepted a post with the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company in Tihrán. He had a good salary and prospects of climbing to the top of an important career. But his heart was not in riches and high positions. Though he was serving on Bahá`í committees and had started deepening classes for youth, he yearned to dedicate his whole life to the service of the Cause. He remembered that the Guardian had once told him not to defile himself with this world and wondered how he could escape it. But he remembered, too, that the Guardian had assured him of his prayers, and this was what he relied on.
          An opportunity came his way and he seized it with joy and determination. The Bahá`ís of the village of Najafábád, whose schools had been closed by the government, had asked for a volunteer to go to live among them and teach their children. To the great surprise of all and the dismay of his friends, Faizi decided to give up his job and become a teacher in an obscure corner of the country. This was probably the greatest decision he was to make, for it set the course of his life away from the glitter of the world. When the Guardian read about it in a general report sent to him by the National Spiritual Assembly of Írán, he wrote in reply, `This spontaneous decision will attract divine confirmations and is a clear proof of the high endeavour, the pure motive, and the self-sacrifice of that favoured servant of the divine Threshold. I am extremely pleased and grateful to him and I pray from the depths of my heart for the success of that active, radiant youth . . .'

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          In Najafábád Faizi had about four hundred students, from kindergarten children to adults. He organized his classes in the homes of the Bahá`ís and went from house to house from morning till afternoon, sometimes starting at dawn to teach the youth who went to work in the fields after their lessons. Some of those who had previously taught in the two Bahá`í schools in the village helped him with the children, but Faizi had introduced Bahá`í lessons for all the students now that they were not obliged to follow the strict curriculum imposed on schools by the government, so the burden of the work fell on his shoulders. His mother gave him all her support. As his father had passed away while he was in Beirut, she had accompanied Faizi to Najafábád, and she helped him in every way she could. She loved the children who were always in and out of their modest home. She washed the faces of the little ones and combed their hair, and associated with their parents, serving them in many ways. She also supported Faizi financially in Najafábád with the little money left to her by her husband, for the nominal sum he himself received served only as pocket money, which he usually spent on the children. Their household at this time included a faithful old servant, a child Faizi had adopted before leaving Tihrán, and two other children belonging to a widowed relative. It was in Najafábád that Faizi's mother dreamed of the blessed Báb and became a firm believer. It was also during this period that Faizi chose his life's partner, someone he had known for many years.
          Faizi's daily work in the village did not end with the classes in the afternoons. In the evenings, dressed in simple clothes woven and stitched in Najafábád, he would attend Bahá`í meetings or visit the friends in their homes, inspiring them with stories from Bahá`í history or sharing with them some of the rare Tablets of Bahá`u'lláh which he had transcribed in beautiful calligraphy. He loved to sit at the feet of the older generation and hear from them about the first courageous Bahá`ís of Najafábád in the days of Bahá`u'lláh. The lives of the early believers always fascinated him. All his life he gathered these stories and recounted them to other Bahá`ís, touching their hearts and giving them insight into the sacrifices that had laid the foundations of their Faith. Often he would encourage a youth to serve the Cause by telling him of the great deeds of one of his own ancestors of which he himself had not known before.
          During his stay in Najafábád, Faizi's work extended to the neighbouring city of Isfahán where he held a regular deepening class for a large number of youth, and to the surrounding villages where he visited the Bahá`ís from time to time. In Najafábád itself he helped to build a strong, well-organized community with a library, which was named after Zaynu'l-Muqarrabín, the famous religious dignitary of Najafábád who became a Bahá`í and went to live with Bahá`u'lláh in exile. Faizi also encouraged the Bahá`ís to build a public bath as none of the villagers had baths in their homes and Bahá`ís were not allowed to step inside the public bath owned by Muslims. But, of course, his main work centred on the children and the youth. Years later, as he travelled around the world, he was to meet dozens of them scattered as pioneers in different countries, many with high academic degrees and important positions, but still looking up to him as their teacher and their example in life.
          Faizi stayed in Najafábád for about five years until he had trained enough teachers to carry on his work. During this time he had travelled to other parts of Írán, meeting Bahá`í communities and translating for visitors from abroad. He had also translated into Persian some of the Guardian's letters to the West, and prepared a condensation of The Dawn-Breakers. On these he based his notes when teaching Bahá`í administration and history at the newly-established Summer School on the outskirts of Tihrán.
          The National Spiritual Assembly asked Faizi to go from Najafábád to the town of Qazvín where there was another large community of believers. In reply to the Assembly's report, dated 1940, the Guardian wrote that they `should constantly encourage this distinguished youth . . . so that all his time may be spent in important service to the Cause because his services are very important and his travels to Bahá`í Centres produce beneficial results. I do not forget the ceaseless services of that active servant of the Cause in Najafábád, and it is my cherished hope that he will be graciously aided to render greater

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services, accomplish more important undertakings and achieve higher and more distinguished victories. This is my earnest desire for him at all times and under all conditions . . .'
          In Qazvín, as in Najafábád, Faizi endeared himself to young and old alike. His personal life, as well as his dedicated work, influenced everyone who came in touch with him. He organized Bahá`í classes for all ages and took the youth on outings to visit believers in neighbouring towns and villages. He went to people's homes, taking warmth and laughter wherever he went. He encouraged the community to closer association and helped to establish a beautiful library in the name of one of Qazvín's foremost Bahá`ís--Hakím-i-Iláhí. But his greatest accomplishment in that town was the training of over thirty youth who studied with him every day, preparing themselves for dedicated service to the Cause.