Abu'l-Qásim Faizi

Abu'l- Qasim Faizi or Abu'l- Qasim Faydí (* 1906 in Qom, Iran, † November 19, 1980 in Haifa, Israel) was an Iranian Baha'is, who in 1957 was appointed by Shoghi Effendi to a Hand of the Cause of God.

Life

Abu'l- Qasim Faizi in 1906 (another source gives 1909 ) was born in Qom and grew up there. After that he went to Tehran and visited the Bahai school Tarbiyat. He took part in the lessons there about the Bahai faith and gradually became a follower of the faith. After finishing school, he joined the American University of Beirut to study English literature. From there, he could often visit along with Hasan Balyuzi Shoghi Effendi. Here he met the daughter of Baha'u'llah Bahiyyih Khanum, called " the greatest saint sheet" to know. In her honor, he prepared in old age to publish a notice about them, although one could be published until after his death. After graduating in English literature and education, he returned to Tehran, where he took up a job in the Anglo-Persian Oil Company.

As the Baha'i schools were closed by the Ministry of Culture, Faizi resigned his post for five years to teach in a village 400 Baha'i children whose parents had no funds for education. During this time he married Gloria Ala'i. Then he made in Qazvin more than 30 young people a year out, so they go as Baha'i pioneers and teachers in the world. As Shoghi Effendi the Baha'is in Iran called their faith in the neighboring countries to spread, Faizi moved with his wife in the winter of 1941 to Baghdad, in the hope of there to get a visa for one of the countries on the Arabian peninsula. In Baghdad, he helped the National Spiritual Assembly of Iraq and the local pioneers. After about a year Faizi got a job in the single secondary school in Bahrain. Unfortunately, he lost this job, as it became known that he is Bahai. Faizi remained despite numerous problems for 15 years in Arabia. His two children were born there.

Shoghi Effendi referred to him as the spiritual conqueror of Arabia and appointed him on 11 October 1957 a Hand of the Cause of God. A little later, on November 4, died Shoghi Effendi and Faizi was one of the nine Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land, which guided the Baha'i world community until the election of the first Universal House of Justice in 1963.

Faizi traveled the world and represented the Universal House of Justice at numerous conferences and meetings, met heads of state and dignitaries, were private talks, advised National Spiritual Assemblies, continued his extensive personal correspondence, gave away quotes from the Baha'i writings, which he wrote in his own calligraphy and inspired the hearts of his published writings. He translated many Baha'i writings from Persian into English.

He died in the Holy Land and was laid on the Baha'i cemetery at the foot of Mount Carmel to rest.

Works

• Abu'l- Qasim Faizi, Shirley Macias (ed.): Conqueror of Hearts: Excerpts from Letters, Talks and Writings of Hand of the Cause of God Abu'l-Qasim Faizi. Baha'i Academics Resource Library, 2002 ( Online).
• Abu'l- Qasim Faizi: A Flame of Fire - The Story of the Tablet of Ahmad. Baha'i Publishing Trust of India, New Delhi, 1969 ( Online).
• Abu'l- Qasim Faizi: Stories from The Delight of Hearts - The Memoirs of Haji Mirza Haydar - 'Ali. Kalimat Press, Los Angeles 1980, ISBN 0-933770-11-1.
• Abu'l- Qasim Faizi: Three Meditations on the Eve of November the Fourth. Baha'i Publishing Trust, London, 1970 ( Online).
• Abu'l- Qasim Faizi, George Ronald (ed.): The Prince of Martyrs, ( a brief statement of Husain ibn ʿ Alī ). Oxford, ISBN 978-0-85398-073-5.
• Abu'l- Qasim Faizi: symbol of the Greatest Name. Baha'i -Verlag, Hofheim- Long Grove, ISBN 978-3-87037-355-9.
• Abu'l- Qasim Faizi: Milly: A Tribute to Amelia E. Collins. George Ronald, Oxford, UK, 1977, ISBN 978-0-85398-074-2.
• Abu'l- Qasim Faizi and Gloria Faizi: A Gift of Love Offered to the Greatest Holy Leaf. Baha'i -Verlag, Hofheim- Long Grove 1982.