Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Boris Handal, The Khamsis: A Cradle of True Gold, bahai-library.com.
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The Khamsis:
A Cradle of
True Gold

BORIS HANDAL
Copyright © Boris Handal 2020
Published: July 2020
Boris Handal

The Khamsis: A Cradle of True Gold (print)
ISBN: 978-0-6489014-0-2

The Khamsis: A Cradle of True Gold (e-book)
ISBN: 978-0-6489014-1-9

All rights reserved.
The right of Boris Handal to be identified as author of this Work has been asserted
by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents
Act 1988.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, copied
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise transmitted without written permission from the publisher. You must
not circulate this book in any format.
To my mother
All [the Khamsi brothers] are remembered before this Most
Resplendent Beauty. We beseech God to graciously aid each
and every one to achieve that which is conducive to everlasting
remembrance. Bahá’u’lláh1

Provisional translation authorised by The Universal House of Justice.
Foreword
Biographies are written not to sanctify or to deify nor to enlist men
and women in the immortal pantheon. They are written so that
we may cultivate our religious instinct – to transform belief into
compelling wonder and the attitude of prayer into the imaginative
life of labor, work, and action (‘vita activa’). Meaning must be moving
and truth to prevail as aroma to the Light otherwise religion means as
little to us as the atomic structure of water – a barren and profitless
look onto that other most valuable giver of life. The human tale here
told embodies in sumptuous detail this very special aspect of religion
owing its presence and transformative power to how it really should
be understood. The greatness of our enraptured lovers of God lies
precisely in the description itself – the greatness of what they loved
- and it is this frenzy that gives birth to remarkable human powers
and achievements which makes the life of these selfless consorts,
these most beautiful of mortals, exemplary suppliants, ‘recipients of
heavenly grace’, ever more haunting. In this most recent biography
of the faithful, exceptionally researched by its author, we learn
the fascinating narrative of a family most ‘fortunate, blessed and
successful’ – three meanings captured in one name Mas’ud, the
multilayered prominent figure which occupies a good half of the book.
The inspiration of the Khamsi-Báqirof family lies not in any array
of mundane possibilities but in the untrodden region of unalloyed
divine love. Together with their spiritual brethren, these early
believers, small in number and dimly islanded, interpenetrated
two worlds, one enabling, the other harshly inhibiting – the new,
aborning community of the Greatest Name opposed to the fierce
rule of an oppressive, fanatical underworld. On the one hand, we
read how the patriarchs of the Sádát-i-Khams (The Five Siyyids, in
Arabic) designated as such by Bahá’u’lláh, (and from where comes the
surname Khamsi) were trampled, betrayed and faced tyranny from
all sides. On the other, they had to outgrow these vicissitudes digging
ever deeper roots of faith to resist fiercer tempests as the unrelenting
ire and hatred of the local population reacted with even greater

i
BORIS HANDAL

intensity. A brutal and lashing anomaly understood only by God but
accepted by unfailing resignation and unshaken trust by these faithful
admirers in the parched dust of battle. All this suggests that there
is an alternative way of thinking about history that has a different
structure from the idea of history as a stream of causes and effects,
structures and events. Here is an account of what people thought and
believed in a particular epoch; what they wanted; and what social
and environmental conditions framed (or suppressed) their choices –
illustrated vividly by the conversion of five brothers in 1881 in Persia
and which led to particular states of knowledge, belief, and agency.
Is history composed of objective causal relations that exist among
historical events and structures or is history an agglomeration of the
actions and mental frameworks of individuals, high and low? This
book seems to suggest the latter view.
The publication of ‘The Khamsis: A Cradle of True Gold’ is
auspicious as it coincides with the hundredth anniversary of the
extended travels of the ‘star servant’ Martha Root to South America in
1919 to announce the advent of the Promise of all Ages. Unconcerned
about the harvest, this small, frail and often ill, middle aged American
covered the territories of Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Chile and,
undaunted, even crossed the Andes on top of a mule in wintertime
(‘huddled on the edge of jagged peaks, frozen chasms, and stiffened
mountain torrents’) to reach the western coast of South America from
Buenos Aires so that she may travel up the western coast of South
America in order to reach Panama and beyond.
Such implacable audacity displayed from our indomitable ‘herald
of the Kingdom’ and ‘harbinger of the Covenant’ as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was
moved to describe her, bids fair to be renewed in several shades
in the life of Mas’ud Khamsi who, on one his private visits with the
beloved Guardian, was told portentously that soon he will start his
‘international services’. This goes to show that we really do not know
anything of ourselves as the true heading of who we are is inscribed
elsewhere, by angels, perhaps, who make possible the extraordinary
idea of communion, independent of proximity, to be felt only by extrasensory perception, extraordinary sensitivity and the gift of hindsight.
Indeed, a life of true service in the path of God is never sketched in
visible ink and our destiny remains vaulted in the ‘abysm of time’.

ii
Foreword

Four years after meeting the beloved Guardian, Mas’ud, his wife Jane
and two children, Ahmad and Dorothy, had settled in South America.
In today’s eclipsed world, a polluting multitude scorns the divine,
too insensitive to venerate anything that has no rational premise
and yet hails pagan virtues and senseless pageantry. In these pages
lies an advertence to such ambiguity. Fruits of sacrifice endure
more ages than the tinsel of lineage but when lineage itself becomes
indistinguishable from the highest form of the adorning bondage of
selflessness it deserves an accolade which cannot be disparaged, an
intriguing thesis rightly chosen for scrutiny and literary effort.
I am sure that the story of the Khamsis shall weave its spell over
successive generations of readers because it translates religious
imagination on an exalted plane but with no extravagant display.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá was once asked what to say when people enquired
who He was. ‘Tell them, He said, that He was a person calling men
to the Kingdom of God, a promoter of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, a
herald of peace and reconciliation, and an advocate of the oneness of
humanity.’ A family’s extensive eulogy recounted here is testimony to
this unassuming call to greatness, made especially poignant when we
consider that a noble scion should be most remembered for bringing
the Bahá’í Faith to the humble indigenous masses of South America.
The message of this indispensable and very moving book is clear:
it is saying that if we are to illumine mankind we must surrender
ourselves, an unassailable prescription of the beloved Master that
‘[w]e must release the kernel from the husk’. The unique individuals
portrayed here adhered nobly to this advice and delivered themselves
from the husks of earthly trappings, traditions and dogmas to boldly
construct the divine in the unedifying realms of kites, crows and owls.

Shahbaz Fatheazam
Paraná, Brazil
February 12th, 2019

iii
BORIS HANDAL

iv
Preface
I first learned about the Bahá’í Faith through the Khamsi children when
they settled in my neighborhood in 1969. They had just arrived by sea
from Iran to pioneer in Lima, Peru’s capital, having decided to live
temporarily on the upper floor of the National Bahá’í Headquarters.
This was a two-storey building standing next to a huge 91-acre
park known as the Mars Field. The latter was located less than 3
km away south-west from the presidential palace and used to be
the capital’s hippodrome, the stage for military parades and the
place for the “Six Peruvian Hours”, the largest endurance and most
important annual car race in the country. This huge green area was
by surrounded by many casonas (grand luxury houses) creating a
pintoresque landscape for the other middle-class homes spread on
the adjacent barrios. Either escaping from the hot summers or from
the tedious winters, the Mars Field offered a space for the adults and
children to relax and have a breath of fresh air during daytime and in
the evenings. Particularly populated during the weekends for family
picnics, the site was ideal for having a Bahá’í Centre, let alone the
place for ocassional teaching campaigns.
For the neighbours, the Bahá’í Centre was a sort of lonely property
sitting at the extreme of the street without much human activity.
A regular residence converted to offices with the big living room
transformed into a small hall that could accommodate about sixty
people, this pink building stood five doors –fifty meters- away from
my home where I grew up from birth. It had been bought in 1954
through a donation of the Hand of the Cause of God Amelia Collins
during the Ten Year Crusade launched by the beloved Guardian, ten
years prior to the formation of the first Spiritual Assembly of Lima
thanks to the efforts of Eve Nicklin, an American pioneer who arrived
to Peru in 1941.1
Certainly, the Bahá’í Centre was a historical and hallowed

Handal, Boris. Eve Nicklin, She of the Brave Heart. SC, CreateSpace, 2011.

v
BORIS HANDAL

building. Various sacred relics were deposited there such as the locks
of Bahá’u’lláh’s hair presented by Shoghi Effendi. The Blessed Beauty
had referred to His Hair as “My Phoenix”, “My Cord”, “My Veil” and “My
Messenger” that “is calling aloud at all times upon the branch of fire
within the hallowed and luminous Garden of Paradise”. 2
To add sanctity to the spot, twelve different Hands of the Cause
had blessed its premises including Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyih Khánum,
Rahmatu’lláh Muhajir, Abul-Qásim Faizí, Jalal Khazeh, Adelbert
Muhlshlegel, Leroy Ioas, Hasan Balyuzi, Ugo Giachery, Alí-Muhammad
Varqá, Enoch Olinga, Colin Featherstone and Hermann Grossmann.
Due to Lima’s strategic geographical location in the subcontinent,
the Spiritual Regional Assembly for ten South American countries
(Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru,
Uruguay, and Venezuela) had this Hazíratu’l-Quds as it seat during
Shoghi Effendi’s life having also been the center of his communications
to and from the region. It was also a welcome sojourn for many
international visitors and travel teachers.
Another world, however, existed outside its walls. The building
had an exterior simple garden ideal for the noisy street kids to gather
there since the place seemed uninhabited during the day. A bunch of
about twenty rascals from middle-class Catholic families populated
the same street who were known to be notorious for their poor
behaviour and loudness, depriving residents from any tranquillity
from morning to night. The Bahá’í Centre garden had become our
self-designated territory to play with marbles, yo-yos and wooden
spinning tops, not to mention the scene of occasional fights, and games
that went wrong sometimes such as when Ahmad (whose name we
hispanicized as “Asmat”) almost lost a finger for playing with fire
crackers. Their garden was an oasis where the harassment from the
unhappy neighbours could not reach us and away from our parents’
sight. Certainly our soccer ball was the terror of people’s windows.
Strangely, the solitary building appeared to irradiate a sense
of serenity and holiness from the other extreme of the street, the
“barrio”, attracting natural reverence, while being also immersed by a
halo of mystery. Nobody knew who the Bahá’ís were, from which place
Bahá'u'lláh. Bahá'í News, 121, p. 11, 1938. Available online at: https://bahailibrary.com/bahaullah_alwah_shaarat

vi
Preface

on earth they came and what was their mission. I remember one or
two people coming in and out of the building every day, despite that,
the house appeared totally empty. The centre had a distinct pattern,
nearly every month it hosted a gathering with its lights illuminating
the street, the rustling from dozens of people happily talking, reaching
the ears of the residents, and the sight of delicious food being served
capturing a passersby’s imagination only to disappear and appear
again the next month. For us kids in our teens, the Bahá’ís did not fit
our concept of conventional religion but rather looked like a happy
philosophical society with an oriental name embracing all.
Later I realized that those peculiar evenings were Nineteen
Day Feasts and the lady was the secretary of the National Spiritual
Assembly while the American man was the caretaker, a pioneer. As a
way to illustrate to the public who the Bahá’ís were, they had placed
a bronze plaque on the façade with a rather enigmatic inscription in
Spanish: “Bahá’í National Centre: The Unity of Humanity through the
Unity of Religions”.
No doubt, such a strange pattern of things had led the
neighbourhood to develop the weirdest theories about the Bahá’í Centre
ranging from being an esoteric group to a secretive lodge, although,
in general, they were happy with its quietness, a precious element of
any communal life. Most of all, the centre kept “the plague” or the
“piranhas”, as they called us, away from them let alone that we had our
own territory where to engage our prolific imagination and mischief.
The “Bahá’ís” were the only ones who never complained, greeted
us warmly with smiles, waving always their hands to us and never
interfering despite how disruptive we were. This must have produced
a good impression on the older residents and parents – what is in
the Bahá’ís that can tolerate these wild children who only made a
nuisance of themselves.
When the Khamsis came to the street a sense of reality came to
the building. For us outsiders, it was difficult to relate the mysterious
Bahá’í Centre to an authentic and bubbling family. The four children
quickly became integrated with our crowd - the two boys went
with the boys and the two girls with the girls. We never before had
associated with foreign kids particularly when they were coming from
places unbeknown to us or only recognisable in our geography school

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BORIS HANDAL

books. It was beyond our mental scheme to imagine a family whose
children were all born in four different countries, Iran, United States,
Argentina and Bolivia, and having a Persian father and an American
mother. They also appeared rich because their pocket money was
substantially higher than ours. And here they were, playing with us
like brothers and sisters from day one demonstrating through word
and deed that we were all part of one human family. Ultimately the
Khamsi children were found playing with us inside our homes to our
parents’ pleasure and warmly welcomed because they were much
better behaved than their own children.
One afternoon while playing in the dirt with Gary, an eight-year old
freckled boy and the youngest of the Khamsi kids, I could not resist
asking the question that had been puzzling me for so long, “What is
the Bahá’í Faith?” His sole, candid and yet profound response was
“We believe in all prophets”, five words alone which immediately put
me to be in a reflective mood. The enigma had been solved and all
clicked together coherently: the Bahá’ís were a religion accepting all
religions. This brief conversation, I have to admit, was one of the most
substantive that I have ever had, opening a new window in my life and
naturally leading me into a path that changed me for the better.
Mr and Mrs Khamsi were the type of kind neighbours that all would
be so fortunate to have. For them, we were like their own children and
as such they could understand our hormonal helplessness, accept us
for who we were and never reprimanded us. They used to come to
where we were sitting and talked to us, with a spirit of love, asking
how we were which was contrary to the approach of other residents
who governed us with shouts and threats. One hot day Mr Khamsi
came out of the Bahá’í Centre to buy an ice cream from a street
vendor’s cart when he was pushed away from one of the “piranhas”
who were running around. Mr Khamsi began a friendly conversation
with the remorsed boy and also bought him an ice cream and for all
the group. Through their example we came to realize that, like the
National Assembly secretary and the resident American pioneer, all
the Bahá’ís were friendly people and can even love naughty children,
the best assurance that they would never throw us out of their garden,
our refuge!
The Khamsis stayed for one year or so and I was sad to see them

viii
Preface

go to their new home far away in the other extreme of the city close
to a big racecourse. Due to this juvenile friendship, in the years to
follow the “piranhas” began developing a binding relation with the
new caretakers who from time to time invited us for supper and to
play board games. Their ping-pong table was certainly their main
attraction. Rumours were that my older brother had been converted
after spending much time with the Bahá’ís. Five spinster aunts
living also fifty meters from the Baha’i Centre had been warning
us about the Bahá’ís since we told them that this is a new religion.
“Be careful of the devil”, the old and sanctimonious aunts told us,
but by then we could not resist visiting and mingling with them.
Their warning was disregarded because our mom had given us her
spiritual endorsement. Although a very Catholic person, she had a lot
of respect for the Bahá’í Faith. Her respect came from her admiration
to Dr Sánchez, a physician working with her at a local public hospital
where she was a chemist. My mother respected him not only for his
professional knowledge but also because she herself witnessed how
he helped his patients and went beyond his duties. Dr Sanchez and my
mother had been helping patients, Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís, obtaining
free medicines and hospital services either because they could not
afford them or because they were overseas pioneers without public
health access. Although not entirely interested in the teachings, my
mother matched the Bahá’í Faith with Dr Sánchez and for that reason
my brothers, unlike my other neighborhood friends, had to enter
the Bahá’í headquarters with a lot of respect and politely convey her
regards if we saw him. With those admonitions, we had no choice but
behave better than the other piranhas! Dr Sánchez always asked us
about our mother and that made us connect more to the Bahá’í Center.
Despite their change of residence, we used to see the Khamsis,
parents and children, from time to time. One of piranhas told me that
while he walked to the Bahá’í Centre apparently with a despondent
face which met Mr Khamsi’s smiling remark “behind each suffering
there is a blessing”, a compassive advice that still rings true for him
fifty years later despite he never became a Bahá’í! We were also invited
by the center residents to Bahá’í celebrations where we devoured
their cakes and sweets. I remember, however, one occasion when
we crossed the red line and the whole gang of piranhas was literally
asked to leave the festivity.
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BORIS HANDAL

When I became a Bahá’í at the age of seventeen, on that wonderful
auspicious night, a copy of the Hidden Words, my first Bahá’í book,
was presented to me by a Khamsi child and not long after I was found
teaching the Faith with them on the streets. During that magical
evening the Bahá’í Centre was again resplendent, full of lights with
people chatting heartily on the street, and me at the centre of the
celebration. It was Ayyám-i-Há, the Days of God.
Growing as a new Bahá’í in the years to follow, I partook of the
Khamsis’ hospitality at their well-attended Bahá’í picnics organised
in their beautiful gardens. Because of his immense wisdom, love and
mentoring, Counselor Khamsi had become a father figure to all the
youth. Mr Khamsi turned up again in my life in 1980 when he was
called by the National Assembly to appease my very disgruntled
non-Bahá’í mother seeing her son leaving both university studies
and a career for a remote isolated pioneering post. One year later
he appointed me as his Auxiliary Board member for propagation in
the Andes region, a relationship from which I learned so much about
oriental wisdom and reverence. I remember myself delivering a wellprepared talk at a summer school about the Covenant. I first wrote on
the board a quotation from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and underneath a passage
from Baha’u’llah’s writings. He quickly corrected me – although the
relevance of the statements were in the correct order, Bahá’u’lláh’s
name had to be come first. For us, that was a small and beautiful
concept that we Latin Americans never heard before. Firmness in
the Covenant and service to Bahá’u’lláh, were always present in his
talks, always holding high expectations on the teaching front. His wise
guidance to all of us working in Radio Bahá’í of Peru was always there,
on the other end of the phone and asking for constant reports. “Radio
is noise”, he used to say, “and you have to make a lot of noise with your
radio”, of course, for spreading the Faith.
Later, when Mr Khamsi was appointed member of the International
Teaching Centre in Haifa in 1983, he facilitated my first pilgrimage
to the Holy Land the next year, me being a penniless homefront
pioneer. In Haifa, also my grandmother’s birthplace, he entertained
me as his guest with considerable hospitality and generosity. I was
overwhelmed and humbled when he arranged for me to meet with
the International Teaching Centre to consult about the progress of the

x
Preface

Faith among Indigenous believers, his favourite topic. He visited us in
the Andes again in 1988 for a teaching campaign where over 1,700
new believers were enrolled as new believers in one week. There he
was, the veteran general one more time marshalling his ground troops
to victory emboldened by an ironlike reliance on the Concourse on
High.
Years later when Parvin and I were pioneers to Macau we kept
in touch through correspondence and telephone. Actually, he was
instrumental in encouraging us to go to that part of the world in 1993.
When the Khamsis returned to Peru I had the opportunity in 2004 to
enjoy again their warm friendliness at their home in Lima. In 2018 I
journeyed to the beautiful Baku, the Khamsi family town, and while
mingling with the friends there I recalled in their faces the history of
its early believers and the old spaces where their consecration took
place. The Bahá’í friend who drove us back from the Bahá’í centre to
our hotel that evening told us that his grandfather had been ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá’s secretary demonstrating the infancy of this universal Faith and
how tantalisingly fresh the story was. Members of the Khamsi family
in Baku were active members of the local community.
I always will remember how after completing my first book “The
Concourse on High” in Spanish3, written at his initiative despite being
afflicted with self-doubt when I was still twenty-five years old, Mr
Khamsi said to me, “Once you have started writing, you should not
stop writing”. Since then I have focused on immersing myself in the
field of Bahá’í research and writing making it one of my preferred
fields of service. How interesting, one could say how providential,
that this chain of events has now connected forty years later to this
new book celebrating the distinguished achievements of the Khamsi
family throughout almost 150 years of continuous history.
At the memorial service for his father in the Sydney House of
Worship in April 2013, the oldest of the Khamsi children and also
my old street mate, suggested the idea of writing a biography. Ahmad
Khamsi, who was then visiting the country, said that I was the most
suitable person for the task, a thought that I found difficult to reconcile
at the beginning. The timid initial exploration of the topic grew in

Handal, Boris. El Concurso en Lo Alto. Lima, PROPACEB, 1985.

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BORIS HANDAL

intensity as I found myself discovering a fascinating storyline running
continuously from Bahá’u’lláh’s time till the present day with three
brilliant characters taking the stage: Mas’ud Khamsi, his father Siyyid
Ahmad and his great-uncle Siyyid Naṣru’lláh.
To my delight, my research took me to visit unimaginable places
such as the Caucasus where East meets West. For this historical
narrative, over 100 collaborators assisted and supported me during
the process of data collection, analysis and reporting. I was also able
to communicate with Bahá’í scholars from all over the world and old
believers who like Mr Khamsi had the privilege of meeting the beloved
Guardian and were part of the story.
I know that Mr Khamsi would not like anybody to write about him.
At a conference where long Bahá’í records of services were read before
a talk was delivered, Mr Khamsi gave an imperturbable response to
the presenter who was asking for one: “Just call me Khamsi”. In a
short sketch of his over 50-year pioneering services, both homefront
and international, he wrote at the beginning:
On several occasions, the Universal House of Justice asked the
pioneers to write their stories, achievements and experiences
in the field of service. On many occasions I tried to write my
experiences, but as I am a Persian when the word “I” was to
begin it discouraged me and I gave up. Now, the wisdom of the
Universal House of Justice’s instructions is clear and my duty
is to obey, this is why I am writing these lines and I hope they
become a guide for other Bahá’ís, particularly for the youth.4

Noblesse oblige, and the purpose of this chronicle was not to
intended to exalt people but to illustrate important attributes of
services and the struggles they went through to serve the Cause with
the most dedicated and unassuming disposition in a different time
and before us.
I am humbled at the thought of all those blessings, all which
started from an informal chat between two children in front of a
Bahá’í Centre. It is with these feelings that I make A Cradle of True
Gold available to my readers and to posterity, in brief, paying with ink

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.

xii
Preface

labour a personal debt of love to Counselor Mas’ud Khamsi, a person
who touched many other lives in his services to the Faith of God.

Boris Handal
Sydney, Australia

xiii
BORIS HANDAL

xiv
Acknowledgements
My deep appreciation goes to Hoda Seioshansian, Mary Victoria,
Habib Hosseiny and Dr Stephen Lambden for their assistance in
translating a number of tablets revealed by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá to the Sádát-i-Khams family and to Dr Moojan Momen for
generously sharing his own translation of the Law-i-Ihtihad (Table
of Unity). I also would like to thank the Research Department of the
Bahá’í World Centre for reviewing and approving the translations of
original Tablets into English.
I am much indebted to Mansour Adami for orally translating
the text of Khándán-i-Sádát-i-Khams with so much patience while I
was taking notes and to Shahram Khozoei for double-checking the
accuracy of my notes with the original text. Also, my thanks to Qodrat
Motallebi for reading me the Tablets to the Khamsi-Baqirof family and
explaining their content. Likewise, I would express my appreciation
to Farzad Naziri for assisting in rendering an accurate translations
from historical documents in Farsi.
For the English/Spanish translations I was generously assisted by
John and Pati Kepner, Jimmy Jensen, Dorothy Khamsi-Samandari and
Kurt Grove. I also would like to express my gratitude to Ulviyya Afaridan,
Robin Mihrshahi and Helene Safajou for their assistance with the
Russian, German and French translations, respectively.
Dr Adren Alinejad, John and Pati Kepner, Nur Mihshahi, Dr Felicity
Rawlings-Sanaei and Masud Samandari (in alphabetical order but
all equally helpful) assisted me with the proofreading, editing and
suggestions to improve the narrative and the text.
There was an army of Mr Khamsi’s admirers who out of their own
hearts provided me with their own memories to enrich the content
of the book through interviews, personal communications and
other means. The names of these believers are: Payam Ala’i, Jamshid
Ardjomandi, Jesus Ascencio, Dr Iraj Ayman, Houshang Balazadeh,
Dr Omar Brdarevic, Shahnaz Brdarevic, Cesar Cortes, Pedro and
Mirna Donaires, Dunia Donaires, Shanny and Gerson Elias, Augusto

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BORIS HANDAL

Erquinio, Shahbaz Fatheazam, Leski Franco, Iran Furutan, Dr Miguel
Gil, Dr Grover Gonzales, Zia and Molok Ghofrany, Maria Eugenia
Gonzales, Alberto and Rosario Guerrero, Violette Haake, Nasser
Haddadan, Roxana Hadden, Camelia Handal, Juan Handal, Jimmy
Jensen, Dorothy Khamsi-Samandari, Ahmad Khamsi, Bahiah Khamsi,
Gary Khamsi, John and Pati Kepner, Lina Leon, Maria Loayza, Dr
Augusto Lopez-Claros, Yessica Lopez, Vicente Lopez and Marta Tirado
de Lopez, Mehran Manie, Martin Mansilla, Azam Matin, Moojan Matin,
Sally McAllaster, Tahereh Mohammadi, Shapoor Monadjem, Ali
Nakhjavani, Carlos Núñez, Hector Núñez, Sabino Ortega, Eshraghollah
Ouladi, Clemencia Pavon, Amparo Polanco, Steve Pulley, Dr Shapour
Rassekh, Patrick Ravines, Abraham Reyes, Jose Luis Reyes, Conrado
Rodriguez, Donald Rogers, Oscar Rojas, Manuel and Fariba Rosas,
Sandro Ruju, Ana Maria Saavedra, Dr Mahmud Samandari, Masud
Samandari, Enrique (Kiko) and Veronica (Ore) Sanchez, Monica
Sanchez, Fernando Schiantarelli, Marko Sebastiani, Mohiman Shafa,
Manoucher Shoaie, Dr K. Dean Stephens, Shahnaz Talebzadeh, Farid
and Roya Tebyani, Yolanda Torres Urteaga, Rolf von Czekus, David
Walker and Luis Wong. The Khamsi-Samandari family provided the
author with important primary sources and comments that certainly
enriched the book.
My gratitude also goes to Alex Kaefer for permitting me use quotes
from his book about the history of the Bahá’í Faith in Austria and to
Ruhu’lláh Mihrabkhání for his permission to quote from his book
Khándán-i-Sádát-i-Khams.1 This book was based on the historical
material about the early Khamsi family, compiled and gathered by Mr
Ruhollah Khamsi. 2 3
My sincere thanks to the National Spiritual Assembly of Peru for
giving me access to their national archives, for continuously supplying
with photographic material and for responding to my requests for
information. I am similarly grateful to the National Spiritual Assembly

Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.
Ruhollah Khamsi (1915-1997).
Bahá’í World Centre. The Bahá’í World - In Memoriam (1992-1997). Haifa, 2010,
pp. 185-186.

xvi
Acknowledgements

of Azerbaijan for providing documents from the early years of
the Faith in Baku. I also would like to show my appreciation to the
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Australian for reviewing
and approving the manuscript for publication.
The audio-visual resources supporting the production of the book
were kindly facilitated by the World Centre Audio-Visual Department,
the United States Bahá’í Archives, the Khamsi-Samandari family, Pedro
Donaires, Cesar and Rolando Cortes, Roxana Hadden, Sally McAllaster,
Conrado Rodriguez, Stephen Pulley, Leski Franco, Mehran Manie and
many other friends. The credits for cover concept design go to Fariba
(Heydari) Rosas. Pedro Donaires drew the Caspian Sea map with skill
and talent.
I cannot close this acknowledgment page without expressing my
gratefulness to my wife Parvin for being so helpful, patient and loving
while immersed for years researching and writing the book.

A Short Note on Bahá’í Orthography
Readers are advised that to a feasible extent the author has used
the transliteration standard adopted by Shoghi Effendi in 1923 for
Bahá’í literature in the Persian and Arabic language. The system was
adapted from the standards set by the Tenth International Congress
of Orientalists held in Geneva in 1894.
Due to the lack of a uniform system before Shoghi Effendi’s
ministry, the writing of Bahá’í terms was inconsistent. For early texts,
this book has kept as much as possible the integrity of the original
source although sometimes the correct transliteration has been used
to ensure the smoothness and flow of the narrative.
In order to facilitate the understanding of some oriental words
the table below outlines the variations of some Bahá’í terms that the
reader may come across. In some cases, for practicality reasons, the
most popular form of the name has been kept such as Mas’ud Khamsi
instead of Mas’úd Khamsí 4, or Tehran instead of Ṭihrán.

The sound Kh is enounced as in the English pronunciation of house.

xvii
BORIS HANDAL

Bahá'í transliteration Variations
Báqirof Baqirof, Baguerof, Baqiroff, Baqirov,
Bakeroff
Naṣru’lláh Nasrollah, Nasru’lláh, Nasroullah
Jináb Jinab, Jenab, Jenabe
Siyyid Sayyed, Sayyid
Asadu’lláh Asadollah
Bahá’u’lláh Baha’o’llah
Riḍá Reza, Rida
Mahmúd Mahmoud
‘Ádhirbayján Azerbayjan

Áqá Aqa, Agha

Before first names and surnames were enforced in Iran in the
1920, people used to be called according by their single first name,
title and/or their original town. Some of those titles were:
Ḥájí: A person who has successfully completed the
pilgrimage to Mecca.
Mírzá: If the term precedes the name it refers to an educated
person. After the name it stands for Prince.
Abu’l: Father of …
Shaykh: A religious leader
Áqá: Master, Sire
Siyyid: A descendant from Prophet Muhammad.
Jináb: His/Her Excellency
Mullá: An Islamic clergyman
Titles can be combined in a single name such as in Ḥájí Mírzá Siyyid
‘Alí Shírází, meaning a person whose name is ‘Alí, from an educated
background, a descendant from Prophet Muhammad, having born in
the city of Shíráz.
xviii
Table of Illustrations
Figure 1: T
 ablet of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Siyyid Naṣru’lláh. Source:
Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Figure 2: A
 street scene in ‘Akká, c. 1914. Courtesy: Bahá’í Media
Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Figure 3: T
 he Caspian Sea and Neighbouring Countries. Courtesy:
Pedro Donaires. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Figure 4: T
 hree of the Báqirof brothers are standing on the front.
Left to right: Siyyid Naṣru’lláh, Mír ‘Alí Naqí and Siyyid
Asadu’lláh. Source: Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams.. . . . . . . . . . . 23
Figure 5: R
 eceipts by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for Khamsi-Báqirof family’s
contribution to the Bahá’í Fund. Courtesy: Khamsi-
Samandari family.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Figure 6: S iyyid Naṣru’lláh. Source: Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams.. . . . 25
Figure 7: S iyyid Naṣru’lláh with some of his children. Source:
Khándán-i-Sádát-i-Khams.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Figure 8: S iyyid Naṣru’lláh with Bahá’ís of Tehran. Sitting on right
side of second row. Source: Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. . . 27
Figure 9: S iyyid Ahmad with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Paris. Third standing
from the left. Source: Khándán-i-Sádát-i-Khams. . . . . . . . . 28
Figure 10: Siyyid Ahmad with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Paris. Third standing
from the left. Courtesy: Khamsi-Samandari family.. . . . . 29
Figure 11: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Budapest. Siyyid Ahmad is second from
the left.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Figure 12: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Stuttgart. Courtesy: Bahá’í Media.. . . . . . 68
Figure 13: The Grand Hotel of Tehran in the 1900s.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Figure 14: Shahpoor Avenue, Rasht, 1934.
Source: Shahre Farang.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

xix
BORIS HANDAL

Figure 15: Reza Shah in 1941. Source: Wikimedia Commons. . . . . . 70
Figure 16: Siyyid Ahmad’s family. Mas’ud Khamsi is standing
behind his father Siyyid Ahmad on the left side. Source:
Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Figure 17: Shoghi Effendi’s map at the beginnning of the Ten Year
Crusade.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Figure 18: Khonsar nowadays. Courtesy: Nasser Sadeghi, CC BY-SA
3.0. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Figure 19: Jane and Mas’ud Khamsi wedding. Source: Bahá’í
Peruvian National Archives.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Figure 20: Jane and Mas’ud at the 1953 Kampala Conference.
Source: Bahá’í Peruvian National Archives.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Figure 21: Shoghi Effendi’s letter to Mas’ud Khamsi . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Figure 22: Last photograph of Shoghi Effendi.
Source: Bahá’í Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Figure 23: Pioneering in Argentina 1959. With Ahmad and Dorothy
Khamsi. Source: Bahá’í Peruvian National Archives.. . . 106
Figure 24: Travel teaching in the Andes. Courtesy: Bahá’í News,
December 1961. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Figure 25: Addressing the Bahá’í World Congress in
London in 1963. Source: Bahá’í Peruvian National
Archives.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Figure 26: With indigenous believers in Bolivia. Source: Bahá’í
Peruvian National Archives.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Figure 27: Discussing teaching plans with Hand of the Cause Dr
Muhajir in Bolivia. Courtesy: Stephen Pulley.. . . . . . . . . . 108
Figure 28: With Hand of the Cause Mr Faizi in Lima. Source: Bahá’í
Peruvian National Archives.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Figure 29: In Tehran before departing for Peru. Source: Bahá’í
Peruvian National Archives.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

xx
Table of Illustrations

Figure 30: At the Green Light Expedition. Source: The American
Bahá’í Archives.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Figure 31: At the Green Light Expedition. Source: The American
Bahá’í Archives.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Figure 32: Leonora Armstrong, Spiritual Mother of South America,
Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyih Khánum and Counselors at the
Lopez residence. Courtesy: Vicente Lopez.. . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Figure 33: In a Bolivian village with Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyih Khánum.
Source: The American Bahá’í Archives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Figure 34: El Viento Canta. Source: Bahá’í World Centre.. . . . . . . . . 243
Figure 35: Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyih Khánum,
members of the Universal House of Justice Mr Ali
Nakhjavani, Mr Borrah Kavelin and Dr David Ruhe with El
Viento Canta team at Mr and Mrs Khamsi’s home in Haifa
in 1988. Source: Rolando Cortes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Figure 36: Consulting with the National Spiritual
Assembly of Peru. Source: Bahá’í Peruvian National
Archives.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Figure 37: In a summer school in Lima next to Eve Nicklin (centre),
Spiritual Mother of Peru. Source: Bahá’í Peruvian
National Archives.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Figure 38: At the inauguration of Radio Bahá’í of Lake Titicaca in
Peru in 1981. Mas’ud Khamsi is standing on the left hand
side. Andres Jachakollo is sitting on the front row second
from the left. Courtesy: Mehran Manie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Figure 39: M
 embers of the International Teaching Centre featuring
the Hands of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyih
Khánum and Ali Akbar Furutan (front row, third and
fourth from right). Mr Khamsi is standing second on the
back row. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Figure 40: Mr Khamsi with Hand of the Cause of God ʻAlí-Akbar
Furútan. Courtesy: Iran Furutan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248

xxi
BORIS HANDAL

xxii
Table of Contents
Foreword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv
A Short Note on Bahá’í Orthography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii
Table of Illustrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xix
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Part I: The Five Brothers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2. The Báqir’s Descendants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3. Siyyid Mahmúd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4. Siyyid Asadu’lláh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
5. Mír ‘Alí Naqí. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
6. Siyyid Riḍá. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Part II: Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof (1859-1924) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
1.1 Settling in Baku. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
1.2 Sakineh Khánum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
1.3 Wealth and Socio-Economic Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
1.4 Mode of Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
1.5 A Russian Citizen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
2. Relationship with Bahá’u’lláh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
2.1 Passing of Bahá’u’lláh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
2.2 Guidance from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
2.2.1 Firmness in the Covenant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
2.2.2 Advice on Politics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
2.2.3 Tributes to Siyyid Naṣru’lláh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
3. Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
3.1 Teaching the Faith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
3.2 Teaching the Faith to Prominent People. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
3.3 Defending the Bahá’ís. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
3.4 The Central Assembly of Tehran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

xxiii
BORIS HANDAL

3.5 Diplomatic Missions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
3.6 Communications between Iran and the Holy Land. . . . . . . . . . 61
3.7 Contributions to the Funds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
4. Relationship with ‘Abdul-Bahá. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
5. Passing and Significance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Part III: Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi-Báqirof (c1880-1950) . . . . . . . . 75
1. Family Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
2. Homayoun Khánum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
4. Spiritual Dimensions of his Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
4.1 Trustworthiness: The Inheritance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
4.2 Competency: The Government Finances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
4.3 Socio-Economic Development: Tea Plantation Innovation . . 80
5. Trip to Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
5.1 Paris. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
5.2 Stuttgart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
5.3 Budapest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
5.4 Vienna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
5.5 Second Visit to Stuttgart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
6. Services to the Cause of God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
6.1 Helping Non-Bahá’ís. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
6.2 Protecting the Bahá’ís . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
7. Teaching the Faith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Part IV: Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
1. Childhood and Youth in Iran. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
1.1 Childhood. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
1.2 The Tuman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
1.3 Youth Activities in Iran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
1.4 Schooling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
1.5 Homefront Pioneering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
1.6 University Studies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
1.7 Work in Tehran. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
1.8 Mary Jane Snyder Khamsi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
2. Meeting the Guardian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
2.1 The Kampala Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
2.2 Thinking of Going on Pilgrimage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
2.3 Travelling to Haifa from Kampala. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
2.4 Meeting the Guardian. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

xxiv
Table of Contents

3. First Pioneering to South America. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
3.1 Planning to Pioneer to South America. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
3.2 Settling in Argentina. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
3.3 Settling in Bolivia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
3.4 The Beginning of Mass Teaching in South America. . . . . . . . 143
3.5 Teaching the Faith in Bolivia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
3.6 His Love for Bolivia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
3.7 Returning to Iran. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
4. Return to Iran (1963-1969) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
4.1 Activities in Iran after returning from Bolivia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
4.3 Appointed Counselor in Iran. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
4.4 Returning to South America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
5. Second Pioneering to South America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
5.1 Learning to Travel Teach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
5.2 Learning to Grow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
5.3 Learning to Teach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
5.4 Learning to Fast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
5.5 Learning to Give. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
5.6 Learning to Nurture Scholarly Ability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
6. Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
6.1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
6.2 The Green Light Expedition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
6.3 A Sense of Reverence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
6.4 The Green Light Expedition in Lima. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
6.5. At the World Centre. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
7. Pioneering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
7.1 Encouraging New Pioneers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
7.2 Nurturing Current Pioneers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
8. Bahá’í World Centre Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
8.1 A Member of the International Teaching Centre. . . . . . . . . . . 208
8.2 Youth Programs in Haifa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
8.2 Latin Nights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
8.3 El Viento Canta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
8.4 External Affairs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
8.5 International Trips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
9. Socio-Economic Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
9.1 An Entrepreneurial Mindset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
9.2 Bahá’í Radio Stations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217

xxv
BORIS HANDAL

9.3 Nur University. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
9.4 Institutes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
9.5 Rural Schools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
10. Protecting the Bahá’í Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
10.1 Looking after the Youth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
10.2 Covenant-breaking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
10.3 Proclaiming the Faith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
10.4 The Street Quarrel: A Teaching Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
11. Returning to Peru. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
11.1 Serving at the National Spiritual Assembly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
11.2 Generosity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
11.3 External Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
11.4 Last Years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Appendix 1: The Robbery, a Green Light Expedition Story . . . 249
Appendix 2: The Green Light Expedition Film Narrative
(extracts). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Venezuela - the Amazonas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Suriname – The Bush Negroes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Brazil – Manaus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Colombia – Leticia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Peru – Iquitos and Pucallpa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Peru – Lima. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Bolivia – Oruro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Peru - Cusco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271

xxvi
Introduction
Looking at the immensity of the Caspian Sea from the terraces
of my hotel in Baku, the capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan, I
keep wondering about the monumental scope of the research I am
undertaking taking me aback from my native Peru. Two countries
so culturally different from each other but nevertheless united by a
singular thread that only God mysteriously could have woven.
With sources from English, Spanish, Persian, German, French,
Arabic and Russian that I struggled to translate, I immersed myself
in a fascinating saga traversing across three centuries, two falling
Iranian royal dynasties, three generations, two world wars and four
continents.
This is a story taking us to Iran, Russia, the Holy Land, the main
European capitals, Africa and even to exotic places such as the Amazon
rain forest and the magnificent Andes mountains, showing that love
for humanity also travels and it never gets tired in giving if inspired
by higher principles. It touches on the lives of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá, Bahíyyih Khánum, Shoghi Effendi and a number of Hands of the
Cause, particularly Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum, intertwined with
momemtous events of the Faith’s Heroic and Formative epochs.
To borrow Foucault’s words, this narrative is more about “a
historical awareness of our present circumstance”.1 More than
a chronology, this book is a collection of teaching stories with a
current morale told mostly by primary sources who were themselves
protagonists in the narrative. Each story intends to highlight a
spiritual attribute focusing more on the actions that on the persons
themselves. These teaching accounts will always be valid inasmuch
as they were all laden with devotion and sacrifice and they have
something to tell us as we strive to spread the Message of Bahá’u’lláh
to our fellow human beings in any part of the world.
These tales are about a wealthy family adopting a nascent religion

Foucault, M. The Subject and Power. Critical Inquiry, 8(4), p. 778, 1982.

BORIS HANDAL

struggling to survive in the midst of a fanatical establishment. It
reminds us of the story of the seed striving to come to the surface
and to evolve into a magnificent tree. It is the narrative of a clan
that preferred to put their spiritual obligations above others of a
financial nature, benefits that will never perish. Bigotry, persecution
and harassment could not abate the inner spiritual forces impelling
the family members to get their religion accepted, protected and
flourishing.
From becoming a persecuted underground movement in the 19th
century, despite all odds, the Iranian Bahá’í community found itself
in the last century, gaining continuous strength and consolidating
through the establishment of hospitals, schools, endowments and
government-accredited governing bodies, both in rural as well as
in urban areas. Reluctant to give in to religious-based intimidations
and adamant to uphold the truth of their beliefs, the Bahá’ís of Iran
opened their own windows to modernity in a country still submerged
in antiquated Dark Ages.
In all these developments, some prominent families like the
Khamsi-Báqirof were able due to their social position, to defend,
overtly and covertly, the worth that their newly espoused religion had
brought to a country already on an accelerated material and spiritual
decline.
As I kept unravelling the Khamsi-Báqirof family story, I marvelled
at the tradition of devoted and creative services to the Bahá’í Faith
as honoured in the numerous Tablets from Bahá’u’lláh and‘Abdu’l-
Bahá, and writings from Shoghi Effendi as well as in the testimonies
from the Universal House of Justice. It all began with the declaration
in 1881 of five brothers, known in Bahá’í history as Báqirof-Khamsi,
whom Bahá’u’lláh designated as Sádát-i-Khams (The Five Siyyids2,
in Arabic) from where the surname Khamsi (Five, in Arabic) comes
from. Going through various tumultuous Iranian social scenarios
three main waves in the Báqirof-Khamsi family are easily recognisable
and characterised in the persons of Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof (1859-
1924), Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi-Báqirof (c1880-1950) and Mas’ud
Khamsi (1922-2013).

A Siyyid is a descendant from Prophet Muhammad.

Introduction

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof’s life could be characterised by his
disposition to valiantly protect the vulnerable Bahá’í community
using his social influence at a time where there was no administrative
or legal mechanisms to defend them. Enabled to serve and visit
Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during his lifetime, Siyyid Naṣru’lláh was
also able due to his wealth to generously contribute to the needs of
the Cause. His nephew and virtual son, Siyyid Ahmad, also lived up
to those standards as a result being privileged to accompany ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá to His historical travels across Europe as well as contributing to
the organic development of the Iranian Bahá’í community as it turned
to the 20th century. Highly respected because of his widely known
business integrity, Siyyid Ahmad did reach the highest governmental
and social circles of the country to protect the believers and contribute
to the protection and respect of the Cause. The privilege was left to
Mas’ud Khamsi, Siyyid Ahmad’ son, to visit the beloved Guardian and,
while pursuing his predecessors’ lines of action, more distinctively
with intrepidity and great detachment, left the native Iran and took
the Cause to tens of thousands of people in South America, mostly
indigenous, a path that was eventually crowned by distinguished
international services throughout the globe. Generations to come will
certainly draw inspiration from the valiant services of this selfless
and honoured family in the pathway of the Beloved.
Blessed by those sacred encounters the Khamsi-Báqirof also
received tablets from Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with continuous
guidance, encouragement and reassurance. Specifically, Baha’u’llah
prayed for and assured the Khamsi-Báqirof family members that they
will be remembered eternally. Likewise, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote that the
distinction of the Sadat-i-Khams will remain for centuries and ages
to come. He called them the Stars of Khams (“Five Stars”, in Arabic)
which are shining from the “horizon of guidance”. 3
Like passing magic from one generation to the other, they
brilliantly infused their own zeal into their offspring confirming
them to even greater heights of service. This was a family where
the Faith was constantly at the centre of the table, with memories of
visits to Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and always accompanied by a

Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i

`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

BORIS HANDAL

permament influx of prominent believers. How important therefore
is the role of the Bahá’í family as a divine fortress, one would reflect
upon, in ensuring that the next generation is spiritually well nurtured
akin to a chain of memories that provides daily accompaniment.
Acknowledging such a principle, Mas’ud Khamsi once wrote: “In
order for you to understand my origin, it is important to mention my
family’s history”.4
Hence, the learning and prayerful attitude from the first Khamsi-
Báqirof generation were passed to the second one as the latter, in turn,
handed on and augmented to the third family wave, ultimately leaving
their mark on the faithful and the wider community in which they
operated. Mathematicians call this phenomenon the multiplicative
effect but the author (also a mathematician), recalls ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s
words: “… an especial blessing is conferred on some families and
some generations”.5
The weighty decision made by the five Báqirof brothers to declare
their belief in Bahá’u’lláh, as the proceeding narrative will attest to,
had a pivotal and unprecedented impact on many generations of that
family and the societies in which they lived. In a Tablet revealed for the
auspicious occasion of the Birth of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh emphatically
summoned all to heed the following counsel:
Make thou every effort to render service unto God, that from
thee may appear that which will immortalize thy memory in
His glorious and exalted heaven.6
It is from the heroic and courageous decision made by the Báqirof
brothers, and the distinguished services they rendered, that countless
generations have benefited and their memory has been immortalized
both in this world and the next.
The three generations of Khamsi-Báqirof who are the subject of
this book can be characterised, among many factors, by their devotion
to the Bahá’í Faith but also by their innovative acumen. The latter
was manifested in their own successful business enterprises where

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions. US Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1990, p. 305
Bahá’u’lláh. Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed After the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. US Bahá’í
Publishing Trust, 1988, p. 233.

Introduction

they were ahead of their times. Innovative and creative projects were
initiated by them such as establishing and disseminating tea planting
practices in northern Iran to avoid imports as well as the first cinema
and the first modern hotel in Iran adhering to European standards.
They were second in the country to acquire an automobile sharing
this innovation only with the royal family. Conscious of the benefits
of Western civilization, the Khamsi-Báqirofs were also among the
first Iranian families to send their children to European universities.
They owned entire villages around Tehran where the inhabitants
were taught literacy and children had formal education. The family
also ventured into radio, television, oil, hospitality, publishing, road
infrastructure, trading, real estate and mining interests, among other
businesses revealing a strong commercial and industrial expertise, let
alone a strong sense of practicality.
Such a progressive mindset was also manifested in their Bahá’í
endeavours through socio-economic development projects such as
radio stations and schools, medical centres, teacher training institutes,
summer schools, encouragement to Bahá’ís to establish universities,
creation of new Bahá’í literature and engagement with the arts.
They were also pioneers in learning complex undertakings such as
connecting with diplomats, networking with prominent people and
developing the indigenous population. Through mass conversion,
certainly the original five Khamsi-Báqirof burgeoned scores of tens of
thousands of new believers mostly in Latin America.
My research also pays tribute to three amazing women who,
besides their husbands’ public figures, were at all times working
hand-in-hand in service to the Faith of God, namely, Sakineh Khánum,
Homayoun Khánum and Mary Jane Snyder. Although not broadly
visible to the public eye except for some glimpses included in historical
records, and within the scope of what women could do in the public
arena in their times, these three heroines had their own joy of service
as well as the responsibility of bringing the family together to be able
to navigate in the arena of service, despite the constant presence of
physical danger or constant moves. As ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had said: “Among
the miracles which distinguish this sacred dispensation is this, that
women have evinced a greater boldness than men when enlisted in

BORIS HANDAL

the ranks of the Faith”.7
“I was born in a cradle of gold”, Mas’ud Khamsi sometimes
observed. And yet, the family was the embodiment of the wealthy
Bahá’í individual consecrating their wealth to the promotion of the
Cause of God just as Bahá’u’lláh said in the Hidden Words:
Well is it then with him, who, being rich, is not hindered by
his riches from the eternal kingdom, nor deprived by them
of imperishable dominion. By the Most Great Name! The
splendour of such a wealthy man shall illuminate the dwellers
of heaven even as the sun enlightens the people of the earth!8
Nowadays, we find Khamsi family members settled in many
countries mixed with a variety of races and excelling in diverse
teaching or administrative serving capacities, carrying Bahá’u’lláh’s
blessings conferred on them for eternity.
This book is about a celebration of well-spent lives, a feast of the
spirit and a rendezvous of consecrated souls. These stories testify
that if you live by higher principles the result is always spiritual
triumph, that although the destination is unknown you are always
safe, because you have to learn to trust in higher powers, relinquish
yourself in larger hands to the Will of the Almighty, surrendering your
lives and possessions to God, irrespective of how much you have,
because, in the end, nothing matters but pleasing the Beloved, just as
‘Abdu’l-Bahá had wished:
It is clear that life in this fast-fading world is as fleeting and
inconstant as the morning wind, and this being so, how
fortunate are the great who leave a good name behind them,
and the memory of a lifetime spent in the pathway of the good
pleasure of God.9
But above all there was another and more powerful force

 he Compilation of Compilations: Prepared by The Universal House of Justice
T
(vol. 2). Maryborough, Victoria, Bahá’í Publications Australia, 2000, p. 403.
Bahá’u’lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh. US Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1985,
p. 41.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The Secret of Divine Civilization. Wilmette, US Bahá’í Publishing
Trust, p. 70, 1983.

Introduction

motivating the characters of this narrative. It was their immense love
for Bahá’u’lláh expressed in the service to His Cause. A love that was
unconditional, contagious and courageous bringing at the same time
spiritual joy and inner happiness to the soul. Such a love, nurtured
in the family nest, permeated their everyday conversations, inspired
their steps and gave them an authentic Bahá’í identity among their
peers. Most importantly, that love for Bahá’u’lláh became a bliss to
serve, a disposition that can be better summarized in these words of
Mas’ud Khamsi around the last years of his life:
… That nothing is sweeter, that nothing gives more happiness
than working for the Faith. All the things that you can do in
any day are going to be forgotten. However, the work of the
Faith is never going to be forgotten. So everyone has their
chance to serve the Faith wherever they may be because that
will remain forever in this world and the one to come. Please
continue to work, continue to help the Faith because it is the
only thing that will remain for you in this world and the world
to come. It is the only thing that remains. All the other things
that you gladly want to do are fine but will not remain as much
as your efforts for the Faith. What you do for Bahá’u’lláh will
remain now and for eternity. 10

 alk by Mas’ud Khamsi in July 2010 at the National Bahá’í Centre. Peruvian
T

Bahá’í Archives.

BORIS HANDAL

PART 1:
The Five Brothers
1. Introduction
This narrative begins on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
The Caspian Sea is strategically and historically important because
it separates Europe from Asia. Five countries surround this immense
mass of water, comparable in size to Japan. These countries are the
republics of Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan
– the last four representing the remnants from the collapsed Soviet
Union and the Russian empire.
The Caspian Sea is actually not a sea but the largest lake in the
world. It was always called a sea probably due to its vastness, the
relative salinity of the water, and sometimes rough waves — actually,
surfing is practiced on its waters. In ancient times people thought it
was even connected to a big ocean.
Its European name came from the Greek historian Strabo (64
BC – AD 24) who named it after a tribe, now extinct, called the Caspi.
The Caspian Sea is a great blessing from the Lord sustaining the life
of dozens of ethnic groups. Although each one has their own culture
and language they were for millennia profoundly influenced by the
ancient Persian empires and its civilization and past glory.
Rich in natural resources, particularly oil and fish, the Caspian Sea
displays an amazing and unique array of fauna and flora. For instance,
the world famous caviar is the flagship of those waters. Diverse and
rich as the neighbouring ethnic cultures were, this life-giving lake
was also surrounded by an even more beautiful coastal geography,
creating a landscape of awe and promise, one which was destined to
include Núr, Bahá’u’lláh’s ancestral home.
On the southwest side of the lake lie the most strategic cities of
Rasht and Baku located in the former Persian and Russian empires,
respectively. Both were like twin cities because the main bulk of

BORIS HANDAL

commerce between the two nations was traded between their ports
for centuries. The strategic location of the region made it the scene
of the famous Iran-Russia wars between the 17th and 19th centuries.
Russia succeeded in defeating Iran and consequently seized a
considerable amount of Iranian territory, including Baku. Russian
imperialism was growing within the region and was at its peak by the
first half of 19th century.
It was in Rasht where the Russian influence was most felt. As early
as in the eighteenth century the Imperial Russia had plans to take India
from the British1 with Iran being the landmass interposing between
Russia and India. Russian military expansionism was supported
by the advances of the industrial revolution with increasing travel
infrastructure such the new railway joining the Caspian and the Black
seas and linking Asia and Europe. Because of this, Rasht and Baku
became the safest and most comfortable gateways to travel to Europe
and to the Middle East, using a combination of steamship and trains.
Rasht, on the Iranian shores of the Caspian Sea, is where our story
begins. As the capital of the Iranian province of Gilan, Rasht was by
then the most densely populated province of Iran perhaps because
of its intense and favourable agricultural environment and certainly
because of the commerce with neighbouring Russia.
A humid subtropical climate allows a lush forest to grow in the
region throughout the year and occasionally outbreaks of malaria. It
is called the City of Rain. With tile roofs, Rasht resembles an English
town and is also being known as the most westernized population in
the country and the main gateway to Europe.

2. The Báqir’s Descendants
Our narrative commences with Siyyid Báqir Musavi Tulami, a wealthy
Iranian landlord in the district of Lahijan in the northern province
of Gilan. Báqir, in short form, was a siyyid, one whose lineage could
be traced to Prophet Muhammad. Being a siyyid was a sign of
respectability among the native population mostly from an Islamic
religious background.

Jennifer Siegel. Endgame: Britain, Russia and the Final Struggle for Central Asia. IB

Tauris, 2002.

The Five Brothers

Siyyid Báqir died in 1897 having begotten seven sons by the time
of his death. Twenty years before, around 1879, the youngest five of
these seven brothers became followers of Bahá’u’lláh. In a country
where the Bahá’í Faith was, and still is, considered a heresy, the Shariah
law automatically disqualified them from obtaining a share of their
father’s large inheritance when the patriarch died. The five brothers
were disinherited by the two elder siblings who at their father’s death
obtained an order from the clergy to keep all the family’s state and
wealth for themselves. 2
Notwithstanding that, God blessed the five brothers with fortune
and they became very prosperous business people on their own.
According to Mas’ud Khamsi:
…. as they were among the first ones to discover oil in Baku
(Russia) they were given Russian nationality because at that
time there were no passports or identification cards in Persia.
The wealth, on one hand, and due to the Russian government’s
influence in Persia, besides their natural honesty when dealing
with Muslim priests, made them exemplary citizens. As a
result, in their native city of Rasht (Persia) there were not any
martyrs in the history of the Faith and the mullahs (priests)
and ordinary people did not dare to insult or persecute the
Bahá’ís. 3

Their business activities involved Russia and Iran, and in their
Russian civil documentation they were known by the surname
Báqirof, a patronymic meaning “son from Báqir”. Their newly adopted
nationality gave them a degree of independence and legal protection
in Iran at a time when Russian political power was feared.
The five Báqirofs became known among the Bahá’í community by
the Arabic designation that Bahá’u’lláh gave them, Sádát-i-Khams4,
in short, the Five Siyyids. Their descendants are currently named
Khamsi. According to Mas’ud Khamsi (1923-2003), a third generation
Soli Shahvar. Forgotten Schools: The Bahá’ís and Modern Education in Iran, 1899-
1934. I.B.Tauris, 2009.
Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.
Sádát is the plural form of siyyid. The word for five in Arabic is Khams. Hence,
Sádát-i-Khams means the Five Siyyids.

BORIS HANDAL

from the Sádát-i-Khams clan, his grandfather:
… was a very rich man at that time, so much so that it was
said that the pearls and diamonds from his deposits were
moved with shovels. We all witnessed this fortune with his
granddaughters who were not Bahá’ís and received their
grandfather’s heritage. Every time my mother took me to their
house, upon leaving they filled my small pockets with golden
coins, pound sterling, Russian manat and Persian ashrafi … 5

The names of the five brothers were Mahmúd, Riḍá (Reza),
Asadu’lláh, ‘Alí Naqí and Naṣru’lláh. The province of Gilan where
they resided had already been opened for the Faith by various early
believers particularly ‘Ali Ashraf Lahijani, known as Andalib, a renown
Bahá’í teacher as well as a gifted poet. The story of each of these five
brothers follows.

3. Siyyid Mahmúd
The famous Bahá’í poet Andalib was also a native of the Gilan province
where the five brothers used to live and commenced the process of
teaching them the Bahá’í Faith. The brothers appeared to be attracted
to the new teachings from the beginning but referred them to Mahmúd,
the eldest brother, for commenting due to his special knowledge of
religious matters.
Mahmúd was not only a successful jeweller but also a man of
profound spirituality and theological knowledge. He was the one
who took a particular interest in the new religion that was sweeping
across Iran. According to Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání:
… This brother [Siyyid Mahmúd] studied religious studies
when he was young in Karbilá and Najaf, not to become a
cleric but because he had an intense interest in religion and in
considering its teachings, attaining virtues and understanding
its truths. That is why when Andalib started teaching those
brothers, the other four brothers came to him to accept the
Bahá’í Faith, surrendering to Andalib’s arguments to accept
the new Faith with more certainty.

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.

The Five Brothers

… Siyyid Mahmúd was in Karbilá [Iraq]. He always had this
doubt whether the brothers were really the descendants of
Prophet Muhammad. This is because being attributed to the
Prophet brought with it material and spiritual advantages,
meaning Sádát were always respected by people and received
“khoms”6. As recorded in many histories, many people used to
call themselves Sádát and were known in public as descendants
of the Prophet, and this title was passed on to their children
and grandchildren. When the Blessed Beauty confirmed in
writing that they came from Muhammad’s lineage, Siyyid
Mahmúd was relieved of his suspicions. 7

We also know that Siyyid Mahmúd attained the presence of
Bahá’u’lláh and received at least one Tablet in his honour. In that
Tablet Bahá’u’lláh also proclaims Himself as the Concealed Treasure
and the Hidden Mystery, and among other guidance, reveals a prayer
for him.
O Mahmúd! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the Almighty, the
Loving. I bear witness that thou hast renounced worldly cares,
turning towards the celestial sanctuary of the Lord of all that
hath been and shall be. Thou didst proceed from the House
in order to seek out the Lord of the House, until thou didst
arrive and behold His Countenance, hearkening unto the call
of God, the Lord of all beings. We bear witness that thou didst
attain unto that which was inscribed by the Exalted Pen in this
Prison, a Prison where the Cause of God was proclaimed, and
His Sovereignty, His Majesty and His Might were revealed, and
every hidden secret was brought to light. Convey My greetings
to thy brothers and rejoice them with the glad-tidings of that
which was ordained for them by the Pen of God, the Almighty,
the All-Powerful. We have remembered them in the past and
do so again, with that which doth enrapture their hearts and
souls.
Say: Be not grieved by the actions of those who have been held

One fifth of revenue paid as a religious practice.

Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt: Mu'assassih-

'i `Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

BORIS HANDAL

back by their vain imaginings from pondering the outcome of
their deeds. By the righteousness of God! That which they
have committed shall not avail them. Erelong will they find
themselves chastised as decreed by God, the Lord of Hosts.
Say: O God, my God! Cast me not out from the gate of Thy
generosity, nor suffer me to be kept back from the ocean of Thy
bounty or severed from the cord of my hope, by Thy power and
might. O Lord! Thou seest this thirsty one seeking the softflowing waters of Thy mercy, this quintessence of nothingness
Thy confirmations, this meagre rivulet the ocean of Thy
wealth. I beseech Thee, O Thou Preserver of those who are
nigh unto Thee, Thou Saviour of the sincere ones and Refuge of
the sore oppressed, to illumine his Majesty the King with the
light of Thy justice, and adorn him with that which will draw
him nigh unto the court of Thy bounty and the throne of Thy
Providence. Aid him, O my God, with the hosts of earth and
heaven, and the battalions of the seen and the unseen. Potent
art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. No God is there save Thee,
the Strong, the Most Powerful, and in Thy grasp are the reins
of all that are in heaven and on earth. 8

4. Siyyid Asadu’lláh
Siyyid Asadu’lláh was also a prosperous businessman whom the
people called the financier. Siyyid Asadu’llah eventually moved to the
city of Qazvín, 170 km southeast from Rasht, and later to the capital
Tehran. Moojan Momen wrote in this regard:
In 1899 a paved road had been completed by the Russians
from Anzali [Rasht’s port] to Tehran and soon became the
main trade corridor of Iran. Together with Mír ‘Alí Naqí [his
brother], Sayyid Asadu’llah was part of the consortium who
negotiated with the Russians for the concession to run a
carriage and postal service on this road and to provide all
travellers’ services (rest houses, changes of horses, food and
accommodation) along the route until 1910. As a result these
two brothers became very wealthy. By 1903, following the

Provisional translation authorised by The Universal House of Justice.

The Five Brothers

death of Mír ‘Alí, Sayyid Asadu’llah had moved back to Rasht to
administer the contract.9,10

He visited Bahá’u’lláh in ‘Akká and is more known for having
received the famous Tablet of Unity (Lawh-i-Ittihad) where Bahá’u’lláh
explains, at Siyyid Asadu’lláh’s request, the meaning of unity. In this
Tablet, the Blessed Beauty explains six types of unity, namely, unity of
religion, unity of words, unity of ritual acts, unity of rank or station,
unity of wealth and unity of souls. He also received many Tablets from
‘Abdu’l-Bahá honouring his services to the Faith. A passage of the
Tablet translated by the Bahá’í World Centre reads as follows:
And among the realms of unity is the unity of rank and station.
It redoundeth to the exaltation of the Cause, glorifying it
among all peoples. Ever since the seeking of preference and
distinction came into play, the world hath been laid waste.
It hath become desolate. Those who have quaffed from the
ocean of divine utterance and fixed their gaze upon the Realm
of Glory should regard themselves as being on the same level
as the others and in the same station. Were this matter to be
definitely established and conclusively demonstrated through
the power and might of God, the world would become as the
Abhá Paradise.
Indeed, man is noble, inasmuch as each one is a repository of
the sign of God. Nevertheless, to regard oneself as superior
in knowledge, learning or virtue, or to exalt oneself or seek
preference, is a grievous transgression. Great is the blessedness
of those who are adorned with the ornament of this unity and
have been graciously confirmed by God.11

While living in Qazvín his faith was severely tested due to the
influence of the Azalis, the followers of Mírzá Yahyá, Bahá’u’lláh’s half-

Moojan Momen. The Bahá’í Communities of Iran. George Ronald, 2015, p. 331.
Mírzá Yahyá ‘Amídu’l-Atibbá Hamadání. Memoirs of a Bahá’í in Rasht: 1889-1903
(Translated by Ahang Rabbani). Explorations in Bahá’í History, vol. 9, 2007.
Bahá’í World Centre. Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963–1986.
Compiled by Geoffrey W. Marks. Wilmette, Illinois: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1996,
p. 376.

BORIS HANDAL

brother, also called Subh-i-Azal which means Morning of Eternity. At
that time Mírzá Yahyá had risen in direct opposition to Him claiming
to be the spiritual successor of the Báb. Samandar, the famous Bahá’í
travel teacher, has written in his chronicles how Siyyid Asadu’llah’s
was successful in passing that spiritual test:
One of the Azalis sent his brother to Siyyid Asadu’lláh to be
his servant, using this as a way of coming into contact with
him. This man caused suspicions and doubt to slowly enter
Asadu’lláh’s heart, making him hesitate and have doubt in his
belief. As soon as they found out that he was not well aware
of what was going on, they did not leave him alone, at home
or in his store, and began to destroy his faith. From the words
that this Jináb-i-Siyyid 12 [Asadu’lláh] was uttering, I found out
that this person had fallen in doubt. One night I told him that
because you are not fully informed of the topic in question, it
is better that in your own presence we have a discussion with
them. You sit aside and listen and ask God to guide you to show
the truth. Asadu’lláh said the Azalis will not come to argue with
you. Eventually they decided that Siyyid Asadu’lláh informs
Samandar whenever the Azalis came to his house. Therefore
one night, Áqá Mírzá Hasan 13and Mírzá Abu-al-Fazl who were
known to each other, went to the house of Siyyid Asadu’lláh
without knowing that someone from this side was going to
join them; I also attended the meeting. After greetings the
way of discussion opened. I sent someone home to bring the
Báb’s Holy Book, the Bayan-i-Farsi, and had a deep discussion
regarding all the things that caused doubt. First they expressed
their doubts. So, one by one I gave the answers, referring to the
Bayan. And as Siyyid Asadu’lláh was all ears, paying attention
to the arguments and reasons of both sides and weighed them
against each other, the topic became obvious for him and the
confusion was removed, his mind became clear of doubts and
his faith became stronger and he found peace of mind. Then he
asked for that book, the Persian Bayán. So I gave him one book
in the handwriting of Jináb-i-Mírzá Ahmad-i-Kateb as a gift.

Jináb or Jenab is a courtesy title that can be translated as His/Her Excellency.

Áqá is a male courtesy title that can be translated as Sir.

The Five Brothers

He read that book, and to the last days of his life he rendered
many great services and in ‘Akká he attained presence of the
Blessed Beauty. In that meeting he asked, when he was in the
presence of Bahá’u’lláh, a question about the unity of God. A
detailed Tablet was revealed and then he passed away in Gilan,
ascending to the Abhá kingdom. After his passing, a Tablet of
Visitation to his tomb was revealed by the pen of the Centre of
the Covenant in honour of him and the rest of the members of
that family. 14

5. Mír ‘Alí Naqí
Mír ‘Alí Naqí was another of the five Sádát-i-Khams brothers. He
settled in Tehran where he became a wealthy merchant. One whole
section of the Great Bazaar of Tehran was owned by Mr ‘Alí Naqí and
named after him. According to Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání:
His involvement in gathering wealth in commerce did not
prevent him from developing spiritual values and rendering
services to the Cause. Because he was so famous and credible
in his lifetime, the enemies of the Faith could not cause him
much harm. But after his passing, the enemies provoked thugs
to destroy his grave. 15

Mír ‘Alí Naqí died in on 29 December 1902 and was buried in the
Sar Qabr Áqá cemetery where Bahá’ís used to be buried. However,
they were not allowed to undertake public burial ceremonies. The
neighbourhood was very hostile, for instance, when the believers
were building a tomb for one of the Bahá’í martyrs the neighbours
destroyed it.
Next to the cemetery there was an alley where a number of Bahá’ís
had settled and where they used to teach the Faith. This passage
was known as the Bábí Alley where some Bahá’ís lived along a small
property known as Baghe Ferdowsi (the Garden of Paradise) that
functioned as a Bahá’í centre. Usually, the Bahá’ís of Tehran came first

Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

BORIS HANDAL

to the centre, visited the Bahá’ís and then went to visit the graves.
A number of notable early believers such as Rúhu’lláh Varqá and
his father are buried there. Mír ‘Alí Naqí was interred next to Mulla ‘Alí
Jan, a Bahá’í martyr. Mír ‘Alí Naqí’s mother was grief-stricken after the
passing of her son and wanted to build a burial chamber for him. For
this reason, the neighbours became very upset and began attacking
the Bahá’í places in the Bábís’ Alley. According to Fazel Mazandarani,
“the enemies in large numbers, in particular some from the Royal mule
regiment, whose commander’s house was in that neighbourhood,
swarmed the cemetery, and began destroying the graves and taking
the dead bodies from their resting places”.16
The mob started shooting and a bullet hit a person. It happened
that at that time a number of the Bahá’ís who belonged to a regiment
called the Cossacks, led by a Russian Colonel, were present having
prayers, studying the Writings and listening to talks. These friends
reacted immediately and counter attacked the mob, pushing them
out of the house and the alley and even injuring some of them.
Interestingly, the regiment commander praised these soldiers and
rewarded them somehow preventing further attacks.

6. Siyyid Riḍá
Siyyid Riḍá (also written as Reza) passed away around 1881, that
is, a few years after becoming a Bahá’í. There is little information
about him except that he was steadfast in the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh and
that along with his older brothers “rose to the service of the Cause
and helped with the victory of the Faith as far as they had time and
capacity”. 17
Siyyid Riḍá was the father of Siyyid Ahmad and Siyyid Mihdí,
both well-known and active believers. Siyyid Ahmad’s brilliant life is
outlined in Part III.
As with Siyyid Mihdí, we know that his son Mírzá Riḍá with his
family pioneered to Austria as early as 1911 and was instrumental for

Fazel Mazandarini. Zuhúru'l-Haqq (The Manifestation of Truth). Tehran, vol 7, p.
232-233, 1944.
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

The Five Brothers

‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to that country in the company of Siyyid Ahmad
in April 1913. A personal testimony of an early German believer in
the book Die Geschichte der Österreichischen Bahá’í Gemeinde [The
History of the Austrian Bahá’í Community] indicates:
The Bahá’í Faith took root in Vienna in 1911: That year, the
Persian Mírzá Riḍá Khamsi Baqiroff settled with his family
in what was then the main city of the Danubian monarchy
[Vienna]. He had been a Bahá’í from childhood and became a
pillar of strength for the gradually emerging Bahá’í community
in Vienna over the two decades until his passing in January
1931. A eulogy prepared by the Bahá’í community of Vienna
at the occasion of the passing of Riḍá Khamsi Baqiroff states
that “the community of spiritual labourers of Vienna owes
much to him, because the departed was a zealous co-worker
and propagator of the sacred teachings who was mindful of
the commandments of Bahá’u’lláh throughout his entire life“.
His daughter, Miss Roghi Khamsi, tragically died only months
after her father’s death. She died on 2 July at the age of 28
years of severe lung disease. As a devoted Bahá’í, she had
also contributed much to the growth and progress of the new
Faith in Vienna. The Viennese Bahá’í community honored her
achievements in spreading the Bahá’í teachings in the capital in
the following words: “She brought the glad tidings to countless
people from the most distinguished circles. Even during her
illness, she was always ready to serve the holy Cause and to
spread it … The widow of Riḍá Khamsi, Khánumgol Khamsi,
returned to Persia at the beginning of the Second World War”.18

The youngest of the five Sádát-i-Khams brothers and the most
prominent was Siyyid Naṣru’lláh for whom the next section is
dedicated. After Andalib led them to accept the Faith he wrote
to Bahá’u’lláh mentioning their names and requesting blessings
upon them. By that time the Blessed Beauty had already moved to
the Mansion of Bahji. Siyyid Naṣru’lláh, Siyyid Mahmúd and Siyyid

Alex Käfer. Die Geschichte der Österreichischen Bahá’í Gemeinde. Horizonte

Verlag, pp 18-19, 2005.

BORIS HANDAL

Asadu’lláh attained His presence in the Holy Land and it is probably in
that residence in the countryside of ‘Akká where the visits took place.

The Five Brothers

Figure 1: Tablet of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Siyyid Naṣru’lláh.
Source: Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams.
BORIS HANDAL

Figure 2: A street scene in ‘Akká, c. 1914.
Courtesy: Bahá’í Media Bank

The Five Brothers

Figure 3: The Caspian Sea and Neighbouring Countries.
Courtesy: Pedro Donaires

Figure 4: Three of the Báqirof brothers are standing on the front. Left to
right: Siyyid Naṣru’lláh, Mír ‘Alí Naqí and Siyyid Asadu’lláh.
Source: Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams.
BORIS HANDAL

Figure 5: Receipts by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for Khamsi-Báqirof
family’s contribution to the Bahá’í Fund.
Courtesy: Khamsi-Samandari family.

The Five Brothers

Figure 6: Siyyid Naṣru’lláh.
Source: Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams.

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Figure 7: Siyyid Naṣru’lláh with some of his children.
Source: Khándán-i-Sádát-i-Khams.

The Five Brothers

Figure 8: Siyyid Naṣru’lláh with Bahá’ís of Tehran.
Sitting on right side of second row.
Source: Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams

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Figure 9: Siyyid Ahmad with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Paris.
Third standing from the left.
Source: Khándán-i-Sádát-i-Khams.

The Five Brothers

Figure 10: Siyyid Ahmad with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Paris.
Third standing from the left.
Courtesy: Khamsi-Samandari family.

BORIS HANDAL

PART 2:
Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof
(1859-1924)
1. Introduction
Naṣru’lláh was a great man, one that attained the presence of
Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in ‘Akká and for over forty years served
the Cause of God in Russia and Iran with unquestioning devotion. He
distinguished himself for the way he used his social influence, being
a rich and respectable businessman, to protect the Bahá’í community
from the constant onslaught of the ecclesiastical Muslim hierarchy
which in turn instigated the establishment and the populace to harass
the believers. Naṣru’lláh was also very successful in teaching the Faith
to prominent people in Iran. The meaning of his name Naṣru’llah in
Arabic, the Victory of God, was certainly befitting of his achievements
in the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.
Abundant words from the Blessed Beauty19 and the Center of
His Covenant confirm his elevated station. For example, Bahá’u’lláh
revealed to him:
O Naṣru’lláh! Thou hast attained unto the precious and
incomparable Word of God. Know this and be of the thankful.
The Pen of the Most High enjoineth steadfastness upon the
people of God, for loud clamour hath been raised in every
land. Those souls who, when affliction befell them, concealed
themselves shamelessly as behind a veil, have now emerged
into the open like serpents, ready to strike at the Lord of
Names. They opposed the One Who hath revealed from the
heaven of His Will the equivalent of every Book of former or
more recent times, while they strive to misguide the people
with their vain imaginings and idle fancies.

A title of Bahá’u’lláh.

BORIS HANDAL

Woe betide them for that which their hands have wrought
in opposition to God. They have repudiated and denied Him,
closing their eyes unto that which was sent down from the
Kingdom of His wondrous Utterance.
Convey the greetings of this Wronged One to the friends, and
rejoice their hearts with the bounties of the One True God,
exalted be His Majesty. The glory which hath dawned above
the horizon of My loving-kindness rest upon thee, and upon
every steadfast and righteous one.20

In turn, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote to him that he had been the cause
of guidance of the prominent men of Iran, a service very difficult to
succeed. He advised Naṣru’lláh to thank God because of this blessing
that can be compared to a crown conferred by the Hand of the Merciful
Himself.21

1.1 Settling in Baku
Siyyid Naṣru’lláh was not highly educated. Actually, he regularly
apologised for not being able to write well. However, he was gifted with
brilliant business acumen, and although deprived of his inheritance
he achieved great commercial success. Naṣru’lláh left his native Rasht
and travelled to Baku on the adjacent shore of the Caspian Sea to begin
a new life when he was 18 years old. Baku was thriving commercially
and, being under Russian sovereignty, meant that the hostile Muslim
ecclesiastics and popular hostility was under governmental control.
Baku is a short form of Badkube which stands for city of winds
due to its strong gusts. This city port, situated on the northern
section of the old Silk Road connecting China and Rome, had plenty of
caravanserais (inns) where caravans packed with travellers stopped.
It was, and still is, the centre of the remarkable Azari culture with a
variety of languages spoken such as Persian (Farsi), the native Azari
and Russian. As discussed earlier, Baku was formerly part of Iran and
therefore it was not a strange place for Iranian. Iran was defeated by
Russia during the Russo-Persian War of 1804-1813 and Baku was

Provisional translation authorised by The Universal House of Justice.

Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i

`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof (1859-1924)

ceded to Russia in the Treaty of Gulistan in October 1813.
In Baku, Naṣru’lláh began to work for a firm in the nascent
petroleum industry. Baku was booming in oil extraction because at
that time extraction was done manually and no complex technology
was needed. Oil naturally emerged from the surface or was found
manually at very close depth. By the end of the 19th century Baku was
supplying more than half of the world’s oil production.
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání stated:
After arriving in Baku, Siyyid Naṣru’lláh began working for a
merchant exporting oil to Iran. Because he was very clever in
commerce, it did not take long for him to achieve great success.
He succeeded so much that when that merchant became
bankrupt, Naṣru’lláh took over the business and slowly paid
back the merchant’s debts to his debtors. An accident also
helped him in this. From the two oil tankers that were travelling
and bringing oil to Iran, one belonged to Siyyid Naṣru’lláh and
the other to another merchant. The one that belonged to the
other merchant sunk while the one that belonged to Siyyid
Naṣru’lláh safely reached Iran. So, the oil was sold at a better
price and his business flourished.22

1.2 Sakineh Khánum
In Baku Siyyid Naṣru’lláh married Sakineh, a Russian citizen, who
was a devoted Bahá’í and the sister of the celebrated poet Mírzá ‘Abd
al-Khaliq Ya’qubzadih. Sakineh bore ten children to Naṣru’lláh: seven
boys and three girls although the first one died at a young age.
According to Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání, “‘Abdu’l-Bahá always had a
great feeling of kindness towards Sakineh Khánum and revealed some
Tablets in her name”.23 In one of His Tablets, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá reminded her
of Siyyid Naṣru’lláh’s special reverence shown at Bahá’u’lláh’s shrine
and how he carried water on his shoulders to water the surrounding
gardens. The Centre of the Covenant advises her that his pilgrimage

Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

BORIS HANDAL

on her behalf has been accepted and prays for the well-being of her
family. In another Tablet, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá compares two of her sons
with jewels that God has given to her and praises Siyyid Naṣru’lláh’s
parental virtues. In a Tablet written in His own handwriting ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá addressed them as descendants from a pure soul and promised
that the light of their children will radiate for centuries to come.
Further, the Master asked Siyyid Naṣru’lláh to choose one of his
talented sons and send him to the Holy Land for His personal training.
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání wrote:
This was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s blessing and loving attention to Jinábi-Báqirof, but Jináb-i-Báqirof answered subtly that both of his
sons were talented! So he sent both of them and for years they
were studying at the University of Beirut under the guidance
of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. In the University of Beirut they were together
with Shoghi Effendi and on holidays they would go attend the
presence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Then from there, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent
them to England to carry on with their studies and because it
was not possible to send money to England from Iran, due to
the First World War, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá supported them. 24

1.3 Wealth and Socio-Economic Development
As stated previously, Siyyid Naṣru’lláh became a wealthy and successful
businessman. For example, he managed to get the concession to
administer the road between Anzali, Rasht’s port, and the capital
Tehran. The concession included the franchise to establish motels
and restaurants along the 370 km route. Previously transportation
was based on animal caravans and traveling on foot but they were
innovatively replaced by wagons and carriages. The concession also
included the maintenance of the road.25 About ten stations were
established along the road where tired horses were replaced by
rested ones ensuring a quicker and more comfortable trip as well
as the faster delivery of merchandise and the postal service. Many
Bahá’ís were employed in that business.
His business combined private entrepreneurship, innovation and
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.
Marzieh Gail. Summon up Remembrance. George Ronald Oxford, p. 98, 1987.

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof (1859-1924)

socio-economic development. Eventually Siyyid Báqirof transferred
his wealth to Iran and settled in Tehran.26 Along with his four brothers,
he owned an important publishing house in Tehran. He also invested
in agriculture, hospitality and entertainment. For example, he bought
extensive properties in the rural areas of Gilan, Mazindaran and the
Rayy area of Tehran where he employed mostly Bahá’ís. According to
Moojan Momen:
Sayyid Nasru’llah Khan Báqirof owned a group of six or seven
villages south of Tehran in the area known as Ghar. These
included Hasanabad (pop. 380 in 1951), Ja’farabad (5 km
southwest of Rayy on the main Tehran to Qumm road, pop. 20
in 1951) and ‘Alíyabad (9 km south of Rayy, 1 km west of the
Tehran to Qumm road, pop. 150 in 1951). A former resident
of Báqirabad states that in 1950s Báqirabad consisted of a
population of 110, of whom 65 were Bahá’ís. From about 1910
Báqirof encouraged Bahá’í villagers to move to these villages,
especially from the villages of the Kashan area, which was
being ravaged by Na’ib Husayn Kashani and the Sultanabad
area. They farmed the area, growing grains and sugar beet and
herding livestock. In 1918 ‘Abbas Mahmúdi moved to these
villages and began to teach the Bahá’í children there. The
Bahá’í villagers often talked about the Bahá’í Faith with the
Muslims in these villages and in the surrounding villages such
as Sayyid-abad, Khalazir (6 km northwest of Rayy, pop. 395
in 1951) and Pala’in (8 km west of Rayy, pop. 176 in 1951).
Among those who tried to spread the Bahá’í Faith in this way
were Mírzá Husayn Jawshqani Masiha’I and his son Mírzá
Amanu’llah Mudir Masiha’i; Mírzá Hatim Khan (of Ahl-Haqq
origin), the clerk at the mill in Hasanabad; Ustad Habibu’llah
Vadqani, the master miller; and Haji Ulya. These individuals
would invite those Muslims who showed interest to meetings
at which ‘Abbas Mahmúdi spoke.
Primary schools were established in three of these villages.

Hossein Abadian. Armenians Socio-Political Activists & Iranian Constitutional

Revolution (1905-1911). In Proceedings of International Academic
Conferences (No. 2503649). International Institute of Social and Economic
Sciences, June 2015.

BORIS HANDAL

The largest was at Hasanabad. At Ja’farabad there was an
established primary school teacher, who for some years was
Ustad Ibrahim ‘Ubudiyyat. At Báqirabad, Sakinih Sultan would
teach during the week and a Bahá’í would come from Tehran
on Fridays to teach arithmetic. The children from this school
would go to Ja’farabad for a short time at the end of their
studies in order to get a signature from the teacher there and
then go to Rayy to have the certificate issued.27

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh also introduced the first cinema and the first
modern hotel with European style. These were known as the Grand
Hotel and the Grand Cinema built on the exclusive Lalehzar Street,
which Násir’d-Dín Sháh had built to emulate the explendor of Parisian
Avenue des Champs-Élysées, a landscape that impressed him in his
last European tour. The hotel and the cinema complex included a
ballroom and a theater. Representing progressive thought the Grand
Hotel hosted in 1924 the first female singer, Qamar-ol-Moluk Vaziri,
without wearing a hijab.28
The Grand Cinema became a recreational space for the people of
Tehran. In turn, the Grand Hotel was built in the hope that ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá would visit Tehran and count on a comfortable place to stay.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself blessed this enterprise and approved Siyyid
Naṣru’lláh’s wishes that the hotel be registered as a property of the
Báhá’í Assembly. Several Western travelled teachers lodged there
such as the Hand of the Cause of God Martha Root in February 1913.
For the Bahá’í Magazine she wrote:
Coming into the Grand Hotel, I saw that covers had been laid
for nearly one hundred and fifty guests; the owners were
giving this dinner in my honour. Many of the famous national
dishes of Persia were served - chicken pilaw with pistachio
nuts, raisins, dates and orange peel for flavour. Also they had
the many delicious fruits for which Persia is so celebrated.
This hotel has been my headquarters. It is one of the most
beautiful and comfortable hotels in all Persia. It is an
Moojan Momen. The Bahá’í Community of Iran. George Ronald Oxford, 2015, pp.
105-106.
A headscarf worn in public by Muslim women.

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof (1859-1924)

interesting fact that the builder of this hostelry, Mr Seyid
Nasroullah Bakeroff [Siyyid Naṣru’lláh], a most ardent Bahá’í,
constructed this luxurious “palace” built round a central court
and with a great theatre, in the hope that the Centre of the
Covenant ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, would come again to His native land
and this hotel would be His home! Some religionist opposed
him and tried to have the construction stopped. They said, “he
is building such a hotel for his God”. Well, indeed he did build
it to the glory of God. One feels the love and the spirit in this
house.
Ordinary travellers are impressed with the courtesy, the
completeness of everything; but coming as I did as a Bahá’í
(and it will be the same when you come), it is infinitely sweet
to hear “Alláh-u-Abhá’” every time a boy comes to serve you;
and he does not walk, he runs to fulfil your wish! The three
brothers Mir Aminoullah Bakeroff, Mir Kamal Bakeroff and
Mir Jalal Bakeroff own this hotel, and with them I feel their
love, their thoughtfulness, their efficient care are showered
upon this humble Bahá’í from the west as it would have been
poured upon ‘Abdu’l-Bahá who never came during His lifetime,
and the builder, too, has passed on to the Other World. 29

1.4 Mode of Living
Siyyid Naṣru’lláh, as well as his brothers, used their wealth to develop
a good relationship with a number of high-ranking people of Iran in
order to protect the Faith. They were well known for their wealth
but also for the integrity with which they conducted their business.
Notwithstanding their prosperity, Siyyid Naṣru’lláh and his family
lived a modest life because he was in essence a simple man. According
to Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání:
Despite the fact that he was not as well educated as his brothers
and would feel embarrassed when he wrote something to the
presence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for not having proper dictation and
writing style, he had a very important status in the country,
which allowed him to declare the Cause to the greatest and

 artha Root. Pilgrimage through Persia. Part 3: Qazvin and Tihran. Star of the
M

West, 21, 6 (September 1930), p. 177.

BORIS HANDAL

most knowledgeable men in Iran at that time.30

He built a magnificent house on the prestigious Amiriyih street
opposite the residence of Prince Kamran Mírzá, the Shah’s son and
also vice-regent. According to Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání:
Jináb [Siyyid Naṣru’lláh] Báqirof, despite the glory and majesty
he had in the eyes of the people, led a very simple life himself.
His home had two parts: Biruni (outside) and Andaruni
(inside). The outside area, which was to meet and welcome the
Prime Ministers, the ministers, ambassadors, the rich and the
famous people of Iran, the people of capacity, was extremely
luxurious and rich. But the Andaruni, where he lived, was
absolutely simple and unadorned. At the dinner area, in the
Andaruni division where he was, at the time of lunch, men
and women, servants or maids, labourers and gardeners, all
of them sat next to him and ate together. He led a very simple
life and if one of his servitors was wasteful, he rebuked him.
However, if he was to spend for the Faith he was extremely
generous.31

1.5 A Russian Citizen
Since his wife Sakineh was Russian, Siyyid Naṣru’lláh obtained
Russian citizenship. Those were very interesting times in Iran and
Baku. In Iran, the Qajar dynasty was absolutely corrupt extracting
money from the rich who for this reason were trying to get hold of
either the Russian or the British citizenship. Such citizenships would
provide them some degree of protection for any abuse through their
embassies.
At the global level the First World War (1911-1914) was raging
all over the world. The Russian front was being attacked by Germany
which was allied with the Turkish Empire. After massive failures
during that conflagration, perennial social inequalities and the
economic crisis that surrounded the country, Czar Nicholas abdicated

Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof (1859-1924)

in 1917. His empire had finally collapsed and was left in the hands of a
politically intolerant Communist regime taking charge of the country.
Some ethnic groups found in this chaotic land an opportunity to be
emancipated from the Russian colonial yoke.
Having its centre in Baku, Azerbaijan was proclaimed as an
autonomous republic comprising the old provinces of Azerbaijan,
Armenia and Georgia but it did not last long because two years later
Azerbaijan was forcefully invaded by Russian forces and declared
a satellite Soviet republic. In the meantime, Iran was in tumult as
everything had become very expensive and there was an acute shortage
of bread that led people to massive protests. There was political chaos
everywhere with people demanding a modern constitution which was
finally adopted in 1910 by the Shah after five years of intense debate
and convulsion. Siyyid Naṣru’lláh must have sensed such instability
as he eventually settled in Tehran during those turbulent years. The
decrepit Qajar monarchy finally collapsed in 1925 and was replaced
by the Pahlavi dynasty led by Reza Shah who was proclaimed king by
a majority of the parliament.

2. Relationship with Bahá’u’lláh
Having accepted Bahá’u’lláh at the beginning of his new spiritual
identity, Siyyid Naṣru’lláh then received two additional bounties. First,
from Baku he visited Bahá’u’lláh in the Prison of ‘Akká and secondly,
he received various Tablets from Him.
Siyyid Naṣru’lláh had the enormous privilege of attaining the
presence of the Manifestation of God during his lifetime. We do not
know exactly the year, but must have been before he was 33 years of
age, while still a young man. What we know is that Siyyid Naṣru’lláh
must have been twenty years old when he became a Bahá’í along with
his four older brothers. In any case, in various Tablets, the Blessed
Beauty reminded him of these two blessings: the blessing of belief
and the blessing of pilgrimage. Such blessings accompanied him for
the rest of his life’s journey, assisting him to become a star in the
firmament of the Faith.
On the inestimable grace of reaching the presence of ‘Him Whom
God shall make manifest’, that is, Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb had revealed in
the Bayán:

BORIS HANDAL

There is no paradise more wondrous for any soul than to be
exposed to God’s Manifestation in His Day, to hear His verses
and believe in them, to attain His presence, which is naught
but the presence of God, to sail upon the sea of the heavenly
kingdom of His good-pleasure, and to partake of the choice
fruits of the paradise of His divine Oneness.32

We do not know how Siyyid Naṣru’lláh travelled to the Holy Land
but being in Baku he could have travelled the new Western route
opened between the strategic Caspian and the Black Seas. The Russian
Empire had built the Trans Caucasus railway around 1883 connecting
Europe and Asia. The 1,200 km line joined the ports of Baku and Poti,
on the Caspian and Black Seas respectively. From Poti, comfortable
steamships took passengers to Istanbul, the capital of Turkey, and
from there the voyage proceeded smoothly towards the Holy Land via
the Mediterranean Sea.
On this pilgrimage to His sacred presence, the Blessed Beauty
revealed to him:
To Jináb-i-Áqá Siyyid Naṣru’lláh, who attained Our presence
He it is Who beholdeth all from the Abhá Horizon
The victory hath indeed arrived, and by it the banners of
dominion have been raised above all other standards by God,
the Incomparable, the Almighty, the All-Knowing. He it is
Who standeth victorious before all creation, summoning all
towards the All-Glorious, the All-Bounteous One. Through Him
the pillars of godlessness have trembled, and the daystar of
Divine Unity shone forth from the Horizon of the Heaven of
Understanding. Through Him the Divine Secret was divulged,
and all created beings proclaimed: “The Kingdom is God’s, the
Lord of the beginning and the end”.
O Naṣru’lláh, thou didst turn towards the Supreme Horizon
while this Wronged One was in the Prison of ‘Akká. Thou didst
enter therein and beheld Us, hearkening unto the Call as it was
raised betwixt earth and heaven; thou didst believe in Him

The Báb. Selections from the Writings of the Báb. Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre,

1976, p. 77.

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof (1859-1924)

Who was seated upon the throne of testimony, endowed with
wisdom and utterance. Remember My loved ones on My behalf
and rejoice them with the glad tidings of My loving providence
that hath encompassed the whole world. Say: Your names have
been sent down from the most exalted Pen as a token of the
bounty of God, the Lord of Lords. We counsel you to preserve
whatsoever hath been given you by God, the loving, the Lord
of grace. By My Life! My remembrance cannot be compared
to that of any in the world. Unto this beareth witness He with
Whom is the knowledge of the Book.
Say: O God, my God! Thou seest my sad condition and hearest
my lamentation. I beseech Thee by the splendours of the
Thine omnipotence and Thy dominion, and by that which was
concealed in Thy knowledge, to ordain for me that which shall
draw me nigh unto Thee. Praised be Thou, O my Lord, for Thou
hast made known unto me Thy hidden mysteries and treasured
symbol, and hast given me to drink from the living waters
of reunion with Thee by the hands of Thy grace and bounty.
Thou hast enabled me to hearken unto Thy most beauteous
call, and hast shown me the splendours of Thy Countenance
shining forth from Thy exalted horizon. I beseech Thee, O
Thou the Lord of the kingdom of eternity, by the sovereignty of
Thy Name, to graciously aid me to serve Thy Cause among thy
servants, and to remember and praise Thee in Thy lands.
O Lord! This stammering one hath turned towards the kingdom
of Thine Utterance; this longing heart seeketh the realm of Thy
providence, and this remote soul the court of Thy nearness. I
beseech Thee not to deny him that which he craveth from the
clouds of Thy mercy and the heaven of Thy grace. Write down,
then, for him the good of this world and the world to come.
Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. No God is there but
Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Glorious. No God is there but
Thee, the Almighty, the All-knowing. 33

In another Tablet the Blessed Beauty gives him the following
exhortations:

Provisional translation authorised by The Universal House of Justice.

BORIS HANDAL

O Naṣr! Upon thee be the glory of God, the Lord of Providence.
Beseech thou God not to deprive His servants from the liberal
effusions of the Lord of creation in the Day of Resurrection.
A man’s life in this world is even as a breeze that wafteth
in through one door and leaveth by another. In this day, it
behooveth the loved ones of the Desire of the world, those who
have quaffed from the ocean of true understanding and fixed
their gaze on the horizon of mercy, to strive with utmost love
and joy and through wisdom and utterance to enlighten the
wayward and awaken the heedless. Say: O friends! Today is the
dawn of the day of justice. Strive ye to become the daysprings
of goodly deeds and acquire an upright and saintly character.
In these days, man hath been accorded the means of attaining
that which is conducive to everlasting life. The honourable
Asad, upon him rest My glory, is with Us and hath presented
thy missive. Praised be God that the fragrance of service and
steadfastness wafteth therefrom. In this day, one must cling
unto that which diffuseth the sweet-smelling savours of
justice, equity, and goodly deeds, and act wholly for the sake
of God, the Lord of creation and the Ordainer in the Promised
Day. This holy injunction hath been sent down by the All-Wise,
the All-Knowing. To this truth beareth witness every one of
the Divine Books. He hath commanded all to observe piety and
uprightness, and to avoid wickedness and oppression.
Blessed is the city whose inhabitants have not been
deterred by worldly distractions from the light of godliness,
trustworthiness, and virtue. This sublime statement is as the
most luminous daystar shining resplendent from the horizon
of the Divine Tablets. Well is it with him who discerneth and
observeth it, and woe betide the heedless. 34

2.1 Passing of Bahá’u’lláh
The ascension of the Ancient Beauty35 in 1892 affected Naṣru’lláh
severely and brought him into a state of despair and hopelessness. It
was a Tablet from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá which brought life back to his heart

Provisional translation authorised by The Universal House of Justice.

A title of Bahá’u’lláh

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof (1859-1924)

through illustrating the continuity of the Cause of God. In that Tablet
the Centre of the Covenant tells Siyyid Naṣru’lláh that He has not
received any news from him for a long time. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá compares
Siyyid Naṣru’lláh to a nightingale that has stopped singing in the
divine garden and mentions His concern. Further, he is encouraged
to open his mouth and sing in such a way that the spiritual world can
reverberate with his melodies. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá called Siyyid Naṣru’lláh
His beloved and urges him to speak up and to stand up in God’s
servitude.
According to Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání:
After reading this Tablet from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, he was refreshed
and he became aware of his own status and purpose. He kept
in mind Bahá’u’lláh’s advice from a Tablet revealed in his
honour, which says, “Good for those servants whose wealth
and property do not deprive them in the Day of God”, and then
he became one of those who sacrificed his life and wealth for
the service of the Cause until the end of his life.36
Being protected by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s shadow, Naṣru’lláh rose above
his limitations and became consistently an example of service.
Following Bahá’u’lláh’s ascension, Naṣru’lláh subsequently attained
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s presence in ‘Akká.

2.2 Guidance from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
‘Abdu’l-Bahá revealed several Tablets to Naṣru’lláh advising him
of various matters. In those Tablets, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá speaks highly of
Naṣru’lláh’s station of servitude. This is one of the Tablets 37praising
his steadfastness:
Baku
Jináb-i-Áqá Siyyid Naṣru’lláh, may the Glory of God be upon him!

Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.
Bahá’í Reference Library. Writings and Talks of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Available from: https://
www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/abdul-baha/additional-tabletsextracts-talks/852331323/852331323.pdf

BORIS HANDAL

He is God
O thou who hast held fast unto the unbreakable Handle! 38
Render thanks unto God that thou hast quaffed from the cup of
steadfastness and constancy and clung unto the sure handle of
perseverance. Thou hast been inebriated with the wine of true
knowledge; thou hast proceeded from the habitation of ruin
to the abode of prosperity. Wherefore, seize the chalice of the
Covenant, exhilarate the friends with the wine of the Divine
Testament, and frustrate the purpose of those who waver.
Tear off the robe of stillness, drink deep from the pure chalice,
and hasten to embrace the true Friend. By the grace and
bounty of God, souls have been raised that stand immovable
as a mountain of iron in the Covenant and are as firm and
strong as an impregnable foundation. They are like unto a
steel barrier in the face of the Gog of vacillation, a strong wall
before the Magog of confusion, a shelter amidst the whirlwind
of sedition, and a safeguard against the tempest of trials. I fain
would hope that through the bounties and bestowals of the
Ancient Beauty—may My soul be a sacrifice for His faithful
lovers—this exquisite robe may befittingly adorn the figure of
that servant of the Abhá Beauty, and thou mayest be so firm
and steadfast that all the friends in that land may too become
steadfast and firm.
The Glory of God rest upon thee and upon all them that
have held fast unto the Covenant!
With regard to the late King’s assassin, His Excellency the
Prime Minister 39 informed all the consuls in the surrounding
regions that, after careful investigation and inquiry, it had
become clear that the contemptible assassin 40 was an anti-

Cf. Qur’án 2:256.
‘Alí-Aṣghar Khán
Following the assassination of Náṣiri’d-Dín Sháh on 1 May 1896, it was assumed,
in the atmosphere of all-pervasive fear, and in light of the previous attempt on
the life of the Sháh in 1852, that his murderer, Mírzá Riḍáy-i-Kirmání, was a
Bábí. Only later did the government acknowledge the fact that Mírzá Riḍá was
an adherent of Siyyid Jamálu’d-Dín-i-Afghání, a political activist and an enemy of
the Cause.

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof (1859-1924)

monarchist and an atheist who had no affiliation with other
groups. Indeed, the establishment of the truth of the matter was
due to the competence, discernment, capacity, fairmindedness,
and justice of the Prime Minister. Praised be God that the truth
of this treason and the partisanship of that arrogant outcast
were made clear and evident. This is for no other reason save
the confirmations of the Kingdom. All the friends of God must
pray continuously, by day and by night, for the glory of His
Majesty, the new just king, 41 and should also value the fairness
and justice of the Prime Minister and pray for his well-being.
The Glory of God rest upon thee.
Ibn-i-Abhar—upon him be the effulgent Glory of God—
highly praised the steadfastness and constancy shown by thee
and by all the friends in that land. Blessed, doubly blessed, are
ye, O servants of the All-Merciful!
Deliver thou the enclosed letters. Among them is a letter
to Nabíl-i-Musáfir, that is, Ḥájí Muḥammad-Báqir-i-Hamadání,
which must be delivered to his son Ḥájí Muḥammad-Taqí, who
hath returned from the Holy Land. Be sure to deliver it.

Three main themes can be found in those Tablets are : Firmness in
the Covenant, general advice to the Bahá’ís about not getting involved
in politics and praising him for being such a wonderful Bahá’í. At
a time when Bahá’í literature was sparce such guidance was very
valuable for Naṣru’lláh’s Bahá’í activities.

2.2.1 Firmness in the Covenant
In several tablets ‘Abdu’l-Bahá reminded and praised Siyyid
Naṣru’lláh for his firmness in the Covenant and testified that the
Sádát-i-Khams (the five brothers) tried the best to serve the Faith.
Siyyid Naṣru’lláh resolutely adhered to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s leadership
following Bahá’u’lláh’s ascension in 1892. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá testifies in
those Tablets that Siyyid Naṣru’lláh certainly has drunk from the cup
of steadfastness in His Covenant. He is compared to a mountain in the
Cause of God and encouraged to be a river of eternal life for his loved

Muẓaffari’d-Dín Sháh

BORIS HANDAL

ones and a flame of fire to His enemies. He also stated that the light
of the Covenant covers the whole world and those who are steadfast
have attained great happiness. Siyyid Naṣru’lláh is further reminded
that in the Cause there is no place for the weak ones. To those who are
not steadfast, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá advised them to rely on God so that they
can pass the test.42

2.2.2 Advice on Politics
‘Abdu’l-Bahá also expounded and elucidated the political crises
that Iran was experiencing. In clear terms, Siyyid Naṣru’lláh was
counselled that the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh were the only remedy for
Iran otherwise the country would continue to experience its current
perturbations. Without the Bahá’í teachings, Siyyid Naṣru’lláh was
told, the poison in people’s liver could not be cured. Hence, the
situation of danger and frustration could not be eliminated. ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá refers to the Iranian people as being asleep and all their lives
being spent on material aspirations. He reiterates that nothing but
the healing from the divine doctor can have a positive effect.
Also, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá advised that the believers should not get
involved in politics in order to remain safe, despite all the internal
tumult. When people observed the Bahá’í Teachings they realised
their benign influence.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá reminded Siyyid Naṣru’lláh that Iranian people found
nothing in politics and their minds became empty-handed when they
looked into the religious establishment. Iran attempted everything
in terms of politics and they received nothing then they turned to
their religious beliefs finding themselves still wanting. Abdu’l-Bahá
reiterated to Siyyid Naṣru’lláh that Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings are the
only divine remedy for Iran’s illnesses.
In a Tablet, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told him the story of Mr Brian, the
American Foreign minister, who upon his return to America gave talks
and declared to the newspaper that Asia can only settle when Bahá’í
teachings are followed. Siyyid Naṣru’lláh was also told that disunity is
a global problem, not only in Iran but also in Europe, which could be

Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i

`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof (1859-1924)

described as birth pains. Hence the principles of Bahá’u’lláh because
were the only solution to prevent wars.
Siyyid Naṣru’lláh is told that Bahá’u’lláh Himself had predicted all
the current ordeals and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá expressed His hopes that the
First World War is transformed into peace so all of humanity attains
everlasting unity and happiness.

2.2.3 Tributes to Siyyid Naṣru’lláh
In many of His Tablets, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá pays tribute to Siyyid
Naṣru’lláh’s special attributes. In one of them, the Centre of
the Covenant compares Siyyid Naṣru’lláh along with two other
distinguished believers, Hájí Mullá Reza and Mírzá ‘Azizu’lláh Khani-Varqá, to the stars of heaven. He says that those souls are the three
shining stars of the Constellation of Taer. He also refers to them as
falcons of the heavens of certitude.43
In one Tablet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá advises Siyyid Naṣru’lláh that in
Tehran as well as in the rest of the world people are ready to receive
Bahá’u’lláh’s message. He also praised Siyyid Naṣru’lláh for teaching
the Faith and said that this is a task that everyone can do, that is,
spending one’s life in the service to Bahá’u’lláh. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá counsels
him to be happy and thankful for such a bounty.44
In another Tablet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells him that his crowning
achievement is having guided the greatest men of the country. Such
was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s love for Siyyid Naṣru’lláh that He would have
written a letter to him every day were it not for the tests that He was
going through. The mere fact of mentioning Siyyid Naṣru’lláh’s name,
‘Abdu’l-Bahá says, would move the ocean of kindness and produce
waves.45
In those Tablets, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá promises that the fame of the
services of Sádát-i-Khams will endure for centuries to come and will

Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

BORIS HANDAL

spread in the heavens. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá even compared them to stars
shining forever promising that the blessings of Bahá’u’lláh will shine
on that family forever. He also said that He prays for his protection
and mercy every second and that He misses Siyyid Naṣru’lláh, that
although he is far from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá still he is in His heart and that
nothing prevents ‘Abdu’l-Bahá from remembering him.46

3. Service
Siyyid Naṣru’lláh’s remarkable services to the Faith took place in the
fields of teaching particularly to prominent people, protection of the
Bahá’ís and defense of the Faith, service within the Bahá’í community
and contribution to the Fund.

3.1 Teaching the Faith
As seen in the previous section, teaching the Faith was a recurrent
theme in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Tablets to Siyyid Naṣru’lláh. But it was
teaching the Faith to prominent people that yielded Siyyid Naṣru’lláh
his best fruits. Around the first decade of the 20th century he managed
to transfer his business and residence from Baku to Tehran. Because
of his wealth and reputation for his professionalism, Siyyid Naṣru’lláh
managed to access the highest levels of Iranian society to protect
the Faith. Being a Russian citizen added to his influence, giving him
special additional legal protection from persecutions.

3.2 Teaching the Faith to Prominent People
Siyyid Naṣru’lláh successfully formed relationships with prominent
people both to teach them the Faith and to engage them in times of
persecution. We do not know much about his work in this field because
those missions were not always recorded for his own protection, the
safeguarding of the Faith and his contacts in the government. Because
of such sensitivities, much of what Siyyid Naṣru’lláh did for the Cause
of Bahá’u’lláh was known to Him alone.
Some of those stories, however, have been left for posterity to
testify this kind of service for which he was so praised by ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá. Akin to the biblical Joseph of Arimathea, Siyyid Naṣru’lláh put

Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i

`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof (1859-1924)

his wealth to serve the interests of the Faith when it was most needed.
According to Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání:
But one of the most important services of Jináb-i-Báqirof in
Iran was the teaching of the Faith to people of highest authority
in Iran. Those who have studied the history of religion are
well aware that the true enemies of the Cause of God in every
religion have been the clerics and not the government officials.
Read the stories of Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity
and Islam and that becomes clear to you. Whenever the
government has risen against another religion, they have
been influenced by the clergy or have been forced by them.
Otherwise the clerics would have instigated the public against
the government. There are many evidences that show this
in the history of the new Cause. As a result, one of the things
that Bahá’ís tried to achieve was to enlighten the minds of the
government officials. So that those who govern the people, if
they have pure hearts, and hold it against divine light or be
at least open to the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith, then they
could understand that the Bahá’ís are not the enemies of the
state, and that their focus is on people’s hearts, which is the
real place for governance, not politics. This is because wicked
clerics have always tried to make the officials believe that the
Bahá’ís are trying to change everything and take control of the
government and abolish all social norms and religious rituals.
At the time of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, because there were political
revolutions going on in Iran, and people wanted change, the
clergy used that state of confusion in Iran to brainwash and
spread lies in the minds of the population and the government
against the Bahá’ís. Some tried to represent Bahá’ís as
constitutionalists to those in favour of dictatorship while
others tried to represent th Bahá’ís as in favour of dictatorship
to constitutionalists. These enemies spreading these ideas in
their papers and propaganda.
When Jináb-i-Báqirof left Baku to Tehran, due to his inherent
capacity, generosity and hospitability and his business and
luxurious life, he could come into contact with the circles
of great people in the country and taught some of them and

BORIS HANDAL

cleared their thoughts, so that they became aware of the truth
and the purity of the Bahá’í Faith. Because he used extreme
prudence and secrecy in teaching these people, not much is
known about these endeavours. But from the Tablets that
‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote in his honour we know that the Centre
of the Covenant was constantly guiding him in his efforts to
teach people of capacity, and that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá constantly
encouraged and guided him to do this and occasionally sent
a Tablet to those people of capacity through him and asked
those in power to protect the oppressed people.47

Talking about his great-uncle’s relationship with the Prime
Minister of Iran, Mas’ud Khamsi wrote:
In 1919 when Jináb-i-Muhammad Partovi was returning from
his pilgrimage to the Holy Land, he was invited by Siyyid
Naṣru’lláh Báqirof to meet him at his business premises. At
the appointed hour, Jináb-i-Báqirof together with Jináb-i-
Partovi got into his famous personal carriage to a destination
unknown to Jináb-i-Partovi. After passing many streets and
alleys, the carriage stopped in front of an ordinary door. The
door opened after they knocked once as if they were expected.
They went to the so-called Andaruni (inside) division. They
went from a door at the back to the front of the house, which
was the so-called Biruni (outside) division. There the Prime
Minister of Iran 48 greeted the guests and entered the hall. Jinábi-Báqirof introduced Mr Partovi to the Prime Minister and said
that Jináb-i-Partovi had just recently arrived from meeting the
holy presence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Greatest Branch of the Tree
of God. The Prime Minister expressed his happiness and bliss
from having visited Him and at the table constantly asked him
questions about how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was and how things were
there and what the news was. 49
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.
Vossug Ed Dowleh. He was Prime Minister between 8 August 1918 and 3 July
1920.
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof (1859-1924)

3.3 Defending the Bahá’ís
Siyyid Naṣru’lláh also used his influence in the government to
safeguard the Bahá’ís who were in danger by the clergy’s harassment.
In many circumstances he used his influence to assist the friends,
overly or covertly, in an environment where the believers had no legal
protection at all, epitomizing what ‘Abdu’l-Bahá‘ said, “Service to the
friends is service to the Kingdom of God...”50
Jináb-i-Fazel Mazandarani in his book History of the Manifestation
of Truth, cited by Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání, wrote the following:
At those times when the enemies wanted to harm the Bahá’ís,
no one could do anything to Mr Báqirof or his property or his
wealth, or prevent the support that he gave to the oppressed.
Among these situations, one was the rescue of Jináb-i-Fazel
Mazandarani himself. When he was in Iraq, he was accused of
instigating the public and he was arrested with his companion
‘Abdu’l-Husayn Ardistani. They were under chains with fetters
at the consulate and were delivered to the border control of
Iran. Jináb-i-Báqirof approached the government and both of
them were not only not harmed but also freed. Another time
was his support of the Bahá’ís of Tehran when their houses
and their businesses were attacked and robbed.51
Mas’ud Khamsi also wrote of Siyyid Naṣru’lláh:
When there was an attack on the businesses and properties
of the Bahá’ís in Tehran, Mr Naṣru’lláh Báqirof went to visit
the Prime Minister Aminu’l-Mulk and officially requested the
arrest of those who had done such things and to bring them
to justice. He said if the Prime Minister did not immediately
respond positively to his request then he would send a telegram
to the court of the Czar of Russia, stating that the Bahá’í people
were being oppressed and that the government of Iran was
not helping, and that he would ask the Czar of Russia to send a
couple of warships to Bandar-i-Anzali, so that Mr Báqirof and

‘Abdu'l-Bahá. Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Bahá’í World Centre,
1982, p. 27.
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

BORIS HANDAL

all the Bahá’ís of Iran could leave Iran and go to Russia.
The Prime Minister Aminu’l-Mulk knew Mr Báqirof and he
knew that his business with Russia was doing extremely good,
and if he didn’t comply then Iran would lose its prestige in the
eyes of Russia, and so he asked Mr Báqirof to wait and assured
him that he would act in this case. As it is written in history,
this is the first time that the troublemakers were arrested,
taken to court and punished. One of them lost his hand for
robbery, according to the Islamic Law.52
Another story told by Mas’ud Khamsi reflects Siyyid Naṣru’lláh’s
ability to protect the Bahá’ís:
Mr Hojabr Sultan was one of the faithful and famous Bahá’ís
from Mazindaran. The clergy and the government of
Mazindaran plotted together and arrested him. They were
plotting to hang him in the name of Bábi and Bahá’í to use this
excuse to kill him and take his properties and divide it among
each other. When the news reached Mr Naṣru’lláh Báqirof, who
was in Tehran, he immediately organised some documents
that showed that Mr Hojabr Sultan actually had business with
Báqirof. Therefore, whatever property he had, any harm to
him would cause damage to the property and financial loss
of the Báqirof family. He sent this to the Consul of Russia. So
the Embassy immediately forwarded this document to the
foreign ministry of the government of Iran and asked them for
an immediate release of Mr Hojabr Sultan, and said that if he
was executed or imprisoned for a long time, the demand of Mr
Naṣru’lláh, a Russian citizen, will be trampled and the Russian
government will officially demand compensation from the
Iranian government. As a result Mr Hojabr was released within
a week. Such events occurred several times to different people.

Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof (1859-1924)

That Siyyid Naṣru’lláh protected the Bahá’ís did not mean that he
was immune from being attacked for being a Bahá’í.
On the 1st May 1896 Násir’d-Dín Sháh, the all-powerful and most
cruel Iranian monarch, was assassinated on the eve of the day when
the nation was going to commemorate publicly his 50th year ascension
to the throne. Already the Blessed Beauty had predicted his fall when
the monarch would soon become “an object-lesson for the world”.54
Bahá’ís were blamed resulting on a wave of persecutions around
the country. It is known for example that Rúhu’lláh (the childmartyr) and his father Varqá were killed for this reason in Tehran.
The following incident occurred in Baku soon after the Shah was
assassinated giving insight into the believers’ suffering. In the book
Bihjatu’l-Sudur by Mírzá Haydar ‘Alí Isfahání, cited in Zuhur al-Haqh,
we read:
The suspicions and accusations [of Násir’d-Dín Sháh’s recent
assassination] fell upon the Bábís. They could not find the
difference between Bábís and Bahá’ís. Therefore, the Bahá’ís
became frightened and stopped their gatherings. The Prime
Minister prevented the view that the Bahá’ís were behind the
attack from becoming a popular view. He issued a decree to
the governors of all provinces that the murderer of the Shah
was Mírzá Reza Kirmani, who is one of the followers of Siyyid
Afghani [the intellectual author of the crime]. And therefore
the governors should restore public order and release anyone
from attacking this group [Bábís and Bahá’ís]. Despite this
order, in some of the provinces, people who were prejudiced
and enemies of the Faith started to accuse and instigate people
to arise and kill and to take the properties of the Bahá’ís.
As an example, Áqá Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof, who had a
business in Baku, was walking by the seaside with his nephew
Áqá Siyyid Ahmad, when a large group of people started
chasing them and swearing at them. They managed to reach
their place of business and the people followed them there,
and it did not take long until the number reached 3,000 people,

Shoghi Effendi. The Promised Day Is Come. Wilmette, US Bahá’í Publishing Trust,

1980, p. 65.

BORIS HANDAL

and were getting ready to attack when suddenly the police
arrived and took Siyyid Naṣru’lláh and his nephew safely to
their residence, and the group of 3,000 people dispersed.
Then the Prime Minister sent the message to Muzaffar-i-din
Mírzá, the oldest son of the Shah and the Heir Prince and the
governor of Adherbayjan. The Prime Minister 55 sent the news
to Muzaffar-i-din Shah to quickly go to Tehran and sit on the
throne. Then the Prime Minister executed Mírzá Reza Kirmani,
who was the murderer of the Shah, and therefore the talk
about Bahá’ís slowly began to subside, and then felicity and
tranquillity came back to the people.56

Martha Root offered more details of the incident:
One day they told me an incident of their good father this Agha
Seyed Nasroullah Bakeroff [Siyyid Naṣru’lláh]. They said that
at the time of Nasiro’d-Din Shah’s [Násir’d-Dín Sháh] death
by an assassin, their father was in Baku. The Muhammadans,
very prejudiced, attacked him and said: “You killed the Shah!”
Everything that ever happened was blamed upon the Bahá’ís.
Fifty policemen came and took the father to the police court.
The Chief of Police shook hands with Mr Bakeroff and said: “I
know you Bahá’ís are the best people in the world and would
not kill anybody! For your own safety, however, I imprison you
here for two days, for if I free you the Muhammadans will put
you to death”. Thus his life was saved.57

Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání confirms the story showing how well the
local authorities regarded Siyyid Naṣru’lláh:
One of the stories that Rúhu’lláh Khamsi writes details a
memory of one of the servants, Mírzá Khalil, who was a good
and active Bahá’í. When there was commotion in the city,
Reza Khan, on behalf of the government, sent police/guards

The heir to the throne.
Fazel Mazandarini. Zuhúru'l-Haqq (The Manifestation of Truth). Tehran, vol 7,
1944, p. 94.
Martha Root. Pilgrimage through Persia. Part 3: Qazvin and Tihran. Star of the
West 21, 6 (September 1930), p. 177.

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof (1859-1924)

to protect Siyyid Naṣru’lláh and his family. This is something
that this servant saw very often. Reza Khan himself at that
time was a top officer, and he was sending some officers to
protect Báqirof. Reza Khan Savad Kouhi, who became the Mír-
Panj, general, and then the King of Iran, founder of the Pahlavi
dynasty.
… No one dared to be against him. When revolts arose against
the Bahá’ís, the government of Iran sent security to protect
Báqirof’s property and house.58
Siyyid Naṣru’lláh was also generous in helping Bahá’ís who
required financial support, occasionally at ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s
request, as well as helping to quell disunity and other problems
that sometimes arose among the Bahá’ís.

3.4 The Central Assembly of Tehran
It is noteworthy that Siyyid Naṣru’lláh also became a member of the
Central Assembly of Tehran which was the precursor of the National
Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Iran elected in 1934.59 This Central
Assembly of Tehran reported directly to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. This was a long
process of administrative growth starting in 1897 when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
gave instructions to a Hand of the Cause, returning from the Holy
Land, for the formation of a Tehran-based council in charge of the
affairs of the Bahá’í Faith in Iran. Previously, a number of believers
wanted to put in practice Bahá’u’lláh’s precept in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas
about setting up a local House of Justice and therefore informally
created their own consultation body which was somehow kept secret
for protection reasons, even for the Bahá’í community, although the
group did not last long.60
In the Most Holy Book, revealed around 1873, the Blessed Beauty
had written:
The Lord hath ordained that in every city a House of Justice
be established wherein shall gather counsellors to the number

Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.
Bahá’í News, August 1934.
Moojan Momen. The Bahá’í Communities of Iran. George Ronald, 2015.

BORIS HANDAL

of Bahá, and should it exceed this number it doth not matter
… It is incumbent upon them to take counsel together and to
have regard for the interests of the servants of God, for His
sake, even as they regard their own interests, and to choose
that which is meet and seemly. Thus hath the Lord your God
commanded you.61

By the time of His ascension in 1892 Baha’u’llah had appointed
four individuals as Hands of the Cause of God. They represented the
only formal administrative structure of the Bahá’í Faith in Iran at
that time. The aforementioned Tehran’s “Assembly of Consultation”
created later by ‘Abdu’l- Bahá in 1897 was composed by the four
Hands of the Cause and five other members appointed by the Hands.
In 1899 this body became the Central Assembly of Tehran also
charged with the propagation and protection of the Faith throughout
Iran, whose members began to be elected around 1913.62 Soon other
Iranian communities in the country followed suit and formed their
own local Bahá’í councils using the Tehran pattern. There were over
thirty of these nascent local spiritual assemblies in Iran by the time
‘Abdu’l- Bahá passed away in 1921.63

3.5 Diplomatic Missions
Siyyid Naṣru’lláh was also ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s representative to foreign
diplomats in Iran, particularly to the Russian and British ambassadors
who, at that time, exerted a strong influence on the Iranian government
as the two major world powers.
In a letter to Siyyid Naṣru’lláh and his brother Siyyid Asadu’lláh,
‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells that He has heard that the Russian ambassador has
been supporting the Bahá’ís and therefore He asks the two brothers
to send His appreciation for such an expression of justice and His
prayers for the government of Russia. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá also requests
them to advise the ambassador that Bahá’ís are lovers of flowers,
irrespective of the garden, as Bahá’u’lláh has taught us to be free of
any prejudice towards a country, race, language or religion. In that

Bahá’u’lláh. The Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Bahá’í World Centre, 1992, p. 29.
Moojan Momen. The Bahá’í Communities of Iran. George Ronald, 2015.
Bahá’í World Centre. Century of Light. Haifa, 2001.

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof (1859-1924)

Tablet, He quotes the Ancient Beauty’s words:
That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself
to the service of the entire human race… It is not for him
to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for
him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country,
and mankind its citizens. 64

During the 1920s Iran’s political disarray accelerated marking the
final years of the Qajar dynasty to the point that in 1923 the Ahmad
Shah, the last monarch, went into exile to France not to come back
ever again, virtually abandoning the crown. The central power was
very weak particularly for managing the provinces. In addition, the
two antagonistic world powers at the time, England and Russia. were
increasingly interfering in the government, dictating internal policies,
even occupying parts of the Iranian territory, each pursuing their own
interests and post First World War imperialist ambitions.
In May 1920 Haji ‘Arab, a devoted believer was martyred and event
which was followed by an intensification of the persecution against
the Bahá’ís. Haji ‘Arab had been killed in May 1920 in Sultánabád
(now Iráq) at the instigation of the local clergy who invented the story
that he had burnt a Koran. A report of the resident British Vice-Consul
informed:
On the 8th of the month, a Babee entered a mosque and burnt a
Khoran. Rumour then said that the man was captured almost
in the act and taken before the Governor who set him free on
the payment of a bribe said to tbe T’s 4000. The priest and
populace then became very incensed and demanded that
the man should be handed over to them; a demonstration
was made two days after before the Governor’s house. In
fear, however, the Governor closed his gates which the crowd
then burst open; he made his escape by the back entrance
to the Nazmiah, not without having several missiles thrown
at him. The rabble then proceeded to destroy his household
possessions and did considerable damage, the Governor’s
estimate being T’s 1000. Up to the 15th, the Bazaars were all

 ahá’u’lláh. Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. US Bahá’í Publishing Trust,
B

p. 346, 1990.

BORIS HANDAL

closed and so remained until the arrival of the Gendarmerie
company from Malayir. Ultimately the Babee was captured
and brought into town by the Gendarmerie, found guilty and
hanged in the Maidan on the 21st. At one time the situation was
most serious, large numbers of people collecting in the Maidan
and demonstrating against the Governor; on one occasion
several blank shots had to be fired before they dispersed…65

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh made a representation on behalf of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
to Mr Herman Norman, the British Ambassador in Tehran, so that
he could interpose his good offices to protect the Bahá’í community.
Moojan Momen wrote:
However, it must be noted that there was no question of ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá having asked the British Government to undertake the
protection of the Bahá’ís in Persia. Indeed, the Bahá’ís of Persia
were at no time taken under the protection of any foreign
power in the same way as the Christian, Zoroastrian and other
minority groups were. In ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s letter to Lord Curzon
relating to Haji ‘Arab’s martyrdom there is the following
sentence specifically disclaiming any such desire: “Our object
is not this that His Majesty’s Government should undertake any
formal protection but rather to incite the Persian Government
to undertake the protection of the Bahá’ís and to shield them
from the evil of the oppressors. Such a measure would lead to
the strength and grandeur of Persia itself”.
Later in the year of 1920, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá opened, for the first
time, direct communications with Mr Norman, the British
Ambassador in Tihran. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s first letter, undated, was
delivered to Mr Norman on 8 November by Siyyid Nasru’llah
Báqirof. In this letter ‘Abdu’l-Bahá assures Mr Norman
of prayers for the success of his endeavours towards the
betterment of Iran, and appoints Báqirof as intermediary for
any messages that Norman may wish to send to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
Norman sent a suitable reply, through Báqirof, dated 9
November 1920.

Moojan Momen. The Bábi and Bahá’í Religions - 1844-1944. George Ronald

Oxford, pp. 445, 1981.

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof (1859-1924)

‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s second letter to Mr Norman was dated 29
October 1920. On 5 February 1921, Báqirof wrote to Norman
asking for an appointment in order to deliver the letter
personally. Norman’s comment on this was: ‘It’s ridiculous
that the letter cannot be sent round by a servant like any other,
but as this appears to be impossible, he can bring it at 10 a.m.
next Tuesday, Feb 8, if that will suit him.’
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s letter was translated thus by Col. T. W. Haig: ‘I
trust in Almighty that you will be successful in your services to
the just govt of G.B. and in supporting the oppressed people who
are the well-wishers of the human kind. Agha Seyed Nasrullah
Bagheroff [Siyyid Naṣru’lláh] who enjoys my confidence is at
Tehran. He will inform you of the circumstances of the murder
of Haji Arab. You should believe what he tells you. I always pray
for the just govt of G.B. and wish you success. Please accept the
assurances of my highest respect.’
Norman appended the following note to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s letter:
‘I think we might send a polite reply, thanking him for his letter,
wishing him health, success and prosperity and promising
to do all that I can in an unofficial way and so far as the very
limited means at my disposal allow, to help his adherents here.
He will no doubt make his desires known to me through Seyyed
Noosrullah. In any case I always act on information received
through our Consuls. I will sign the letter, which should be
sent to Seyyed Naṣru’lláh for transmission. H.C.N. Feb. 9, 1921.’
Norman’s letter was eventually dispatched dated 14 February
1921.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s third letter to Norman is addressed to ‘His
Excellency, the Well-wisher of the Persians’ and dated 17
January 1921. The following is Kamal Báqiroff’s66 translation:
The answer of the letter which was a brilliant proof as
to your equitable affections was the cause of extreme
thankfulness and gratitude, and this great resolution and
high intention will ever be the cause of cheerfulness and
gladness among the Bahais and will never be forgotten.

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh’s son.

BORIS HANDAL

This justice-dispensing is in fact the call of eternity and in
the annals of these well-wishers will decorate an important
page. Jenabe Bagheroff and his friends are so very grateful to
you that made me extremely happy too, and all have highly
praised your efforts and I shall ever with earnestness, to
[at] His threshold, as His protection succour and bounty.
With highest respect [I] write you this letter and beg your
approval.
In a note appended to this letter and dated 15 May 1921,
Norman writes: ‘I should like to send a polite reply in Persian
through Bagherov, saying how much pleasure it has given me
to receive this letter and assuring Abdul Baha that I shall never
relax my efforts on behalf of his followers and always give an
attentive hearing to any representation that they make to me.’67

The Haji ‘Arab’s episode was reported by the Times of London
bringing some publicity to the Bahá’í Faith: “The Bahais, or followers
of Bahai’ullah [sic], and his predecessor the Bab, who are a kind of
Oriental Quakers, spring from Islam, and profess a universal quietist
religion, which has brought them converts in Western Europe,
and especially in America, have added another to their long list of
martyrs….”68
The next year Siyyid Naṣru’lláh made a similar representation this
time when a believer named Mirzá Ya’qúb was attacked on the street
and shot at midday on 24 January 1921. The murder took place in the
city of Kirmanshah, southern Iran. A Bahá’í delegation on behalf of the
Tehran Central Assembly composed by Siyyid Naṣru’lláh and another
believer approached Sir Walter Smart, the British Consular official
in the capital. Consequently, Mr Norman, the British Ambassador,
instructed that a telegram be sent to his local representative: “You
should impress on [Kirmanshah’s] Gov. Gen. my abhorrence of this
wanton crime and urge him to arrest and punish the murderer

Moojan Momen. The Bábi and Bahá’í Religions - 1844-1944. George Ronald
Oxford, pp. 346-347, 1981.
Moojan Momen. The Bábi and Bahá’í Religions - 1844-1944. George Ronald
Oxford, pp. 446, 1981.

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof (1859-1924)

forthwith”69.
We also saw Mr Norman engaged with Siyyid Naṣru’lláh and
another representative of the Tehran Central Assembly, when a mob
attacked and destroyed in June 1920 the tombs of the King and the
Beloved of Martyrs in Isfahan, at the instigation of the Muslim priests.
The King and the Beloved of Martyrs were two famous Bahá’ís who
were beheaded in 1879 for their beliefs.70 Upon receiving the Tehran
Central Assembly’s complaint, the Ambassador telegraphed the
British Consul on that city to address the Governor in order to restore
the graves. Indeed, Mr Norman was a good man.

3.6 Communications between Iran and the Holy Land
In addition to those diplomatic roles, Siyyid Naṣru’lláh managed
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s correspondence between Haifa and the Bahá’ís of Iran
protected by the safety that his Russian citizenship afforded him.
While in Baku he was also the postal contact between ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
and the friends in that city.
The First World War ended in November 1918 with the signing of
the Armistice of Compiègne. The December edition of Star of the West
published the “First Tablet revealed for Bahais of Persia since opening
of doors of Holy Land”, having Siyyid Naṣru’lláh as its recipient. Two
months before the British forces composed mainly by Indian soldiers
had successfully fought the Battle of Haifa marking the liberation of
Palestine from the Turkish yoke and precipitating the end of the war.
As a result, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was rescued from His fifty-year captivity and
from Jamal Pasha, the Turkish commander-in-chief, who threatened
to crucify Him on Mount Carmel and destroy all Bahá’í shrines at
the end of the war. Soon after His rescue, General Edmund Allenby
cabled the Foreign Office in London requesting to “notify the world
that Abdul Baha is safe”.71 During the war pilgrimages to the Holy
Land were suspended and the postal service with Iran was almost
paralysed for political and transportation reasons. The Tablet reads

Moojan Momen. The Bábi and Bahá’í Religions - 1844-1944. George Ronald
Oxford, p. 447, 1981.
Adib Taherzadeh. The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, vol. IV. George Ronald Oxford,
1987.
Shoghi Effendi. God Passes by. Wilmette, US Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1979, p. 306.

BORIS HANDAL

as follows:
To his honor Agha Sayad Nasrollah Bakeroff.—Upon him Be
BAHA’O’LLAH-EL-ABHA.
HE IS GOD!
O thou who art firm in the Covenant!
It was a long time since the thread of correspondence had been
entirely broken, and the hearts were affected with sorrow and
agitation. Now, praise be to God, that in these days, through
divine favor, the black clouds are dispersed and the light of
com­posure and tranquillity has enlightened this region; the
tyrannous government is done away with and followed by a
just administration. All the people are delivered from the most
great hardship and the most difficult affliction. In this huge
tempest and violent revolution, in which all nations of the
world were caught and were involved in dire calamity, cities
were destroyed, people were slaughtered, proper­ties were
pillaged and taken as booty, the cries and lamentations of the
helpless ones were raised from every prominent spot and
the tears falling from the eyes of the orphans like a flowing
tor­rent in all the low countries—under all these conditions,
praise be to God, that through the favor and bounty of the
Blessed Per­fection and because the believers of Cod have lived
in accord with the lordly teachings, they have been protected
and guarded. Not even a single particle of dust settled on the
face of a believer. Verily, this is a most great miracle which
cannot be denied ex­cept by every stiff-necked transgressor!
It has meanwhile be­come evident and manifest that the
holy teachings of His Highness BAHA’O’LLAH are the cause
of the comfort and illumination of the world of humanity.
In the blessed Tablets (of BAHA’O’LLAH) the justice and the
administrative sagacity of the Imperial government of England
have been repeatedly dwelt upon, and now it has become clear
that, in reality, the inhabitants of this country, after untold
sufferings, have attained to composure and security.
This is the first letter that I write to Persia. God willing, I shall
write others afterwards. Convey with the utmost longing to

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof (1859-1924)

each and all the believers of God the wonderful Abha greeting,
and give us the glad-tidings of the health and safety of all
the be­lievers. Although the tempest and the hurricane were
intense and violent, yet, praise be to God, the Ark of Salvation
reached the heaven of security, while protected and guarded.
Announce greeting and salutation on behalf of Abdul-Baha
with the utmost joy and fragrance “to the hands of the Cause
of God,” his honor Ameen72 and likewise the rulers of firmness
and steadfastness in the Covenant and Testament.
Upon thee be Baha-el-Abha!
(Signed) Abdul-Baha Abbas 73

3.7 Contributions to the Funds
Siyyid Naṣru’lláh generously contributed to the Funds of the Faith
and to important projects such as the building of the Shrine of the Báb
and the renovation of the House of Bahá’u’lláh in Baghdad. Likewise,
he significantly contributed to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s travels to the West. This
story is told by Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání:
While ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wanted to travel to Europe and America,
the Bahá’ís of America collected some money for this travel
and sent it but ‘Abdu’l-Bahá refused to accept it. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
then through Mr [Siyyid Naṣru’lláh] Báqirof sent the message
to Abu’l-Hasan Amín, Amínu’lláh, the trustee of Huqúqu’lláh74,
to arrange for 40,000 tumans, which was sufficient for the
travel, to be sent by telegram because ‘Abdu’l-Bahá thought
this trip was in behalf of the Bahá’ís of Iran. So Haji Amin the
same night contacted those Bahá’ís that could afford that much
money and informed them about the message of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
So the Bahá’ís started to sacrifice and gathered that money. As
Mr Balyuzi has written, a great part of the money was provided
 ájí Amín (1831-1928), appointed by Bahá’u’lláh as the Trustee (Amin) of The
H
Huqúq'u'lláh (The “Right of God”). The Huqúqu'lláh (In Arabic, "Right of God")
is an ordenance enunciated by Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. It is a voluntary
payment offered to the Center of the Cause based on 19% of personal income
after necessary expenses are deducted. The funds are used for socio-economic
projects or for philanthropic purposes.
Star of the West, Vol. IX Massa’ul 1, 74 (December 12, 1918), no. 15.
See footnote 85 regarding the Law of Huqúq'u'lláh.

BORIS HANDAL

by Mr Báqirof.
Jináb-i-Rúhu’lláh Khamsi narrates that when the sum was
ready it was decided that Jináb-i-Haji Amin would go and
send this by telegraph to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Then they found his
hesitation to go and send the telegram. When they asked for
the cause, they realised that he did not have the money to send
the telegram. Siyyid Naṣru’lláh took off his cloak and gave it
to him and asked him to go and sell it to pay for the telegram.
The second [Siyyid Naṣru’lláh’s] son was Amínu’lláh75. After the
passing of his older brother, Mír Abdullah, he became the oldest
son. He was involved in helping his father in the business and
after the passing of his father he and Mír Habib, the youngest
son of Siyyid Naṣru’lláh, inherited a wealthy residence, but as
Mr Báqirof had stated, in his will wished that 90,000 Tumans
of his wealth should be given as Huqúqu’lláh. Amínu’lláh, did
not delay the payment and with Mír Habib’s consent, left the
house to Haji Amin and this house later became the school 76
for the education of girls.77

4. Relationship with ‘Abdul-Bahá
We know that at least once Siyyid Naṣru’lláh visited ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
from Baku. He attempted another pilgrimage from Tehran but it could
not materialise because of conditions surrounding ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s
environment.
Naṣru’lláh was devastated with the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in
November 1921. Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání wrote:
Jenab-i-Báqirof was still living when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá passed away
and this servant of God, who was trained by the hand of the
Centre of the Covenant, started to serve Shoghi Effendi. In his
book, Memories of Nine Years in ‘Akká, Jináb-i-Dr-Youness Khan-
Afroukhteh, quotes a sentence from Áqá Siyyid Naṣru’lláh

 mínu’lláh Khamsi became later on a member of the National Spiritual Assembly
A

of Iran for several years. He was born in Baku in 1890 and passed away in
Tehran in 1948.
The Tarbiyat School for Girls in Tehran was established in 1911.

Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i

`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof (1859-1924)

when Shoghi Effendi started his Guardianship, which is a
historical sentence and shows his spiritual maturity. This is
exactly what Jináb-i-Dr-Youness Khan-Afroukhteh wrote on
page 395 of his book: “As soon as the ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
occurred the news reached the Spiritual Assembly of Tehran.
The Book of Covenant was read in the spiritual assembly of
Tehran, at the end of the reading of the Book of Covenant,
Jináb-i-Báqirof stood up and said without any reservation:
“Praised be God, the Faith has become young”. Hearing this I
remembered a poet who expressed his joy on one hand and his
sorrow on the other in a single verse, when a dying king was
passing the crown to the next king. The verse goes like this:
“Why not grieving? Why not laughing? As the sea subsided, a
gem showed up”.78

5. Passing and Significance
Siyyid Naṣru’lláh died four years later in 1924. Mr Mihrabkhání wrote
about the incidents surrounding his passing:
Jináb-i-Báqirof did not have the opportunity to serve Shoghi
Effendi, because in 1923 he passed to the Abhá Kingdom and
joined ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, for whom he had sacrificed all his life,
and his remains were earthed in Golestan-i-Javid in Tehran,
in Amirabad. Shortly after that, Jináb-i-Hájí Amín who was his
faithful friend also joined him, and the descendants of Jináb-i-
Báqirof requested the descendants of Haji Amin that these two
blessed souls, as they were united in this life, in the next life
should also be next to each other. Therefore, the body of Hájí
Amín also was buried next to Jináb-i-Báqirof. When Amirabad
became part of Greater Tehran, the government ordered to
build a new Bahá’í cemetery on the south of Tehran, therefore
the descendants of Mr Báqirof removed the two bodies and
transferred them to the new Bahá’í cemetery, and they were
buried within a meter of each other. 79

Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

BORIS HANDAL

After the passing of Jináb-i-Báqirof, the following telegram was
sent on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to his family:
Compulsory silence delayed me to give my condolences in
regard to your irreplaceable loss. That blessed soul who
ascended to the Lord is resting forever in the arms of the
Eternal Beloved. Shoghi 80

Likewise, the Greatest Holy Leaf, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s sister, sent the
following communication to Siyyid Naṣru’lláh’s family:
The servants and handmaidens of the Holy Threshold of the
Abhá Beauty: The dreadful news of the passing of the blessed
soul of Hazrat-i-Áqá Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof to the Abhá
Kingdom was received by these downhearted souls, and
this new calamity and descended disaster was added to the
sorrows and pains of this mortal being, and in the hearts of
the Holy Leaves. However, after the advent of the greatest
calamity and the immense tragedy of the passing of the
beloved ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, it is explicable that for the nightingales
in the rose garden of faithfulness, living in this mortal cage is
like being in a prison cell so tight and small. The holy souls in
every breath of their lives beseech to take their flights to the
realm of the Almighty, and wish to flee from this world of dust,
like a desolate drop supplicating its union with the sea, and a
bird aspiring to take its flight to the celestial nest. Therefore,
this departed soul certainly reached the ultimate goal of those
who are near to God, and achieved the greatest desire of the
sincere ones, and was blessed with the everlasting joy, and
eternal bliss. That exalted soul during his earthly life was
relentless in his rendering service, in his servitude, and in his
sacrifices in the path of the celestial light. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave a
special attention to that precious soul, and often indicated His
gratification for his conduct, behaviour, and demeanour, as his
deeds were endowed with sincerity and purity of motive, and
his heart was like a garden attributable to the love of God, and
like a glowing candle in all the gatherings.

Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i

`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof (1859-1924)

The hope of this mortal soul from the threshold of the Blessed
Beauty is that those saplings of the Abhá Paradise, and the
survivors of that reservoir of faithfulness be brought with the
divine glad tidings, and be joyful and happy from the Lord’s
Beneficence. May they find solace from the dewdrops of the
effusions of the Celestial Bounties, and find consolation from
the outpouring of magnanimity, and may walk the footsteps
of that honourable man, and dwell in that abode, and be
wayfarers in that path, so that the gates of triumph, felicity,
divine assistance, and salvation be wide open from every
direction for that family, and their lineage for eternity. Praise
be to God, that those saplings of the garden of the love of God,
for many years, being in the nearness to the splendour Spot,
with utmost joy and happiness were nurtured in the shadow
of the Blessed (‘Abdu’l-Bahá), and were in every moment
subject of the beneficence of the Beloved, and his grace and
kindness. Now is the time to manifest the results of those
blessings and favours, which will no doubt, be made manifest.
All the members of the Blessed family share the sorrows of
those mourners and with their poignant hearts offer their
condolences. May glory and praise be upon you. 81

Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i

`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

BORIS HANDAL

Figure 11: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Budapest. Siyyid
Ahmad is second from the left.

Figure 12: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Stuttgart.
Courtesy: Bahá’í Media.

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof (1859-1924)

Figure 13: The Grand Hotel of Tehran in the 1900s.

Figure 14: Shahpoor Avenue, Rasht, 1934.
Source: Shahre Farang.

BORIS HANDAL

Figure 15: Reza Shah in 1941.
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof (1859-1924)

Figure 16: Siyyid Ahmad’s family. Mas’ud Khamsi is standing behind his
father Siyyid Ahmad on the left side.
Source: Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams.

Figure 17: Shoghi Effendi’s map at the beginnning of the Ten Year Crusade.

BORIS HANDAL

Figure 18: Khonsar nowadays.
Courtesy: Nasser Sadeghi, CC BY-SA 3.0

Figure 19: Jane and Mas’ud Khamsi wedding.
Source: Bahá’í Peruvian National Archives.
Siyyid Naṣru’lláh Báqirof (1859-1924)

Figure 20: Jane and Mas’ud at the 1953 Kampala Conference.
Source: Bahá’í Peruvian National Archives.

BORIS HANDAL

PART 3:
Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi-Báqirof
(c1880-1950)
1. Family Life
Another distinguished member of the Sádát-Khams was Siyyid Ahmad
who will always be remembered for his love, devotion and service to
‘Abdu’l-Bahá. A reputable businessman because of his integrity and
trustworthiness, he was highly regarded among the higher circles
of the Iranian society. Such a position gave him the background to
protect the Bahá’í community and advance the process of developing
the new institutions. Siyyid Ahmad had the inestimable privilege to
accompany ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to His travels in Europe in 1913.
We do not know exactly the year of his birth although it appears to
be around the 1880’s in Rasht. As stated previously his father Siyyid
Reza was one of the five brothers who passed away in 1881 about two
years after he had become a Bahá’í. Siyyid Ahmad was mostly raised
by Siyyid Naṣru’lláh.
According to Mas’ud Khamsi “My father was brought up in Russia
[Baku] by his aunts and uncles, he lost his father when he was very
little…”82 It appears that Siyyid Ahmad was raised and introduced
to the commercial world mostly by his uncle Siyyid Naṣru’lláh who
became a kind of father for him.
According to Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání, “Siyyid Ahmad grew older in
Badkubeh [Baku] and as his uncles expanded their business to cover
Iran and Russia, he came to Iran and stayed in Rasht … Siyyid Ahmad
[later] moved from Rasht to Tehran and stayed there because of the
expansion of his job. He was still rendering services to the Cause of
God in addition to dealing with economic and commercial issues …
Siyyid Ahmad shone like a star in the heaven of the Cause of God and

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.

BORIS HANDAL

managed to render many services to the Cause”.83
Dr Iraj Ayman, who knew the family in Tehran, later related:
The Báqirof family was a very extended family. There were
some members who were not Bahá’ís and some who were
Bahá’ís. And they had a very sizeable rice plantation in Rasht
and producing a very special type of rice, which was very
special and expensive in Iran. So, they were coming and going.
They were both residents in Tehran and Rasht. It was not that
sometimes they were always in Rasht and later on move to
Tehran. It was all the time both places. There were a number
of non-Bahá’ís members also, some of them I knew.84

Little Mas’ud was also an ocular witness of many of the ancient
Persian ceremonies held mostly by peasants. Mas’ud said that as a
child, he and his father enjoyed participating in those festivities
from Zoroastrian origin in their land estates where large harvests
were collected by the servants. Dancing around a big fire, singing
ceremonious songs, sacrificing lambs and wearing traditional clothes
were some of the features of those festivals.

2. Homayoun Khánum
Siyyid Ahmad married Homayoun Khánum in Baku and had six
children. Paying tribute to his wife, Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání wrote:
Siyyid Ahmad married Miss Homayoun, the daughter of his
uncle Siyyid Mahmúd from Sádát-i-Khams [the five brothers].
The Bahá’í history of Iran has mostly been about men and
not women due to the cultural environment of the country.
Women were often denied from doing important jobs. But it
is obvious that next to a lion there is a lioness that encourages
and infuses enthusiasm in the men to render spiritual services
to the Cause of God.
Miss Homayoun was one of these lionesses, encouraging her
husband to render services to the Cause of God. Because of

Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.
Personal communication to the author.

Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi-Báqirof (c1880-1950)

this, Siyyid Ahmad‘s house was more like a caravanserai and
was always full of guests. Whenever his friends or strangers
travelled to Rasht, they knew the door of this house was open
to them. Ms Homayoun herself did most of the job to look after
the guests and did not leave it to their maids and servants. She
fed them, provided them with somewhere to sleep, and did for
everyone, whether rich or poor, giving them loving kindness
and friendship.
Sometimes there were great guests too. Among them were
Miss Martha Root and Mrs Ransom-Kehler.85 These two spent
some of their time there and this nest of kindness was adorned
with their presence, while the door of the house was still open
as some friends as well as strangers kept coming and going. At
the time of the departure of Martha Root, the entire members
of the Spiritual Assembly accompanied her to Qazvín [which is
the main city where she wanted to live].
The virtues of Ms Homayoun were not limited to kindness to
the guests, and she also had a strong interest in helping the
poor and those who were in need and weak in the society of
Rasht. At the time of Muharram, or other important Muslim
days such as Safar, she sent food for the prisoners. In the
winter, she visited the poor and those who were in need in the
city and got them kerosene [used as a fuel], clothes and also
coal, and also gave them lots of kindness and encouragement
flowing from her own spiritual kindness.
From the union of Siyyid Ahmad and Homayoun Khánum six
children were left, four daughters and two sons, all of whom
were the spiritual inheritors of their father’s virtues and
services. As for the girls, Miss Laga married Mírzá Muhammadi-Khan-i-Partovi, who was a brave and knowledgeable preacher
of the Faith and was the centre of the teaching services in
different parts of Russia and Iran.
The second daughter was Miss Bahireh. She married Jináb-

 iss Martha Root (1872-1939) and Mrs Keith Ransom-Kehler (1876-1933) were
M

two valiant American women who visited Baha’I communities in Iran. They were
both posthumously appointed Hands of the Cause by Shoghi Effendi.

BORIS HANDAL

i-Habib Sabet [1922-2013], who was a famous businessman
in Iran. This person dedicated all his life and wealth to the
service to the Cause along with his wife, who also rendered
much service to the Cause during and after her husband’s life.
The other daughter was Mulik Khánum. She married Shoghi
Ghadimi. He was a great and devoted servant of the Faith in
Ishqabad.
The last daughter was Soraya Khánum [1921-1997]. She
married Azíz Yazdí [1909-2004] and they pioneered together
to Kenya in Africa. Her husband Jináb-i-Yazdí was appointed
a Continental Counselor by the Universal House of Justice. In
recent years [written in 1973] he has been a member of the
Teaching Centre located in the Holy Land [Haifa]86 87, rendering
international services and at present they live in Canada. 88

Siyyid Ahmad also had two sons: Mahmúd [1918-2003] and
Mas’ud, who were steadfast and devoted to the Cause. In particular,
as Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání said, “Mas’ud Khamsi was the light of the
family”.89
According to Mas’ud Khamsi: “My parents were open-minded and
quite modern for those days, this is why during our childhood and
youth we had freedom of actions, but one thing was obligatory and
imposed on us and that was to attend the Bahá’í classes on Fridays,
without any excuse.”
When Reza Shah, the new monarch, created birth certificates and
identification cards in the second half of the 1920s Siyyid Ahmad
adopted the surname Khamsi like most of the members of the family.
Apparently, the new Shah did not want people to acquire foreign
surnames in their identification cards. Hence, Siyyid Ahmad was
known as Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi or sometimes Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi
Mr Yazdí passed away in 2004.
Bahá’í World News Service, 9 April 2004. Available at: https://news.bahai.org/
story/297/
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi-Báqirof (c1880-1950)

Báqirof. He also had to surrender his Russian citizenship to become
a national of Iran. By then Baku was totally in Communist hands and
most prominent people, either intellectuals or entrepreneurs, had
been executed, put in jail or exiled to Siberia.

4. Spiritual Dimensions of his Business
Both Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís knew Siyyid Ahmad for his integrity in
conducting business. There are certain stories that illustrate his fame
as a man of honesty, righteousness, competence and trustworthiness.
He was most likely the richest active Bahá’í believer in the city of
Rasht.

4.1 Trustworthiness: The Inheritance
Referring to his honourable reputation among the community,
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání wrote:
Siyyid Ahmad was known to everyone in Rasht as a Bahá’í but
his importance and credibility and reputation as an honest,
trustworthy and generous figure, which attracted most people,
did not allow his foes among the clerics to oppose him. Some of
them even respected him and had faith in him and what he did.
This came to the fore when Hosseyn Lakani, the Imam Jomeh90
of Rasht who was very rich and had many wives and many
children, appointed him as the executor of his will to divide his
belongings among the heirs, something which Siyyid Ahmad
did with competence and honesty after the Imam passed away,
making him more famous among people throughout Gilan and
especially those in Rasht and further inspiring their praise.91

4.2 Competency: The Government Finances
Siyyid Ahmad was designated director of the Treasury Department in
Gilan by Arthur Millspaugh. He was a former advisor to the US State
Department Office of Foreign Trade and during 1922-1926 and in
1942-1945 was invited by the Iranian Government to re-organise the

 he Imam Jomeh used to be a high level clergyman running the collective Friday
T
prayers.
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

BORIS HANDAL

country’s finances that were at the point of collapsing. According to
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání:
When Mr Millspaugh, an American councillor, was trying to
solve the internal problems of Iran, he was looking for people
who were capable, trustworthy and knowledgeable. He chose
Siyyid-i-Ahmad-i-Khamsi as the director of the Rasht Revenue.
This was a governmental institution at the time, which included
ministries such as roads, health, tax, etc.

4.3 Socio-Economic Development: Tea Plantation Innovation
Siyyid Ahmad was the first person to introduce the cultivation of tea
in Gilan at ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s suggestion. Before this time, Iran relied
heavily on importing tea but this agricultural innovation also brought
practical benefits to the economy and inhabitants of the province. He
began planting tea bushes in his properties in Lakan, a practice that
was later adopted by other agriculturists from the area.
These tea plantation practices were shared with the broader
community to the extent that it eventually became the largest crop of
the province of Gilan. Mahmúd Khamsi, another son of Siyyid Ahmad,
relates:
My father, in Deh Bozorg [Great Village] in the southern part
of Rasht by the name of Lakan, stretching many kilometres in
width and length, planted the first tea that had been imported
by one of his friends from China to Iran. So, the first plantations
of tea happened in this village, Lakan, by Siyyid Ahmad. Later
on, hundreds of hectares of tea orchards were initiated by
Siyyid Ahmad and others. My father also sent some of the
young leaves of the tea plantation, which he regularly used for
his family, to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

After receiving this tea, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá revealed a Tablet in which
He praises the tea and the crop. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says that this tea is
acceptable and pleasant especially because it comes from a dear
friend. He prays that more plantations will spread and therefore Iran
will be independent from foreign tea.
In order to realise ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s vision for an expansion of tea
plantations, Siyyid Ahmad established an innovative training and

Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi-Báqirof (c1880-1950)

research centre dedicated to enhance tea production in the village of
Lakan.
The Báqirofs also had large rice plantations in the province of
Gilan. According to Dr Iraj Ayman:
… every year they would offer some amount of rice to the
World Centre starting from the time of the Guardian and
continue until I was in Iran, the rest of the family they were
making sure that every year they would send some amount of
rice as a contribution.92

5. Trip to Europe
One of Siyyid Ahmad’s greatest blessing was to be allowed to
accompany ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on His historical travels to Europe. ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá had arrived in December 1912 to Liverpool from His long
journey to North America. The next month he travelled from London
to Paris. The following section will describe that journey using
personal accounts of people involved during that period.

5.1 Paris
‘Abdu’l-Bahá spent several weeks in Paris before undertaking a trip
to Germany, Austria and Hungary. Afterwards he returned to the Holy
Land in June 1913.
During this second visit to Paris ‘Abdu’l-Bahá did not have many
public engagements but met with a number of believers who arrived
from Iran to meet Him. There is a photograph of them with ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá at the Eiffel Tower with Siyyid Ahmad next to Him. However,
from all of those believers Abdu’l-Bahá only chose Siyyid Ahmad to be
added to His entourage coming from North America.
Mahmúd Zarqani, one of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s amanuenses who kept a
diary of His travels to the West, wrote:
It was not possible to hear or record the utterances and words
of ‘Abdu-l-Bahá except in the public gatherings and some
utterances in His own house and also in a hotel He moved
to. Jináb-i-Siyyid Ahmad had a residence in that hotel before
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, where he beseeched ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that while

Personal communication to the author.

BORIS HANDAL

‘Abdu’l-Bahá was residing in the hotel Jináb-i-Siyyid Ahmad
would be doing all the service to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
accepted this and said: “Sádát-i-Khams have always been the
servants of the Cause of God”. That was his first rendering of
service to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at the time of his travel, which was
accepted by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá from an old friend from Iran. But
aside from that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá never accepted gifts or cash given
in big conferences and sent from cities and American states, as
mentioned earlier in the first volume. 93

Mas’ud Khamsi, Siyyid Ahmad’s son, wrote:
At the time when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was staying in Paris for His
travels, Áqá Siyyid Ahmad was the cause of His meetings
with very important governmental officials of Iran, such as
General Mutamed Sepahsalar Rashti and General Tunekabani,
and also the Iranian students from Gilan and Mazindaran, so
these students when they got back to Iran remembered their
meeting with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá until the last days of their life, and
were thankful to Siyyid Ahmad who arranged such a meeting
between students and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and moreover attended
Bahá’í meetings in his homes.94

According to Siyyid Ahmad’s son:
One day he [Siyyid Ahmad] had fallen from a horse and had
severe pain in his side, so he could not attend ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s
presence. So ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent a servant enquiring the reason
of the absence of Siyyid Ahmad. When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá knew the
reason, He personally went to Siyyid Ahmad’s room and rubbed
where he had pain with hands of kindness and tenderness.
The pain was gone immediately and Siyyid Ahmad stood up
and started walking and the pain never came back.95

Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi-Báqirof (c1880-1950)

In the hotel in Rue Lauriston where He was staying, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
celebrated the Feast of Naw-Rúz with the friends. He had a number of
guests for a luncheon that day. Mahmúd Zarqani mentioned:
21st March 1913 was a glorious day of success, the Festival
of Naw Ruz, a day of joy, where ‘Abdu’l-Bahá asked those
who were accompanying Him to attend His presence and
especially Siyyid Ahmad Baqiroff, Áqá Siyyid Asadu’lláh, and
me (Zarqani), and He showered us with His blessings and
kindness.96

According to Mas’ud Khamsi “Jináb-i-Siyyid Asadu’lláh prepared
the Haftsin97 and Samovar and Iranian cup in the presence of ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá, causing much joy and contentment to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Most
Mighty Branch.”98 An Iranian Bahá’í student recorded the details of
that special Naw-Rúz where three different celebrations were held in
just one day to everyone’s delight:
In the second half of March 1913, we received an invitation
letter from the Iranian Embassy for the day of Naw-Rúz. On
Friday, March 21st, Mírzá Habíbu’lláh Khán Sahíhí and I left for
Paris and headed for rue Saint-Didier where Dr. Muhammad
Khán resided. The concierge accompanied us to a hotel
located at 97 Lauriston Street. We met at the restaurant of
the hotel with Ágha Mírzá Ahmad Sohrab and Ághá Mírzá
Ahmad Bagherov having coffee. In the meantime, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
had come downstairs and had taken a seat in a private room
adorned with a central table on which New Year’s specialties
were arranged such as oriental nuts and various Iranian and
Western confectionary and sweets. It was in this room that we
had the honour of finding ourselves in the presence of ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá. Ághá Mírzá Ahmad Bagherov was sitting across
from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The Master wished us a happy new year
and allowed us to take a seat. With his own hands, he offered

Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.
Symbolic table arrangement set up in Persian homes to celebrate the New Year.
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

BORIS HANDAL

us sweets and said: “Iranians eat, Westerners only taste. You
are all Iranians. You should eat”. We obeyed with no hesitation.
Meanwhile, Ághá Mírzá Mahmúd Zarqání and Dr. Muhammad
Khán entered. After a few moments, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá left the room,
leaving the task of hosting in the hands of Jinábi Zarqání. Then,
Mírzá Jalál, Ághá Mírzá ‘Alí Adib (Jinábi Adíb’son) and Ághá
Mírzá Asadu’lláh arrived.
We got up as we had to go to the embassy, but near the door
of the hotel, we met Mírzá Husayn Qazvíní (non-Bahá’í), who
had come to pay his respects to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and informed
us that the reception at the embassy would take place only
in the afternoon. We could not ask for anything better and
we joined the friends again. Mírzá Mahmúd Morshedzádih
and Issá Sádiq, who were students in Versailles at the School
of Pedagogy, also arrived. At that moment, the Master came
back and we all followed him to the reception room. ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá inquired about the health of all the newcomers and
wished them a happy new year. He then spoke of the feast of
Naw-Rúz and Ághá Mírzá Ahmad Sohrab translated as there
were, in attendance, some English and French friends as well
as a distinguished non-Bahá’í young man who had heard the
name of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, had read in the papers the news of his
arrival in Paris and had asked permission to be introduced.
Everyone, Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís, had their eyes on ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá and heard his words with delight. Shortly before noon,
the Westerners asked permission to withdraw. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
entered the dining room. Four of us were about to take our
leave, when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá invited us to stay. We were nine
people around the table: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Entezámu’s-Saltanih,
Dr. Muhammad Khán, Achraf, Issá Sádiq, Mírzá Husayn
Qazvíní, Mírzá Mahmúd Morshedzádih, Ágha Mírzá Jalál and
Ágha Mírzá Habibu’lláh Khán Sahíhí.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá talked about Persian and Western food and also
about traditions and customs in both cultures. After lunch,
Ágha Mirza Sohrab presented to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá two bouquets of
flowers offered on the occasion of Naw-Rúz by an English lady
friend who had been present in the morning. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi-Báqirof (c1880-1950)

accepted them and then retired to rest.
In the afternoon, we went to the Embassy of Iran. Iranian
Bahá’ís, whether they were passing or residing in Paris, had
the obligation, according to the instructions of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
to attend at the embassy. All arrived gradually. The students
stayed longer than the others in order to present their problems
to the Minister Plenipotentiary Montazu’s Saltanih. It was at
that moment that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, accompanied by Mr Dreyfus,
entered the great hall of the embassy. The minister invited
all the students to introduce themselves to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
We took a spot around the big hall — we were about thirty
people. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá extended his solicitude and kindness to
all, congratulated them on the new year, and praised them for
their efforts in acquiring science and knowledge. He spoke in
detail about the historical background of Arab and European
cultures and said that the latter owed much to the former. He
described the transfer of the knowledge and sciences from
the Arabs to the Europeans through the Spaniards. He added:
“You too must learn from Europeans and acquire the qualities
and knowledge they have so as to offer them as gifts to Iran.
I will pray for you to succeed”. The entire audience listened
silently in the greatest concentration and respect. After the
last of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s explanations, the minister invited him to
another room for tea. After a quarter of an hour, the Master
returned and we had the honour to see him again before his
departure with Mr. Dreyfus.
However, before leaving Mr. Dreyfus announced to the Bahá’í
students that on that same evening, a meeting would be
held at his home. And so, after having dined at a restaurant,
we came to Mr. Dreyfus home. There was a large audience
— Iranian and Western Bahá’ís. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was giving
explanations about Naw-Rúz. He went through the history of
the creation of this festival, from ancient times to Baha’u’llah’s
era, and described the traditions and customs of the Iranians
– dressing in new clothes, eating and drinking sweet things,
and rejoicing. Finally, he compared the feast of Naw-Rúz to
the divine revelation and the inauguration of a new era. He

BORIS HANDAL

recalled the customs of the ancient kings of planning and
founding new buildings, charities and institutions on this day.
He expressed the necessity of founding, on such a blessed day,
charitable institutions, of laying the foundations of assemblies
for peace, so that the memory of the feast may remain, and
that one may be able in the future to recall that such work is
the result of such year’s Naw-Rúz feast. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke
in Persian and Mr. Dreyfus would translate. When the Master
finished his speech, he shook the hand of each person present
and left the room. 99

5.2 Stuttgart
The Bahá’í friends in Stuttgart had invited ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to come but,
as He was not feeling well, they had to wait until He had recovered.
Finally, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with Siyyid Ahmad in His entourage left Paris for
Stuttgart on 30 March 1913. It is interesting to note that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
told them to discard their Eastern garments and use Western clothes
withholding the use of oriental headgear. The train to Stuttgart in
Germany’s southwest, 630 km away from Paris, arrived early in the
evening of 1st April 1913 and the Master stayed in the Hotel Maquardt
which was one of the best in the city and close to the train station.
The friends in Stuttgart were not advised of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s coming as
per His wishes because He did not want it to have any newspaper
publicity.
According to Hasan Balyuzi:
Then He let His attendants telephone to some of the Bahá’ís
and inform them of His arrival. Much surprised, these Bahá’ís
hurried to His hotel. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explained that He had
wanted His arrival to be a complete surprise. He loved the
Bahá’ís of Stuttgart, He said, and had spoken often of the
sterling qualities of German Bahá’ís, of their sincerity and
steadfastness; therefore the Faith would gain great strength
in their midst.

Bahá’ís streamed into the hotel the next morning. It was planned

 chraf Achraf. Souvenir du jeune A. Ashraf, Étudiant Baha’i Iranien à Paris.
A

Payám-i- Bahá’í, Juli 1981.

Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi-Báqirof (c1880-1950)

that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would meet them at His hotel in the mornings, and at
other times He would go out to meetings at their homes or elsewhere.
That evening, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s car drew up before the house where
a meeting had been arranged, the cry of ‘Ya Bahá’u’l-Abha’ went up
from a large number gathered outside. The next day, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
remarked that the hotelier might leave his hotel and seek refuge
elsewhere, because of such numbers pouring in. Indeed the staff of the
hotel were shaken and astonished to see so many of their countrymen
pay such attention and respect to an Easterner who, as it seemed, had
come from nowhere. One of the Bahá’ís asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá what to say
when people enquired who He was. Tell them, He said, that He was a
person calling men to the Kingdom of God, a promoter of the Faith of
Bahá’u’lláh, a herald of peace and reconciliation, and an advocate of
the oneness of humanity.
A clergyman of Stuttgart had been greatly impressed by Some
Answered Questions, and requested ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s permission
to translate the book into German. This permission was given
to him; but to his next request to be permitted to communicate
these teachings to the Kaiser, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá replied that it was
not advisable, because the Emperor was proud and would not
deign to listen.
In the evening of April 3rd, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá addressed a large
audience in the upper hall of the City (Burger) Museum.
Sohrab’s English translation of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s talk was, in turn,
rendered into German by Herr Eckstein. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said:
I came from a distant land. I have travelled twenty thousand
miles until I came to you in Stuttgart. Forty years I was a
prisoner. I was young when I was put into prison and my
hair was white when the prison doors opened. After all
these long years of the sufferings of prison life I willingly
took upon myself all the hardships of a long journey. Now I
am here in order to be united with you, in order to meet you.
My purpose is that perchance you may illumine the world
of humanity; that all men may unite in perfect love and
friendship; that religious prejudices, national prejudices,
race distinctions, all may be completely abandoned. The
religions of today consist of dogmas. Because these dogmas

BORIS HANDAL

differ from each other, discord and even hatred is manifest.
Religion must be the basis of all good fellowship. Think
of the turmoil that today exists in the Balkans; how much
blood is shed; how many thousands of mothers have lost
their sons, how many children have become orphans,
and how many buildings, villages, and cities have been
destroyed! The Balkan states have become a volcano. All this
ruin originates from the prejudices created by the different
dogmas, called forth by superstitions and race prejudices.
The essence of the religion of God is love, and the Holy
Books bear testimony to that, for the essence of the religion
of God is the light of the world of humanity; but mankind
today has forgotten what constitutes true religion. Each
nation and each people today hold to some definite dogma
. . . These traditions and these dogmas are like the husks
surrounding the kernel. We must release the kernel from
the husk. The world of humanity is in the dark. Our aim is to
illumine mankind . . . It is our hope that this darkness may
be dispelled and that the rays of the Sun of Reality will shine
again . . . This century is the century of light. This period is
the period of science. This cycle is the cycle of reality. This
age is the age of progress and freedom of thought. This day
is the greatest day of the Lord . . . This time is the time in
which all is resurrected into new life. Therefore, I desire
that all may be united in harmony. Strive and work so that
the standard of the world of human Oneness may be raised
among men, so that the lights of universal peace may shine
and the East and the West embrace, and the material world
become a mirror of the Kingdom of God, that eternal light
may shine forth and that the day [may] break which will not
be followed by night . . .100

‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to Esslingen was particularly moving and
impressive. Anna Koestlin had organized a meeting (which was
more like a festival) on behalf of the children whom she taught. Alma
Knobloch wrote to her sister Pauline (Mrs Joseph Hannen) in America:

Hasan Balyuzi. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. George Ronald Oxford, 1972, p. 381.

Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi-Báqirof (c1880-1950)

We have had some wonderful meetings; the one in Esslingen
surpassed them all. It was the children’s meeting, last
Friday, April 4th, 1913, in the afternoon. They had secured
a very pretty hall, which was most beautifully decorated
with greens, plants and flowers, with large and small tables
near the walls and round tables in the centre. About fifty
children and eighty adults were present. In a smaller room
adjoining the hall the children had been assembled holding
flowers in their hands, forming two lines for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
to pass through. It looked most beautiful as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
came upstairs. He passed through a short hall and looked so
pleased and delighted to see the dear children.101
The children presented their flowers to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and He
gave them boxes of chocolates and sweets. Later He spoke
to them all — children and adults, young and old — and a
photograph was taken outside the hall, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá seated in
their midst. The following day at His hotel He spoke with great
joy of the previous day’s gathering at Esslingen.
On April 5th, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke at a number of meetings. In the
evening He addressed the Esperanto Society whose president,
Professor Christaller, offered Him a warm welcome. The day
ended with dinner at the home of Herr Eckstein. Other Bahá’ís
whose homes ‘Abdu’l-Bahá visited, where meetings were held,
included Consul and Frau Schwarz, Herr and Frau Schweizer,
and Herr and Frau Herrigel. The Schweizers lived in the town
of Zuffenhausen.
The first meeting of the day on Sunday, April 6th, was at the
Hotel Marquardt. So many were there and so many tarried
behind, once the meeting was over, that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá teased
them, saying that they would be forcing the owner of the hotel
to run away. In the afternoon, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was driven in the
Black Forest. Bahá’ís had gathered at the park in Wagenburg.
As there were too many to photograph together, several
group photographs were taken with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the
centre of each. In the evening, there was a public meeting at

Hasan Balyuzi. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. George Ronald Oxford, p. 1972, p. 382.

BORIS HANDAL

the Obere Museum, and once more the attendance was high.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá and His attendants had dinner that night at the
home which Miss Knobloch shared with Fraulein Doring.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá intended to leave for Budapest on April 7th, but
was persuaded by Consul Schwarz to visit Bad Mergentheim,
approximately sixty miles distant from Stuttgart, where
the Consul owned the hotel and the mineral bath. ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá said at Bad Mergentheim that since He had left Persia
He had never until then heard so many nightingales singing
in such beautiful surroundings. However, He would not stay
more than one night. For years a monument to commemorate
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit, consisting of a metal plaque of His profile
mounted on stone, stood in parkland in Bad Mergentheim. It
was removed when the Nazis came to power. As far as can be
ascertained, it was melted down.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá returned to Stuttgart the next day and had
luncheon at the home of Consul and Frau Schwarz. All day the
Bahá’ís streamed in to visit Him until His train left for Budapest
at 8 p.m.102

The next destination after Stuttgart was Budapest, Hungary’s
capital, which was 750 km away. The entourage left Stuttgart on 8
April at 8 pm reaching Vienna twelve hours later and arriving in
Vienna at 8 am on 9 April. To reach Budapest one needs to change
trains in Vienna, Austria’s capital, which was sitting in the middle of
the two cities. Reza Khamsi-Báqirof and other Iranian friends were
waiting for him on the Vienna train platforms to greet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
Reza Khamsi-Báqirof, as seen in the first part of the book, was Siyyid
Ahmad’s first cousin and had settled in Vienna with his family in 1911.
Reza Khamsi Báqirof had already been with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Paris in
the previous weeks.

5.3 Budapest
They arrived in Vienna on 9th April 1913. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was already
feeling weak with a chest condition starting to develop. In Budapest
there were not Bahá’ís but rather a “welcoming committee” waiting

Hasan Balyuzi. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. George Ronald Oxford, 1972, pp. 380-384.

Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi-Báqirof (c1880-1950)

for them.
According to Shoghi Effendi:
… whilst in Budapest He granted an interview to the
President of the University, met on a number of occasions the
famous Orientalist Prof. Arminius Vambery, addressed the
Theosophical Society, and was visited by the President of the
Turanian, and representatives of the Turkish Societies, army
officers, several members of Parliament, and a deputation of
Young Turks, led by Prof. Julius Germanus, who accorded Him
a hearty welcome to the city. “During this time,” is the written
testimony of Dr. Rusztem Vambery, “His (‘Abdu’l-Bahá) room
in the Dunapalota Hotel became a veritable mecca for all
those whom the mysticism of the East and the wisdom of its
Master attracted into its magic circle. Among His visitors were
Count Albert Apponyi, Prelate Alexander Giesswein, Professor
Ignatius Goldziher, the Orientalist of world-wide renown,
Professor Robert A. Nadler, the famous Budapest painter, and
leader of the Hungarian Theosophical Society.103

5.4 Vienna
Already sick, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá travelled back the 250 km between Budapest
to Vienna on 18 April reaching Vienna in the same evening. Among
His activities, He addressed a gathering of Theosophists but most of
the time He was unwell and under the care of doctors recommending
rest. The following stories about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s sojourn in Vienna
have been extracted from the book Die Geschichte der Österreichischen
Bahá’í Gemeinde (The History of the Austrian Bahá’í Community).

5.4.1 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the Turkish Ambassador
The next morning (April 19) ‘Abdu’l-Bahá visited the
Ottoman ambassador in Vienna. This ambassador had asked
his consul in Budapest to visit ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and inform him
of His departure from the Hungarian metropolis. ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá was accompanied by Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi, who was
also in Budapest accompanying the Master. Even though the

Shoghi Effendi. God Passes By. Wilmette, US Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1979, p.

287.

BORIS HANDAL

ambassador was a fanatical Muslim, he was pleased to learn
about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s trip to America and expressed regret for
the suffering ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had endured in the prison city of
‘Akká. He showered his guest with expressions of gratitude
and insisted that He should stay for lunch.104

5.4.2 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Generosity
[One day] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá decided to take a walk. An annual
festival was being held in Vienna at the time called the
“Vienna Flower Day”, where women and young girls in their
most beautiful dresses and with daffodils and azaleas in their
arms offered these flowers to passers-by who met them. The
proceeds from the donations thus collected were intended for
the ill, but especially sick children and their families. Flowers
were also offered to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and His companions, and He
gave donations again and again. He then arrived at a park in
the Inner City, where children were playing. He took them in
His arms and gave everyone some money. When they returned
to the hotel, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had emptied his own pockets, and
everything that His companions had carried on them had,
likewise, been given away. “Today people have bankrupted us,”
He said with a smile. 105

5.4.3 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Detachment
In the evening of the same day, He spoke at the invitation of
the Theosophical Society in their centre at the residence of the
Likaneder family in the first district of Vienna, Johannesgasse
2. In front of a large audience, he explained the inner reality
of man and the progress of the soul. Mírzá Mahmúd Zarqani
reported that “the hearts of the audience were deeply moved,
and after the speech, they swarmed around him like moths”.
One would never have thought that such a meeting could be
organized for Him in Vienna and that one could find people
there who loved Him so much and held Him in such esteem.
Alex Käfer. Die Geschichte der Österreichischen Bahá’í Gemeinde. Horizonte
Verlag, 2005, p. 27.
Alex Käfer. Die Geschichte der Österreichischen Bahá’í Gemeinde. Horizonte
Verlag, 2005, p. 28.

Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi-Báqirof (c1880-1950)

‘Abdu’l-Bahá was still suffering from the consequences of
the flu that He had contracted in Budapest. Nevertheless, He
climbed 120 steps to the fourth floor of the building to reach
the auditorium, since the building was new and did not have
an elevator yet. 106

5.4.4 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the Khamsi Family
At that time, the Khamsi Baqiroff family lived in the third
district of Vienna, 5 Baumannstrasse, door 5. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
partook of a modest meal at the home of this devoted family.
Mrs. Khamsi-Baqiroff had prepared a Persian dish, and ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá insisted on having the entire family with Him at the
table. He then rested on a sofa where the children massaged
His tired muscles a little while he talked to them. Ms. Khamsi-
Baqiroff received permission to bring Persian food to the
Grand Hotel, “but only small chicken,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá reported to
have emphasised. He also asked her to wash His headgear for
Him, even though she found it to be perfectly clean. Moreover,
He asked her to repair the brown velvet hem of his coat (‘Aba),
and all the friends came to collect pieces of the hem that fell off
during the repair.107

5.4.5 Attending ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
According to his son Mas’ud Khamsi:
One of the glorious achievements of Siyyid Ahmad was when
‘Abdu’l-Bahá was down with the flu and was not attending the
European bath, so he prepared the bathroom in the Persian
style and personally took ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to wash His body and
then after that, with the permission of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, he kept all
His clothes, soap and rubber (kise) as a blessing. In 1940, all
these blessed things were sent to the International Archives
for better protection.108
Alex Käfer. Die Geschichte der Österreichischen Bahá’í Gemeinde. Horizonte
Verlag, 2005, p. 28.
Alex Käfer. Die Geschichte der Österreichischen Bahá’í Gemeinde. Horizonte
Verlag, 2005, p. 27.
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

BORIS HANDAL

5.5 Second Visit to Stuttgart
The entourage travelled back to Stuttgart on 24 April 1913 arriving
there in the morning of the following day always accompanied by
Siyyid Ahmad. Detailing ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s activities in that city, Hasan
Balyuzi wrote:
During this second visit to Stuttgart, which also lasted a week,
He was mostly unwell. The cold contracted in Budapest had
persisted and was now affecting His chest. The Bahá’ís of
Stuttgart had arranged and advertised a meeting for the
evening of the 25th at the Burger Museum. In the afternoon
the condition of His chest worsened, causing great concern.
Physicians told Him that He should not go out, and should use
His voice as little as possible. His attendants, whom He had
sent on to the meeting, felt that the large and eager assemblage
there would be disappointed and dismayed should they be
deprived of meeting ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. They returned to the hotel
with a plan which they thought would both safeguard ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá’s health and make it possible for the people to meet
Him. A saloon car, well-protected from the elements, would
take ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the Museum where, in a room apart from
the main hall, people could be allowed into His presence. As
soon as they presented this plan to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and told
Him of the eagerness and disappointment of the audience,
He arose. Physicians had made Him stay indoors, He said;
but His health was for the purpose of serving the Faith. While
Wilhelm Herrigel was giving a talk in His stead, He walked into
the hall, to the utmost delight and surprise of the audience,
and using His full voice delivered a discourse on the need of
world peace and the power that can guarantee it. The talk
over, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was about to leave and return quickly to
His hotel, when a voice was heard, wailing. He stopped and
asked His attendants to make enquiries. It was found that a
lady who had tried to reach ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and had been kept
back by the press of the crowd, was weeping. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
stayed to speak to her words of great kindness. The next day,
to questions about His health, He answered that the previous
night’s venture, although considered very risky, had proved

Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi-Báqirof (c1880-1950)

the right medicine for Him.
The war in the Balkans was mentioned in conversation that
day. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá advised the Bahá’ís to talk of their own
war against materialism and ignorance; the Balkan war led
to death, their war to life; that war led to disaster, their war
always to glory and victory. Christ waged this war on the Cross
and triumphed over all. A man from Switzerland was among
His visitors. To him He said that His stay in Switzerland had
been too short and He had not met many people there, but He
could feel that they were people of great capabilities, and when
the Cause reached them, it would find devoted advocates.
On April 27th a number of children were brought to the hotel.
The sight of children always gave ‘Abdu’l-Bahá great joy. He
said that He particularly loved children because they were
nearer to the Kingdom of God. Later, the parents of one child
told Him how, when asked to pray for the Master’s health, the
child had replied that He would go away if He recovered; ‘we
don’t want him to go away’. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was greatly touched.
Although He had felt better, and had gone out of doors and to
meetings as well, physicians warned Him, on April 29th, not
to attend meetings or tax His voice. Should He follow their
advice, He would be able to travel to Paris within three days.
On the morning of May 1st ‘Abdu’l-Bahá met the Bahá’ís of
Stuttgart in groups. He spoke very tenderly to them. To one
group He said that He wished to converse with them but His
chest was not helpful; He would always anticipate their good
news. To another, He spoke of the two ways in which people
say farewell; for some, memories gradually fade away (out of
sight, out of mind), but others keep their memories ever fresh.
There were Bahá’ís whom He had not seen for years; He was in
Europe, they were in Persia, but they were always in His mind
and close to Him. To a third group He said that, although His
time in Stuttgart was limited, He hoped that the harvest would
prove limitless.
Then He left for Paris. That morning He had been speaking to
Bahá’ís at His hotel all the while, assuring them of His love and

BORIS HANDAL

admiration.109

The entourage stayed in Stuttgart until 1 May on their way back to
Paris after a memorable one-month trip.

6. Services to the Cause of God
Siyyid Ahmad’s services to the Bahá’í Faith were very comprehensive
and encompassed a variety of tasks. For example, he was instrumental
in identifying and documenting Bahá’í Holy places in Iran, a mission
that the Guardian had given to the National Spiritual Assembly.
For Shoghi Effendi the documentation, purchase and conservation
of those sacred buildings on Persian soil was a matter of great
importance since the rapid modernisation and urbanisation of the
country were destroying heritage buildings. In 1936 the beloved
Guardian had instructed the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran to
create a committee for the Holy Places in Iran while the House of
Baha’u’llah in Tehran was finally purchased in 1942.110
It is noteworthy that around one decade before Shoghi Effendi
had asked Effie Baker (1880-1868), an Australian believer, to travel
throughout Iran and photograph historical places associated with
the Bábí and Bahá’í history. It is because of her activities undertaken
while travelling on rugged roads and often on mule, covered with a
chador,111 that we keep a graphic memory of those places which have
now disappeared.
As we are going to see in this section Siyyid Ahmad helped many
Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís who were under oppression, even when he
himself was the target of attacks. At times, for his own security, he had
to carry a gun. According to Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání:
Siyyid Ahmad also had important relationship with the
important people of the city, those who were in high positions,
and they also respected him. His house was extremely rich and
glamorous and was the place that these people frequented.

Hasan Balyuzi. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. George Ronald Oxford, 1972, pp. 390-391.
Robert Stauffer. History of the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Tihran. Iran, 1978.
Available at: https://bahai-library.com/stauffer_history_house_bahaullah
A chador is a head covering cloth for women in Middle Eastern countries.

Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi-Báqirof (c1880-1950)

Therefore, he used these relationships to help the poor and
those who were oppressed, Bahá’í or non-Bahá’í. 112

His son Mas’ud Khamsi recalled that “On another occasion and
other Tablets, He [‘Abdu’l-Bahá] recommended my father to make
friends with the Russian Consul in the city of Rasht, where my father
lived.”113

6.1 Helping Non-Bahá’ís
Timurtash was the governor of the province of Gilan during 1919-
1920. He was known to be very cruel and brutal. He ordered the
execution of a group of people which included a priest who was a
friend of Siyyid Ahmad named Shariat Madar. According to Rúhu’lláh
Mihrabkhání
Allegedly at the time when Timurtash was the governor of
Gilan [1919-1920], some of the people of the province were
not happy with his misbehaviour and there was an uprising.
As a result, he ordered the execution of some people among
which were some religious leaders.
Siyyid Ahmad had developed a friendship with some of these
religious leaders and knew that they were innocent. Before
these people were hanged, Siyyid Ahmad sent some of his
servants who were working in a village near Rasht, called
Eynak, to take these people who were going to be executed
from the authorities and to bring them to the village of Eynak
and eventually set them free. 114

6.2 Protecting the Bahá’ís
In various circumstances Siyyid Ahmad was a champion against
the oppression of the Bahá’í Faith. Two stories are shared below to
illustrate his courage and bravery.

 úhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
R
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.
Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i
`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

BORIS HANDAL

6.2.1 Safekeeping the Remains of Áqá ‘Alí
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání wrote:
Another thing he [Siyyid Ahmad] did was the burial of the
remains of Áqá ‘Alí, a survivor of Shaykh Tabarsi. Evil-doers
dragged the body of Áqá ‘Alí with a rope through the street.
But Áqá Siyyid Ahmad managed to get the holy remains of Áqá
‘Alí and buried him next to the Imam Zadeh Vali, which was a
pilgrimage place for the public. He then instructed a Muslim
woman to be the custodian of the Imam Zadeh so that the
Bahá’ís could go there as pilgrims [because he was one of the
people who was taken in the Shaykh Tabarsi siege incident]115
without any fear. And then later on, when the Bahá’í cemetery
was bought and built, the holy body of Áqá ‘Alí was transferred
to the Bahá’í cemetery. 116

6.2.2 Habib Sabet’s Story
Habib Sabet was Siyyid Ahmad’s son-in-law married to his daughter
Bahereh in 1929. As it is broadly known, Iran was the land of
corruption where government transactions and procedures were
arranged through bribery and kickbacks. Habib’s story reveals how
he as a Bahá’í stood firm against unfairness and how Siyyid Ahmad
managed to release him from an unjust arrest:
In those days, the only other factory in Iran was the sugar
plant of “Kahrizak”. This was controlled by the Ministry of
Arts and Crafts under a Secretary of State named “Motazem-
Saltaneh Farokh”. By orders of Reza Shah, The Great, it was his
duty to keep this factory going despite many problems. Sugar
in those days was not in powder or cubes but in the form of a
loaf or cone. In order to dry the loaves as they came out of the
molds, it was necessary to place them in wooden racks, which
were needed by the hundreds. These shelves or racks, which
had to be uniform and sturdy, were beyond the possibilities of
traditional carpenters who refused to build them anyway.

The uprising took place between October 1848 and May 1849.

Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i

`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi-Báqirof (c1880-1950)

The Ministry, which had a limited budget and a stingy Director,
accepted our offer to produce these racks. The main condition
was that they be delivered complete, installed and accepted
by the inspectors. We fulfilled our part of the contract but the
Ministry didn’t pay. We waited for a while, but still they didn’t
pay. We had done our best but now we were in a financial pinch.
The workers who had not been paid for some time quit their
jobs. The lumber sellers came to the factory many times to
collect their money. The situation became desperate. I decided
to go and see the Minister Mr Farokh. His secretary would not
let me in his office. I said, “I’ll stay here until he comes out,
I won’t move unless I am paid. I’ll even sleep here!” Finally,
Mr Minister allowed me in. I didn’t know if I could sit down.
So, standing, I asked him very politely to issue the payment
order, explaining in the meanwhile the deplorable situation at
the factory. Contrary to my expectations, without the slightest
regret or understanding, he ordered me out of the room. He
said, “Whenever we have money, we’ll pay you”. I said, “If you
didn’t have the funds, why did you order?” He replied, “Don’t
be insolent,” and with that he ordered his secretary to kick me
out. But before leaving, I said, “Maybe the reason you don’t pay
me is because I am an honest person, and haven’t tried to bribe
anyone”. Mr Farokh became very angry and insulted and said
he would have the police arrest me.
Next morning, an officer from the Central Police Department,
which was headed by Colonel Mohamed Hossein Ayrom, came
to arrest me, in return for the work I had done and service
rendered in making those shelves. I was in jail for two months.
After that period, my father-in-law, Sayyed Ahmed [Ahmad]
Khamsi, through his good friend the Minister of Justice, Mr ‘Alí
Akbar Davar, who had reorganized the Department of Justice
and the Courts, interceded and I was called into the office
of Colonel Ayrom. All of this, only after the matter had been
brought to the attention of Reza Shah himself. The Colonel
ordered some tea and sweets and started to appease me,
saying that in reality he had nothing to do with the reason for
my arrest. It was orders. After some time, the Department of

BORIS HANDAL

Arts and Crafts paid 3 000 Tomans, but I’ll never forget that
incident.117

6.2.3 Being Persecuted
Habib Sabet recounted this story showing Siyyid Ahmad being the
subject of assassination and his absolute serenity and forbearance in
the face of danger:
In Rasht the clergy, just like in the rest of Iran, showed severe
opposition to the Cause and the followers of the Faith. In the
time of revolution and Mírzá Kuchik Khan’s governance118 one
of the clerics who had joined Kuchik Khan’s movement tried to
cause trouble for the Bahá’ís and even martyr them, especially
the famous and active Bahá’ís. In one instance, he sent two
of Mírzá Kuchik Khan’s soldiers with guns to the house of a
Bahá’í, Ibthaj ul-Mulk, where they kidnapped him, grabbed
him and took him to the forest where he was handed in to the
cleric and fusilladed.
A few days later, again two other armed soldiers went to the
store of Siyyid-i-Ahmad-i-Khamsi himself and told him that the
Shaykh, one of the clerics, had instructed them to take him to
the forest where that cleric was. Siyyid Ahmad was completely
aware of the martyrdom of his friend Ibthaj ul-Mulk and knew
about the plot, so he told the soldiers that he had to inform
his wife and family, but they didn’t let him and forced him to
get on the horse carriage. One of the soldiers sat next to him,
while the other soldier sat in the front beside the driver of the
carriage. Along the way before they got to the forest to hand
Áqá Ahmad to the Shaykh, the soldier who was sitting in the
front told his friend who was sitting next to Siyyid Ahmad,
“Let’s swap places because I am tired”.
Then the soldier sitting next to Áqáy-i-Khamsi [Siyyid Ahmad],

Habib Sabet. Memoirs, pp 94-95, 1989. Available online from: https://archive.
org/stream/HabibSabetMem/HabibSabetMem_djvu.txt
Mírzá Kuchik Khan was the leader of an uprising against the government which
took place from 1914 till 1921. The uprising became known as the “Jungle
Movement” because it developed in the forests of Gilan province as a guerilla
group.

Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi-Báqirof (c1880-1950)

asked Siyyid Ahmad if he saw the bullets fastened around the
soldier’s waist, and told him that he would use all the bullets
to the end if he had to save Siyyid Ahmad’s life. Jináb-i-Khamsi
Siyyid Ahmad was surprised. He asked for the reason and the
soldier replied:
“Some time ago I had some money. I wanted to leave it with
someone whom I could trust. Everyone told me to go and leave
the money with a Bahá’í called Siyyid Ahmad. So I came and
left my money with you, I lent it to you. Then I went on a trip
for pilgrimage. After I came back, I visited you to get my money
back. You opened the safe. There were so many bags in the
safe full of silver and cash and everything, and you returned
the money plus the interest [without asking any questions].
I would never forget your kindness and this truthfulness of
you. Today I have to repay you and save your life. Do you know
Mírzá Kuchik Khan?”
To which Jináb-i-Khamsi replied, “Yes. He knows me very well
as well” The soldier then said, “So I am at peace now”.
The carriage went on until it came close to the house [where
they were supposed to stop]. The soldier told his friend to wait
there and to look after the prisoner. He said he would use one
of the carriage horses to go somewhere and will come back. He
took one of the horses and rode to Mírzá Kuchik Khan himself,
and recounted the complete story of the cleric’s intention, that
he had arrested Siyyid Ahmad-i-Khamsi, and explained the
situation as it was. Mírzá Kuchik Khán became very distressed
from hearing such a story and said that this cleric wouldn’t
leave them alone. Then he issued an order to the soldier
and said, “take Siyyid Ahmad to his residence in Rasht with
absolute respect”.119

7. Teaching the Faith
Siyyid Ahmad was actively involved supporting the spread of the
Faith in the province of Rasht. He also supported the development of

Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i

`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.

BORIS HANDAL

Bahá’í administration in the area. In the biography about the Hand of
the Cause ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan we read:
In the year 1930, after sixteen years in Russia where he had
lived since he was nine years old, Mr Furútan returned to
Iran as a young, educated man. Travelling from ‘Ishqábad by
bus and train he went to Baku, where he boarded a boat for
Anzali (Bandar-i-Pahlavi), Gilan. The Local Spiritual Assembly
of ‘Ishqábad had informed some friends in Anzali who had
visited ‘Ishqábad in previous years about his arrival and a few
of them came to meet him. They took him to the home of one
of the Bahá’ís and arranged meetings for him with friends. He
stayed in Anzali for a few days before leaving for Rasht. The
Local Spiritual Assembly had also alerted Mírzá Aḥmad Khamsí
Báqirov, who had been with ’Abdu’l-Bahá during His visit to
Paris, about the capacities of this young man. He welcomed
him and invited him to stay at his home. The friends in Rasht
took advantage of his visit to arrange meetings, firesides and
youth and moral education classes.
The Bahá’í News of Iran, Akhbar-i-Amrí, reported his first
activity in Gilan: “Following the decision of its fifth Regional
Convention, the Local Assembly sent Messrs. Áqá Siyyid
Aḥmad Báqirov and Mírzá ‘‘Alí-Akbar Furútan to Siakol and
Langarud to support the process of the Bahá’í elections in
those regions”. This was the first of many reports that would
follow throughout the years. 120

Because of his contacts with non-Bahá’ís at firesides he became
known as an educator visiting their town, and the weekly newspaper
Parvarish asked him for articles on education. He wrote several
articles, which were published on the front page under his own byline;
this was quite an achievement for a Bahá’í in Iran in those days.
Siyyid Ahmad passed away in 1950 in Rasht in the field of service.
He was travel teaching within the province of Gilan along with the
famous Bahá’í Jináb-i Fadil of Mazandaran and fell sick. It was left to

Í rán Furútan Muhájir. Hand of the Cause of God Furútan. Wilmette, US Baha'i

Publishing Trust, p. 60, 2018.

Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi-Báqirof (c1880-1950)

his youngest son Mas’ud Khamsi to advance further the work that
Siyyid Naṣru’lláh and Siyyid Ahmad had initiated and realize the
promise that both Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had given about the
glory of the Khamsi-Báqirof family.

BORIS HANDAL

Figure 21: Shoghi Effendi’s letter to Mas’ud Khamsi

Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi-Báqirof (c1880-1950)

Figure 22: Last photograph of Shoghi Effendi.
Source: Bahá’í Media

BORIS HANDAL

Figure 23: Pioneering in Argentina 1959.
With Ahmad and Dorothy Khamsi.
Source: Bahá’í Peruvian National Archives.

Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi-Báqirof (c1880-1950)

Figure 24: Travel teaching in the Andes.
Courtesy: Bahá’í News, December 1961

Figure 25: Addressing the Bahá’í World Congress in London in 1963.
Source: Bahá’í Peruvian National Archives.
BORIS HANDAL

Figure 26: With indigenous believers in Bolivia.
Source: Bahá’í Peruvian National Archives.

Figure 27: Discussing teaching plans with Hand of the
Cause Dr Muhajir in Bolivia.
Courtesy: Stephen Pulley.
Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi-Báqirof (c1880-1950)

Figure 28: With Hand of the Cause Mr Faizi in Lima.
Source: Bahá’í Peruvian National Archives.

Figure 29: In Tehran before departing for Peru.
Source: Bahá’í Peruvian National Archives.
BORIS HANDAL

Figure 30: At the Green Light Expedition.
Source: The American Bahá’í Archives.

PART 4:
Mas’ud Khamsi
(1922-2013)
Mas’ud Khamsi was Siyyid’s Ahmad youngest son and Siyyid
Naṣru’lláh’s grandnephew. Although under the shadow of these two
illustrious predecessors Mas’ud Khamsi shone with his own light
and attained blessings and victories by his own merits. He will be
remembered for bringing the Faith to the indigenous masses of South
America.
Whereas Siyyid Naṣru’lláh attained the presence of Bahá’u’lláh
and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Siyyid Ahmad met Abdu’l-Bahá, it was for
Mas’ud Khamsi to encounter the Beloved Guardian of the Cause,
Shoghi Effendi, rendering remarkable services not only in Iran but
internationally. It is noteworthy that Mas’ud means fortunate, blessed
and successful in Persian and so were his services to the Cause of God.

1. Childhood and Youth in Iran
Mas’ud came to this world the year after the ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
His passport shows that he was born on 21 April 1922 only because
at the moment of filling in his application form he did not remember
the actual birthday choosing instead the first day of the Festival of
Riḍván as his auspicious spiritual naissance. His great-uncle Siyyid
Naṣru’lláh passed away two years later.

1.1 Childhood
Talking about his childhood, Mas’ud said:
My parents were open-minded and quite modern for those
days, this is why during our childhood and youth we had
freedom of actions, but one thing was obligatory and imposed
on us and that was to attend Bahá’í classes on Fridays, without

BORIS HANDAL

any excuse.121

His children’s class teacher was once the Hand of the Cause of God
‘Alí-Akbar Furútan who put great emphasis on cleanliness such as
having one’s nails cut, hair well cut and combed, and impeccable. “He
taught us how to be a true Bahá’í”, once he recalled.122
Since he was a child, Mas’ud was encouraged by his father to save
his savings in the Nownahálán 123 Bahá’í Company. Those savings,
according to Mas’ud Khamsi “my father immediately gave [them] to
the Bahá’í company (Nownahalan) for children’s savings and bought
shares for my siblings and myself. Unfortunately, during Khomeni’s
regime these shares as well as those acquired by my wife and I for our
children were seized, but I know that someday we will undoubtedly
recover them”. 124

1.2 The Tuman
One of the most treasured objects of Mr Khamsi was the receipt of the
contribution he made as a child to the construction of the Mashriqu’l-
Adhkár of Chicago. Shoghi Effendi had been requesting the Bahá’ís
of Iran to assist in the erection of Temple. His Bahá’í class teacher in
Rasht, Mr Abbas Yabrom, had told the children about this need and
encouraged them to send their savings. As a result Mas’ud sent the
equivalent of one tuman to the Holy Land. The reward was receiving
a receipt signed by the Guardian which Mas’ud called his tuman.125
Wherever he went, Mas’ud used to show to the friends his tuman
remembering the need to contribute to the Fund. He used to say that
it did not matter how much we contribute now for the Temple, as it
Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.
Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.
The Nownahálán company (literally “saplings”) was a Bahá’í children’s thrift
fund created under ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s approval and blessing in 1917. Established
as a non-profit and charitable institution, in 1967 it was composed by 9,000
shareholders with assets amounted to $1,700,000 which were all confiscated
by the Islamic revolution. Many Iranian pioneers living overseas relied on the
income generated by their savings.
Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.
According to Moojan Momen by 1910 an unskilled labourer’s earning was three
tumans a month.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

is not possible to add one more stone to the building. Somebody even
offered one million dollars for the receipt but he rejected the offer
because he said that document was for his grandchildren and great
grandchildren.
“His favorite line in official Bahá’í gatherings”, Shapoor Monadjem
wrote, “was to take out a venerable receipt, signed by Shoghi Effendi
himself, for a payment he had made to the Bahá’í Fund in the 1950s.
He would show this little piece of paper to the audience with raised
hand and glory in the fact that such an ordinary act of such little value
should receive such an honour from the Scion of God. Mr Khamsi
always would vibrate when he related this story as if wanting to
show how our human balance in measuring acts of service is out of
compass with their true worth as judged from on high. As modest and
seemingly routine our contributions as true believers may be, they
become, somehow, prodigious”.126
About fifty years later, Mas’ud met Mr Yabrom by chance at a
conference in the Bahá’í Centre of San Francisco. Once Mas’ud had
delivered the keynote and the meeting ended, Mr Yabrom approached
Mas’ud on the stage. Both recognised each other. Mas’ud said “Abbas
Yabrom!” and he responded, “My student!” They hugged each other
affectionately in an exchange of great emotions. Suddenly Mas’ud
brought the famous tuman from his pocket and showed the Guardian’s
receipt to his teacher and said: “Mr Yabrom, at the children’s classes
in Rasht you told us that the Guardian and the World Centre needed
contributions. I obeyed, sent my contribution and here is the receipt
signed by the Guardian. I want you to see it after fifty years”.127

1.3 Youth Activities in Iran
Mas’ud was a dedicated believer since his early youth. Dr Shapour
Rassekh, a former Counselor and member of the National Spiritual
Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Iran, said:
In my generation, Mas’ud was the most outstanding person.
He sacrificed his whole life for the Faith of God. Therefore, all
of us we feel proud of him…He was the glory of the Khamsi

Personal communication to the author.

Story told by Moojan Matin.

BORIS HANDAL

family … I witnessed his love for serving the Faith and his
detachment from earthly belongings. He was an outstanding
and distinguished young man… He was one of a few active
youths who spoke English.128

In turn, ‘Alí Nakhjavání, former member of the Universal House of
Justice, commented:
I was a couple of years older than dearly loved Mas’ud when
I first met him in Tehran during the early years of the forties
of the last century. He was not only a devoted youth, but also
a dedicated lover of the Cause, intent upon doing his best to
promote its best interests … He was indeed outstanding in the
unique qualities which he possessed from his youthful years
in Iran.
Mas’ud was the embodiment of purity of heart, of true
detachment, of unquestioned loyalty to the Cause, and of
valiant courage, reminiscent of the selfless champions of the
heroic age of God’s Holy Cause. 129

Dr Iraj Ayman, former Counselor and member of the National
Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Iran, wrote about Mas’ud’s early
services:
When I started to meet him he was almost a teenager
accompanying his father to come to our home every week.
He was 16 years old or something like that, because he was
coming sometimes together with his elder brother Mahmúd
who was of course a Bahá’í youth. So that is how it started. It
was in Tehran. Mas’ud was a young Bahá’í. I was meeting him
as an active member because in Iran we had a Bahá’í youth
organisation which was very much similar to the normal
organisation administration in the Bahá’í community that was
only for young people. So there was a national committee, a
local committee and many sub-committees, all sort of activities,
and Mas’ud was one of those active members. But what made

Personal communication to the author.

Personal communication to the author.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

him stand out from the others was that he spoke the English
language fluently and that gave him an opportunity to associate
with the non-Iranian people in Iran and that ended up with his
acquaintance with his future wife and they were in friendly
relationship for a while and finally they married. So, I remember
that and because Mas’ud was contacting his parents living in
Iran and was a member of a [teaching] committee which was
set up to develop closest relationship between Bahá’ís and
non-Bahá’í people from other countries who happened to be
living in Iran. That was a special committee and he was a very
active member. 130

Since his youth, Mas’ud was very active in the Faith. For example,
he was on the National Youth Committee of Iran together with Dr
Rahmatu’lláh Muhájir, who would later be a Hand of the Cause of
God. When he was young he was appointed to the National Youth
Committee. The National Assembly also appointed an adult to this
same Youth Committee. Then Mas’ud wondered whether it was wise
to have an older member on the Youth Committee. He wrote a letter
to the Guardian regarding this person who was much older than
the youth. Apparently, the Guardian answered with a letter to the
National Assembly in which he indicated that it would be a good idea
to perhaps establish a 25 year-old age limit for young people. 131
‘Alí Nakhjavání provided information about another important
facet of Mas’ud Khamsi’s services:
He asked the permission and blessing of his parents to go
alone to villages in the vicinity of Tehran where Bahá’í farmers
resided, in order to encourage them, help their children in
Bahá’í classes, and assist in any way he could to improve the
condition of their villages. I was deeply impressed at the time
as I witnessed his courage, his detachment and his entire
reliance upon divine assistance.132

Story told by Dr Iraj Ayman.
Story told by Kiko Sanchez.
Personal communication to the author.

BORIS HANDAL

1.4 Schooling
Mas’ud finished his studies in Firooz Bahram School of Tehran. This
was a place where many Bahá’í children used to go particularly after
the closure of the Tarbiyat Bahá’í school in 1934 by Reza Shah. Firooz
Bahman was, and still is, a prestigious educational establishment
owned by Zoroastrian citizens. Education consisted of six years of
primary education, three years of middle school education and three
years of high school education. It is interesting to note that he, along
with other Bahá’í students, was a classmate of Hassan Ali Mansour
who eventually would become the prime minister of Iran. In the years
to come Mas’ud, supported by Bahá’í institutions of Iran, cultivated
further that relationship with Hassan Ali Mansour as a way to secure
means to protect the Faith. According to Dr Iraj Ayman:
Because [Hasan Ali Mansour] had some Bahá’í classmates like
Mas’ud, he developed very positive attitudes towards the Bahá’í
Faith and when he became prime minister he mentioned that
one of his intentions is to arrange for the formal recognition
of the Bahá’í Faith and the Bahá’í community in Iran. And that
angered the mullahs because they heard about this intention
and they were much against such a move. [Hassan Ali]
Mansour was that type of a person.133 The first thing he did
was to organise a council for economic studies, because he had
studied economics, and invited me also to join that group, so
I was almost meeting him every few days in that activity, but
Mas’ud was not a member of that activity, but however he was
friend with [Hassan Ali] Mansour.134

1.5 Homefront Pioneering
Mas’ud’s homefront pioneering took place between 1941 and 1942
in the middle of the Second World War that was ravaging the whole
globe. Those were tense political times in Iran. Around that time
England and the Soviet Union had invaded the southern and northern
Iran, respectively. In particular, the Russians occupied Rasht. Although
Iran declared itself neutral in the conflict there were allegations of
 rime Minister Mansur was assassinated by Islamic extremists in January
P
1965 aged 41 years old.
Story told by Dr Iraj Ayman.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

leaning towards German interests. Following the invasion, Reza Shah
was forced to abdicate in favour of his son Muhammad Reza Pahlavi
in September 1941. By that time Iran was drowned in a deep political
crisis where food was scarce and riots and protests were ongoing.
According to Mas’ud:
At the age of 19 between 1941 and 1942, Shoghi Effendi was
asking the Persians through cables to leave the capital city
(Tehran). I decided to move as a pioneer by myself to Khonsar,
near Isfahan, a rough and dangerous city in the centre of Iran.135

As a consequence of the Guardian’s call there was a fever
everywhere to go overseas or homefront pioneering. According to
Javidukht Khadem:
The response of the Bahá’ís to the call for pioneers was truly
impressive. They were so eager to please their Guardian, so
eager to carry out his wishes! Everyone was talking about
this. Everyone wanted to go, regardless of the hardships and
sacrifices. Many families went immediately. Many youth, some
still in their mid-teens, were longing to go …136

Young Mas’ud chose a place that everyone feared to go. It was
called the land of bears137 not because there were bears, perhaps
there were no bears, but because its inhabitants ​​were very aggressive
people. Mas’ud’s mother became very concerned that he was very
young and had just finished his school studies.
Nevertheless, he told his parents that he wanted to be a pioneer
in this dreaded land. “You should not go,” they said. He replied, “I am
going to leave because the Guardian has said that I should not be
listening to you. I want to be a pioneer and therefore I can decide for
myself”. And so he left and became a pioneer.
Mas’ud wanted to go to a difficult place because he said that he
was not afraid of anything or anyone and because he was going to be

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.
Javidukht Khadem. Zikrullah Khadem: The Itinerant Hand of the Cause of God.
Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1990.
Khansar (Khonsar or Khwansar) is located in the province of Isfahan.

BORIS HANDAL

accompanied by the Blessed Beauty and nothing was going to happen
to him. It was his father who made it happen although not without
fear, because few people had been to those lands. Hence, Mas’ud, with
his little suitcase and a bag in hand, left for his pioneering service to
that place.
Being her youngest son, Mas’ud’s mother was reluctant to let him
go to Khonsar. Late one evening she went to wake up Mr Furutan
because she knew the influence he had on Mas’ud. He had been his
children’s class teacher for many years and knew him as a young
man. Mr Furutan could surely influence Mas’ud in the way that his
mother was hoping for. Mas’ud’s mother was able to wake Mr Furutan
up (at around 1 am). She begged him to make Mas’ud desist from going
to such a place. She did not want her son to die in a strange land. Mr
Furutan said, “Do not worry, he will be very well protected. I am sorry
that I cannot help you … when a young man decides to undertake his
pioneering service, nobody should stop him. No one should prevent
it.” Mas’ud’s mother was dismayed because she could not prevent this
trip and thus, her only option was to hide extra money and stitch it
into his coat.138
Mas’ud lived through many powerful experiences in this
place. However, he happily returned because he said that he had
witnessed important changes in the Khonsar people thanks to
the Bahá’í teachings. Mas’ud said it had been one of the most wonderful
experiences that he had ever had in his life. He had pioneered to the
land of the bears and would never forget his experiences and the
activities he engaged in Khonsar:
Following in my family’s footsteps I became friends with a
community leader and the Faith and the Bahá’ís were then
completely protected, I even invited more pioneers from other
cities such as Isfahan, Yazd and Kashan so the Local Spiritual
Assembly of Khonsar was established, I took note also of
stories of the martyr “Al Kar” (the deaf one) and took pictures
of his grave site for the Persian Bahá’í national archives.139

Story provided by Marta Tirado.

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

After one year he had to return to Tehran due to bad health and
because of Khonsar’s altitude.140 He also had to complete his university
studies to obtain a Bachelor in Linguistics.

1.6 University Studies
Mas’ud enrolled to study languages at Tehran University. He wanted
to become a medical doctor because of the potential to serve the
Faith. However, Mas’ud studied linguistics because it was the only
career path that let him remain as a pioneer and go to University only
for exams. He also did a six-month internship at the famous “Internat
Schloss Plön” of Hamburg to practice and to learn more of the German
language before graduation. That educational establishment was an
exclusive place for children of the European royalty and prominent
people.
There is a story of Mas’ud in Peru at an advanced age showcasing
his knowledge of linguistics and literature:
On one occasion at the Catholic University of Peru there was
a lecture on Persian poetry. Mr Khamsi had been invited and
we were lucky to go with him, Jane and other friends. There
was some literature about the persecution of the Bahá’ís of
Iran that Mr Khamsi authorized me to bring and distribute.
When we arrived we were amazed that the Muslims seemed
to feel that Mr Khamsi was their leader. We Bahá’ís realized at
that moment just how much they respected him and all came
together to greet him. However the story does not finish here.
There was a Mulla141 and, as it is known, they do not shake
hands with women. Mama Olya Rouhi, one of the believers
insisted to shake hands with the Mulla until he finally did.
There were Peruvian poets reciting poems of famous Persian
poets such as Omar Khayyam and Hafez. I was behind Mr
Khamsi when he whispered in my ear, “that poet that they are
referring to is a mundane poet”. Mr Khamsi stood up and asked
to go to the stage to talk about Persian poetry. Mr Khamsi began
to speak so well about Persian poetry and reciting Persian
verses that the professors who had the Persian poetry chair

Khonsar was at 2,300 m above sea level.

A Muslim priest.

BORIS HANDAL

looked at him with respect. Very few Bahá’ís knew about that
facet of Mr Khamsi. He started talking about the great Persian
poets so eloquently. I never imagined that Mr Khamsi had such
eloquence for Persian poetry.142

1.7 Work in Tehran
After graduation Mas’ud began working in the family business.
According to Ali Nakhjavani:
My next recollection of Mas’ud Khamsi was when in Tehran
he was among the brilliant youth who participated in Bahá’í
gatherings. When he finished his studies, he was employed
by his brother-in-law, Mr Habib Sabet, in the latter’s business
undertakings.143

According to Mas’ud
My first job was in Tehran, first in a private business and
then with a group who were partners of my sister Bahereh
and brother-in-law Habib Sabet, at that time they lived in the
United States.144

He once was a Director of the first television station in Iran
established by Mr Sabet, his brother-in-law. Within the Bahá’í
environment he was actively occupied with others gaining the goals
of Shoghi Effendi’s first 45-month Iranian National Plan which
consisted of the consolidation of all Bahá’í local communities, the reestablishment of 62 dissolved Spiritual Assembles, the formation of
22 new groups and the creation of 13 new centres throughout Iran.145

1.8 Mary Jane Snyder Khamsi
Mas’ud Khamsi married Mary Jane Snyder Khamsi, who was not a
Bahá’í, in 1951, one or two years after his father Siyyid Ahmad passed
away. She was born in Rochester, New York, in 1922. Dorothy Khamsi-

Story told by Azam Matin.
Personal communication to the author.
Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.
The Baháʾí World Centre. The Baháʾí World: A Biennial International Record,
1930-1932, Volume IV. Wilmette, Baháʾí Publishing Trust, 1933, pp. 34-35.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

Samandari, Mas’ud’s daughter recalled the circumstances of their
engagement:
Mary Jane Snyder worked at the State Department in
Washington, D.C. and was offered a 2-year job either in Japan
or Iran to work at the US Embassy. She went by boat through
the Suez Canal and in Tehran shared residence with an
American couple. One early Sunday morning she answered the
door and standing in the doorway was a handsome man in an
elegant tweed suit, she said her heart jumped, he was there for
business with the couple. He drove a Studerbaker. They dated
for a while and Mother returned to the US as she came from
the Presbyterian faith and a different culture, and no family in
Iran, it wouldn’t work, so they brokenheartedly said goodbye
and she returned to the US. A few months after, my father with
his mother’s consent, requested she comes back to marry
him.146

Receiving the marriage consent from his mother was not easy.
When he announced his marriage with a North American lady,
his mother was opposed to the idea. She said, “I am not giving you
permission because she is not a Bahá’í. She will be a Bahá’í only to
marry you. This is not going to be a good marriage”. Mas’ud said that
he kept praying for days until his mother finally issued the consent. It
was a difficult time for both of them when they were getting to know
each other.
Jane became a Bahá’í through Enoch Olinga, a dedicated African
travel teacher and later a Hand of the Cause of God. From then onward
she became a strong and dedicated believer. In Mas’ud words:
She became a Bahá’í in Kampala, Uganda in 1953 during the
Bahá’í Conference, and became my companion in service
to the Blessed Beauty. Together we participated in several
international Conferences planned by the beloved Guardian
in preparation for the World Spiritual Crusade that began in
1953.147

Personal communication to the author.

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.

BORIS HANDAL

Jane was a radiant lady full of laughter and happiness while Mas’ud
always had a great sense of humour. They both made a special couple.
A personal assistant told the following story many years later:
One day I was at Mr. Khamsi’s house having tea with Jane and
him. After working with him for almost four years I knew Mr.
Khamsi very well, particularly what he was going to say next.
Suddenly Mr. Khamsi covered his mouth with the right hand
and I told him, “Mr. Khamsi, you have remembered a joke”.
“And how do you know?”, he asked me to which I responded,
“Mr. Khamsi, I have been working with you for so long!” “Ah,
I’m going to tell you a joke,” Mr. Khamsi said “but first I’ll tell
you what happened to me with Jane.” He continued, “When
my daughter Dorothy was born, I was in the United States at
the hotel with Jane”. I asked him “What is the joke?”, “Wait a
minute”, he told me. “In that hotel there were no service for
washing cloth diapers”. He made me understood that at that
time there were no disposable diapers like nowadays. Jane
was laughing heartedly and I asked Mr Khamsi for the reason,
“Mr. Khamsi, if nobody washed the diapers in the hotel, who
then washed them?” He stared at Jane who kept laughing. “You
guess”, he asked me and I said “Was it Jane?”. Jane said “No,
because Bahá’u’lláh talks about equality of men and women”.
So I asked again, “Mr. Khamsi, who then washed the diapers?”
“Very good question - I washed the diapers”, said Mr Khamsi
“And Jane?” I probed further. “That’s also a very good question”,
he replied. “As my forehead was sweating, she was wiping it
with a wet cloth!” 148

A special tribute should be paid to Jane Khamsi as the person
who stood beside Mas’ud in his historical services supporting him
throughout the many years in the field of pioneering in foreign places.
During extensive periods he was absent from home for national and
international teaching trips, with the rearing of the children left to her
without any extended family around to help except a few members of
the local Bahá’í community. One must highlight her dedicated services
on Local Spiritual Assemblies and national committees in Bolivia and

Story told by Conrado Rodriguez.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

Peru. Besides the public figure, there was a woman who made her
own sacrifice, consolidating the family in the background. Dorothy
Khamsi-Samandari recalled some of those commitments:
My father would invite 100-200 people for picnics monthly,
people would appear at the house unannounced (at meal time)
pioneers and travel-teachers would pass through and so to
save for the Fund they would stay in homes. Often deepenings
and weddings also were held. This meant constantly cooking
and washing etc., and often no privacy, then he (Mas’ud) would
leave for a month or a few weeks again to summer schools or
conferences leaving my Mom to arrange for herself with four
needy kids.149

Some traveling teachers once wrote: “The Khamsi family’s
hospitality is one of the wonders of the South American continent …
Jane fed us so well to prepare us for the rest of our travels”.150
There is a beautiful letter from Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum
addressed to Mas’ud and Jane paying tribute to the Khamsi’s
dedication and devotion and wishing them well in their services to
the Cause of Baha’u’llah:
Haifa 3 June 1967
Dear Mas’ud and Jane,
I am so very happy to have these times together with you and
your lovely children – and so happy you are going back to
South America. I know what you can do there and although it
is not miracles it can be very close to miracles because of your
spirit, your understanding, your faith and capacity as Bahá’ís.
I also feel sure the four children, each in their own way, will be
of service to the Cause there. This is one more of the wonderful
blessings of being a Bahá’í – that no matter how old or young
we are there is a special portion of service ready for each of us
if we only open our hands and take it …
Rúhíyyih

Personal communication to the author.

Boris Handal. In Memoriam Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013). Unpublished.

BORIS HANDAL

When Jane passed away in December 2018, the Universal House
of Justice wrote to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of
the United States celebrating her life: “Her many years of devoted
service to the Cause of God, including her valued contributions here
at the Bahá’í World Centre, are fondly remembered”.151

2. Meeting the Guardian
A crucial event in Mas’ud’s life was meeting the beloved Guardian
during the days of Fast in 1953, one that transformed him forever
and empowered his being to reach unimaginable, never thought,
altitudes of service during his life particularly in South America. It
was an unexpected opportunity that came to him while attending
with Jane a Bahá’í Conference in Kampala, Uganda. For Jane, having
known the Bahá’í Faith only in Iran, the conference allowed her to
meet believers from various parts of the world and become a firm
and dedicated believer in the years to come including outstanding
pioneering services in Argentina, Bolivia and Peru.
At the request of Shoghi Effendi, four intercontinental conferences
were held in 1953 to commemorate the 100th year of Bahá’u’lláh’s
Revelation and to celebrate the launch of the Ten Year Teaching Plan
that was going to expand the Bahá’í Faith all over the globe. These
were held in Uganda, the United States, Sweden and India.
All of these conferences had Hands of the Cause of God in
attendance representing the Guardian. Bahá’ís from all over the
world were called to attend these teaching conferences. In particular,
it was the Guardian’s desire that Iranian Bahá’ís would attend the
Conference of Kampala and therefore Mas’ud decided to obey.
The intercontinental Bahá’í Conference in Uganda took place
in Kampala from 12th to the 18th February 1953. Mas’ud and Jane
participated travelling all the way from Iran. At the conference were
present ten Hands of the Cause, namely, Musa Banani, Valiyu’lláh
Varqá, Shu’á’u’lláh ‘Alá’i, Mason Remey, Horace Holley, Tarazu’lláh
Samandari, Dhikru’lláh Khadem, Leroy Ioas, Dorothy Baker and ‘Alí-
Akbar Furútan. At that time, mass conversion had already started in

 etter from the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of
L

the Baha’is of the United States dated 24 December 2018.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

Uganda which brought so much joy to the Guardian. This coincided
with the teaching activities undertaken in Africa, and the acceptance
of multitudes in the Cause, in such countries as Uganda, Kenya
and the Congo. Shoghi Effendi’s message to the attendants read an
appreciation to the native people of Africa:
I welcome with open arms the unexpectedly large number of
the representatives of the pure-hearted and the spiritually
receptive Negro race, so dearly loved by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, for
whose conversion to His Father’s Faith He so deeply yearned
and whose interests He so ardently championed in the course
of His memorable visit to the North American continent. I am
reminded, on this historic occasion, of the significant words
uttered by Bahá’u’lláh Himself, Who as attested by the Center
of the Covenant, in His Writings, “compared the colored people
to the black pupil of the eye,” through which “the light of the
spirit shineth forth.”152

2.1 The Kampala Conference
At the conference two important events two place: Jane became a
Bahá’í and Mas’ud received an opportunity to visit Shoghi Effendi in
the Holy Land. Jane’s declaration, after a few years of marriage, brought
much happiness to Mas’ud and such a bond was blessed through
many years of spiritual partnership in the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh. These
two blessings Mas’ud had attributed to having obeyed the Guardian’s
wishes of Iranian Bahá’ís attending the Kampala conference.
As to the significance of visiting the Guardian, Mas’ud wrote:
Mr Keivan, a teacher and a knowledgeable Bahá’í, knowing
Shoghi Effendi’s unique personality, realized that he would be
the last Guardian. When he returned to Persia he encouraged
many Bahá’ís to go immediately on pilgrimage so that they
could personally meet Shoghi Effendi.153

S hoghi Effendi. Messages to the Bahá’í World: 1950–1957. Wilmette, US Bahá’í
Publishing Trust, 1971, p. 92.
Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.

BORIS HANDAL

2.2 Thinking of Going on Pilgrimage
If Siyyid Naṣru’lláh had attained the presence of Bahá’u’lláh and
‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Holy Land and Siyyid Ahmad had the same
inestimable bounty in visiting ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, it was Mas’ud’s longing to
meet the beloved Guardian Shoghi Effendi one day. Siyyid Nasru’llah
and Siyyid Ahmad never had had the privilege of being in the presence
of the Sign of God on earth. Mas’ud had, however, one hesitation:
Every Bahá’í wanted to go to the World Centre and meet
Shoghi Effendi, the head of the Bahá’í Faith. So I had of course
that desire, but I had one reservation. I was afraid that if I was
with Shoghi Effendi and if he asked me questions which I could
not answer correctly, this would be a cause of shame for me
because I was a Bahá’í of third generation and in Iran there
were so many teachers yet I could not answer correctly. That
was my reservation.154

The following lines reveal how God opened the pilgrimage door
to Mas’ud:
… the Persians said, let’s go on our way for pilgrimage and to
visit Shoghi Effendi. So they wrote a letter to the Hand of the
Cause, Mr Ioas, and Shoghi Effendi answered. He said those
who have been before, do not come, and those new ones, come.
And Mas’ud Khamsi was the first one on the list. So then there
was nothing for me to run away. My name was already there.155

In the meantime, Jane flew to the United States via London to visit
her family.

2.3 Travelling to Haifa from Kampala
Mas’ud’s narrative continued his story when at 30 years of age he met
Shoghi Effendi:
So we decided to go because problems always seemed to

I nterview with Mas’ud Khamsi. Lima, Peru. The transcription has been edited
for style purposes as the taping was of poor quality. Tape provided by Masud
Samandari.
Interview with Mas’ud Khamsi. Lima, Peru. Tape provided by Masud Samandari.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

happen when going to Israel from Kampala. Our tickets were to
Egypt and from Egypt, an Arabian country, and therefore you
could not go to Israel. I went to Egypt and I bought tickets to go
to Greece. When the plane landed in Cyprus, I got out and went
to a hotel and went to the Israel embassy to get a visa. With
all my enthusiasm despite being tired I got there. The Consul
said to me, “I am not giving to Persians visa for Israel”. I said,
“I am Bahá’í”. He said: “I don’t care. Last night they destroyed
another centre in Tehran. You take other planes to Israel”.
I was very disappointed and came to the hotel and sent a cable
to Shoghi Effendi, that I am here, that the Consul does not give
me visa. And the next day I received a cable that “the consul
is instructed to give you visa, refer again to him”. So I went
there. So the next day I could fly. Haifa has its own airport that
I therefore I could fly there. And it was nice. It was night and
I got a taxi. They were very nice to me at the airport, and the
captain, he said, “are you going to the Bahá’í properties, for the
Bahá’í house, Abbas Effendi’s house?” They wanted even to get
out all my suitcases with me and go to their own rooms. I said,
no, I am going [to the Bahá’í properties] . Anyhow, I went to
the Pilgrim house, caught a taxi to the Shrine of the Báb and all
the Bahá’í people were there. It was very nice, and there was a
room right at the entrance to the hall, so they gave me that. 156

2.4 Meeting the Guardian
When I arrived at the Pilgrim House Dr Hakim157 was there. He
was very nice. Then early next morning Dr Hakim came and
said, “Shoghi Effendi wants to see you”. Persians and pilgrims
had to wait to see Shoghi Effendi in the gardens until he came
to meet them at the gardens. And he said, “Shoghi Effendi
wants to see you”. I had fear that Shoghi Effendi would ask
me something that I don’t know. I went with Dr Hakim to the

I nterview with Mas’ud Khamsi. Lima, Peru. The text has been edited. Tape
provided by Masud Samandari.
Dr Lutfu'lláh Hakím (1888-1968) was appointed by the Guardian to the
first International Bahá’í Council in 1951. In 1963, he was elected to the first
Universal House of Justice.

BORIS HANDAL

Master’s House, and of course Rúhíyyih Khánum was living
there with Shoghi Effendi. And I went to the entrance of the
building. He told me, “Shoghi Effendi is in the salon waiting
for you”. So I opened the door, Shoghi Effendi was sitting in the
lounge chair known as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s chair. So I came in, he got
up and as a Persian, I bowed.
He greeted me in Farsi and we embraced each other, “Befarmaid
moftakhar konid” (Please give us the honour of your presence).
I was with tears on my face but when he put his hands around
me, and pressed a little, all my fears were cast away. “Come”,
he said, “sit down and talk”. As Shoghi Effendi knew my family,
they were classmates with our cousins in Beirut and then in
Oxford, so he asked me, “How is the family, how did you come?
In the past the Persian friends had to come in a cart and horse
and this and that, now you are coming in an airplane. So I have
to go right now because the last group of Persians are going to
‘Akká and Bahji, I will join them”. So I went to ‘Akká and Bahji
… I had to sleep there. They gave me the room that Shoghi
Effendi was sleeping in. So I stayed, and had a good look at all
the books.
I found that of all the books I had there was only one that
Shoghi Effendi also had it. That was the book that was about
the first ambassador of Spain in Iran writing about Iran. So,
I looked at the book which was written History of Persia.158
It was printed 1880. For sure he had to come to know about
the Bahá’í Faith. The book depicts the very bad situation of the
Persians. And we imagine that these laws and ordinances of
the Bahá’í Faith are what Bahá’ís and everyone needs.
I slept late that night and in the morning with the Persians, I
went to the Shrine. That morning I don’t forget. That week was
Esther [Jewish feast of Purim] 159 Esther was a Jewish princess,
a queen of Iran in the time of the Xerxes, and Haman, the prime
minister, acted exactly like Hitler … Her uncle Mordercai found
out that Haman planned to kill all the Jews so he informed the

Adolfo Rivadeneyra. Viaje al Interior de Persia. Madrid, 1880.

Purim celebration in 1953 fell on March 1.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

queen, and the queen informed the king160, and he immediately
got the prime minister. Xerxes [the Persian king] ordered to
punish all these [prime minister’s] people, and he sent the
soldiers to guard the Jews instead of killing them. So that is
why Jews are very respectful of Esther and they have a feast in
honour of Esther.
So I got to the gate of the garden, walked in the garden, and the
gardener was there. He said, “Where have you been? Shoghi
Effendi has been long time walking in the lane and was been
waiting for you”. I said, “I did not know. Nobody told me”. I was
enjoying seeing the [garden]. Anyhow, I ran to him and Shoghi
Effendi said, “How it was?, how did you see the orchards and
the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh and this very beautiful garden of
Bahji?”
When Shoghi Effendi was with me, he was telling me all the
time about the future, the distant future, and the importance
of pioneering. He was always mentioning Mr Banani. “Banani
was rich in Iran and when he went to England, and heard
about pioneering in Africa, he came to me and asked, ‘Can I
be of service’? I told him to go to Africa. So with the age and
with not knowing the language he went to Africa”. Shoghi
Effendi was insisting about the importance and his desire for
the Bahá’í friends to go pioneering. I understood what Shoghi
Effendi wanted. He turned his look to me and he did not want
to say it directly.161

According to Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání: “During those meetings
with Shoghi Effendi, in two full days Shoghi Effendi talked about mass
teaching and expressed its importance. The wisdom of his words
became known years later and the related topics were applied in
Bolivia among Indians”.162 In a similar manner, he once wrote:

 he plot to kill Jews was organised by the prime minister under false pretexts
T
and obtained the king’s approval. Esther explained the King about the prime
minister’s motives and as a result the sovereign ordered his hanging and the
protection of the Jewish people.
Interview with Mas’ud Khamsi. Lima, Peru. Tape provided by Masud Samandari.
Rúhu’lláh Mihrabkhání. Khándán-i Sádát-i-Khams. Darmstadt, Mu’assassih-’i

BORIS HANDAL

On certain occasions, when I was on pilgrimage, I ran into the
beloved Guardian. He told me that pilgrims should come to the
Holy Land to visit the Holy Places mainly and not necessarily to
see the Guardian. The beloved Guardian also let me know the
pain he felt for his relatives who were Covenant breakers.163

The following are Mas’ud’s stories recalled by believers about
what happened during his pilgrimage:
On a certain occasion Mr Khamsi spoke of his meetings
with the Guardian and became very excited. Tears fell down
his face. It was very interesting listening to him. On one
occasion, he said that the Guardian asked him to visit Mr Musa
Banani, who was a pioneer in Africa because Mr Banani was
a diabetic and Shoghi Effendi had received the news that he
had already lost a leg and was losing his sight - he had already
lost an eye. The Guardian entrusted him to tell Mr Banani that
because of his health he was allowed to leave his pioneering
post in Africa. Mr Khamsi told that story with tears. It was too
much for him to see Mr Banani in such condition and to have to
communicate to him the Guardian’s wishes. Mr Banani replied,
“With much respect for the Guardian, I’ll leave my bones here.
I will not leave my pioneering post”. Mr Banani did not disobey
but asked Mr Khamsi to tell the Guardian that he wanted to
stay and die in Africa - and so it happened.164, 165
One day Mr. Khamsi began to relate the importance of the
Covenant. He told us a story about when he was seated in front
of the Guardian, in a meeting where Shoghi Effendi was talking
about the development of the Faith worldwide. Suddenly
tears appeared in his eyes with his face glowing in the night
– it was shining. These were the feelings of a man who had so
much love for Guardian. He was crying as he remembered the
Guardian telling him about the Andes. He did not know why at

`Asr-i Jadid, 1994.
Pioneering and Service of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.
Story told by Omar Brdarevic.
The Hand of the Cause of God Musa Banani passed away in Kampala, Uganda, in
1971 aged 85.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

the time because he was in Africa. We could all clearly see his
spiritual brilliance when he remembered and shared his love
for his beloved Guardian. 166
Once Mr Khamsi told us that he was accompanying the
Guardian around the Shrine of the Báb and the Guardian
suddenly stopped and pointed his finger towards the golden
dome and said to him, “Even the dome is in danger”, referring
to the future attacks on the Faith. 167
I remember that once when speaking about the Iranian
government, he mentioned that Shoghi Effendi had said that
as long as the current cowardly king is ruling, he would not go
to Iran. He said that for a while there was speculation in Iran
that Shoghi Effendi had come there to see the country and that
he was hiding somewhere in the country. Mr Khamsi said that
this was only a rumour as Shoghi Effendi had said that, “until
this cowardly king is no longer ruling, I will not step in Iran”. 168
The most moving thing for me was his impressions about
Shoghi Effendi during his four interviews with him. On one
occasion, the Guardian literally had to be picked up after hours
of prayer since his body had become completely numb. In
another, after a prayer he saw how the Guardian’s shoes were
ripped at the heel for having taken them off and on constantly
to pray.
The most moving thing for me was his impressions about
Shoghi Effendi during his four interviews with him. On one
occasion, the Guardian literally had to be picked up after hours
of prayer since his body had become completely numb. In
another, after a prayer he saw how the Guardian’s shoes were
ripped at the heel for having taken them off and on constantly
to pray. 169
As you may know, on that trip, Mas’ud was a few days alone
with the Guardian. That is when he received “lessons on the
Story told by Hector Núñez.
Story told by Moojan Matin.
Story told by Azam Matin.
Story told by Grover Gonzales.

BORIS HANDAL

indigenous people” from the Guardian. Mas’ud had no idea
why the Guardian was giving him those lessons. We now know
why.170
It was a special moment indeed to have been present at a
meeting with Mr. Khamsi, especially when he talked about his
visit to the Guardian. We were gathered at the gazebo of his
house in Lima, where he often had meetings with friends. On
one occasion we were all seated and someone asked him about
his visit with the Guardian. At that moment his condition of
joy and smile suddenly changed to one of silence and he was
completely immobile for a few moments. We all noticed an
indescribable reverence present in the atmosphere as if time
had suddenly stopped. He then bowed his head and cried two
or three seconds but quickly composed and said, “What can I
say of such a visit? I had arrived from Iran and was eager to
see him. When I looked into his eyes, I could see the universe
and eternity at the same time. At that meeting the Guardian
spoke with us about the amazing plans and achievements that
had been accomplished despite the severe repressions and
persecutions in Iran. The Guardian told us that the forces are
advancing - are marching without stopping - and that we must
all participate and not lose our opportunity. He shared some
stories, recently received from some distant countries and the
success that the Faith had achieved in far away places. Then
the Guardian turned to me and told me that I will start my
international services soon. At that moment I knew that I was
going to leave Iran and I was going to travel the world and be
blessed with opportunities to serve my beloved Faith abroad
and achieve international victories for the Faith”.171
Mr Khamsi also had the opportunity to visit the beloved
Guardian Shoghi Effendi in Haifa. He had heard many stories
from pilgrims returning from visits to the Guardian and from
hearing about the Guardian’s magnetic personality. He thought
the Baha’is were exaggerating, however, when he met Shoghi
Effendi for the first time and was hugged by him, Mr Khamsi

Story told by Mahmud Samandari.

Story told by Farid Tebyani.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

said he felt like he had been embraced by all the mothers of
the world together. 172 One of the things that Shoghi Effendi
gave Mr Khamsi as a personal gift was a pillow belonging to
‘Abdu’l-Bahá. 173

Meeting Shoghi Effendi was a turnaround event in Mas’ud’s
existence redefining him forever. It appeared like a solemn promise
he had made to serve the Guardian till his last breath. Coming back to
Tehran, spiritually charged, his mind was restless constantly thinking
about Shoghi Effendi’s conversations about pioneering, mass teaching
and what are the new expectations he needs to shoulder. With two
little children, a successful business career with international links,
a comfortable life lived in opulence and navigating among the upper
echelons of Tehran society, Mas’ud had to reconcile Shoghi Effendi’s
hopes with his current pattern of living, an undertaking that would
undoubtedly have challenged the many assumptions he harboured
about what it means to live a true Bahá’í life. This earnest longing to
please the Guardian would have stemmed from Mas’ud’s unyielding
firmness in the Covenant, which was to characterise his entire life,
seeing his faithfulness in obeying ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s admonitions as being
inextricably linked with his purpose in life:
O ye the faithful loved ones of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá! It is incumbent
upon you to take the greatest care of Shoghi Effendi, the twig
that hath branched from and the fruit given forth by the two
hallowed and Divine Lote-Trees, that no dust of despondency
and sorrow may stain his radiant nature, that day by day he
may wax greater in happiness, in joy and spirituality, and may
grow to become even as a fruitful tree.174

3. First Pioneering to South America
Pioneering always had an important place in the history and
development of the Faith of God. Since the early days, and in the
absence of professional clergy, the believers were called to spread

Story told by Boris Handal.
Story told by Marta Tirado.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Wilmette, US Bahá’í
Publishing Trust, 1990 reprint, p. 25.

BORIS HANDAL

to new territories and shared the new Teachings with their friends,
neighbours and associates. Bahá’u’lláh referred to this service as
“prince of all goodly deeds, and the ornament of every goodly act”.
He also gave the following assurances to all that raise to serve Him:
They that have forsaken their country for the purpose of
teaching Our Cause — these shall the Faithful Spirit strengthen
through its power. A company of Our chosen angels shall go
forth with them, as bidden by Him Who is the Almighty, the All-
Wise. How great the blessedness that awaiteth him that hath
attained the honor of serving the Almighty! By My life! No act,
however great, can compare with it, except such deeds as have
been ordained by God, the All-Powerful, the Most Mighty. 176

The Khamsi family’s debut into the field of international pioneering
came a few years later. A chain of events took Mas’ud and Jane to settle
in South America in 1957, first to Argentina and then to Bolivia, four
years after meeting Shoghi Effendi.
It was not an easy decision to make the move because impediments
were raised along the way to which the Khamsi couple faced with
determination and courage. At the end they succeeded in their
decision and were able to render amazing victories to the Cause of
Bahá’u’lláh in Argentina, Bolivia and Peru.

3.1 Planning to Pioneer to South America
It was 1953, a year in which Shoghi Effendi launched the worldembracing Ten Year Global Crusade. This global teaching campaign
was aimed to bring the Faith to all corners of the globe culminating in
1963 with the election of the Universal House of Justice.
“The entire body of the avowed supporters of Bahá’u’lláh’s allconquering Faith”, the beloved Guardian wrote in October 1952,
“are now summoned to achieve in a single decade feats eclipsing in
totality the achievements which in the course of the eleven preceding

Bahá’u’lláh. Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. Wilmette, US Bahá’í
Publishing Trust, 1990, p. 346.
Bahá’u’lláh. Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. Wilmette, US Bahá’í
Publishing Trust, 1990, p. 334.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

decades illuminated the annals of Bahá’í pioneering”.177 Mas’ud had
considered seriously Shoghi Effendi’s exhortation particularly in light
of his recent encounter with him.
It is noteworthy that Azíz Yazdí, Mas’ud’s brother-in-law,
pioneered to Kenya in December 1952. Two months later, Soraya
Khamsi, Mas’ud’s sister, joined his husband with the children. This
was Mas’ud’s plan to leave Iran:
When I returned to Tehran in 1953, I continued my job
in a private business and started to serve in the Bahá’í
Administration, but the importance of pioneering was always
on my mind, so my wife Jane and I together, decided to leave
Persia. As I was involved in achieving some goals of the Ten
Year Plan in Persia, most Bahá’í friends, even the friends who
were not Bahá’ís, insisted on my staying in Persia, but finally
through the Hand of the Cause of God Mr Leroy Ioas, we decided
to write to Shoghi Effendi asking for guidance. In his answer.
Shoghi Effendi told me that my wife and I should take the Torch
of the Faith as far as possible. When I consulted the matter
with the Hands of the Cause of God in Tehran, we decided to
go pioneering in Latin America. The Faith had been recently
introduced there through the Ten Year plan, established by
Shoghi Effendi. Unfortunately, while we were getting ready to
leave, Shoghi Effendi passed away in November of 1957.178

When asked in an interview whether Shoghi Effendi asked him to
go to South America, Mas’ud replied:
No, nothing. But I understood that I had to go. And he
mentioned these places are open for pioneering and he
mentioned especially the Indian Ocean, places like Jakarta
in Indonesia, as well as other places. So when I went back to
Iran, I had a house in Tehran, a big house, so I tried to sell the
house and go pioneering … where Shoghi Effendi likes it. So
we went to Indonesia, as soon as after Dr Muhajir, who was

S hoghi Effendi. Messages to the Bahá’í World: 1950–1957. Wilmette, US Bahá’í
Publishing Trust, p. 41, 1971.
Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.

BORIS HANDAL

a month before me in Haifa, and heard the same thing from
Shoghi Effendi, and… went to Jakarta.179 This was the first time
we were in Indonesia. So when I decided to go pioneering
and there were many difficulties for me, from everybody …
Assembly members were encouraging me to stay because I
had a friendship with the prime minister Hassan Ali Mansur
who was my classmate, and the plan of Shoghi Effendi was to
get many of the senior persons in high positions acquainted
with the Bahá’í religion. So I had to do, I had to stay in Iran to
finish. Then I wrote a letter to Mr Ioas sharing that I wanted
to go pioneering and everybody is against me, so he answered
me that Shoghi Effendi said “pioneering is a personal affair,
nobody can intervene. Contrary to what everybody has asked,
you go pioneering”. “And I suggest”, Shoghi Effendi said, “you
and your wife go the farthest and to a new place for the Faith”.
I sat down and discussed with the Hands of Iran, there were
three to four Hands in Iran. They told me to go to the farthest
place which was South America and it is new... So we prepared
to go. Jane was pregnant, so I sent her to America and have the
baby [Dorothy] 180 … We already had Ahmad.181

“In between we sent a letter to Shoghi Effendi that we are going
but Shoghi Effendi passed away”, Mas’ud said. “So that was the last
letter that Shoghi Effendi wrote to us”. Shoghi Effendi’s passing on 4
November 1957 was a big loss for Mas’ud, particularly when his death
was unexpected. Three weeks later Dorothy was born in Washington
DC.
This is Shoghi Effendi’s reply to Mas’ud:
Haifa, Israel
September 11, 1957
Mr Massoud Khamsi
Teheran, Iran
Dear Bahá’í Brother:

Dr Muhajir went pioneering in 1954 to Indonesia
Dorothy, born in Washington DC, November 1957.
Ahmad, born in Tehran, January 1955.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

Your loving letter of August 11th was duly received and its
contents were presented to the Beloved Guardian.
The Guardian has directed me to write you that the questions
of pioneering is a matter of the individual conscience and if
an individual wishes to go pioneering, no one has a right to
interfere or decide for him. Thus if you and your dear wife
wish to go pioneering there is nothing to stop you from doing
so. In fact, the Friends should arise to assist you in every way
possible so that the new areas may be brought under the
influence of the Light of Divine Guidance.
With every good wish to you and your dear wife, I am
Faithfully yours,
Leroy Ioas

It is of note, that it was an intrinsic part of the manner in which
Shoghi Effendi accompanied the Bahá’í World that he did not instruct
the friends how they should respond to the exigencies of the Divine
Plan, rather calling their attention to their inescapable responsibility.
In a letter written on his behalf to National Spiritual Assembly of the
United States in July 1956 and published in Bahá’í News, a year when
the Khamsis were seriously considering pioneering, the Guardian
explains:
The friends are not being forced to do anything either by the
Guardian or by the National Assembly. However, the condition
that the world is in is bringing many issues to a head. It would
be perhaps impossible to find a nation or people not in a
state of crisis today. The materialism, the lack of true religion
and the consequent baser forces in human nature which are
being released, have brought the whole world to the brink of
probably the greatest crisis it has ever faced or will have to
face. The Bahá’ís are a part of the world. They too feel the great
pressures which are brought to bear upon all people today,
whoever and wherever they may be. On the other hand, the
Divine Plan, which is the direct method of working toward the
establishment of peace and world order, has perforce reached
an important and challenging point in its unfoldment; because
of the desperate needs of the world, the Bahá’ís find themselves,

BORIS HANDAL

even though so limited in numbers, in financial strength and
in prestige, called upon to fulfil a great responsibility. They
must, at all times, remember that when the Guardian makes
his appeals to the friends, he is only presenting the situation
to them. Each one must evaluate what his own response can be
and should be; nobody can do this for him. There is no other
pressure than the pressure of historical circumstances. He fully
realizes that the demands made upon the Bahá’ís are great, and
that they often feel inadequate, tired and perhaps frightened
in the face of the tasks that confront them. This is only natural.
On the other hand, they must realize that the power of God can
and will assist them; and that because they are privileged to
have accepted the Manifestation of God for this Day, this very
act has placed upon them a great moral responsibility toward
their fellow-men. It is this moral responsibility to which the
Guardian is constantly calling their attention, as he too cannot
but obey the compelling force of circumstances and fulfil his
paramount duty of calling to the attention of the believers
their opportunity, their privileges, and their responsibilities.

Determined to make his dream come true and to pursue his
promise to the beloved Guardian, Mas’ud in consultation with Jane
continued to look around the world “so that the new areas may be
brought under the influence of the Light of Divine Guidance” as per
Shoghi Effendi’s guidance. According to Dr Iraj Ayman: “He wanted to
go to somewhere that was rather new and no one, that nobody else
has gone there”.183
Mas’ud’s narrative continues:
At that time, all of Latin America was administratively under
the supervision of the National Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá’ís of the United States. Shoghi Effendi had recently divided
South America into two areas; five countries to the south and
five to the north. Buenos Aires, Argentina was the seat for the

 etter written on behalf of the Guardian, to the National Spiritual Assembly of
L
the United States, 19 July 1956. Bahá’í News, no. 307, p. 2, September, 1956.
Personal communication to the author.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

southern countries and Lima, Peru for the northern countries.
When we consulted with the NSA of the United States about the
countries who needed more pioneers they told us Argentina
and Uruguay.
When I received Shoghi Effendi’s reply, my wife Jane went
to the United States to give birth there to my second child,
therefore there was no doubt that we were definitively leaving
Persia. I sold my belongings to arrange our future moving to
America, after the birth of my daughter Dorothy, we set out for
our destination that was planned to be Uruguay.184

In America, according to Mas’ud, “we waited [in US] until the
baby was three months, because the aeroplane does not allow babies
before three months. So I went to Africa, they asked us to consult
with the assembly. They told us to go to Argentina or Uruguay”.185
As per above, during that period out of Iran, Mas’ud had attended
the ceremony dedicated to the laying of the foundation stone for
the House of Worship in Kampala on January 1958 led by Amatu’l-
Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum. It appears that at one time Africa was being
considered as a possible pioneering place.

3.2 Settling in Argentina
Mas’ud explained how he subsequently settled in South America.
From all the possible places considered, it appears that the Will of
God had other directions. Although Africa and Uruguay were the
initial potential destinations, Argentina and Bolivia were the places
chosen by the Providence for the Khamsis in the end. By the 1950s
South America was a little known region in the Western World with
a reduced influx of foreign visitors, certainly a place fitting Shoghi
Effendi’s description of “new areas” that can “be brought under the
influence of the Light of Divine Guidance”.
We decided to go to Uruguay, and settle down in Argentina,
in Buenos Aires. The Bahá’ís knew we were coming there;
few Bahá’ís were Persians and few Argentinians. They were
there [at the Buenos Aires airport]. And they said, “You don’t

Interview with Mas’ud Khamsi. Lima, Peru. Tape provided by Masud Samandari.

Interview with Mas’ud Khamsi. Lima, Peru. Tape provided by Masud Samandari.

BORIS HANDAL

go to Uruguay, you go wherever we take you”. So they took my
suitcase and everything and we went along. That was my first
time living in South America.
Since there were enough Bahá’ís in the capital city, Buenos
Aires, we decided to live in Bahia Blanca [White Bay]186 just
outside the capital. Some [Persian] Bahá’ís were in Brazil.
Shoghi Effendi was not very happy with all the Bahá’ís going to
Brazil so I stayed in Argentina, but not to live in Buenos Aires.
Therefore I went to another city [Bahia Blanca], a pioneer post
where there were no Bahá’ís at that time and … we stayed
there for a while…
Once we settled [in Bahia Blanca] we started to teach and
make use of our new neighbour who was the owner of the
only newspaper of the south of Argentina called ‘’Estrella
del Sur” (Star of the South) ... We published the first article
on the Bahá’í Faith, as I did not know Spanish they copied the
complete pamphlet “What is the Bahá’í Faith?”
When we were living in Buenos Aires, we participated in
conventions and meetings of other countries such as Uruguay
and Chile. We met Hand of the Cause of God Dr Grossman, who
later in consultation with the Hands of the Cause of God at the
Holy Land, asked us to go to Bolivia because they needed to
teach the indigenous population. We accepted, but we had to
wait until Bahia, our third child was born and was old enough
to travel to La Paz. The United States Embassy in La Paz advised
us that it would be dangerous for a new-born child [to travel].187
Jane did not want to go to Bolivia. She said, “I have a baby”. We
wrote a letter to the American Consul of Buenos Aires to give
us some information. We don’t know anything about Bolivia,
so we got letters from an American lady and that American
lady was very American. She wrote, “Don’t come, it is so bad
that your children will die there.”188

 ahia Blanca is a port city 650 km southwest of Buenos Aires and the 18th
B
largest town in Argentina.
La Paz, Bolivia’s capital, is situated at 3 640 m above the sea level.
Interview with Mas’ud Khamsi. Lima, Peru. Tape provided by Masud Samandari.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

3.3 Settling in Bolivia
It is at this point of time that the Hand of the Cause of God Herman
Grossman (1989-1968) steps into the Khamsis destiny. Traveling in
1959 and 1960 throughout South America as a Hand for the Western
Hemisphere he was able to assist those nascent communities in their
election of their national assemblies for the Ridvan 1963 when the
Universal House of Justice was going to be elected. Mr Grossman had
born in Argentina in 1899, a son of German Immigrants who returned
to their motherland when he was about ten years old. Mas’ud recounts
his settlement to La Paz, Bolivia, the most elevated capital city in the
world.
Dr Grossman, who was really wonderful, was born in the
Argentina and spoke Spanish. So we went to Uruguay
Convention and then to Chile Convention. Dr Grossman was
seeing how I treated the Indian representatives. And I was
putting them in my car and taking them to the city. I was always
busy translating from English to them.
We arrived in La Paz in 1959, and were warmly received by the
Bahá’ís with much love, but we had problems with the altitude
and lack of oxygen and had to stay in bed for some days to
function and adapt. In Bolivia there were great opportunities
to serve the Faith, for example in mass conversion, deepening
of Bahá’ís and relations with prominent people and authorities
such as the President, Ministers of State and local Governors.
The Country was undeveloped and open to all progress and
innovation. In 1961 we had our fourth child, Gary, born in La
Paz, Bolivia. 189
In 1960, Mas’ud was elected to the Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá’ís of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. The next
year, when independent National Assemblies were formed in each
South American country, Mas’ud was elected to the National Assembly
of Bolivia and to the Local Assembly of La Paz. By the end of that same
year, Mas’ud was appointed as an Auxiliary Board member by Hands
of the Cause Jalál Khazeh and Dhikru’lláh Khádem and had to resolve,
in several countries, outbreaks of Covenant-breaking, following the

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.

BORIS HANDAL

passing of the beloved Guardian.
More importantly, in Bolivia Mas’ud began working systematically
on bringing large numbers in indigenous communities closer to
Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation, finding great receptivity and success,
hastening the process of entry by troops envisioned by the beloved
Guardian. 190
Entry by troops had sporadically started in Bolivia but it was
through Mas’ud’s accompaniment, concomitant with the spontaneous
indigenous spirituality, that helped to make it more systematic and
successful. According to Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum: “The first
mass conversion in the Western hemisphere began in Bolivia, how
much joy it brought to the heart of the Guardian. I remember how he
announced it to the Bahá’í world and how thrilled we were”.191
“Bolivia became soon, specially after the passing of the beloved
Guardian”, said Ali Nakhjavani, “the first country on Latin America to
experience the process of teaching the masses. The Hands of the Cause
in the Holy Land warmly encouraged and fully supported Mas’ud’s
exploits in that country”.192
During all his pioneering life Mas’ud was faithful to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s
command in the following paragraph of the Tablets of the Divine Plan
which was generally known in Bahá’í circles as The Promise:
Attach great importance to the indigenous population of
America. For these souls may be likened unto the ancient
inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula, who, prior to the Mission
of Muḥammad, were like unto savages. When the light of
Muḥammad shone forth in their midst, however, they became
so radiant as to illumine the world. Likewise, these Indians,
should they be educated and guided, there can be no doubt
that they will become so illumined as to enlighten the whole
world.193

Shoghi Effendi. Citadel of Faith: Messages to America 1947-1957. US Bahá'í
Publishing Trust, 1980 reprint, p. 117.
Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum. The Green Light Expedition (see appendix 1).
Personal communication to the author.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Tablets of the Divine Plan. US Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1933, p. 33.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

3.4 The Beginning of Mass Teaching in South America
The Faith was brought to the sub-continent by Leonora Armstrong,
the Spiritual Mother of Latin America, when she settled in Brasil as
a pioneer in 1921, following ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s call in the Tablets of the
Divine Plan. 194
The year prior the Hand of the Cause Martha Root had
circumnavigated South America on a historic journey praised by
‘Abdu’l-Baha:
Praise be to God the Call of the Kingdom has been received
in South America and the seeds of Guidance have been sown
in those cities and regions. Certainly the heat of the Sun of
Reality, the rain of the Eternal Bounty and the breeze of the
Love of God will make them germinate: have confidence.195

Most of the initial expansion of the Bahá’í Faith commenced in urban
centres. The Faith arrived in Bolivia in 1940 when Eleanor Adler, and
American pioneer, settled in La Paz. The first Local Spiritual Assembly
of La Paz was formed in 1945. All those nascent communities and
communities were at that time under the jurisdiction of the National
Spiritual Assembly of the United States. In 1951, a Regional Spiritual
Assembly for the ten South American countries was formed and in
1957 it was subsequently split up into two other Regional Assemblies
with five countries each. The goals of the Ten Year Crusade aimed that
by 1963 each of these ten countries had their own National Spiritual
Assembly in order to sustain the election of the Universal House of
Justice for the first time. In order to achieve those national goals, it
was necessary to increase the number of local spiritual assemblies
that in turn elected their own National Spiritual Assembly by 1961.
After Ms Adler, gradually other pioneers came to Bolivia taking
the Cause to other parts of the country. It took until 1956 when an
Indigenous person became the first of an ethnic group to become a
believer, one who in turn began teaching and enrolling his own people

Boris Handal. Eve Nicklin, She of the Brave Heart. SC, CreateSpace, 2011.

Kay Zinky. Martha Root, Herald of the Kingdom. New Delhi, India: Bahá’í

Publishing Trust, 1983, p. 74.

BORIS HANDAL

with much success.196
It is noteworthy that mass teaching, when started in South
America and other parts of the world, was a novelty within the Bahá’í
communities, one that was not always understood and taken with
a degree of reservation by some early believers. It was certainly a
novel and impressive phenomenon for pioneers, local believers and
institutions.
Large groups of new believers who could not read and write were
rapidly and enthusiastically accepting the Faith in the next decades
particularly in the rural and indigenous areas of Bolivia, Ecuador and
Peru, three countries nested in the Andean mountains. Their lack of
formal education was seen by some as a major impediment to register
them officially as Bahá’ís and become a test for some who had been in
the Faith for years.
And yet the Guardian had clarified a few months before his
passing that the spark of faith is only the primal requirement to
become a Bahá’í: “We cannot expect people who are illiterate (which
is no reflection on their mental abilities or capacities) to have studied
the Teachings, especially when so little literature is available in their
own language in the first place...”197 This often pervasive educational
prejudice of the mind finds no basis in Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation: “The
understanding of His words and the comprehension of the utterances
of the Birds of Heaven are in no wise dependent upon human learning.
They depend solely upon purity of heart, chastity of soul, and freedom
of spirit”.198
Traditionally, to become a Bahá’í, a protocol had to be followed
where the applicant was to meet a Spiritual Assembly, either Local
or National, and orally respond to a number of questions about the
Faith to make sure that a solid knowledge about administration, laws,
history and the Covenant had been grasped. However, mass teaching
required only that a soul after listening about the Teachings, even in
"Canton Huanuni Indian Assembly Formed In Bolivia". Bahá'í News. No. 323.
February 1958, pp. 9–10.
The Compilation of Compilations: Prepared by The Universal House of Justice
(vol. 3). Maryborough, Victoria, Bahá’í Publications Australia, 2000, pp, 203-
225.
Baha'u'llah, The Kitáb-i-Iqán. US Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1989, p. 210.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

a public setting, accepted Bahá’u’lláh as the Manifestation of God for
this age and had a general knowledge of the various dimensions of
the Cause.
Explaining about the nature, process and urgency of having large
numbers enrolling in the Faith, Shoghi Effendi had elaborated:
This flow, moreover, will presage and hasten the advent of the
day which, as prophesied by `Abdu’l-Bahá, will witness the
entry by troops of peoples of divers nations and races into the
Bahá’í world—a day which, viewed in its proper perspective,
will be the prelude to that long-awaited hour when a mass
conversion on the part of these same nations and races, and
as a direct result of a chain of events, momentous and possibly
catastrophic in nature and which cannot as yet be even dimly
visualized, will suddenly revolutionize the fortunes of the
Faith, derange the equilibrium of the world, and reinforce a
thousandfold the numerical strength as well as the material
power and the spiritual authority of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.199

“Those who declare themselves as Bahá’ís should become
enchanted with the beauty of the Teachings, and touched by the love
of Bahá’u’lláh,” the Universal House of Justice had further advised in
1964, “The declarants need not know all the proofs, history, laws,
and principles of the Faith but in the process of declaring themselves
they must, in addition to catching the spark of faith, become basically
informed about the Central Figures of the Faith, as well as the existence
of laws they must follow and an administration they must obey”.200
Talking about the commencement of mass teaching in Bolivia,
Mas’ud recalled:
When I met Andres Jachakollo one of the first Indigenous
Bahá’ís and the others, I invited them to come to my home
where deepening courses had started. Two very important
events took place:
Shoghi Effendi. Citadel of Faith: Messages to America 1947-1957. Wilmette, US
Baha'i Publishing Trust, p. 117, 1953.
T he Universal House of Justice. Wellspring of Guidance: Messages of
the Universal House of Justice 1963-68. Wilmette, US Bahá’í Publishing
Trust, p. 32, 1969.

BORIS HANDAL

An older Indian who was not yet a Bahá’í came to know about
the Faith. He came to attend the course, as he did not know the
city he was hit by a car and was taken to a hospital. The police
called me and told me: “An old peasant is at the hospital and
has a paper with your name, your telephone and your address
written on it”. My interpreter Andres and I went immediately
to see this Indian named Mr Mamani, when he saw us for the
first time, he took my hand very strongly and started to cry
saying: “Now, I am a Bahá’í, and if I die I want to be buried
according to the Bahá’í laws”. Fortunately after the accident
he recuperated and could participate during the course at
home and later greatly served the Faith.
After the course, I started my first trip to indigenous areas and
became surprised upon arrival to a very small community in
the department of Oruro, I heard children all together repeating
words from their teacher. It was surprising that in such a small
village there was a school. When I entered the classroom I
recognized the teacher who was recently at my home for the
first Bahá’í course where he had learned about Bahá’í teachings
for children. He was a Bahá’í principal and when he returned
to his community he gathered the neighbours and established
this simple little school with children from his community.
I visited several places with Mr Athos Costas and Estanislao
Alvarez as an Aymara 201 interpreter; the later became a
Covenant breaker. Then I was informed about Toribio Miranda,
a spiritual phenomenon that is important to know as he was
a herald for the introduction of the Bahá’í Faith to the Indians
in Bolivia. 202

3.5 Teaching the Faith in Bolivia
Sabino Ortega, one of the first native indigenous Bahá’ís, has left an
account of his teaching trips with Mas’ud as they together visited
rural and remote Bahá’í communities:
The work pattern of Mr Khamsi as well as other pioneers

A native language of Bolivia.

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

was to teach the faith in the rural areas every 15 to 20 days
together with teams of indigenes teachers; usually walking for
several hours before arriving to any given community. Upon
returning from the field these teams of teachers were trained
by pioneers who facilitated workshops and deepenings. The
participants demonstrated their retention capacities and
depth of understanding by taking verbal tests. After this they
would plan for their next trip to the field. They were continually
teaching or receiving training. Teaching the faith in this way
was common in all the regions of the high plains (Altiplano)
of Bolivia, such as, Oruro, La Paz, Potosi, Chuquisaca and
Cochabamba.
Mr Khamsi usually travelled with a translator and sometimes
was accompanied by someone who knew the terrain and the
communities well. Although he taught with a translator, he
eventually comprehended the native language. Sometimes he
corrected the translator when he realized that his message
was not clearly being communicated. At the same time other
groups of teachers visited other communities.
Mr Khamsi’s spiritual stature always inspired respect. For
example, his teaching companions did not feel comfortable
calling him by his first name Mas’ud, but rather always referred
to him as Mr Khamsi. Equally, he inspired respect from local
authorities.203

3.5.1 Genuine Love
In his narrative Sabino Ortega speaks of his dislike for the white man
as a result of five centuries of Spaniard oppression and mistreatment
against Indigenous people. However, such as negative disposition
was overcome with the candid and sincere love that Bahá’í pioneers
like Mas’ud and the other travel teachers displayed as they visit
rural communities. The Universal House of Justice refers to these
important dispositions in a letter dated 29 December 2015: “What
is required from those involved, however, is long-term commitment
and a yearning to become so familiar with the reality of a place that

Personal communication to the author.

BORIS HANDAL

they integrate into local life and, eschewing any trace of prejudice
or paternalism, form those bonds of true friendship that befit
companions on a spiritual journey. The dynamic that develops in such
settings creates a strong sense of collective will and movement”.204
According to Sabino:
As a result of racial/cultural mistreatment that I received
during my childhood and youth, I developed a strong prejudice
against white people; I believed that all white people were bad.
This caused a number of conscious and unconscious conflicts
within me. Thanks to the pioneers such as my brothers Athos
Costas, Mas’ud Khamsi and others that arrived in Bolivia, I was
able to overcome this problem.205

Sabino Ortega distrusted white men and had some suspicions
about Mas’ud Khamsi’s intentions. In his words, “About Mas’ud Khamsi,
I really wanted to know how honest he was”. He says that they went
out to the countryside and they were walking for days visiting the
communities and he saw Mas’ud Khamsi sleeping where the peasants
were sleeping, eating the food that the peasants ate, getting up in
the hours of the farmers, and all. Consequently, Sabino became more
and more convinced about Mas’ud’s honesty. However, one thing that
impressed him a lot was that one night, when they were getting ready
to sleep, Mas’ud took off his boots and the stocking of one of his feet.
Sabino saw that Mas’ud foot was with blood. Apparently, the boot had
hurt him causing his foot to bleed. Sabino said that never during all
those days that they walked together Mas’ud had complained about
something. In fact, he was always very happy and very enthusiastic.
This single one thing made Sabino change his whole perspective
and understand that all these Baha’is were really sincere.206 Sabino’s
personal discovery continues below:
These pioneers mostly came from developed countries
and particular origins that surrounded them with comfort.
The latter most likely, contributed to the hardships they

Letter of the Universal House of Justice dated 29 December 2015 addressed to

the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors.
Personal communication to the author.
Story told by Kiko Sanchez.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

experienced in rural Bolivia traveling on foot and by jeep
along dusty mountain pathways and roads high in the Andes;
calling upon distant indigenous communities and isolated
believers - but they never complained. I observed them closely
and I saw that they did not grumble about the cold, hunger
or other physical discomforts. Neither did they show disgust
for anything; they did not flee from the harsh realities of the
rural friends. They slept on the same floor and share the same
meals together. They would always say, “We are going to get
over this”. And they never blamed the farmers for the troubles
they encountered. They shared everything with the friends of
the rural areas in a way that was simple and humble as if they
were a part of the same social fabric. These positive attitudes,
so fundamental to the faith, and their love for the farmers - so
sincere – day by day changed my ways of thinking and being.
Before I knew it I was transformed and was able to overcome
my trauma. There was indeed so much love flowing from the
pioneers - a love of all and total detachment from the world!
This manner of behaviour enabled us to understand that
another prophecy of our people was unfolding without any
need of explanation. By the pioneers’ greetings and attitudes
alone, upon their arrival at a given village was sufficient for the
farmers to capture the Message. A tradition of the Quechua and
Aymara peoples describes that a messenger of Wiracocha (an
Andean Godhead) would arrive and bring dignity and love to
the native people and would share these qualities with them.
It is said that Mr Khamsi returned from his first trip to the
field, and asked his wife Jane if she could learn how to prepare
the food that the farmers eat, such as, chuño (dehydrated
potatoes), quinoa, and lawau (corn meal soup), so that he
could accustom himself to this new diet.
Additionally, teams of indigenous teachers continually visited
Mr Khamsi at his home to receive deepening in the faith.
The above foods were always served at his house so that his
guests would feel at home and enjoy this same food they were

BORIS HANDAL

accustomed to. 207
Sometimes Mas’ud used to travel teaching with his wife and
children in their jeep. In the villages people invite visitors with
the food they produce. The Khamsis went to a place where
guinea pigs was the main product. In the Andes roasted guinea
pigs are traditionally a delicacy offered to special guests. They
look like little rabbits or big mice and are presented as a whole
cooked animal on a dish along with potatoes. Jane Khamsi
looked worried having never seen such, let alone eat them. She
was shocked. Mas’ud turned to her and trying to alleviate the
situation said with a smile: “Look, this is the most delicious
I’ve ever seen. This is a very special animal and it cures all
illnesses”. The villagers laughed and cheered at the same time
saying “How does he knows those things” to which Sabino
replied, “He knows many things that I do not know myself”.
It was to gain greater trust with the community and Mas’ud
delicately managed the situation explaining how difficult it
was for his wife to see this. He then proceeded to eat and enjoy
the meal. This was the way that Mas’ud showed gentleness to
the indigenous people. So in each community that he arrived,
what was offered was always eaten. 208

3.5.2 Persecution
Bahá’u’lláh has said that “Adversity is the oil which feedeth the flame of
this Lamp and by which its light is increased, did ye but know. Indeed,
the repudiation of the froward serveth but to proclaim this Faith and to
spread the Cause of God and His Revelation throughout the world”.209
It is therefore not surprising that such spiritual phenomenon took
form when the Faith began to grow like wildfire in the Bolivian fields.
Sabino relates an incident that shows how opposition to the Faith
always brings growth:
At the time there was little freedom to teach the faith. There was
opposition from the priests. Similarly, there was opposition on
Personal communication to the author.
Story told by Sabino Ortega.
Bahá'u'lláh. The Summons of the Lord of Hosts. Bahá’í World Centre, 2002
edition, p. 146.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

behalf of political parties who raised false accusations about
the Bahá’ís. We were characterized as being communists and
denounced in varied ways. Things grew far worse as the Faith
spread as we experienced entry by troops. At the time, homes
of villagers who had become Baha’is were pillaged, women
were raped, and houses burnt to the ground, and local food
storages were deliberately contaminated.
Mr Khamsi was not entirely free of these persecutions. Once in
Tarabuquillo, Chuquisaca he was arrested by farmers who had
been enraged by calumny from a priest. They tied the jeep to
a tree and took Mr Khamsi prisoner to Tarabuco, a distance of
60 km. There a priest accused him in front of local authorities
claiming that he was speaking against the virgins and saints
and was accused of other such false claims. Mr Khamsi
responded: “We never spoke against anyone nor have we done
harm to anyone”. At this point the Sub-Prefect turned to the
priest and said: “How can you accuse this person so humble
and so honourable who has demonstrated his sincerity by
his manner of speaking? There is no sign of any violence”.
Then, a Bahá’í farmer who was also taken prisoner with Mr
Khamsi said: “This priest is not defending the Virgin Mary, he
is defending the gifts of hens and eggs that he receives from
new visitors to the village that he no longer receives”. After
some further back and forth dialogue among those present,
the Sub-Prefect realized Mr Khamsi’s innocence and he freed
him immediately.
When they returned to the community where the jeep was
tied to the tree, the majority of the dwellers there had become
Bahá’ís as a result of the teaching work that Mr Meliton
Saavedra had been doing at the time in this village. He had
not been taken prisoner with the rest because he was an old
man.210

3.5.4 Teaching Results
Certainly, Shoghi Effendi’s hopes and expectations about the Andes,
as communicated to Mas’ud during his pilgrimage in 1953 were

Personal communication to the author.

BORIS HANDAL

becoming more apparent. In Sabino’s words:
Sometimes during one trip to the field lasting 15 to 20 days
by Indigenous teaching teams, there would be up to 70 people
entering the Faith. In this way the excitement of teaching
grew in many rural regions of the country as a result of the
efforts of pioneers together with the native teachers. At the
end of the 10-year Crusade in 1963 the number of believers
had multiplied 6 times and Local Spiritual Assemblies grew in
these rural regions from 4 to 92.
In time, the number of believers registered in Bolivia grew to
70,000 and Local Spiritual Assemblies to 1,200 throughout the
country. Nevertheless there were many more people in the
countryside that considered themselves Baha’is but had not
yet been registered officially. In an official Bolivian Government
Census, some 300,000 people identified themselves in rural
areas as Bahá’ís. Truly, there were cases of communities were
there were no Bahá’ís registered but the residents on their
own initiative elected Local Spiritual Assemblies yearly.211

3.5.5 The Legacy of Teaching
Even twenty years later, the teaching spirit of those early Bahá’í
teachers was intact in the communities through which they travelled.
Sabino said:
In 1979 Continental Counselor Raul Pavon came to Bolivia
from his native country of Ecuador. We travelled together
throughout the country in order to identify an appropriate
location for starting Radio Bahá’í. Upon arriving on the shores
of Lake Poopó we left the jeep in the shade under a tree. The
vehicle had a sign painted on a door that said “Fe Baha’i”. We
walked through the mountains in search of the right place
to install the radio station. When we got back a large group
of people surrounding the jeep joyously greeted us saying:
“Alláh’u’Abhá”. We asked them how they knew this Bahá’í
salutation. They responded: “Eighteen years ago Mr Khamsi
visited us, taught us the Faith and left us with Bahá’í prayer

Personal communication to the author.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

books. We never forgot this”. They showed us these old prayer
books as they surrounded us where the jeep was located and
explained that they always came to this same place to pray.
This group was known as the Antiguos Caminantes (Ancient
Walkers).
They continued explaining: “With Mr Khamsi’s visit our
traditions and prophecies were fulfilled”. They continued:
“When Wiracocha returns, white men will come from other
regions and eat what we eat, sleep where we sleep, and treat
us equal to themselves. Mr Khamsi ate everything that he was
given and humbly as if he were a part of us, informed us of the
Message of Bahá’u’lláh. We observed sincere love and gratitude
coming from him. This is why we accept the Message because
it coincides with our culture and traditions”.
Hearing this from these believers, Raul Pavon commented: “It
appears that they are more Bahá’ís than we are even though
we continually engage in activities and deepening. They on the
other hand, without having received another visit for 18 years
remain firm in their love for Bahá’u’lláh”. 212

3.5.6 Sharing the Learning
A degree of emphasis was given in disseminating the mass teaching
experiences learned from Bolivia to other countries as Mas’ud
explained:
When mass conversion was well developed in Bolivia
the Regional and National Spiritual Assemblies, recently
established, asked me to travel to Peru, Ecuador and Colombia
to guide and help Mass Conversion. In Peru I travelled with
Fidel Flores and the pioneer couple Lester and Mabel Long,
who lived in Huancayo, Peru. In Ecuador I travelled with Raul
Pavon, in Colombia with Habib Rezvani, in all these countries
we visited the Indigenous and I helped them in teaching these
people.213

Personal communication to the author.

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.

BORIS HANDAL

3.6 His Love for Bolivia
In 1963 Mas’ud and his family left Bolivia for Iran but returned to
South America in 1969 to settle in Peru, the adjoining country. From
Peru, he always kept visiting Bolivia, never losing interest for the
growth of the Faith in this country. He regularly came to participate
in teaching conferences and summer schools encouraging the friends
to teach the Faith.
The Hand of the Cause Rahmatu’lláh Muhajir visited Bolivia years
later accompanied by Mas’ud. Dr Muhajir used to say that Bolivia
might be the first country to become Bahá’í. In his diary, Dr Muhajir
left some impressions of his 1961 first trip:
14 April: We left at 5:00 am for Chalipampa. A small clean bus
took us to Lallagua. On the way we passed the village of Huanuni.
Mas’ud said that once they had come to this area in a truck,
they heard sounds of gunfire and the truck turned back. The
Bahá’ís, however, climbed down and continued on their way.
The gunfire, had become fiercer, and they thought it prudent
to hide in a corner. They walked in the rain till they reached
the town-gate and the guard gave them shelter in the school.
The rebels found the leader of their opponents in the church,
dragged him out and shot him. Then they found the Bahá’ís but
let them go. These are the conditions under which the friends
in this region have to teach the Faith. We arrived at Lallagua at
noon. After a rest we left for Chalipampa. We’d walked for halfan-hour when it started to rain. Large hailstones hit us. The
hail was so fierce and the freezing cold so biting that we could
not continue any further. I apologized to my companions and
told them that I had only walked for two kilometres and was
already in bad shape that I simply could not envisage having
the strength to continue. Mas’ud and Carmelo decided to go
on and I decided to return. I was shattered and despondent. I
sat there and wept because I could not walk a few kilometres
in the path of God. I just sat there and wept. The weather was
getting colder and the rain was worsening. I thought about poor
dear Mas’ud, who was walking in these conditions to fulfil my
obligations. He can visit them any time. I sent someone to call
him back, and for my sake he agreed. Carmelo will go there to

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

tell them why I could not go. We walked from six a.m. to seven
p.m. and accomplished nothing. I have grown old. I have to
take my ambitions to the Abha-Kingdom. My only hope is that
Bahá’u’lláh will forgive my sins with a drop from the ocean of
His mercy. When the friends heard that I could not visit them,
a hundred of them went to the neighbouring village and Athos
and Angelica went to be with them.
15 April: Mas’ud and I left, to return to La Paz early this
morning. Mas’ud said that all their teaching trips are either
in torrential rain or fierce wind. Often their vehicles break
down. Once their bus had broken down, they had talked to the
villagers. On their return trip they found that many of them
wanted to become Bahá’í.214

Another Hand of the Cause to visit Bolivia was Mr Abul-Qásim Faizí
in 1962. By then Mas’ud was an Auxiliary Board member residing in
La Paz with his family. According to May Faizi-Moore:
One of his most memorable meetings in Bolivia was by the side
of the road. As he and Mas’úd Khamsí were on their way to
yet another centre they saw in the distance a group of people
sitting in a field by the roadside. In their curiosity they slowed
down and as they drove closer, men, women and children
rose to their feet, one by one, and came forward in greeting,
They were Bahá’ís from a village which was very difficult to
reach. The community, not wanting to miss meeting Faizi,
had decided to walk down to the road on which they knew
he would be travelling, sit by the roadside and wait for him.
They had brought bread, potatoes and eggs with them for
lunch, which they shared with Faizi and his companion. After
saying prayers together and asking Faizi many questions they
bade him farewell and returned to their village. Faizi was so
delighted with this gathering that he felt its enjoyment for
months.215

Írán Furútan Muhájir. Dr. Muhájir: Hand of the Cause of God, Knight of
Bahá'u’lláh. London, The Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1992, pp. 504-506.
May Faizi-Moore. Faizi. George Ronald Oxford, 2013, p.256.

BORIS HANDAL

Ethel Wilcott McAllaster, a pioneer in Bolivia in 1959 with her tenyear old daughter Sally, remembered some anecdotes revealing the
cultural challenges that arose while teaching Indigenous people:
Masud Khamsi would come with as many as 30 Indians for
meetings. They would sleep in my balcony. He had to teach
them how to use the bathroom. They will eat by my large round
table. My dining room touched the neighbour’s who happened
to be a teacher in the local school and he could not understand
why I could I have these Indians actually sit and eat with us.
So hot, so cold was the weather that you did not wear sun
dresses or back-lift ones like we do. One day I put on one and
everyone wanted to feel my back, especially the children. They
thought it was funny. I told Mr. Khamsi about it. He was stern
and asked if I didn’t have another dress. He told me not to do
that nor to wear shorts or anything that would cause people to
look down on me since I represented the Faith. I try always to
remember that no matter where I live.216

3.7 Returning to Iran
During his time in Bolivia both Mas’ud and Jane also served in
different administrative capacities. Jane served on the Local Spiritual
Assembly of La Paz while Mas’ud additionally served on the Regional
Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay,
and Uruguay (1960-1961) and later on the first National Spiritual
Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Bolivia (1961) as its inaugural chairman.
In 1962 he became an Auxiliary Board member for the protection of
the Faith reporting to the Hands for the Western Hemisphere, Jalal
Khazeh and Zikru’llah Khadem, replacing Mildred Mottahedeh who
had been elected a member of the International Bahá’í Council in
1961 and went to live in the Holy Land accordingly. 217,218
Those were interesting times towards the election of the Universal
House of Justice held in Ridvan 1963. The International Bahá’í Council

Sally McAllaster, personal communication to the author.
Baháʾí World Centre. The Ministry of the Custodians 1957–1963. Haifa, Israel,
Universal House of Justice, 1992.
Bahá’í News, February 1962.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

was established by Shoghi Effendi in 1951 as an appointed body of
nine believers an event that was announced by himself with these
words:
Proclaim National Assemblies of East and West weighty epochmaking decision of formation of first International Bahá’í
Council, forerunner of supreme administrative institution
destined to emerge in fullness of time within precincts beneath
shadow of World Spiritual Center of Faith already established
in twin cities of ‘Akká and Haifa... 219

After the passing of the beloved Guardian in 1957 the Hands of the
Cause decided that, from 1961, the members were going to be elected
through through the direct suffrage of the existing National Spiritual
Assemblies around the world. The International Bahá’í Council ceased
to exist with the election of the Universal House of Justice in 1963.
The first National Spiritual of Bolivia was formed in Ridvan 1961.
By the end of the Ten Year Crusade in 1963 in a matter of about
six years nearly 100 Spiritual Assemblies had been formed in the
indigenous areas of Bolivia, including the enrolling of 8,000 new
believers,220 faithful to Shoghi Effendi’s advice in July 1957 to the
National Spiritual Assembly of Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay
and Bolivia’s message that “One of the most worthy objectives of
your Assembly must be the establishment of all-Indian Spiritual
Assemblies”.221
After his six dedicated years in South America the Khamsis had
decided to come back to Iran. This was due to a combination of an
insufficient flow of income and family sickness. Jane got sick with
typhoid fever and had to go to a hospital in the United States. In
addition to these difficulties, the government did not give Mas’ud
work permission and he was living only on his savings. It was not an

Shoghi Effendi. Messages to the Bahá'í World – 1950–1957. Wilmette, US Bahá’í
Publishing Trust, 1971 edition, p. 7.
Baháʾí World Centre. The Baháʾí World: 1954-1963, Volume XIII. Haifa, Israel:
Bahá’í World Centre, 1970, p. 269.
The Compilation of Compilations: Prepared by The Universal House of Justice
(vol. 3). Maryborough, Victoria, Bahá’í Publications Australia, 2000, pp. 203-
225.

BORIS HANDAL

easy decision to make:
Jane, in the hotel she could not move, and she was falling down
because of the altitude. La Paz is 4 000 metre altitude. Jane had
eyes problems, cataract. So we decided to go back to Iran. And
that was the time when the House of Justice was elected for
the first time.222

In 1963, Mr Khamsi participated in the first election of the
Universal House of Justice in Haifa as a member of the National
Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Bolivia. From Haifa in company of
other National Assembly colleagues including Andres Jachakollo they
attended the first Bahá’í World Congress223, the “Most Great Jubilee”
in London to celebrate the centenary of the Declaration of Bahá’u’lláh
in Riḍván Garden in April 1863.
The election of the Universal House of Justice was a major
milestone in the history of the Bahá’í Faith, the culminating point of
the Ten Year Crusade a global effort that had taken the Faith to all
corners of the world.224 It was a further memorable event because it
was taking place ten years after Mas’ud had met Shoghi Effendi and
promised himself to serve his Guardian as best he could. Now, the
honour was for him to participate in the election of the inaugural
Universal House of the Justice and to be in their presence, the new
centre of the Cause, the “… august body to whom all believers must
turn”.225
Approximately 6 000 believers from all over the world attended
the London celebration. Present were the newly elected members of
the first Universal House of Justice and the Hands of the Cause of God.
In Mas’ud’s words:
That was the time when the House of Justice for the first time

Interview with Mas’ud Khamsi. Lima, Peru. Tape provided by Masud Samandari.
The first Bahá’í World Congress was held in the Albert Hall, London, during 28
April and 2 May 1963.
Fatheazam, Shahbaz. The Last Refuge: Fifty Years of the Universal House of
Justice. Evanston, IL: Irfan Publication Occasional Papers, 2015.
Bahá’í World Centre. Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963–1986.
Compiled by Geoffrey W. Marks. Wilmette, Illinois: Bahá’í Publishing Trust,
1996, p. v.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

was elected. So I went to the Jubilee with Andres Jachakollo, a
member of the Assembly. I was also member of the Assembly.
So we came back [from Haifa] to London for the famous
conference. The House of Justice was elected at that time and I
went back to Iran.226

Mas’ud spoke to the audience about his mass teaching experiences
in Bolivia. Andres Jachakollo also talked about his teaching work
among the indigenous people of the Andes as the description below
explains:
Bahá’ís remember when Andres, dressed in indigenous
clothing, rose at the World Congress and with a powerful voice
said, “Why have we come? We have come to remember the
centenary of the declaration of Bahá’u’lláh calling for the unity
of all nations and all races”. Andres’ stentorian voice echoed
through the Albert Hall, and his words were received with
great applause.227

4. Return to Iran (1963-1969)
After their two pioneering posts in South America, the Khamsis
moved for six years to Tehran with Mas’ud being very successful
in a commercial and industrial career working with his brotherin-law Habib Sabet. Iran at that time was experiencing a rapid and
sustainable economic boom due to the growing prices of oil for which
the country was one of the major world producers.
Service to the Cause was always Mas’ud’s main focus of attention,
a priority now further empowered by the inspiration he had gained in
South America, a continent difficult to forget and always in his mind
with the best memories.

4.1 Activities in Iran after returning from Bolivia
In Iran, Mas’ud pursued his Bahá’í activities with the same zeal,
enthusiasm, steadfastness and devotion:

Interview with Mas’ud Khamsi. Lima, Peru. Tape provided by Masud Samandari.

Bahá’í World Centre. The Ministry of the Custodians: I957-I963. Haifa, Bahá’í

World Centre, 1997, p. 189.

BORIS HANDAL

The experience with [Bolivian] Indians gave me the chance
to visit the Persian tribes of Bovir Ahmadi and Lors. I was
surprised at how easy it was to teach them and had great
opportunity because at that time there were not Mullas
(Muslim priests) among them. Unfortunately soon after, I
learned that the Muya’ddin Islam with the support of the
government obliged the tribes to receive the priests, to preach
and teach them prejudice.228

According to Dr Iraj Ayman, Mas’ud kept himself busy teaching
also in the urban environment to all types of people:
When he returned to Tehran he was appointed as a member of
a committee especially for contacting, forming a relationship
with non-Iranian Bahá’ís and other non-Iranians that National
Assembly wanted some kind of contact with them. They
organised some public meetings for non-Bahá’ís but in English
language. So, they were non-Bahá’í foreigners in Iran who
were attending and Mas’ud was very much active in organising
those meetings and contacting these Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís
because he was so fluent in English language and his wife had
become a Bahá’í.229

Shapoor Monajem recalls Mas’ud’s hospitality for South American
visitors to Tehran:
I can’t ever be forgetful of the most precious gift of my life
given to me and some other friends, members of the National
Assembly of Brasil in 1968, who were taken and guided from
his home in Tehran to an unforgettable surprise pilgrimage of
the House of the Blessed beauty in that city.230

Prosperous as his life became in Iran, Mas’ud’s heart was in South
America. In October 1967 he visited Panama. According to him, at the
laying of the foundation stone of the Mother Temple of Latin America
by Hand of the Cause Rúhíyyih Khánum in Panama City, “I met up with

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.
Personal communication to the author.
Story told by Shapoor Monadjem.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum again and she requested I accompany
her and her cousin Joan Shute on a trip to Bolivia. In her own words
she wanted to ‘make sure that there are so many Bahá’ís and that the
development of the Faith in Bolivia is a reality’. At that time we visited
the president of Bolivia and the Minister of Education, who came with
us to a Bahá’í Conference and he said in his own words that it was
the first time he spoke Quechua, the language for the Indians - in a
conference”.231
Dr Ouladi, later a pioneer in Bolivia, wanted to pioneer to South
America and therefore went to visit Mas’ud at his home in Tehran.
I once heard from Mr Khamsi that he had been a pioneer to
Bolivia and had returned to Iran. We met at his marvelous
home in Tehran and soon I discovered he was a Continental
Counselor who had returned to Iran from Peru. Mr Khamsi lived
in a very beautiful and grand residence. To gain admittance, I
had to go through different people who worked for him. Mr
Khamsi received me with open arms and spoke to me about
Bolivia and about teaching. He also talked about going back to
Bolivia to continue his teaching work there. He had everything
he could possibly need in Iran but was not satisfied there.
Although he had a very important and prestigious position in
an Iranian based company, he was always preoccupied with
going back to Bolivia or South America especially to teach the
Faith among the Indians of the Andes.232
To some, presumably many, the comfortable lifestyle led by the
Khamsi family would have been a lifelong objective and the attainment
of one’s ultimate purpose in life. For others like Mas’ud, as Dorothy
Kamsi-Samandari explains, there was a special capacity to examine
oneself, scrutinize one’s conduct, and with characteristic resolution
avoid the pernicious influence of the forces of materialism:
My father had good contacts with people close to the
government, socially very upscale. My father started feeling
too afraid of comfort with material and social triumphs. He
remembered his love of teaching the Faith and his promise to

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.

Personal communication to the author.

BORIS HANDAL

the Guardian to devote his life to service and he convinced my
Mother and dropped everything to return to South America in
1969.233
Similarly, as his friend Dr Shapour Rassekh mentioned, “Even
though the path for material success within the companies of Mr Sabet
was wide open in front of him, he chose the path of pioneering”.234
Obviously, he did not feel fulfilled spiritually in Iran, missing his
experiences of mass teaching in South America.
With this decision, emerged a grave reality that ultimately
impacted their pioneering destination in South America. “Very soon
my wife recovered from Hepatitis”, said Mas’ud, “she was operated for
cataract and as we suffered from not being able to teach the Faith in
Persia we decided to return to Latin America. Despite all my love and
experiences I could not return to Bolivia due to my wife’s health and
the altitude”.235 Hence, they chose Peru on the western coast of South
America because it was close to their beloved Bolivia.
The news of abandoning everything up and relocating with four
young children to Peru surprised many people. His daughter Dorothy
said:
This created a shock in his entourage and the whole community
far and wide, they didn’t expect this from someone in the
pinnacle of his successful career and opportunities. It was
given for many years as an example of detachment and great
sacrifice ... Daddy was doing extremely well in Tehran. He
belonged to one of the most financially successful family of
Iran, he had a fantastic and successful career and was up for
constant growth in an international company.236

4.3 Appointed Counselor in Iran
As he was making arrangements to leave Iran to South America,
in 21 June 1968, the Universal House of Justice announced to the
Bahá’í world the creation of the first eleven Continental Boards of

Personal communication to the author.
Personal communication to the author.
Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.
Personal communication to the author.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

Counselors for the Protection and Propagation of the Faith around
the world with Mas’ud appointed to the Western Asian board.237 This
highly important development was first intimated as a World Centre
Goal, part of the goals of the Nine Year Plan, by the Supreme Body in
its Riḍván 1964 message:
…development of the Institution of the Hands of the Cause of
God, in consultation with the body of the Hands of the Cause,
with a view to the extension into the future of its appointed
functions of protection and propagation… 238

In the months following the announcement of the Nine Year Plan,
there was a historic gathering at the World Centre, which spanned a
period of fourteen days, focused on consulting both on the progress of
the Plan and the implications of the vital goal aimed at perpetuating
the functions of the Hands of the Cause, that of protection and
propagation. It was during this occasion, following the study of the
sacred texts and deliberation with the Hands of the Cause, that the
House of Justice arrived at the following decisions:
There is no way to appoint, or to legislate to make it possible
to appoint, Hands of the Cause of God.
Responsibility for decisions on matters of general policy
affecting the Institution of the Hands of the Cause, which was
formerly exercised by the beloved Guardian, now devolves
upon the Universal House of Justice as the supreme and central
institution of the Faith to which all must turn.239

Therefore the cablegram by the House of Justice joyously
announcing the establishment of the Continental Board of
Counselors to all National Spiritual Assemblies on 21 June 1968, a

 he Western Asia area included Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Nepal,
T
Pakistan, Sikkim, Sri Lanka and Turkey.
Bahá’í World Centre. Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963–1986.
Compiled by Geoffrey W. Marks. Wilmette. Illinois, Bahá’í Publishing, 1996, p.
32.
Bahá’í World Centre. Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963–1986.
Compiled by Geoffrey W. Marks. Wilmette. Illinois, Bahá’í Publishing, 1996, p.
44.

BORIS HANDAL

new development of the Administrative Order of Bahá’u’lláh, thrilled
Bahá’ís in all countries. This momentous communication was the
fulfilment of the World Centre Goal, shared over four years earlier:
ADOPTION THIS SIGNIFICANT STEP FOLLOWING
CONSULTATION WITH HANDS CAUSE GOD ENSURES
EXTENSION FUTURE APPOINTED FUNCTIONS THEIR
INSTITUTION… FERVENTLY SUPPLICATING HOLY
THRESHOLD DIVINE CONFIRMATIONS FURTHER STEP
IRRESISTIBLE UNFOLDMENT MIGHTY ADMINISTRATIVE
ORDER BAHÁ’U’LLÁH.240

Dr Iraj Ayman, Mas’ud’s old friend and a member of the National
Spiritual Assembly of Iran commented: “As a matter of fact it was a
matter of a pleasant surprise when he was appointed as a Counselor
because he was not much involved in administrative activities”. Dr
Ayman added:
One day he told me that he had received a message from the
Universal House of Justice that he is appointed to the Board of
Counselors. He told me that “I did not know what does it mean
actually”. “I have received the cable and I am waiting to receive
more information”, [Mas’ud said]. I told him that I have not
received any information but if you receive let me know. And
that is how later on told me the whole thing. But something
interestingly happened was that he had already been once in
Peru and was familiar with Peru. So he volunteered to go back
to Peru as a pioneer although he was a Counselor [in Iran].
And Universal House of Justice approves this. And he left - it
was only a few months after he was appointed as a Counselor
[in Iran]. And when he left for Peru I received a cable from
Universal House of Justice that I was appointed as a Counselor
in his stead.241

Gradually, the friends around the world started learning to

 ahá’í World Centre. Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963–1986.
B
Compiled by Geoffrey W. Marks. Wilmette, US Bahá’í Publishing Trust, p. 130,
1996.
Personal communication to the author.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

understand more and work with this new agency of the Universal
House of Justice. According to Dr Ayman:
That particular Board of Counselors, which was in Western
Asia at that time, was in a very special condition that no other
board of Counselors was like that, because at that time there
were four of the Hands of the Cause living in Tehran. And at
least three or four other Hands of the Cause were visiting Iran
very often. So, always there were a group of Hands of the Cause
in Iran and Counselors were actually replacing the auxiliary
board members of the Hands of the Cause. And it was a very
close association between the Counselors and the Hands of
the Cause, everything they were doing together in a way.242

The Continental Board of Counselors was a new institution for
all. According to the Universal House of Justice the Counselors were
assuming some of the functions of the Hands of the Cause. Likewise,
the Auxiliary Board members were to be more associated with the
Counselors than to the Hands, as it was the practice in the past.
In his new capacity, Mas’ud also travelled to a number of countries
including India and Japan.

4.4 Returning to South America
About twelve months later the Khamsi’s were leaving Tehran. On the
way they visited the Holy Land en-route to Peru as Mas’ud said, “to be
close to Bolivia”. On 10 July 1969, the same day as the Khamsis arrived
in Peru, the Universal House of Justice announced to the Bahá’í world
Mas’ud’s appointment to the Continental Board of Counselors in South
America. He became the first Iranian pioneer to Peru and eventually
a Peruvian citizen.

5. Second Pioneering to South America
Settling in a new country is a wonderful experience for anyone. For
Mas’ud, Jane and the four Khamsi children leaving friends and family
in Iran to come to Peru might have been understandingly sad but
exciting enough at the prospects of commencing a new phase of their

Personal communication to the author.

BORIS HANDAL

life.
The family pilgrimage to the Holy Land gave also all the blessings,
confidence and spiritual energies to their mandate to develop nascent
Bahá’í communities on that west side of the Pacific Ocean. The threeweek trip from Iran to Peru had two parts, one over land and the
other by sea.
For Gary Khamsi, his father “chose this means of transport to be
able to enjoy the only real vacation he ever took in his life amidst his
transition to his new pioneering post”.243 According to Ahmad Khamsi:
It began with the key leg of Tehran to Haifa, where Dad met
with the Universal House of Justice. The rest of the land
portion included Haifa to Rome (where we enjoyed not only St.
Peter’s Cathedral at the Vatican, but the many beautiful Roman
ruins), then on to Barcelona, where we boarded the Italian
mixed cargo and passenger ship Donizetti, and its long route
to Peru. I mean long because it stopped at all the ports along
the way! Amongst them were Canarias, Maiquetia (Caracas),
Curazao, Cartagena, Panama Canal, Barranquilla, Guayaquil,
before finally dropping anchor in Callao. We were warmly met
at the dock by Mercedes, Isabel, and Kiko Sanchez and driven
to the Bahá’í Centre …244
Kiko Sanchez who was present related:
They boarded an Italian shipping line that serviced ports
between Europe and South America ... it was a long journey.
Along the way on board the ship, Mr Khamsi made friends with
people whom he later had a relationship with for many years
in Peru. My parents picked them up at the port city of Callao,
adjacent to Lima, Peru´s capital city. It was an impressive sight
because they brought an enormous amount of suitcases and
trunks. At that time I think their oldest son Ahmad would have
been twelve. Dorothy followed close behind in age and then
there was Bahia and Gary. Bahia was the youngest daughter and
Gary the youngest son. I met them all when my parents arrived
from the port. I remember that Mr Khamsi spoke Spanish but
Personal communication to the author.
Personal communication to the author.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

Jane spoke very little. The children spoke some Spanish. They
decided to settle in the National Bahá’í Centre. Mr Khamsi had
a project to build a house and they were looking for land. It was
spectacular when they settled at the Bahá’í Headquarters. 245
You walked in through the front door and suddenly came upon
the central meeting room where a fireplace was located and
where they had placed a huge Persian carpet. The entrance
room that faces the street was covered with a large impressive
Persian carpet. The room at the back overlooking a small
interior garden had yet another carpet. The furniture that Mr
Khamsi had brought was beautiful. It was fine and elegant in
addition to wooden lamps, etc. The National Centre was really
beautiful with all this fine elegant furniture and carpets. They
stayed at the National Centre for over a year until Mr Khamsi
bought some land and built their house.246

5.1 Learning to Travel Teach
No sooner had Mas’ud arrived in Peru in July 1969, than he started
travelling in his role as Continental Counselor. For example, we find
him in Brazil in December 1969 meeting the Bahá’í community and
consulting with the National Assembly and its committees. Mas’ud
served as a Continental Counselor for fourteen years from 1969 until
1983 when he was appointed member of the International Teaching
Centre.
As a Continental Counselor he travelled extensively. It can be said
that he visited every one of the 44 countries in the Americas. Conrado
Rodriguez, his personal assistant, said:
There were always two suitcases in Mr Khamsi’s house. One
day I asked Jane, “Why the two suitcases?” She replied, “Do
you not know the story of the two suitcases? When the World
Center calls, and asks him to go to a cold place, he grabs the
suitcase with warm clothing and off he goes. Sometime later
he gets another call from the House to go to a hot place, and
so he grabs the other suitcase with cooler clothing and he’s

Story told by Kiko Sanchez.

Story told by Kiko Sanchez.

BORIS HANDAL

on his way to a hot place. He’s gone the next day”. Jane, then
alludes quietly to the obvious, “Mas’ud sees very little of his
children”.247
It is noteworthy that Mas’ud never forgot his native Iran. On his
way back from the 1978 International Convention he visited Iran
with his wife. He travelled to various cities including his native Rasht
delivering talks in Bahá’í gatherings. His friend Shapour Rassekh
said that he “will never forget the trip he made to Iran, during which
he attended the National Convention in [the National Centre of]
Hadíqih248. His presence was a great consolation for a rural Bahá’í
family, a member of which had just been martyred”.249

5.2 Learning to Grow
Although Bolivia and Peru are neighbouring countries, the Bahá’í
communities shared similarities as well as having differing strategies
for the growth of the Faith. They both shared the Aymara and Quechua
nations settled millenniums ago around their political frontier and
therefore was home to a large indigenous population. However,
Bolivia had been more successful in enrolling indigenous believers
in rural and remote areas whereas Peru had made progress with the
youth and urban groups.
Not surprisingly Mas’ud appeared to focus in working with the
youth and helping to develop human resources among urban believers
who later travelled to teach in indigenous areas. In order to create a
strong culture of teaching, summer schools in Lima were prioritised
and became instrumental in educating believers as a strategy to grow
to the provinces.
Mas’ud was very creative in developing communities in such a way
that the new believers adopted their newly espoused Bahá’í beliefs
and practices naturally without feeling estranged. The teaching
stories in this chapter show how wise he was in introducing aspects
of Bahá’í identity such as prayer and fasting, particularly to the youth
where his main strength was his innate ability to lovingly accompany
Story told by Conrado Rodriguez.
A large Bahá’í property in Tehran where summer schools, meetings and
conferences were held.
Personal communication to the author.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

many souls along their way.

5.2.1 Nurturing the Youth
For Mas’ud, the youth was very important for the development of any
Bahá’í community and therefore it became one of the main foci of his
endeavours. In a letter to the Peruvian Youth many years ago when
he was at an advanced age, Mas’ud remember that “Shoghi Effendi
has said: “The youth are the backbone of the community”. This means
that if there were no youth the community would fall like jelly on the
floor. Youth who have already gone through the experience of having
served the Cause of God assure us that the joy they felt during their
youth was never repeated again in their lives”.250
Mas’ud later on described how a strong community of youth was
formed in Peru:
In Peru there were great opportunities in the teaching field.
The famous pioneer Eve Nicklin251 had taught the Faith in
different departments of the country, but these groups were
very small. A very cornerstone of the community of Peru was
the family of Enrique and Isabel Sanchez, both members of
the NSA, their home a centre for Bahá’í activities. The lack of
youth was very noticeable and we started to organize youth
activities though they were few - with the help of youth Ahmad
Khamsi and Enrique Sanchez we organized picnics at our
home to invite more friends. The Bahá’í youth tried to attract
more youth at the Bahá’í Centre and we worked with the help
of a great potential teacher called Grover Gonzales. Later
youth like Fernando Schiantarelli joined and with the help of
“grandmother”, Angela Pavanel, who opened her house and
travelled with them, we organized a youth class at the Bahá’í
Centre called “Antorcha” (Torch, in Spanish) and a fireside at
Angela’s. The number of youth grew fast to 150 in Lima alone.

According to Kiko Sanchez:
The following happened when the Khamsis moved to their

Mas’ud Khamsi’s letter to the Youth of Peru dated 21 January 1999.

Boris Handal. Eve Nicklin, She of the Brave Heart. SC, CreateSpace, 2011.

BORIS HANDAL

home. Mr. Khamsi was very enthusiastic about the youth,
and took great care of us and was always aware of where
the youth were, what we were doing, and whether the youth
had their own meetings or not. He began several activities to
build-up the community in general but also some interesting
activities especially for the youth. For the community, the
Khamsi family opened their home and gardens and initiated
those famous picnics on Sundays. We would spend the whole
day together with the community. We had lunch together,
then had our meetings outdoors in the gardens because
there were so many people. Topics of deepening and teaching
were addressed because the believers brought their non-
Bahá’ís friends. Sometimes the meetings gathered together
more than a hundred people. We also had other meetings at
their home where the youth would bring their own friends. I
remember when I was seventeen years old; I had just enrolled
in the University. I invited lots of my friends, maybe twenty or
thirty, to Mr Khamsi’s home. Most of my friends on a political
scale were leftists. Mr Khamsi spoke to them and my friends
also talked. Some of them became Bahá’ís later on.
During those times the University of Lima [next to Mr Khamsi’s
house] was also growing. I remember Mr Khamsi driving his
yellow car. Many students would hitchhike on the main highway
waiting for someone to take them to the university campus. Mr
Khamsi would pick up students every day to tell them about the
Faith. To start the conversation, he would say, “What are you
studying?” They responded: “Economy, administration, etc ... “.
“Oh, economy, that’s fine”, he used to say. Then, he added, “and
the economy is developing, all economic reports say that, you
know all this of course.” The youth would respond with, “yes,
of course the economy is improving and there is more research
etc.” Mr Khamsi would then say, “if this is so, why are we in
a crisis every year, possibly a worse crisis every year?” The
students then looked puzzled and perplexed. “Of course”, they
would say. Mr. Khamsi then would continue, “Research shows
that there is improvement but the economic crisis increases
every year”. He used to explain all this to them in the car and
told them about the principles of the Faith and its teachings.
Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

Some of these youth started coming to the meetings.252

Mas’ud also recalled how the youth began to expand in numbers:
Due to the lack of activities and organization many of the first
Bahá’ís were inactive and with the help of Miss Mercedes
Sanchez, Auxiliary Board member and outstanding teacher of
the faith, we visited each one of the Bahá’ís and started huge
picnics so that the new and old Bahá’ís, the youth and children
could get to know each other, all these kinds of meetings took
place in our house in Monterrico, in the suburbs of Lima,
which had a big garden. Between 100 to 200 people used to
come and with the visits of Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum
and Dr Ruhe and his wife Margaret we reached 200 Bahá’ís
with their friends, these meetings helped in the teaching work
and always a number of visitors accepted the Faith.253

A Peruvian youth recalled about this incident about the importance
of opening our homes to Bahá’í activities:
I remember a picnic that was in his house, a beautiful circular
mansion, with beautiful gardens and fruit trees. We arrived
early, about 20 people in all, young and old. Mr Khamsi was
very happy receiving us, particularly because he liked believers
from the provinces visiting him especially since it required a
tremendous effort to travel many hours to the capital. He took
us to see his beautiful gardens of which he took great care.
He took us to a side where there were pears and apple trees
and showed us a young apple tree that had several fruits
and flowers. There was a small red apple tree hanging on
its branches but it was still very green. He said: “This is my
favourite and I take great care of it”.
It was time for the meeting with more than 350 people
participating, including children, youth and adults. It was a
beautiful meeting of deepening, reflection and joy. There were
songs and a lot of dancing - groups from each region presented

Story told by Kiko Sanchez.

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.

BORIS HANDAL

their songs, dancers and dances.
The meeting was very nice and spiritual. When the friends
left, Mr Khamsi and his wife Jane said goodbye to all by the
door. We all left with a great desire to continue working on the
progress of the Beloved Cause.
I stayed back to help clean the whole house, because of the
untidiness that was left after finishing the day’s activity. I
helped clean the garden which needed a lot of attention. There
were broken flowers and pots everywhere, but the saddest
thing was to see Mr Khamsi’s tree and its favourite little green
apple tree all lying on the floor.
Mr. Khamsi smiled, even though he felt sad. We apologized
but he said, “It is sad, but we must keep opening our homes
to talk about Bahá’u’lláh, there is no time to lose for small
material things”. For me it was a great example of love and
detachment.254

In another occasion a kindergarten teacher took 50 children to
the Khamsi’s residence. According to her, “one of two accompanying
teachers, seeing the kindness and hospitality offered to them, gave
us, declared herself a Baha’i and told me that she had never seen such
kindness. The children played in their garden the whole day and left
the place happy, having learned a prayer by heart”.255

5.2.2 Summer Schools
The importance of the Summer School as an institution was
repeatedly stressed by the beloved Guardian, “both as a centre for the
preparation and training of prospective teachers and pioneers, and
for the commingling and fellowship of various elements in the Bahá’í
Community”.256
For Shoghi Effendi, Summer Schools were the vehicles to
consolidate individuals and communities by gathering the friends

Story told by Augusto Erquinio.
Story told by Ana Maria Saavedra.
The Compilation of Compilations: Prepared by The Universal House of Justice
(vol. 1). Maryborough, Victoria, Bahá’í Publications Australia, 1991, p. 40.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

during an extended period of time and offering a program that has
the harmonious combination of three elements, that of “devotion,
study and recreation”.257 It is through the coming together of these
threefold features that the Summer School attempts to ultimately
fulfil its “true function of deepening the knowledge, stimulating the
zeal, and fostering the spirit of fellowship among the believers in
every Bahá’í community”.258 Such a lofty purpose has attached to it a
majestic vision, for this mighty institution to be viewed as an embryo
of future Bahá’í universities. Shoghi Effendi further elucidated on the
purpose in these terms:
The basic purpose of all Bahá’í Summer Schools, whether in
East or West, is to give the believers the opportunity to fully
acquaint themselves, not only by mere study but through
whole-hearted and active collaboration in various Bahá’í
activities, with the essentials of the Administration and in this
way enable them to become efficient and able promoters of
the Cause….259

With summer schools being an increasingly vital institution to
foster community development, propagate the Faith, and raise human
resources, the Guardian placed great emphasis on the youth having a
“peculiar responsibility”260 in the development and evolution of the
summer school into a future university.
Mas’ud not only concentrated in supporting them to make them
successful and appealing to the extent that the Peruvian summer
schools became internationally known, but also tirelessly encouraged
youth to participate:
In Peru we had very successful summer schools and from
my experience I suggested the National Spiritual Assembly
to invite outstanding teachers from other countries to give

 he Compilation of Compilations: Prepared by The Universal House of Justice
T
(vol. 1). Maryborough, Victoria, Bahá’í Publications Australia, 1991, p. 28.
The Compilation of Compilations: Prepared by The Universal House of Justice
(vol. 1). Maryborough, Victoria, Bahá’í Publications Australia, 1991, p. 28.
Shoghi Effendi. Directives from the Guardian. India/Hawaii, 1973, p. 66.
The Compilation of Compilations: Prepared by The Universal House of Justice
(vol.1). Maryborough, Victoria, Bahá’í Publications Australia, 1991, p. 40.

BORIS HANDAL

classes, among them we had Dr Ahmadiye from Belize, Habib
Taherzadeh from Brazil, Alejandro Reed from Chile, Charles
Hornby from Ecuador. The classes were so interesting that
we agreed to extend it to two weeks instead of one as it was
before. Though each country should have its own summer
school, the Universal House of Justice permitted Peru to
invite its neighbouring countries such as Ecuador, Bolivia and
Paraguay so that they learn to organize their own summer
schools. We were told that in Brazil, the youth did not have any
interest in participating in their Summer School. I asked that
youth from different families to come to Lima to participate in
the Summer School, seven youth of both sexes came to Lima
to attend this very modest and simple school, and when they
returned to their country they enthusiastically asked to have a
summer school in Brazil, but in the same way of Peru, and not
in first class hotels or luxury places. In great Brazil it was very
difficult to find an appropriate place for such a school until the
Soltani Institute was built.261

For the inherent potential of Summer Schools to be fulfilled they
should not be viewed as an isolated event. In a letter written on his
behalf, Shoghi Effendi said that Summer Schools rather constitute
“a vital and inseparable part of any teaching campaign, and as such
ought to be given the full importance it deserves in the teaching
plans and activities of the believers.”262 In this manner, following
Summer Schools’ teaching projects in Peru were facilitated where
the youth were encouraged to participate which proved essential in
ensuring coherence in the pattern of community life. Kiko Sanchez’s
remembrances are as follows:
After one or two weeks of Summer School, almost all the youth
with some adults, went on teaching trips. We went to different
parts of the country. That was very good for everyone. First,
for the opportunity to teach and second, because your parents
were not there to do things for you and you learned to manage

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.

The Compilation of Compilations: Prepared by The Universal House of Justice
(vol. 1). Maryborough, Victoria, Bahá’í Publications Australia, 1991, p. 40.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

yourself. Those were very interesting teaching trips. When the
summer school ended, we always parted these same groups. It
had become a tradition not only during the long breaks but
also during mid-year vacations when teaching teams were
also formed. It was a tradition to get out and travel teach and
Mr Khamsi was always encouraging that.263

Mas’ud travelled very often to the mass conversion areas. A friend
recalled how he became a Bahá’í in one of those campaigns:
Mr Khamsi arrived in Cusco for the last days of the Forty Days
Teaching Plan. I remember that by the Nineteen Day Feast in
February 1974, I already had spent about 15 days with the
Bahá’í pioneers and other friends. Following the feast, people
were dancing and I approached Mr Khamsi to ask and talk to
him. He had memorized whole quotations from Bahá’u’lláh’s
writing. For the third time he asked me if I was ready to become
a Bahá’í and to repeat with him “I am a Bahá’í “ again and again.
Suddenly, the volume of the music was turned down and I was
found myself shouting “I am a Bahá’í “ and the friends began
to sing the welcome song. Looking at them, I remembered
everything that each one had taught me.264

5.2.3 Caring for others
For his work with the Peruvian youth, they designated Mas’ud as their
spiritual father.265 The well-being of the youth was his main concern
trying to get them together, connected and integrated. Such a noble
disposition was one of his main legacies to the Bahá’í community.
These stories are illustrative as to how little things can make people
connected:
When I met Counselor Más’ud Khamsi I was impressed by
the clear affection he showed towards everyone particularly
towards children. He greeted us smiling, asked how we were
and referred to us as his “little friends”. I was about ten years
old when I was attending an activity with my family at the
Story told by Kiko Sanchez.
Story told by Gerson Elias.
Boris Handal. Eve Nicklin, She of the Brave Heart. SC: CreateSpace, 2011

BORIS HANDAL

Bahá’í National Headquarters. At the end of the meeting,
the friends dispersed, some to greet each other and others,
especially the young ones, to enjoy some board games. I was
watching from a distance the ping-pong game and I had not
noticed that Mr. Khamsi had approached me, and with a big
smile he said: “Now I’m going to play Ping-Pong with you”. I
felt that I had to respond to his affectionate invitation even
though I knew I was not good at this game. As expected, the
ball fell to the floor many times and each time, Mr. Khamsi ran
to pick it up cheerfully. After a while, he told me: “Well, we have
played, now I’m leaving because I’m tired”. This experience
clearly illustrated me the importance of being supportive,
affectionate and attentive. We should be concerned when we
notice that a friend is not fully integrated and is not involved
in any activity.266

Likewise, a young girl recalled this special home visit:
I was turning 16 years old and Mr Khamsi came to my birthday
party. My parents were beginning to know about the Bahá’í
Faith. Mr Khamsi participated without many words but his
presence won the respect of my mother who at the time did
not know the Faith. I remember feeling Mr Khamsi’s presence
irradiating respect, dignity and a reverence. He had come to my
house especially to celebrate my birthday. I was very touched
by his love and genuine desire to be part of such a special
moment for me, my family and my new Bahá’í friends.267

Another youth recounted the following story of kindness and
compassion:
In April of 1995, I was involved in a traffic accident and my
spine became severely affected. I had to be taken to the capital
by plane. I was under guarded prognosis diagnosis for the
first ten days and I was told that I might be bedridden for
life. Among the first to arrive to the hospital was Mr. Khamsi,
who came with a bouquet of flowers… Mr. Khamsi was calmly

Story told by Lina Leon.

Story told by Amparo Polanco.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

caressing my forehead telling me that I was going to heal and
that I should have faith. His words were very premonitory as
seven months later I was able to walk again. His presence and
his words filled the hospital atmosphere with peace at that
moment. 268

Likewise, this youth many years later remembered another act of
kindness:
There was a time, being a young man, when I was going
through many difficult personal situations including financial
and sentimental problems. It was like all the difficulties had
come on my way at once. He agreed to meet me on the same
day. I got there around 4 in the afternoon. His house wasn’t like
most. It had a round shape and was surrounded by garden and
trees. Its freshness had a calming effect on my agitated spirit. I
was received by an auxiliary board member who told me how
lucky I was because whenever he talked to the Counselor it
was always about business and then Mr Khamsi would say
goodbye. I found him seated in the garden, we greeted each
other and he asked me to take a seat. The auxiliary board
member soon reappeared with some tea which he placed on
the table and left, leaving us alone. Mr Khamsi asked me to say
a prayer and after those words he paused and said, “So, Carlos,
what’s the problem?”
I told him to forgive me for my weakness and began to empty
my heart even with tears, telling him of my afflictions in a very
emotional heartfelt way. We remained silent for a few seconds
until Mr Khamsi with his soft voice asked me “What is life?” He
kept thinking and said: “Do you hear the strong song of that
little bird?” Actually there was a little bird that sang louder
than the other birds. I said, “Yes” to Mr Khamsi. And he asked
me “Can you see it?” to which I answered that “... no, because
the bird is hidden in those trees”. Mr Khamsi addressed me
with calm and affection: “You cannot see him but because of
his singing you know that he exists - if he did not sing for sure
nobody would know it exists”.

Story told by Jesus Asencio.

BORIS HANDAL

When we said goodbye, he accompanied me to the door and
gave me a chocolate saying: “Sweeten your mouth with this
chocolate since life is sometimes very bitter. We have problems
but this should not stop us from continuing to sing by teaching
while we stay alive. If we allow ourselves to be absorbed by
difficulties then we are dead”.269

To conclude the section let’s read this story told by Gary Khamsi
about understanding and supporting teaching work:
When I was 18 years, two months after getting my first driver’s
license I caused an accident with two other vehicles. There
were no personal injuries but my Dad’s car was unusable for
two weeks. Three hours later, I told my father that I was sorry
I could not go to a youth committee meeting because of the
accident. Without even hesitating, he offered me the other car
to the meeting. With good reason after what has happened, he
could have told me to take a public bus. With this he gave me
two messages, we must support people who may feel insecure
due to some mistakes made, and, above all, that the work for
the Faith cannot stop.270

5.3 Learning to Teach
Mas’ud also took the responsibility of accompanying friends in
teaching experiences to remote indigenous communities. Taking the
Faith from urban to remote places was indispensable to bring about
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s “promise” to the native people of America. As well as
in Summer Schools, youth were chosen first for that training and
became the prime strategy to form a constant flow of travel teachers.
The following story told by Kiko Sanchez is illustrative as to how
Mas’ud got the youth involved in the process of mass teaching:
I remember one of my first trips with Mr Khamsi. Ahmad
[his son] and myself were fifteen and thirteen years old
respectfully and we accompanied Mr. Khamsi into the interior
of Peru to Chavin de Huantar, which is in a valley called
the Conchucos Alley. We had to cross a tunnel to get to this

Story told by Carlos Nunez.

Personal communication to the author.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

place. The narrow tunnel had a low roof and the bus had the
entire luggage at the top covered with a canvas. On the bus
there were also all kinds of animals inside. We were there for
several days visiting the communities and it was very nice to
see Mr Khamsi relating to the villagers, talking about the Faith,
deepening on the teachings, and take care of some mundane
tasks. Our hotel was a simple hotel with no shower. We had to
wash ourselves with water from a sink in the inner garden of
the hotel. It was a half-wash and then every day we went out
to visit communities three or four kilometers away from the
town. When we were walking along the road we felt a strong
smell of sulfur. The smell was like rotten eggs and we found
out that some hot springs there were close and next to the
river. One day Mr Khamsi took us to this place to take a bath.
So, with our shorts and towels we went down to the river. The
place had an archeological excavation on the left wall, like a big
cave, from where hot water gushed out to the river. You had to
go over some large stones that marked the border between
the river and the place where the water was coming out. On
one side the water poured out and formed a small pool where
bubbles abounded. The river was on the other side. We bathed
there with soap in very nice warm water. The three of us had
a lot of fun bathing. Mr Khamsi was always tremendously
enthusiastic. We left very clean, and well bathed but smelling
of sulphur – a distinct smell of rotten eggs! Nevertheless we
were spotless. With our hair finely combed, we returned to
town and found that people were not bothered by our offensive
smell because they were so used to it. We spent several days in
the area visiting communities.
Mr Khamsi took notes of everything such as the Bahá’ís who
were being visited and their places of residence. I remember
that before we went out to visit people around town and in
the countryside, we would always pray together and review
quotes from the Writings. When he spoke about the Faith to
the villagers, these quotes would come up.
The day we returned home we were waiting for the bus. It
came from inside Conchucos Alley and it travelled overnight

BORIS HANDAL

through Chavin de Huantar, from where we needed to go. We
were waiting at the bus agency. The bus was supposed to arrive
at seven o’clock in the evening and it was nine o’clock, then ten
o’clock, and the bus did not arrive. It was very cold and Ahmad
and I were complaining. Then Mr Khamsi with a blanket or
a poncho made a tent. So we were sitting on the floor and
somehow he was holding the tent with his head. Inside, he put
a lighted candle. The candle began to warm the atmosphere
and from time to time he raised it to let in air. Inside we were
warming up until the bus finally arrived. And when the bus
arrived there was only one free seat and no seats for Ahmad
and me. Not only were the seats full but the aisle between the
seats was full as well. Ahmad and I decided to take out our
sleeping bags and we climbed up the bus to the cargo rack
above, accommodated ourselves inside our sleeping bags
and underneath the tarp. This is where we traveled as two
additional bags of cargo. I remember when we passed through
the tunnel we felt the roof above at very close range from our
faces. 271

5.4 Learning to Fast
How did Mas’ud teach the virtues of fasting and obedience to the
Bahá’í laws to the youth? Many of the youth came from Christian
families for whom fasting was not only unknown but also a strange
ascetic practice. In an environment where not being Christian was an
antithesis to social standards, learning to fast was a challenge for the
newly enrolled, particularly the youth.
Consequently, collective observations of fasting took place which
lead to the youth developing steadfastness and enriching their
spiritual life as Baha’u’llah had instructed: “Fast ye for the sake of your
Lord, the Mighty, the Most High. Restrain yourselves from sunrise to
sunset”.272
Those meetings were held either in Mas’ud’s home, at the Bahá’í
centre or in a country club to which he belonged. Maria Eugenia

Story told by Kiko Sanchez.

T he Universal House of Justice. The importance of Obligatory Prayer

and Fasting. The American Baha'i, 31:7, 2009.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

described in the following story how Mas’ud created a space where
the youth began gaining their Bahá’í identity through following the
Fast:
The activities organized by Mr Khamsi and his family around
the time of the fast, were very rewarding for me and for all
the youth who were invited. His family and the Sanchez family
during the weekends used to go to El Bosque Country Club. He
used to bring all the food needed to prepare the breakfasts and
the dinners at the Club. Those were times of recreation and
leisure as well as serious study and meditation on the Writings
and stories of the Faith. I sense that he took great care of all the
details. This was something I believe is very important for the
youth. That we not only go to a spiritual retreat with nothing
to do except pray and meditate but that there are also spaces
available for us to play. The most important thing of those
fasting retreats was that he fostered a feeling of coexistence
among the Bahá’ís. It helped us develop the habit of obedience
to the law of God, such as the vital law of fasting. Many of
the youth belonged to a new generation of believers and
experienced difficulties at home in order to practice the law
of fasting; this was so because our non-Bahá’ís parents did
not really understand, and we did not have the facilities to
organize our time nor prepare our meals. Therefore, these
special retreats that Mr. Khamsi organized during the fast
were very important; several weekends dedicated to creating
a unique space to focus on acquiring greater knowledge of
the Faith and the mystical significance of fasting and prayer.
Through collective study, reflection and physical exercise these
precious days of fasting did indeed, wholly prepare us for the
rest of the year. They were a spiritual foundation for me.

I remember we had to get up very early, it was still dark, and we
had to help prepare breakfast together with the older women. After
that we went outside and sat on the grass where Mr Khamsi told us
stories, translating them from a book he had in Farsi. He took time to
translate these stories because in those there was not as much Bahá’í
literature as there is now. Nowadays, you can find books and stories
translated from distinguished believers of heroic age. We filled our

BORIS HANDAL

spirits with such deeply motivating stories because we listened
carefully to all those inspiring past events. The narratives were a very
important complement for me. In other words, it was not only the fact
that we had to read a book and know about the law but also about
its component, the fire of the spirit. I believe that they were the best
times of my life.273
It is also worth mentioning Mas’ud’s special sense of humour.
These are little vignettes told by local believers reveal his sparkling
personality and wittiness:
When I began attending Bahá’í firesides Mr Khamsi once told
me that Christ has already returned. I told him that he must be
mad. After some months noticing that I had become a Baha’i
he told me: “Abraham, who is mad now?” 274

One day a Bahá’í arrived to the Bahá’í Centre at lunchtime and said
to Mr Khamsi that now he has become a Hare Krishna follower. Mr
Khamsi turned to him and smiling he said: “Congratulations but you
have gone back 6,000 years!”.275 Another believer recalled:
Mr. Khamsi would always tell us how important it is to obey
the Bahá’í Institutions. Once he told us about a pioneer serving
in a South American country who said Mr. Khamsi wished her
to pioneer to China. When the Assembly learned of this, they
asked her why she wanted to leave for China? She responded
saying that Mr. Khamsi had appeared to her in a dream and he
told her to go to China. As it was not deemed wise for this Bahá’í
lady to leave her pioneering post, Mr. Khamsi was informed
and he visited the lady and found her actively preparing her
suitcase for the trip. He asked her, “Why do you want to go to
China?” She answered: “You told me to go in a dream.” To this
Mr. Khamsi responded, “But we need you here!” She replied
that her dream was very real and therefore she must go. He
then lovingly asked her, “How is it that you believe me in your
dream but not here in real life?” This question caused much

Story told by Maria Eugenia Gonzales.
Story told by Abraham Reyes.
Story told by Vicente Lopez.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

laughter and she decided to remain at her pioneering post. Mr.
Khamsi always reminded us that our dreams, as profound as
they may be, should be consulted upon before taking action
with our institutions and obey them in order to receive divine
confirmations.276
I took Mr. Khamsi to the barbershop near the Bahá’í Center
where he always cut his hair. Whenever he arrives they
embrace him, he then takes off his coat and he seats himself in
a swivel chair. There are mirrors in front and in back of these
chairs. All of sudden Mr. Khamsi realized that his hair was
uncustomarily long and so he moved it from side to side and
says to me, “Mister Conrad, do I look like a rock and roller?” I
was with my back to Mr. Khamsi and so I turned around and
looked to the right and to the left and said, “No Mr. Khamsi, you
do not look like a rock and roller.” “Why not” he replied, and I
said, “because rock and rollers have painted fingernails and
wear earrings …”277

5.5 Learning to Give
From all the multiple conferences that Mas’ud participated perhaps
the most relevant was the one held in Bahia. This city is cited by
‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Tablets of the Divine Plan: “Likewise the city of
Bahia, situated on the eastern shore of Brazil. Because it is some
time that it has become known by this name, its efficacy will be most
potent”.278
The Bahia International Teaching Conference was called by the
Universal House in Justice in 1977 to fulfil all the goals of the Five Year
Plan. Bahá’í News reported about this very successful conference:
Over 1300 believers from 37 countries gathered at the Castro
Alves Theatre from January 27 to 30. Seventeen indigenous
tribes of the Americas were represented. The Conference was
illumined by the presence of three Hands of the Cause of God:

Story told by Farid Tebyani.
Story told by Conrado Rodriguez.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Tablets of the Divine Plan. Wilmette, US Bahá’í Publishing Trust,
1993, p.31.

BORIS HANDAL

Mr Enoch Olinga the official representative of The Universal
House of Justice, Mr Paul Haney and Dr. Rahmatu’llah Muhájir.
Also in attendance were six members of the Continental Board
of Counselors in South America. Twenty Auxiliary Board
Members and 47 National Spiritual Assembly representatives
were also present. A panel coordinated by Counselor Masu’d
Khamsi, with the participation of eleven National Spiritual
Assemblies and many indigenous believers, presented an
account of the accomplishment of the goals of the Five Year
Plan. 279

A Peruvian youth recalled a particular presentation of Mas’ud
during the conference about giving to the Funds where he again
mentioned his famous “tuman”:
We were at the Bahia Conference in Brazil in 1977. The
venue was divided into three sections. The ground floor was
for Spanish-speaking believers, the second level for those
of English-speaking background and the upper level for the
friends who came from Iran and Europe. This was before the
Khomeini revolution and Iranians had a lot of economic power.
Mr Khamsi began talking about donating to the Fund for
teaching the Faith in South America, speaking simultaneously
in Spanish and English. After a while he changed to Farsi and
I noticed the tone of his voice had changed as well. Luckily,
I had a Persian-Brazilian friend to whom I asked to translate
for me what he was saying to the Persian community. My
friend said that Mr Khamsi was reprimanding them. There
was too much tension in the hall. At one time, some Iranian
friends made a gesture to leave the hall but firmly he asked
to close the doors that nobody can leave until he finishes.
He lowered the tone of his voice but resolutely talked about
what Shoghi Effendi said. He talked about a letter that Shoghi
Effendi sent him for a contribution he made many years ago
for the construction of the Wilmette Temple. He said, “for him
and everybody it is a treasure. I am now satisfied for having
helped with the construction of that Temple. No matter how

Bahá’í News, March 1977.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

much you contribute now you cannot add one more stone to
the building”. Mr Khamsi said there are boxes on the stage
to place your contribution. Now it is the time to donate! Just
then a humble Bolivian Indigenous lady arose to make the
first contribution. That was a lesson of detachment to all. Then
everything became magic and a huge contribution was raised.
The Persian friends donated to the purchase of 4WD vehicles
to be used for teaching the Faith in the rural areas of Bolivia…

Mas’ud’s services to the Institution of the Ḥuqúqu’lláh were also
admirable either as a member or educating communities about
this sacred law. In June 1973 Mas’ud was appointed Trustee of the
Continental Funds for South America a service that was later extended
to the whole Americas. From August 1992 to October 1997, he further
served as a Deputy Trustee of Ḥuqúqu’lláh, reporting to the Chief
Trustee of Ḥuqúqu’lláh, Hand of the Cause of God Dr. ‘Alí-Muḥammad
Varqá and afterward became Deputy Trustee on the Regional Board
of Trustees of Ḥuqúqu’lláh for South America until November 2001.

5.6 Learning to Nurture Scholarly Ability
Mas’ud was constantly seeking to foster scholarly capabilities within
different individuals. The following two stories are cited below as an
example of encouraging others in the field of Bahá’í literature:
During my trips to Ecuador as a Counselor I always stayed at
Charles and Helen Hornby’s house. On different occasions I
noticed Helen lying down on the floor with a pile of books and
small pieces of paper looking into the books and making notes
on the papers. One day I asked her what she was doing so
enthusiastically, she said she was doing a personal reference
file so when looking for the exact reference she would not
waste time looking into so many books. To me that was
wonderful since the Beloved Guardian Shoghi Effendi made a
reference book, but about very important subjects of the Faith.
I encouraged her to go on with such a valuable work, but told
her she should not think of the work only being useful for

Luis Wong’s personal communication to the author.

BORIS HANDAL

herself, I told her that as a Bahá’í, if she was doing something
useful, she should share it with others, it would no be hers.
That book is called “Lights of Guidance”281 (a Bahá’í Reference
File). Later on, in order to correct and complement this book
she asked authorization from the World Centre to go to Haifa,
and here she devoted herself to investigate all the books and
to record the information for her last edition that was printed
in India.282

According to Helen Hornby, Mas’ud had told her: “Bahá’ís cannot
be selfish, that when one does something like this it must be shared,
now this is no longer yours”.283
“El Concurso en Lo Alto” (The Concourse on High)284, a collection of
ten biographies of martyrs and saints of the Heroic Age of the Faith, was
another book that got published only because of his encouragement
and directions. He even managed to get the publication financed by
Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum and Mr Salim Nounou.285
There were no Bahá’í books written or edited in Spanish by
native Spanish speakers. All the books we had at that time
and most of the books even today are translations and do not
have the Spanish flavour I was always looking for someone
that could start such a necessary and valuable work. Finally I
found a very talented youth, although he was a relatively new
Bahá’í he deepened quickly. As he knew the Bahá’ís should
know the Islamic religion very well, he also deepened into the
history and principles of this religion. His name is Boris Handal
Morales, who at that time lived close to the Bahá’í Centre in
Lima, Peru, and by contact with my son Ahmad who was the
same age and lived at the Bahá’í Centre he accepted the Faith.

Helen Hornby. Lights of Guidance: A Bahá'í Reference file. Bahá’í Publishing
Trust, 1983.
Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.
Helen Hornby. Lights of Guidance: A Bahá'í Reference file. Bahá’í Publishing
Trust, 1983.
Boris Handal. El Concurso en Lo Alto. Lima, PROPACEB, 1985.
Salim Nounou (1905-1990).

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

He wrote the book in 1985. 286

6. Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum
The Hand of the Cause of God and the Guardian’s widow Amatu’l-Bahá
Rúhíyyih Khánum always praised and admired Mas’ud’s services and
devotion. His mass teaching work was appreciated by the Hands of the
Cause during their six year interreign between the passing of Shoghi
Effendi in 1957 and the election of the Universal House of Justice in
1963.
Mas’ud Khamsi was invited to participate by Rúhíyyih Khánum in
the famous Green Light Expedition and accompanied her to various
Bahá’í events. In addition both served as members of the International
Teaching Centre in Haifa. This chapter explores how the Hand of the
Cause worked together with her Counselor through various projects
and the deep reverence the latter showed for the former.

6.1 Introduction
Mas’ud had known Khánum during his first pilgrimage to the Holy
Land in 1953:
In the afternoon when I was coming to the gardens I saw Shoghi
Effendi. And I saw Rúhíyyih Khánum from the car. In those days,
the Persians cannot meet Rúhíyyih Khánum according to the
Persian costume, the man could not see unchadored287 women.
So Shoghi Effendi respected Islam and the Persians could not
see Rúhíyyih Khánum. But I saw Rúhíyyih Khánum. I went to
Dr Hakim’s room which is in the gardens and saw Rúhíyyih
Khánum for the first time but not face to face. The first time
I saw Rúhíyyih Khánum in America was at the opening of a
conference. So Rúhíyyih Khánum invited for lunch [both] Jane
and me to have lunch with her. So that was the first time.288

Later, through Mas’ud’s tireless efforts, he was known to her as
a hard working member of the Continental Board of Counselors for

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.
A chador is a head covering cloth for women in Middle Eastern countries.
Interview with Mas’ud Khamsi. Lima, Peru. Tape provided by Masud Samandari.

BORIS HANDAL

South America. Counselors individually and as a board reported
directly to the International Teaching Centre.

6.2 The Green Light Expedition
The Green Light Expedition led by Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum into
the Amazons, the Orinoco and the Andes basins took place between
February 1975 and August 1976. Mas’ud said of this expedition that
“it was unique in the Bahá’í history of South America; there has never
been anything like it: 100% results have been produced by putting in
100% effort”. Thirty-six tribal groups were visited during a six-month
period. As a result, a film was produced totally narrated by Khánum –
a complete transcription containing the details of the expedition are
enclosed in appendix 2 of this book for the reader’s perusal. The story
in appendix 1 relates to the Green Light Expedition in the Peruvian
and Bolivian Andes. 289
The expedition was Khánum’s response to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s call in
the Tablets of the Divine Plan:
O that I could travel, even though on foot and in the utmost
poverty, to these regions, and, raising the call of “Yá Bahá’u’l-
Abhá” in cities, villages, mountains, deserts and oceans,
promote the divine teachings! This, alas, I cannot do. How
intensely I deplore it! Please God, ye may achieve it.290

It was of course a great privilege for Mas’ud to accompany Khánum
on these trips. In a short recount of his pioneering experiences
written at the instructions of the Universal House of Justice, Mas’ud
annotated:
A great honour and opportunity conferred in my life was
to be invited to participate in the Green Light Expedition,
organized by our dear Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá
Rúhíyyih Khánum, which lasted approximately a year from the
beginning in New York, going through the Amazonian basins

Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum Mary Sutherland Maxwell. The Green Light

Expedition. 1975. Video available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=pW4qAmfpjG8
‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Tablets of the Divine Plan. US Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1993, pp.
41-42.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

of Venezuela, Surinam, Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia until
the return of the group to the United States, and the editing of
42 hours filming. Since there are slides291 and a video of this
important and historic trip I do not need to explain it in detail. I
can only say that in all the Bahá’í world, including Persia, there
was an enormous enthusiasm about pioneering at that time.
In Lima, Peru a TV station showed the 2 hours long movie and
it was also shown in some provinces.292

David Walker, one of the four-crew members documenting the
expedition through film and photography, recalled that Mas’ud was
also involved in the logistics and being the project manager:
Rúhíyyih Khánum invited Mr Khamsi on the expedition
primarily as her business manager, but also as her translator.
Rúhíyyih Khánum used her own money to pay for the
expedition and the film (She sold her father’s collection of
Japanese art to raise money for the project). So naturally she
wanted to conserve funds as much as possible, and Mr Khamsi
was an astute businessman and consummate bargainer. He was
responsible for all of the logistics of the expedition, arranging
flights, boats, hotels, etc. Moreover, whenever Rúhíyyih
Khánum spotted an Indian artefact that she wanted for her
“ethnographic museum”, she would whisper to Mr Khamsi,
“Mas’ud, get me that rattle,” and a few moments later he would
join us with a big smile saying, “Here it is, Khánum!”293

David Walker also praised Mas’ud’s business acumen:
I first met Mr Khamsi on February 4, 1975, at the Pan American
Terminal at Kennedy Airport in New York City, as we piled
up our equipment for the flight to Caracas. We were several
hundred pounds overweight, which put Mr Khamsi right to
work, negotiating with the ticket agent. It wound up costing
about $500, considerably less than it might have had every
 ideo available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/
V
watch?v=pW4qAmfpjG8
Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.
Personal communication to the author.

BORIS HANDAL

overweight piece been weighed.
Later, in April 1976, as we were finishing up the editing of the
film and getting ready to make prints (each print was four
reels), Rúhíyyih Khánum again called Mas’ud to New York to
come and negotiate the cost of prints with the DuArt Film Lab.
DuArt was one of the major labs in New York, and we had done
work with them for many years. They charged us depending on
the length of the film and we naturally paid the going rate. We
had never heard of bargaining over the cost, but sure enough,
Mas’ud was able to talk them into significantly reducing the
cost of each print. We were astonished! 294

It seems that Mas’ud’s additional unscripted job was to teach the
young crew a greater sense of reverence for the Hand of the Cause
and the Guardian’s widow! According to David Walker:
We film makers (three for the movie, one for still photographs)
were all young guys in our 30’s. Mr Khamsi was charged with
keeping us in line and smoothing feathers when we clashed
with Rúhíyyih Khánum about things she wanted filmed and
things we felt needed to be in the film. We had our share of
explosive moments, but they were quickly overcome, and Mr
Khamsi was invariably on hand to play the role of referee.
Throughout the trip Mr Khamsi demonstrated a wonderful
sense of gentle humour which lifted our spirits. His Persian
deference to Rúhíyyih Khánum was an education for us
American youth, although she did not expect the same from
us. She felt free to scold us when we got too rambunctious, but
her annoyance passed quickly and she remained to the end of
her life a true and steadfast friend.295

6.3 A Sense of Reverence
Mas’ud’s sense of deference for Khánum, who was not only a great
person but also a Hand of the Cause of God and the widow of the
Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, was evident to all.

Personal communication to the author.

Personal communication to the author.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

Jim Jensen, a pioneer to Ecuador in his twenties, described how
at a conference he observed Mas’ud’s feeling of reverence towards
Khánum:
Rúhíyyih Khánum wanted to meet with all the pioneers that
were present and Mr Khamsi was there. I got to see him in
the presence of Rúhíyyih Khánum and he was completely
transformed, he was like a humble servant. He was always
a humble person without ego and when he dealt with us in
Ecuador he was loving and kind, but he was also proper and
he looked elegant all the time and he looked serious and
prominent. Now, he was in the presence of Rúhíyyih Khánum
and he is like a servant and he was so humble, bowing his head,
sitting straight and kind of bowing towards her and translating
her words into Spanish for some of the people there. That was
very interesting, a total transformation in the presence of
Rúhíyyih Khánum.296

A letter dated Naw-Ruz 1976 written by Amatu’l-Bahá’s portrays
her appreciation for such a friendship:
My Dear Mas’ud,
Words are useless to try and convey to you my deep
appreciation for your friendship. I have very few people in
this world who are really close to me and to whom I can turn
in time of need – knowing they are there and will come to my
aid. You are one of them.
I can only say may the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh, the Master and the
Guardian reward you for, alas, I could never do so for all your
help.
Rúhíyyih297

This sense of reverence was perceived by many people. Observing
that heartfelt attitude of respect a youth commented:

Story told by Jimmy Jensen.

Original letter in the collection of the Khamsi family.

BORIS HANDAL

[Mas’ud] was always respectful, very kind, with a deep love. It
was the kindness and respect coming from a deep love. It was
the formal kindness and respect that Persians might have but
the kindness and respect emanating from a profound love.298

Likewise, a young Bahá’í299 who was taking a summer break from
his studies in the United States and was able to participate in one of
the Green Light Expedition events commented:
I still remember Amatu’l-Bahá’s cry of delight when Mas’ud
arrived to the conference; he had been delayed briefly on some
important matter in the capital and joined us on the second
day of the conference. That spontaneous expression of joy on
her part upon his re-joining the team, the unfailingly gracious
way in which he related to her, an absolutely wonderful
combination of respect, consideration, solicitousness, and
boundless affection, tempered with straightforwardness and
good humour made a deep impression on me.
For someone who had just emerged out of six months in the
jungle, you would not have been surprised to see Mas’ud
dressed in worn-out fatigues and look the part of a haggard
explorer. Not a bit. Mas’ud always looked like he had just
emerged from a tailor’s shop in Bond Street in London: cleanshaven, the very embodiment of pulchritude and refinement,
as I have always thought the Blessed Beauty would like us all
to be elegant ... I always sensed that Mas’ud’s outer demeanour,
his princely manners, were a perfect reflection for the richness
of his inner self. They were the exterior expression of the chief
animating force of his life which was love for the Blessed Beauty,
manifested in a life-long, tireless, enthusiastic, commitment to
the promotion of the interests of His Cause. 300

His aristocratic appearance was much the reflection of his spiritual
nobility. Similarly, another young believer commented about Mas’ud’s
personal disposition and deportment:

Story told by Jimmy Jensen.
Story provided by Augusto Lopez-Claro.
Augusto Lopez Claros, Messages of Condolence.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

I first met this handsome, distinguished gentleman, in the
expansive, stylish lobby of Dan Carmel, Haifa’s first exclusive
hotel, perfectly placed on the mountain allowing for a
panoramic view over the Mediterranean Sea and beyond. It
was in the late 1960s and Mr Khamsi was visiting the Holy
Land on pilgrimage with his entire family. I was struck by them
all – their affability, charm – natural, splendorous individuals
without flaunting it. The backdrop to this group of royalty was
perfect. The name of the street (Hanassi) where Dan Carmel
is located means president in Hebrew and the hotel’s elegant
interior is only outmatched by the magnificence of the view
outside, overlooking Haifa Bay and the Galilee and Golan
landscape. I felt grand as a lad that afternoon of stateliness but
was drawn immediately by the warmth of Mr Khamsi and his
unassuming demeanour. How can simplicity reside in such
nobility so effortlessly, I thought? As though the personage
was oblivious to the material qualities, incarnate or otherwise,
wishing to subjugate him. This is forever, how I remember dear
Mas’ud Khamsi - the star we gazed upon in admiration never
turned upon himself but always looked to the sun which made
his brilliance even brighter.301

6.4 The Green Light Expedition in Lima
During the Green Light Expedition, when Khánum arrived in Peru
she stayed at Mas’ud’s place where many meetings with the local
community took place. Unfortunately, Khánum arrived very sick as a
Bahá’í friend recalled:
It was a difficult situation for the Green Light Expedition
because the boat in the Amazon, the Peruvian part of the
Amazon, was a small boat and they were a bit cramped. That’s
why I believe, because of age, and so much time on the water
sailing, that when they arrived to Lima, Rúhíyyih Khánum came
down with pneumonia. Mr Khamsi took her to the hospital.
They wanted to treat her pneumonia with antibiotics and
insisted she rest. Then Rúhíyyih Khánum said to Mr Khamsi:
“Mas’ud, I’m not going to touch any of those chemicals, I’m

Story provided by Shahbaz Fatheazam

BORIS HANDAL

not going to take that”. Mr Khamsi called my house and talked
to my father and said: “Dr Sanchez [a Bahá’í doctor] please
come here and convince Rúhíyyih Khánum that she has to
take her medicine”. My dad went and I translated. Mr Khamsi
stood aside and introduced my dad. They already knew each
other and she looked quite emaciated. My dad spoke to her:
“The Bahá’í Writings say that in the future diseases will be
cured with the principle of restoring balance and we will use
medicine that natural and pleasant to taste”. “However”, my
dad said very confidently, “that is in the future. For the time
being, what we know now is this medicine and you have a
serious illness and the only thing we can do now is to use this
medicine”. Mr Khamsi was listening and Rúhíyyih Khánum
looked at Mr Khamsi, looked at my dad, nodded and then took
her medicine”.302

To make things worse, soon after Khánum was involved in a car
accident in Lima:
Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum spent about a month in Lima
recovering. Mr Khamsi used to take her to El Bosque Country
Club to have some sunshine because of Lima’s strong haze
most of the year. When they were coming back they had a
car accident. An ambulance driving in the opposite direction
climbed over the central division of the highway and fell
sideways on the lane where Mr Khamsi was driving his
Volkswagen beetle. Mr Khamsi managed to apply the breaks
but his car hit the ambulance. Rúhíyyih Khánum was on Mr
Khamsi’s side and suffered some blows. However, behind Mr
Khamsi was Mark Sadan who was the director of the Green
Light Expedition film. He was a big and tall fellow and by
falling on him, Mr Khamsi broke his forearm that had to be
plastered. The steering wheel also broke.303

Once recovered, Khánum made a trip to the north of Peru with
the purpose of visiting the Aguaruna tribe. The Aguarunas is the only

Story provided by Kiko Sanchez.

Story told by Kiko Sanchez.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

indigenous group from Peru mentioned in Shoghi Effendi’s map on
the Ten Year World Crusade in 1952. Luis Guerrero, a homefront
pioneer in that area, recalled:
Mrs Mary Maxwell [Amatu’l- Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum] visited
my home in Chiclayo. I went to pick her up from the Tourist
Hotel in my car and brought her to my home. She bought a fish
and prepared it together with my wife Rosario. At lunch she let
me know with her interpreter that she wished for me to go to
the Aguaruna tribe. Since she could not get there herself, she
wanted me to go on her behalf. She was coming from her Green
Light trip through the Amazon. However, they could not reach
the tribe following the pathway they had chartered through
the Amazon. They discovered that Aguaruna tribe was settled
on the Marañon river and not the Amazon.304

Next year, Luis Wong with Mas’ud went to visit the Aguarunas
fulfilling Khánum’s request and many Aguarunas became Bahá’ís:
We departed by bus with Mr Khamsi and other Bahá’í friends.
An Aguaruna man served as our guide. After twelve hours of
travel we arrived to a park with concrete benches that served
as our bed until the truck that was going to transfer us arrived.
Mr Khamsi was lying down on the concrete bench for twenty
minutes when the truck arrived. We continued the trip until
dawn and we went down to walk through the jungle to the
Marañon riverbanks. There we crossed the river by raft until
we reached the Temashnun Community. At Temashnun there
was a meeting of the Apus who are the Chiefs of the tribes
from Ecuador and Peru. Mr Khamsi spoke to them about the
Bahá’í Faith ... 305

Rúhíyyih Khánum also took time to gather with the Bahá’ís of
Lima. “Khanum went to visit communities in Lima”, Gary Khamsi
recalls, “being well received by several homes where she spoke to
host families and friends”. A local believer invited her and a group of
Counselors to her place. Marta Lopez narrated what transpired that

Personal communication to the author.

Story provided by Luis Wong.

BORIS HANDAL

day:
I had the privilege of inviting Rúhíyyih Khánum to my home. She
came with all the Counselors of South America because at that
time they were having a summit meeting in Lima. I remember
asking Counselor Donald Witzel, “Donald”, I said, “Khánum will
come to lunch at my house and I do not know what to cook
... Mr Khamsi has forced me to invite her… Who am I to
ask Amatu’l-Bahá to come for lunch to my house? I am an
ordinary Bahá’í”. Finally, I invited her and she was happy that
I invited her. I thought of some very nice recipes for lunch.
I made typical Peruvian food but since I did not know what
Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum was used to eating, I made a
plate of baked chicken instead. I also made potato salad
because I thought these were international that she would
surely be able to eat. She served herself and served white rice
that I made with tadikht306, like a rice cake. She was somehow
impressed how I had been able to make such a big rice cake.
Amatu’l-Bahá took a piece of chicken, some potato salad
and a little bit of white rice. She was very discreet in serving
herself. Then I remember that two Counselors said: “Khánum,
you have to try this Peruvian food”. She was not willing to
and said, “I’m afraid of my stomach, it can be spoiled”. “No”,
a Counselor said, “here in the house of Marta we always eat
Peruvian... she is very careful preparing her food”. Therefore
she tried a little bit of Peruvian food because a Counselor put
it on her plate and she said, “this is delicious”. Afterwards she
got up and she helped herself to a little of everything, very
moderately. When we finished having lunch she told me that
the food had been very delicious and that she really admired
my cooking hands.307

In Lima Rúhíyyih Khánum stayed at the Khamsi family home
although she spent about one month in a hostel to recuperate from her
ailing. Gary Khamsi, the youngest of the four children, recalled these
interesting facets of Rúhíyyih Khánum’s personality as she stayed

The browned crispy rice formed at the bottom of the cooking pot.

Story told by Marta Lopez.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

at the family home: “Since the Green Light team were exhausted,
we respected their rest. At night she would call my sisters because
she liked to comb their hair. At that time Bahiah had it very nice and
very long. She was very sweet with me in Lima”. 308 He remembers
“the nice tone of her voice and readiness to laugh, I loved the sound
of her laughter … I was surprised when she gave me a rock music
cassette!!”309

6.5. At the World Centre
The friendship between Khánum and Mas’ud was a lasting one. In 1983
Mas’ud was appointed as a Counsellor member of the International
Teaching Centre, necessitating his family’s move to Haifa. According
to Azam Matin, a pioneer in Lima who looked after Mas’ud when he
was at an advanced age:
He had many memories with Shoghi Effendi and Rúhíyyih
Khánum. He developed a friendship with Rúhíyyih Khánum
when he and Jane lived for ten years at the Bahá’í World Center
and frequently associated with Rúhíyyih Khánum there. She
used to invite some members of the Univeral House of Justice
and Hands of the Cause to get together. One of Mr Khamsi’s
striking virtues was his courtesy. That was his striking virtue -
he always showed respect to anyone.310

When the Khamsis were leaving the Holy Land to go back to their
pioneering post in Peru, Khánum wrote to him:
Haifa 13 March 1993
My very dear Mas’ud,
It is going to be extremely difficult for me not to have you here
in Haifa. Our deep friendship is of long standing and memories
of the epic South American trip we made together ever fresh in
my mind. But, I am well aware that wherever you and dear Jane
are it will be a beacon of light for Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís alike;
what we lose here others will gain there! The sea of life seems

Story told by Gary Khamsi.
Story told by Gary Khamsi.
Story told by Azam Matin.

BORIS HANDAL

to have tides and sometimes we find ourselves abandoned on
the shore and then comes a new tide and we are afloat again!
We have to put up with so much in life and hope at the end we
are acceptable to God.
God bless you and Jane and yours!
Until we meet again, much loving affection and many treasured
memories!
Rúhíyyih

Communication between Khánum and Mas’ud continued even
after leaving the World Centre. Conrado Rodriguez, Mas’ud’s personal
assistant, recounted:
When Mr Khamsi spoke of the Guardian he always started
with tears. Mr Khamsi was much loved by the Guardian and
by Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum. Once I noticed that Mr
Khamsi was crying. I asked him, “Why are you crying Mr
Khamsi?”. He said, “I am communicating with Amatu’l-Bahá
Rúhíyyih Khánum. She is not well because of the pollution in
IsraeI … I want her to come here to Lima, to my house that
is already built but she cannot because she has many tasks
and duties...” Mr Khamsi was very concerned with Rúhíyyih
Khánum’s physical health.
The years that I worked with Mr Khamsi were the happiest
years I have ever lived. At that time there were no computers
but teleprinters (telex). I noticed on one occasion that Mr
Khamsi was communicating with someone through the
teleprinter. He was kissing every sheet coming out from the
machine and he was very happy. I asked Mr Khamsi the reason
for all those kisses.
He said: “My dear Conrado, I am talking with Rúhíyyih Khánum”.311

7. Pioneering
Having himself been a homefront pioneer as a youth and later an
international pioneer with his family, Mas’ud always encouraged
others to pioneer and remain in their posts. He was aware of such an
Story told by Conrado Rodriguez.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

exalted station to which Bahá’u’lláh had referred to in laudable terms:
They that have forsaken their country in the path of God and
subsequently ascended unto His presence, such souls shall be
blessed by the Concourse on High and their names recorded
by the Pen of Glory among such as have laid down their lives
as martyrs in the path of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-
Subsisting.312

During one of his visits from Haifa to Peru a friend told Mas’ud
that “Many people are worried that now that you are in Haifa you will
never come back to Peru”. He smiled and calmly replied, “God willing,
I am a Pioneer and I will lay my bones in Peru”.313 He even managed to
raise a young alpaca314 at his garden where in a wheelchair he used to
entertain multiple visitors.

7.1 Encouraging New Pioneers
The Islamic Revolution in 1979 was a big blow to the Iranian Bahá’í
community. Many believers including a Continental Counselor and all
the National Spiritual Assembly members were summarily executed
or simply disappeared. Bahá’í properties were confiscated, individuals
sacked from their employment as well as students expelled from
schools and universities. It was a period of horror where the Islamic
fanaticism was displayed at its worst.
During these tumultuous events, the Universal House of Justice,
in messages addressed to the dear Iranian believers resident in other
countries throughout the world, brought much comfort and solace,
reassuring the friends that they are nothing but expressions of the
“mysterious forces of this supreme Revelation”315.
In such an afflicted time, when mankind is bewildered and the
wisest of men are perplexed as to the remedy, the people of
Bahá, who have confidence in His unfailing grace and divine
 he Universal House of Justice. Wellspring of Guidance: Messages 1968-1973.
T
Wilmette, US Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1976, p. 102.
Story told by Dr Omar Brdarevic.
A native Peruvian animal.
Letter from the Universal House of Justice “To the dear Iranian believers
resident in other countries throughout the world” dated 10 February 1980.

BORIS HANDAL

guidance, are assured that each of these tormenting trials has
a cause, a purpose, and a definite result, and all are essential
instruments for the establishment of the immutable Will of God
on earth. In other words, on the one hand humanity is struck
by the scourge of His chastisement which will inevitably bring
together the scattered and vanquished tribes of the earth; and
on the other, the weak few whom He has nurtured under the
protection of His loving guidance are, in this Formative Age
and period of transition, continuing to build amidst these
tumultuous waves an impregnable stronghold which will be
the sole remaining refuge for those lost multitudes. Therefore,
the dear friends of God who have such a broad and clear vision
before them are not perturbed by such events, nor are they
panic-stricken by such thundering sounds, nor will they face
such convulsions with fear and trepidation, nor will they
be deterred, even for a moment, from fulfilling their sacred
responsibilities. 316

Throughout this period, a massive number of believers had to
leave the country through the mountains of Azerbaijan and Kurdistan
to flee to Turkey and Pakistan. Eventually these friends re-settled
in Western countries through humanitarian visas arranged by the
United Nations Organization. A large number of those friends settled
in major American urban centres in the State of California.
According to Dr Iraj Ayman, former Continental Counselor in Iran,
During the first year of the revolution in Iran, I came to the
United States in the spring of 1979 for a short visit to attend
an international conference on educational research and
visiting our children. While I was in the States I received word
from the NSA in Iran advising me not to return because my
name was on the blacklist of Bahá’í leaders to be executed.
Very soon our home and all our belongings in Iran were
confiscated. I had to remain indefinitely in the United States.

 etter from the Universal House of Justice “To the dear Iranian believers
L

resident in other countries throughout the world” dated 10 February 1980.
Available at: https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/the-universalhouse-of-justice/messages/19800210_001/1#658643603

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

The Universal House of Justice was advising Persian friends
who were in Europe and North America to pioneer to other
countries around the world. I recommended to the Persian
Desk at the Bahá’í National Office to organize a series of
regional gatherings of Persian Bahá’ís for encouraging them to
consider pioneering to other parts of the world. We managed
to organize a few of them. It so happened that at that time
Mas’ud came to the US to participate in the regional gathering
of the Counselors in the Americas. So, we invited him to attend
those gatherings of the Persian friends and persuade Persian
friends to consider pioneering in South America. The main
guest speaker in those gatherings was Hand of the Cause Dr.
Varqa or Hand of the Cause Mr Khadem. Mas’ud participated in
the conferences in San Diego, in Santa Monica, and in Wilmette.
He was persuading, advising and assisting those interested to
go to South America especially to Peru. He was successful in
recruiting a few pioneers to proceed to Peru … and delivered
very effective talks in those conferences and arranged private
counseling for interested friends helping them to make up their
mind and proceed to the goal-countries in South America.317

Several cables reached the Universal House of Justice about the
conferences in Wilmette, San Diego and Santa Monica where Mas’ud
participated:
THREE HUNDRED PERSIAN BELIEVERS GATHERED
TOGETHER IN THE SHADOW MOTHER TEMPLE WEST
IN PRESENCE OF HAND CAUSE DHIKRULLAH KHADEM
COUNSELORS EDNA TRUE IRAJ AYMAN AND MANUCHIHR
SALMANPUR THREE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
MEMBERS TWO AUXILIARY BOARD MEMBERS OFFER
DEEPEST LOVE SERVITUDE SUPREME BODY. DETERMINED
DISPERSE FULFILL GOALS CONSOLIDATE WEAK CENTERS.
OVER FIFTY SOULS OFFER PIONEER. REQUEST PRAYERS
HOLY SHRINES BESEECHING CELESTIAL CONFIRMATIONS ...
(From a cablegram received 19 February 1980)
TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY PERSIAN FRIENDS GATHERED

Personal communication to the author.

BORIS HANDAL

SAN DIEGO CENTER 24 FEBRUARY PRESENCE HAND CAUSE
VARQA DEEPLY GRIEVED PASSING DEAR HAND CAUSE
BALYUZI. OFFER HEARTFELT SUBMISSION SUPREME
INSTITUTION. FIFTY BELIEVERS DETERMINED RESPOND
FILL PIONEERING TRAVEL TEACHING GOALS. OTHERS
HOPEFUL MOVE LATER. BESEECH PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES
BESTOWAL CONFIRMATION SUCCESS. (From a cablegram
received 26 February 1980)
FOURTEEN HUNDRED PERSIAN BELIEVERS GATHERED
SANTA MONICA CALIFORNIA 24 FEBRUARY PRESENCE HAND
CAUSE VARQA COUNSELORS KHAMSI SALMANPUR AND
AYMAN TWO NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY MEMBERS
AND AUXILIARY BOARD MEMBER JALIL MAHMOUDI.
SPIRIT DEDICATION INTENSE. COUNSELORS REMAINED
LOS ANGELES FOLLOWING TWO DAYS TO CONSULT WITH
PROSPECTIVE PIONEERS ... (From a cablegram received 2
March 1980)

Mas’ud advised them that “the Guardian had told [the Persian
believers] that they had to leave, that they had to go and live
outside Iran. That they must live to teach the Faith. He told them
about the Guardian’s wishes and that they had to comply with the
Guardian... They were not in the United States to get rich and live a
mundane life. They had to put their lives at the service of the Faith”.318
Ms Violette Haake, former member of the International Teaching
Centre, attended one of the gatherings where Mas’ud spoke. She and
her husband volunteered to go to Peru: “We went to Peru at that
time but then found out that since we were not familiar with Spanish
we would not be of any service to the community but nevertheless
because he [Mas’ud] gave such a wonderful talk in San Francisco we
started considering going pioneering to other places, we ended up
in another area. So we owe him this wonderful opportunity that we
came across because if we could have come to Australia, we could not
have had any of the bounties that Bahá’u’lláh has showered over us.
So we owe him a lot”.319

Personal communication to the author.

Story told by Violette Haake.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

What follows are stories from two other people who attended
Mas’ud’s talks:
It was the first week of August 1981, my wife Molok told me
that Counselor Mr Khamsi is here in Dallas to give two evening
talks in the Bahá’í Centre. Tonight the talk is in English and
tomorrow night for the Persian-speaking friends. This was the
first time I met Mr Khamsi. In his talk he asked if there was
anyone ready to go pioneering in South America should come
to the stage. After talking to Molok and getting her permission
I went up with other friends to the stage and stood in front of
the audience and every one began cheering us. The meeting
finished and the majority of these people showed up next
night.
Again, the following night Mr Khamsi asked for pioneers to
South America. He said again, “Anyone who wants to go please
come to the stage”. Molok told me, “Go to the front … you must
go to a pioneer post”. I accepted and went to the stage.
After the meeting Mr Khamsi gave me the name of Nasser
Haddadan [a Persian pioneer in Peru] and the Lima Bahá’í
Centre telephone number. The next day I contacted Nasser
and he told me to phone the Lima University Computer
Department to talk to his boss for a job. He also mentioned the
salary. I accepted the amount and tried to talk next day to the
Computer Department but the lines were busy. At night I called
Nasser to tell him the situation and he told me his boss has
doubled his offer for the job. The next day I went to Houston to
the Peruvian embassy to get the visa and after a few days we
arrived in Peru.320

Moojan Matin recalled his own story:
I met Mr Khamsi in 1979. I heard that a Persian Bahá’í, a
Counselor, was coming to the San Francisco Bahá’í Center in
California and he wanted to speak to the Persian Bahá’ís in the
area. About 400 Persian Bahá’ís gathered for that purpose in
the Bahá’í Center of San Francisco. It was a full hall. I went to

Story told by Zia Ghofrany.

BORIS HANDAL

accompany my grandfather whose name is Abbas. He, along
with another Counselor, was inviting the Persian friends
to leave the United States and pioneer particularly to Latin
America. It was the beginning of the Iranian revolution where
scores of Bahá’ís were leaving for the United States, Canada
and Australia. The Universal House of Justice was worried now
that Iran was convulsed that the friends instead of going to
the above countries would not take advantage of the moment
and go directly to pioneering posts where the Faith needs their
services more. That was basically Mr Khamsi’s topic. He said
that the Universal House of Justice does not need you here in the
United States. Now that Iran is convulsed and with problems
and everyone is leaving, go to Latin American countries, to
Africa, where the Faith needs you. This was his main topic. At
the end of the program he said that those who are interested in
leaving to Latin America in three months raise their hands. So
immediately I volunteered. My grandfather accompanying
me told me, “Moojan, if the Universal House of Justice sends
a personage such as Mas’ud Khamsi you have to obey the
House. The House says leave the United States, you have to
leave”. Later when the meeting was over, I talked to him about
my subject and he asked me: “Are you going in three months?”
“Yes”, I said to Mr Khamsi, “in three months I’m in Lima”. When
we arrived in Peru, the only person I knew was Mr Khamsi. 321

Mas’ud did all what he could to protect the Iranian friends that
came with temporary UN refugee status to Peru. At that time all
Iranian embassies in Latin America had instructions of rejecting any
passport renewal requests from Iranian Bahá’í citizens. This is the
amazing story told by Yolanda Torres Urteaga, a Peruvian believer:
One day [Mas’ud] told two Persian families [with UN refugee
status] to travel to Chiclayo, in northern Peru, that there their
migration problems would be resolved and that they would be
able to stay in Peru. They should just contact my uncle Alberto
Guerrero and everything would be solved. It was the decade of
the 80s and Mr Khamsi was worried because the Bahá’ís of Iran

Story told by Moojan Matin.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

who lived outside of their country had been called or rather
forced to return by order of the Iranian government and the
only way they had to save themselves from that request was
to initiate their procedures to opt for Peruvian citizenship. My
uncle in obedience to the Counselor and using the position
he had at that time as a special attorney in an important
Bank wrote a letter stating that he knew them as honourable
people and that he endorsed these families for being Bahá’is.
This document was presented to the police where my uncle
was also known for working in the bank and because he knew
the head of that institution as they had studied together in
primary and secondary school.
Perhaps, doing everything he did would have costed my uncle
his job but once again we can appreciate that the hand of
God is present and protects his loved ones. Obedience to the
institutions is vital for all Bahá’ís and this is an example for
future generations because when you serve with a pure heart
the doors open and everything is solved.322

Mas’ud also had a Persian secretary. According to Shahnaz
Talebzadeh assisting him with his work, “At that time many Persian
pioneers were arriving to Peru, and they needed a lot of attention and
he asked me to solve their translation problems, residence procedures
and other needs until they settled in various cities”.323

7.2 Nurturing Current Pioneers
An important facet of Mas’ud’s job as a Cousellor was to encourage
current pioneers to be steadfast in their post as an Iranian pioneer
remembers: “He was our Counselor coming to Paraguay every 2 or 3
months, he always advised the pioneers to be firm in their pioneering
position and not to be afraid of the difficulties and to go ahead and
feel like soldiers of the Blessed Beauty and help to strengthen the
National Spiritual Assembly”.324
These two stories reflect the way Mas’ud never neglected the
Personal communication to the author.
Story told by Shahnaz Talebzadeh.
Story told by Houshang Balazadeh.

BORIS HANDAL

welfare of pioneers whether they were homefront or from overseas:
I remember that every year I met the Persian friends for
Naw Ruz and we were happy with Chelo Kabab325 and sweets
and other Persian delicacies. They were meetings where the
Counselor Mr Khamsi talked to us and deepened us and made
us feel heavenly! It was there where the pioneers could take
spiritual strength to continue working for the Faith all year
long! He told us of the tremendous successes of humble people
who had raised to be pioneers like Mr Musa Banani in Africa,
who after many hardships and difficulties met Hand of the
Cause Mr Olinga, who conquered the continent of Africa. Or
another Bahá’í who had to sell his land to return to his country,
but at the insistence of Shoghi Effendi stayed, and then found
oil on his land. Another Bahá’í who in Japan suffered a lot but
one day wrote to the National Company of Japan and told them
that their electric rice cookers should let the rice burn and
brown a little at the bottom, and this would greatly increase
sales in Iran. That pioneer received a huge monthly check from
the National Company every month! 326
[Mas’ud] had a special concern for traveling teachers and
pioneers. He was attentive to the situation of each one, visiting
them at their posts, encouraging them and looking after their
welfare. His farewell phrase that I cannot forget is “you have to
persevere”. I remember that I was at my homefront pioneering
post in a small town in Peru about two hours away from the
provincial capital. The telephone communication system was
incipient and I did not hear that Mr Khamsi had stopped in
town on his return from Bolivia and wanted to meet with the
pioneers. When he did not find me, he sent a special vehicle to
pick me up despite the distance and the time. 327
After the summer school ended, Ahmad Khamsi who was 16
years old, said to me [a very young American pioneer] “You
have not come back to Ecuador yet. Come and stay at my

A traditional Persian dish consisting of meat and rice.
Story told by Farid Tebyani.
Story told by Mirna Leon de Donaires.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

house” and so I was very embarrassed at that invitation from
the Counselor. He said: ‘Just come to my house for a couple
of days before you go back’ and so I was able to sleep at their
house, eat at their table and see Mr Khamsi in a completely
different setting, with the family and the children. I was very
happy to be in that family environment because I had been out
of California for six months now and that was the first time to
be able with a family, the whole family speaking English. But
Mr Khamsi was always so proper and respected that I was very
much in.328

With his business acuity Mas’ud was a source of practical advice to
pioneers including general business guidance. “He encouraged many
pioneers to go back to the US or other universities and get a diploma
so that they could serve at higher levels in their communities,” said
Dorothy Khamsi-Samandari, “to buy land and build houses on them
or buy their own apartments, not pay rent so that they contribute to
their own future not make someone else rich … to write their will and
testament, to keep family unity”. 329
The story about Eve Nicklin (1895-1985) is probably the best
corollary to this section about caring for our pioneers. Eve was an
American pioneer who became known as the Spiritual Mother of
Peru. She settled in twelve cities within six South American countries
for nearly five decades. On arriving in Peru in 1941 she was a woman
in her late forties, without money or knowledge o the language, no
Baha’i literature in Spanish and surviving on a bare income as an
English teacher in schools and hospitals. A fall at the Lima summer
school in 1978 forced Eve’s return to Lima from her pioneering post
at a small town in Peru. Having no family connections and being
already an octogenarian, she remained under the loving care of the
Khamsi family who took responsibility for her wellbeing and hiring a
nurse to look after her. Eve went to live in a geriatric clinic and finally
stayed on the second floor of the National Hazíratu’l-Quds for her four
last years of her life — visited and always surrounded by her many
spiritual children. Less mobile, Eve always maintained her always

Story told by Jimmy Jensen.

Personal communication to the author.

BORIS HANDAL

encouraging nature, deepening the friends, sharing stories about the
early history of the Bahá’í Faith in Peru as well as showing them and
explaining her many teaching pictorial albums.330
Mas’ud used to say that in the future, schools, hospitals, universities
and all types of humanitarian institutions would be named after her.
A believer recalled that Mas’ud had great love for Eve Nicklin and
talked to her with great affection, “he looked and talked to her with
much tenderness”.

8. Bahá’í World Centre Services
In 1983 Mas’ud was appointed a member of the International Teaching
Centre in Haifa for a five-year period. The National Convention of
Peru joyfully cabled the Bahá’í World Centre: “… the friends applaud
the appointment of Mr Khamsi”. An emotive farewell took place at the
airport to wish Mas’ud and Jane well in the next stage of their life now
at the Holy Land.

8.1 A Member of the International Teaching Centre
“To my surprise and high honour”, Mas’ud recalled, “the Universal
House of Justice named me as a member of the International Teaching
Centre. I am not going to explain those 10 years of service in detail,
but I want to make clear that it increased my knowledge of the Faith
greatly, the experience and learning I got from the Hands of the
Cause, members of the Universal House of Justice and other deep and
important Bahá’í friends will be an unforgettable treasure in my life”.
Mas’ud remained in Haifa for nearly a decade since he was
reappointed for another term in 1985 serving directly the Universal
House of Justice in that position, and visiting national Bahá’í
communities the around the world.
This institution of the International Teaching Centre was created
by the Universal House of Justice in 1973 with all the seventeen
living Hands of the Cause as ex officio members along with three
Counselors. By 1988 the number of Counselor members were raised
to nine although only a few Hands had survived, namely, Amatu’l-
Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, ‘Alí-Muhammad Varqá, `Alí-Akbar Furútan,

Boris Handal. Eve Nicklin, She of the Brave Heart. SC, CreateSpace, 2011.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

Collis Featherstone, John Robarts, Ugo Giachery, Jalál Kházeh and
William Sears. Out of these eight Hands, only the first three resided in
the Holy Land assisting directly in the development and functioning
of this institution. As we are aware the last Hand to pass away was Dr
Varqa in 2007.
Counselor Donald Rogers from Canada had joined the International
Teaching Centre in 1988. Mr Donald Rogers wrote:
One of the unique features at this time was to function as
nine Counsellor members in the work without the day-today participation of the Hands of the Cause. This was an
important transitional moment. Mas’ud’s loving service at
this time was an important factor in achieving unity in our
resolve. His generous hospitality extended to all of us and
to the body as a whole had a galvanizing affect. Further, his
reverence for the Institution of the Hands was demonstrated
most lovingly by his respect for and tenderness with Hand of
the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, in itself, a spiritual
education for us. His wise counsel and insightful comments on
the teachings of the Faith during our consultations served to
strengthen both the institution and its members. For example,
we were enlightened by his comments on the Kitáb-i-Aqdas
as we studied an advanced copy of the approved English
translation.331

Mas’ud’s activities extended to other fields such as youth
programs, Spanish-speaking gatherings, and the formation of the “El
Viento Canta” (The Wind Sings, in Spanish) musical group as well as
engaging with the foreign diplomatic board.

8.2 Youth Programs in Haifa
Many years after the Khamsis left the Holy Land the friends still
remembered the morning meetings that they used to have with the
youth at their home in Haifa:
When we arrived at the Holy Land the youth rendering services
told me about their isolation and the lack of programs for them,

Personal communication to the author.

BORIS HANDAL

to such an extent that some of them went out to clubs or other
amusement centres. With the experience acquired with youth
in Bolivia and Peru, my wife and I invited youth to our home
to stay and sleep for the weekend starting Friday evenings,
on Saturday very early they prepared their breakfast and we
started the study of spiritual texts such as the Hidden Words
or the Book of Certitude. The number of participants reached
26 and it was a well-known permanent program particularly
during the fast. Very soon the youth started deepening classes
with some well-read friends of the community, they gathered
by languages and subjects.332

8.2 Latin Nights
At the same time a small group of Spanish speaking staff began to
strengthen their Bahá’í identity at the World Centre:
There were also special activities through the Golda Meyer
Development Community Institute. Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih
Khánum and other ladies made friends with the director of
this institute. My wife Jane and I made use of that relationship
and every time that groups from other countries came for the
institute courses, through the director, we invited the Latin
American participants and students to an evening called
“Noche Latina” (Latin Night) at our home.333

These Latin Nights continued for a long time and were a space
where the friends could deepen about the Faith in their native
language drawing from Mas’ud’s experience and knowledge.

8.3 El Viento Canta
Perhaps one of the most successful Latino activities was the creation
of the folk music group “El Viento Canta” (The Wind Sings) which
was inspired and supported by Mas’ud and Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyih
Khánum. Many of that youth group grew up in Peru under Mas’ud’s
tutelage and were serving at the World Centre. Their first presentation
was at the seat of the Universal House of Justice. Rúhíyih Khánum and

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

Mas’ud sat on the first row. At the conclusion of the performance,
Rúhíyih Khánum came to the stage to see their costumes and
realized that these were not completely genuine. She said, “These
are not authentic. I know the costumes, come to my house and I will
give you authentic clothes to use in other performances”. When the
friends when to the House of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Rúhíyih Khánum gave
them original costumes which included a native skirt and a chullo
(an Andean hat with earflaps). After that evening “El Viento Canta”
found themselves performing in various events including weddings
and special celebrations as they were preparing for an European tour
with the support and encouragement of Rúhíyih Khánum and Mas’ud.
“El Viento Canta” also performed at the Peruvian Embassy in Tel
Aviv and at the International Bahá’í Convention followed by tours to
many countries in Europe, Africa and Asia teaching the Faith through
their music as they themselves later reported:
It was destiny that led these young people to meet at the
Bahá’í World Center in Haifa at the same time in the late 1980s
when Mr Khamsi was serving at the International Teaching
Center. Our first presentation was for the World Center staff
including the presence of the Hand of the Cause Rúhiyyih
Khánum, some Counselors and Members of the House. After
these presentations the group thought that it would be good
to leave the World Center together making a proclamation
and teaching trip in Western Europe. However, Mr Khamsi
had more challenging goals. Under his guidance, the group
sent letters to 10 National Assemblies in Europe, offering
their services for any activity in areas they thought were
most needed in their countries. It was a challenging goal but
Mr Khamsi was determined that El Viento Canta contribute
in the way that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá promised. One night he read us
this passage from the Tablets of the Divine Plan regarding the
indigenous people of the Americas: “... should the Indians be
properly educated and guided, there can be no doubt that they
will become so illumined as to enlighten the whole world.... “334

'Abdu'l-Bahá. Tablets of the Divine Plan. Wilmette, US Bahá’í Publishing Trust,

1933, p. 33.

BORIS HANDAL

Mr Khamsi took over the job of contacting the friends in the
European countries to be visited and later when the 1988
International Convention was held in Haifa, Mr Khamsi
arranged several presentations of the Viento Canta for
members of National Assemblies of Europe so that they could
see the group and how the group provided an opportunity
for cultural education, entertaining and with a message of
spiritual hope. To motivate the delegates Mr and Mrs Khamsi
offered a special presentation for the Hand of the Cause William
Sears in the room of one of the hotels with the intention of
gaining interest and promoting the group among the busy
delegates. Also with the support of the Hand of the Cause of
God Amatu’l Bahá Rúhiyyih Khánum, the Viento Canta was
invited to sing at a special dinner at the House of ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá where all the living Hands of the Cause were present
including the Counselors of the International Teaching Center
and Continental Counselors from around the world. As a result
the Viento Canta’s travels were expanded not only to Western
Europe but also later to Africa. Also the recent opening of the
Iron Curtain gave them the opportunity to visit countries in
Eastern Europe and Asia. Among those countries were Siberia,
Mongolia, and China to mention a few. Mr Khamsi’s vision
was always years ahead of ours and he planned goals that we
would never have imagined before.
More than 40 countries, thousands of souls were touched and
transformed by the melodies of Bahá’u’lláh’s message through
radio and television presentations, many newspaper articles,
public parks and local and national theaters. There were
generations of children who grew up listening to the music of
this group around the world.335

8.4 External Affairs
Mas’ud became very skilled in conducting external affairs activities a
skill that, without doubt, he learned from his father Siyyid Ahmad and
 eport supplied by Cesar Cortes Peralta (Perú), Roxana Hadden (Perú),
R

David Hadden (USA), Conrad Lambert (United Kingdom), Bernadette Cortes-
Wohlwend (Lichtenstein), Claudia Delgado Hernandez and Miguel Cortes
Peralta (Peru).

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

great-uncle Siyyid Naṣru’lláh following ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s advice: “Some
of the loved ones should establish ties of friendship with the notables
of the region and manifest towards them the most affectionate regard.
In this manner these men may become acquainted with the Bahá’í
way of life, learn of the teachings of the Merciful One, and be informed
of the pervasive influence of the Word of God in every quarter of the
globe”.336
In Mas’ud words:
We were very good friends of the Ambassadors of Peru and
their wives, they were always our guests and we took them
to the Holy places and to the building of the Universal House
of Justice, we invited outstanding Bahá’ís like Amatu’l-Bahá
Rúhíyyih Khánum, David and Meg Ruhe, among others,
even Amatu’l-Bahá invited them to her house (House of the
Master). As I said before I took the group “EI Viento Canta”
to a reception for the Ambassador of Peru. It seemed that the
Peruvian diplomat during meetings with his colleagues had
enthusiastically explained them about his visit to the “Bahá’í
Organization”, as a result many of them wanted to visit the
Bahá’í Holy places in Haifa.
On one occasion with the authorization of the Universal House
of Justice I invited the Ambassadors of Peru, Bolivia, Colombia,
Venezuela, Panama and The Dominican Republic, and the wife
of the Brazilian Ambassador to a Chinese restaurant where
Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum talked about the Faith, her
talk was translated into Spanish and the Ambassador of Peru
thanked us for the Bahá’í hospitality. 337

According to a staff member, “Besides his work as a Counselor,
Mr Khamsi would help as an unofficial ambassador to international
dignitaries who were visiting the Bahá’í World Centre; often the office
of the mayor of Haifa would contact the Universal House of Justice for
permission to visit the Seat with diplomats, Ambassadors and other
V.I.P. I think it was 1986 when the mayor of Lima and his wife visited
 he Compilation of Compilations: Prepared by The Universal House of Justice
T
(vol. 2). Maryborough, Victoria, Bahá’í Publications Australia, 1991, p. 265.
Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.

BORIS HANDAL

Haifa and met with Mr Khamsi to tour the Seat of the Universal House
of Justice, thus developing good will and relations between Peruvian
representatives and the Bahá’í Faith”.338 Mas’ud had previously
acquired the Peruvian citizenship.

8.5 International Trips
During his time at the International Teaching Centre Mas’ud
participated in several overseas events. To mention a few: the dedication
of Guaymi Cultural Centre (Panama, February, 1985) accompanied by
Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, first Bahá’í
International Peace conference in San Francisco (August, 1986); a
Bahá’í National Teaching Conference in Bangladesh (October 1987).
On a trip to India Mas’ud was asked to place the corner stone of the
Panchgani Academy.
Similarly, he participated in a large-scale teaching campaign in
southern Brazil (September, 1987), and in a mass teaching campaign
around Lake Titikaka which sits between Peru and Bolivia. According
to Bahá’í News:
The unified efforts of Counselor Mas’ud Khamsi of the
International Teaching Centre, Counselor for the Americas
Isabel de Calderon, four Auxiliary Board members, and
members of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Peru and
Bolivia have combined to rekindle Peru’s Lake Titicaca region.
A two-day mass teaching workshop attended by 60 Bahá’ís
was followed by a five-day teaching campaign in which 1,764
new believers were enrolled in the Faith. 738 youth and
1,026 adults. These successes were achieved in spite of a
strike last September 28 during which roads in the area were
closed. A highlight was the teaching work at a high school in
Villa Quebrada where the principal and all the teachers and
students embraced the Faith. The campaign was capped by
a two-day conference to evaluate the results and determine
future directions. Ten volunteers offered to continue with the
consolidation work.339

Story supplied by Marko Sebastiani

Bahá’í News, February 1989.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

The highlight of those travels was possible going back to his roots
in Baku, the land of Siyyid Nasrulláh and Siyyid Ahmad, his greatuncle and father, respectively.
One special privilege was being named as a representative of
the Universal House of Justice for the First Convention of the
National Spiritual Assembly of Azerbaijan in [in 1992] Baku
where my father and my grandparents lived for a long time.
Due to Communism, the Faith there was suspended until 1992,
specifically the Assembly of Baku was banned. Fortunately, as
I had some relatives in this country during the week I stayed
in Baku with my wife, 11 people became Bahá’í, some of them
were my relatives.340

When Mas’ud passed away in 2013, the National Spiritual Assembly
of Spain wrote: “During his service as an International Counselor at
the Bahá’í World Center he made numerous visits to Spain that left a
great impression and inspired the hearts of the friends who had the
good fortune to listen to him and to partake of his presence”.341
Faithful to his promise, after he retired from the International
Teaching Centre, Mas’ud returned to Peru and served for several
years on the National Spiritual Assembly despite his advanced age.

9. Socio-Economic Development
Socio-economic development was one of the chief landmarks of
Mas’ud’s life. Drawing from his understanding of the Writings, he was
of the belief that spiritual and material well-being goes hand-to-hand
particularly for disadvantaged populations which usually were the
focus of mass teaching. “Be anxiously concerned with the needs of
the age ye live in, and center your deliberations on its exigencies and
requirements”342, is Bahá’u’lláh’s exhortation.
Based also on his family background on socio-economic
development and his business perspicacity, Mas’ud always looked

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’í of Spain, Messages of Condolence.
Bahá’u’lláh. Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. Wilmette, US Bahá’í
Publishing Trust, p. 213, 1990.

BORIS HANDAL

at linking the propagation of the Faith to raising people’s and
communities’ material progress in the field of education, health,
agriculture, culture or any other dimension bringing human and
societal improvement.

9.1 An Entrepreneurial Mindset
Coming from a family with members such as Siyyid Naṣru’lláh
and Siyyid Ahmad who had a strong entrepreneurial acumen, it
was natural that Mas’ud thought that raising standards of living
with planned socio-economic activities was the Bahá’í approach,
particularly in collaborating shoulder to shoulder with rural and
indigenous communities.
Mas’ud wrote:
At the beginning of the Century, in a letter ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
recommended my father to cultivate tea in Persia. In one Tablet
after receiving the first tea from my father’s plantation, he
recommended my father to spread this plant until Persia was
self-sufficient in tea and did not need to import it. This was
directly an economic development recommended by ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá, On another occasion and other Tablets, he recommended
my father to make friends with the Russian Consul in the city
of Rasht, where my father lived. I consider this to be a social
development. These two things were in my mind since I was a
kid and later I helped Indians from Bolivia for their economic
development such as improving their animal breed and poultry,
researching better grains for their crops, and I also worked to
establish schools for their social development. In 1979 with
the authorization of the Counselors for the Americas, I wrote
a letter to the International Teaching Centre suggesting to ask
the Universal House of Justice to create an office devoted to
projects and recommendations to all Latin American Spiritual
Assemblies to start Social and Economic Development projects.
This suggestion was accepted by the Supreme Body and after
communication and clarification of some items between them
and the International Teaching Centre and more explanations
from my part, in October 1983, the Universal House of Justice
announced to the Bahá’í world through a circular about the

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

establishment of the Social and Economic Development Office
and that each country should try to create a committee or an
organization for such a purpose.343

His sense of practicality led to an earlier stage of entry by troops in
South America and to initiate projects and conversations with Bahá’í
institutions and individuals. Dorothy Khamsi-Samandari wrote:
Daddy used to say it is very difficult to teach starving people,
we must care for their health and physical development
as well as their spirit, therefore educational institutions,
Bahá’ís schools to educate children, Bahá’í radios to teach
populations to develop in health, nutrition, family values,
hygiene, agriculture, animal husbandry, history, culture, music
and dances, organizing local languages and folklore festivals,
etc. and finding good jobs… As a result of these mails and the
same necessities in the United States and the times the socioeconomic conferences in December for many years took place
in Orlando and carved the way for many communities to
establish Bahá’í schools and Bahá’í institutes and Bahá’í radio
stations and projects for medical centres ...344

9.2 Bahá’í Radio Stations
One of Mas’ud milestones was the creation of Bahá’í radio stations. At
that time using dedicated radio broadcasting channels for teaching
the Faith was an idea still embryonic. Already the beloved Guardian
had advised as early as in 1943:
In connection with the radio work ... he would suggest that
the main consideration is to bring to the attention of the
public the fact that the Faith exists, and its teachings. Every
kind of broadcast, whether of passages from the Writings, or
on typical subjects, or lectures, should be used. The people
need to hear the word ‘Bahá’í’ so that they can, if receptive,
respond and seek the Cause out. The primary duty of the
friends everywhere in the world is to let the people know such

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.

Personal communication to the author.

BORIS HANDAL

a Revelation is in existence; their next duty is to teach it.345

As with his interest in establishing radio stations operated by
national assemblies, Mas’ud recounted:
My radio and TV knowledge in Persia particularly at listening
to friends who had programs of the Faith in Ceylon and
New Delhi in India, encouraged me to have short programs
in Bolivia about the Bahá’í Faith on different occasions. On
my visits to countries such as Peru, Ecuador and Colombia
I encouraged the friends to make use of this excellent tool.
The first Bahá’ís of Puno listened to the radio of La Paz and
they had interest in knowing the Faith deeper, as Bolivia sent
a teacher there were many declarations in Puno. In Ecuador,
Mr Raul Pavon was using this media. During a trip Rúhíyyih
Khánum gave a fur coat to be sold for funds and these funds
were used to establish radio programs. With this and the
technical support of Mr Kamran Mansuri, Mr Raul Pavon’s
dream came true. With the authorization of the Universal
House of Justice and the technical assistance of Engineer Dean
Stevens, he managed to establish the first Bahá’í radio station
in Otavalo, Ecuador.346 Gradually, other countries got excited
about having their own radio station. The Universal House of
Justice agreed that in places where there were concentrations
of Bahá’í communities and funds could be obtained they could
establish radio stations. Then Peru347, Chile 348, Bolivia 349 and
Panama350, thanks to contributions of my personal friends they
supported the establishment of these radios. It is interesting
to mention that during a visit in company of Amatu’l-Bahá
Rúhíyyih Khánum, the President of Panama, knowing that we
had a project to establish a radio station in Guaymi, got very

The Universal House of Justice. Wellspring of Guidance: Messages of the Universal
House of Justice 1963-68. Wilmette, US Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1969, p. 312.
Established in 1977.
Established in 1981.
Established in 1986.
Established in 1984.
Established in 1985.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

excited and ordered to immediately give all help needed to
obtain the licence for this radio, and seriously expressed that
he would like to be invited for the inauguration of the radio.
All these 5 stations have next to them a Teaching Institute.351

In particular, Radio Bahá’í of Lake Titikaka was established at a
time when the persecutions in Iran were at its peak. The station was
located at an altitude of 3,875 meters above sea level, higher than
Mount Fuji, on the shores of the world’s highest navigable lake in
between Peru and Bolivia, the land of the Aymara and Quechua nations,
where about 130 Local Spiritual Assemblies had been formed.352 Its
dedication sounded like a Divine response to the oppressors of the
Faith reverberating Bahá’u’lláh’s words 150 years ago:
And if they cast Him into a darksome pit, they will find Him
seated on earth’s loftiest heights calling aloud to all mankind:
“Lo, the Desire of the World is come in His majesty, His
sovereignty, His transcendent dominion!”353

Dean Stevens recalled the exciting first day of the Peruvian Bahá’í
radio on the commemoration of the Martyrdom of the Báb, a project
in which Mas’ud had a leading role and invested considerable energy
and time:
Let me start with one vivid memory, of the day of the
Martyrdom of the Báb when we dedicated Radio Bahá’í of Lake
Titikaka. We were all together when we pushed the button
to commence that historic transmission, but when I turned
around to embrace dear Mas’ud, he had disappeared. I found
him alone, with tears streaming down his face. Both of us had
strongly felt the presence of the Báb Himself at that moment! I
never again saw Counselor Khamsi so affected. 354

Dr Omar Brdarevic, a former member of the National Spiritual

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.
Bahá’í News, September 1981.
Bahá’u’lláh. The Summons of the Lord of Hosts. Wilmette, Bahá’í Publishing, 2002,
p. 51.
Personal communication to the author.

BORIS HANDAL

Assembly of Peru has observed about how much Mas’ud assisted the
taskforce composed of young Bahá’ís:
He always supported us for the work we had to do. It was
more than 500 hours of radio work required by the Universal
House of Justice to obtain from that body the approval for
having a Radio Bahá’í in Peru. So we were working hard to
design and organize events and programs. In the background
Counselor Khamsi was encouraging us at all times. Especially,
when it came time to get the license for the radio station,
he was working very closely with the National Assembly at
all times. He was involved at all levels. When experts from
outside came like Dean Stephens, he was always part of the
consultative process.355

9.3 Nur University
Nur University was the first Bahá’í-inspired tertiary institution in
the world. It was established by Eloy Anello, an American pioneer in
Bolivia who was later appointed as an Auxiliary Board member and
then a Continental Counselor.
Eloy had previously approached Mas’ud to obtain guidance for
beginning a school in his locality. Dorothy Khamsi-Samandari explains
how Eloy’s mind was routed into a different dimension:
Daddy on one occasion told him [Eloy Anello] not to start a
normal school he intended to open in Bolivia, but a University,
that the Blessed Beauty would be behind him, Eloy said “how
can I do that it’s way beyond me?” and Daddy took out a check
of US1,500 to begin the paper work, this was the beginning
of Nur University. He told him to aim high and go back to the
United Stated and get a valid degree in Education, which he
did, and employ professionals not amateurs, which he did.
Eloy credited my father with this on repeated occasions and
said that after that, Dr Mohajer also pushed and supported this
initiative and along with the Universal House of Justice prayed
and supported furthermore this endeavour. Eloy told me to
come visit soon as he was suggesting naming a Conference

Story told by Omar Brdarevic.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

Room or Hall after him.356

Mas’ud became a founder member of the University and an ardent
supporter. He was of the idea that through Nur University we could
enhance education in remote and rural schools. Its principles are
explicitly based on the spiritual teachings of the Bahá’í Faith. The
University started functioning in 1985 after arduous bureaucratic
and political challenges to get the government licence since Nur
was to become the first private university in Bolivia. According to
Manoucher Shoaie, the University Principal, “After the foundation of
Nur University, he always supported the University intellectually and
morally, either when he was in Peru or when he resided as a Counselor
in the Holy Land. He sometimes facilitated contacting those Bahá’ís
who wished to be friends of Nur and contribute in different ways to
the implementation of their educational projects”.357

9.4 Institutes
The creation of teaching institutes was another landmark of Mas’ud’s
services. At that time most of the Bahá’ís endowments consisted of
centres mostly located in urban settings for administrative purposes
and community meetings. As mass teaching was blooming there was
a need to have facilities where travel teachers can stay for various
days for their training with dormitories and other amenities. These
are Mas’ud’s memories on how teaching institutes began to develop:

9.4.1 In Bolivia
Bolivia was certainly one of the first places to experience the process
of having an institute. Mas’ud recounts:
As the number of Bahá’ís and areas of teaching kept growing,
we found out that we needed more travel teachers and human
resources to take care of so many communities. As I was
acquainted with the history of the first Teaching Institute in
Persia (Daro tabligh) in charge of the wise and famous Bahá’í
Sadr us Sudur I thought about having an Institute in Bolivia.
The Beloved Hand of the Cause of God, Mr Abu’l-Qásim Faizí

Personal communication to the author

Personal communication to the author.

BORIS HANDAL

knowing my idea, asked a friend in Pakistan to provide me
with funds. With that money I arranged a simple Institute
in Cochabamba with different rooms, a kitchen, a diningliving room and a private construction for the custodians
and teachers of the courses. Mr Athos Costas and his wife
Angelica were the chosen ones, and we started courses for
Indians, for the literate and illiterate, for Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í
teachers, courses for children, teachers, etc. I am sure that
the unprecedented development of the Faith in Bolivia and
the current number of Bahá’ís around 300,000 or 400,000 is
based on the institutes such as Soltani Institute in Chuquisaca,
Sucre, Sacaca Institute in Oruro, etc. 358

9.4.2 in Peru
The Peruvian Bahá’í community followed suit to their Bolivia
counterpart and soon began to have its own teaching institutes in
Indigenous areas as Mas’ud explains:
With my experience in Bolivia regarding institutes, I visualized
the need to have institutes in Peru for both teaching and
deepening. With the authorization of the National Spiritual
Assembly I purchased a site in Cusco with funds of a Persian
friend, Mr Tashakor and we built the first teaching institute in
Peru. Years later in Puno we built an institute next to the Radio
Bahá’í building [in 1980]. It was built with a contribution
from a relative of Dr. Muhájir suggesting we called it the
Muhájir Institute. I obtained vehicles from friends outside
Peru for places such as Puno and Cuzco where communication
and contact with other indigenous communities was very
difficult.359

It is noteworthy that the previous year, in 1979, his childhood and
youth companion and later Hand of the Cause Dr Muhájir, both of the
same age, had passed away in his arms in the Ecuatorian Andes while
on a teaching trip coming from Peru where he was encouraging the
establishment of Radio Bahá’í of Puno and its institute. The later was

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

named Muhájir after him. In recalling that tragic day in Quito Mas’ud
wrote:
We then all went to the Bahá’í Centre to take part in the meeting
of the pioneers. After a short talk Dr Muhájir left the room. The
meeting continued. Suddenly Helen Hornby entered the room
and asked for prayers for the Hand of the Cause. I rushed out
and found him lying down on the caretaker’s bed on his side
with his head supported by his hand. He told me he had sharp
pains in his heart and neck, and asked me to rub his neck
while he rubbed his heart. I insisted on calling a doctor but he
refused, so as not to alarm the friends, and as it was a Saturday
we thought it better to take him to a nearby clinic. We walked
quietly past the friends who were now gathered in the yard,
got into the car, and Charles drove us to the Clinic Americana
Adventista.
The doctor asked Rahmat [Dr Muhájir] about his condition
and his speciality; he laughed, but did not answer. The doctor
was preparing an injection and was rather anxious as he knew
he was dealing with an important personage. Rahmat patted
him on the back and said, ‘Don’t be afraid. Death is nothing
to be afraid of.’ He himself adjusted the oxygen machine and
inhaled some oxygen, which did not seem to help. His pain was
becoming more excruciating and we sent for a heart specialist.
After a few minutes he turned to me and said, ‘Mas’úd ján, I am
fainting.’ He repeated, ‘Ya Bahá’u’l-Abhá’ several times. Those
were his last words. In his hand, Dr Muhájir was holding kept
pieces of Bahá’u’lláh’s hair in a small silk bag. 360

9.4.3 In Brazil
The Soltanieh Institute has become a major educational establishment
in Brazil with magnificent accommodation and conference facilities
spread around fourteen hectares. According to Mas’ud:
The Soltani brothers Husayn and Ghodrat, deep Bahá’ís and
pioneers in Brazil for a long time, wished to immortalize their
parent’s memory, who as pioneers passed away in Brazil and

Írán Furútan Muhájir. Dr Muhájir: Hand of the Cause of God, Knight of

Bahá'u’lláh. London, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1992, pp. 580-581.

BORIS HANDAL

according to Bahá’u’lláh’s words are considered as martyrs.
When they consulted with me, I suggested that they build a
Summer School in the name of their parents since Brazil did
not have one and they always had to search with difficulty a
place for this purpose.
The NSA thought that the fund to build a summer school
could be invested to build or purchase 10 local centres that
were considered within the Six Year Plan for Brazil. Finally, I
convinced the National Spiritual Assembly that in Brazil there
were other economic resources to build those 10 local centres
but a Summer School needed the capital that only Soltani
brothers could provide.
In a meeting of Counselors, near Mogi Mírin, a property of
Soltani brothers and their summer house, we decided to
place the first comer stone. “Two sovereigns” which is the
translation for the word “Soltan” and “King” have placed the
first stone in Soltani’s property. At the beginning they thought
about building a school with 100 beds, but later as the work
progressed they decided to do it for 300 beds and finally it was
for 500 beds with private and public bathrooms, conference
room, libraries, dining room and kitchen besides beautiful
gardens. Now most of the celebrations, conferences and
meetings including the Brazilian Annual Convention are held
there, and recently they can provide food for 1,000 people
and therefore they plan to build another conference room for
1,000 people. This school has often been blessed by the visit of
Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyih Khánum and other Hands of the Cause
of God. The Universal House of Justice wishes this will become
in the future a university of the Faith and presently it is called
Superior Education Institute.361

9.5 Rural Schools
Another significant achievement of Mas’ud in Bolivia was the
establishment of rural schools for the education of children. In
Mas’ud’s words:

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

The Beloved Guardian informed the world that Dr Rahmatu’lláh
Muhajir started to open children schools after the success
obtained in mass conversion in Mentawai Islands, Indonesia
during 1954 and 1956. This is why I started schools with
children from the indigenous communities of Bolivia. Once
on a visit I discovered that the Minister of Indigenous Affairs
knew very well about the Faith through Colonel Gallardo and
his wife Fabiana Gallardo who was French, they were the first
teachers in Bolivia. With the authorization of that Ministry and
the enthusiasm of the Bahá’ís we got to establish 42 schools
in different departments of Bolivia, they were very simple
constructions built by the Indians themselves. Later on we
established a very strong relationship with the Ministry of
Education. Before I left Bolivia in 1962, the Minister asked the
Bahá’ís to participate and assist the first literacy campaign in
Bolivia.362

With Mas’ud the social and economic dimensions of the teachings
of Bahá’u’lláh were brought forward at a time where individuals and
societies were learning about progressing mass teaching throughout
South America. At the beginning, the inspiration seemed to come
from early interventions in Iran, the Cradle of the Faith. When those
experiences were translated to the Latin context the adopting became
adapting and therefore a new model emerged at a more sophisticated
level such as radio stations, hospitals and universities.
This process of learning continues and nowadays, national
communities and friends through personal initiatives are
understanding that personal and social transformation are two
faces of the same token when it comes to carrying “forward an everadvancing civilization” under the guidance of the Universal House of
Justice.363

10. Protecting the Bahá’í Community
No effort was spared by Mas’ud to protect the Faith, both internally

Pioneering and Services of Mas’ud Khamsi, unpublished manuscript.

Bahá’u’lláh. Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. Wilmette, US Bahá’í

Publishing Trust, 1990, p. 215.

BORIS HANDAL

and externally. Likewise, with great courage and assertiveness he
asserted the validity and strength of the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh to
the public. In that, Mas’ud was a lion like his predecessors Siyyid
Naṣru’lláh and Siyyid Ahmad, becoming the embodiment of the Tablet
of Ahmad verse: “Be thou a flame of fire to My enemies and a river of
life eternal to My loved ones”.364

10.1 Looking after the Youth
The Covenant was a major theme that Mas’ud emphasised in his
engagements with the community. There were several occasions
when individuals raised themes which were not entirely compatible
with the teachings of the Faith. Some of them insisted on their ideas
and wanted these to penetrate the community influencing thoughts at
the level of culture. Mas’ud was adamant in protecting the community
in his role as a Counselor.
The following are some stories narrated by believers revealing
Mas’ud’s vigilance as a stalwart defender of the Cause.
Mr Khamsi did not go to the youth meetings on Fridays but
he was one of those who was vigilant that these meetings go
well. When he named his auxiliary members there was always
a young auxiliary member who was there to protect the youth
from some Bahá’ís who sometimes wanted to capture the
enthusiasm of the youth but with their own ideas. He was
always very vigilant. I remember when I was not so young, I
was in my twenties, a pioneer arrived with some strange ideas
and some very rare quotes from Shoghi Effendi which he said
he had found somewhere, and then organized a meeting. Mr
Khamsi sent me there so that if he came with rare statements
I would challenge his claims and ask for the sources and
references. Mr Khamsi was like this, always taking care of the
youth.365
When the defence of the Cause was at stake, Mr Khamsi’s
reaction was adamant and acted without any hesitation. On
 S Bahá’í Publishing Trust. Bahá’í Prayers: A Selection of Prayers Revealed by
U
Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Wilmette, US Bahá’í Publishing Trust, pp.
208-209, 1991.
Story told by Kiko Sanchez

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

one occasion, a pioneer organized a deepening seminar about
the Teachings. Mr Khamsi, as a Counselor, considered that the
study materials for the participants, as well as the display of
the images on large posters, were the personal interpretation
of the pioneer and not according to the authorized Scriptures
of the Faith. After advising the pioneer and given his resistance,
Mr Khamsi immediately contacted the Bahá’í institutions at
different levels, and based on the instructions received, the
seminar was suspended.366
Many of the people who entered the Faith in those years did so
because they saw it as a group with advanced ideas or as a club
where they can travel and get to know different people and
places. At a seminar in the Bahá’í Centre where a broad range
of contemporary topics were going to be addressed, a certain
medical doctor began talking about contraceptive methods
and techniques to avoid having more babies and so forth. Mr
Khamsi was listening very carefully without interrupting and
when he did, very firmly, stood up and turned the address
around. He clearly said that “this does not work and let’s see
what the Bahá’í Faith says in regards to that”. He then began
talking about the spiritual dimensions of marriage and what
the Baha’i Writings and Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdul-Bahá said. It
was the first time that I saw him talking with such firmness that
I had not seen before. In other words, he was like a shepherd
taking his flock to good pastures.367

10.2 Covenant-breaking
Several missions were given to Mas’ud as an Auxiliary Board member
for Protection for the Hands in the Western Hemisphere to deal with
Covenant-breakers. One of the saddest occasions was when two close
friends, with whom he had started mass teaching in Bolivia, had
broken the Covenant after the passing of Shoghi Effendi.
Similarly Mas’ud had to deal along with the Hand of the Cause Abu’l-
Qásim Faizí with a case of members of a National Spiritual Assembly
in South America that had broken the Covenant. “We are following the

Story told by Manoucher Shoaie.

Story told by Luis Wong.

BORIS HANDAL

agreed steps of meeting” it says in the reports of the Hands in the Holy
Land, “and trying to save these people before expelling them from the
Faith, in case all, or some, of them because of their inexperience, lack
of sufficient knowledge of Covenant-breaking or Covenant-breakers,
may have been unduly influenced and will renounce such baseless
claims once the situation is clear to them”.368
When Covenant-Breakers passed through Peru and contacted the
media, Mas’ud immediately gathered the youth and the community to
advise them:
One of the many experiences with Mr Khamsi that reinforced
my knowledge about the Covenant was when a newspaper
published Covenant-breakers’ material. Some Bahá’ís received
letters from the Covenant-breakers and their letters began
to spread. He spoke about the Covenant-breakers directly,
openly, and talked about the faithfulness that we should
have to the Universal House of Justice. He was very emphatic,
talking without hesitations, about the love to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the
love to Shoghi Effendi and the love to the Blessed Beauty. One
of the things that Mr Khamsi said very clearly was that the
Covenant-breaker “might be a lamb in front of you, telling
you by heart Bahá’u’lláh’s words but he is a wolf. You have to
pay attention to your ears, to any key word that he might say
and right there you point”. His words were a blessing. He was
always protecting the youth from what might come.369

10.3 Proclaiming the Faith
Another record documenting how Mas’ud defended the Faith took
place at the 1980 Radio Bahá’í Conference that took place at the
University of Puno in Peru. Those were the times where Marxist ideas
were strong among the students and the country was in political
turbulence. It shows how valiant Mas’ud was and how he did not
fear defending the Faith, even when there was verbal and physical
provocations around him.

 ahá’í World Centre. Ministry of the Custodians: An Account of the Stewardship of
B
the Hands of the Cause 1957-1963. Haifa, Israel, Bahá’í World Centre, 1992, pp.
375-376.
Story told by Hector Núñez.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

A Bahá’í described the incident:
I was in charge of recording the Conference procedures and for
the moment I left the post. As I went out I saw a mob outside the
university where leftist students like wolves had aggressively
surrounded a Baha’i. I asked to talk and I said that I worked
for a mining company and knew very well how workers
should address each other. I pointed out to them the correct
way unions are supposed lead the working class and I even
said, “there is no greater abuse today than a worker abused by
another worker”. Then, I told them, that dignified behaviour is
derived from the spirit of man. When I was addressing them,
the mob kept shouting and protesting loudly. I said to them: “I
can offer you something. I can offer you a meeting with a person
who can talk to you about what you are interested in”. “Yes,
there’s no problem”, they said. “Well”, I said, “just allow me five
minutes” and they agreed.
Next, I rushed to the conference hall and I saw Mr Khamsi was
sitting at the front with all the counselors. I leaned towards
him and said: “Mr Khamsi, there is a group of university
students outside, they are like fifty, sixty. Could you talk to
them about the Faith?” to which he responded: “Very good,
young man, find a room”. Therefore I returned to the group
of more than sixty students who upon seeing me again began
to applaud confrontationally. I told them, “The meeting is
going to happen and please let me know which room would
you choose right now. Is that okay?” “Yes”, they replied very
agitated. After choosing the room I went to Mr Khamsi and
said: “Everything is ready, the meeting will be here in the main
hall of the auditorium”.
Mr Khamsi remained on stage with his Auxiliary Board
members like a general with his officers. He then established
some ground rules because there was still a lot of loud
shouting going on. He told the youth leaders who wanted to
talk without permission or limits that they were welcome to
express their ideas but only for 15 minutes at a time. After that
the Bahá’í view would also be presented for 15 minutes and so
forth until the subjects had been discussed thoroughly. Several

BORIS HANDAL

times during the youth leaders’ presentations they attempted
to dominate and take over the conversation and Mr Khamsi
firmly reminded them that their 15-minute period was up and
they needed to yield the microphone to the Bahá’ís. The way
Mr Khamsi talked to this group of students about communism
was excellent. When they started to confront him, Mr Khamsi
said, “Do you know communism? Do you know the parents of
communism? I do know their land and I know their parents ... “
Mr Khamsi was virtually besieged by all those youth who
were shouting their communist slogans at him but with
unshakable calm he conversed with solid arguments refuting
the questions and challenges put forward to him. He did not
shy away from the noise or anything. With a smile and logical
proofs he made them aware of the truths of the Faith and the
power and capacity of the Bahá’í teachings. He invited them to
investigate the Faith. People suddenly became quiet and the
noise disappeared. When he finished talking about how the
Bahá’í teachings relate to the world, they applauded.
For me, as a youth and a young married man, it was an amazing
experience that gave me a lot of confidence of what being a
Bahá’í means. It was out of the ordinary seeing Mr Khamsi
not only talking about what is a Bahá’í but also about political
change and what are its fundamentals. He began talking about
change, about the needs of the world and then he talked about
the message of Bahá’u’lláh. It was for me a master class of how
to teach the Bahá’í Faith.370

Dean Stephens, the Radio Bahá’í engineer, commented further
about the same occasion:
Then there was Mas’ud the Lion, on the occasion of the radio
conference in Puno when the Marxists arrived: “You don’t
know anything about the Bahá’í Faith, but we know all about
your beliefs - and we reject them! Come study the Faith of
Bahá’u’lláh with us!” As you no doubt remember, a number of

Story told by Hector Núñez.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

them did just that.371

10.4 The Street Quarrel: A Teaching Story
One day Mr Khamsi went to visit Fernando Schiantarelli, a home front
pioneer living in the city of Huancayo in the heart of Andes. Fernando
later related an episode that happened during that visit showing Mr
Khamsi’s capacity in the field of teaching:
It was Sunday morning and we went for a walk in the city. The
weather was perfect. When we got to the main square, we saw
a respectable group of people surrounding someone we could
not recognise. As there was no rush, the inertia of distracted
walking, led us into the crowd. There were about 80 people
listening attentively to a man with dark skin and cropped
hair who spoke to them with the passion of those who have
found the truth and want, not only to share it, but to convince
whoever wants to listen to them that their path is the only one
path to eternal salvation.
I told Mr Khamsi to keep walking, but he said he wanted to
listen. I did not have anything else to listen to either. Who could
say no or contradict Mr Khamsi? Not me at least. Mr Khamsi
was my spiritual father and he inspired my deepest respect.
And respect entails obedience.
From what I could understand after a few minutes of
passionate speech, the man was a criminal, converted to
Christianity during his stay in prison and that now, he was
giving his testimony of how the Bible had rescued him from the
wrong path and given himself to salvation. But the path he had
travelled was bitter and stormy. Thanks to his powerful tone of
voice and well-articulated language, the audience, composed
mostly of peasants, listened attentively. It was the version of a
police chronicle, but live and with a supposedly happy ending.
The man boasted how evil he had been. Of his alcoholism,
other addictions and a most exhaustive list of sins that one can
imagine. Evidently, he tried to dramatize the advanced degree
of his wickedness as an argument to demonstrate the powerful

Story provided by K. Dean Stephens. Personal communication to the author.

BORIS HANDAL

force of transformation of the message that had saved him and
that he now shared with the group.
I turned to my right to see Mr Khamsi, and to my surprise he
was no longer with me. I thought he was tired and was gone.
But I could not find him either near the group or far in the
square. I turned again to the speaker and saw a head of white
hair that was a couple of meters away from that impassioned
man who tried to convince us that his path was the only one
that led to heaven. Suddenly, Mr Khamsi raised his hand as if to
ask a question. My survival instinct warned me that we were
in trouble.
Mr Khamsi had as usual a distinguished bearing and
commanded immediate respect. The speaker, surprising
everyone, stopped his passionate speech to attend to that
gentleman with neat white hair and well-groomed clothes.
“Sir”, Mr Khamsi said kindly betraying his foreign accent only
on the first syllable. “I have news for you. Christ has already
returned, and his name is Bahá’u’lláh”.
The speaker did not expect to be interrupted and less so
with a message of that nature. A restless murmur was heard
among the audience that until then had remained silent out of
curiosity or confusion.
While all this was happening I managed to make my way and
came to the side of Mr Khamsi. Only then did I realize that the
speaker was smaller than he appeared and was on a wooden
box that helped him to be more easily seen by the listeners.
Mr Khamsi’s face exuded tranquillity with a hint of a smile
that emphasized the certainty of his words. But the speaker’s
face lit up immediately and I could see his eyelashes were as
daggers.
“According to what the Bible says clearly the return of
Christ has already happened. Didn’t you know? His name is
Bahá’u’lláh”. People began to gather stretching their necks not
to miss details of what was happening.
“The Antichrist arrived !!!”, the speaker proclaimed as if he
were a Roman emperor dictating his sentence. Now the man

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

was evidently beside himself and shouted his opposition
and rejection of what Mr Khamsi had said. It was blasphemy
according to him. Not only that, he came down from the box
and advanced directly towards Mr Khamsi until their faces
were only a few inches apart. Mr Khamsi did not back down
one millimetre.
“What do you say Sir?”, the man asked. A group of about 10
individuals, dressed in suits and ties just like the speaker,
came out unexpectedly from all sides and surrounded us
immediately. The speaker had come with his entourage of
apostles. Mr Khamsi was only with me. Now Mr Khamsi’s
voice and that of the speaker were mixed in a quick exchange
of arguments. It was a tremendous altercation of religions
showcasing wisdom against fanaticism, from inclusive and
harmonic principles against exclusionary and separatist
concepts. While they argued with the fervour that fuelled their
respective truths, I looked at those surrounding us in case the
discussion escalated into violence. It was then when I felt that
the presence of Mr Khamsi not only irradiated a transcendent
security but an insurmountable shield of protection.
“Let’s go” said the speaker after 10 minutes of discussions that
had put him on the defensive. One of his entourage lifted the
wooden box, breaking the circle of curious entertainers and
walking away until they disappeared from the square. The
crowd dissolved immediately in whispers.
“Let’s go, Fernandini”. That’s how Mr Khamsi referred to me.
His face showed a mischievous smile that only sprouts when
someone has the satisfaction of his triumph with the cloak of
humility and compassion for the defeated. “Why did you do
that, Mr Khamsi? Why did you get into this fight?” I asked.
“Fernandini, in the Korán there is a verse that says: “Never
believe in those who preach their sins”. And so, quietly, we
continued our journey, enjoying the good weather and the
beautiful city of Huancayo.372

Story written by Fernando Schiantarelli.

BORIS HANDAL

11. Returning to Peru
At the approximate age of 71 years, Mas’ud returned to Peru after
serving for ten distinguished years at the International Teaching
Centre in Haifa. Despite health problems, he was elected as a member
of the National Spiritual Assembly of Peru from Riḍván 1996 to
Riḍván 1998. Afterwards he requested not to be elected due to health
reasons.
The meetings were held every Saturday and Sunday of each month
and used to take ten hours. At the meeting, a member Martin Mansilla
recalled, he was “slow and soft and at other times with firmness and
great wisdom, due to his age he was fatigued”.373

11.1 Serving at the National Spiritual Assembly
“Years later, in the mid-nineties”, Martin Mansilla recounted his
experiences as a young man recently elected as National Secretary,
“Mr Khamsi and his wife Jane returned to reside in Peru and I had the
honor of sharing with him our administrative service as members of
the National Spiritual Assembly. In this important institution of our
beloved Faith, I received his support, advice and guidance at various
moments of my service as National Secretary”.374
Mas’ud’s personal assistant recalls of those years his spirit of
sacrifice:
Many of the friends do not know that Mr Khamsi came from
the Holy Land very exhausted. When I entered his room it was
as if you were pouring a bucket of water on him. He was very
wet and Jane was constantly cleaning and drying him. This
happened many times.
When Mr Khamsi was elected a member of the National
Assembly I said to myself, “the Peruvians have made a big
mistake” because of his fragile health. When he was elected
a member, he told me, “In any circumstance where I am,
on Monday, Wednesday and Friday we have to go to the
Secretariat”. In this way, Mr Khamsi taught to me about
Bahá’í obedience.

Story told by Martin Mansilla.

Personal communication to the author.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

Mr Khamsi was almost dead in bed but I had to obey. I would
cry until I had no tears left to the thought of reminding him to
go to the National Centre. When Jane was not in the bedroom
I would whisper in his ears, “Mr Khamsi, Mr Khamsi”, and he
would say to me “Yes, Mr Conrado, I hear you”. I would say,
“Mr Khamsi, we have to go to the Secretariat” but when I saw
Jane coming I would run away because I felt guilty that I was
generating him more pain. Next Mr Khamsi would ask his wife,
“Jane, please bring my suit”. And Jane, being a responsible
wife, would reprimand him. I would hide somewhere and Jane
would call me, “Mr Conrado, please persuade Mas’ud not to go
to the Bahá’í National Center given his conditions”. Giving up,
Jane would finally say quite upset at him, “if you want to go
to the National Centre, then go...” Mr Khamsi would call me to
help him dress. I had to take him on my shoulders, carry him
and I would sit him in his car. I also had to put his feet on the
clutch and on the accelerator. It was like he was driving but he
was not driving, giving me the impression that a higher force
was driving instead.375

As National Assembly member Mas’ud had the opportunity of
participating in the eighth 1998 International Bahá’í Convention at
the advanced age of 76 years. Azam Matin, another National Assembly
member said:
I always looked at Mr Khamsi as someone who has been
here for a long time. When I looked at him, I was thinking of
ourselves staying here for a long time and growing old like him,
in this place where sometimes one is experiencing a different
culture and is far away. Mr Khamsi was in all Bahá’í activities
but actually as a person he was alone, because you usually
have your classmates, from your neighborhood, when you
grow up, you have your circle that you meet from time to time.
In that way, I saw Mr Khamsi alone. Then we went to the Holy
Land together in 1998 for the International Convention. One
day I found him talking with a group of people like him, they
were people of his time, from his environment. It gave me such

Story told by Conrado Rodriguez.

BORIS HANDAL

a joy that tears came out. I really thought that here is where
Mr Khamsi belongs, and what patience he had to live in Peru for
so many years. Of course, one has a general love for humanity
but there is another love by affinity that you have with your
own people. And that’s what I think he lacked. When I saw him
in that state I became very happy.376

Mas’ud, at the age of almost 80 years, attended the inauguration of
the terraces around the Shrine of the Báb in which another participant
witnessed:
I recall during the opening of the Terraces in Haifa Mr Khamsi
(June 2001) came in a wheelchair and carried a cane. At the
end of the ceremony the friends began to walk up the steps to
the Shrine of the Báb. Mrs Khadem was also sitting nearby in a
wheel chair. She said, “Too bad I am too old to climb the steps,
but it is just a joy to be here and be part of the occasion”. But
Mr Khamsi jumped out of his wheel chair and began climbing,
with the aid of his cane and a friend [his son Gary]. When Mrs
Khadem saw that she jumped out of her chair and said, “If
Mas’ud is going to climb up, so will I!”377

“I was surprised that he got up and asked me to help him”, said
Gary Khamsi, “and although we did not speak when we were climbing
up so he did not lose energy, I imagined that each step forward
was like every mountain in the Andes that he went up to reach the
indigenous people who he loved so much. And he reached the top,
just as he reached the people’s hearts in areas so remote and difficult
to reach”.378

11.2 Generosity
Generosity was one of the virtues that Mas’ud learned from his
ancestors Siyyid Naṣru’lláh and Siyyid Ahmad, as Bahá’u’lláh extolled
His followers: “To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine;

Story told by Azam Matin.
Story provided by David Walker.
Personal communication to the author.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

well is it with him that adorneth himself with My virtues”.379 Mas’ud’s
personal assistant stated:
Many people came to his house looking for help especially
material assistance. Mr Khamsi always said that if he cannot
receive them personally then his advisor would. He was
obviously referring to me, that I was going to talk to them.
Many people came with some requests almost demanding to
talk to Mr Khamsi. However, Mr Khamsi told me that “I cannot
show up because I’m not feeling well” and therefore they
have talk to me. Mr Khamsi had a safe where he entrusted me
with money and envelopes. He said to me, “Mr Conrado, some
people are coming, Bahá’ís and non- Bahá’ís, here is the money
and the envelopes. You see how much you can support them”. I
let them know that such monies were the result of Mr Khamsi’s
hard work during his life and now he is retired. However, I
told them that he is not a charity. A Jewish friend came on one
occasion and Mr Khamsi said to me, “you see how you help
him” … that money was sacred, because he had earned it in his
lifetime with so much effort.380

Although Mas’ud worked all his life, “His admiration for the
Guardian was limitless and he always made of his life what he thought
the Guardian wanted him to do. All his life was dedicated to the service
of the Faith. If Mr. Khamsi put some business, it was to survive but he
was not interested in it. His main interest was always in serving the
Faith, there was nothing else in his life but to serve the Faith”,381 a
believer said. His daughter added, “He really wanted to be free to
only teach, especially among the Indians and the youth”.382 Mas’ud
certainly lived for the Faith.

11.3 External Affairs
From his great-uncle Siyyid Naṣru’lláh and his father Siyyid Ahmad,

 ahá’u’lláh. The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh. Wilmette, US Bahá’í Publishing
B
Trust, p. 39, 1985.
Story provided by Conrado Rodriguez. Personal communication to the author?
Kiko Sanchez, personal communication to the author.
Dorothy Khamsi-Samandari, personal communication to the author.

BORIS HANDAL

Mas’ud must had learned the importance of approaching prominent
people. During his services throughout Latin America we can see him
meeting high government officials and diplomats. He was aware of
the need to make the Faith known to prominent people. For instance,
a Bahá’í traveller teacher recalled the following encounter with a
leading politician who had recently been elected president of Peru’s
Assembly of the Constituent in charge of writing a new constitution.
After a teaching trip to the Amazon in October 1978, we
brought a Bahá’í indigenous couple to Lima to be present at
the meeting that took place with the president of the congress
Victor Raul Haya de la Torre. At the interview, dear Counselor
Mas’ud Khamsi told the President of the Parliament that he was
aware that he was a follower of Zoroaster, which the president
confirmed. He said “you Bahá’ís come to support and not to
ask like most religious groups do. You are like white doves and
please continue going to those places that we can not reach”.
Our Counselor was aware of all information on a world level of
which the President was himself surprised.383

President de la Torre also said “I receive with much sympathy
this visit,” be said, “because it represents ideals that we also profess,
even though imperfectly …”. According to Bahá’í News, “President de
la Torre was impressed with the diversity of the Bahá’í delegation
that included young and old, men and women, Indians and whites,
villagers and city people.”384
“His services in Lima when he returned from the Holy Land”, says
Azam Matin, “were in the field of external affairs”. Mr Khamsi was
always concerned about external affairs in order to create bonds of
fellowship to demonstrate the greatness of the Bahá’í Faith. He invited
ambassadors and personalities to his home. The ambassador of Israel
was one of his friends along with the Peruvian diplomat Juan Alvarez
Vita who once was the United Nations representative to oversee the
situation of the Bahá’ís in Iran.385

Story provided by Carlos Nunez.
Bahá'í News, issue 576, March 1979.
Story provided by Azam Matin.

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

Moojan Matin added:
Mr Alvarez Vita was very close to Mr Khamsi. He was sent by the
United Nations to observe the situation in Iranian prisons. He
told us once that he was not very successful because they
would not let him in, they would take him to better prisons, or
cover-up the situation. Following this, Azam and I managed to
have a friendship with this man until now.386

Mas’ud was also a friend of the officials for the Ministries of
Foreign Affairs and Justice and Human Rights and many others whom
he invited to his home together with representatives of the National
Assembly, such as the former Counselor Isabel de Sanchez. “We learned
from him”, said Moojan Matin, “because of Mr Khamsi’s experience we
keep having many similar initiatives”.387

11.4 Last Years
He continued to have an extensive flow of correspondence till the end
of his life. One day, as his personal assistant recalled, over 150 letters
arrived to his home to which Mas’ud remarked: “Let’s respond to the
friends”. Even with a line but he felt he had to respond to all. The same
person remembers Mas’ud emotional intelligence and affection: “He
could read my soul as soon as I arrived to his home. He used to observe
me carefully and sense if something was bothering me. We used to go
to his room to have tea. Sometimes, before serving tea, he pointed at
his legs and making a sound with his hands. I knew it that I had to put
my head on his lap and he began to caress my head and hair saying:
“Do not worry, who does not have problems in life?”. 388
As he was aging Mas’ud’s mobility slowed down. Very often he
had to stay in bed and later lived in a nursing home, fragile and with
failing memory, where he used to receive the Bahá’ís. His spark had
not diminished though. A visitor leaving his room recalled Mas’ud
telling him jockingly, “Please close the door from outside”.
“In the last years when Mr Khamsi could not read anymore”, Azam

Story told by Moojan Matin.
Story told by Azam Matin.
Story told by Conrado Rodriguez.

BORIS HANDAL

Matin remembers, “he asked us to go to his house to read for him
Payyam-i-Bahá’í the Persian magazine from France. Whenever we
went to his home we used to read magazines, books, all in Persian,
for him”.389
Mas’ud had a profound and ineffable affection for the land of the
Incas. According to a friend:
His love for Peru and the Peruvian community were genuine.
On more than one occasion he said, “Peru is my pioneer post
and here is where I want to be buried. I’m never going to leave
Peru”. When he went to the Holy Land, he said he was there for
a specified period only, but his purpose was to return to Peru
and finish here the rest of his life. He could have gone to live
overseas with one of his children. But he did not want to. He
wanted to die here in Peru which was his pioneering post.390

Mas’ud Khamsi passed away on 5 March 2013 in Lima at the age of
91 years of age. As a binding testimonial of love and gratitude, he was
buried with a prayer book in his hands containing innumerous names
of believers and communities with whom Mas’ud associated in life
and served together. The International Centre wrote of this legacy:
“He will long be remembered for his steadfast devotion, humility, and
warm sense of humour, as well as his love for the youth and indigenous
peoples, whom he cherished and constantly encouraged”. 391
After a vigil at the National Haziratu’l-Quds he was laid to rest
during the Fast, at sunset, with prayers in Spanish and Persian at the
Huachipa cemetery.392 What better resting place than at the heart of
the Andes mountains which he loved so much, where his long-life
friend Hand of the Cause Rahmatu’lláh Muhajir is also interred, the
scene of the magnificent services he promised silently once to the
Guardian of the Faith exactly 60 years before at the Holy Land. Five
years later, Jane “joyously reunited her beloved husband, Mas’ud

Story told by Azam Matin.
Story told by Kiko Sanchez.
Letter from the International Teaching Centre to the Continental Board of
Counsellors in the Americas dated 8 March 2013.
In Quechua, a household divinity

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

Khamsi, in the Abhá Kingdom”.393,394
To pay tribute to such a brilliant soul that never put an end to his
services the Universal House of Justice emailed all National Spiritual
Assemblies on 7 March 2013:
Our hearts were grieved to learn of the passing of dearly loved,
stalwart promoter of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, Mas‘úd Khamsí,
whose long record of distinguished service we recall with such
admiration. In 1957, in response to the goals of the Guardian’s
Ten Year Crusade, he left Iran as a pioneer to South America,
participating in some of the earliest efforts to reach its highly
receptive indigenous populations. Following his return to
Iran, he was appointed to the first contingent of Continental
Counselors in 1968 as a member of the Board for Western
Asia. He departed once again for South America within months
and, for the next fourteen years, served as a Counselor in
that continent. In 1983 he was appointed as a member of the
International Teaching Centre, in which capacity he laboured
for a decade. His endeavours thereafter continued unabated,
even at an advanced age. In every service he rendered—in the
treks he undertook on foot from village to village across vast
mountain ranges; in his efforts to encourage young people; in
the travels he pursued, bringing his zeal for teaching to some
of the remotest parts of the globe—he displayed a generosity
of spirit, a warmth of heart, and a determination and courage
that were borne of utter consecration and complete loyalty
to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh. We extend our deepest sympathy
to his dear wife, Jane, his children, and other members of his
family and assure them of our fervent supplications at the
Sacred Threshold for the progress of his devoted soul in the
realms of God. We advise the holding of befitting memorial
gatherings in his honour in all Houses of Worship and in Bahá’í
communities throughout the world.

 etter from the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of
L
the Baha’is of the United States dated 28 December 2018.
Jane passed away in Miami surrounded by her family at the age of 96 on 22
December 2018.

BORIS HANDAL

Figure 31: At the Green Light Expedition.
Source: The American Bahá’í Archives.

Figure 32: Leonora Armstrong, Spiritual Mother of
South America, Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyih Khánum and
Counselors at the Lopez residence.
Courtesy: Vicente Lopez.
Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

Figure 33: In a Bolivian village with Amatu’l-
Bahá Rúhíyih Khánum.
Source: The American Bahá’í Archives.

Figure 34: El Viento Canta.
Source: Bahá’í World Centre.
BORIS HANDAL

Figure 35: Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyih Khánum, members of
the Universal House of Justice Mr Ali Nakhjavani, Mr Borrah Kavelin and
Dr David Ruhe with El Viento Canta team and the Peruvian Ambassador
and wife at Mr and Mrs Khamsi’s home in Haifa in 1988.
Source: Rolando Cortes

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

Figure 36: Consulting with the National Spiritual Assembly of Peru.
Source: Bahá’í Peruvian National Archives.

Figure 37: In a summer school in Lima next to
Eve Nicklin (centre), Spiritual Mother of Peru.
Source: Bahá’í Peruvian National Archives.
BORIS HANDAL

Figure 38: At the inauguration of Radio Bahá’í of Lake Titicaca in
Peru in 1981. Mas’ud Khamsi is standing on the left hand side.
Andres Jachakollo is sitting on the front row second from the left.
Courtesy: Mehran Manie

Mas’ud Khamsi (1922-2013)

Figure 39: Members of the International Teaching Centre featuring the
Hands of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyih Khánum and Ali Akbar
Furutan (front row, third and fourth from right).
Mr Khamsi is standing second on the back row.

BORIS HANDAL

Figure 40: Mr Khamsi with Hand of the Cause of God ʻAlí-Akbar Furútan.
Courtesy: Iran Furutan

APPENDIX 1:
The Robbery, a Green Light
Expedition Story395
Here is a small story woven into a much larger and exquisite tapestry:
Rúhíyyih Khánum and the Green Light Expedition in the last phase of
their journey into the Southern Andes of Peru and Bolivia.
Rúhíyyih Khánum’s historic visit to our pioneering post woven
into a gracious anecdote of Mr Khamsi on the last leg of the Green
Light Expedition in Peru and Bolivia.
So, we lived in Puno, Peru. Patricia and myself with our two
daughters Sandra and Ridvan. We were pioneering there during the
5-Year Plan from 1975 to 1980. This was also the time when the historic
Green Light Expedition led by Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum and a
group of a dozen or less special companions who were in charge of
filming, sound tracking, writing, logistical, financial arrangements,
interpreting, public relations, and many other technical and practical
support functions. During this leg of a long expedition which began
at the base of the Orinoco river in Venezuela winding its way southwest to the Amazon Basin in Peru, into the Amazon river and up other
important tributaries leading west; over land and into the Eastern
slopes of the Andes rising 5-6 thousand meters above sea level, and
then over the top and down the western slopes to the fertile valleys
and breadbaskets of Peru’s major population centres, namely, the
Pacific coastal region and Atacama desert where the Capital City of
Lima with around 4-5 million inhabitants (circa 1975) is situated and
half-a-dozen cities of a quarter-million or more at that time, north and
south of Lima along a littoral more than 2 thousand kilometres long.
Once the Expedition reached Arequipa, Peru’s second largest city in
the highlands of the Southern Andes, the Expedition climbed aboard

Story told by John and Pati Kepner.

BORIS HANDAL

the old British built train up and over the Andes on the western slopes
and arrived at the desolate Altiplano (high plains) city of Juliaca in
the State of Puno. This dusty and windy city is about 250 kilometres
north of Peru’s furthermost southern-highland border with Bolivia.
Here is where my story begins and how it weaves its way through
a much larger story involving the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu´l-
Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum, Counselor Ruth Pringle (nutritionist and
companion of the Hand of the Cause during the expedition) and
Counselor Masu´d Khamsi, personal friend of the Hand and in charge
of all financial and logistical arrangements for the Hand of the Cause
and the entire expedition’s camera crew, who were filming and
documenting this incredible journey from the jungles of South America
and now well into the high desert plains of the Andes surrounding
the highest navigable lake in the world, the majestic deep blue Lake
Titicaca at 3,835 meters above sea level.
The provincial capital of Puno, nestled on the shores of this huge
lake (8,300 square kilometres) about the size of Puerto Rico. It shares
with Bolivia its uncontaminated water (in 1975), whose reported
depths in its centre are fathomless; fed by myriad streams from the
towering Andes mountain range completely surrounding the lake
and sustained by glacial melt. This lake up until a few decades ago
was navigable by two British built steam ships that were shipped to
the coastal port of Iquique in Northern Chile, disassembled there and
transported on the back of mules over the Andes to Lake Titicaca’s
shores at Puno. A Peruvian government naval base was established
there around the same time. The two ships (El Ollanta and El Inca)
were assembled on dry dock and introduced into the frigid waters of
its new home in the Andes. When Rúhíyyih Khánum learned of this
story she became extremely interested in crossing the lake from Puno
to the Bolivian port of Huaqui, where a bilateral agreement between
the two countries enabled a British built short-train to pick up
passengers and take them on their final ride across the flat Altiplano
to the deep seated Capital City of La Paz situated on the slopes of
an enormous “bowl” drastically cut out of the Andes by millennia of
erosion; a drop which takes you from 4 200 meters above sea level
in El Alto, a town of a quarter of a million Indigenous inhabitants
at the time circling atop the bowl, to altitudes of 3 400 meters after

The Robbery, a Green Light Expedition Story

cris-crossing down roads and zig-zag train tracks to the city’s depot
near the centre. Then beyond the train and railways, along other city
roads leading straight down to 2 800 meters at the southern depths
of the bowl, where most foreign embassies are located along with golf
courses, the famous Valley of the Moon, and a more elite residential
environment.
So, as the only pioneers living in Puno at the time of the Green
Light’s arrival, we were notified by the NSA of Peru to accommodate
them the best we could. We were informed that they would be
arriving on Monday morning. It was 1975 (can´t remember month
or numerical day). They would be arriving to Juliaca by train from
Arequipa. We knew this was a train that travelled all night (12 hours)
and arrived at dawn to Juliaca. It then unloaded passengers there,
refuelled and an hour later departed for the city of Puno only 50 kms
away which took the same train another hour to reach. Up to this date,
I do not know how or why we decided to pick them up in Juliaca or if it
was their idea or that of the NSA. My guess is that there was a feeling
that they had better get to their hotels quickly after having spent the
whole night on a slow train climbing the Andes and getting higher and
higher every hour. The altitude, as anyone who has travelled to these
levels knows fully well, can be harsh on one’s body within the first
24 hours by causing what they locally refer to as “sorochi” or altitude
sickness. We did not have to worry about the Hand of the Cause and
her companion Counselor Ruth Pringle. They were to fly up to Juliaca
later that morning. I would pick them up after leaving the crew at
their hotels. We were mostly concerned about getting the Hand of the
Cause to her hotel in Puno for rest and medicinal herbs and teas that
would comfort her stomach, together with some light and controlled
meals which Pati prepared for her. All of this allowed her to relax for a
few days before crossing the lake on her dreamed of voyage on steam
ship Ollanta. The latter left Puno only once a week on Wednesdays at
9 pm and arrived at 7 am to Huaqui on the Bolivian side.
I remember arriving in my Toyota Land Cruiser to Juliaca shortly
after the train’s arrival from Arequipa. It was around dawn. When I
arrived at the platform, I found the Green Light Expedition members
scattered everywhere walking up and down or sitting close by their
equipment and suitcases. Mr Khamsi who was in charge of the group in

BORIS HANDAL

the absence of Rúhíyyih Khánum was nowhere in sight. A few minutes
later he arrived. He had hurried off minutes before in search of his
briefcase which had been stolen from him just before he got down
from the train when he realized it was gone. He arrived empty handed.
The thief had a gotten away. Inside the briefcase was his passport,
important documents and a considerable amount of money. He was
the administrator and financial officer of the Expedition, appointed
by Rúhíyyih Khánum. Needless to say he was upset and asked me
if I could take him to the airport soon so he could fly back to Lima,
get a new passport and replenish the funds he needed for the rest of
the Expedition’s journey. This would take a few days and he told me
to take charge of the travel logistics and funding and that he would
catch up with us in Bolivia. I remember feeling pretty bad thinking
that maybe my late arrival to the train station as they waited for me to
pick them up at the side of the train, might have been the reason his
briefcase was stolen. I remember mentioning this to him with a heavy
heart. He assured me however that it had been stolen from inside
the train as the train was arriving as everyone began standing and
crowding the aisles removing their suitcases and belongings from the
overhead racks.
There were so many suitcases and camera equipment that it
literally filled up the entire Land Cruiser. I did have space however
for Mr Khamsi up front. The rest of the crew members took taxis and
we all proceeded to Puno. I dropped Mr Khamsi off at a hotel where
he could get cleaned up and make a reservation for his urgent trip
that same morning to Lima. The plane from Arequipa with Rúhíyyih
Khánum and Ruth Pringle on board would be arriving to Juliaca
around 10 am. I would be there with Mr Khamsi to receive them and
for them to bid farewell to him as he boarded the same plane back to
Arequipa and then on to Lima.
Fast forward a week to the high mountainous village of Sacaca
in the State of Potosi, Bolivia. This is where Rúhíyyih Khánum was
invited by the NSA of Bolivia to meet with the Community and
hundreds of Indigenous believers from all over the Andes of Bolivia.
It was my unbelievable honour to drive (12 hrs.) and escort Rúhíyyih
Khánum from Puno to El Alto (gateway to La Paz at 4,200 Mts. above
sea level) where there was an official escort by the NSA to take her to

The Robbery, a Green Light Expedition Story

her hotel in the centre of La Paz city. We accompanied her all the way
to her hotel and got to carry her bags and accommodate her and Ruth
in their room. After she got settled in her room, I received a call on
the lobby phone. It was Rúhíyyih Khánum asking me to come to her
room with a bunch of different alpaca wall hangings of the Greatest
Name which she had seen in Puno as we passed by the Artisan’s home
and workshop to pick them up and take them to Bolivia for the big
conference in Sacaca. I was hopeful I could sell them to friends whom
I knew would appreciate the skilled artisan’s work (as did Rúhíyyih
Khánum), native materials designed and crafted into beautiful wall
hangings of the Greatest Name of God.
So, once in her room with a fellow Bahá’í pioneer and friend of
mine James Selph who she specifically asked for me to bring along,
she greeted us and told Jim, “I understand you are a black-belt in
Aikido? This impresses me a lot. I also know you are an Auxiliary
Board member. To be honest, I am most impressed with your
achievements as a black belt”. This raised some smiling faces in the
room. Apparently, she was interested in having Jim teach her some
Aikido moves. I remember hearing her say she was currently taking
some Yoga classes. I believe they talked about this subject awhile as I
began to unpack my wall hangings at her request. She then asked me
to place the hangings on the wall and to hold them there while she
observed them and consulted with Ruth about their looks, sizes and
the particulars of each one. She then chose one that she liked best
and she told me she was planning on placing it in the room of the
Guardian at Bahji. She mentioned that she wanted to do this because
of the great love the Guardian had for the Indigenous peoples of the
Andes. As we know, these same people who she was going to meet
with the following day in Sacaca were the Indigenous people who
began to enter the Faith in troops while the Guardian was still living
in 1957 during the 10 Year Crusade. She mentioned how this entry by
troops of the Quechua and Aymara peoples of Bolivia gladdened his
heart so very much.
Fast forward to Sacaca the following day and an incredibly
magnificent occasion of unity, song, dance and prayer high in the
Andes. Rúhíyyih Khánum was escorted to the village where the event
took place. She spoke to the heart and inspired the friends deeply. At

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the end of the day, Pati and I were asked to escort her back to where
the 4 wheel drive vehicles were waiting, about an hour or so from
where they left her in the morning to reach the village on horseback.
As we were approaching the vehicles with Rúhíyyih Khánum atop her
horse and riding majestically like a Queen through the Altiplano with
magnificent snow covered mountains behind her, with Pati carrying
our daughter Sandra in her arms walking along side our Queen and I
on the other side also walking alongside her, Mr Khamsi appears out
of nowhere and walks toward us with a huge smile on his face. As soon
as Rúhíyyih Khánum sees him she shouts out a joyful “Oh Masu’d!
Oh Mas’ud!” Mr Khamsi approaches her and greets her joyfully and
raises his hands. It is here that we all realized that he had a brand
new briefcase chained with a lock to his wrist. This caused Rúhíyyih
Khánum to heartily laugh out loud and we all joined in the laughter.

APPENDIX 2:
The Green Light Expedition Film
Narrative (extracts)
As narrated orally by Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum.396,397
Our journey began in Caracas [Venezuela]. This was a fulfilment of
a long cherished dream of mine to visit the Indians of South America.
I asked the Counselor from South America, Mas’ud Khamsi, to be our
business manager and Dr Nosrat Rabbani my lady companion and
the medical advisor of the expedition. My expedition also included
four young Bahá’ís, experts in filmmaking, Mark Sedan and David
Walker, from the United States, Rodney Charters from New Zealand,
and Anthony Worley from Brazil. From Caracas, we flew to Puerto
Ayacucho, the capital of the Federal Territory of Amazonas.

Venezuela - the Amazonas
The small Bahá’í community of Puerto Ayacucho met us at the airport
and helped us load our provisions onto the truck. It took us over an
hour to reach Venado a huge flat hunk of rock into the Orinoco river.
This is the place where all traffic above Puerto Ayacucho leaves for the
interior. Some weeks previous to our arrival, Mr Khamsi had rented
a large river barge which was waiting for us and for our 60 pieces of
equipment, baggage and provisions.
This was the ship that was going to take us 1700 km to visit 8
different Indian tribes in the interior. This is to be our home for 32
nights and we named her the Queen Mary. The little white room at the

Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum Mary Sutherland Maxwell. The Green Light

Expedition. 1975. Video available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=pW4qAmfpjG8
Narrative transcribed with the assistance of Jim Jensen and Jamshid
Ardjomandi.

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back was our bathroom.
On the Venezuelan part of our journey we were accompanied
throughout by Leco Zamora, a Mataco Indian pioneer from Argentina.
Every evening our boat was moored on a sand bank for the night. Our
first job in the morning was to roll up our hammocks and get them
out of the way. Life aboard the Queen Mary was in no way difficult.
In fact, the only real inconvenience were the black flies which in this
particular moment were so vicious that I wore my mosquito net hat.
Wonderful as the water was for drinking it was usually very
dangerous to swimming. The Indians always seemed to know where
is safe to go in and our captain strongly advised the men that they
should only bathe from the rocks. We soon found out why. I caught
three man-eating piranha fish in less than two minutes.
Every morning we held prayers for the success of our expedition
and that we would be guided to do the right thing and meet the
right people during the day. Along the Orinoco River and also in the
neighbourhood of Puerto Ayacucho itself there are great many Bahá’í
communities. Some of them are over ten years standing. This is the
Bahá’í community of Buenos Aires Island. These people have been
Bahá’ís for around twelve years.
Over and over again after we had had prayers we found that the
door would open in the most remarkable ways for us to meet the
people that we wanted to see.
These Piuroa Indians invited us to their village, as it was an hour’s
walk from the river they agreed to come back and take us there the
following morning. The Indians invited us to hold a meeting in the
local schoolhouse and to tell them about our teachings. I am very
happy that I could come and see them.
In the whole Amazonian Territory of Venezuela the most important
town after Puerto Ayacucho is San Fernando which was founded
over 200 years ago by missionaries and was very much like an old
fashioned colonial town. Although I do not attend church services I
like very much when I am travelling to go into churches to pray that
the people of the area in which I am travelling and teaching, may be
guided to the message of Bahá’u’lláh.
Three days later we reached Laventa Rosa which to our own joy we

The Green Light Expedition Film Narrative (extracts)

discovered it as an entirely Bahá’í village. These people have migrated
up to the river and taken enough land and established themselves.
They took us and showed us where they planned to build their local
Bahá’í Centre. They had already set aside this piece of land with this
object in view.
Now we entered the Bentuari which is much narrower and
shallower than the Orinoco. Because of this, we found that we very
often got grounded on sandbars and it was necessary for all of us to
get out and push. The captain took no more chances and picked the
channel himself very carefully.
Yuca, which is known in other countries as cassava or manioc. It
is the universal staple of the Indians throughout South America in
the jungles. It is prepared by roasting the flour over a pan. We found
the Indians extraordinarily friendly people. If you met them with an
open heart and a friendly spirit you immediately received the same
response. We were able in many of the villages to purchase papayas,
bananas and even fresh eggs.
As our boat could not navigate in the shallow waters of the
tributaries, we hired a dugout canoe and installed our own outboard
motor, and used it for side trips.
We made a special trip up the Manapiare river to visit the growing
town of San Juan of Manapiare. Our first view of the town was this
huge garbage heap on the shores. San Juan is the government outpost
and an active centre for missionaries. It is now linked to civilization by
a new road. We met two Americans who belonged to an Evangelical
group called The New Tribes Mission. One of them had just flown in
for a visit to see how the work was progressing. The other had lived in
Venezuela with his wife and children for over 20 years.
We also met the Catholic father, a Jesuit priest from Spain.
Although we admire in many ways the work of the missionaries we
were greatly troubled by the evidences of what our civilization does.
To me the great tragedy is that if we Bahá’ís don’t hurry up and go
out and teach these people while there is still time they will go down
into that same valley of shadow, so to speak, that we went down into.
I look it at this way, here are the primitive people, the tribal people,
the villagers, the simple people, the illiterate people, that are so

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much nicer and friendly for the human standpoint so much better,
more spiritual in many cases that we are. And this is the culture and
civilization of Bahá’u’lláh that will come in with the new world order
as it develops and it has to come in the future. Now, the youth of today,
our youth, are beginning to come out of this valley of materialism and
climb up towards this new world order. They are beginning to reject
so much of what we have in the world today, this materialism. But
these people want to have everything that there is in the 20thcentury,
which is perfectly natural. So they have to come forward; they have
nowhere to go else except forward into the progress of our century
and our way of living but if they could come forward as Bahá’ís, if they
can become Bahá’ís in their own culture now, in their own villages, in
their own civilization so to speak, then to me, they will be lifted from
this mountain over to that mountain. They won’t have to go down to
the valley of the shadow the way we have. That is the whole urgency.
In my mind that is the reason why if we don’t get up go out and teach
this people every hour that passes we are losing all our opportunities,
and these will never come again. They, instead of having all of this
suffering and disillusionment and corruption and bitterness they can
come with all their wonderful qualities to this height, they can fly over
in other words instead of crawling down into that valley and coming
up to the top.
And I think that’s what Bahá’ís have to realize that there isn’t time.
Every day we are losing ground we see it here on this river, you see how
people are changing all the time. Wherever the touch of civilization
comes, it withers. They lose their identity are no longer interested
in spiritual values to the degree that they were before they began to
become, so to speak, semi-civilized and go down into the bog of the
very civilization that is destroying us and we want to get rid of it.
The people themselves of the tribes talk to their own people,
more clearly, better, more concisely than we do, but the pioneers have
prestige. When we go with Leco, Leco can teach better. We help Leco
to teach because they say he’s come with all these people, from this
very civilization we want to save them from wasting their time, so to
speak. The two, the two together, that’s the key to the whole situation.
We met a Piaroa Chief. We invited him aboard our boat to have
coffee. He said that fifteen years before he would have been afraid to

The Green Light Expedition Film Narrative (extracts)

go on a boat that was owned by white men. … this shows how much
people are changing. It also shows how the spirit of the Bahá’ís gives
people confidence. He was a widower whose wife had died when
their last child was born and he was bringing up a group of small
children himself. The attachment of the children to the father and
the extraordinary tenderness that he showered upon his children was
very, very touching and very indicative of the nature of the Indians. We
discovered that eight years ago the Piaroa Chief was already in contact
with some of the Bahá’ís ... If a man such as this accepts Bahá’u’lláh’s
teachings he will not only be a very fine believer but instrumental in
bringing in many, many of his people into the Cause of God.
The Makos as a tribe have never been converted to Christianity.
We were fortunate to meet their more important chief, who called a
meeting to hear about the Faith.
We are not missionaries but we have a very wonderful message,
and this lady said we should tell this to our head chief. And this is a
very good thing she said. We believe also that great respect should be
shown to the capitanes whoever they are and wherever there are … To
the degree to which they are interested and want to ask any questions
to that degree we tell them of our beliefs and the purpose of our trip.
It was not our purpose to force it on them.
Finally we reached the waterfalls at Tangua. This was the furthest
the Queen Mary could go. We were told that beyond the falls, there
was an island called Monotiti where we could contact one of the most
interesting and primitive tribes in Venezuela and Brazil called the
Yanomamos. We walked about thirty kilometres on this one trip. It
was the longest walk of my entire life. The Yanomamo Indians have
the custom of sucking a plug of tobacco stuck in their lower lip.
Fundamentally, unity in diversity which is such a strong principle
in the Bahá’í Teachings means that we are all alike and are all different.
One feels one’s human kinship with people. At least one should feel
it and if one doesn’t feel it, then there is something wrong with you,
that you don’t feel it, because it is there. But, it presupposes not
having the concept that those people are different from you, far from
you, alien from you, you have to think that those people are human
beings just like me. One has to have the sense that these people, that
the other person is loved by Bahá’u’lláh and I hope that Bahá’u’lláh

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loves me. That we all belong to God, that His love is a portion to all
men irrespective of race, irrespective of education, irrespective of
advantages or disadvantages.
You don’t necessarily have to speak a person’s language to have a
bond of understanding. That can be something that you feel between
each other and I have felt it many times with people with whom I
couldn’t be speaking one single word.
If we don’t let the Bahá’ís know the needs of these people, if they
don’t see the faces of these wonderful people, their simplicity, that they
are between two worlds and no longer in the old world of their tribe
which is a good existence and they had the dignity and the nobility of
their customs and are not in our world, because nobody loves them,
and nobody really cares for them and nobody respects them. These
are the kinds of people all over the world that we have to teach the
Cause of God to. These wonderful people that are out in the jungles,
in the savannahs, in the deserts of the world, we have to go and teach
them. And it is very, very difficult for people to understand them if
they don’t see them that the beauty of their faith, their politeness to
us, their patience, their kindness, was a very wonderful experience to
me to be with these people. Of all the tribes’ people that we have met
on this trip, these are the ones that I like the best. Because so far these
are the least touched by western civilization.
Shoghi Effendi said we have a cancerous materialism. It eats away
at the very flesh of the bones of the spirits of men and we have been
devoured by it in our civilization. These people when they are touched
by it, it destroys them. Then how can the Bahá’ís ignore the fact that
these are the ones that we have to teach. This is the next, to me, the
next great step in the progress of the religion of God is to teach these
people, it’s of supreme importance.

Suriname – The Bush Negroes
The second part of our trip took place in Suriname where we went
to visit the Bush Negroes. This lake was created by flooding the
whole valley. We arrived at the village of Redi Doti. It was almost
like returning to Africa to come to a Bush Negro village. The Bush
Negroes are a very independent people who have preserved their
African heritage in the New World. Their ancestors were brought as

The Green Light Expedition Film Narrative (extracts)

slaves. They ran away into the jungle and established their African
way of life and were never recaptured. No Bahá’ís have been into the
interior before to visit the Bush Negroes. This young man is a student
in Paramaribo who invited us to come to his village. These are his
grandparents. The Bush Negroes are the cleanest people that I have
ever met in any part of the world including my own part.
A great many of the Bush Negroes still follow the old pagan
religion of Africa. Many of the homes have a small shrine in front of
them to protect the people from evil spirits. Voodoo as it is called in
our part of the world, JuJu as it is called in West Africa, means magic.
Sometimes the people held religious services of their own which we
did not intrude upon. The headman, or captain of the village, very
kindly placed their meeting hall at our disposal – and we were able to
live in it during the period of our visit to Reddi Dotie.
The thing that is interesting to me is what percentage of the
Bush Negroes are still pagan because this is mostly a pagan village.
Obviously it is full of pagan shrines and they are very attached to the
spirit world and to a spiritual world. What they need is to connect this
with a living religion without superstition. This is the way one has to
teach in Africa, the people have to slowly give up their fears because a
great deal of the religion is based on fear and superstition.
To me the best example we are ever going to get out is that it is
like a building that is wired electrically. Now the current is in the wall.
If I want to plug in a huge electric saw in a factory I can do so and
it uses thousands of watts. If I want to plug in only a ten-watt bulb
and I make the organic connection because the power is in the walls.
Now, this is what the Bahá’ís don’t realize. When a villager, who is
ignorant and illiterate and everything else, when he accepts the Faith
of Bahá’u’lláh, he is making a tiny perhaps organic connection with
reality. Now supposing an atom bomb comes they are killed and we
are killed and everybody is killed in one second. Do we as Bahá’ís
believe that those people that accepted Bahá’u’lláh are in exactly the
same condition as those people who didn’t? This is not in accordance
with any religious teaching in the whole world.
Well, the point is to bring your receptacle to the ocean of truth and
whatever the size of it is, fill it. So, this is the point, if a man has a huge
receptacle and he fills it with one teaspoon for what use is it? But if he

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only has a tiny little cup and he fills it brimming over, this in the sight
of God is much more important and it’s right in Bahá’u’lláh’s own
Words in the Gleanings. But they think because they are educated,
and big and wealthy and important, and they have condescended to
accept the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh that they have filled themselves
and are that big worthy, so to speak; when maybe they’ve only got a
teaspoon full of service and of devotion and a poor little man that only
has the capacity of a teaspoon, he’s filled his teaspoon brimming over.
And personally I believe that the teaspoon in the sight of God is more
important than a half empty container of somebody who has much
more capacity.
On the second part of our visit to the Bush Negros we flew over the
Suriname river on our way to Boto Passi. We loaded all our things on a
canoe and went upriver to the Kamaloea where we were to meet our
Bahá’í friends. We were received with great warmth and hospitality
by Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís alike.
Our visit to Kamaloea was one of the warmest experiences on the
whole Green Light Expedition. We had a special meeting the night of
our arrival and the captain of the village, or chief, was very anxious to
hear more about the Bahá’í teachings.
The next morning we discussed with our Bahá’í friends how we
could best help their teaching work. They are speaking Taki Taki
which is the language most commonly used in Suriname and is similar
to pigeon English.
Like all Africans the people have a very strong sense of protocol.
This man is the Captain, or chief, of the village. Yesterday we arrived
by plane and we had so many pieces of luggage and everybody was
so kind to us. He gave permission for them to help us and everybody
helped; a little boy like this was carrying this thing on his head. And
when I got up this morning I said to our Bahá’í friends: these people,
the Boto Passi, are so kind I want to go back and see them.
We decided to visit the nearby village of Lafanti and hold a meeting
there. A number of people accepted the Faith. The Bush Negroes make
their own canoes by the same method used in Africa, curing them
with both fire and water. This village was the most beautiful I have
ever been in my entire life.

The Green Light Expedition Film Narrative (extracts)

We decided to hold the election of the first Spiritual Assembly of
Kamaloea which would be the first Spiritual Assembly of the Bush
Negroes anywhere in Suriname. As this Bahá’í could not be present at
the evening meeting, he cast his vote and Jamshid wrote it down for
him. All too easily we city people forget that half the world’s population
is illiterate. Plans were made for the election of the Spiritual Assembly
that night. The captain who in meantime had become a Bahá’í is
casting his vote for the first Spiritual Assembly.
Some of our Bahá’í friends took us down the river. On our way
down river we stopped at this village to see if we could see the only
Bahá’í who lived there. Although everybody else was out working
their plantations, he happened to be at home.
We were nine hours on our way down the river from Kamaloea to
Mamadam. Mamadam is the place where the government ferryboat
picks up passengers twice a week and takes them over to Afobaka
on the other side of the lake. This is to be our home for three nights
where we slept with about 40 other passengers waiting for the arrival
of the ferryboat. That night our Bahá’í friends cooked dinner for us - a
delicious soup of piranha and plantain.
Some of the people living in the hut were very anxious to know
more about the Bahá’í Faith. Our friends from Kamaloea were very
enthusiastic teachers. After discussing the Faith practically the entire
night with our friends, this man expressed the wish to become a Bahá’í
and Jamshid enrolled him the morning of our departure. These Bush
Negro Bahá’í’s were amongst the finest that I have ever met anywhere
in the world and we parted from each other with great regret.
Our Bahá’í brothers embarked in their canoe and went back up
the river to Kamaloea. Everything was loaded onto the crowded
government ferry and we set out for the five-hour journey across the
lake. We found marked interest from our fellow passengers in who we
were and in what we believed.

Brazil – Manaus
We flew over the Amazon river which at this point was over 20
kilometers wide. The whole area was flooded because the rainy
season had begun. It was a great revelation to all of us to discover
that Manaus, in the heart of the Amazon Basin was such a modern
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city with shipping in its ports from all parts of the world. It has every
convenience of civilization including one of the most beautiful opera
houses in Latin America. We arrived to attend the first historic Bahá’í
conference of the Amazonian region and were greeted very warmly
at the airport by members of the new Bahá’í community. During
our week’s visit there were many lectures given to students at both
universities and high schools.
[Talking to students:] I would rather talk to an audience, like
yourselves, of young people than any other kind of audience in
the whole world. Nobody knows better than the youth how many
problems face us in the world today. As I see it, one of the greatest
problems facing the human race, and that means you, is how to bring
the two thirds of the world’s population who live in villages into the
advantages of the 20th century, the advancement of the 20th century
without ruining their human characteristics that are so wonderful.

Colombia – Leticia
From Manaus we flew to Leticia in Colombia on the frontier between
Brazil and Peru. Leticia is a small, very pleasant town ideally situated
for pioneering as many Indian tribes can be reached from here.
Boats on the Amazon are enclosed because of the very heavy
rains. For eighteen days ten of us lived and slept on this one. She was
noisy, smelly and slow. We called her, appropriately, the Mutt. This
was the beginning of our journey up the Amazon in Peru. Gradually a
daily pattern of living on the boat was established ... The rainy season
floods the riverbanks but the villagers are used to it and build their
homes on stilts reaching their homes by canoe. Various Christian
missions are rapidly spreading throughout this entire area.
The only quiet place [in the boat] was the roof where we held
prayers every morning. It was also the only place where we could
have a conversation because of the noise of the diesel engine inside
was absolutely deafening. The trouble was that it was very difficult to
get up and down because there was no deck on our boat.
This Ticuna village had been recently converted to Christianity.
There were many crosses along the river such as this dated 1970-
1972. We wondered why we Bahá’ís had come so late. Indian fathers
are as devoted to their children as their mothers and we saw so many
The Green Light Expedition Film Narrative (extracts)

evidences of their care and tenderness.
We had expected the Amazon River to be a wild and unpopulated
area and we were very surprised to find that all along the riverbank
there were villages and settlements … The Amazon is the land of
mirror images - one glides through a dream of exquisite beauty.
In search of Indians left touched by our civilization we went up the
smaller rivers. We’d at last come to this Yagua family living according
to their own customs. The Indians are a very quiet people, a very
restful people, who think before they speak. They have a dignity and a
nobility which constantly impressed us. No people tame wild animals
like the Indians. Their homes are full of much loved and cared for pets.
When the time comes for me to have to leave this planet, the only
thing that is going to be the hardest to depart is from the jungles. I
have this mad, mad love for the jungles. I never feel that I can see
enough of the jungle, be in the jungle enough, and whenever in my
life I travel away from the jungle area, it is infinite heartache that I’m
leaving this marvellous, marvellous land of trees and of nature, and
the beauty.
Going deeper into the jungle we came to another more isolated
Yagua village. This man probably continued to wear the costume of
his ancestors. He very kindly demonstrated for us how they shoot
poison darts through these long blowpipes.
We went back to the Amazons and visited another Yagua village.
Going up another river we visited the Bora tribe. This huge hut,
called a Cocomera, is the meeting house for the villagers. We decided
to go upstream, a day’s journey, to see a Cocomera in another village
which was still being used as a communal dwelling. In the Bahá’í
teachings there is a tremendous emphasis on the family, on respect
for parents, mutual kindness and understanding. This is something
that exists in villages.

Peru – Iquitos and Pucallpa
Our journey to the Amazons was at an end. We are approaching
Iquitos, an inland port, 4 000 km from the sea. Recently, oil has
been discovered in this part of the world. To cities such as this the
indigenous people flock in great numbers, only to live in squalor and
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poverty. The filth produced by modern towns flows into the riverbanks.
Here in Pucallpa many poor people have built their houses floating on
the river itself.
We decided to visit the Shipibo people who are both very gifted
artistically and also very shrewed. The women wear very beautiful
embroidered skirts. To me it is very impressive the way in village life
even very small children work, and they love working.

Peru – Lima
This was our last contact with the Amazonian Indians. We were
leaving the wonderful world of the jungles to fly to Lima, the capital of
Peru. In the home of Mr Khamsi we discussed our recent experiences.
I’ve always been very romantic about this part of the world and I
thought the primitive peoples are going to go and teach the untouched
primitive people living in their original culture. And now I don’t feel
that way about it. If the Bahá’í’s ever get to the primitive people, God
bless them, it will be a wonderful service. But in the meantime, get to
the people that are no longer primitive. Get to these areas before it is
too late, don’t you feel so?
You know there is something that I want to say because I think
it ought to be said and I know that we all know it, but perhaps the
Bahá’ís don’t realize it. The missionaries are a highly praiseworthy
and admirable group of people. Just because we talk about the
missionaries doesn’t mean they that are not wonderful people;
they have a dedication that we Bahá’ís could learn from. They have
a systematized, intelligent way of going to their teachings that we
should learn. The only trouble with the missionaries is that they’re
teaching something that is outdated. Instead of teaching them the
religion of God for today, they are teaching teach something that is
two Dispensations back. But, they are wonderful.
… I know that the sky is the limit and the Bahá’ís have to realize it
and that they have to have more imagination. There is no lack of good
will on the part of the Bahá’ís but what they need is the imagination
to see that it could apply to me not to you, but I can go. When they
understand it then I think we will have a tremendous influx in these
areas.

The Green Light Expedition Film Narrative (extracts)

… If I had the opportunity, if I were younger, believe me I would
not hesitate to pioneer to places like this. People have to behave as if
there was a crisis and this is a crisis in world history. And this is why
the Guardian and now the House of Justice is constantly appealing to
the Bahá’ís to fulfil ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Divine Plan, because there isn’t any
more time to lose. And I think that this is what I hope this film will do,
really. This is the whole purpose of the film. Is that if the Bahá’ís look
at this film can feel that they came with us, that they saw these people,
that they saw the difficulties, that they saw the possibilities, and they
saw the beauty of it all. And in their hearts will arise the desire to go
out and teach in such an environment, such people the Cause of God,
well then the film would have fulfilled its objective, because that’s the
whole purpose of it.
Remember Bahá’u’lláh says seize your opportunity for it comes
but once. And the Báb says: mount your steeds, Oh Heroes of God.
Now let the Bahá’ís get up and go.

Bolivia – Oruro
The last stage of the Green Light Expedition took place on the
Altiplano in the Andes. We went to Bolivia to attend an Indian Bahá’í
conference. The friends gathered from many towns and villages all
over the Altiplano. From Sacaca we set out for the top of the mountains
accompanied by about 150 Bahá’ís. Each group of Bahá’ís villagers
had brought their own instruments. Almost all of them played their
flutes all the way up to the top of the mountain.
[Talking to the conference participants:] Beloved friends, I have
come a very, very long way to see your faces again. And I cannot
tell you how happy I am to be here. When I was coming over these
mountains to reach this place I had a very strong feeling that, although
we are a small group of people, that we were not alone. In the Bahá’í
Teachings we have a thing called the Supreme Concourse, the souls
of those wonderful, wonderful people who have served humanity,
who have great qualities and who have died and have gone to another
world. And I had a very strong feeling that above our heads, we
couldn’t see them, but the members of the Supreme Concourse were
with us. And I believe that those who you love, your ancestors, your
parents, your grandparents, are watching this meeting and sharing in

BORIS HANDAL

it. Now, whatever we receive here, when we leave here we will take
it with us and share it with others – our joy, our love, our spirit of
brotherhood – not only we, but there is another very beautiful thing,
it is Bahá’u’lláh’s promise: He said when you mention God, when you
pray, the scattering angels take these words and they scatter it all
over. And we must be sure that already the spirit of this meeting will
go out in the air and affect Bolivia. You are the beginning of the great
flood of the Message of Bahá’u’lláh amongst your people. So we are all
very, very blessed and that is why I say this is a feast of love and is a
feast of thanksgiving.

Peru - Cusco
This is Cusco. Capital city of the old Indian civilization, the golden
city whose temple of the sun was covered by sheets of pure gold -
gold which led the Spanish Conquistadors to totally destroy the great
empire of the Incas. We arrived in Cusco to attend the first all Quechuaspeaking conference ever to be held which had been arranged by
the Counselors of South America. Many of the Bolivian Bahá’ís had
come to attend. It took this bus load of Bahá’ís from Ecuador over a
week to drive the 2 000 kms from their country to Cusco. The Andean
believers flocked to register for the conference. The Bahá’ís from
Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia spent one whole day discussing how much
they could understand each other’s dialects so that Bahá’í literature
could be made standard for all these countries. It was a colourful
group of people who gathered at Sacsayhuaman for the opening day
of our conference. This great fortress built by the Incas took 30,000
people 80 years to construct. We went up to the highest point to hold
our meeting, the place where the Incas believed the sun was tied. I
told my Indian brothers and sisters about themselves, that their
ancestors had built an empire second only to the Romans. That the
achievements of the Incas in government, road building, architecture,
arts and crafts were as great as any the world has ever seen.
The government of Peru had recently made Quechua the second
official language. This gentleman had come from Cusco to attend our
conference as representative of the Quechua speaking Academy of
Peru. Macchu Pichu was a fortress hanging in the clouds. Built by the
Incas over 500 metres above the valley below. We all came by train

The Green Light Expedition Film Narrative (extracts)

from Cusco to visit this famous place, one of the last strongholds of
the Inca empire.
We held our meetings and prayers again on the spot where the sun
is tied. The first mass conversion in the Western hemisphere began
in Bolivia, how much joy it brought to the heart of the Guardian. I
remember how he announced it to the Bahá’í world and how thrilled
we were. And now here was a Bolivian Bahá’í addressing other Andean
Bahá’ís at the top of the historic Macchu Picchu. The Indians are a
deeply spiritual people - a noble race of man with a unique destiny
if they accept Bahá’u’lláh. What would happen to all these wonderful
people we have met. So many of them, so many tribes, scattered over
such a vast area. Who will go to teach them, to keep the small fires
that we have lit burning, to turn it all into a great conflagration.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá said, “O that I could travel, even though on foot
and in the utmost poverty, to these regions, and, raising the call of
“Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá” in cities, villages, mountains, deserts and oceans,
promote the divine teachings! This, alas, I cannot do. How intensely I
deplore it! Please God, ye may achieve it”.398

‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Tablets of the Divine Plan. Wilmette: US Bahá’í Publishing Trust,

pp. 41-42, 1993.

BORIS HANDAL

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