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Abd al-Hosayn Ayati

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Abd al-Hosayn Ayati as a cleric (right) and as a Baha'i (left)

Abd al Ḥosayn Ayati (1871—1953) was a Persian Shia cleric[1], notable poet [2], Iranian Orator[3], "outstanding author"[4] [5]and "prominent historian"[6]. He converted to the Baháʼí Faith at the age of 30 and 18 years later converted back to Islam, and authored a number of books on different subjects such as literature, history, poetry, Quran and Arabic. He also wrote a number of polemic works against the Baháʼí Faith.

Early Life

Ayati was Born in a religious family in the city of Taft in the province of Yazd (Iran) in 1871. His father was a scholar by the name of Haji Akhund Mujtahid Tafti. Ayati received a religious education from childhood[1][2] His first teacher was his father. At the age of 15 he moved to Yazd where he studied at the Khan religious school for two years in Islamic subjects. He then moved to Iraq to study at the seminaries in Najaf and Karbala where he became a student of Ayatollah Mirza Hasan Shirazi. This only lasted for a few months and he was forced to return to Yazd after receiving the news of the death of his father.[4]

Ayati became a cleric in his youth years while at Yazd and would give sermons and lead the prayers. He showed great interest in literature and poetry since those times.[1][2] According to one of his brief autobiographies, he hadn't reached puberty yet when he was allowed to wear the classic Muslim cleric clothing and give sermons. His father was his mentor who encouraged him to pursue his gift in poetry and bestowed him with the poetic name of Ziaiee. At the age of twenty he lost his father and at the age of twenty five, he was stationed as the Imam of the Mosque that his late father led the prayers at.[3]

He became familiar with the Baha'i faith after his father passed away and became a Baha'i at the age of 30.[1][2] This is how Ayati describes the manner that he became a Baha'i and left Iran:

"I became familiar with the Baha'is at the age of 30 and left my beloved homeland. I removed the Turban from my head and shaved my beard and started traveling around the world."[4]

Leaving Iran and Life as a Baha'i

While a Baháʼí he was a contemporary of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, who gave him the titles of "Raʾīs-al-moballeḡīn" (Chief of Missionaries) and "Avarih" (Wanderer).[7] In 1920s, Shoghi Effendi sent Avarih to England to teach the Baháʼí Faith. Former member of the Universal House of Justice, Luṭfu'lláh Ḥakím, served as his translator during this visit.[8] After reverting to Islam he openly opposed the Baháʼí Faith and was considered a Covenant-breaker. He was labelled by Shoghi Effendi as a "shameless apostate".[9]

The references made to Avarih in John Esslemont's book Baháʼu'lláh and the New Era were removed in subsequent editions published after Avarih's apostasy from the Baháʼí Faith.[10]

Reverting to Islam and Returning to Iran

He returned to Tehran and spent the rest of his life as a secondary school teacher. During this period he wrote Kashf al-Hial, a three volume work on the Baháʼí Faith.[7]

Works

Kašf al-ḥīal
  • َAtashkadeh Yazdan (God's Fireplace): A book on the history of the city of Yazd in Iran.[11]
  • Farhang-i Ayati (Ayati's Dictionary): A Persian-Arabic dictionary.[12]
  • Al-Kawākeb al-dorrīya fī maʾāṯer al-bahāʾīya (Shining Stars of Baha'i Remnants): a work on history of the Baháʼí Faith.[13]
  • Kašf al-ḥīal (Uncovering the Deceptions): his work in three volumes after leaving the Baháʼí Faith.[14] Vol. 1, Vol. 2, vol. 3.
  • Siyahat nam-i doctor jack amricaiee (The travel diary of Dr Jack the American): Real life accounts narrated as a story about the life of a foreigner investigating the Baha'i claims during his travels that Ayati refers to using the pseudonym Jack the American.[15]
  • Moballighe Baha'i dar mahzar-e ayatollah shaykh mohammad khalesi zadeh (A Baha'i Missionary in the Presence of Shaykh Muhammad Khalesi Zadeh): The report of Iranian Army personnel from Yazd that were proselytized by a Baha'i missionary and decided to consult Ayatollah Khalesizadeh about the Missionaries claims.[16]
  • Namakdan (Saltshaker): A literature magazine published from 1925-1935 in four issues.[1]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e Narges, Dehghanian (2009). "نمکدان دفتر ادبیات شعر و نغز دوره اول پهلوی" (PDF). Payame Baharestan. 1388:3: 473–478 – via http://ensani.ir. {{cite journal}}: External link in |via= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d Khalkhali, Sayyed Abd al-hamid (1958). تذکره شعرای معاصر ایران (PDF). Vol. 2. Tehran (Iran): Rangin. pp. 1–6.
  3. ^ a b Burqaie, Sayyed Muhammad Baqir (1994). سخنوران نامی عاصر ایران (PDF). Vol. 1. Qum (Iran): Khorram. p. 134.
  4. ^ a b c Rastegar, Sayyed Mahmoud (1978). "احوال و آثاز عبدالحسین آیتی یزدی (The life and works of Abd al-Husayn Ayati Yazdi)". Wahid. 242: 29–34 – via http://ensani.ir. {{cite journal}}: External link in |via= (help)
  5. ^ "احوال و آثار عبدالحسین آیتی یزدی" (PDF).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ "Husayn "Avarih" Ayati Al-Kawakib ad-Durriyyah". Humanities & Social Sciences Online - Michigan State University Department of History.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ a b Afshar, Iraj (2011). Encyclopaedia Iranica: ĀYATĪ, ʿABD-AL-ḤOSAYN. p. 133.
  8. ^ "Star of the West/Volume 14/Issue 1/Text - Bahaiworks, a library of works about the Bahá'í Faith". bahai.works. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
  9. ^ Maxwell, Ruhiyyih (Mary Khanum) (1969). The Priceless Pearl. London: Baháʼí Publishing Trust. p. 120.
  10. ^ Salisbury, Vance (1997). "A Critical Examination of 20th-Century Baha'i Literature". Baháʼí Library Online. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  11. ^ Ayati, Abd al-Husayn (1938). آتشکده یزدان. Yazd (Iran).{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  12. ^ Ayati, Abd al-Husayn (1935). فرهنگ آیتی. Tehran (Iran): Matba Danesh.
  13. ^ Ayati, Abd al-Husayn (1923). الکواکب الدریه (PDF). Vol. 1. Cairo (Egypt): Matba`at as-Sa`adah.
  14. ^ Afshar 2011. sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFAfshar2011 (help)
  15. ^ Ayati, Abd al-Husayn (1927). سیاحت نامه دکتر ژاک آمریکایی (PDF). Tehran: Khavar.
  16. ^ Ayati, Abd al-Husayn (1987). مبلغ بهایی در محضر آیت الله خالصی زاده (PDF). Iran (Yazd): Golbahar.

References

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