Shaykh Baha’i was able to move his family out of their small cramped rooms in a run-down part of Abadan when the British were pushed out and many houses became available. In the family’s new home and garden, many Baha’i gatherings were held.
Hundreds of Baha’is came to the spirit filled Nineteen Day Feasts. There were picnics along the river, a large celebratory Naw-Ruz gatherings, and interesting children’s classes.
A distinguished Baha’i scholar, Mr. Saeed Razavi, was a resident teacher at the Baha’i center, a system used in all cities in Iran to help educate Baha’is. The Baha’i Assembly was strong and respected.
Baha’is in Abadan released from prison
Shaykh Baha’i’s home was blessed by outstanding travel teachers. Mr. Furutan came regularly from Tihran. Mr. Fananapazir held study classes which gave the friends a deep appreciation for the Faith. Mr. Mazandarani, who travelled throughout Iran compiling stories of the history of the Faith in Iran, stayed there. Mr. Avaregan an expert on Marxism, which was very much in vogue at the time but not discussed much among Baha’is, gave firesides.
Shaykh Baha’i invited Arabs to come to his home to hear about the faith. He and Mr. Avaregan also travelled by boat across the Tigris River into the Arab tribal areas in Iraq to teach the Faith.
Chanted prayers (click HERE) by the Bab, Baha’u’llah, and Abdu’l-Baha in Arabic (click small yellow boxes on the right to open sound file and then press play).
Shaykh Baha’i was chairing a feast one night when members of the Hojjatiyeh, an anti-Baha’i group, came to disrupt it, When they barged in, my father changed the subject of consultation to the Baha’i principle of obedience to government. His young son made the mistake of raising my hand and asking if it wasn’t true that the teaching was obedience to a government that was “just” and treated citizens fairly.