| Hand of the Cause appointed by Bahá'u'lláh, born in Abhar, Iran. His father became a Bábí, and because of persecution the family moved to Qazvín. In about 1868 the family became Bahá'ís. After the death of his father in 1874, Ibn-i-Abhar moved to Zanján where he reinvigorated the Bábí community and caused most of them to become Bahá'ís. He was imprisoned in Zanján for fourteen months, after which he travelled throughout Iran. In 1886 he visited the Holy Land and was appointed a Hand of the Cause. He travelled extensively in Iran, Caucasia, Turkmenistan and India. From 1890 to 1894 he was imprisoned in Ṭihrán and for a time wore the same chains as Bahá'u'lláh had worn as a prisoner in the Síyáh-C̲h̲al. After his release he went to the Holy Land and then to ‘Is̲h̲qábád. He participated in the 1897 gathering of Hands in Ṭihrán which led to the formation of the Central Spiritual Assembly there. He finally settled in Ṭihrán where he assisted with the establishment of the Tarbíyat Bahá'í School. His wife, Munírih K̲h̲ánum, the daughter of Hají Ák̲h̲únd, helped to found the Girls' School. In 1907 he travelled in India with Harlan Ober, Hooper Harris and MIrzá Mabmúd Zarqání. Ibn-i-Abhar passed away in 1917. |
