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The numbers 9 and 19 have spiritual significance in the Bahá’í Faith and its predecessor, the Bábi Dispensation.  In the Revelation of the Báb the numbers 9 and 19 had a special meaning.  The Báb and his disciples – the Letters of the Living – formed a group of 19.  There were 19 Apostles of Bahá’u’lláh.  The calendar has 19 months of 19 days plus a holiday period of 4 to 5 days. (Years in the Bahá’i calendar are counted from 21 March 1844 CE, the beginning of the Bahá’i Era (abbreviated BE).  The Bahá’í World Centre on Mount Carmel in Israel consists of 19 terraces.

The numerical value of 9 in the abjad system of the Arabic alphabet is the same as the four letters which form the word “Bahá”.  “Bahá” is known as the Most Great Name of God.  (b=2, h=5, á=1 and ‘ (hamza)=1, added together they equal 9)  Also, 9 is the highest single digit and therefore symbolizes unity and universality, principles upon which the Bahá’í order lies.  The elected administrative assemblies of the Bahá’í world have a minimum of 9 members.  Bahá’í houses of worship have nine doors that are open for everyone.  However, there are no  “lucky” or “unlucky” numbers in the Bahá’í Teachings.

So, how does all this relate to Amin and his passing?  In the guest booklet put together by the funeral home, Amin’s sister noted the following so far as Amin’s age at the time of his passing.

Coincidence?  Perhaps.  Curious?  For certain!  Another mystery from the spiritual realms as to the sudden and untimely passing of dear Amin.

Dear Friends and Family,

With broken and aching hearts we would like to thank a thousand times all the families, friends, and those who have supported us with their prayers, devotional gatherings, services during the funeral and memorial, contributions in memory of Amin, beautiful flowers and cards, making food for us and expressing your loving and healing remarks towards us by phone and emails during this difficult time in our life. We are truly fortunate to have all of you with us. How can we ever thank you all?

Losing a child or a sibling is never easy and is one of the hardest tests in life. Bahá’u’lláh has given us the glad tidings about the life after this and this is what gives us hope to go forward. We believe Amin was summoned by Bahá’u’lláh to the Abha kingdom to serve in another capacity. Of course we will miss him profoundly but we will abide by the will of God and remain submissive to His will. In one of his tablets ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explains that God creates angels in the form of humans and we believe Amin was truly one of those angels. From birth to death he was a joy.

We indeed love you all and wish we could hold each one of you in our arms and thank you personally. We raise our suppliant hands towards Bahá’u’lláh to assist all of us to attain his approval. Thank you so much again.

With profound love and appreciation,

The Amirkia Family

It is one month since the passing of dear Amin.  We thought the following selection from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would be appropriate to share.

“O thou beloved maidservant of God, although the loss of a son is indeed heart-breaking and beyond the limits of human endurance, yet one who knoweth and understandeth is assured that the son hath not been lost but, rather, hath stepped from this world into another, and she will find him in the divine realm. That reunion shall be for eternity, while in this world separation is inevitable and bringeth with it a burning grief.

Praise be unto God that thou hast faith, art turning thy face toward the everlasting Kingdom and believest in the existence of a heavenly world. Therefore be thou not disconsolate, do not languish, do not sigh, neither wail nor weep; for agitation and mourning deeply affect his soul in the divine realm.

That beloved child addresseth thee from the hidden world: ‘O thou kind Mother, thank divine Providence that I have been freed from a small and gloomy cage and, like the birds of the meadows, have soared to the divine world—a world which is spacious, illumined, and ever gay and jubilant. Therefore, lament not, O Mother, and be not grieved; I am not of the lost, nor have I been obliterated and destroyed. I have shaken off the mortal form and have raised my banner in this spiritual world. Following this separation is everlasting companionship. Thou shalt find me in the heaven of the Lord, immersed in an ocean of light.”

Amin’s second-cousin, Adel Missaghian and his daughter Samara visited the resting place of Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith in London last week.  Special prayers in Amin’s memory were said at this Holy site.

Shoghi Effedi’s death also came unexpectedly.  He passed away while sleep during a visit to London on 4 November 1957.  His wife Mary Maxwell – entitled Rúhíyyih Khanum – sent the following cable to the Bahá’í communities throughout the world:

Shoghi Effendi beloved of all hearts sacred trust given believers by Master passed away sudden heart attack in sleep following Asiatic flu. Urge believers remain steadfast cling institution Hands lovingly reared recently reinforced emphasized by beloved Guardian. Only oneness heart oneness purpose can befittingly testify loyalty all National Assemblies believers departed Guardian who sacrificed self utterly for service Faith.

—Ruhiyyih

Our Dearest Amin Jan Aziz:

Last weekend I took one of the hardest trips I have ever taken. It was to attend your funeral and memorial service. I had the honor to carry your casket to the burial site. It was the hardest task I had ever been asked to perform. I always thought that it would be you who would be carrying me to my burial site. It was heartbreaking beyond words to see your dear father, mother, sister and many family and friends following your casket on that day.

As we approached the burial site, I came upon the realization that we are only saying goodbye to your earthly remains and your spirit had already soared to the realm of light, Abha Kingdom. I was reminded of a Persian poem that says: “When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live a life that when you pass away you are the only one smiling and all the people around you crying.” You indeed did that.

From a very young age you had lots of courage and were full of life and love. At your memorial your friends gave true tributes befitting of you only. We all have come to realize to what extent you had all the virtues of a true Bahá’í. This past summer when I visited you in Beijing I came to realize that my little cousin that I used to pick up and throw around had become a successful, energetic and noble man. I was so proud of you and you were so kind to us and showed us around Beijing.

As ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says in one of the prayers, once a shell of a pearl is opened we can recognize the true value of its pearl. Now we know what a precious pearl you had become during your short earthly life. I realize now that the Blessed Beauty had a larger task for you in the spiritual realm.

My dearest Amin Jan, at the memorial service, your dear dad again made his famous “jujeh kabob” with love and your mother was a great hostess, as always. I thank your parents for having such amazing children. Your dad had printed many copies of your beautiful pictures and I took many copies for myself to put in my room and office. I hope as time goes by just as you used to hold my hand when you were a young child, you will continue to guide all of us to understand this pain of not having you with us in the earthly plane. I hope you will continue to hold my hand and guide me in this earthly life.

I hope my son grows up and learns about you and how lucky we all were to be part of your life. I remember the days when you were very young and I used to hold you up and ask you to be Superman. You ARE my true Superman in the spiritual world.

Love you forever—your older cousin,

Mojan

Below are some of the videos that we have received from Amin’s memorial in Bellevue last Sunday.

Introduction by Farjam Majd

Tribute by Dan Thompsen

Tribute by Ala Moshiri

Tribute by Dabih Eng

Baha’i Prayer in Chinese

Baha’i Prayer in Persian

Baha’i Hidden Words in English

Poem in Persian

Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh in honor of Jinab-i Maryam.

In a moving Tablet addressed to Maryam, Bahá’u’lláh – the prophet-founder of the Bahá’í Faith- first describes the devastating effect of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  He then says that the illumined breast of the lovers is a worthy target for the shafts of the divine decree and their neck an eager recipient for the lasso of infinite ordeals.  Where there is an arrow, He says, its recipient is the friends’ bosom and where there is a sorrow, it descends on their heart.  He says that it behooves the lovers to have moist eyes and the loved ones to be demure and distant.  He advises Maryam to be ready to sacrifice her life if she desires the chalice of reunion and to enter the valley of privation if she seeks the wine of His Countenance.  He then says:

“O Maryam!  Exchange thy sorrow for happiness and drink thy sadness from the cup of joy.  Shouldst thou desire to enter the path of search, thou must needs be patient; lacerate not thy face, cease thy weeping and be not of those who are impatient.  Put on the garb of submissiveness, drink the wine of contentment and barter for a penny the world of being.  Accept the decree of fate and be at one with what hath been preordained.  Open the eye of true learning and close it to all that is not of the Friend, for erelong we shall gather in the presence of the Sanctified One and turn our faces towards the Exalted Companion.  From the Iraqi Songster we shall hear the Hijazi melody.  We shall be united with the Friend, speak that which cannot be spoken, see that which cannot be seen and hear that which cannot be heard.  We shall cause the temple of the spirit to dance to the melody of light.  In the sanctified arena of the Beloved convene a delightful feast, seize from the cupbearer of glory the chalice of His beauty and quaff the peerless wine in memory of the countenance of the Beauteous One. “

At the end of the Tablet Bahá’u’lláh exhorts Maryam to wipe her eyes dry, to drive despondency away from her heart, to free her bosom from sorrow, and sing with the sweetest of melodies:

If swords rain down in the Beloved’s abode
We lay low our necks for God’s decree to hold.*

*   Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees, pp 303-304

For a provisional translation and further background on this tablet, please see this link, page 287.

The following quote from `Abdu’l-Bahá reminds us of the distinction that we are asked to aspire to and one that we believe Amin achieved in his short life on this earth.

“For you I desire spiritual distinction; that is, you must become eminent and distinguished in morals. In the love of God you must become distinguished from all else. You must become distinguished for loving humanity; for unity and accord; for love and justice. In brief, you must become distinguished in all the virtues of the human world; for faithfulness and sincerity; for justice and fidelity; for firmness and steadfastness; for philanthropic deeds and service to the human world; for love toward every human being; for unity and accord with all people; for removing prejudices and promoting international peace. Finally, you must become distinguished for heavenly illumination and acquiring the bestowals of God. I desire this distinction for you.”

– ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

The following was shared at Amin’s memorial this past Sunday by his good friend, Dr. Ala Moshiri

“Glory to Thee, O my God! But for the tribulations which are sustained in Thy path, how could Thy true lovers be recognized; and were it not for the trials which are borne for love of Thee, how could the station of such as yearn for Thee be revealed? Thy might beareth me witness! The companions of all who adore Thee are the tears they shed, and the comforters of such as seek Thee are the groans they utter, and the food of them who haste to meet Thee is the fragments of their broken hearts.”

“How sweet to my taste is the bitterness of death suffered in Thy path, and how precious in my estimation are the shafts of Thine enemies when encountered for the sake of the exaltation of Thy word! Let me quaff in Thy Cause, O my God, whatsoever Thou didst desire, and send down upon me in Thy love all Thou didst ordain. By Thy glory! I wish only what Thou wishest, and cherish what Thou cherishest. In Thee have I, at all times, placed my whole trust and confidence.”

“Raise up, I implore Thee, O my God, as helpers to this Revelation such as shall be counted worthy of Thy name and of Thy sovereignty, that they may remember me among Thy creatures, and hoist the ensigns of Thy victory in Thy land.”

“Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. No God is there but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.”

—Bahá’u’lláh

The Amin I know would not want to be the center of attention, and might think it inappropriate to focus on him in this way, and might instead urge us to offer prayers for the Will of God. Yet, in this moment, let’s hope he forgives us for taking some time to cherish his memory.

Amin was born in 1981 here in Seattle. I was five years old at the time, and I remember him from a very young age. As a toddler he was frequently full of glee, full of energy, and loved to play.  He was younger than my group of friends, and as children we were not always nice to him. Despite this mischief, Amin later overlooked this and forgave me. He was far too gracious and too much of a gentleman to hold a grudge, and he never withheld the open palm of his friendship.

When I was a young teen and he was becoming a pre-youth, we maintained our friendship, and I remember spending the night at his home sleeping alongside him in his room. At that young stage of life, it’s curious to have a window into the lives of others and compare them to your own family experience. I remember, when I spent the night, being surprised at how much Mr. Amirkia playfully loved his wife and all three of his children. He would chase them around the house and they would run, until he caught up with them, and would pick them up off the ground, hug them tightly, pinch them, and kiss them hard. At that time Vafa was a only a little boy, and Amin was protective of him. Laila was a bit older, a bit taller, and Amin’s relationship with her was playful and mischievous, and he loved her and looked up to her very much.

As he entered high school and I went away to college we lost touch, but when I returned to Seattle, he had started college. We reconnected, and he had become a mature young man, serious about his studies, serious about his personal demeanor and behavior, and serious about his Faith.

He was studying business at the University of Washington, and unlike most students, he would read every page of his assigned reading, and was engaged and fascinated with what he was learning. He would sometimes share a few details of his courses and his teachers, and I envied his passion for learning.

After graduating he studied to enter law school, and he successfully matriculated into Seattle University where his dedication to his studies increased. During this phase of our lives, our difference in age had all but evaporated, and we became intimate friends. Amin and Dhabih and I would see each other often, sometimes several times a week, to have dinner. Most frequently, we would finish our studies on our own, and meet up later in the evening at Dhabih’s place, each of us with a fresh steak from the grocery store, and we would season and grill and enjoy eating it together, just the three of us. Our conversations would span from the mundane to the philosophical. Often we shared our plans for the future, hopes, sorrows, and fears. It was during this time that I had the privilege to catch glimpses of Amin’s personal, private, innermost self.

Amin loved his mother and his father tremendously. Amin especially loved his father, and this love was so great, that it was only matched by Shidfar’s love for him. Amin worked with his father closely, and was his right hand, not only at his business, but in all aspects of his life. Amin would look up to Mr. Amirkia with an almost impossible degree of admiration, and felt indebted to him for his loving kindness as a parent. Once, Amin told me that his parents, heard noises in their yard very early in the morning while still in bed. Still in his pajamas, his father went outside to investigate, and found that a teenager, drunk from the night before, had lost his way home, and was roaming aimlessly in their yard, and that his father ran after the boy in his pajamas, and chased the boy down the street until he caught him to question him. Amin was very proud of Mr. Amirkia’s courage, and also the fairness which encompassed all of his dealings.

Amin was tremendously gracious. On one occasion, he was at our home for a Baha’i gathering. I needed to leave and run a quick errand, and in a rush, I backed my car out of the garage, without paying attention, directly into the front of his beautiful Mercedes Benz. Not for a moment did he express any disappointment. In fact, he apologized for parking the car in the driveway. I was so ashamed at my carelessness, but he made sure not to make me feel bad about what I had done. When I told my mom yesterday that I was going to share this story, she informed me, to my dismay, that he never reported the repair to our insurance company.

Despite his young age, many times I was impressed with his maturity. His self discipline and his ethical nature would inspire me to push myself to be better. Occasionally he would openly and politely disagree with me and call me out on the truth if I was out of line. Amin was deserving of his name, and trustworthiness encompassed all of his actions. He was perhaps the most courteous person I have ever met, and reminds me of the following words of Baha’u’llah:

”O people of God! I admonish you to observe courtesy, for above all else it is the prince of virtues. Well is it with him who is illumined with the light of courtesy and is attired with the vesture of uprightness. Whoso is endued with courtesy hath indeed attained a sublime station. It is hoped that this Wronged One and everyone else may be enabled to acquire it, hold fast unto it, observe it, and fix our gaze upon it. This is a binding command which hath streamed forth from the Pen of the Most Great Name.”

Our last conversation in person was in his father’s gallery, where he could frequently be found. He told me he had been to China for an extended visit, that he was busily studying for his bar exam, and planned to return to China indefinitely thereafter. He had dedicated himself to pioneering and serving the Cause in that great country. I was so happy for him, and so proud of him. I felt his decision was befitting of his heroic nature, and the course of his life. It was his time to do something outstanding, and he seized the opportunity. We kept in touch occasionally by email, but not frequently enough. I regret I did not take the opportunity to tell him in person how much I appreciate his friendship, and how much I love him.

I cling to the knowledge that Amin was a golden hearted boy, son, and man, a devoted and consecrated believer in His Cause, who can only be soaring with that Company of angels above, reunited with Iskandar, Jalal, and Shidrukh in this moment, who welcome him into their fold with open arms and loving eyes.

Ours is to find some way in this horror to be happy for him, so his soul may glide freely onward without being held back out of concern for our sorrows, and to trust in the justice of the Blessed Beauty in the face of this apparent injustice, to believe in His hidden mercy in this manifest cruelty.

When Nabil eulogized the mighty Quddus, he said of him these timely words:

“Though young in years, he showed that indomitable courage and faith which none among the disciples of his master could exceed. He exemplified by his life and glorious martyrdom the truth of this tradition:

“Whoso seeketh Me, shall find Me. Whoso findeth Me, shall be drawn towards Me. Whoso draweth nigh unto Me, shall love Me. Whoso loveth Me, him shall I also love. He who is beloved of Me, him shall I slay. He who is slain by Me, I Myself shall be his ransom.””

I am proud to have been his friend, and to be the recipient of his kindness and love and friendship. He often overlooked my weaknesses. And I am so proud of him, that he left this earthly plane with his feet firmly planted in his pioneering post. He returns to the Creator with clean hands and straight eyes, and without shame.

Mr. and Mrs. Amirkia, to you both we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude for giving us Amin, for raising him into the happy boy, obedient son, and true gentleman he became. He inspired us, loved us, and treated us all well, and we all love him, and miss him, and we will always remember him. To you we offer our heartfelt thanks and deepest condolences.

Amin, his aunt & uncle, as well as cousins visited his brother Vafa in May 2009 in Chengdu, Sichuan. They celebrated the lantern festival by sending wishes with a Kongming Lantern towards the sky.