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.
Our Dearest Amin Jan Aziz:
