Shaykh Káẓim-i-Samandar (Persian: كاظم السمندر, d.1918) known as Samandar was an eminent follower of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, a global religion of Persian origin. He was born to a prominent Bahá'í family of Qazvin of Bábí and Shaykhi background. He was identified as one of the nineteen Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh, and was favored by Bahá'u'lláh.
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Samandar was born Muhammad Kázim Qazvíní on February 1844 in Qazvin, the eldest surviving son of Shaykh Muhammad Qazvíní.[1] Shaykh Muhammad was an early Bábí and later Bahá’í.[2] His father was bastioned in Qazvín and attained the presence of the Báb who was then imprisoned in Máh-Kú. Later Shaykh Muhammad was entitled Nabil by Bahá’u’lláh. He was named after Siyyid Kázim whom his family had close connections with. His mother was a disciple of Táhirih. Samandar was of a wealthy mercantile family, and Shaykh Muhammad Qazvini had made a success of the business.[3] From an early age he was a devout Bahá’í, and clearly remembered the days of persecution as a little boy.
Samandar was living in Qazvin when a group of very active Azali’s begun disputing Bahá’u’lláh and his claims. [4] Samandar studied the writings of both Azali and Bahá’u’lláh. He subsequently became a staunch believer in Bahá’u’lláh, and wrote a pamphlet denouncing the Azali’s and stating they based their claims on nothing. [5] The document was read widely, and reduced influence of the Azali's in Qazvin.
Bahá’u’lláh then renamed Muhammad Kázim Qazvíní as Samandar a Persian word meaning phoenix. [6] Bahá’u’lláh also sent Samandar numerous tablets and prayers in his honour, much of which is still extant. The most famous is perhaps Lawh-i-Fu'ád (tablet of Fu’ád) which was addressed to Samandar. He worked tirelessly teaching the faith in Persia. [7] He traveled all around Iran teaching people of the Bahá’í Faith and its principles. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá also kept in regular correspondence with him.
He had many children; a mixture of boys and girls of whom all married into prominent Bahá’í families of Persia. [8] His most famous child is possibly Taráz’u’lláh Samandarí, a Hand of the Cause of God. In Acre Samandar’s daughter Thurayyá Khánum was married to Bahá’u’lláh’s younger son Mírzá Díyá’u’lláh. She later became a covenant breaker devastating Samandar. He made two pilgrimages to ‘Akká to visit Bahá’u’lláh and the Bahá’í holy family (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Ásíyih Khánum, Bahíyyih Khánum and Munírih Khánum).
Samanadar died February 5th, 1918. Shoghi Effendi described him a “flame of the love of God” and identified him as one of the Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh. His memoirs Tárikh-i-Samandar was regularly referred to and seen a source of valuable Bahá’í history. His relatives are known by the surname Samandarí.
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