January 5. On this date in 1927, Suhayl ‘Alá'í was born. An early pioneer to Samoa, he served on LSAs in Samoa, the United States and Australia, on the first Regional Spiritual Assembly of the South Pacific, the NSA of Samoa, and as a Counsellor for Australasia. When Malietoa Tanumafili II, Head of State of Samoa, became a Bahá'í in 1967, Suhayl served as the liaison between him and the Universal House of Justice.

 

January 5. On this date in 1927, Suhayl ‘Alá'í was born. An early pioneer to Samoa, he served on LSAs in Samoa, the United States and Australia, on the first Regional Spiritual Assembly of the South Pacific, the NSA of Samoa, and as a Counsellor for Australasia. When Malietoa Tanumafili II, Head of State of Samoa, became a Bahá'í in 1967, Suhayl served as the liaison between him and the Universal House of Justice.

Suhayl Ahmad ‘Alá'í was born into a Bahá'í family in Tehran on January 5, 1927. His father was Ni'mat'u'lláh, brother of Shu'á'u'lláh, and his mother was Ghodsieh. His fathers parents were Nazimu'l-Hukama, a Bahá'í who served as physician at the court of the Shah, and Bibi Jan, and his mothers parents were Amín-i-Amín, third Trustee of Huqúqu'lláh, and Masoud Khanum. A prominent cousin was Gloria ‘Alá'í Faizi, daughter of Rahmatu'llah Khan 'Ala'i and wife of Hand of the Cause of God Abu'l-Qásim Faizi.

In his youth Suhayl was a member of the Tehran Bahá'í Youth Club, and he later served on several Bahá'í committees related to youth and publications. When he was nineteen his family pioneered to Afghanistan, however they were arrested and sent back to Iran after only nine months due to their religion.

After graduating from High School in May 1947 Suhayl began working in irrigation and water supply for the Ardakani Company until March 1950 when he moved to New Zealand to attend university. He studied sheep and dairy farming at Massey Agricultural College for four years, representing the College in basketball and soccer in addition to completing his Diploma in Agriculture. He also played for the All New Zealand Basketball Team for two years.

In December 1953 he met Lilian Wyss, an Australian Bahá'í briefly visiting New Zealand before pioneering to Samoa, at a Summer School in Auckland. Lilian Wyss became a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for the Samoa Islands in 1954 and her brother, Frank Wyss, became a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for the Cocos Islands in 1955. Suhayl ‘Alá'í married Lilian in Fiji in November 1954 and moved to Samoa with her where they had three children. Suhayl's parents, Ni'mat'u'lláh and Ghodsieh, also pioneered to Samoa living there for four years before moving to Hastings, New Zealand, at the suggestion of Shoghi Effendi.

In 1959 Suhayl was elected to the inaugural Regional Spiritual Assembly of the South Pacific. After His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II, Head of State of Samoa, became a Bahá'í in 1967 Suhayl served as the liason between him and the Universal House of Justice. In 1968 he was appointed as an inaugural Counsellor for Australasia for an indefinite term, and was reappointed in 1980 when the Universal House of Justice announced that Counsellors would serve five year terms. He was appointed for a second five year term in 1985, and was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Samoa in 1993.

Suhayl assisted in the founding of the American Samoa Chamber of Commerce, drafting its constitution, and was active in the United Nations Organization in Samoa. He helped the Faith by assisting in the purchase of the grounds that the House of Worship of Samoa was built on in 1984.

He died on August 14, 1995 and was buried within the grounds of the Samoan House of Worship with his grave being next the grave of Ugo Giachery. Malietoa Tanumafili II attended his funeral and the Universal House of Justice cabled the following after his passing:

DEEPLY DISTRESSED NEWS PASSING SUHAYL ‘ALA’I’ WHO RENDERED EXEMPLARY SERVICES PIONEER SAMOA MORE THAN FOUR DECADES, PLAYED VITAL UNFORGETTABLE ROLE PROPAGATION FAITH CONSOLIDATION INSTITUTIONS ENTIRE PACIFIC REGION, SERVED MEMBER FIRST NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY SOUTH PACIFIC, AND LATER OVER TWO DECADES BOARD COUNSELLORS AUSTRALASIA. RECALL WITH PROFOUND ADMIRATION HIS KINDNESS, LOVE PACIFIC PEOPLES, HIS SACRIFICIAL DEDICATION ADVANCEMENT THEIR INTERESTS, HIS ROLE CONSTRUCTION HOUSE OF WORSHIP SAMOA, HIS INVOLVEMENT WORK CAUSE TO LAST HOURS EARTHLY LIFE.

ADVISE HOLDING MEMORIAL SERVICES HOUSE WORSHIP, BAHA‘I COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT SAMOA. ALSO REQUESTING NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF AUSTRALIA HOLD MEMORIAL GATHERING HOUSE OF WORSHIP.

OFFERING PRAYERS HOLY SHRINE PROGRESS HIS LUMINOUS SOUL ABHA KINGDOM. KINDLY CONVEY HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES HIS MOTHER, HIS WIFE, AND FAMILY.