Ibrahim George Kheirallah

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Monika Bond today at 10:25 AM

A huge amount of information can be found about Ibrahim Kheirallah in a book called " The Baha'i Faith in America--1892-1900 Vol. I". In fact, the book is mostly about him, since he was the earliest Baha'i evangelist in America. The book recounts a very bizarre history. Born in Bhamdoun, which is now part of Lebanon, he must have come from a wealthy family, because he attended the Syrian Protestant College (his parents were Orthodox Melkite Christians), and received a BA in 1870. He was in the first graduating class, since it was a newly founded college. It says that he was very prosperous as a merchant and contractor of public works--but lost almost all his wealth in a lawsuit. He became a follower of Baha'U'llah, and published several books which were the supposed translation of his teachings---but later, Baha'i scholars found that he had mistranslated the original teachings, putting his own spin on it, and incorporating his own ideas about reincarnation, and more. He became more of a mystic, dabbling in Black Magic, and receiving large amounts of money for supposed spiritual healings. As a 'spiritual healer', he decided he needed a more prestigious title, and BOUGHT a Ph.D. for $20! He believed he possessed magical powers and supernatural abilities, and that the Baha'i faith had given him the special knowledge/ power to invent things ...?????....He actually sold some of his inventions, and earned enough money to come to the USA in 1892. He embarked on a Baha'i lecture circuit as well, and his eloquence and personal charm won him many devotees. He lived in Chicago and New York mostly. It is thought that he was a Freemason and member of the Chicago Masonic Temple, where he had many friends and which was the location for his 'medical' office. In 1899, when his leadership in the Baha'i movement was being challenged, he went back to the Middle East. There his wife, Marion, found out that his previous wife had not been informed that he had divorced her. She also found out that he had been married several other times and had two daughters. After this, she divorced him. He was eventually kind of excommunicated from the Baha'is because he had deviated so much from the original teachings of Baha'u'llah. Lots of fascinating details in the book! My grandmother, his daughter-in-law, always told me that he died aboard a ship--he was badly scalded while washing his hair-- and dropped dead, probably of a heart attack because he was about 80 yrs. old.(She also told us that he had a violent temper, and once squished behind a door and caused her to have a miscarriage.) He had snow white hair in his old age and washed it in the sink every day. A very famous sculptor, Mario Korbel, was a friend of his, and actually made a solid white marble bust of him.